1. Let me first begin with the meritorious cause of it That which Heathens knew not Nature saw not Philosophy and Learning could not find out nor reach only holy Scripture tells me and shews it to be that most black inlet sin Rom. 5.12 Death entred into the world by sin and v. 17. By one mans offence death reigned not only entred but reigned hath mastered and will master all sinners Sin that greatest evil in the world sin the only contrariety to the living God that gave life to man at first and ever since sin that only injury to the blessed God bred and brought death the greatest misery to man here sin that provoked God to pass the sentence sin occasioning the vindictive cause the Justice of God to let in death death with the consequences of it that would follow without a Mediator that Adam knew not of Death so considered is the way of the very deepest revenge a God can take But then this black part of it bodily death without that blacker Train of Hell and Eternity in it is that which must challenge a very great proportion of ponderings 2. Let me look at not only the rise of it and the bare wrath occasioning the inflicting it but that so fixt and irreversible sentence that like the Law of the Medes and Persians cannot be broken Heb. 9.27 It 's appointed for all the universality of sin hath given death an universal sting and the Statute of Heaven hath impowered Death's Extensiveness over all and set a seal of irrevocableness to it as to all men Therefore it is appointed I must think particularly for me whatever I am or do or can in utmost possibility do I must not once think of making an escape from it Yea let me consider as I must die so the very Year Moneth Day Hour and Moment is immutably fixt and can never be altered Job 14.5 the place also where the means whereby the manner how all circumstances about it are unchangeably determined 3. But how material is that particular of the uncertainty of the time and manner to me that 's a reservation and secret kept in the Lord 's own breast not possibly to be exactly known before without it be revealed as Christ of the Great Day of Judgment saith Mat. 24.36 Of that day and hour knoweth no man And Verse 42. Ye know not what hour your Lord will come And 44. In such an hour you think not your Lord comes so the two latter may be applyed to this of death when he calls for an accompt of our Stewardships and Talents and passes particular and personal Judgment 3. Let me pass next to the Meditation serious pondering of the nature of it and that great dreadfulness of that most terrible of terribles that King of terrours Job 18.14 Here that I may duly look on it let me look up for a God to teach me as to number my days Ps 90. so to be wise to consider my latter end to do that hard work overcome that difficulty of looking Death-watd Nature abhors the thinking of it Corruption all it can opposes it but Grace must bring and fix earnestly and often the Eye upon it familiarize death to me let me then Eye my dissolution the parting of the two nearest dearest friends the Soul 's taking its sad farewel of its former dwelling it s going going in an instant out of the Body and then that which Death doth as an Enemy to all former Life concerns and as an entrance upon an Eternal Condition 1. As an Enemy to all enjoyments how sweet soever Pleasures all now quenched Honours now all dasht Riches and Estate now all lost Power now utterly ceast 2. An Enemy to all Relations Friends Acquaintance now must I shake hands with all nearest and dearest the sweetest and most helpful Relations 3. An Enemy to all Imployments necessary or pleasurable no Work no Business no Invention after it 4. An Enemy to all Opportunities and Means of Grace never to read the Bible more never to hear one Sermon more never to receive the Lords Supper more never to make one Prayer the shortest of one of the fewest words more and then also when thou art just launching into the length of vast Eternity But now must be Prayerless and totally helpless yea now thy Souls condition becomes becalmed and thou canst not obtain one gale of the Holy Spirit to blow upon thee and help move thee in any measure 5. It s an Enemy quickly to the curious frame and so exquisite building of thy body with all its parts and members made with such adaptations and sutableness whatever with all the Tempers Qualities Offices Abilities and Actings of it An Enemy likewise to all the senses seeing hearing the two disciplinary with feeling tasting smelling the so likewise necessary 6. It is an Enemy and Destroyer of all comliness and beauty form and shape And all these former by being the Enemy and Destroyer of that thy so sweet and precious life by making that Jewel drop out of the Cabinet of the Body or rather driving forth thy immortal and invaluable soul bringing with it a Writ of forcible entrance coming with an Execution to turn out that old inhabitant of the body securing it from regaining possession making it stand empty and thence exposing the body to rot ruine turn to dust and expose it to Oblivion as if it had never been But then upon thy Souls thus leaving thy Body immediately and instantly it is cast upon a state of Eternity of Misery if thou wert not in Christ or felicity if found and dying in him When Life ends Eternity begins O this all amazing Eternity this so vast and inconceivable Eternity no way to be exprest or set forth no way to be understood or known a Glass that is ever running a Chain that is ever lengthening who can number the Sands of this Glass who can reckon the links of this Chain of Eternity without stop or period bound or end O let me be ever musing of this Ever have it so full in my Eye while I have time this moment of time here that it may wind up and leave me in possession of most happy Eternity But to affect my spirit aright and be wise in the due managing of this Meditation of dreadful Death let me look to and ponder the Scripture Commands for remembring and considering my latter end and the Arguments strongly inducing to it How frequently and earnestly is it urged upon all O let me lay the weight and stress of them close to my heart not suffering it to put by the thoughts of death how awk and averse soever my carnal spirit is towards it Let me therefore not only muse on the sentence the peremptory and irrevocable sentence passed upon all in general and so upon my self in particular but on it as ready to be executed this hour yea this moment for ought I or any in the world can tell Ah let me say to my self the
they think bare knowing without due Meditating is an undervaluing of spiritual things CHAP. XXVII Of the third Ground of this Meditation as to several ends and uses THE third great ground of this necessary Duty is from the Ends and the great concernments of them as to all sorts of persons 1. For a sinners first conversion to God 1. Meditation is a Duty incumbent on and highly necessary for persons yet strangers to God to bring them home Ezek. 18.28 Because he considereth and turneth 1 King 8.47 If they bethink themselves and turn returning of the sinners is upon considering and self bethinking thus the Prodigal Luke 15. No man ever truly converts to God without some consideration of his Misery with his absolute need of Christ and his Grace and flying to him Although the efficacious drawing of a sinner be Gods work he awakens convinces humbles and he changes the heart yet not without the sinners considering minding mourning seeking and striving God converts men as reasonable Creatures and conversion is founded on the deepest set reasons and the strongest working and prevailing arguments in the world God he awakens and the sinner looks about and considers he reasons with himself as the Prodigal and out-reasons himself but by Gods mighty working keeping down the hearts corruption and by its quickning the soul with a new living principle and so he resolves and returns to God If more would muse and consider did do it duly more God enabling would return When the one is to be done the other shall be done men shall come to consider and ponder 2. For all renewed repenting There 's great necessity of consideration for our renewing our returning continually for holding up an evenness and constancy of renewed repentance Psal 119.59 I considered my ways and turned my feet to thy Testimonies Fresh godly sorrow self-loathings serious returnings must have new fresh considerings of the sinfulness of sin and laying loads of aggravations on particular new warpings and miscarriages Especially greater Repentings require a deeper and larger foundation in consideration as David did in Psal 51. that evidences great and deep thoughts of heart 3. For a vigorous acting of Grace For vigorous acting any Grace Faith Love Hope Fear Humility Patience and others as is frequently seen in the Saints in Scriptures what reasons and perswasions they drew out of the depths of considerations Job David others All the heart Graces are stirr'd and acted in some measure by consideration either of the command enjoyning the Promise encouraging threatning awing examples exciting arguments in some sort or other inducing and helping It is something that works and weighs is first pondered before the soul acts or is rightly moved A Christian acts not as Water or Fire which move by their own inclination But as men act in things as men which is by choice and free election but upon preceding instigation of Reason and consideration Grace though it be a spring of living water it is not that which runs over of it self That 's for Heaven where the heart will be full and run alone It is not like the spring-head of Jordan that ran of it self but like Jacob's well that had always water but must always be drawn It must be drawn out by consideration Christians mistake and complain oft of their hearts and would have them like a running Spring to run to act alone when here in the best though there be water as in Jacob's Well yet the well is deep there must be drawing for every drop or none will come Therefore to make it come the Bucket of Consideration must be letting down and pulling up and so pouring forth What the Apostle said to Timothy 2 Tim. 1.6 Stir up the gift that is in thee must be said to all and done by all that would do any thing Some Horses we say go on meer Metal without out provocation of switch or spur others will go well with some stirring up So our hearts if good will go on in godliness but not on meer Metal but with provokings of considerations There should be endeavoured the best and strongest mindings and reasonings if we would act Graces vigorously and strongly There 's a necessity that strong purposes and resolutions for believing trusting loving hoping all acting all enduring strongly be bottom'd in strong mindings and considerings The fuller the consideration the better the actings of Graces the stronger the spring in the Watch the better all the Wheels move CHAP. XXVIII Of other ends of this Meditation 4. FOR all Duties and holy performances there is great necessity of Meditation in some due measure for a due wise warm lively and spiritual acting them acting from the right principle of Grace within by the right rule eying the Word and to the right mark and end salvation Real and vigorous performing in this sort must have some good allowance of pondering what we are to perform This is very conspicuous in holy David so great a performer of holy Duties Praying confessing and praising his prayings and all things in that way he calls his Meditation Certainly those so excellent Psalms of prayings and praisings were no flashes of a meerly raised phansie or some hasty runnings over of a hot Brain not an uttering what came next but the passages so rare spiritual and heavenly and so strongly rational as they had a touch from Heaven in the Spirits guidance and assistance so they had a tincture from a wise holy heart within laying them asteep in consideration and acting them with it in highest heeds and mindings concurring with their utterings Things so well spoken must be well weighed especially when they also were to be Scripture Records For holy Prophets and Scripture Pen-men were to use their own natural gifts and their graces in their writings though the Spirit of God infallibly guided sometimes raised and elevated them above themselves Duties of Religion ebb and flow are more lively spiritual and heavenly or more dead carnal and such as run lower according to their fomentings and feedings from the warm spring of Meditation thus in our praying and other duties we may daily experience Christians complain they are dead-hearted and cold slight and perfunctory in performances confessions are not accompanied with heart-meltings shame and self-loathings Petitions not with fervency strong cryings and earnest wrestlings Thanksgivings not with that flame of love and joy and high admirings of the so great goodness and rich free Grace of God in his ways and dispensations toward us commonly the cause is the spring of Meditation is stopt the soul runs not in such a current of considerations and quickning reasons as it ought and used to do When any part or member of the body fails in heat sense or motion where there is actio laesa as the Physicians say there 's principium laesum that is where is an action or acting hurt or hindred from its natural and usual way there the principle and feeder of that action hurt and
failing is hurt and failing it self As when failing of sence or motion in an Hand or Leg it 's num or cannot stir this is from the cold clammy humors lying at and obstructing the heads of those Nerves that did convey motive or sensitive spirits to that part is num or motionless Now Meditation is a head or rise of motions spiritual Reasons and Arguments are as the Nerves that convey and stir up heat spirit and motion into holy performances This is one very great cause holy Duties are no more lively and warm the cure must be in removing the obstructions opening the spring-head of Meditation making that run fresh and full in such considerations as may warm and quicken The wisdom of Christians therefore is to take as we said that great Artists way the holy Psalmist that acted godliness so eminently and among others upon this eminent acting still of Meditation he tells how he prayed day and night and how he still praised and highly rendred his thanksgivings and blessings and he tells you how he meditated day and night And he tells you his Meditation assisted and contributed as Psal 5. He tells you his Prayer was his Meditation because assisted quickened and prepared by Meditation If Christians would use to Meditate more carefully and constantly it would help to keep up better the vigour of Prayer so would it likewise keep life and warmth in all other holy duties No Christians are warmer at the heart and livelier in holy services than those who meditate most but never expect the one without the other Keep this Fountain open and still running this is the water to drive the Mill the Wind that moves the sails the spring in the Watch that carries all the Wheels and keeps them going I speak as to that is to be done on our part otherwise God does all in all 5. Meditation is necessary to be an exclusive and keeper out of evil and vain thoughts and to dislodge them naturally all the imaginations of the heart are evil and only evil continually Gen. 6.5 Vain thoughts lodge and repose as in a Bed in a carnal heart Jer. 4.14 How long shall thy vain thoughts lodge within thee Ephes 4.17 Walking in the vanity of your minds The way and walk is in the vanity of the mind To dislodge these lodgers and shut them out is by accustoming and exercising the mind to good thoughts to be the excluders of bad thoughts The Learned Sir Francis Bacon observes as the cures of bodily diseases are by applying things contrary to them so the defects of the mind are helpt by contrary studies Poetry makes men witty History wise the Mathematicks subtil Natural Philosophy deep Moral Philosophy grave Logick and Rhetorick able to contend these Arts help the defects of Nature by working contrary habits proper for the cure of those defects So in spiritual distempers and defects there are sutable cures and remedies by applyings and actings of the contraries So Rom. 8.13 If ye mortifie the deeds of the body by the spirit All sins particular sins are mortifi'd by those Graces are contrary to those sins so distrust is mortified by holy trusting passion and wrath by godly meekness Pride by Humility worldly affections by heavenly affections still acted and so evil thoughts by good roving wandring and wild imaginations by Godly Consideration and Meditation which accustoming our selves unto will work off customary vain and wandring thoughts a holy principle of Meditation the sinful principle of evil thinkings It is not so much the striving and tugging against corruptions to keep them down though we must both watch and war against them but the acting of the contrary Grace that best relieves us to strive after a bare suppressing of sin and of evil thoughts in particular comes to little This is a kind of being only upon the defensive for an observing and marking the risings and stirrings of corruption and sins it may be with a good measure of grief and reluctancy but this is rather a telling and reckoning the evil thoughts and stirrings and lying expos'd still to fresh assaults leaving corruptions opportunity to return so oft as they will than to abate and suppress them It can do little unless we go this way to work The best and nearest way to dislodge and exclude evil thoughts is by lodging and acting good thoughts in this way this ordinance of Meditation which will keep us God keeps us when we keep his and our way The way when they come as we should against evil thoughts act detestation but withal act diversion act not detestation alone but diversion Let thy heart both turn inwardly against them and turn also from them by turning upon something is both spiritual and seasonable So soon as the Poyson of evil thoughts would infect take the antidote the best preservative of diversion to and acting of good and holy thoughts the art of diversion is better than meer acting still of striving and opposition Yea Secondly Meditation is to be exercised not only as an exclusive of bad thoughts but for an introductive of good thoughts good thoughts in a way for an arriving at habitual heavenly mindedness for an introductive of heavenly mindedness where there was formerly a walking in the vanity of the mind Gen. 6.5 All the thoughts of the heart evil continually customarily habitually evil for I say an introductive to heavenly mindedness and likewise for an improver of heavenly mindedness daily In handling the Explication of the description of Meditation when the ends of it were mentioned among other ends this was one Meditation must be performed to be a moulder and framer of habitual heavenly wisdom making the spirit of a Christian habitually wise so I adde now Meditation is to be performed to introduce and after that improve an habitual heavenly mindedness It is not only incumbent on thee to shut out evil thoughts and endeavour good thoughts to take up the old lodgings of the evil and so thrust and keep them out but thou must by Meditation by constant using it endeavour habitual heavenly mindedness In all truly gracious hearts a principle that inclines that introduces a bent and tendency of soul heaven-ward but this at the first is a tender bud it is but weak and inclines weakly acts feebly in comparison of after time when it 's grown and strengthened by exercise when we exercise and use to meditate this dips and dyes the spirit into the tincture and Grain Colour of habitual heavenly mindedness Though the first fundamental inclination and bent of spirit heaven-ward must be sought till it be found the carnal earthly mindedness changed into heavenly yet this if we were never so assured of it must not satisfie here no Christian must set up But to the now first principle and the fundamental habit obtained this superadded acquired habit should be this second grand endeavour and intension first to have the spiritual habit the new fundamental heart-tendency then to have this inclination
can do little but bungle because they study and muse no more to know their own way Many Christians are but bunglers to what they might be make a large disproportion between their profession and their proficiency their practice and their profit because they meditate no more to understand their way 2. The great not only ignorance but dead-heartedness and spiritual chilness with the brokenness and unevenness of Christians in their walkings arises much from a negligence in this Meditation either negligence of not doing it but ceasing sometimes or negligence of slackness and slothfulness in ceasing fervency and industry for the manner Davids manner of meditation in the fervency and the constancy of it will keep up Davids affections fervent and flaming affections and Davids constancy and evenness of conversation 3. Little meditating makes lean Christians of little life little strength little growth and of little usefulness to others Heb. 12.12 There 's mention of feeble knees which also occasions the going with no steadiness and the not making of straight steps As it is oft in the body thus from a failing in the head obstructions of the Fountain and feeder of sense and motion so this among others this failing in Meditation is a great occasion though there be divers other causes a great ground of Christians weak feet and going no stronger and steadier Meditation that should influence stir up strength and motion is obstructed disused and neglected Meditation must still lend a hand of help to every spiritual undertaking first ponder then proceed We can perform nothing well in worldly affairs without well considering so in spiritual matters what duties can be well performed what graces rightly exercised what in all Religion that can be named can be rightly ordered if you mind not seriously consider not before the doing it as well as mind and attend it in the doing Serious thinking is fundamental to all right doing O what are the innumerable advantages that thy constancy in this course would still bring in and what have been thy losses by neglect and will daily increase upon thee by it Ah therefore consider be awakened and strive to be humbled for all thy failings and neglects especially thy fallings off from and disusings of this so necessary and excellent Duty look to thy first beginning in it and thy making no better entrance into it First undertakings if not so well and through prove great inconveniences and if not lookt after and amended may occasion a less seriousness and care ever after but however they require a making up and bettering that which serves a young weak and unexperienced Christian must not serve a grown Christian one old in his way O but be humbled for thy improving no more in this Art of Meditation for being no better Artist for having so little of this heavenly habit and heart-readiness from thy frequencies and constancies of not only acting but earnest and vigorous strivings which intend and strengthen improve and increase the habit Be humbled for no higher attainments in this happy way which we should be most perfect in ready for in which we should still have an increasing and heightening complacency and pleasure to perform with a striving to do it better as to heart-readiness better as to heart-power and purpose resolvedness against oppositions and hindrances Ah then look mournfully look we and with shame and self-abasings on all and for all our failings and for all our guilt contracted for this Duty neglected 1. That our progress and improvement hath been so small 2. Our inequalities and unevennesses so many 3. Our fallings off and desistings and lyings so long or any space of time before returning and recovering and by our dis-using contracting an unwillingness a spiritual lothness a doing with more difficulty or by refusals and denying of doing this Duty to thereby aggravate our sin Therefore I say for all these admitted and added let us be deeply humbled before God and mourn over so many and great neglects he hath observed in us Ah therefore say I have sinned greatly in what I have done 2 Sam. 24.10 say I will do so no more Job 34.32 Ah so to slight to forget the concerns of God and my soul to let my eyes be in the corners of the earth to let my soul lose so its lookings by eying vanity to imbezel my precious thoughts upon the by and overlook the main May not my God come and challenge me for great unkindness unworthiness and folly What thou my child to be so vain and unwise when thou hast to contemplate thy God in his infinite all-sufficiency thy Saviour in all his matchless beauty and fullness thy Sanctifier in all his operations and consolations thy perfect rule the Scriptures with all the treasures of heavenly truths in them and when thou hast all the excellent and admired works and ways of a God the condition of his Church and people thy own souls state and eternal salvation together with all such things that continually stand full in thy view Ah to have so many paths for the feet of thy spirit to walk in by Meditation so many rare Objects for thy Eyes entertainment and employment and to thy sweetest solace largest satisfaction and yet in any degree to miscarry the golden seasons of this so heart-enriching Meditation Ah may not my grieved God and his grieved spirit grieve and sadden my herein so sinning spirit may not my neglects of Meditation not seriously and frequently thinking of him and such things that nearly highly concern him justly occasion my Gods neglecting of me Neglecting me by withdrawing his hand from his blessed impulses infusings of heavenly thoughts judging it not meet to give down good and holy thoughts into a spirit distemper'd diverted by too usual admittance of earthly evil and carnal thoughts and disuse of holy Meditation Who will plant the most precious flowers among heaps of poisonous weeds Who will mix their richest purest Wine with puddle dirty Water or their Gold and Diamonds among dirt and dung Ah this is the way for my God not only to withdraw himself but to let Satan the foul Spirit loose upon me to trouble me to haunt me to follow me with all manner of disquieting and discouraging thoughts with temptations of injury and stealing revenge and cruelty uncleanness and filthiness and sinful sensualities and such like evil thoughts against others Ah may not this neglect of good thoughts and due Meditation be justly met with and expose me to the blackest and most horrid thoughts and temptations such as those of Blasphemy thoughts as thick as Hail and that daily haunt me darting horrour and Hell into my spirit making my heart to tremble and my hair to stand upright on my head Ah may I not if I amend not the sooner not come to that so sad and dreadful temptation so contrary to Nature the temptation of self-destroying thinking it may be best to be rid of my trouble though it be so
these acted with the purest enmity keenest malice utmost vigilancy and unwearied diligence He hath the higher ground of us by far as being a Spirit and of the highest rank of Creatures as to his Nature and Essence and is thereby most wise and strong and agile He is immortal never can dye nor in any sort decay as we and other creatures decay in strength senses and exercising of our souls faculties understanding memory and others as he is never dying nor in the least decaying so he hath been is and ever will be to the worlds end trying and tempting Trying and practising upon the innumerable sorts of persons of all Sexes all Ages that are capable in the least degree to be tempted of all ranks conditions relations in all places whatsoever through the vast inhabited earth Job 1.7 He also enlarges his experiences puts still fresh on his file improves continually his arts of deceiving and doth he not grow more bold raging and busie as his time grows shorter Rev. 12.12 Pondered well it should be that 't is not one single Devil to tempt us but there are Legions very many of them and they are all one huge Army of Devils under one great Head The Devil and his Angels Mat. 25.41 Rev. 12.7 His Angels are his assistants which constantly and exactly comply and co-operate with him The Devils never are divided do not jar and act against each other but are all of one interest of destroying Souls and accordingly do harmoniously contend Oft in Scripture mention is made of Satan and the Devil as if he were a single one But this may be to shew their unanimity and unity The Scripture hath sufficiently warned us and related his attempts and prevailings as first upon Adam and Eve in their state of innocency and perfection yet he then though they knew not only their own happiness but all their posterities though never so numerous lay at the stake he then by his Artifices and subtlety prevailed After that upon the second man that ever was upon the deceived Parents first born Cain therefore 1 Joh. 3.12 Cain is said to be of the wicked one and on sundry other wicked all along still the current of time Yea prevailed he often hath upon the very best Saints that ever the world had Job David Peter and others Job 3.1 c. 2 Sam. 24.1 Mat. 26.3 he forbears none Therefore it is very much to be considered and how he is to be watched and warred with and the Armour of proof is to be duly minded and the putting of it on Ephes 6.13 He that hath conquered him the Lord Jesus and that hath conquered him for his members this glorious conquest must be meditated upon as the strongest Cordial in the case and way of taking it the Promise with the way of acting by the Promise Praying and other Ordinances given for our help this need be often a great Meditation 7. That Enemy the World should have its due Meditation Its allurements on the one side its oppositions on the other I must meditate on the diversities of baits the latitudes of Pleasures heights of Honour heaps of Wealth 1 Joh. 2.15 Friends Relations Company Converse Cares Business and all my Lets Diversions Entanglements of all the evils in Troubles Forcings Frauds Plottings and all ways of ensnaring and ruining me Also the World in so many respects being suited either to my natural inclination or my customary readiness for closing with it or otherwise to my fears and cowardise softness and fickleness weakness and weariness to withstand or overcome it Yet I must consider how the Saints have overcome the world by acting as Moses and others their self-denyal looking to the recompence of reward looking to him that is invisible and especially to Jesus the Author and finisher of our Faith and by Faith and Patience both enduring and gloriously overcoming 8. Sometimes I may very fruitfully meditate on the wants and weakness of my Grace begun in some measure 2 Pet. 1.5 it s often ebbings and flowings its stops and stands A little progress at the best my so carnal heart makes also of the extream need I have of continual stirring up and exercising Faith Love Hope Fear and other Graces thereby to grow stronger and put forth vigorously on all occasions minding also the helps I have in Christs holy Ordinances encouragements in the precious promises and supplies by the blessed Spirits operations out of the so great fulness of Christ 9. Oft I should apply my seriousness to that so concerning particular the continual and fast running out of the golden sands of my time and special seasons for working out of my salvation The time is short faith the Apostle 1 Cor. 7.29 Psal 39.5 Behold thou hast made my days as an hand-breadth Seasons past can never be recall'd seasons present cannot be stopt from running out Opportunity is the greatest Talent as the saying is as that whereby we employ all other Talents Therefore we are so often earnestly call'd upon for redeeming time as Eph. 5.16 Redeeming the time Eccl. 9.10 Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with all thy might for there is no work in the Grave c. Though time and seasons as the course of the Heavens may be made to stop if the Sun as in Joshua's time should miraculously stand still Jos 10.13 or as in Hezekiah's time go back Isa â— 8 yet mens particular time then did not go back or stand still so our particular time of life cannot go back or stand still Job 9.25 and 14.1 2. and ver 5. Life every moment shortens and is melting down into its appointed period Life is a thing of the greatest contingency and uncertainty there is no Ensurance Office set up for it It passes swiftly without pause or stop this the Scripture both minds us greatly of and furnishes us with rare precedents of the Saints serious and moving Meditations about it O let me then look on them and do likewise I let me use and improve the patterns purposely there recorded to help and quicken my forgetful dead spirit I next come to speak of the four last things as they commonly are called Death Judgment Hell and Heaven CHAP. XVIII Meditation of Death THE uncertainty of life last mentioned leads me to the subject next akin to it that so considerable and consequential point of Mortality Death and Dissolution O that here I could be the highest Artist to speak most fitly and movingly to this subject Death or at least to do something which might prove effectual to some such proper and proportionate way of directing and quickning this so necessary and useful Meditation This is the great momentous and most highly concerning thing the end and winding up of life and all affairs and matters relating to it and that which casts me and determines my condition for all Eternity in woe or happiness Let me therefore endeavour the best I can at all times to improve my thinkings of it