hence and be no more Sinners will you set about this great business your work is wholly yet to do though it may be your day is far spent your Glass is almost run your Sun near setting and all your work to do Oh 't is high time for you to awake out of sleep unless you mean to sleep the sleep of Eternal Death Saints will you set about this great business while God spares you You have done somewhat but there is much more yet to be done there is much out of order yet in your souls Grace weak it may be Corruption strong Peace broken Evidences blurr'd and blotted Unbelief powerful within you the heart much estranged from God little suitableness to Heaven in your Spirits and the like will you now labour to recover strength how many of us may complain as that holy man St. Bernard once did I am ashamed to live because I am so unprofitable and I am afraid to dye because I am so unprepared Surely this truth concerns the best of us all and if we understand our selves we cannot but know it the Lord help us to know it effectually And if after all you would indeed address to this great work and business then I have several great and weighty directions to propound to you for your help therein of which some more general some more particular and I would speak of each distinctly CHAP. VII Wherein are propounded several general directions in order to a through preparation of Soul for a dying hour 1. WOuld you indeed set all things right in your souls make all ready for a dying hour then in your most prosperous and flourishing state here maintain a frequent and serious remembrance of death and the grave upon your spirits If a man live many years saith Solomon and rejoyce in them all yet let him remember the days of darkness for they are many Eccl. 11.8 By the days of darkness here we are to understand death and the state of death the abode of our bodies in the grave which is a Land of darkness and where the light is as darkness Job 10.20 Now saith he though a man live many years and rejoyce in them all that is though a man live long and prosperously long and joyfully yet let him remember death and the grave the future state 'T is true there are other days of darkness which we are subject to in this world and should be remembred by us days of outward darkness the darkness of outward trouble and affliction and days of inward darkness the darkness of spiritual distress and dereliction and indeed 't is of marvellous use to us in our prosperity to remember these days of darkness but especially we should remember death and the Grave we should carry a lively remembrance of these days of darkness daily upon us and indeed our not remembring these days of darkness is one great cause why we are so unready for Death and the Grave as we are When we are in the midst of our enjoyments and the streams run pleasantly about us we are too apt to forget these days of darkness we are so taken with our earthly comforts that we are loth to think of Death and Eternity putting far from us the evil day as those in their enjoyments did Amos 6.3 And therefore when these days come they find us so unready and our spiritual concernments so discomposed as usually they do But my Beloved as ever you would have all right and in order in your souls against a dying hour comes let me recommend this to you as one special help maintain a deep and frequent remembrance of Death and the Grave upon your Spirits remember the days of darkness and that especially these two ways 1. Remember them so as to have them much in your meditation be much and frequent in the contemplation of Death and the Grave This the Holy Ghost calls a considering our latter end and withal mentions it as a business of great importance to us Deut. 32.29 To consider is to revolve a thing in our minds and to keep it much in our thoughts and meditations And thus we should consider our latter end and remember the days of darkness this is that the Saints of old have been much conversant in they were much and frequent in the thoughts and meditations of death as I might instance in the good old Patriarchs Job David and others And 't is what does marvellously conduce to our preparation for it The meditation of death saith one is life it is that which greatly promotes our spiritual life therefore walk much among the Tombs and converse much and frequently with the thoughts of a dying hour 2. Remember them so as to have them daily in your expectation In the midst of all your enjoyments expect Deaths approach daily this is called a waiting for our change All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change comes Job 14.14 And we are commanded to wait for the coming of our Lord as that which lies in the directest tendency to the exactest readiness and preparation for his coming Luke 12.36 Expect death every hour saith one for 't is every hour approaching thee In the morning when thou risest think with thy self this may be the last day In the evening when thou lyest down think with thy self this may be the last night I may ever have in this world I know not when my Lord will come whether in the morning or in the evening at mid-night or at the Cock-crowing therefore I will be always expecting his coming Woe and alas for us we are apt to talk of many years yet to come as he did Luke 12.9 whereas we should live in the expectation of death every moment Thus let us consider the days of darkness it will marvellously conduce to the preparation of the Soul for them the meditation and expectation of death will conduce much among others to these four things 1. It will conduce much to our humbling and self-abasing Let a man own himself to be a mortal saith Austin and pride will it must down And think frequently of death saith another and thou wilt easily bring down thy proud heart Hence also the consideration of Death is often in Scripture mentioned by the Holy Ghost as an argument to make us humble Dust thou art and unto dust thou shalt return Gen. 3.19 as elsewhere 2. It will conduce much to the weaning of our hearts from this world and to the loosening of them from the things here below The time is short saith the Apostle what then Why it remaineth that they that have Wives be as though they had none and those that weep as though they wept not and those that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not those that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this world as not abusing it for the fashion of this world passeth away 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. He mentions the shortness of time as that the meditation
Self-denial and the like We have also Secondly Special work to do the work of our particular Stations and places work that is incumbent upon us as we stand thus and thus related being Magistrates or Ministers 〈◊〉 Masters of Families or the like for all such Relations bring their work and duty with them and this indeed is properly our own work and this we should be diligent and faithful in as ever we would be found ready for a dying hour Paul had his work to do and he was diligent and faithful in the discharge of it which gave him comfort when he came to die 2 Tim. 4.6 7 8. I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought a good fight I have finished my course henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness c. He had been faithful in the discharge of his work while he lived and being now to die he found the comfort and sweetness of it yea this was that which our Lord himself comforted himself withal when he was to die and in the sense of it goes to his Father with boldness for his glory Joh. 17.4 I have glorified thee on earth I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do indeed he had a great deal of work given him by the Father and he was faithful and punctual in the discharge of it all which was a comfort to him now he was to die and he himself tells us that is the blessed servant whom when his Lord shall come shall find so doing that is faithful and diligent in the discharge of his proper work Mat. 24.46 Truly this is the posture which some though but a few are found in they make conscience to discharge the duty that is incumbent upon them they say with their Lord I must work the work of him that sent me while it is day for the night cometh when no man can work John 9.4 they see a Night coming Death coming Judgment coming Eternity coming and accordingly they desire to lay out their whole souls in the work of God to live up to the Laws of Christ in every relation and they look upon that day as lost wherein they have not done somewhat for God and their own souls and how comfortably may such look death in the face when it comes I have read the Life of an Holy Minister who was seised upon by sickness which was unto death while he was preaching the everlasting Gospel and lying a few days sick ere he died a Fellow-labourer of his another Holy Minister coming to visit him and seeing death in his face cryed out in some passion O dear Sir are you going to Heaven from us To whom he replied Yes and I bless God that my Master found me in his work Truly might a man have his choice and option he would have death to find him while he is engaged in the work of God Oh study your own work study the work and duty of your Christian calling study that work and duty which is incumbent upon you in your particular relations and beg of God a heart to be diligent in the discharge of one and the other Eighthly Would you indeed have all right and in order in the 〈◊〉 of your souls ere a dying 〈◊〉 then be sure to suffer no 〈◊〉 no estrangement to grow up between 〈◊〉 and you but labour to keep 〈◊〉 â—â—â—stant and intimate acquainâ—â—â—â—◠〈◊〉 him Acquaint thy self with God and be at peace Job 22.21 the more of an holy intimacy and acquaintance with God we maintain the more we are at peace in our selves and I am sure the more we are at peace in our selves the more ready we are for a dying hour Woe and alas for us how oft do we let fall our converse and communion with God and suffer sad distances and estrangements to grow up between him and us And indeed my Beloved it is a sad and amazing thing to think how suddenly and imperceptibly distances and estrangements will grow up between God and a mans soul for my own part should I have heard of it only by the hearing of the ear and had not found it by too many sad and woful experiences I could not have believed how suddenly and imperceptibly distances and estrangements will grow up between God and a mans soul yea and that after the nearest liveliest and most intimate acquaintance and communion with him which calls upon us to be very watchful and circumspect as to this thing and my Beloved as you would die with boldness and comfort let me advise and persuade you to give all diligence to keep up constant intercourse and acquaintance with God and watch narrowly against all distances between him and you Which of us that knows any thing of the things of God knows not that we suffer distances and estrangements to grow up between God and us we cannot tell how with any tolerable boldness and comfort to look him in the face in a duty or scarce to think of him with delight much less shall we be able to look him in the face with comfort in death in case we suffer distances to grow up between him and us moreover take this for a sure rule That the more you are versed in communion with God and do maintain an holy intimacy and correspondence with him the more boldness and comfort you will have when you come to die then you will be able to say I am now going to be and live for ever immediately with that God with whom I have lived in much sweet and intimate communion here I am now going to converse more fully with him in Heaven with whom I have enjoyed much sweet converse here on Earth Should death find a man under distances and estrangements between God and him it must necessarily be uncomfortable unto him but when there is an holy intimacy kept up between God and the soul then the soul need not fear or be ashamed to look death and Judgment both in the face Little Children saith John abide in him that when he shall appear we may have boldness and not be ashamed before him at his coming 1 John 2.28 We are put into Christ by Faith at our first Conversion and we abide in him by after-acts of Faith and Communion and this abiding in him is the way to have boldness before him at his coming therefore mind this and pray much about this take heed of distances growing up between God and you and labour to have those sweet visits those sweet intercourses of love those blessed acts of communion kept up between God and you that are wont to be kept up between him and his watchful close walking Saints and in order hereunto take three or four short hints First Look upon and esteem converse and communion with God to be as indeed it is your highest happiness both here and in heaven the highest happiness souls are capable of here is to live in
seen while God looks upon us as cloathed with the righteousness of his Son and we by faith do live upon that righteousness as the sole matter of our Justification and acceptation with him and let me tell you the more clear and distinct the actings of our Faith are in carrying us out of our selves and all self-righteousness and relying wholly on Christ and his righteousness the more ready and comfortable posture we are in for a dying hour This was the great thing Paul coveted and pressed after to the very last and which he accounted all things but dung for Phil. 3.8 9. I count all things but dung that I may win Christ and be found in him not having mine own righteousness which is by the Law but the righteousness of Faith the righteousness which is of God by Faith He dreaded the thoughts of being found in any thing of his own he trembled to think of standing upon his own bottom the bottom of his own worth and righteousness when he should come to die and he cleaved intirely unto and relied wholly upon Christ and his most perfect righteousness Oh let me tell you Paul had as much and perhaps more to have rested upon than ten thousand of us for gifts for graces for privileges for services for successes for sufferings for Christ he went beyond any meer man that ever lived and Chrysostom observes of him That he feared nothing but sin to displease God and to dishonour him was the onely thing that was terrible to him and the Scripture gives a large and frequent account of his other attainments but still he goeth out of all and his language is None but Christ none but Christ not but that also he presseth after the greatest eminency and exactness in holiness as you find in the following Verses of this third to the Philippians and indeed this is the true Spirit of the Gospel to press after the greatest eminency and exactness in holiness to covet to attain if possible unto Angelical holiness and yet under and after all to live singly and entirely on a naked Christ and his righteousness for justification and acceptation with God and the more you come to and live in this Spirit the more ready you are for Death and a blessed Eternity this was a great part of the ground of the Churches rejoycing Isa 61.10 I will greatly rejoyce in the Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath cloathed me with the Garments of Salvation and hath covered me with a Robe of Righteousness which Chrysostom and others both Ancient and Modern interpret of the Righteousness of Christ and indeed no greater ground of rejoycing to a man or woman whether living or dying than to be cloathed with the Robe of the Righteousness of Christ I shall only put you in mind of a saying I have heard from a holy man the day before he died My Friends saith he speaking to my self and others I have walked with God these thirty years and have enjoyed a good measure of the assurance of his love but now that I am come to die I do not place my comfort on any of all these but on the infinite satisfaction of Jesus Christ Oh there there when we have done all we must lay the weight and stress of our Souls Comfort Salvation and all and therefore be sure you live out of your selves upon Christ It is a great saying Luther hath to this purpose Lord Jesus saith he thou art my righteousness and I am thy sin thou tookest mine meaning his sin and thou gavest me thine meaning his righteousness thou tookst that which thou wast not and thou gavest me that which I was not intending the exchange that Christ had made with him giving him his righteousness for his sin Oh let this be the language of our souls to Christ so shall we be sound ready when a dying hour comes Tenthly Would you indeed die with comfort then beg God to stand by you and give you actual Grace in a dying hour and make it one of your great works to treasure up many Prayers for this before-hand When you have done all should God withdraw his presence and the influences of his Grace and Love from you when you come to die Death would be in a great measure uncomfortable to you but if God will be with you if God will stand by you if he will vouchsafe you the influences and communications of his Grace in a dying hour then how will your souls triumph over death this indeed will sweeten death they are great words of David in Psal 23.4 Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I will fear no evil for thou art with me having the presence of God with him he was not he would not be afraid even in the very valley of the shadow of death truly without the presence of God we cannot live comfortably whatsoever our attainments in Grace have been yet if God withdraw his presence from us we can do nothing we can bear nothing we cannot perform the least duty we cannot resist the least temptation we cannot grapple with the least corruption nor carry through as we ought the least difficulty much less shall we be able to die with comfort if God withdraw therefore I say beg God to stand by you in a dying hour Let it be your daily prayer to God First That he would be with you in the difficulties of life Secondly That he would not leave you in the conflicts and agonies of death And indeed we should not pass that day wherein we do not treasure up one prayer for this before-hand and thus doing God will not leave us God will not fail us in that last and great difficulty at least he will not leave us in point of Grace our Lord himself was left in the agonies of death by the Father in point of comfort which put him to that out-cry Why hast thou forsaken me but he was not left by him in point of Grace still a Spirit of Faith and Holiness acted him and therefore though forsaken he cries out My God my God if possibly in conformity to our Head we should be left in that hour in point of comfort yet if we carry our selves as we ought we shall not be left in point of Grace and if we be not left in point of Grace all will do well though not so sweet and joyous with us as otherwise it would be And thus I have given you these more particular directions in order to a preparation for a dying hour which if you live up to you may not only live above the fear of death but also in the joyful expectation thereof daily CHAP. XI Being a Consolatory Conclusion of the whole Discourse containing Encouragements against the sear of Death unto all such as are found in the practice of the foregoing Directions NOw for a Conclusion of the whole matter upon all that hath been declared Soul let me ask thee
solace and satisfie them as that there shall not be room for the least tittle or iota of a desire for ever yea such sights and enjoyments as shall so satisfie them as to leave them under an utter impossibility of ever turning aside from them to any thing else and so an eternal impossibility of sinning Oh how sweet must this be and indeed the School-men I find and others from them give this as one reason why the Saints in heaven are impeccable because the sight and enjoyment they have of God there is so full and satisfying as that they cannot turn aside to any thing else O welcom death that brings us to those sights those enjoyments of God the Chief Good Once more 7. Death when ever it comes will bring you to and set you down in the enjoyment of an eternal Sabbath and oh how sweet is this There remaineth a Rest the word is a Sabbath or Sabbatism to the people of God Heb. 4.9 Ay but when shall they enjoy it why truly when death comes that will enter them upon it immediately upon the night of death dawns the eternal Sabbath True the Saints enjoy a Sabbath here and the Sabbath to them is the sweetest and amiablest day in all the week 't is a day of joy and holy feasting to their souls and oh how many times do your souls long for it but alas these Sabbaths have an end but the Sabbath death will set them down in will be an eternal Sabbath and an eternal Sabbath wherein they shall be employed in the highest acts of worship and adoration even Love Praise Admiration and Halleluja's for ever wherein there will be no weariness no faintness wherein there shall be no intermission no going to duties and break off again as here we do but an whole Eternity shall be imployed in acts of Divine Worship and Adoration wherein there shall be no deadness no dulness no spiritual indispositions no unsuitableness in us to those high and holy Exercises which this Sabbath will be fill'd with but our souls shall be perfectly suited to and fitted for those glorious employs wherein not a few only and those some Saints and some sinners some good and some bad shall joyn together in acts of worship but an innumerable company both of Saints and Angels and these all perfectly holy Heb. 12.22 23 24. Oh how sweet and glorious will this be 'T is a great saying which I have read in a worthy Divine Sabbaths here are comfortable says he and we have tasted some sweet some comfort in some Sabbaths but take all the comfort that ever you had in all the Sabbaths you have enjoyed here and all will be nothing to the comforts and sweetness of the Eternal Sabbath Alas the perpetual Sabbath that shall be hereafter that will be the accomplishment of all these Sabbaths how sweet then must that be Oh ye Saints of God lift up your heads death will set you down in this Sabbath How have some of us longed sometimes for the coming of the Sabbath and how have we grieved when it has been gone well but when death comes that will bring you to a Sabbath that shall never end 'T is a sweet saying of Austin There says he speaking of Heaven is the great Sabbath a Sabbath that hath no evening no end in which we shall rest and behold behold and love love and praise for ever Oh blessed be God for this Sabbath and blessed be God that death when it comes shall bring us to this Sabbath Well then fear not death dread not death but be found diligent and faithful in the use of the helps prescribed for the preparing of your souls for it and then 't will greatly befriend you when ever it comes and you may exult and rejoyce in it I should now conclude but I must first beg all that read this plain Discourse deeply and frequently to consider and contemplate these things 1. Every day seriously consider and contemplate the exceeding worth of your souls and the great things they are capable of 't is sad to think what low thoughts the most of men have of their souls they are content to sell their souls to lose their souls to damn their souls and all for a lust for a little of this world a little carnal sensual pleasure and delight here which is but for a moment That rebuke which Austin gave one is due to the most How comes it to pass says he that among all thy good things thou wilt let nothing be in an ill case but thy self thy Soul Truly the most of men are solicitous to have all well but their Souls they will have it go well with their Bodies their Names their Estates their Families but their Souls they mind not But my Beloved I beseech you think deeply and frequently of the worth of your souls and the concerns of them O 't is your soul that is your principal part Christ who best knew the worth of souls tells you that the whole World is nothing to one soul and that the gain of the one can't recompence the loss of the other no not in the least Mat. 16.26 and you know what a price he was pleased to pay for souls even his own Blood his precious Blood Life and all 1 Pet. 1.19 Besides there are two things which speak the soul to be a thing of unspeakable worth and value its vast capacity and its absolute immortality 1. The capacity of the soul speaks its worth Oh what great things is the soul of man capable of there is a kind of infiniteness as a worthy Divine observes in the soul of man 't is capable of even an infinite happiness or an infinite misery 't is capable of eternal life or eternal death 't is capable of unconceivable communications both of love and wrath and must one day be fill'd with the one or the other of them 't is capable of knowing God of bearing his Image of enjoying glorious communion with him yea of living Gods own life and in a participation of his own blessedness look whatever the Angels enjoy look whatever the humane soul of Christ enjoys that thy soul is capable of the enjoyment of Sinner O how precious does this speak it to be and how great should thy concern be for it while day and season lasts contemplate it therefore a little and say O how precious is my soul and what great things is it capable of and it being so why do I take up in such low poor dungy drossy things as the best of sin and this world are 2dly The immortality of the soul argues its worth the soul that never dies 't is indeed but as it were a spark a beam of God's own immortality breathed into the body at least there is a stamp and impress thereof upon it the body that dies that returns to dust but the soul that lives that goes to God Eccles 12.7 As the mortality of the body as a Learned man
this desire for this end and that was the near approach of his death in these words Before I go hence and be no more seen I will briefly paraphrase the words for the opening of them and then give you the sum of them as also my intendment from them in one general position O spare me that is cease to smite and afflict me give me a little relaxation Cessa pereutere affligere c. Mol. Leniter mecum age Mar. Abstule aliquantulum manus tuas à flagellando Menoch a breathing time so one expounds it Deal gently and mildly with me sayes another Withdraw thy hand a little from scourging me and mitigate the violence of my affliction say others That I may recover strength that I may recruit my self a little saith one Vt respirem ante mortem traquillus animam meam in manum tuam doponam Mol. That I may have a breathing time before my death and being well composed may lay down my Spirit and commit it into thine hand say others That I may grow strong in grace and holiness say others That I may finish my course and fight a good fight obtaining the victory through a happy death say others The sum is that I may set things right in my soul and get into a more ready posture for my death and dissolution which seems to be near at hand Before I go hence and be no more that is Antequam morioâ— in hanc vitam naâ—quam reversurus Jun before I die never more to return into this life before I quit this World and bid adieu to this mortal life to be no more in the Land of the Living to be no more in this World to do any thing for God or my Soul for as one well observes David doth not here suppose Death to be the utter end or annihilation of man the putting of man out of being but his meaning is if God did still go on to afflict him as he had done he must suddenly die suddenly go off the Stage of this World and go down to the Bars of Death to the Gates of the Grave where as to any thing that is to be done for God or a man's Soul it is as if he were out of being and where he will be kept for ever from returning any more to this life or any opportunity of ever doing any thing for another World It is a phrase like to and of the same importance with that Job 16.22 where Job speaks of himself When a few years are come then shall I go the way whence I shall not return Not return that is not any more to this life not return to do any thing for GOD or my Soul The sum of the whole seems to be thus much the good man's afflictions were so pressing and heavy upon him that they did even bow him down to the Grave and he really looked upon himself as a dying man as one going down to the dust of the Death where he knew full well nothing was to be done for another life and from whence there was no return to this life to be expected any more and therefore he begs a breathing time a little space wherein to recover himself out of all present distempers and discomposures of heart and to set all things right in the matters of his soul thereby fitting and preparing himself the better for his departure out of this World he begs a time of respite wherein to prepare himself and make ready for a dying hour this is the sum of what he drives at and pleads with God for accordingly the Observation and therein the sum of my intendment shall be this Doct. That 't is a very desirable thing and a business of the highest moment and importance to the Children of Men to have all things set right well ordered and composed in the matters of their souls before they leave this World to get all the spiritual concerns of their Souls into the best posture they can before a dying hour comes David An holy man a man in covenant with God yea a man after God's own heart doth yet you see pray for sparing mercy for a breathing-time a time of respite here in this World before he goeth off the Stage and why so That he might recover strength that he might set things right in the matters of his Soul that he might make himself more ready and get his spiritual concerns into a better posture for a dying hour and this he looked at and made out after as that which was most desirable and of the highest importance to him as indeed 't is to all You have a Scripture not unlike to this Job 10.20 21. Are not my dayes few cease then and let me alone that I may take comfort a little before I go whence I shall not return even to the Land of Darkness and of the shadow of Death That I may take comfort a little that I may recover a little that I may have a breathing time that I may recover my self and gather up my Spirits so I find the phrase expounded He seems to desire a breathing time the better to compose himself and the matters of his Soul for a dying hour And indeed 't is the concern of us all to set all things right in our souls and to get into the readiest posture that possibly we can against a dying hour comes I shall first briefly evince this truth and then make some practical improvement of it CHAP. II. Wherein is shewen the exceeding great weight of dying Work and extream difficulty of a dying hour as the first Evidence of our Assertion DYing Work my Beloved is great Work and a dying hour is a difficult hour and therefore we had need have all things well ordered and ready in the Matters of our Souls against that time that Work that hour comes I will lay the weight of dying work and the difficulty of a dying hour before you in four Propositions First Proposition is this That Death in it self and in its own nature if we look no further is a very terrible thing and we had need have all things set right in our souls all things in order when we come to encounter with it The Philosopher who lookt not beyond the natural notion of death called it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Arist the most terrible of all terrible things And in Job 18.14 the Holy Ghost himself calls it The King of Terrors His confidence speaking of a wicked man shall bring him to the King of Terrors i.e. to death which is most formidable indeed 't is therefore called the King of Terrors because it is the greatest and strongest Terror and Death must needs be terrible in it self 1. Because it deprives us of all our sweet comforts and enjoyments here in this World and puts an eternal period to our fruition of them here we enjoy much good many streams which run pleasantly on each hand of us it may be but when Death
I am not As the Cloud is consumed and vanisheth away so he that goeth down to the Grave shall come up no more He shall return no more to his House and his place shall know him no more Again Job 10.20 21. Are not my dayes few Cease then and let me alone that I may take comfort a little before I go whence I shall not return even into the Land of darkness and the shadow of death And again Ch. 16.22 When a few dayes are come then shall I go the way whence I shall not return All shewing that when a man is once gone off the Stage of this World there is no return for him any more Second Proposition is this That such is the state of men and women under death that there is nothing to be done for their souls there is nothing to be mended that is amiss nothing to be set in order that shall be found out of order Death my beloved is not the time of working but of receiving the reward of our work Death leaves us under an utter and eternal impossibility of ever doing any thing for another World Therefore whatever thine hand findeth to do saith Solomon do it with al thy might for there is no work nor counsel in the Grave whither thou goest Eccles 9.10 And I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day because the night cometh when no man can work saith Christ John 9.4 Death is a state of darkness and it deprives us of all helps advantages and opportunities of ever doing any thing for the good of our souls There is no repenting no believing no turning to God in the Grave There is no assuring pardon of sin no getting an Interest in Christ no making our Calling and Election sure there O no these things must be done now or they can never be done and if they be never done our souls are for ever undone 'T was an Epicurean saying of him who said Eat drink play for after death there is no pleasure but it would be a Christian saying to say to you and my own soul love God pray to him seek his face repent believe make sure of Christ for after death none of these are to be done They must be done here or never Third Proposition is this That such is the state of men and women under death that the Soul is actually and irreversibly stated and concluded in his eternal condition The Souls eternal state is absolutely fix'd and unchangeably determined without any alteration for ever 'T is an observation among the School-men that look what befel the Angels that sinned that in death befalls wicked men those that are not ready for a dying hour The Angels immediately upon their sinning were stated in an irreversible condition of wo and misery And wicked men unready souls immediately upon death are irreversibly stated in a like eternal condition they are eternally sealed up under damnation And the Devils may as soon get out of those Chains of eternal darkness whereinto they are cast and in which they are locked up being reserved unto Judgment as such persons can change or reverse that condition The truth is death when ever ot where ever it comes is a determining thing it concludes the soul for ever under an unalterable state of life or death of happiness or misery for as the Tree falls so it lies Eccl. 11.3 Hence in death the Spirit the soul is said to return to God Eccl. 12.7 Upon which a learned man has this observation God saith he receives the Soul of Man when he dies to himself and having received it he delivers it either to the Holy Angels that by them it might be carried to Heaven if it hath been holy and good or he delivers it to the evil Angels by them to be dragged into Hell if it hath been ungodly Hence the Apostle tells us after death comes judgment Heb. 9.27 By which is meant the particular Judgment of every man and woman immediately upon death which is nothing else but the stating of the soul in an eternal condition Hence also when Dives is brought in desiring that Lazarus might dip the tip of his finger in water to cool his tongue answer is made that it cannot be for as much as there is no going for any either from Hell to Heaven or from Heaven to Hell because there is a Gulph fixed Luke 16.26 Noting the unalterableness of that state which Death sets men down in whether of happiness or misery Well then if such be the state of men and women under death as we have heard then surely 't is highly our concernment to have all ready all in order against a dying hour comes Having given you thus briefly the demonstration of the point I shall make some practical improvement of it CHAP. V. Wherein sinners are convinced of their sin and folly in their neglect of this concern with six weighty Pleas or Arguments to set home this Conviction and awaken them to their work ANd is this indeed a concern of so much weight and moment to us Then how great is their folly and what enemies are they to their own souls who live in the neglect of this great business and concern which the most of men do God is pleased to spare yeâ— wonderfully to spare them for dayes for weeks for months for years together and that for this very end that they should make themselves ready and set all right in the matters of their souls against a dying hour comes but woe and alas for them This they mind not this they concern not themselves about but do live in a total neglect thereof than which what greater folly can they be guilty of Pray mind what God himself speaks in this case Deut. 32.28 29. Where he saith concerning Israel they were a Nation void of counsel nor was there any understanding in them And what then O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Observe here two things attested and verified by God himself First that 't is a point of the highest wisdom the Sons of men are capable of seriously to consider their latter end that is to prepare for death to set all things right in the matters of their souls so as that things may issue well with them at last and they may go off the Stage of this World with comfort Secondly that not to do this is a point of the greatest folly It doth evidently argue men to be void of counsel and all true understanding It would have been their wisdom to have considered their latter end and their not doing of it argued them to be guilty of notorious folly These things you may see God himself attests and verifies here And my Beloved what greater folly can there be than for a man to live in the neglect of that which is of so much weight and importance for him to mind as this is Surely the greater the concern
vapour which appeareth for a little season and is gone James 4.14 O how soon may one or another or all of us be among the dead How soon may death approach us 3. What infinite mercy is it that God has spared us thus long and still does spare us to set all things right to make all ready for a dying hour O my Beloved how great is the sparing mercy of God towards us We have had some forty some fifty some sixty years in the World and still God spares us still he lets us live and enjoy good and why all this think you smely to set things right in our souls to make ready for a dying hour and shall we yet neglect it God forbid O Sirs think a little I beseech you with your selves how long since the Grave might have swallowed us up and the Bottomless Pit have shut its mouth upon us How long since might time and dayes have been at an end with us and our souls stated in a miserable Eternity But still God spares us and we are yet in the Land of the Living with a door of mercy and grace yet open unto us at least a possibility left us of knowing the things of our peace in our day of making provision for Death and Eternity And O what mercy is this I would fain a little quicken both you and my self by this consideration And in order thereunto let me plead a little particularly with you 1. Consider how long God hath spared and does spare you beyond what he does and has thousands and ten thousands of others God does not spare all at that rate which he has spared and does still spare us Alas How many thousands are there now free among the dead who came into being long since we did Their Glass is run their Sun is set their day is over their hopes and expectations are all at an end their souls are stated in an eternal condition a condition that will admit of neither change nor period for ever and yet we are spared still They came into the World long after us and are gone into Eternity long before us Yea how many are there that never arrived to the one half of those years that we have arrived unto their Sun has set in the morning How many of us have out-lived our yoke-fellows our children our servants our friends and acquaintance And yet we stand our ground and all this that we might prepare for a dying hour This patience of God should lead us to repentance Rom. 2.5 And O that it might so do 2. Consider how much we have provoked God and what advantage we have given him in Justice against us I would fay here as Christ speaks in another case Luke 13. begin Suppose ye that those Galileans whose blood Pilate mingled with their Sacrifices were sinners above all the Galileans because they suffered such things I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish Or those eighteen upon whom the Tower of Siloah fell and slew them think ye they were sinners above all the men that dwelt in Jerusalem I tell you nay but except ye repent ye shall all likewise perish So say I here suppose ye that those that are gone down to the gates of the grave and the bars of death before us were greater sinners than we I tell you nay but except we repent we must all likewise perish We have sinned as well as they and possibly in many regards more than they To be sure we have all over and over deserved long since to have been covered with the shadow of the Night of eternal darkness O how has the patience of God been tried and his long-sufferings put to it by us What a burden have we been to his Soul Some of us have cause to think that we have been as great a burden to God as most that ever lived How justly may the blessed God complain of many of us That we have made him to serve with our sins and wearied him with our iniquities as he did of them of old Isa 43.24 that we have broke his heart with our whorish heart whereby we have departed from him Ezek. 6.9 that our sins have pressed him down as a Cart is pressed that is full of Sheaves Amos 2.13 Alas Alas How have we wallowed in our pollutions and acted out the enmity and rebellion of our natures against him How have we rejected his Word resisted his Spirit despised his Grace trampled upon his Son refused many and many an offer of love and many a sweet Call and blessed invitation to come to the Marriage-supper of the Lamb And yet that he should still spare us O what mercy is this In the 1 Pet. 3.20 we read that the long-suffering of God waited in the dayes of Noah And truly my Beloved it waits as much in our dayes our provocations being as many and as high against him as theirs of that Generation were O Sirs why are we not in Hell Why are we not sealed and shut up among the damned Why have we one Call more one offer more one season of Grace more Verily 't is all rich Mercy O that it might lead us to Repentance 3. Consider how sad it had been with us had the Lord taken that advantage against us which we have over and over given him Suppose my Beloved God had not spared us but had cut us off as he might long since what now had been become of us And where now had we been Had you died of such and such a sickness you have been in when possibly a sentence of Death was passed upon you both by your selves and others and there was really but a step between death and you where and how miserable had you now been Had you not been now in the flames eternally separated from God and Christ Being Godless and Christless Have you not now cause to fear you had been in as irrecoverable a condition as the Devils themselves are in sealed up under wrath and condemnation past all hopes and possibility of mercy for ever Whither had I gone saith Austin if then speaking of the time that he was in his sins I had gone hence Whither had I gone but into the flames and into eternal torments answerable to my sins May not we say the like But blessed be God it is yet time and season with me and you we are spared to this hour that we might provide for death and Eternity O Sirs suppose you or I were now among the damned suppose we were as they are sealed up under wrath and separated from God left under an utter impossibility of ever seeing his face how sad then would our condition be Why thus it might have been with us O what mercy then is it that God has spared us and doth-spare us as he does And how should it awaken us to our work 4. Consider how much more sad it may and will yet be with us in case we provide not for
vagabond and a fugitive it changes it self into all shapes it will and it will not 't is like a leaf moved and carried about with the wind My vain and importunate heart hales me now to the Market and then to strifes and brawlings now to feasting and then to impure lusts now the flesh is inflamed with sordid titillations then the mind is defiled with filthy cogitations And who of us may not make the same complaint yea such is the enmity and opposition of our own hearts against Heaven and the things of Heaven that many times when we most resolve and set our selves to follow God and to pursue the work of our souls then they set us most back It was a great speech of that same Father This sayes he is my daily exercise with my whole strength I bend to thee and would mount up to God and Heaven but by how much the more strongly I endeavour to come up to thee by so much the more powerfully I am cast into the earth into my self and even under my self captivated to my lusts And so 't is often with us Le ts then and oppositions must be expected by us on all hands and we had need therefore the more to awaken to our work 'T is true if you will ingage in good earnest in the work of your souls your helps and incouragements will be greater than your lâ—ts and discouragements you will have more with you then against you You will have God with you and Christ with you and the Comforter with you and all the Graces of the Covenant with you be incouraged therefore to set upon Soul-work Now lay all these things together and see if it be an easie matter to make ready for a dying hour and if it be not why should we neglect Why should we delay any longer 6. How terrible will death be to you And what a dreadful change will it make with you in case you still neglect to make ready for it Suppose my Beloved you go on in the neglect of this Great Concern putting far from you the evil day what think you will the issue of it be will not death be most terrible to you when you shall be called to conflict with it Will it not make a dreadful change with you Surely it will Death to an unready soul what will it be It will be the period of all his mercies of all his comforts of all his hopes For such an one receives all his good things in this life before death comes Luke 16.25 It will be the sending of him to his own place the cutting him down as fewel for everlasting burnings It will be as a worthy Divine speaks the taking up of a Draw-bridge and the pulling up of the Flood-gates of Gods eternal wrath to let in the deluge of it upon his soul for ever It will be a change to him but what change will it be Surely a very sad one 1. A change from Earth to Hell And is not this a sad Change The wicked shall be turned into Hell and all that forget God Psalm 19.17 And we read of the rich man who was unready for death that being dead he was in Hell Luke 22.23 2. A change from Light to Darkness and is not that a sad change The Holy Ghost speaking of such an one tells us God shall drive him out of light into darkness and chase him out of the world Job 18.18 Here wicked men enjoy the light of Creature comforts but God will drive them out of these into the darkness of Eternal misery into utter darkness Mat. 25.30 into blackness of darkness Jude 13. 3. A change from pleasure to pain from delight to torment a sad change it is from pleasure and delight in sin to pain and torment for sin Luke 16.23 Here the soul sports himself in the pleasures and delights of sin and he thinks he can never have enough but then there will be an end of all those pleasures and delights and nothing but pain and torment and vexation will succeed them 4. A change from the offers of Grace to the Revelations of Wrath Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the grave or thy faithfulness in destruction saith the Psalmist in that 88 Psal 11. True in the 1 Pet. 3.19 20. we read of Christ's preaching by his Spirit to the Spirits in Prison that is to Souls in Hell But mark when was it that he preach'd to them not when in prison but in the days of Noah when they lived in the world There is never an offer of grace and love made to souls in the Grave while life lasts the soul hears the joyful sound And O the sweet offers the gracious tenders the loving invitations that are made to him of Christ of Grace of Eternal Life and Love O the wooings the meltings the entreatings the allurings of Divine Love to and over the soul but when death comes farewell all these farewell all the sweet offers of Christ and all the blessed motions of the Spirit then there 's nothing but wrath reveiled and wrath shall come on the neglecting soul to the uttermost 5. A change from fair probabilities to utter impossibilities of life and salvation a sad change still Now is the accepted time now is the day of salvation now and not hereafter 2 Cor. 6.2 Now there is a fair probability for the worst of sinners to be saved if they will look after Salvation and mind their Eternal Concerns Christ is both able and willing to save to save was the end of his coming into the world and of all he did and suffered here 1 Tim. 1.15 Now they are besought and entreated to be reconciled to God 2 Cor. 5.19 20. but when death comes that changes these fair Probabilities into utter impossibilities of life and salvation Therefore mark Now says the Apostle is the day of salvation that is now while life lasts and while the Gospel is preached 6. A change from hope to despair a sad change indeed We read that the hopes of the Hypocrite shall perish Job 8.13 and that the expectation of the wicked shall perish Prov. 10.28 Whether men be open sinners or close hypocrites their hopes at last shall all fail and turn into despair despair of ever seeing God or enjoying the least tittle or Iota of good for ever Thus death will be terrible to you and make a dreadful change with you in case you neglect to make ready for its coming 't will affright you as bad as the hand-writing upon the wall did that proud King Dan. 5.5 6. Which made his countenance change his thoughts to trouble him and the joynts of his loyns to be losed and his knees to smite one against another O when death comes and thou shalt be found unready how will thy countenance change thy joynts be losed thy thoughts troubled and thy heart tremble within thee In a word I would say to you as the Prophet spake of old Isa 10.3 What will you do
in the day of visitation and whither will you flee for help When death comes what will you do which way will you look will there be any hope any help any refuge for your souls to flee unto Alas there will be none Wilt thou then run to the mercies of God and cry Lord Lord Alas it will be in vain he will then say unto you Depart from me I know you not Mat. 25.11 12. Wilt thou then labour to get grace and pardon Alas it will be too late then the door will be shut against thee Mat. 25.10 Wilt thou then desire others to spare thee some of their Oyl Alas that will be a vain thing they will tell thee they have but enough for themselves Mat. 25.9 Wilt thou then plead thy gifts parts and services for Christ Alas it will be to no purpose unless thou hast done the main work notwithstanding all thy gifts and services he will send thee away with the workers of iniquity Mat. 7.22.23 Wilt thou call upon the Rocks and Mountains to cover thee and hide thee from the wrath of him that sits upon the Throne Alas it wil be in vain Rev. 6. latter end O sinner when thou shalt see thy self launching out into the great Ocean of Eternity and God shall as it were say to thee by the Mouth of thy own Conscience Well now time and days are at an end with you and will never dawn more what hast thou done for thy Soul What provision hast thou made for another world Is Christ thine hast thou gotten thy sins pardoned and the like When it shall be thus I say what wilt thou then do and whither wilt thou then look how wilt thou then cry out Undone undone I am lost for ever my day is ended and my work is still to do woe is me what a God a Christ a Heaven a Blessedness a Glory have I wilfully and foolishly lost truly thou and such as thou are the only persons whose death will be truly lamentable I remember a saying I have read in one of the Ancients They saith he are to be bewailed in their death whom the Devils drag away to the torments of the Infernal Pit not they whom the holy Angels do conduct to the joys of Paradise they are to be bewailed who after death are by the Devils turned into Hell and not they who by the Angels are placed or set down in Heaven O that these things might convince you of your folly and awaken your souls and that so as yet to know the things of your peace in your day and the time of your visitation CHAP. VI. Being a Call to all Good and Bad Saints and Sinners to address themselves to the great work of making all ready for a dying hour WHat is the language of all this Verily it calls aloud upon us all Good and Bad Saints and Sinners to make it our great business to set all things right in the matters of our souls and make all ready for a dying hour And O that we would make this improvement of this great truth and of God's sparing goodness to us he spares us and why does he spare us but that we should set all things right and make all things ready Oh that we would now fall in with the end and design of God herein making it our great care and business in time to provide for Eternity in life to make ready for death Some of you I verily believe are about this work and the Lord prosper you in it You know you were born for Eternity and you do endeavour to live for Eternity your great work in time is to make provision for a blessed Eternity O happy souls that you are Others of us and those by far the most I fear are utterly negligent in this business Death and Eternity are little minded by us but we are in a sleepy drowsie secure spirit and to such methinks this truth speaks in a language much like to that of the Ship Master to Jonaâ— Jon. 1.6 What meanest thou O sleeper Arise and call upon thy God if so be he will think on us that we perish not So what mean you O you sleepy drowsie secure souls arise make ready for a dying hour set all things right all things in order in your spiritual concernments lest death come upon you at unawares and you be lost for ever And to such of us I would say as sometimes God did by the Prophet to Hezekiah Isa 38.1 Set thine house in order for thou shalt die and not live So say I to you set your hearts in order your spiritual concerns in order make all even between God and you for you shall shortly die and not live you shall shortly go hence and be no more and why should we not all do so if you be to change your condition in the world how careful and solicitous are you to have all things ready and in order for that change Why my Beloved you are shortly to pass under that great and last Change a Change from Time to Eternity and will you have no care no solicitude to make ready for that Change if you are to take a journey though but a few miles or to make a Voyage into a strange Land O how are you concerned to have all things ready all things in a prepared posture in order therreunto And my Beloved should not you be more concerned to make ready for your great journey your last and great Voyage you are making a journey a voyage out of Time into Eternity you are just launching sorth into the great Ocean And what nothing in order nothing ready nothing set right in order thereunto That is strange If you have some great business a business of more than ordinary importance to be done or a Suit at Law to be tryed and determined O how close do you follow it and how careful are you to have all things ready in order thereunto And my Beloved should you not be as careful and diligent to prepare and set all things right for the great business of your souls in another world Have you any business any concern of greater importance to you than the concern of your Souls and Eternity if you are to appear before some Earthly Judge especially if it be about a matter that concerns your life O how thoughtful are you to have all things ready and in order in reference thereunto And my Beloved should not you be as thoughtfull and solicitous to make all ready and to set all right in order to your appearing before the Judg of all the Earth and that about a matter which concerns the life of your souls about a matter of eternal life or death Well what shall I say will you set about this great business this great concern or is it all one with you whether you live or die are saved or damned to Eternity God yet spares you blessed be his Name Will you now set all right before you go
and expectation whereof has the directest tender 〈◊〉 in it to wean and loosen the heart from all things here below And indeed as St. Bernard hath it he easily contemns all things here who looks upon himself as dying daily 3. It will conduce much to the engaging the heart to Heaven and the things of Heaven to a serious pursuit of a blessed Eternity So we find Heb. 11.13 c. Those all dyed in the Faith saith the Apostle not having received the Promises but having seen them afar off and were perswaded of them and embraced them and confessed that they were Strangers and Pilgrims on the earth that is they were apprehensive they had but a little time to stay here And what then They desire a better Countrey that is an Heavenly the apprehension they had of their departure hence quickned them unto earnest desires and pursuits after the better Countrey the Heavenly Land And indeed one great reason why we breath no more and press no more after Heaven and a blessed Eternity is because we so seldom remember these dayes of darkness 4. It will conduce much to the quickning of the Heart to Duty and to diligence and faithfulness therein Christ himself made use of it for this end I must work the works of him that sent me while it is day the night cometh when no man can work Jo. 9.4 Peter also that holy Apostle made use of it to that end I will not be negligent saith he to do so and so in the way of my Duty as knowing that shortly I shall put off this Tabernacle 2 Pet. 1.12 13 14. The consideration of the near approach of his death quickned him to his Work and Duty And the Scripture propounds it as that which has a tendency to this thing Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with all thy might saith Solomon for there is no work nor counsel in the grave whither thou art going Eccl. 9.10 He propounds the consideration of our going to the Grave as a means to quicken us to our present Work By all which we see how much the serious remembrance of the dayes of darkness must needs contribute to our readiness and preparedness for these dayes Therefore be much in this work For my own part I have hardly found any one thing more quickning and engaging upon my Spirit than this And Souls I would beg you as you would live for ever think often of death 2. Would you indeed set all things right in your souls and make all ready for a dying hour Then be not fond of long life here in this World but rather covet to live as much as possible in a little time I would speak of each distinctly 1. Be not fond of long life here in this World A fond hope and desire of long life here is one of the greatest Enemies to a true preparation of Soul for our departure hence For pray observe take a man that is fond of long life here and all his thoughts and projects are for this World He is wholly taken up about and carried out after the concerns of Time scarce allowing himself one serious thought for Death and Eternity A sad instance you have hereof in the rich man Luke 12.19 he reckoned upon many years upon a long life here and what are the things he is taken up about verily the things of this world only the increase of his Goods and where to store his Treasures Fond hopes and desires of long life here will certainly produce great delays if not utter neglects in the great work and concern of your Souls and Eternity As ever therefore you would have all right and well in the concerns of your souls when you come to die be not fond of long life here but sit as loose in your thoughts hopes and desires both of this life and all the enjoyments of it as possibly you can And indeed my Beloved to reason it a little with you why should you be fond of long life here why should you covet a long stay in this world I would only plead with you in two things as to this 1. What is this world and what have we here that we should here covet a long stay is this world such a sweet such an amiable such a desirable thing it is an angry world a frowning world a dirty world a bewitching ensnaring world 'T is a waste howling Wilderness a strange Land an house of Bondage a troublesome tempestuous Sea an Aceldama a Field of Blood such I am sure 't is oftentimes to the poor Saints and people of God And what have we here Why here we have fears within and fightings without troubles on every side and from all hands from friends from enemies from men from devils here we have sorrows snares losses wounds deaths dangers temptations seductions disappointments vexation of spirit and truly little else is to be expected by us here except that which is worse than all this viz. dayly risings and ebolitions of lust violent eruptions of corruption great aboundings of sin and iniquity both in our selves and others continual breakings with God and departings from him renewing and increasing sin and guilt dayly Indeed this world is full of sin and temptation to sin 'T is as Augustin speaks of it tota tentatio all temptation and as it is all temptation so 't is little else but sin and why should we covet a long stay here Why saith one of the Ancients should we so much desire that life in which by how much the longer we live by so much the more we sin and the more numerous our days are the more numerous will our sins be who would desire to stay long in a Prison or a Dungeon in a state and place of sin and sorrow and such is this world 2. Is there not a better life a better place a better state for our souls to long and aspire after what do you think of the life above a whole Eternity spent in the Divine Presence in the bosom of Divine Love a life of love a life of pleasure a life of joy a life or admiration a life of holiness perfect and unspotted holiness a life every way correspondent to the Divine Life and the Divine Will is not this a better life to be with Christ is best of all Phil. 1.23 To possess a mansion in our Father's House prepared by our Lord and Head Jesus Christ for us to live for ever in the vision and fruition of Father Son and Spirit to dwell in the Heavenly City where no unclean thing can enter to joyn in with the glorious Host of Saints and Angels above and with them to spend a whole Eternity in Songs of Praise and Hallelujahs to God and the Lamb to take up all our waters at the Fountain head and indeed to dive and bathe unchangeably in the Fountain of all delights at the Father's right hand Oh how sweet is this life and how much to be desired by us
In a word my beloved the Saints when in the best frame have many of them been so far from being fond of long life here that indeed they have thought it long till the time came when they should go hence and be no more crying out with an holy impatiency Why is his Chariot so long a coming why tarry the wheels of his Chariot 2. Covet to live much in a little time 'T is said of that Reverend and worthy Divine Dr. Preston that he desired to and accordingly did live much in a little time And our Lord himself you know did not live long in this world but he lived much in a little time he did much work in a few days for God and souls And indeed my beloved 't is not a long life but a fruitful life that is most amiable most desirable and most like his life who is life it self 'T is not he that lives many years but he that lives much in a few years that is the most happy soul I know those whose ambition is not to live long but to live fruitfully and to do as much as possibly they can in a little time and might they have their option or choice it would be this to live much in a little time and then have their dismission to rest And my Beloved let this be your choice and your ambition be casting about in your selves how you may live much in a little time how you may compass much spiritual work and business in a few days Labour to treasure up much grace much experience of God and his love to bring a large revenue of glory to him and the like And for this end possess your souls with a deep sense of the exceeding worth and preciousness of time and accordingly set your selves to redeem it looking upon the loss thereof to be the greatest loss in the world Eph. 5.16 we are commanded to redeem the time And what is it to redeem the time but to esteem time as precious as a thing of incomparable worth and value and accordingly to make the best and highest improvement of it for the honour of God and good of our souls that possibly we can It is to fill up our time with duty and our duties with grace to make use of time for those ends for which time is given us not to eat and drink and solace our selves in the Creature but to serve and honour the Creator to work out our Salvation to get acquaintance with God and Christ to make sure of Heaven and a blessed Eternity O Sirs look upon time as precious so indeed it is Time is the most weighty and momentous thing in the world 't is that which our eternal all depends upon According as we do or do not manage and improve our time well so will it go with us for ever 'T is a sweet meditation which I have read in a discourse of a holy man This life saith he of ours is most swift and yet in it Eternal Life is either gotten or lost for ever This life of ours is most miserable and yet in it Eternal Happiness is either gotten or lost for ever No less than a whole Eternity of Happiness or Misery Salvation or Damnation depends upon our use and management of our little time here in this world As the tree falls so it lies Eccles 11.3 As it is with us when we go out of time so it will be with us to all Eternity and this we should be much in the thoughts of accounting therefore the loss of time to be the greatest loss 'T is a weighty saying which I have read in one of the Ancients It is a great and heavy loss indeed saith he when we neither do good nor think good and let me add nor get good but we suffer our hearts to wander abroad about vain and unprofitable things and yet it is too difficult to restrain or keep them back from these things Truly no loss like the loss of time the loss of estate the loss of Trade the loss of this or the other outward comfort is nothing to the loss of time these being lost may be recovered again but time being lost can never be recovered more accordingly set your selves to redeem it and do it as much as possible you can accounting that day lost wherein you have not done something for God and your souls the truth is we live no more than we are conversant in the work of God and our souls For as for that which we call life that is not spent in this work it is not indeed to be accounted life Thirdly would you indeed set all things right in your souls make all ready for a dying hour then think much and often with your selves how great a change death will make with you when ever it comes death is a change and in many respects the greatest change which the Sons of men are to pass through all the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come Job 14.14 Job had many changes and great changes Changes and war were upon him as he complains Job 10.17 But no change like this of death this was the great change and this he waited for all his days indeed death is a great change to every man and woman come when and how it will 't is that as you have heard that deprives men of all their enjoyments here which dissolves the union between soul and body which turns the body to dust and putrifaction and which is unspeakably more than this it is that through which the soul enters into the immediate presence of God and states it in eternity it is a change from time to eternity from work to reward a reward suitable to the work we have here been doing whether it be good or evil and is not this a great change Take a few hints in particular about it to shew the greatness of it First It is such a change as all other changes upon the outward man are but leading and introductory unto and into which at last they all issue and resolve themselves we pass through many changes here in this world we may say as Job Changes and war are upon us but these are but leading and preliminary as it were to this last and great Change these all are or should be to us Monitors of this last Change and do but a little darkly shadow it out unto us Secondly It is such a change as calls for great spiritual changes to pass upon us here to sit and prepare us for it a change in our minds a change in our wills a change in our affections a change in our conversations a change in our whole man a real change a thorough change an universal change Old things must be done away and all things must become new 2 Cor. 5.17 The mind must be changed from darkness to light from ignorance to knowledg in spiritual things The will must be changed from enmity to subjection from
welcom is the Harbour to him especially after having been long toss'd and beaten with storms and tempests and how sweet will rest be to the poor troubled tempted labouring travelling Saint whose whole life has been little else but trouble labour and sore travel who here could scarce all his days find a resting place for the sole of his foot the world as to him being covered with a deluge 3. Death whenever it comes will turn your conflicts into victory this Aceldama or Field of blood for such is this world into a Mount of Triumph and a Throne of Glory What is this world but an Aceldama a Field of blood to the poor Saints Sure I am this life is little else but a perpetual war and conflict with lusts with devils with afflictions and with temptations hence 't is call'd a fight a warfare and the like and the enemies which they in this warfare have to grapple with are formidable enemies We wrestle not says the Apostle with flesh and blood but with Principalities and Powers and spiritual wickednesses Eph. 6.12 13. We wrestle not vvith flesh and blood that is vvith men or any thing that is frail and vveak no vve have more potent and formidable enemies to deal vvithal vve vvrestle and conflict vvith Devils vvho are potent subtile and indefatigable Enemies as Calvin observes upon the place which wound before they appear and kill before they are seen Enemies which deal not onely by force and power but who are dreadfully crafty and subtil yea enemies which have fiery darts to cast at us as afterwards he speaks and for my own part I think it vvere vvell for us over what it is if these vvere the vvorst enemies vve had to grapple and conflict withal but there are legions of lusts within which I look upon to be vvorse enemies vvhich vve do and must vvrestle vvith intestine enemies are in many respects the vvorst these war against our souls 1 Pet. 2.11 and vvere it not for these all the Devils in Hell could do us no hurt Thus this life is to the Saints a vvarfare a conflict and O the vvounds the bruises the bloodshed vvhich they are exposed unto in this War now their Peace and then their Grace now their Comforts and then their Consciences are sorely wounded and they lie a bleeding for days and weeks and months together yea sometimes like him that vvas travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho they are vvounded and left half dead and did not the good Samaritan pass by take compassion on them and pour in of his Wine and Oyl his Blood and Spirit into their vvounds they vvould soon be vvholly dead Well but now when Death comes that puts an end to this War and sets them all down upon a Throne of Triumph To him that overcometh says Christ will I grant to sit with me upon my Throne even as I also overcame and am sate down with my Father on his Throne Rev. 3.21 When death comes then you begin an eternal Triumph with Christ then the Palm vvill be put into your hands and you shall triumphingly cry Victory Victory for ever O how sweet vvill this be how sweet is the Victory to a Souldier that has been long and hard put to it in the Battel and indeed the harder the Battel the more glorious the Triumph 'T is a sweet and a great saying which I have read in Aug. to this purpose The Conquerour saith he triumphs and unless he had fought he had never conquered and by how much the greater his danger and difficulty was in the battel by so much the greater is his joy in the triumph O Sirs not only will death set you upon a Mount of Triumph but know for your encouragement the sharper your conflicts and warfare have been here the more glorious will your triumph be when Death shall set you upon the Throne 4. Death whenever it comes will change your bondage into liberty your spiritual thraldom into glorious freedom and is not this a kindness Poor soul one thing which here thou bleedest and groanest under is that spiritual bondage and thraldom which thou liest under And indeed this world is no other than a Prison a Dungeon an house of Bondage to thee the Land of thy Captivity Here thou liest in Chains and Fetters the Chains and Fetters of Sin and Guilt yea and the iron sometimes enters into my spirit Hence we read of the bondage of corruption which indeed is the forest bondage in the world a worse bondage ten thousand times than that which Israel groaned and sighed under in Egypt who yet were made to serve with rigour and whose lives were made bitter with hard bondage Exod. 1.13 14. Truly this lust and the other lust this corruption and the other corruption are as so many Egyptians cruel Task-masters which make thee serve with rigour and thy life bitter to thee with hard bondage and oh how dost thou groan and sigh under the bondage of a proud dead hard carnal unbelieving heart an heart bent to backsliding from God And indeed who that is sensible of it can but groan under it This drew that heavy groan from Paul and bitter out-cry Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am says he Why Paul what is the matter Oh says he I find a law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin and death I am by sin brought into captivity to sin and I have a body of sin and death lying heavy upon me heavier than a Mountain of Brass or Iron and who can but groan and as 't was with him so 't is with all the Saints in their measure Well but when death comes Sirs that will turn all this your boudage into liberty yea into the glorious liberty of the Children of God Rom. 8.21 that will turn again this your captivity And oh how sweet will that be You have some little tastes of this liberty here for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.7 and the tastes of it are sweet very sweet but O how sweet vvill the full enjoyment on 't be Paul breaks out into praises in the faith of it before-hand I thank God through Jesus Christ Rom. 7.25 O soul how should this make thee long for Death Can a Prison can an house of Bondage can a state of thraldom be pleasant to thee Canst thou be vvell-pleased to lie in chains and fetters of sin and guilt Shouldest thou not rather vvelcom that vvhich alone vvould vvork thy deliverance 5. Death whenever it comes will be the death of all your sins and the perfection of all your graces and will not that be a kindness Poor Saint how dost thou here bleed and groan under the sense of the life and vigour of thy sins on the one hand and of the weakness and imperfection of thy graces on the other hand yea how great are the conflicts and holy contentions of thy spirit to
kill and bring down the one and to quicken and perfect the other How dost thou with the holy Apostle of old forgetting those things which are behind follow after that thou mayst apprehend that for which also thou art apprehended of Christ Jesus pressing towards the mark c. Phil. 3.12 13 14. O the watchings the warrings the wrestlings of thy soul for more grace more holiness more victory over and cleansing from sin Oh the many prayers and tears sighs and groans that thou pourest out between God and thy soul in order hereunto These things are the business of thy life yea and after all sin is still strong and lively and grace is still weak and imperfect the sense of which breaks thy heart almost and makes thee go mourning all the day long What daily cleansing thy self and yet still unclean daily perfecting holiness yet still imperfect Oh hovv fad is this Well but Soul vvhen death comes things vvill be strangely alter'd vvith thee that vvill do that for thee in one moment vvhich thou by a vvhole life of prayers tears faith vvatching vvarring labouring couldst not do ' t vvill make thee perfect Hence those above are said to be so the spirits of just men made perfect Heb. 12.23 then all that is imperfect will be done away and that which is prefect shall come 1 Cor. 13.10 perfect grace perfect holiness Novv there is much lacking in thy faith thy love thy obedience thy humility thy heavenliness thy joy and delight in God but death vvhen it comes vvill make up all in a moment yea novv thou art stained and defiled vvith sin and this lust and the other lust stirs and vvorks and vvars vvithin thee but vvhen death comes that vvill purge avvay all Death is the Saints only perfect cleanser through Christ Indeed 't is said of vvicked men and hypocrites that their iniquites shall lie down with them in the dust Job 20.11 vvhich is a dreadful vvord indeed Death does not kill their sins no they live in the grave they go vvith them into the other vvorld and vvill there live in them for ever vvhich vvill be a great part of their torment 't will be indeed however they may now think of it the one half of hell for vvhat is hell but sin at the highest and vvrath at the hottest but though it be thus vvith vvicked ones yet 't is otherwise vvith the Saints Death through the Grace of Christ vvill for ever put a period to your sin and perfect your graces Oh sweet vvho vvould not vvelcom death 6. Death vvhenever it comes vvill set thee above all afflictive distances between God Christ the Comforter and thee and vvill set down thy soul in the full constant and immediate vision and fruition of all for ever and is not this svveet Poor Saint here thou complainest that God is as a stranger to thee and as a way faring man that turneth aside to tarry but for a night Thou hast only novv and then a short visit from him Jer. 14.8 Thou complainest that thy Beloved withdraws himself and is gone Cant. 5.6 Thou complainest that the Comforter that should relieve thy soul is far from thee Lam. 1.18 thou complainest of many sad and woful distances from God and of the lowness of thy communion and well thou maist for indeed how little a portion is there here seen or enjoyed of him by thee well but when death comes that will lift thee above all those distances between God and thee Christ and thee and set thee down in the full constant and immediate vision and fruition of him for ever the thoughts of which made Paul and others to desire to be gone and to chuse death rather than life 2 Cor. 7.6 7 8. We are confident says he knowing that whilst we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord for we walk by faith not by sight we are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Pray observe Paul enjoyed as much of God and Christ here as most did and yet all that communion he enjoyed here he accounted as no communion to that which he should enjoy after death While we are present in the body says he that is while we live in this world we are absent from the Lord absent from God and Christ our communion here is but distance and estrangement so low and unconstant is it in comparison of what we know we shall enjoy after death and therefore says he we had rather be absent from the body we had rather be gone hence and be present with the Lord Death will bring us to anotherguess presence and enjoyment of God and Christ than here we shall ever be able to reach unto Alas all we enjoy of God and Christ here is but as an earnest so the Apostle speaks in the verse foregoing He that hath wrought us for this self-same thing is God who also hath given us the earnest of the spirit but when Death comes we shall enjoy the full inheritance all we enjoy here is but as the first-fruits we that have the first fruits of the spirit says the Apostle Rom. 8.23 but when death comes we shall have the full vintage full incomes of love full manifestations of light and life and glory fulness of joy and pleasure in the Divine Presence Psal 16.11 full embraces in Christs bosom full views of his face full visions of his glory Death when it comes will bring us to the Beatifical Vision which is all good and happiness in one Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Mat. 5.8 They do see God now they see him by Faith and those sights of him are sweet glorious soul-ravishing and transforming sights but after death they shall have other sights of him such sights of him as will even infinitely surpass all that ever they had or were capable of here Here they see him but through a glass darkly that is they have but low obscure mediate sights of him they see and enjoy but little of him but when death comes then they shall see him face to face that is fully clearly immediately 1 Cor. 12.12 The sum is as a learned man gives it us that in this life we have but low and slender sights and enjoyments of God in comparison of what we shall see know and enjoy of him in eternal life Glas Rhet. Here they see but his back parts as God said to Moses but when death comes they shall see his face that is his glory here they see him but negatively as it were what he is not but then they shall see him as he is 1 Joh. 3.2 we shall see him as he is in all his glorious excellencies and perfections In short they shall then have such sights and enjoyments of God and Christ as shall eternally fill delight solace satisfie and set at rest their souls for ever such sights and enjoyments as shall so
is the greater must our folly be in the neglect thereof yet this is the folly that the most of men are guilty of they mind not their latter end their dying hour at least not so as to make a timely provision for it God lets them live many years and perhaps they rejoyce in them all but they forget the dayes of darkness which are many They regard not the state of their souls nor how things stand between God and them in reference to another World And O that this were not the folly of too many of us who profess the belief of another life a future state We live and enjoy good but we put far from us the evil day as those are said to do Amos 6.3 God spares us time after time but no provision do we make for a dying hour O how many of us have never yet set any thing right in the matters of our souls any thing in order against the time comes when we are to go hence and be no more that have scarce ever had yet one serious thought of Death Judgment or Eternity nor made the least tittle of provision for them And what shall I say to such I would if God saw good awaken them out of their folly and convince them of it In order to which I would plead a little with them in five or six particulars 1. Must we not all go hence Solomon tells us there is a time to be born and a time to die Eccl. 3.2 And the one is as sure as the other as sure as we have had a time to be born so sure we shall have a time to die and the living know it The living know that they shall die saith Solomon Eccl. 9.5 Indeed they may well know it for not only the experience of between five and six thousand years tells them so but it is what is appointed what is infallibly determined by the unchangeable Law and Degree of Heaven Heb. 9.27 nor can any thing whatever exempt us from the stroak of Death 1. Youthful strength and vigour can't do it For young men die as well as old strong men die as well as weak One dieth in his full strength saith the Holy Ghost being wholly at ease and quiet his breasts are full of milk and his bones are moistned with marrow Job 21.23 24. 2. Worldly pomp and greatness can't do it For great men die as well as mean men rich men die as well as poor men Where is the House of the Prince saith the Holy Ghost Answer is made He shall be brought to the Grave and shall remain in the Tomb the clods of the Valley shall be sweet unto him and every man shall draw after him as there is innumerable before him Job 21.28 32 33. So in the 49 Psalm 16 17 18 19. Be not thou afraid when one is made rìch when the Glory of his House is increased For when he dieth he shall carry nothing away his glory shall not descend after him though while he lived he blessed his soul and the like he shall go to the generation of his Fathers he shall never see light 3. Humane wisdom and policy can't do it for wise men die as well as fools So Psal 49.10 Wise men die likewise the Fool yea in many respects Wise men die as the Fool Eccl. 2.16 Pray what is become of all the wise men and great Politicians that have lived in former Ages Truly the clods of the Valley cover them 4. Spiritual gifts and graces can't do it For good men die as well as bad holy men as well as wicked men The righteous man perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away Isa 57.1 5. Eminency of place and service can't do it Your Fathers where are they And the Prophets do they live for ever Zach. 1.5 What higher place than to be a Prophet to be an Ambassadour for God and yet such die Nothing you see can exempt us from death's strokes Why then should we neglect to prepare for it I will close this Head with a saying I have read in one of the Ancients What among humane affairs saith he is more certain than death What more uncertain than the hour of death Death compassionates not poverty it reverences not either the greatness it spares no Sex no Manners no Age only it seems to come in at the gate upon old men but craftily it steals in upon young ones 2. Does not death hasten upon us all As we must all die so death hastens apace upon us Every step we take is a step towards death and the grave So we find Eccl. 9.10 Our whole life is as one well observes upon that place nothing else but a journey towards Death and the Grave whether we sleep or wake eat or drink trade or travel pray or play we are still hastening to the Grave A dying hour hastens upon us all and how fast pray does it hasten upon us Faster than a Weavers Shuttle does to the end of the Web My dayes saith Job are swifter than a Weavers Shuttle Job 7.6 How fast does it hasten upon us As fast as yea faster than a Post hastens to the end of his Stage or a swift Ship to the Harbour under the advantage of Wind and Tide or the swift flying Eagle to the prey My dayes are swifter than a Post saith Job they flee away they see no good They are passed away as the swift Ships as the Eagle hasteneth to the prey Job 9.25 26. How fast does it hasten upon us So fast as that for ought we know it will be upon us before we see the light of another day Thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee Luke 10.20 How fast does it hasten upon us So fast as that for ought we know it may be upon us the next hour yea the next moment They spend their dayes in mirth and in a moment go down to the grave Job 21.13 To be sure it will be upon us speedily and it may be upon us suddenly I pray consider what are we And what is our life Wind Job 7.7 O remember that my life is wind an hands breadth Psalm 39.5 Behold thou hast made my dayes as an hands-breadth mine Age is as nothing before thee a declining shadow Psalm 102.11 My dayes are like a shadow that declineth and I am withered like Grass A Flower of the Field which is withered and gone with the Wind As for man his dayes are as Grass as a Flower of the Field the Wind passeth over it and it is gone and the place thereof knoweth it no more Psalm 103.15 16. And again All flesh is Grass and the goodliness thereof as the Flower of the Field the Grass withereth the Flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it Surely the people is grass Isa 40.6 7. Vanity and a shadow Man is like to vanity his dayes are as a shadow that passeth away Psalm 144.4 A