Therefore study by all means to think often upon it and make ready for it For believe me death is a very big word for it will once make you stand with horrour in your souls if your peace be not made up with God I know not a more dreadfull dispensation then death and a guilty conscience meeting together The second thing that I shall speak unto from this first observation viz. That it is a most certain and infallible truth and all persons shall once see death shall be to give you some considerations for pressing you to prepare for death I. The first consideration is this That to die well and in the Lord is a most difficult work therefore I intreat you prepare for death It is a difficult work to communicate aright it is a difficult work to pray aright and it is a difficult work to conâ—er aright But I must tell you it is a more difficult work to die aright then any of these It is true it is more difficult to communicate aright then to pray aright yet it is much more difficult to die aright then to communicate aright For it is a most difficult work to die in the Lord. Death will put the most accurate Christian that is here to a wonderfull search and therefore I will tell you nine things that death will try in thee 1. Death will try both the reality and strength of thy Faith It may be easie for thee to keep up Faith under many difficulties but death shall put thy Faith to the greatest stresse that ever it did meet with Yea know this that the Faith of the strongest Believer may get and ordinarily doth get a set at death the like whereof it never got before therefore prepare for death 2. Death will try thy love to God some persons pretend much love to him but death will propose this question to such a person Lovest thou him more then these Lovest thou him more then thy wife More then thy house More then thy friends But your unwillingnesse to die giveth us much ground to fear that many have little love to Christ but much to the world and so dare not answer the question Lord thou knowest I love thee 3. Death will try thine enjoyments some of you may be ready to think that ye met with many enjoyments so that ye might reckon as you think to fourty enjoyments and sweet out lettings but beware that death bring them not down to twenty I have known some who thought they had met fourty times with God but when death came it made them take down the count to the half therefore seeing death will try the reality of thine enjoyments O prepare for it 4. Death will try thy patience Thou may seem to have much patience now but when death cometh and thou art put to die it will put thy patience to a great tryall therefore prepare fore it 5. Death will try the reality of thy duties yea even these duties wherein thou had most satisfaction as thy communicating aright in such a place thou hopest that is sure thy reading the Scripture at such a time aright thou hopest that is sure thou prayed at such a time aright and hopest that is sure thou meditated in such a place aright and hopest that is sure But believe me death may make thee change thy thoughts for there are some persons who have communicated and prayed c. as right as any in this generation who for all that will not find six duties wherein they can find satisfaction at death Therefore our need is great to prepare for it 6. Death will exceedingly try thy sincerity when it cometh An hypocrite may go all alongs his whole way undiscovered yet death may bring him to light and make it appear what man he it 7. Death will discover unto thee many hid and secret sins of which thou never had a thought before yea albeit thou thought these had been forgotten death will let thee see them standing between thee and the light of his countenance 8. Death will accurately try thy Mortification Some think they have come a great length in Mortification but believe me death will try it and put it to the touch-stone 9. Death will try thy hope whether it bee real or not I shall onely say this that all the other graces must low their sails to Faith and so it is Faith must carry us thorow being that last triumphing grace which must fit the field for us when all the other graces will faint and ly by It is Faith that must enter us fairly within the borders of eternity It is Faith must gainstand all the temptations of death yea all the other graces must as it were stand by and see Faith strike the last stroak in this war II. The second consideration to presse you to mind death is this that yee are to die but once O labour to do that well which yee are to do but once and the wrong doing of which can never bee helped If yee pray not aright ye may get that mended if yee meditate not aright yee may get that mended and if ye communicate not aright ye may get that also mended but alas if ye die not aright there is no mending of that Therefore O prepare for death that ye may die well seeing ye are to die but once III. The third consideration to presse you to mind death is this That they are pronounced blessed who die in the Lord Rev. 14. 13. Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord O let that provoke you to prepare for death that so you may die in the Lord that is the only way to make you eternally happy I confesse it is a question difficult to determine whether it be more difficult to die well or to live well I shall not answer it but rather desire you to study both IV. The fourth consideration to presse you to prepare for death is this viz. That though thou put all thy work by thy hand before death yet shalt thou finde that death shall have work enough for it self yea as much as thou shalt get done It will then be much for thee to win to patience it will be much for thee to win to the sight of thy Justification and it will then be much for thee to win to assurance O then is it not needfull for thee to put all thy work by thy hand before thy latter end come Wherefore I may say to you as Moses said in his Song Deut. 32. 29. O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end O that ye had this piece of divine wisdome I pray you consider that sad word Lament 1. 9. She remembereth not her last end And what of it Therefore she came down wonderfully So will the down coming of many in this generation be wonderfull who consider not their last end V. The fifth Consideration for pressing you to prepare for death is this viz. That their
four Cautions 1. Caution Your desires to die should not be peremptory but yee should desire to die with submission to the will of God so that although he would fill up fifteen years more to your life yee should be content to live it out 2. Caution When your desires are hasty and off hand suspect them for some when they meer with an outward crosse without all deliberation will cry our O to be gone O that I were dead But your desires to die should be deliberate but not hasty or rash 3. Caution It is not lawful to desire to die because of personal affliction Many when they meet with bitter afflictions will cry out O to be gone They long for death even upon that account such were Iobs desires Iob 20. 21 22. and chap. 6. ver 7. 8. O that I might have my request even that it would please God to destroy me c. This desire was very unlawfull 4. Caution It is not lawfull to desire to die when thy predominant idol is taken away from thee yet such was Ionahs desire chap. 4. 23. Ionah thought his credit and reputation which was his idol was gone and could never be regained therefore he wished to die But I would say this to you that some will have ten desires for death when they have not one desire for heaven And what moveth Christians to be so desirous to die It is not so much because of their hope as because of their anxiety it is not so much because of their confidence as because of their impatience But I say unto you when your desires of death are not accompanied with desires of heaven suspect them 2. I would say this that there are some who will have ten desires for death when they will not have one for the death of the body of death But it were good for thee who are such to be desiring the death of the body of death then should thou be in a more suitable â—rame to desire to die 3. Some will have hearty desires to die and yeâ— when death cometh they will be as unwilling to die as any It hath been observed that some who have much desired to die when death came have cryed out O spare a little that I may recover strength c. 4. There is a great difference between a desire to die and death it self It is an easie thing to desire to die but it is a very great business to meet with death and to look it in the face when it cometh We think death ere it come near to us to be but childrens play but when we meet with it it maketh us change our thoughts For it is a great businesse to die Quest. 2. Is it lawfull for a Christian to desire to live when he is summoned to die Answ. In some cases it is lawfull for a Christian to desire to live even when he is summoned to die which is clear from the practice of David Psal. 39. 13. where he prayeth That the Lord would spare him a little It is also clear from the practice of good Hezekiah Isa. 38. 3. when he was commanded to set his house in order for he should die and not live he cryeth forth Remember now O Lord how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart and have done that which is good in thy sight and Hezekiah wept sore Or as the word in the Original he wept with great weeping But to guard this take these two Cautions Caution 1. Thy desires to live when thou are summoned to die should not be peremptory but with submission to the will of God that if it bee his pleasure to remove thee presently out of time thou should bee content to die Caution 2. Thy desires to live should have gracious principles and also a very gracious end as is most clear from David Psal. 39. 13. where hee saith O spare a little that I may recover my strength before I go from hence and bee no more his desire to live was thâ—â— hee might have more victory over his Idols as if hee had said my desire to live is that I may have strength to wrestle with and overcome my Idols and without all controversie Hezekiahs desire was a most precious and well grounded desire However I would say this unto thee that thou shouldest examine thy desires to live as much if not more as thy desires to die for wee are ready to shun death if wee could but hee is that universall King unto whom all of us must be subject ere long Now in the words which are read unto you there are these six things which may be clearly observed from them I. First That it is a most clear and infallible truth â—at all persons shall once see death as is 〈◊〉 in these words Who is hee that liveth an shall not see death II. Seconâ—â—â— That this truth that wee shall once see death is not much believed or thought upon by many therefore it is that the Psalmist doubleth the Assertion Who is he that liveth and shall not see death Shall he deliver his soul that is his life from the hand that is from the power of the grave III. Thirdly That sometimes a Christian may win to the solide Faith of this truth that once he must die this the Psalmist wan unto as it is also clear in that word who Who is he that liveth and shall not see death IV Fourthly That the certainty of this that once we shall die should be still keeped in our minde therefore that note of attention Selah is put to it as if he had said take heed that there is none living that shall noâ— die V. Fifthly That howbeit some persons put the evil day far away as if they were not to see death yet is the day coming when they shall see death and death shall take them by the hand VI. Sixthly We shall take notice of this from the context that the Christian who is much in minding the brevity of his life will believe the certainty of his death the Psalmist was speaking of the shortnesse of his life in the preceeding verse and in this verse he speaketh of the certainty of death Now as for the first of these things observed viz. That it is certain and most sure that we must all once die I hope there are none of you here who will deny it although I confesse few of you beleeveth it yet said the woman of Tekâ—ah 2 Sam. 14. We must all die and be like water spilt upon the ground that cannot be gathered up again c. God doth not accept the person of any and Iob 30. 32. I know thou wilt bring me to death and to the house appointed for all living And it is very clear Eccles. 8. 8. There is no man that hath power over the spirit to retain the Spirit neither hath he any power in the day of death and there is no discharge in that War neither shall wickednesse deliver
those that are given to it It is also clear Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed unto all men once to die So it is most clear that we must die I remember of one Philip King of Macedonia who had one substitute for this very end to cry at his Chamber door every morning Memento mori Memento mori Memento mori Remember thou art to die and it is reported to have been the practice of the Nobles of Greece and in the day wherein their Emperour was Crowned that they presented a Marblestone unto him and he was inquired after what fashion he would have his Tomb stone made which practices speak forth this unto us that although these were most destitute of light of the Scriptures yet were very mindfull of death Believe me death may surprise us before we be aware for it is most certain that we must die but there is nothing more uncertain then the way how and the time when we shall die Death will surprise some as it did Abel in the open field Gen. 4. 8 Death will surprise some as it did Eglon in his parlour Iudg. 3. 21. And death will surprise some as it did Saul and Ionathan in the flight 1 Sam. 31. Now in speaking to this point I shall first speak a little to these advantages which attend those that live within continuall sight of death Secondly I shall give you some Considerations to presse you to prepare for death Thirdly I shall give you some Directions to help you to prepare for Death And then we shall proceed unto the second point of doctrine which we observed from the Text and shall speak a few things from it unto you and so come unto a close for this time First then we conceive there are these seven advantages which attend those who live within the continual â—ight of this truth that they must die I. First The Faith of approaching death will make a soul exceeding diligent in duty this was our blessed Lords divinity Ioh. 9. 4. I must work the work of him that sent me while it is day The night cometh when no man can work That is death is approaching therefore I must work It is clear also 2 Pet. 1. 12. compared with vers 14. In the 12. vers Peter is exceeding diligencâ— in his duty and the ground of his diligence is in the 14. vers Knowing that shortly I must put off this my tabernacle c. Yea it is even the Epicures argument Let us eat and drink for to morrow we shall die and should not the Christian much more cry out Let mee watch and pray for to morrow I may die I say if the Epicures did make use of this notion to make them vigorous in the pursuit of their pleasures O how much more should a Christian improve iâ— for making him vigorous in the pursuit of his duty Therefore I say unto you all O bee diligent for your night is drawing near O Christians and expectants of heaven are ye not afraid lest yee be nighted before ye have walked the half of your journey For if yee bee nighted on your journey to heaven before ye come to the end of your race there is no retiring place whereunto yee may turn aside to lodge therefore O work work work while it is day for behold death is approaching and then shall we all bee called to an account II. The Faith of approaching death will make a Christian exceeding active in duty hee will not only bee diligent but also exceeding serious and zealous in the exercise of his duty This is clear from that notable exhortation Eccles. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do do it with thy might and the reason is For there is no work nor device nor knowledge nor wisdom in the grave whether thou goest Wherefore O bee active while yee are alive for ye shall never work any more after ye are dead and if ye leave but one work undone there is no doing of it after death There is no work saith Solomon in the grave therefore O be active III. The faith of this Truth that we must all die will help a Christian to be exceeding mortified to the things of a present world Oh covetous men and women would ye shake hands with cold death but once every morning I should defy you to pursue the world so much as ye do Paul was much in the meditation of his change which made him 2 Cor. 4. 18. to overlook these things that are temporary while we look not saith he to the things that are seen which are temporal but to the things which are not seen which are eternal therefore chap. 5. 1. Knowing that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens Therefore in this we groan earnestly desiring to be cloathed upon with our house which is from heaven What aileth you Paul might one have said may ye not take a look of the world no saith he For I know that if this earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved I have a house with God not made with hands but eternal in the heavens That is I know that ere long the pins of my tabernacle will be loosed and it will fall down about my ears therefore I must look for another dwelling house And 1 Cor. 7. 24. The fashions of this world passe away Therefore â—aith he vers 32. I would have you without carefulnesse caring how to please the Lord. And Phil. 4. 5. Let your moderation be known to all men The Lord is at hand As if he had said Death is approaching and at hand therefore I intreat you be sober But I think many of us will be found like Saul hid among the stuffe that is we will be lying amongst the middest of the pleasures of this passing world But I say unto thee who are such an one that death will break the strings of thy harp and thy musick will quickly cease O but death will make thee have a low esteem of the world O blessed is the person who hath these thoughts of the world all along his way which he shall have of it at death Have not the most cursed wretches been forced to cry forth Oh I would give ten thousand worlds for Christ Have not some persons who have had the Moon upon their head and that have made their belly their god being forced to cry forth at death O cursed person that I am that ever made the world my god Alas that I contented my self with the world Therefore I say unto thee who art such an one O stay thy pursuit after the world for death is approaching that will cause all thy worldly comforts evanish IV. When a Christian believeth this Truth that he must die it will be an exceeding great â—estraint to keep him from sinning as is clear Iob 31. 13. compared with vers 14. where Iob reckoning over many good deeds done by himself saith What
labour shall end but their works shall not be forgotten as is clear from that forecited place Revel 14. 13. They rest from their labours and their works follow them and is not that a glorious advantage VI. The sixth consideration to presse you to prepare for death is this viz. That death may come upon you ere ye be awar ye know not but death may surprise you this night before you go home to your houses and therefore let that presse you to study a constant preparation for death VII The seventh Consideration to presse you to prepare for death is this viz. That as death leaveth you so will judgement find you If death shall leave you strangers to Christ ye shall appear before his judgement seat strangers unto him Therefore I intreat you all to prepare for it I think that noble practice of Paul exceeding worthy of imitation 1 Cor. 15. 13. I die dayly which I think doth comprehend these three things 1. That Paul had death alwayes in his sight 2. It comprehendeth this that he endeavoured to keep such a frame as that every moment he should be ready to die so that whensoever death should put the summonds in his hand he should be content to answer 3. It comprehendeth this that he laboured to lay aside and remove all things out of the way that might detain him from laying down his tabernacle O saith Paul I labour so to clear my self of all hinderances as that when ever I shall be summoned to remove out of time I may willingly lay down my life Thus Paul desired alwayes to have his Latter Will clear Therefore I would ask you this question viz. when did you make your last testament I think it were suitable for us to be renewing our latter will every day for in so doing Paul made an excellent testament the better of which none that died since have made 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have keeped the faith These are very sweet articles and then he addeth Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousnesse which the Lord the righteous Iudge shall give me at that day And think ye not that very sweet And he would leave some thing unto you in Christs Name viz. And not for me only but for all them that wait for his appearance Now I come to the third thing proposed viz. To give you some directions for helping you to prepare for death Direct 1. I intreat you be much in preparation for death every day for it is even a preparation for heaven to be taking a sight of your grave and latter end every day Direct 2. I intreat you he much in these duties First In Self examination that your compts may be clear with God for many a ragged compt will we have when death and we shall meet Secondly Be much in the exercise of Repentance that so ye may have every fault of corruption in you mourned for before death and you meet Thirdly Be much in the exercise of Faith making your calling and election sure Fourthly Be much in the exercise of Mortification and that will help you to keep a loose grip not only of the world but also of your other idols And if ye be much in these ye shall undoubtedly be prepared for death Direct 3. Be much in minding the excellent things of heaven A Christian that would be prepared for death would have all his thoughts and conversation there I think it would be an excellent help in preparation for death to take a sight of the Crown every day Direct 4. Labour alwayes to keep a good conscience void of offence towards God and men 〈◊〉 I say labour to keep thy conscience clear and that shall be a continual feast unto thee Direct 5. Slight not thy known duty do not crucify any conviction neither break any resolution put these three together and that will exceedingly help you to prepare for death I say see that ye adventure not to slight any known duty see that ye adventure not to crucifie any conviction and see that ye adventure not to break your resolutions Now we come to the second thing which we observed from the words viz. That this truth that we shall once see death is not much believed by many of us And to make this appear we shall only give some Evidences unto you to prove that we are not as yet prepared for death I. Evidence Doth not the unspeakable stupidity that have overtaken many say that we are not a people prepared for death Alas many of us would find our selves in a most stupid temper if we were presently to die for many of us are no more moved with the threatnings and terrouts of God then if they did not belong unto us and this saith we are not as yet prepared for death II. Evidence That we are not prepared for death is our pursuing so much after the vain and passing delights of a present world Many of us Rise up early and go late to bed at night and eateth the bread of sorrow all the day and loading themselves with thick clay And I am sure that such a person being night and day taken up with the world is not prepared for death I remember a word recorded of such a wretched one who was exceedingly rich said he I would give so many thousands of money if death would give me but one day yet he got it not And O how suddenly will death surprise many of you as it did him III. Evidence which speaketh forth our unpreparednesse for death is our impatience under every petty crosse that we meet with for the prepared Christian will be patient under very sharp crosses IV. Evidence That we are not prepared is our not endeavouring to live within sight of our interest in God Oh if wee were prepared for death durst we live in so much uncertainty of our interest in God and of our assurance of heaven V. Evidence Some of us can let our Idols ly in our brest six years without repentance and will never study to mortifie them nor to repent for them and surely such are not prepared for death Now I intreat you seriously to minde what hath been said And that yee may the more seriously think upon it I will tell you some materiall challenges that your consciences at death will present unto you therefore take heed that yee may know how yee will answer I. Challenge Is the slighting of much precious Time and sinning away the precious offers of Grace O what will yee answer to that Challenge when Death shall present it to you Death will say or rather thine own Conscience at Death what ailed thee to sin away so many hours without either Praying Reading or Meditatingâ— Now have yee any thing to answer when Death shall present this Challenge to you I intreat you premeditaâ—e what ye will say I intreat you prevent death by presenting it first seriously to
your selves II. Challenge That Death will present unto you will be for the killing of many precious Convictions which we have had What will each of you answer at death when your conscience proposeth this challenge to you thou met with such a challenge at such a time and went home and crucified it when at another time thou met with another challenge and went home and crucified it These challenges will be laid home to thy door therefore think on them III. Challenge Death will charge you for a formal hypocriticall way of going about duties I say your Conscience will then tell you that ye went to such a Communion with a selfish end and aâ— another time ye prayed hyporritically and formally and what will ye have to answer when ye meet with these challenges I confesse I know not what ye can answer to these but I charge you be thinking what ye will answer for it may be that these convictions shall ly on your consciences that even this day ye have heard two searching Sermons and did meet with some convictions but made no good use of them yea and â—â— may be ye did sleep all the time O what will ye answer when it will be said to you ye went to such a Sermon and sleeped all the time and ye went to such a Communion but had no other end before your eyes but to be seen of men I intreat you consider presently what ye will answer to these IV. Challenge Will be for your breaking of many precious resolutions It will be said to some of you that at the Communion in this place ye took on vowes and did break them I am sure ye cannot question the justice of this challenge therefore see what ye will answer V. Challenge Ye slighted many precious offers of the Gospel O men and women in this city what will ye answer to this I was often exhorted to take Christ and yet would never take him What will Conscience say to that when death shall table it before you I tell you what ye must then answer O cursed I that ever refused Christ in the Gospel and ye shall then be confounded because this is your sin Believe me there was never an offer of this everlasting Gospel and of Christ in it made unto you that shall not at death before or after be brought to your remembrance and O how sad and doleful will it be to you when Christ shall open the book where your sins are written and begin with the sin of slighting the Great Salvation thus I invited you when you were twelve years old and ye would not come I invited you when ye were thirty years old and ye would not come I invited you when sixty years old and ye would not come What will ye answer to this Have ye any thing to say Or must ye not stand speechlesse before your Judge when he shall put home this challenge unto you therefore think seriously upon it how ye will answer to it VI. Challenge will be for your sinning oftentimes against Light and O how sad and painfull a challenge will that be at the day of Death when it will be said thou sinned with a witnesse in thy bosome that thou wast doing wrong thy Conscience will say oftentimes did I tell thee this is sinfull yet wouldest thou not abstain from it And what will ye answer from this VII Challenge Oftentimes ye sinned upon every small temptations and what will ye answer to that Must ye not then confesse it and say O how often have I deserted Christ and imbraced my idols upon a small temdtation Now I intreat you be thinking what ye will answer to these seven most material Challenges which certainly shall be presented to you at death I assure you ye must either answer all your challenges in Christ else ye will not get them well answered Therefore I would exhort you to imbrace the Gospel and Christ in it that so let death propose never so many challenges unto you ye may answer them all as David did viz. God hath made with me an everlasting Covenant and that will answer all your challenges though my house be not so with God yet I have the everlasting Covenant to build my salvation upon Now to presse you to make use of Christ I shall give you these four Considerations Consideration 1. If ye imbrace not Christ now Death will be very unpleasant to you O what else can comfort thee when going through the region of the shadow of Death but this I am Christs I am Christs is there any other thing can comfort thee in that day but only this I am Christs and He is mine Consideration 2. If ye imbrace not Christ and the Great Salvation now It will be an hundred to one if ever ye get time or libertie to do it when ye are going to die For although many delay their closing with Christ till death yet scarcely one of a hundred getteth favour to grip Christ at death therefore think on it for ye will not get your mind so composed at death as ye imagine nor all things done as ye suppose therefore now imbrace the Great Salvation Consideration 3. If ye delay your closing with Christ till death seise upon you ye shall never be able to make up that losse For will the dead rise and praise God Or shall any come from the land of forgetfulnesse to take hold upon a crucified Saviour Therefor O will ye take him for your Salvation Consideration 4. If ye will take Christ now he shall be your guide When ye are going through the valley and shadow of death And O how blessed is the person that can sing that word Psal. 48. 14. This is my God he will be my guide even unto death If ye can sing that pleasant song O how may ye be comforted when your eye strings shall begin to break O how happy is hee who can say Though I walk through the shadow of death yet will I fear no ill 〈◊〉 I know that the Lord is with mee Now this is the acceptable day and the year of salvation therefore do not delay but imbrace Christ lest death surprise you ere yee be aware and so the acceptable day be lost But unto these who think they may delay till death I say surely there are many damned atheists in hell that sometime did think as yee think I will make all wrongs right when death and I shall meet I hope that three dayes repentance will satisfie for all my wrongs for I am sure there are many in hell who did never get three dayes to think upon their former wayes Therefore O come come and imbrace Christ presently Now are yee all perswaded of this truth that yee shall once see death Then study a tender walking for believe me there are many of us who shall go thorow death with many bruised bones because of untender walking before God We know it is not the multitude of words can perswade you to imbrace Christ for many of you never minded the thing but believe mee death will pâ—each these things to you in a more terrible manner then wee can do at this time Therefore I say â—o each of you O prepare to meet thy God for if death finde you in an estranged estate from God I defy the Angels in Heaven to free you out of that estate And the day is coming wherein thou shalt cry out O slighter of the Great Salvation that I am I would give ten thousand worlds for one Sermon again that I once heard wherein Christ was freely offered to me when thou shalt bee tormented without hope of remedy Therefore While it is to day harden not your hearts for your late wishes shall not bee granted when yee are gone if yee make not haste O therefore Haste haste in time and come out from the land of your captivity and from the house of your bondage and take Christ for your Redeemer the guide of your youth and old age Now unto him who can lead you thorow all these steps betwixt you and heaven be eternal praise Amen FINIS