cry out with holy Job Chap. 6. 4. The arrowes of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit the terrors of God do set themselves in array against me Such is the nature of meditation or consideration that it will cause future and remote things to have a real powerful and deep impression on our minds As for instance A Merchant in India by his meditation or contemplation may converse with his Affairs his Wife Children and Friends in England or a Merchant that 's walking on the Exchange in London may have his mind and thoughts in Spain or Italy or else where a Malefactor cast into Prison for some notorious Crime may long before the Assizes converse with all the sad circumstances of his tryal he may in his thoughts see him self brought to the bar standing before a terrible Judge to heare his indictment read the Charge prov'd his doom and sentence pronounced and see as it were himself at the place of his execution with the rope about his neck which must immediately hang him and if you would in good earnest set your selves to consider your latter end you may really and heart-affectingly converse with old Age Weakness Sickness your death-Bed short-Breathing cold sweats dying Pangs and Groans Winding-sheets Coffins and see your selves as it were streched out nail'd up and on the shoulders of men carrying to the grave where Worms and filthy Vermine must feed upon you The Servants of God and Saints of old have done this with great success soul advantage and so should you They have reckoned or counted their Lives by dayes because they were every day liable to Death and expected it daily Teach us to number our dayes said Moses Psal 90. 12. Few and evil have the dayes of my life been said old Jacob. For man that is born of a woman is of few dayes Job 1. 1 5. All the time of which said Job will I wait till my change come Job 14. 14. For I know that thou wilt bring me to death and to the house a dark house appointed for all living And Chapter the 17. 1. he said my breath is corrupt my dayes are extinct the Graves are ready for me where-ever he went or came he was looking for a Grave Again by consideration we may not only look to the Grave but beyond it to the great Transactions and astonishing things that shall be after death We may converse with the worlds burning Christ's coming the Trumpets sounding the Graves opening the Deads rising the Wickeds roaring who as jolly as they are shall then cry to dead and deaf Mountains and Rocks to fall on them to hide them from the dreadful face of the now slighted Son of God for in that great day of his fierce and terrible wrath they will not be able to stand Rev. 6. 16. 17. By realizing this consideration we may see the Judge standing behind the door and the Son of God as it were ready to break forth out of the Clouds with power and great Glory as Hierom did who said whether I eat or drink I hear this voice in mine ears Arise ye dead and come to judgement Now if a right consideration of the great things to come be so penetrating and heart-awakening let death which alwayes doggeth you at your heels be often upon your thoughts your heads and hearts too should be much upon it every night you lye down and every morning you arise let there be some serious and awful thoughts of death and Eternity That which many have engraven on their Rings viz Remember to dye let it be by the Pen of a Diamond written on your hearts It 's storied of Philip of Macedon that he laid a charge upon one of his servants to come every morning into his chamber and proclame this that he was mortal and if a Heathen were so careful of keeping the memory of his mortality much more should a Christian we should alwayes remember the dayes of darkness and keep life and death heaven and hell before us there being but a step between us and death The neglect and want of this was Israels sin and Jerusalems too She did not remember her last and therefore she came down wonderfully Lam. 1. 9. And this God who would have us remember and consider doth sadly complain ofby the Prophet Isa 1. 3. calling heaven and earth to witness for him Hear O heavens and give ear O earth the Oxe knoweth his owner and the Ass his Masters crib but Israel doth not know my people do not consider Reas 3. A serious consideration of your latter end through grace will prove an absolute and soveraign Antidote to expel the greatest evil yea a means to escape an infinite loss viz. sin and the dreadful effects and consequences of it What is the cause of that inundation and sea of wickedness and most prodigious sins that are now in the world and in this Nation in every City Town and Place and in the most Families among all ranks and degrees of men viz. Magistrates Ministers People Parents Children Masters Servants but this their not duly and deeply considering their latter end this we find laid down in the word of God to be one main ground of all sin and of the neglect of all duties You careless souls did you beleive and remember that you must die and come to judgement that your naked souls and naked sins must shortly stand before the most tremendous direful Judge of quick and dead the reflection hereof would be as a knife at your throats as a sword at your breast or as a hand-writing on the wall to retard and hinder your constant and desperate course of wickedness O what horrid hellish outrages are now committed and that deliberality impudently obstinately even against the light of nature Conscience Scripture What Cursing Lying Swearing Blaspheming Sabbath-breaking Cheating Couzening Stealing what wantonness filthiness uncleanness swinish drunkenness covetousness earthly-mindedness what mocking scoffing wrath envy malice pride passion and spiritual wickedness too as unbeleif a theism impenitency hypocrisie apostacy hatred of God his people ministers wayes and ordinances every where aboundeth Men declare their sins like Sodom and are not ashamed of the unfruitful works of darkness and why but because they doe not set their minds and hearts upon their latter end Poor dying sinners Let me out of tender compassion to your bleeding and almost sinking souls intreat you as for the Lords sake to goe down to the grave to go down to hell in your thoughts and stop here and think of the King of terrours the worm of Conscience the approach of Devils the burning lake the bottomless pit the loss of God of Christ of Heaven and your precious souls remember those fiery scorching endless flames the presence and company of Devils Reprobates and damned spirits and your sweet morsels will be gall and wormwood to you these amazing things being truly reflected on will be as lightning in your eyes as thunder
that you shall know ere it be long Jeptha would perform his vow to God I have said he opened my mouth unto the Lord I cannot go back Judg. 11. 34 35. Herod for his Oath sake murdered John the Baptist Matth. 14. 9 10. How many times hast thou engagest to dedicate and devote thy self to God and his Service therefore say Lord for my promise sake I will sacrifice my self and become thine redeeming my time for thy glory and mine own Salvation Motive 4. Cons Men take and improve opportunities for other things The fittest and best time is taken for buying selling plowing sowing and gathering into Barns and especially in evil and hard times Men will rise early run ride and labour in the very fire as the Prophet speaketh Redeeming the time 't is a Metaphor taken from Merchants that will be early in the Market lest the opportunity of buying the best Commodities should be lost The Proverb is that Time and Tide stay for no man and that we must make Hay while the Sun shineth There 's none but the sluggard will sleep in Harvest the diligent Husband-man will not lose a day then Christians in this great affair of your precious immortal and never-dying souls do as men about other things Millers and Marriners observe and improve every gale of wind yea the Stork in the Heaven the Turtle the Crane and the Swallow know and observe the time of their coming Jer. 8. 7. They that say to day or to morrow we will go into such a City and buy and get gain Jam. 4. 2. will as we say turn every stone and lose no time to buy a good bargain to make a rich purchase and shall we redeem our time and make the best of our spiritual markets to make provision for our souls that are more worth then all the world Motive 5. Satan that Enemy and grand Soul-deluder is always busie He is an active Devil and he loveth to find us idle Christians this old Serpent is never more at work then when we are idle for idleness layeth a man open to all his Hellish Snares and temptations and then if temptations come you are out of Gods way and if Satan find you on his ground he will be too hard for you The Apostle tells us he goeth about and still offers temptations for the wasting of our time This roaring Lyon hath a large circuit for ever since he was cast out of Heaven he hath been going to and fro in the Earth and walking up and down in it John 1. 7. His grand design is to devour 1 Pet. 5. 8. This black Prince loves to prey upon precious souls the soul being that sweet morsel he is still gaping at This Adversary hath his several walks he is in the Shop in the Market in the Street in the Chamber in the Closet and every where where sin is and he is also in the Congregation among the Assemblies of the Saints when they are about spiritual service When Joshua the High-Priest stood before the Lord Satan was standing at his right hand to resist him Zech. 3. 1. This deadly enemy was with Christ and his Disciples at the Passover for there he entred into Judas John 13. 26 27. Therefore Christians we have need to work and watch too The devil that hates you and all mankind doth bestir himself he goeth forth into the broad way of prophaneness and there he tenders and tempts men with sensual objects and he entreth in the by-path of error appearing as an Angel of light and enticeth wanton wits to suck down the poyson of his damnable doctrine And when once he hath injected his poyson into the head how much time is spent in writing and disputing to defend his delusions We read that it was while men slept this enemy Satan came and sowed Tares among the Wheat Matth. 13. 25. 39. He is a working busie Devil never at leisure but is always spreading his Baits and casting his Snares and Nets to catch souls Therefore be ye sober vigilant and watch unto prayer and employ this talent of precious time well Idleness is Satans Shop and the Mother of Mischief David was at leisure and on the roof of his house when Satan prevailed by that sad temptation 2 Sam. 11. 3. Therefore set God alwayes before you keep in his way and be doing your duty that you may be kept from his fiery darts The flying Bird is seldom shot The cautious diligent active soul is most secure Motive 6. Time once gone cannot be recalled Time past is gone for ever Time present if we may so call it is going future Time is most uncertain neither Men or Angels can hinder or stop it turn or bring it back again If opportunities be not now taken they may never be had Be good husbands of your time and work now or you may never work Time's redemption may be your salvation therefore follow and improve the light before darkness overtake you You all know that yesterday or the last hour will never come again If thou hadst as much treasure in thy custody or power as the whole world is worth it cannot purchase one minute of time past You that are old may as easily call back your youth or become young again as recover any part of this precious time Luke 19. 42. Motive 7. The nature of saving-Grace is working and springing up which turneth all the powers and faculties of the Soul Heaven-ward Such is the activity and vigour of this gracious nature that it will bring a man to a What wilt thou have me to do Acts 9. 6. Ephes 2. 10. 'T is not a lazy and languid thing but full of life and power The state of sin in Scripture is described by death and darkness which are a cessation and privation of life and light and motion and the state of Grace is described by life Eph. 2. which is powerful and most vivacious like the Sword of the Lord and Gideon doing great things It is no wonder to see the men of the world that are born after the flesh to be dull sluggish and unactive But you that have a Divine Nature and a Spirit of life and power in your hearts should be diligent and laborious 2 Tim. 1. 6. Rom. 8. 2. This living principle of Grace made the holy Apostle who excited others to redeem their time so to employ his Talent the Grace of God in him made him labour more then they all 1 Cor. 15. 10. The streams of grace that flow into the Soul are called Rivers of Living Water John 7. 31. and a Well of water springing up unto eternal life John 4. 14. So that Christians have greater advantage of doing good and of living to Gods glory Therefore stir up the grace of God that is in you cast off slothfulness and put on diligence and laying aside every weight rejoyce as the Son to run the Race that is set before you Motive 8. Consider How highly they prize time that
dying men and passing to receive the recompence of endless Joy or Wo. Christians if you would work while it is day If you would glorifie God on Earth If you would secure and eternally save your immortal souls If you would not be a prey to the Prince of Darkness If you would stand with comfort before the Lord Jesus at his dreadful Bar If you would not spend your days without hope Arise therefore and be doing and the Lord be with you Deut. 32. 29. O that they were Wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end IT is always seasonable to insist on such subjects as direct us to speak of another world especially in time of great Sickness and Mortality in which thousands of souls night and day have been crowding into Eternity witness the late dreadful Plague in sixty five I therefore made choice of this serious and heart-wakening subject that drowsie secure souls might be awakened to a deep consideration of the world to come The whole Chapter is stiled the Song of Moses his Swan-like Song or Song before his death the dying words of that eminent faithful servant of God and if the words of a dying man are to be regarded how much the words of a dying Moses This Moses being ready to go into the other world composeth this song of which the Text is apart and dying words are weighty and make the deepest impression This song is partly Narratory Minatory Promissory In the Narrative you have 1. A Narration of the infinite greatness and most glorious attributes of the God of Israel introduced with a pathetical and awakening acclamation Give ear O ye Heavens and I will speak and hear O Earth the words of my mouth 2. We have a Narration of their corruption ingratitude and rebellion verse 5. 6. They have corrupted themselves they are a perverse and crooked generation do ye thus requite the Lord O foolish people and unwise Notwithstanding the remarkable favours and rare indulgence of God toward them yet they forsook him provoked him to jealousie with strange Gods and sacrificed to Devils and not unto God Vers 16. 17. Because of which he threatens 1. To hide his face from them then which nothing more bitter to the soul Ver. 20. 2. To inflict variety of sore temporal judgements upon them then which nothing more burthensome to the body I will heap mischief upon them I will spend mine Arrows upon them they shall be burnt with hunger and devoured with burning heat and with bitter destruction the sword without and terrour within shall destroy both the young man and the Virgin with a man of gray hairs for a fire is kindled in mine anger and shall burn to he lowest Hell And Vers 27. God gives the reason why he would not utterly destroy them and make a full end of them Were it not that I feared the wrath of the envying c. And now the words of the Text seem to be the Application of the whole O that they would consider their latter end You may look upon these words as it were a Mount cast up by which the people of Israel might take a view of things to come and have a prospect of what should befal them in their latter end O that they were wise to be wise is opposit to that brutishness ver 28. They were a Nation â—oid of counsel for they wanted the right exercise of reason and that wisdom which is from above to observe and improve the gracious providences and dispensations of God That they would consider Consideration is a fixed act of the understanding or mind in order to practice for doing and considering are frequently joyned together Judg. 18. 14. Now therefore consider what ye have to do Heb. 10. 27. Let us consider one an other to provoke unto love and good works The same thing is variously expressed in Scripture viz. to look narrowly upon a thing to call to mind to know and consider in ones heart to call things to remembrance to commune with a mans heart Psal 77. 5 6. Their latter end By which we are not only to understand those tremendous and desolating judgements that should surprize them in this world but to remember the great things of the other as also old age death the grave erernity death with its antecedents concomitants and consequences The words contain a pathetical Option or wish O that they were wise In which observe 1. The person wishing viz. the most great and gracious God 2. The thing desired and that is Divine Wisdom a Jawel indeed a price far above Rubies 3. The person for whom God thus desireth viz. for Israel a people nigh unto the Lord and yet a bruitish inconsiderate and unwise people O that they were wise c. 4. What this wisdom is or wherein it doth consist viz. in the consideration of their latter end The Doctrines observable from the words are these Doct. 1. That God doth earnestly desire and long for the good of a people Doct. 2. That an inconsiderate people are a foolish and unwise people Doct. 3. That want of serious consideration is incident not only to the prophane but to men professing God and Godliness The Israelites were the onely Church of God then in the World and yet they were not wise to understand and consider their latter end I shall not handle these apart but speak to the chief scope and intent of the words in this one proposition Doct. That it is a duty and matter of high concernment to consider our latter end O that they were wise that they would consider viz. practically consider and live always in the belief of the other world so as to do up all their work while it is day This seems to be the great import of the spirit of God in this Text. Eternal souls whatever escapeth your thoughts this must not this should be your vade mecum It should rise up with you lye down with you walk with you where-ever you go are This Moses himself that precious and renowned servant of God desir'd seeing such a dreadful mortality in the Wilderness and so many sad spectacles of Divnie wrath Psal 90. 10. So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom And as Moses desir'd it so also holy David Psal 39. 4. Lord make me to know my end and the measure of my days what it is that I may know how frail I am And Solomon sets a better upon it Eccles 7. 2. It is better to go to the House of mourning then to the House of Feasting for that is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his heart And it is an Argument that men are dead when at a House of mourning they are not moved with compassion to a due and deep consideration of their doleful and dying condition I shall come now to show you what we are to consider concerning our latter end and O that it may
take a deep impression upon all that shall read these plain truths Seriously consider and believe 1. That it is most certain that an end will be For whatsoever the Scriptures speak of Death the Grave and Hell is an infallible Truth You are to consider that every man is mortal must dye and pass into the other World and that in every one of your bodies there is an immortal and never-dying soul and that after these bodies have slept in the dust of the Earth they shall live again there shall be a resurrection of the just and unjust and at the end of the World a Tribunal shall be set up before which all the World shall be made to stand And that as soon as your breath is gone the spirit shall return to God that gave it either to the Justice of God or to the Mercy of God to the place of joy or to the place of torment Our transgression natural constitution with a statute Law of Heaven have brought us under a necessity of dying Where ever this Viper fastneth it killeth certainly though not suddenly sin and death are twins sin is the great murderer that let death into the world For her house inclineth unto death and her paths unto the dead In the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt dye Gen. 2. 17. That is thou shalt become mortal As soon as Adam had sinn'd he and we in him our representative became subject or liable to death Sin like a mighty Monarch reign'd from Adam to Moses a Malefactor cast at the Bar is dead in Law though he be repriev'd for a time the Body sayes the Apostle is dead because of sin some dye in the womb some in their infancy some in their youth they that live longest dy at last Death never hurts a man but with his own Weapon it always finds Sin in us and the sting of death is sin And where ever you meet it or see it you may say of it as Abab to the Prophet hast thou found me O mine enemy Death and every death is the fruit of sin death temporal death Spiritual and death Eternal The soul that sins shall dye Ezek. 18. 20. The wages of sin is death Rom. 6. 23. Our natural constitution rendreth us obnoxious to dissolution our flesh is not the flesh of stone or of brass but frail and mouldring dust to which as to our Centre we must return Gen. 3. 19. Dust thou art and to dust shalt thou return Eccles 3. 20. All go to one place all are of the dust and all turn to dust again Heb. 9. 27. It is appointed for man once to dye Job 14. 5. His days are determined the number of his moneths are with thee thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass No shield or Buckler can fortifie against this King of terrors impartial death the great Leveller knows no faces and therefore none can be exempted If faithfulness might challenge impunity from death then Moses might have been excus'd if beauty then Absalem if strength then Sampson if sinceriry and piety then David if sultilry then Achitophel if magnanimity then Alexander if riches then Croesus if wisdom then Solomon but one event happens to them all so that when the fatal moment cometh no ransom can be given no art nor skill can keep us here Sirs were this Doctrine of the other would believed it would have a greater impression upon our hearts did we seriously consider of that future state of retribution according to our faith of which we must live or die stand or fall to eternity it would have a greater influence upon our lives 2. Consider That at your latter end all things in this World will fail you and take their leaue of you for ever All your natural indowments outward enjoyments Parts Parentage Birth Breeding Wit Wealth Crowns Kingdoms Pearles Diamonds Houses Lands Wives Children Friends when your breath is gone all these are gone Prov. 27. 24. Riches are not for ever neither doth a crown endure to all generations The glittering Sun of all outward glory will certainly set which your own experience and Scripture evidence doth clearly evince Riches have wings and they fly away Prov. 23. 5. The fashion of this world passeth away 1 Cor. 7. 29 30 31. We brought nothing into this world and 't is certain we shall carry nothing out 1 Tim. 6. 7. If a man were possessed with as much of this World as Solomon the great King of Jerusalem who had great Magnificent Buildings fruitful pleasant Vineyards Gardens Orchards and Trees of all manner of fruits variety of servants possessions of great and small Cattel heaps of Gold and Silver peculiar Treasure of Kings Musical Instruments Men and Women singers and whatsoever his eyes desir'd yet when he takes a serious view of all things he would say with him all is vanity and that a man hath no profit of all his labour which he taketh under the Sun which made the wise man even to have life Eccles 2. Since the fall there is a curse upon the Creature which indeed is deceiving vexing decaying and all our outward comforts may be compared to Pharaoh's Hosts and alive this hour and the next drown'd and dead upon the Sea-shore and though you judge they shall endure for ever Psal 49. 11. Luke 12. 19. They will deal by you as Absalom's Mule that left him in his greatest extremity What woful miseries attend Wordly riches in the getting keeping and parting with them they are snares and thorns plagues and Scorpions unto many they pierce them thorow with many sorrows 1 Tim. 6. 10. Yet here men toyl beat their brains weary their bodies tire their spirits break their sleep perplex their thoughts rack their consciences ingulf and drown themselves in cares endanger their souls dreaming of nothing but perpetuity and when they have done all like the Silk-worm dye in their work Nay many a man survives his own happiness which perisheth before he perisheth and it s the worst of miseries to outlive our own happiness therefore let not riches highten your hearts and prompt you to pride which is too common This day the rich worlding sang a requiem to his sadly deluded soul concluding he had much laid up the night following his soul is required Haman is to day the second man in the Kingdom but soon lost all and his life too Now doth Nebuchadnezzar walk in his stately royal Palace of Babel priding himself in his outward pomp but while the word was in his mouth a voice came from Heaven saying O King Nebuchadnezzar to thee be it spoken thy Kingdom is departed from thee Dan. 4. 29 30 31. Jerusalem this year is the Princes among the Provinces the next year made tributary and they that live delicately are desolate and embrace Dung-hills Lam. 1. 1. and 4. 5. Yesterday Job's Cattle might be numbred by thousands and tomorrow he is stript of all and left naked Neither is our age without a sad
timerous fearful cowardly Apostate and back-slider in heart who for fear of a little outward hardship declin'd his professed principles and turn'd his bach on Christ and his persecuted little Flock may be heard to wish that either he had never known the way of righteousnees or that he had been faithful unto the death Secure and sadly deluded souls consider you are not far from this direful gulf where multitudes of souls lament and weep day and night and certainly if the horrible and amazing cries and yellings of those infernal spirits were sounding in your ears you would not rest quiet in your Beds or Houses There were sad and astonishing out-cries when the world was drown'd when Sodom was burn'd to see the Clouds suddenly drop fire on their heads and houses and men women and children burning together but this was but a flea-bite to that place where is weeping and gnashing of teeth to all Eternity Remember all you that forget God the day of your calamity is at hand and the things that shall come upon you make haste Deut. 32. 35. But if you are the servants of the Lord and real Saints Mourners in Sion lift up your heads and hearts for you belong to another place and better Country viz. to mount Sion and unto the City of the living God the heavenly Jerusalem and to an inumerable company of Angels to the general Assembly and Church of the first born which are written in heaven and to God the Judge of all and to the spirits of just men made perfect And to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant and to the blood of sprinkling that speaketh better things then that of Abel Heb. 12. 22 23 24. And know that you are almost come within the hearing of those heavenly Songs eternal triumphs and Hallelujahs of Saints and glorious Angels in your Fathers house Where you will have fulness of joy and pleasure for evermore Ps 16. 11. 7. Consider How sudden violent or unexpected your end may be Therefore let none think or say they shall dye in their nest or promise your selves a time of preparation by a long life or a lingring sickness Consumption or such like Fearless careless sinners you don't know what a night or what an hour may bring forth the rich man in the Gospel while he dream'd of many dayes was arrested by a killing and dreadful message Thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee Luke 12. 20. He lives not that knoweth where when or how he shall dye some have gone to bed well and dyed the same night others have dropt dead from their Horses some have died at their Tables whilst the meat hath been in their mouthes others have died in their full strength being wholly at ease and quiet with breasts full of milk and bones moistned with marrow others die in the bitterness of their soul and never eat with pleasure They shall lye down a like in the dust and the worms shall cover them when they are brought to the grave and to remain in the tomb Sirs There are many dreadful instances in the word of God of the sad and sudden approach of this merciless messenger death which stand as so many Sea-marks to give you warning least death should come in an hour you look not for it and find you unprepared The King of the Chaldeans in his greatest jollity and having not a thought of death saw a hand-writing on the wall which was very terrible and the same night was slain While he was feasting and drinking wine and praising the Gods of Gold and Silver in the same hour came forth fingers of a mans hand and wrote over against the Candlestick upon the Plaister of the wall of the Kings Pallace and the King saw the part of the hand that wrote Then the Kings countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joynts of his loynes were loosed and his knees smote one against another Dan. 5. 3 4 5 6. and 30. Death is the King of terrours and terrour of Kings Good Hezekiah received a sudden summons for death Isa 38. 1. which made him turn his face to the wall pray and weep sore and to chatter like a Crane and mourn like a Dove in the bitterness of his soul because he was to go to the gates of the grave and to the pit where there is no hope The first born in Egypt were slain at midnight which made a great cry Exod. 29. 30. Korah and his wicked company were swallowed up in the midst of their Rebellion Numb 16. 30 31. They went down quickly into the pit and all Israel fled at the cry of them There dyed suddenly of the men of Bethshemesh fifty thousand and threescore and ten because they looked into the Ark 1 Sam. 6. 19. And God many times taketh away the desire of our eyes with a stroak as he did Ezekiels Wife Ezek. 24. 16. Job's children died at their banquet Ishbosheth was smitten and died in his sleep Ananias and Saphira being Husband and Wife died within three or four hours one of the other with a lie in their mouths Act. 5. 5 10. The righteous Judge many times shoots an arrow suddenly at wicked men who dye in the act of sin Ps 64. 7. When they are about to fill their bellies the Lord doth cast the fury of his wrath upon them as he did upon the chosen men of Israel Ps 78. 30 31. Many times God to execute his fierce wrath sends out his destroying Angels who will make dreadful work in a little time for in one night in the Camp of the Assirians the angel of the Lord smote a hundred and fourscore and five thousand that in the morning were all dead Corpses Isa 37. 36. How short and uncertain is our life subject every moment to the stroak of death which the least crumb or flye may put an end unto as it hath to many And as our end may be sudden so also it may be violent a mortal disease may invade both Heart and head and poor dying creatures many times are so distressed and distracted that they cannot think of any thing but their tormenting pain being uncapable to say any thing to God or men about their souls O how stupid and unsensible do many souls make their passage into the other world like Nabal or like a man in a lethargy or as so many stocks or stones and not awake till they awake in the flames of hell The rich man dyed and in hell he lift up his eyes his first and second death was very unexpected All you obdurate sinners stand here and wonder at the matchless mercy and infinite patience of the great God in delaying the King of terrors so long God hath not dealt so kindly with thousands of sinners that are gon before unto judgement and who went down to the pit in a moment witness the late dreadful Plague by the means of which a hundred thousand souls were sent into
Eternity O let not London nor England forget that and other tremendous judgments which our sins have called for lest a worse then any yet should come upon us The forgetting of our latter end is a deadly and provoking sin and that which will hasten judgement Her filthiness it in her skirts she remembred not her last and therefore she came down wonderfully she had no comforter Lam. 1. 9. 8. Consider That where death cometh to strike the stroake your souls are stated your Eternity is cast without change for ever Then your immortal souls are for salvation or damnation for an eternal life or eternal death for an eternal heaven or an eternal hell You sadly besotted souls know and remember while you have a day before the golden threed of life be cut that if you be found without Christ Faith Repentance Holiness but a moment after death you are undone to Eternity After death all means and hopes fail there is no work or device in the grave Eccles 9. God will be then irreconcilable sin unpardonable heaven not attainable and your souls lost irrecoverably And then the Devil your bloody adversary will have his designe upon you he knoweth that if you be his in life and death that you are his forever and that he and you shall never part Sinners this is certain as the tree falleth so it lyeth as is the seed so will be the harvest if you do the Devils work you must have the devils wages if you march under the command and conduct of the Prince of Darkness and suffer him to lead and hurry you hither and thither at his will whil'st you live you will be his prisoners and slaves in that dreadful dungeon of dismal darkness after you are dead Consider the Land of darkness is no place for service there 's no repenting in the grave no Lord have mercy on us written upon Hell Gates no Sabbaths no Sermons no Ministers there 'T is in the time of life that you are to labour and make preparation for life eternal because according to your work and choice in this world will be your everlasting lot in the world that is to come It is appointed for you once to dye and after death the judgement Heb. 9. 7. The pale horse death goeth before and hell followeth after Rev. 6. 8. there will be no change of your condition the eternal ruine or eternal welfare of your precious souls depends on those few minutes this swift stream of mans life after it once turneth or declineth ever runneth with a perpetual ebb never floweth again so that all that you leave undone now will be undone for ever If you die unbeleivers you will be unbeleivers for ever if you dye under the guilt and power of sin and wrath of God you will remain under the guilt of sin and wrath of God for ever but if you dye holy humble mortified sincere souls you will remain holy heavenly and in the favour of God for ever Rev. 21. He that is filthy will be filthy still and he that is holy will be holy still but the inpenitent unpardoned sinner though he live a hundred or a thousand years in satisfying his lust will be accurst at last Poor sinners that read this little Treatise let me beg you to up and be doing while it is day the night will come wherein you not no man can work John 9. 4. Then to your work with might and main while your candle is burning your Sun shining will you yet loiter and see your glass running your Sun setting your selves dying and your souls perishing O seek the Lord while he may be found Isa 55. 5. in an acceptable time 2 Cor. 6. 2. before the day pass as the chaff before the decree bring forth before the evil day cometh before they that look out of the windows be dark and the keepers of the house begin to tremble before the doors be shut in the streets and the silver cord be loosed or the Pitcher broken at the fountain before you are gone to your long home and the spirit return'd to God that gave it Consider with your selves are your fit to grapple with this mighty Monarch death are you fraughted for this long Voyage and ready and willing to pass through this dark Entry take heed and feare lest you be found unfit Think on the sadly deluded Virgins that had their Oyl to buy when their Lamps should burn and so came to the door but found it shut think upon poor Esan that was hunting for Vienson while he lost the blessing Poor perishing souls what do you intend to do if you will work it must be now or never Are you resolved to seek and secure the Kingdome of God first Mat. 6. 23. whilst it is called to day or will you bestow nothing but dregs and snuffs of rotten old age upon God and your immortal souls O that you might know in this your day the things which belong to your Peace before they be hid from your eyes 9. Lastly consider That it is the most dreadful and amazing sight on this side hell to see a Christless unbeleiver breathing out his last There are other sad sights viz. to see a man starving for want of bread or dying for want of a physitian or drowning for want of a boat or to see a man dead a dead corps a body without a soul but ah how sad and astonishing a spectacle is it to see a man near the coasts of Eternity viz. to behold a wretched sinner in his cold sweats and dying groanes with his precious immortal soul standing on his pale cold quivering lips and death the great Conqueror and the King of terrors marching furiously with his Writ of remove in one hand not to be reverst and his deadly dart and sting in the other hand conscience on the rack barking biting and tearing him like a Lyon the Devil Gods Executioner looking on and standing by the heart under dejecting and sinking despair the eyes dim and fixed his heart-strings ready to break with anguish his Wife Children Friends at the bed-side weeping sighing crying wringing their hands beating their breasts the Wife crying out alas my Husband the Child crying out alas my Father The poor perishing soul all this while looking backward upon his mispent time and by-past sins inward upon his own heart a dreadful sight where he seeth no Christ no grace no purity nothing but sin guilt death darkness Then looking upward to that God that hath been provoked to that Christ that hath been rejected to that Heaven and Eternity that he hath lost and looking down-ward to that dark and dreadful pit that must be his place and portion with a fearful looking for of judgement seeing the Devils come and ready to seiz upon him O what a dreadful out-cry and shriek will the soul make when it departs perceiving it self sinking down down to the burning lake and bottomless pit where he must take up his lodging with devouring
fire to all Eternity The pangs of death the worlds loss anguish of Conscience frights of hell meeting together will make a man perfectly miserable and force him to cry out with cursed Cain Gen. 4. 13. My punishment is greater then I can bear or to say with the sadly afflicted Church behold no sorrow like unto my sorrow And if the dreadful reflection of a guilty accusing conscience be so tormenting here what will the whole flame and Sea of wrath be when poured out to the very utmost Sensless sinners Consider this may be your doleful case when you come to die viz. to have much sorrow and wrath with your sickness Eccl. 5. 17. For there is no is peace to the wicked saith my God not one word in all the Bible but speaks terrour in life and death though the sinner live a hundred years he shall be accurst he dieth under the curses written in God's Book yea under that most dreadful Gospel curse 1 Cor. 16. 22. The apprehension of which will cause such distraction of spirit and sad reflection of guilt which will make them curse their God and their King looking down to the pit roaring out Who among us shall dwell with devouring fire who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings Therefore be wise to consider this all ye that forget God lest he tear you in peeces and there be none that can deliver Psal 50. 22. And as it is dreadful and amazing to see the unbeleiver dying so on the contrary 't is comfortable and reviving to see the godly man dying because his ultimum is his optimum his last is his best the day of his death is better then the day of his birth Eccl. 7. 1. His end is peace Psal 37. 37. God at peace Conscience at peace and all at peace O blessed sight to see the heaven born panting soul going out of the world upon the wings of joy calmness and serenity of spirit with full sail for heaven longing and crying out make no tarrying O my God haste my beloved haste so come Lord Jesus I desire to depart and to be with Christ which is best of all Phil. 1. 23. You have heard what are the great things to be considered namely that an end will certainly be this world is no place of continuance they that now see you ere long will see you no more for ever You have heard that your present things will perish that sin so full of deadly poyson will leave a sting a dart that will strike through your Liver and that the case of the wicked will be doleful dreadful yea desperate when they come to dye for when death comes your souls then will be stated so as there can be no alteration to all Eternity The next thing is to speak to the reasons why it is a duty and matter of such moment to consider are these following Reas 1. Is taken from God Because the only wise gracious most indulgent and soulcompassionating God wisheth it and that most vehemently O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Sirs in this pathetical Option or desire there is the very tender bowels of God this is the very language of his heart and it is as if he had after the manner of men spoken thus to his faithful servant Moses I have but one wish or request and all is comprehended in this one viz. that thou shouldst go and tell them from me that they must be wise to consider this to remember the dayes of old and the years of many Generations what I have done for them in chusing them above all the Nations of the world to be my treasure portion and peculiar people and because I love them I have delivered them wrought wonders for them in Egypt the Red Sea and in the wilderness and have kept them as tenderly as the apple of mine eye carrying them upon Eagles wings but yet let them know that they have forgotten me provoked me and that their end is like to be miserable for afire is kindled in mine anget and unless they do speedily consider it will burn to the lowest hell Now you souls in peril which is best to thwart cross and greive your well-wishing dearest best and only friend or to please and geatifie your prosessed deadly implacable enemy your adversary the Devil can't endure that you should think of death or dying for if Satan that old Serpent would permit and suffer you to look into hell he could neither drag nor draw you thither at his pleasure And will you go on in the wayes of sin and death or bethink your selves whose you are what you have done whither you are going and what is like to become of you when your breath is gone what provision you have made for your other world that so the great business between God and your souls may be made up Sinners if the infinitely holy just and righteous God did desire or designe your ruine and destruction he would not have excited you to this solemn and serious consideration of the end of sin death and Eternity until it were too late and you left without remedy so that what is here intended hath a tendency to make you happy if it be regarded O that they were wise c. Reas 2. Because a deep serious and heart-affecting consideration of death and the grave will both realize it and represent it as near even at the door and make it to stand in open view Whereas things looked upon at a distance whether they be good or whether they be evil have but a little if any influence Now a fixed and hearty consideration will give as it were a being to future things and bring them near so that you may really converse with those things A truly godly man that hath a veiw of unseen things by divine contemplation here upon the wings of faith and hope he may ascend up into heaven and walk a turn in the golden streets of the New Jereusalem as the Prophet Ezekiel was in the Visions of God at Jerusalem in his mind when his body was by the River Chebar among the Captives in the Land of the Chaldeans so likewise those sadly wounded spirits who through fear of death are all their life-time subject to bondage being exercis'd with soul-conflicts and under powerful cutting and killing convictions of sin and misery or have such dark and dismal thoughts and apprehensions of hell and the wrath of God which make them ever and anon to enter into the Chambers of death and visit the prisoners of the pit and look upon that black guilt and fiery furnace to be so near that they are on the brink of it falling down continually This hath been the case of many of Gods precious ones who are now in heaven above all these fears and frights that were once more bitter then death And O how many travailing with these pangs and agonies of soul are ready to
prayers rich and choice experiences and love-tokens of their fathers favour the evidences for their heavenly Country This is the hidden and heavenly treasure of the godly man who only is called the man of wisdom Micah 6. 9. Besides he preventeth the worst evils viz. the guilt of sin the sting of death sorrows of hell terrours of Conscience the wrath of God the loss of God his soul and heaven This infinite and irreparable evil or loss he shall never sustain because this timely consideration of death and judgement will be a means to fit him for it They that were ready went in to the Marriage Matth. 25. 10. But for you that are careless of your immortal souls that think not of death that will not consider your latter end if infinite mercy doth not speedily prevent you will certainly dye without wisdom if you do not seasonably secure your souls make God and Christ your friends while the poor people of God lay up a treasure in heaven a good foundation against the time to come You will treasure up wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgement of God Rom. 2. 5. And this is the doleful case of many worldly wise men of those too whose office and imployment is to keep if it might be others alive viz. to cure diseases and prevent death It is observed concerning Paracelsus a great Physitian a man very skilful in Chymical Experiments that he bragged and boasted that he had attained to such wisdom in discerning the constitutions of men and in studying remedies that whosoever did follow his rules and keep his directions should never dye by any disease casually he might and of age he must but he would undertake to secure his health against diseases A bold and most presumptuous undertaking But he who by Art promised to protect others could not by his art make himself a protection in the prime of his age who died before or when he had lived but thirty years Poor mortals sith that thou cant prevent death it is your wisdome to prepare for it and forasmuch as you cannot by any means power or skill keep off the stroak of death get while you may a remedy or Antidote against the sting of Death that when you dye you may not dye unpreparedly or dye without wisdom For man in honour that understandeth not is like the beast that perisheth Psal 49. 20. So died that miserably mistaken rich man who though by himself or others judged wise in the account of the only wise God was a very fool who providing only for the time of life and not for death did deserve the name of thou fool This night shall thy soul be requir'd Lu. 12. 20. a dark and dreadful night indeed in which he lost both worlds at once earth and heaven too And will you say that you are wise and not consider what your end will be The five Virgins are called foolish Virgins but why because they did not make provision for the Bridegroom 's coming and when they came to the Door it was shut upon them ah sad and dreadful disappointment Mat. 25. 10. But the diligent and prepared soul that hath gotten in his oyl and made all ready is in a capacity to look upon Death with a smiling aspect because the deadly poyson and sting is out and it can but kill the body 't is not able to hurt the soul But the sleepy secure sinner will be dreadfully surprized as Belshazzar was by the hand writing that appeared on the wall the terrifying and amazing sight of which changed his countenance and troubled his thoughts so that neither his Wine his wives or Concubines could comfort him who had lifted up himself against the Lord of Heaven Dan. 5. Sinners Consider the King of terrours is a terrible sight and none more then to those that have their heaven here it will be to such as the tearing their caul from their very hearts worse then cutting off a Member from the body for many have suffered the loss of Members to save their lives O death death death how bitter bitter is the remembrance of thee to the man that is at ease in his possession And let me tell you evils and dangers by how much the more sudden and unexpected they are by so much the more dreadful and astonishing they are What a sad and hidious cry was there in Egygt when at midnight God smote their first-born and also when the Earth opened her mouth and swallowed up Korah and his cursed company that went down alive into the pit insomuch that all Israel fled at the cry of them for they said lest the earth swallow us up also Numb 16. 31 32 34. And how terrible was that sudden shower of fire and brimstone upon filthy Sodom after a bright Sun-shine morning Gen. 19. 23 34 So when grim and ghashly Death cometh in a black night and draweth the curtain and looketh upon the secure sinnet it will be very formidable for who can look Death in the face that dare not look God or his own conscience in the face But the sincerely godly man fitted for death may look and live above the fear of Death and Hell and welcome Death as old Jacob did the Waggons that his son Joseph sent to fetch him down to Egypt when he saw the waggons the spirit of Jacob their Father revived Gen. 46. 27. Death though a grim Porter will open the gate of Glory to every Beleiver and let them into their Fathers house for both life and death are theirs 1 Cor. 3. 22. Blessed are the dead that dye in the Lord Rev. 14. 13. To me to live is Christ and to dye is gain Phil. 1. 11. Whoso is wise will observe these things These are the reasons why your latter end must be considered The application If it be a duty so necessary to mind your end I shall descend to improve it by way of Application Vse This calls aloud unto all you unconverted sinners that have made no preparation for Death and Judgement to stand and wonder or to sit down and admire at the unwearied patience the matchless and amazing mercy of the infinitely gracious and glorious God Hath the most righteous judge and sin-revenging God held your souls in life and kept you from death and Hell to this very day And will you not even to astonishment adore the unsearchable riches of grace Men commonly wonder at things above their reach or that for which they can give no reason and especially at rare singular and unmerited mercy Now stop a little and spend a few serious thoughts and consider what reason can be given that you should be numbred among the living when so many are dead that you should be in the world and so many thousands of Men Women and Children in their Graves and their precious souls you know not where Now that your bodies are not laid up in that dark and dismal prison of the Grave
and voluntary slaves they were in time and thy prisoners in chains of darkness they shall be eternity to be tormented day and night for ever Rev. 20. 10. 6. What think you of eternal banishment and separation from God Christ Angels Saints Heaven This is the punishment of loss and the worst of hell Matth. 25. 41. Then shall he say unto them on the left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels O terrible terrible to be doom'd or sentenc'd to lye under the wrath and hatred of the infinitely great and dreadful God for ever and ever as long as God shall live whose being is to eternity as long as there is a Devil to torment or to be tormented shall their plagues last The fearful and unbeleiving and the abominable Murderers Whoremongers Lyars Dogs Sorcerers carry all their sins down to hell with them the fuel that feeds the wrath of God so that the Oyl of sin causes the Lamp of wrath to burn flame everlastingly The debt of sin can never be paid justice never satisfied for the damn'd soul remains impenitent and God implacable so that there can be no hope of pardon The sentence is strict unchangeable irreversable eternal O eternity eternity this stings plagues and augments and aggravates the most intollerable punishment of the damn'd After an innumerable thousands of years they shall think it but the beginning of their sorrows and shall be so far from an end as if they had been in hell but an hour It will be everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and the glory of his power 2 Thes 1. 9. In comparison of which all the rendings rackings tearings torturings of mens bodies here by the most exquisite torments upon racks gibbets wheels grid-irons boyling lead boyling oyl and other bloudily invented engines and instruments of amazing cruelty are but a flea-biting Sinners 't is hell hell that will make the sadly tormented soul seek death wish and long for that which shall never be Rev. 9. 6. And will you desire and wish for the woeful day God forbid now your condition may be changed then it will be stated Wo wo unto you that desire the day of the Lord to what end is it for you The day of the Lord is darkness and not Light Amos 5. 18. A day of glosminess a day of clouds and of thick darkness at which the people shall be much pained and all faces shall gather blackness the inhabitants of the Land shall tremble for the day of the Lord is very terrible Joel 2. Now therefore do not wickedly wish it but wisely consider and prepare for it And blessed is that servant whom when his Lord cometh findeth so doing 3. It reproves the selfc-onfident and presumptuous who conclude upon a fitness and preparedness for death and judgment upon very slight and unwarrantable grounds namely because they separate from the notoriously wicked are not prophane make a profession shew some legal sorrow for sin run the round of duty though carnal and heartless enough in those duties from hence they easily perswade themselves that all is well viz. That they are the Children of God in a state of grace and going to Heaven and as fit to dye as the very best How many thousands are there in the Christian world that securely sleep and dream of an interest in Christ that hope and promise themselves a future and glorious felicity who are but meet moral men and worse or rotten painted Hypocrites at the best having only a form of Godliness restraining counterfeit or common grace Such were the Scribes and Pharisees the foolish Virgins yet confident to the very last they came to the door with a Lord Lord open unto us They had blazing Lamps but no oil in their Lamps or Vessels no real union with Jesus Christ no precious faith no sincere love or evangelical repentance the root of the matter was not in them You that have a name to live take heed you be not deceived if you are not truly united unto Jesus Christ he will certainly disown you The Lord Jesus tells us of such sadly deluded souls that shall stand up at the last day and challenge a reward in Heaven to whom he will protest I know you not Matth. 7. 23. they never savingly knew him had never any union or communion with Christ in the world Many are called but few chosen the Children of the kingdome saith Christ shall be cast out And I must tell you who-ever comes to heaven will miss many there which they thought to find and find others there they little expected The Sinners in Sion are more then a few the Goates more then the Sheep the Tares more then the Wheat more reprobate silver then pure tryed gold The pure in heart and truly godly man that mourns and bleeds for sin that loves God and prizes Christ above the world is many times full of feares and doubts about his soul and the eternal condition of it O what would he not give to be assured that all is well between God and him to know that God and Christ is his that he is fit to live or die because a mistake here is very dreadful and of an infinite consequence But on the contrary the foolish disobedient and that are deceived serving divers lusts and pleasures living in sin and alienated from the life of God having no hope and without God in the world are highly confident and strongly perswaded that it shall go well with them in the world to come I knew a poor ignorant prophane wretch being told on his death bed and but a little before he entred into eternity that death was come replied where is it I 'le go forth and meet it putting his legs over the beds side in a little time gave up the Ghost Therefore in this great soul-affair let none be so fool-hardy as to trust without tryal But let every man prove his own work and then shall he have rejoycing in himself and not in another for every man shall bear his own burthen Gal. 6. 4 5. Quest If the consideration of our latter end is a matter of such moment why do men and women that have immortal souls think no more of it Answ 1. The great cause is from that horrid cursed atheism and unbeleif which is deeply rooted and riveted in mens minds and hearts They do not credit that wonderful and astonishing Doctrin of the other world according to the beleif of which they must live or die to all eternity If we should take a serious prospect of endless eternity of those great things men seem to beleive namely that they must dye that in every mans body there is a never dying soul that there will be a different and unchangeable estate of men after death and that without holiness real holiness of heart life no man shall see the Lord and compare the lives and practises of those that
pretend to beleive these things we may see them as busie as a company of Ants in a sunny day and that the general course of men hath no tendency towards this end but indeed a sad and woeful incongruity 2. The second cause is want of spiritual and divine wisdom It was for want of that wisdom which is from above that the Israelites did not consider O that they were wise said God They are a Nation void of counsel neither is there any understanding in them Deut. 32. 28. If men were wise for their precious and eternal souls they would consider what is here to be done and what is like to be their condition in the other world The prudent man fore-seeth the evil or considereth the evil and hideth himself When God by the mouth of Moses threatned to plague the Egyptians by the Pestilence Haile and Fire he that beleived and feared the word of the Lord amongst the servants of Pharoah made his servants and cattel flee into the house and were preserved Exod. 9. 20. So the soul that is truly wise to consider of the danger of beingdestroyed by the grievous hail and fire of Gods wrath will flee into the hiding place viz. under the wing of the great and glorious Mediator where alone there is true succour But he that did not fear or consider of the danger left his servants and cattle in thâ— field and were destroyed Exod. 9. 21 25. 3. The third hindrance is sensuality worldly pleasures and cares these carry away the heart from the true consideration The Israelites confluence of creature-comforts caused them to forsake and to forget God Deut. 32. 14. 15 16 17 18. The old world was eating drinking marrying and giving in marriage not considering of their danger till the flood came and took them all away Matth. 24. 38 39. The men of the earth do so mind earthly things that their hearts are surfeited and drunken with the care of it Luke 21. 34. And while mens minds and thoughts are carri'd so vehemently after the world to make provision for their life they can think but little of their death Luk 12. 15 16 17 18. 4. The fourth obstruction is a plague upon the heart and desperate security proceeding from it No bonds next to death are so strong to keep men under as security and senslesness of Spirit So dead a sleep possesseth more of the ungodly world that they are past feeling and become so stark dead that the voice of God in the dreadful threatnings of his word and the alarum of his amazing tremendous judgement and desolating providences prevail not to awaken them The Lord hath poured out upon them the spirit of a deep sleep and hath in judgement closed their eyes that they can sin in the very face of the Judge at the very brink of hell at the very mouth and entrance into that great gulf of Eternity 5. A fifth hindrance to mens consideration of their latter end is a strong delusion of heart or satanical suggestions The old serpent and desperatively deluded hearts make them dream that God is all love that they shall have a long life that preparation for death and Eternity is a short work and that it may be done at any time namely when they have done with the world when they are old or lying on a sick bed They say in their hearts 't is but beleiving or repenting and saying Lord have mercy upon me let me die the death of the righteous Under this deadly delusion they dream of heaven and go laughing to hell 1 Thes 5. 3. And that which doth much encrease this stupidity may be the want of or neglect of a powerful and soul searching ministry whose office as watchmen is to foresee the danger and to warn and awaken secure sinners crying aloud to them in the name of the Lord Awake thou that sleepest arise from the dead and Christ shall give thee light Ephes 5. 14. But som cannot endure that Ministers should be so severe plain and peircing in their Doctrin so as to thunder and lighten in the eyes and ears of sleepy souls They are well contented to sit under those that daub with untempered mortar and who sow pillows for their arm holes under whose ministry they may take a nap and sleep it out But they hate him that reproveth in the Gate that galls cuts and wounds their Consciences just like the gall'd-backt horse that bites and kicks at him that would heal him A person of no mean quality speaking his opinion of several ministers said such a man I can hear and such a one I can hear very well but for the third he mentioned that was wont to lay the ax to the root of the Tree and grapple with the heart I cannot endure to hear him for he alwayes grates upon my conscience 6. Men do not consider their latter end because they are afraid to do it 1. First to wanton sinners the remembrance of death is a bitter Pill that will not suffer the pleasures of sin to go down so sweetly Therefore they say to the thoughts of Death as the Governour to Paul Go thy way for this time when I have a convenient season I will send for thee Serious thoughts of death and Judgement to come as the hand-writing on the wall will damp the spirits and mar the mirth of the greatest Prince or gallant in the world 2. They fear to think of death because they have made no preparation for it viz They have not believed repented liv'd a life of holiness so as to make God their friend A bankrupt that oweth many hundred pounds more then he is worth is afraid to cast up his Accompts so poor and impenitent sinners that are indebted to God that owe him ten thousand talents are unwilling to think of death because death will say unto them come give an account of your Stewardship for you must pay the utmost farthing 3. They are afraid to think of death by reason of the dreadful consequences of death as it relates to both worlds The change that death makes as to this present world is very amazing 1. It brings unavoidable dissolution or separation of soul and body these two dear companions that have lived and converst together and sin'd together for many years must then part and a living man will become a dead Carcase fit for nothing but a grave and the soul must have another habitation Job 17. 13 14. Job 19. 26. Well might Death be called the King of terrours 2. It is matter of fear to leave this world that hath been so pleasing and delightsom and for which we have toyl'd and labour'd so many years in one night to loose it all For when the departing hour cometh you may take a view of all your comforts which you have had under the Sun and helps for heaven viz. Husbands Wives Parents Children Kinsfolk Friends jolly Companions Gold Silver Houses Lands sweet and delicate Banquets pleasing Bargains
and say we must now part farewell for ever We shall never see or enjoy you more we shall never eat drink or converse more buy or sell more all our fleshly and sensual delights are ended our joy our mirth is ceased and all the blessed advantages for our salvation now will terminate Farewel the means of grace and all the golden opportunities for our souls farewell all those faithful Ministers that we have heard farewel all those powerful awakening Sermons that have sounded in our ears farewell all the blessed Sabbaths farewell all the Counsels Examples Reproofs Prayers of our serious and religious friends and Relations we shall never see the face of a Minister more or hear a Sermon more never have the door of grace and life opened to us any more for ever And what remains but a doleful remembrance of those good things that are past and gone and a severe strict account that is yet behind O dreadful change and loss indeed to them that make the world their home that have their heaven on this side heaven and no provision or portion beyond the grave The thoughts of which made a wicked young man very thriving in the world to utter these words If I live I shall be a rich man but this is the plague of it I must die which accordingly came to pass not long after 3 No wonder death is so terrible for after death the judgement Death is a Purservant that summons guilty souls to comend give an account at Gods dreadful bar And what more terrible to the Malesactorthen the sight and presence of an angry Judge While Paul reasoned of judgment Felix trembled and bid him be gone that Doctrine did so gall him that he could not endure it Acts 24. 25. Vse 2. The second use is to exhort perswade and stir you up to put this duty of so great and infinite concernment into practice O Sirs I beseech you to entertain some timely thoughts of your dying hour that death and you may be more familiar The best friend you have in heaven and earth longs to see it done O that therewere such an heart in them Now if you would do any thing in this blessed work viz. to prepare for death and judgement it must be done 1. Suddenly 2. Seriously 3. Effectually 1. It must be done suddenly it s a business of that importance that must not be neglected or delay'd for a moment of time Did you but see that you are upon the confines of eternity and in danger every day of being undone for ever you would quickly come to a resolution To further and encourage you consider 1. Life as dear and precious as it is is very uncertain What a nothing is this life a wind a vapour a dream a breath a bubble How soon may the Thread be cut the Glass run or this bright burning Lamp be dim and out when how or where this short dying life will terminate thou dost not know Whether at home or abroad among they friends or strangers in the field or house at thy table or in thy Bed who can tell 2. Death may come suddenly When the pase horse will set forth whether in the morning or at mid-day or midnight no man can tell thee There is a fatal hour which none can pass Luk. 12. 20. Psal 73. 18. 19. Psal 64. 7. 1 Thes 5. 3. 3. When death comes it strikes sure This King of terrors on the pale horse always rides the circuit and doth execution where-ever he cometh no shield or buckler or armour of proof can defend us no not an army of guard of men or Angels If dreadful death finds a King on his Throne or a beggar on the dunghil it 's all a case The strength of man though a Sampson this great Leviathan Death counts but a straw death doth his work speedily easily witness the last plague I shall adde here 1. Death calls warnings and alarums are very frequent not one of you but have had many a call and knock to mind you of death 2. Deaths commands are peremptory he brings his warrant a long with him Death coms in the name of the terrible Judge takes his Commission out of the court of heaven in order to the accomplishment and execution of an eternal irrevocable decree so that he must doe his work will have his Errand If a man had Mines of Gold and Silver to give it cannot deliver from the arrest of this inexorable Serjeant 3. Deaths Conquest is great I know thou wilt bring me to death and the place appointed for all living What man is he that liveth and shall not see death Thou hast set his bounds that he cannot pass They that have conquer'd Kingdoms and Countries and carried all before them have been subjected by death when death comes and takes a man by the throat though the proudest stoutest strongest in the world he must go willing or unwilling 't is all one to death 'T is observable that of bad men their souls are not resign'd but taken away What is the hope of the hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his soul Job 27. 8 20. A tempest stealeth him away in the night This night shall thy soul be required death will not stay a night T is in vain for them that are strong and lively to say to death go to the wrinkled faces to the gray heads to the pile cheeks to the naked backs the dry bons to the dry breasts meddle not with this young man strike not this comely beautiful woman that is in the flower and prime in nature Go to yonder consumptive declining decaying dying old man go to that weak wither'd old woman Let me alone or be excus'd O but death regards it not For this great Conquerour death knocks as often at the young mans door as at the door of the old woman Death arrests and carrieth away the strong the healthy the rich the honourable the learned prisoners to the grave as often as the weak the sickly the poor the base and ignorant 2 You are to do it seriously with thy soul The living will lay it to heart Eccl. 7. 2. The dead cannot there 's no device in the grave Then go about it now in good earnest before old age and death cometh 3. Do it effectually go thorow with the work leave it not undone or but done to halves let every lust be mortified every duty performed every grace exercis'd As good never a whit as never the near Now you have opportunity before you the day of grace is continued Christ is at the door open to him and make all sure for if ever thou be justified pardoned sanctified it must be now The considerations to perswade you are these following Motive 1. Consider there 's an absolute and indispensible necessity for the doing of it a present necessity an infinite and eternal necessity other things may be done this must be done and its more then time this great
work were done and finished 'T is the grand business of your life timely and truly to prepare for death and judgment It were better that all your concerns in the world were wholly neglected namely Husband wife Children buying selling seed-time harvest omitted let all run to ruine then to hazard lose and undo your souls for this will certainly ruine body and soul for ever O seriously mind how little you have done in the time of your life past and how uncapable you will be to do any thing at the end of time when you come to take up your lodging in a grave O remember the dayes of darkness they will be many Eccl. 1. 18. They that have been in the Grave a thousand years have done nothing neither can you when you come there Eccl. Now for you that have lived some twenty thirty forty fifty or threescore years and done nothing in order to a preparation for your everlasting state it is high time to begin the work The most of you are so sensless as not to consider or entertain a thought of death till you hear the Bell or see a Grave or Coffin or till death comes within your walls and knocks at your beds head when you see a Friend a Child a brother a Husband or Wife gasping and dying till you see him bedewed with his cold sweats and groaning with dying pangs till your eyes thus affect your hearts your hearts are seldom affected with the sence of your mortality Now sith it must be done and done suddenly resolve in spight of men and devils and all the world to set about the work Motive 2. Consid It may be done you are in a capacity to do it adored for ever be free grace 1. Time and opportunity is yet before you The Torch burns the Sun shines yet it is day though not morning some sands are behind though not a whole glass Some of you are old lame deaf but not dead others weak sick langishing but alive If the Sun were set the Candle out the Glass run farewell all hope of heaven or of altering your condition for ever They that are gone down to the dead and among the damned may and do reflect with torment upon the opportunitiesonce offered to make them happy but can call back none that 's impossible 2. God is willing to help if you go to him Thine is the power and he gives it to them that have no strength Isa 40. Duty is ours assistance and success is Gods That God who hath given you a considering season can also give a considering soul go to him upon thy knees and beg as for thy life his a speedy aid say as the woman to David Help O King or as the Father for the distressed Son Mark 9. 22. If thou cansts do any thing help us Christ did help 't is his promise seek and you shall find But it cannot be said so of separated souls because time and meanes from them is gone for ever Then in the name of the Lord quit your selves like men Wisemen that are endued with precious rational considering souls that difference you from bruits Let that noble faculty of reason be exerted in considering your latter end For consideration is a serious eager lively act or exercise of the understanding about things to be done or not to be done furthering or impeding the execution of them as it sees good It is the exercise of the mind and heart these are at work in this divine consideration Contemplatioâ— as one observes looks upon things as the eye upon the object Judicium discerneth things whether good or bad but meditation or consideration is a further inquisition into the truth Set consideration at work and not like bruits suffer your eyes ears lusts and senses to be your guides but commune with your heares consider your wayes reflect upon your actions look to your end which if you did you would not be so sensual so sinful as you have been and are Isa 1. 3. Motive 3. Consider the omitting or neglect of it will render you the worst of fools If the doing of it be your highest wisdom the not doing must needs be the greatest folly this will make you like Ephraim a silly Dove without an heart Do you know that you must die and die but once and will you not indeavour to do that well which cannot be done the second time As Luther said to his adversaries You can kill me but once ye are not able to raise me to life again and kill me the second time So say I to thee O thou seeuer sinner when thy breath is gone it will return no more O consider with a trembling heart how much depends upon this dying once namely the gaining or losing of thy dear precious soul the gainingor loosing of the favour of God the fruition of God the joyes of heaven or the torments of hell hangs upon it When death comes your eternity is cast the very next moment after you have shot the black a mazing gulf you shall see know what you shall be and where you shall be to all eternity And will you judg the men of the earth or worldly wise men the wisest men who take care for the body and neglect the soul that make provision for time but none for eternity O Sirs if you would but trace them to a sick bed a death-bed from thence into eternity and to Gods dreadful tribunal you might easily determine Ier. 17. 11 Luke 12. 19 20. Luke 16. 22 23. Rev. 6. 25. Mot. 4. In a every little time you present powerful and awakening helps and advantages to excite and put you in mind of the other world will be past and gone And these are cheifly three viz. 1. Awakening Ordinances 2. Awakening Providences 3. Awakening Convictions 1 Awakening Ordinances will have an end The faithful powerful Ministers of the Gospel that watch for your souls and whose office it is to fire the Beacons and give the alarum will we know not how soon finish their work These Boauergeses and Embassadours of the Lord that preach the dreadful and amazing Doctrine of death and judgement and that with loud and earnest cries tears and fervour of spirit to make you sensible of your sin and danger will shortly be called home Moses that great Prophet after he had compos'd this excellent Song of which my Text is a part was gathered to his Fathers Noah that Preacher of Righteousness after he had for many years together warned the old world was called into the Ark and they had never a Sermon more till the wrath of God came upon them and there was no remedy 2 Pet. 2. 5. Be not therefore as your Fathers unto whom the former Prophers have cryed saying Turn ye from your evil wayes for they have not long to cry The Prophets do not live for ever Zech. 1. 4 5. You cannot rationally expect alwayes to hear the pleasant noise of Aarons Bells or the sound of
the Silver Trumpet the Sun will go down over the Prophets Therefore while the watchmen are upon the walls take warning and finish your work while you have the light O Sirs improve for your eternal advantage those plain and powerful Sermons which you hear and read and let it not be accounted legal preaching Who were more severe in their preaching then our Lord and his fore-runner whom we ought to imitate otherwise we draw the horrible sin of bloud-guiltiness upon our souls Ezek. 3. 18 9. 'T is observ'd that there are more dreadful doctrines scatter'd up and down in the New Testament then in the Old the powerful application of which is very necessary both for secure sinners and drowsie Saints Holy David after his fall fell into a deep sleep and did not awake until Nathan came and told him plainly and particularlly of his sin And of the Virgins we read while the Bridegroom tarri'd they all slumbred and slept Mat. 25. O how many sleepy souls are there in the world and in many Cities Towns and Parishes in this Nation that will either living dying or after death sadly bewail the not improving the labours of their faithful Pastors 2. All your awakening Providences by which God warns and calls will have an end The great and glorious God for a long time together hath been speaking and calling to us by his Word and of late year she hath spoken by his dreadful Rod and that very terribly The Sword the Plague the Fire the decay of trade and other Judgements are the loud voice of an angry God Those afflictions on our Families Relations Estates Persons are in order to awakening us out of sleep and so for our profit When Manassch was among the thorns bound with fetters carried into Babylon he be sought the Lord and humbled himself greatly 2 Chron. 33. 11 12 13. After Ephraim was chastised he awaked turned and repented for the bonds and cords of affliction do open the car to instruction then he sheweth them their work and their transgression and commandeth that they turn from iniquity Jab 6. 9 10. Jer. 13 18 19. Now to have a deaf ear to the rod and word to be hardned and secure and go on in sin under awaking and amazing providences is a dreadful judgement that which ripens men for ruine 2 Chron. 28. 22. This is that King Ahaz who in the time of his distress did trespass yet more against the Lord Jer. 5. 3. 3. Your awakening Convictions will have an end too Those secret and powerful workings strivings and struglings of the Spirit of God under the rod and in the word will be suspended Christ will not always be at the door calling knocking and his Spirit that is so much greived and oppos'd will not alwayes strive and struggle with your hearts and conciences Gen. 6. 3. Now sinners if you have any love or regard to your immortal souls before all these helps be taken away be wise to consider and prepare for your end Lest God should speedily resolve and say to you as to the Jews Isa 1. 5. Why should ye be striken any more or as Hosea 4. 17. Ephraim is joyned to Idels let him alone They will have their lusts and they shall have them As I live saith saith the Lord this iniquity shall not be purged till youdie Sith nothing will prevail I am resolved saith God they shall never hear an awakening soul-Searching Sermon more never have a Correction or Conviction more till they go down to hell Motive 5. Consider that the earnest cries tear prayers of unbeleivers when they comes to die it will be in vain fruitless and unsuccesful though you speak in the anguish of your souls and complain in the bitterness of your spirits when your flesh upon you shall have pain and your souls within you shall mourn it will be to no purpose You that will not seek God betimes and make supplication to the Almighty that will not pray while you have time to pray helps to pray health to pray encouragements to pray Now God invites you may have audience and find acceptance your prayers in a dying hour will be but the expressions of your fears and terrors arising from the sence and nearness of your danger when there will be but a step between your departing souls and the state of Devils God seldom hears from some men unless trouble sickness fear distress and anguish cometh upon them then pain will make them pray and how upon their beds and 't is but howling not Praying Hos 7. 14. But will God hear his cry when trouble cometh upon him saith Job 27. 9. No saith the Lord I will not be enquired of by you Ezek. 20. 3. Because it cometh from an evil mind or stinking breath proceeding from a corrupt rotten cursed heart and then it must needs be abominable Prov. 21. 27 15. 8. I will saith David wash mine hands in innocency and then compass thine Altar for if I regard iniquity in my heart the Lord will not hear my prayer Psal 66. 18. If God would not hear a Davids prayer a man after Gods own heart he will not hear a Devils prayer nor the prayer of a Swearer Sabbath-breaker Drunkard he heareth not sinners that like and love their lusts No saith the holy God though they seek me early they shall not find me Here note That there is a two fold early namely Gods early and mans early Gods early is in the morning of our life in the time of youth then God cals and invites to come Prov. 1. 24. Eccl. 12. 1. Mans early is in the evening or at the end of life or when man is high unto death when pain sorrow and anguish cometh upon him In their afflictions they will seek me early Hos 5. last When fear cometh as desolation and destruction cometh as a whirlwind then shall they call upon me but I will not answer they shall seek me early but shal not find me Prov. 1. 27 28. God will say to all such sinners remember it as Isaac to Abimelech Gen. 26. 27. Wherefore come ye to me seeing you hate me and have sent me away from you Or he will say as once to the Children of Israel that cryed to him in their sore distress Go cry to the Gods which ye have chosen let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation as for me I will not deliver you Judg. 10. 14. You have served the Devil embrac'd the world satisfied your lusts joyn'd with mine enemies go to the Devil go to your lusts to your wicked company let them deliver you in your distress Now death and devilsare come for you I will not own you nor your prayers your soul abhorred me my soul abhors you and your prayers depart from me I know you not Motive 6. It s the great comfort of the godly mans life to hope and know that he is fit for death Whatever be their lot and Portion in this
world be assured it shall go well with them in the other world Art thou in astate of grace at odds with fin and truly in love with Christ and holiness Be of good chear go thy way and eat thy bread with joy and drink thy wine with a merry heart for the bitterness of death is past The king of terrors that had the power of death is conquered by the Lord of life Terrible death that rides on the pale horse is dismounted by thy dear Lord that rides on the white horse under whose bloody Cross thou mayest see him disarmed wounded and dead death that raigned from Adam to Moses is now swallowed up in victory Isa 25. 8. I will ransoms thee from the power of the grave I will redeem thee from death O death I will be thy plagues O grave I will be thy destruction The beleiving soul is dead with Christ while he lives Rom. 6. 8 and is delivered not only from the damnation of sin but the dominion of sin and there is hope in his death When he dyeth he shall die in the Lord Rev. 14. 13. he shall sleep in Jesus 1 Thes 4. 14. his end shall be peace Psal 37. 37. This made the Apostle after his sad conflict Rom. 7. to triumph over the last enemy death 1 Cor. 15. 55. Motive 7. If you should not prepare for death yet you will wish you had as many do when it is to late You that are for making provision for the flesh and so eagerly pursuing the world When you shall be cast upon the bad of languishing you will wish in the very torment of your minds and flames of horrour that I had parted with my sin O that I had been careful to please and honour God and to get an interest in Jesus Christ then should I have now dyed the death of the righteous but this I wholly slighted I prosecuted the world with might and main and got so many thousands for my Posterity I liv'd a merry and jovial life but for my soul for my eternity things of infinite worth I have done nothing I forgat my soul Now here 's the Messenger of death come for me to imprison my body in the Grave the Chambers of darkness and to carry my soul I know not whither I fear to hell O that I had been wise to under stand this to consider my latter end What would I now give to live but a few years more to make provision for this soul that must now enter the gulf of endless eternity Motive 8. Consider the gaines will be exceeding great As will appear by these following particulars Would you haue sin as hell and be more truly holy Consider your latter end This is most certain that all the evil antecedents and dreadful consequences of death spring and grow out of this bitter root what is it that wounds stings paines and kills what is it that brings Diseases threatens death that murders the body and that damns and burnes the soul What is that doth necessitate the to make use of Physick Physicians whilst alive and bringeth thee to a Coffin and Grave when thou art dead is it not sin which thou embracest in thy bosom You poor blind deluded souls as little and as lovely as sin looks in your wanton eyes it is the Mother and Nurse of all your miseries hacht in hell the Devils spawn or excrement He that committeth sin is of the devil 1 Joh. 3. 8. This is that evil thing and bitter that hales death and hell at the heels of it yea that arms death devils and hell against us Were it not for this black ugly fierce ouer and bloudy adversary Law or Justice could not condemn us Death could not kill us Devils could not torment us Hell could not burn us Sin is the Traitor and Murderer of your immortal souls and those nails that will shortly dig your Graves will you hug hide and hold it fast Will a woman put that knife into her bosom that hath kill'd or murder'd her dear Child or Husband no by no means it must be broken and cast away for ever Now Sirs if sin be the enemy use it as an enemy or murderer kill it take the sacrificing knife and cut the throat of it or strike the heart vein and let it bleed until it dies Deal by it as Samuel by Agag cut it in pieces Did you think seriously of death and hell you would hate it to purpose and say away to hell with it from whence it came and it would put you upon a desire and earnest endeavour after holiness Being expos'd to a dissolution what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness 2 Pet. 3. 11. But if you forget death you will make dreadful work namely your accounts greater and hell the hotter you will increase your sin and God will heap up wrath against the day of wrath And if ever God shâ—w mercy it will cost you dear your souls must mourn your hearts must break and bleed for sin for unless you repent you will certainly be damned Luk. 13. 5. 2. Would you speedily call off your hearts from the world lay up treasure in heaven Remember your latter end In the greatest affluence of worldly prosperity alwayes consider that you must die Poor worldlings that make gold your hope whose plottings and ploddings are for earth If death and eternity were more in your thoughts you would let go that in your affections which you cannot hold in your possession and love that but a little that will be lost and which you cannot love long Riches have wings and they will be gone Consider how little the things of the world will stand you in stead in the evil day your gold and silver cannot keep you from diseases while you live nor from hell after you are dead Prov 11. 4. Psal 49. 6 7. It falleth out with many of the great storers of this world as it doth with a Sumpter Horse who all the day carrieth a great treasure on his back but at night it is taken from him and he thrust into a foul Stable So many wealthy worldlings that tire them selves to get and carry worldly treasure when death cometh it s taken from them and they for their ill getting or ill using of it are thrust down to hell the rich man dyed and in hell lift up his eyes And if you would deaden your hearts to this empty earth and look after a treasure above a happiness beyond the grave that shall last as long as your souls shall last think often of death this would divert your worldly cares and projects Remember from this day to your last day cannot be long your Journey or Voyage is short and a little Provision is enough neither Poverty nor Riches but food convenient is the desire and choice of a Citizen of Sion Converse more with death and be often looking into eternity and thou mayest here as it
were a voice speaking to thee as God to Baruch Jer. 45. 4 5. I will break down and pluck up and seekest thou great things seek them not Death is the great Leveller that will make all equal and you that grasp the world most greedily will find it but vanity for all is vanity is the language of experience Eccl. 1. 2. 1 John 2. 17. When Samuel was to anoint Saul he brought or directed him to Rachels Sepulcher and to this end as is suppos'd namely to suppress or prevent haughty proud thoughts that might arise from that new and great preferment And if the supposition be true it is as if he had spoken thus Saul God hath highly honoured you and I annoint you King But remember here lies the dust of that beautiful Rachel and though you are now King in Israel yet you must be as Rachel viz. laid in a Grave or Sepulcher the thoughts of which is a very mortifying Meditation You that have the waters of a full Cup that wallow in wealth and swim in worldly glory to wean you from the world that your hearts may not be turned into Earth and buryed before you are buryed keep fresh in your thoughts death and eternity Job 14. 14. 3. Would you be deeply sensible of the sad and doleful condition of unbeleivers when they come to dye think seriously of your latter end What will you do in the hour of distress when God shall call for your breath change your countenance and require your souls if you have made no preparation for death and Judgement Poor souls I would pity you with my very heart to think how ignorant you are of your great concernment you eat drink sleep buy sell and get gain but slight your souls and do not consider of the evil day We be unto him that is alone that is alone in life and alone in death that hath no Christ to befriend him or stand by him in that woeful day that cometh to lye down in the death-bed without peace or pardon who shall go into a Grave and stand before the Ba without an Advocate to plead for him It is most probable you may have dife ferent apprehensions of yout selves and others in your dying hour so the nearer the object the clearer the sight O sinners when the door of eternity begins to open as usually it doth to men dying you will have other thoughts of your selves and other men Here you ruffle it out thinking your selves above and better then others behold great Babel said that proud person in his Princely Palace but when pale death appears it will pull down those Peacocks feathers and cause their crests to fall Now the world shines and sparkles in your eyes which makes you judge and think that nothing but Riches Honor and Greatness can make you happy then it wil appear the pant being off to be an empty nothing As for the pure â—n heart who mourn for sin and mind itheir soules above the world who are scorn'd jeer'd hated being look'd upon as a company of poor pensive sneaking besotted fools will then be adjudged the best wisest and happiest men on earth Now sin is excused and called a light and little thing for trick of youth but then it will have at black and dreadful face and feel more heavy then lead taste more bitter then death it self Now the Damned and cursed Crue are your brave Boon companions and bosom friends but when you are come to your dying groanes and cold sweats away with them their sight is terrible But know that you who have been companions in sin must be companions in sufferings and lye down together in everlasting chaines and flames you shall be fettered and bound together and never part any more for ever Now an interest in Christ and a life of holiness is little valued and every lust and triffle preferred then a world a world for a Christ forty thousand pound for a good Conscience cryed out a wicked wealthy worldling when dying and passing into eternity 4. Would you expedite your Repentance try your state and make all ready for the other world think upon this last enemy the King of terrors that will ere long terminate your dayes and then all your opportunities will be gone for e If the thoughts of death especially the second death did but influence your hearts and penitrate npon your Consciences you would easily be perswaded to cast away your sins namely to cut off a right hand or pluck out a right eye and to rent your hearts to mourn in secret to afflict your souls and to put your mouths in the dust if so be there may be hope Lam. 3. 28. 29. We see that men in a journey if they think they have daly enough they are slack and slow enough but if they see but a little time they will make speed If a man must do the work of a whole day in half a day he will make hast Repentance is not a work for a day though a daly work our whole life is little enough to compleat and perfect it As long as we sin we must mourn while we provoke the Judge we must plead guilty and sue our out pardon with Ropes a bout our necks and smiting on our breasts and if it might be with tears of blood And the great things of death and Judment will prepare and prompt you to do it suddenly for when the day is gone the night comes and the Grave and Hell have shut their mouths upon you what can be done Eccles 9. 10. 5. Would you pray more frequently more fervently then ever you have done remember you must dye The Monuments and Statues of the dead as one notes are made in a praying posture viz. kneeling and with hands lifted up to heaven as if the remembrance of them now dead should teach us our duty what we must do whilst living One that was wont to pray often in a day being asked why he spent so much time in prayer gave no other answer but this I must dye I must dye An awakening apprehension of a mans entrance upon an endless state and a speedy approach before the holy God will make him pray and that importunately If there be in the Family a Husband wife or Child near unto death almost every one that cometh about the bed will be lifting up hands and putting up of prayers and then you cry out send speedily for some sober serious Minister or for some solid savoury praying Christian to commend his sad case to God The young man that lately suffered for Murder who came into Newgate as ignorant of God as the horse or the Mule and as sensless of his soul as a stock or a stone was by the acxcess and application of Ministers to him convinced of his desperate case and through the grace and blessing of God upon his appointed means he seemed so deeply sensible of the dreadful hazzard of his precious soul that he did with so
much brokeness of heart confess his sins pray and plead with God in Christ for pardon even to the wonder and amazement of those Ministers and Christians who where present And he being asked how often he prayed answered five or six times a day and it was with such meltings and multitudes of teares that did move the very bowels of the Auditors and as they said turned them into tears Thus you see how a powerful conviction of death and judgement may prevail upon the heart to make them cry to God that never prayed before As for you that can lye down at night rise up in the morning and go about the world without secret or family prayer I must tell you that you have but slight if any thoughts of death and eternity and no sence of or regard of your everlasting condition which is a sad symptom of a Christless state 6. Would you do good to others to their bodies and to their souls consider you must dye for after death you will be utterly incapacitated of doing any thing The wise man speaking of the season of doing and of the vicissitudes of mans life namely that there is a time to be born and a time to dye and he having observed the issues and changes of providence that hath made every thing beautiful in its season concludes that it is best for a man to do good in his life Eccles 3. 12. As we have therefore opportunity saith the Apostle let us do good to all men Gal. 6. 10. When it is in the power of thine hand to to do it Prov. 3. 27. Sirs the real thoughts of death will prompt you to give a portion to six and also to seven and that in season for when death comes all is gone then it s no more in power of thine hand to do Did you now beleive and consider that you must dye and give an account to God the great Landlord and Donor of all your good things great Reciepts having great accounts you would not contract your hearts and shut up your bowels against those many miserable objects who are so often in your view Now that you may be like sheep and not like swine be good in your life and let your acts of mercy be distributed in the morning the fittest season to sow this seed therefore speedily draw out thy soul to the hungry before death separate thy soul and body for with such sacrifices God is well pleased Isa 58. 10. Heb. 13. 14. 7. Would you get and keep sincerity a precious Pearl indeed think often of death and judgement Then it will be tryed then it will stand you in stead Sincerity the Scripture persection is the best of a Christian the grace of every grace for faith unfeigned and love in sincerity are the very nerves sinews of Christianity The next best to the precious blood and righteous of our glorified Redeemer to plead for us at the hour of death and in the Court of Heaven is truth in the in ward parts Isa 38. 3. To be a mourner in Sion is matter of solace and real comfort but to be a sinner in Sion is sad and it will be a matter of torment A Judas among the Apostles a Devil in Samuel's Mantle is a Devil indeed The sinners in Sion are afraid and cause enough for to live and dye a hypocrite is most dreadful because hypocrisie will certainly bring you down to hell yea the hottest place of that devouring fire and everlasting burning shall be the Hypocrites portion Isa 33. 14. Mat. 24. 5. 8. Lastly would you redeem your time and be greedy of getting grace in the day of grace for the present spiritual and eternal salvation of your souls think seriously of your end You sleepy secure souls did you consider that the night of death will come certainly and may come suddenly you would work while it is day and not be so mad as to put off beleiving repenting and soul afflicting-work self-trying and approving work until the evil day of old age a sick bed or dying pangs seize upon you Consider a death-bed repentance is seldom had and seldom good or a sick-bed repentance is seldom a sound but often a sick repentance Now if you would imitate your Lord to work while it is day remember you must dye John 9. 4. Directions and helps to consider of your latter end Direct 1. Search diligently to find out what it is that keeps you and the serious thoughts of death and eternity at so great a distance and cry mightily to God and speedily to remove it If it be either Ignorance Atheisme Unbeleif Sensuality Earthly-mindedness or Security be deeply sensible of it and set Prayer to work pour out thy very soul to God with greatest fervour and importunity Say as Meses Who knoweth the power of thine anger even according to thy fear so is thy wrath So teach us to number our dayes that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Psa 96. 11 12. Sirs 't is spiritual wisdom will cause you to consider then cry after knowledg and lift up thy voice for understanding Prov. 2. 3 4. For she is thy life Prov. 4. 13 it s as much as thy life and soul is worth Then enter into thy Closet and fall down upon thy knees and pray to God in the name of Christ for spiritual wisdome we must seek it Ezek 36. 37. And god will give it James 1. 5. Beg more then for thy life for a truly wise and awakened heart withou which the great concerns of God and thine Immortal soul be for ever neglected Direct 2. Diligently and faithfully use and improve the most awakening means which have a tendency hereunto 1. Set your selves under a powerful faithful and soul-searching Ministry who make the conversion of souls their main business A lazy sleepy minister is nor like to waken a secure sinner the conviction and conversion of souls is not the mark they shoot at Resolve to hear have countenance and encourage those that grapple most with the conscience and earnestly endeavour to drive and draw soules to Jesus Christ by setting the blessing and the curse life and death before them Conviction leads the way to conversion as the needle to the thread what 's a plaistâ—r worth where there is no wound 't is the broken bones cry out for help the whole need not the Physitian General overly preaching is like the sword in the scabbard that doth not cut or wound or like Physick in the bottel that doth not penetrate or work but plain particular convincing preaching such as Nathans to David or Peters to the Jews 2 Sam. 12. 7. Acts 2. 36. is like the sword in the bowels or Physick in the body that will pain to purpose Those Preachers that have no faculty of reproving and convincing sleepy secure sinners are like a company of drone Bees that have lost their sting being good for nothing But they that have the charge of so many Golden Fleeces
should sever the Wheat from the Chaff the Sheep from the Goats the precious from the vile and in so doing we shall be as God's mouth and free from the blood of all men O then let this dreadful and amazing Doctrine of death and judgement be more frequently and effectually preached that souls in peril near run may see their sin and danger and flye to Christ as the only refuge knowing the terrour of God we perswade men 2 Cor. 5. 11. Mat. 3 7. 2. Converse with the best Christians viz. them that are grave sober solid savoury and sound in faith Such as make Religion their great business who love to speak of God and of the world to come and by whose counsel and example you may be stir'd up and perswaded to repentance and holiness to consider of death and judgement These were Davids excellent ones in whom he did delight and made his companions Psal 16. 3 119. 63. 3. Read the best Books and those that treat of death and judgement but especially the word of God There are the pure Chrystal streams and richest Mines in this field you will find the Pearl Let the word of God dwell in you richly be not ignorant of any part of it but be sure to accquaint thy self with those Scriptures that speak of the shortness of life the certainty of death and judgement heaven and hell Read the Book of Job and the twelfth Chapter of Ecclesiastes Psal 39. Psal 90. And let me desire you to be often urging upon your hearts some of those Scriptures that set forth the dreadfulness of that place of torment that will be the portion of all that forget God and make no provision for their precious souls Some few I have here set down which I desire you would all consider and apply Vpon the wicked he shall rain fire and brimstone and a horrible tempest this shall be the portion of their Cup Psal 11. 6. We be unto the wicked it shall go ill with them Isa 3. 10. He shall cast them into a furnace of fire there shall be weeping wailing and gnashing of teeth Matth. 13 42. Isa 33. 14. 66. 15. Matth. 25. 41. Luk. 16. 25 26. 2 Thes 1. 8 9. Rev. 6. 8 16 17. Direct 3. Make conscience of setting apart a little time every day on purpose to think of your latter end Do it so frequently until death and you become familar ever and anon put thy self into a posture of dying converse with thy winding sheet Coffin Grave let thy great change be so upon thy heart that thou may'st every morning or evening walk a turn or two with death Remember however it be with thee now thou mustere long be gasping and groaning for breath upon thy dying bed and grapple with the King of terrours and in a moment go down to the Grave and shall come up no more Job 10. 21. If thou shouldst affect thy heart with thoughts of thy latter end go down to Golgotha and think upon those dry bones putrified bodies and there revive the memory of your departed Relations Husbands Wives Children Friends Neighbours and look beyond the Chambers of the Grave converse with those miserable departed souls give the prisoners of the pit a visit Meditate on the raging furious flames that dismal darkness smoak and stink of the botomless pit the screeking of the damn'd and roaring of the devils the heart piercing complaints for water to cool their scorching tongues And when thou dost think upon those millions of souls that are hanging up in hell reflect upon thy sels and expect thy turn speedily Suppose every day thy last every meal thy last every journey thy last every duty Sacrament Sermon thy last And when the Lords day cometh think with thy self this will be the last spiritual market that I shall have to buy the spiritual Oyl of grace and to provide for the Bridegrooms coming after this day is ended I may never more hear the Lord Jesus speak to me by the mouths of his faithful Ministers never be invited to come to Christ or to beleive repent part with sin and accept of a pardon more and so demean thy self every day and in every duty as if thou should'st be called to Gods Bar and give up thine account at night In all thy thoughts words and actions say to thy self would I do thus and thus viz. would I eat drink sleep converse buy sell preach hear pray or worse if I certainly knew this day would be my last O let that Motto Memento mori which some carry in their Rings be engraven on your hearts it being the great concernment of our lives This is that which God people and some of the heathen too have been careful to remember King Asia made his Sepulcher in his life time 2 Cron. 16. 14. and some in their Gardens and places of solace and delight as Joseph of Arimathea John 19. 41. And some of the Heathen were wont to walk among the Graves to put them in mind of death some have had their Graves alwayes before their Gates other a dead mans skul presented every day at their Tables and shall we that beleive the doctrine of the other world put off the serious thoughts of death Solomon adviseth us to go to the house of mourning telling us it is better because the living will lay it to heart When you hear the tidings of the death of your Friends relations or Neighbours go thither though not personally yet contemplatively in your minds thoughts go and put your selves in their stead And think thus a living man or woman is become a dead Corps or cold clay the soul is gone to its everlasting habitation but to what place whether to be comforted or tormented who can tell If he were a godly man he is certainly gone to heaven if thou art such a one thy soul will shortly be with him but if an ungodly man he is certainly gone to hell and now among the Devils and if thou art such a one thou shalt erelong be there too 'T is true the dead can have no thoughts of the living but the living saith Solomon know that they must die And you that are young when you hear of the death of a lively lusty young man or alovely beautiful young woman stop reflect and consider may not this be thy case O man woman or child in a very little space I shall say no more by way of direction only desire you to review the particulars before mentioned and you that are Parents and Masters of Families who make conscience of looking to the souls of those committed to your charge may cause your Children and Servants to learn by heart the particulars I here set down 1. That it is most certain an end will be 2. At our latter end all things in this world will be gone for ever 3. All the pleasures of sin will be gone and leave nothing but a sting 4. That only which is eternal wil stand us
instead 5. Consider which of the two eternities are you going towards 6. We are all near our everlasting habitation 7. You know not how suddenly or unexpected your end may be 8. When death comes your souls are stated your eternity is cast 9. 'T is a dreadful and amazing fight to see a Christless soul breathing out his last 4. Vse May be of comfort to the poor people of God who through fear of death are all their life-time subject to bondage Let not you hearts be trobnled fear not neither be terrified because of this King of fears But cheer up your spirits and comfort up your hearts with this that death as terrible as it is to the wicked cannot hurt you The day of your death will be better then the day of your birth and thereffore death is put into the Beleivers Inventory and reckoned amongst his priviledges 1 Gor. 3. 22. Death will be gain to the Godly man viz. an out-let to all his present misery and an in-let to endless glory Then the truely penitent perplexed wearied soul shall be perfectly free from the power of Satan the firy darts and dreadful temptations of that unclean spirit Then the old Serpent for ever will be under their feet Then the body of death shall be put off and the in dwelling of sin that natural fountain of corruption will be perfectly dryed up You shall never complain of vain thoughts or hard hearts any more Never doubt of the truth of grace or favour of God more The beleiver shall then be with Jesus Christ the day of his dissolution will be the day of his Coronation he shall then receive the Crown and sit down on the Throne and enter into his Masters joy which is fulness of joy and pleasures for evermore Object I sometimes think of death but the thoughts of death and judgement are very terrible I fear I am not fit to die how shall it be known Answ There is a habitual fitness for death and an actual fitness for death Every graciously upright man or woman in the world that fears God in truth is habitually fit to dye so prepared for his great change that the sting of death or second death shall not hurt him having past the the strait gate shot the gulf he is out of danger As soon as a man is in a state of grace born again made a new creature and by faith united unto the Lord Jesus Christ God is reconciled his person justified his sins pardoned and recorded in the Court of Heaven though his pardon is not brought down transcrib'd and seal'd in the Court of his own conscience The truly converted soul is Gods special favourite and shall lodge in his bosom and never more be out of his favour 't is true heaven may be out of sight God may frown but will never condemn There is now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Rom. 8 1. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous 1 John 2. 1. Who shall lay any thing to the charge of Gods elect it is God that justifieth it is Christ that dyed Rom. 8. 33. 34. Quest When is the godly man actually prepared for death Answ When his spiritual estate is well setled viz. all made sure between God and his soul particularly 1. When a man is truly conscious to himself that he hath sincerely and with much brokeness of heart repented of all his known sins committed before or after conversion so that there is no fresh or former guilt remaining on him This godly sorrow is the godly mans pleasure he delights to be sowing in tears loves with his soul a wet seed-time for they that sow in tears shall reap a harvest of joy which is a time of refreshing rom the presence of God compare Psal 126. 5 6. and Acts 3. 19. 2. When sin is so great a bur den that he is weary of this body of death and willing the infected house should be pulled down that the Leprosie might be cured that so he might never sin or offend his Father more The serious thoughts and sence of which is a heavy burden and matter of greif that makes him groan and complain We in this Tabernacle do groan being burthened and O how bitterly did St. Paul complain Rom. 7. 24. O wretched man that I am who shall deliver me from the body of this death He had been in deaths often for the sake of his dear Lord but this death his body of sin troubled him more then any It was so great a burden to holy David that he felt it in his very bones Psal 38. 3. 3. The godly man is fit to dye when the work of grace is perfected and his Generation work ended When the beleiving soul hath his Vessel full of Oyl and the Wedding garments of the glorious Righteousness of Christ about him then he is a Vessel of honour prepared unto glory Rom. 9. 23. wrought for the self same thing 2 Cor. 4. 5. and made meet or fit for the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. The ship that 's laden or fraugthed is fit to put to Sea and to sail from hence or for it s appointed Port. The labourer is fit to receive his wages when he hath done his work so when the heaven born soul hath faithfully served his Generation and done the work in his Place Calling and Relations for which God sent him and intrusted him though the best fall short being in some degrees unprofitable servants then is he fit to welcome death though to the flesh it s the Kings of terrours When the godly man liveing or dying can apeal to the heart-fearching God as Hezekiah did Isa 38. And say I have finished the work which thou gavest me to do John 17. I have finish'd my course and there is laid up for me a Crown of righteousness 2 Tim. 4. 8. this makes him fit and willing to depart to be with Christ When sin is pardoned and the pardon sealed i e when the clamorous noise of the guilt of sin in the conscience is calmed and silenced by the blood of sprinkling and his evidences for heaven bright and clear so that his better country is within view and the gate of glory wide open namely abundant entrance into the everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ 2 Pet. 1. 11. Lot had a mind to prolong his time in Sodom it was a goodly City and he was not well assured wither to go when he had lest it But when the gracious soul his assured of a better state a better life that 's hid with Christ in God so that he can say as once an eminent godly man dying I shall but change my place I shall not change my company He may then being seal'd to the day of Redemption long for his dissolution 5. When the heart is weaned from and weary of this evil world and so enflam'd with love to Christ that it
cannot live without him or be absent from him Having tasted of the Grapes of Eshcol he must go to Canaan to see the good Land that goodly Mountain A foresight or glimps of the sweetness beauty and glory of the Lord Jesus will cause most vehement longing to be with him Now let thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation For this we groan earnestly And O how confidently quietly and comfortably may such a soul entertain the thoughts of death that hath sincerely repented of all sin and to whom sin is so greivous a burden that he would dye to be rid of it And whose soul is â—â—l'd and fraughted with grace and assured of glory and his heart sent as a Harbinger to Heaven before him And indeed a serious and hearty consideration of our eternal state would provoke us to press earnestly after all this To close up all let me ask you as in the presence of the great Judg of quick and dead at whose dreadful tribunal you must all shortly stand these following Queries Quer. 1. First Whether a seasonable preparation for death and Judgement viz. how you may escape Hell and come safe to Heaven be not the most urgent and important business that you have in all the world Let your conscience judge and determine Quer. 2. Are not they in a very happy condition that do believe repent and turn to God with their whole heart who by living a life of grace are truly prepared for death and out of the dreadful hazzard of loosing Heaven Rom. 8. 1. Psal 37. 37. Quer. 3. Is it not possible that you being yet on this side the Grave and Hell may prepare for this evil day were you resolv'd upon it would be done you have often intended it promised it when shall it be none but the Devil and your flesh will stop and hinder you Quer. 4. Do you firmly beleive the things here will fail that death will come that sin that accursed thing will sting and that the impenitent sinners case at the hour of death wil be sad and very desperate Let me say to all such there is not a night you lye down upon your beds but you run a very great hazzard If death should call and you not ready you must go though you be ruin'd to eternity Matth. 25. 10 11 12 16 22 23. Quer. 5. Have you so liv'd as to be fit to lye down in a Grave to rise again and stand before God who is a consuming fire Do you know your selves in a state of grace that you are new born that your evidences for heaven are clear and certain is your work done do your Lamps burn and have you a well-grounded assurance that you are in the Number of those to whom death will be a priviledge Phil. 21. Quer. 6. Can you chearfully and without dread entertain the thoughts of a dissolution and of leaving all your earthly and sensual delightes Suppose the dreadful Judge should at this instant send death into this place with the names of five or six of you in his writ or forehead and death should say you and you this man and that woman must go along with me I have received a comand from the great and terrible God who hath the power of death and of hell to bring you young man young woman this day or night before the Judgement seats I have often warned you by sending my Deputies and and that this ten twenty or forty yeares every Coffin every dead Corps or Grave you have seene was so many intimations of my coming Now saith death I am come look here upon my commission see my dart and my sting This dart must kill the body and send thy soul unto eternity I command thee this moment to bid adieu to and take thy leave of Friends Relations Houses Lands pleasures of sin once for all Thou shalt never see or jnjoy them more Luke 12. 19. 20. O how can you think of your dying the worlds burning the trumpers Sounding the deads rising and staunding at the Bar and not fear and tremble You Sons and Daughters of pleasures did you consider what horror and astonishment dogs you as the heels which will inevitable come upon you as travel on a woman with child you would not say unto God depart and treasure up wrath lay up scoorges and scorpions for your distressed souls against the last day Quer. 7. Let me ask you that pass for Saints and hope for Heaven whether your consciences in secret do not tell you that you have made poor preparation for it yea it may have done less for Heaven then many that are now in hell You say you must dye and come to judgement but how stands the case as to the other world If you look downward to this world it s well but how is it within with your precious soul Do you beleive that Atheists Unbeleivers Drunkards Swearers Murderers Thieves Persecutors Lyars Sabbath-breakers Adulterers worldlings are going swiftly to hell Do you beleive that Christs flock is little and not fear your selves Do you think that Esau Judas Ahab Agrippa Herod Simon Magus the foolish Virgins are in hell and yet confident of your going to heaven These have out done many of you Esau wept and cryed for the blessing Heb. 12. 17. Ahab humbled himself 1 Kings 12 29. Herod did many things and heard John joyfully Mark 16. 20. Agrippa was almost a Christian Acts 6. 28. The Scribe was not far from the kingdom of God Mark 12. 34. The foolish Virgins were not prophane they took care to trim their Lamps and knock at the door Now what sins have you lest what grace have you exercis'd what duties have you performed and how Take heed you be not deceived Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many will seek to enter in and shall not be able Luk. 13. 24. Quer. 8. 4. You having so many warnings time and means to prepare for death judgment and will not who will pity you when you perish God will not Prov. 1. 26 27. Christ will not Luke 19. 27. Angels Saints Ministers will not all will say away with them let them be damn'd And O what a killing and amazing sight will Christs coming in the clouds be to all that either denied his coming or who would not prepare for it His incarnation was terrible Matth. 2. 3. His Crucifixion was more terrible Luk. 23. 44. 45 47. 48 But his being on the tribunal will be most terrible Then shall the tribes of the earth mourn Math. 24. 3. And men cry to the rocks and mountaines to fall on them Rev. 6. 15 16. When they shall see so many thousands and millions of men and women dragged down with all the Devils of hell to that burning lake of fire and brimstone How will they then mourn for sorrow of heart and howl for vexation of spirit and with bitterness of soul wish they had never heard of Christ that they had been born among the Heathen or never had a being or enjoy'd a life of pleasure upon the Earth How will the wretched sinner beat his breast pluck off his hair tear his bowels crying out when he sees all hope is gone O that I had now no soul or that this immortal soul were mortal that I might now dye and breath no more or that my sentence might be but to lodge with Devils in this burning lake ten thosand years that so I might not remain in a state of banishment from the face and presence of God to all eternity O then pray that serious thoughts of death may be alwayes upon thine heart and whethere thou goest let them go and where thou lodgest let them lodg that thou mayest speak of it to thy Children and Family when thou sitttest in thine house and when thou walkest by the way and when thou lyest down and when thou risest up O let these great things of death and judgment be bound as a signe upon thine hand and write them upon the posts of thine house and on thy gates that they may be always before thine eyes and for thy good alwayes that thou may'st beware least thou forget the Lord thy God and the everlasting concernments of thine immortal soul and gods anger be kindled against thee and destroy thee suddenly with a mighty destruction Consider now what I have spoken and the Lord give thee understanding in all things 2 Tim. 2. 7. Which is that God wisheth in the Text O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider thrir latter end FINIS 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Tempus spatium temporis 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 est opportunitas Qui quid atotiis retro est mors tenet Sen. in Epist Prov. 22. 6. Luke 13. 24. 1 Cor. 9 24. 25. Eph. 6. 12. 1 Tim. 6. 12. Schola crucis est Schola lucis Luth. Ps 94. 12. Math. 4. 16. 2 Tim. 1. 10. Ezek. 13. 8. Rom. 5. 8. Isa 61. 1. John 6. 16. Tempus acceptum or tempus acceptabile Bez. in loc Quodoffertur gratia ex gratia Dei est qui sua contuit rebus omnibus momenta ut oblatam occasionum arripiamus The youth that lately was hang'd for murdering his Fellom Servant confess'd that his Sabbath breaking made way for all his other prodigious sins Tempus non potest Deo consecrari nisi quo modo redemptum Calvin in loc * Punctum est quod vivimus puncto minus Nonexignum temporis habemus sed multum perdimus Sen. Enigua pars est vitae quem nos vivimus