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Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
death_n	work_n	world_n	worldly_a	78	3	7.6505	4	false

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
B05977	The map of the little world, illuminated with religion being a practical treatise, directing man to a religious scope, and right measure, in all the periods of his life; with devotion suitable. To which is added an appendix, containing a gospel ministers legacie, in some sermons, upon 2 Pet. 1. 12, &c. / By Patrick Strachan minister of the gospel at St. Vigeans.	Strachan, Patrick, fl. 1693.	1693 (1693)	Wing S5775A; ESTC R184656	117,746	314

a Requiem while perhaps immediatly their Soul may be taken from them Some put off the day of Death and many run to another extream and hasten their Death by sensuality and look upon it as fatality and so grow careless Some are so swelled with the World that they can not here mement● fili but the old World Sodom Belshazer the Rich Glutton Her●● Annanias and Saphira and others are Beaco● to thee to guard against precipices a●● learn thee to be considerate practically t● think upon thy latter End And yet further this practical knowledg● of Death is very useful to advance practical Religion 1 st Guarding against security and surprise 2ly Stirring up men to plie their work in time well 3ly To dissarm of its Sting and dreadour 4ly To prepare us for our decease Fitst This practical knowledge of Death saves us from the greatest of evils and that is security and surprise in a matter of such a consequence as passing to our final Doom Security is the great Temptation And it produceth most dierful effects as the Old World and Wordly men set forth by Christ in the case of Dives doth declare It layes the hold open to the enemy and takes the man off the Stage of time ere he hath done any good in it Sudden destruction follows such as cry Peace It hath made tall Cedars fall But to be awake and to be armed let 〈◊〉 not fix our Repose upon Earth whe● it cannot be had for the Voice 〈◊〉 GOD sayeth Arise this is not thy R●● And to be thus prepared delivers us fro● the dreadour of Death For how dreadful is Death to the Man at ease said th● son of Sirah 2ly The practical knowledge of Death cannot but make any Serious Man to plye his Work in time it will not suffer him to delay and put off Our Life is but a Vapour and very uncertain and therefore we should do our Work now or never we should neither boast of to morrow nor putt of till to morrow but do the Work of the Day Accidents and Incident troubles and diseases may soon lay us by by the blast of the Wrath of GOD For all men are but Grass c. Isa 40. 6. 3ly To dissarm Death of its sting and dreadour the most of men live under the bondage of the fear of Death the most of their time And certainly to have the practical knowledge of it would make the consideration of Death to be easie and familiar to us When we can say with Job I know that thou will bring me to death And Death gathers a great and venomous sting if we labour not to re● move sin and interest our selves in the Death of Christ and then we may triumph with St. Paul O death where is thy ●ting 4ly This practical Knowledge serves to prepare us for our death and to make us ready to render up our Soul that we may expire in the Arms of Christ and with old Simeon have Christ in our Arms and therefore desire to depart in Peace And this practical Knowledge serves much to make us lead a good Life which is the only way to a happy Death Let this then learn all Christians especially Gospel Ministers to study this practical Knowledge of Death App which made St. Chrysostome say Offeramus DEO voluntarie quod ●ro debito debemur reddere give that freely to GOD which we owe in Debt to Him Ministers of the Gospel should be mortified their Life should preach Mortification they have a great account to make at Death and therefore by their Well doing should undo it There are no men who have more need of Wisdom than they and it is the greatest Wisdom to consider our Latter End 2ly The favourable Representations the Apostle here gives of Death a putti●● off or laying down this Tabernacle Where observe That Death is not dreadful to the Godly Natu●● Doct 2d may shrink but Faith preva●●● Death is but a long sleep the Grave a do●● mitory it is but a taking up of our Tent and a passing to our Fathers House leaveing our Pilgrimage to possess our Inheritance Death is very kindly to a well resolved Christian it puts our Body in a Chamber gives us a Covert from the storm Isa 26. 20. In which state of Separation we have no more sense to feel than the Dust we ly amongst the irksomeness is only in our Apprehension It is the common fate of all Mortals We cannot tell how we did grow in the Womb much less how we shall rot in the Grave The Body was an Instrument of sin it must be corrupted and in a manner refined in the Grave to rise incorruptible at the Resurrection Let us then pay the debt of nature freely willingly and with a sort of Holy Faith concur with GOD and lay down our Tabernacle with Joy and render up our Soul with Delight that having our Work done and our Loi●s girt up we may mo●nt Nebo with Moses and flee to Heaven with Elijah 3dly Come I now to consider how the Lord did show this Apostle of his Death Some makes this refer to the time of his Death some to the manner of it as John 21. 16. Thou shalt follow me hereafter c. saith Christ to him I shall not be very positive in determining providing that this one general be observed that the Term of our Life is uncertain we know we must die but when how or where is only known to God there is no Oracle but that of God which can clear us and Horoscops as they are too daring in medling with the secret things of God as they are dangerous so are they frequently ●a●al and leaves the Curious Enquirer as Wise as he was Yet it may be observed That some Favorites have much more of Doct. 3d. GODS Mind in this matter than the generality of Men. We find Moses and A●r●n and the famous 〈…〉 the●● Pass from their Master and did ly down and die and the Sons of the Prophets knew and said to Elisha Knowest thou not that God will take away thy Master this day And God doth wonderfully insin●ate his Will in this by Dreams and Visions in th● Night O then labour to do thy work and then thou has no more adoe but to die Die daily and this will fit thee for thy da●● and since thou knows not the hour wat●● till thou get thy dying Call Sermon V. Of the Endeavours Faithful Ministers have to make their Labours useful to People after their Decease and to fix such Monuments as may serve after Generations● Ver. 15. Moreover c. O Fall the Offices and Works in the World the Work of the Ministry is most for Eternity it 's all Divine it came from Heaven and tends thither so that a Gospel Minister according to his Measure may say with St. Paul I received it not from Man It 's the Eternal Word which they Preach the Sonls to whom they Preach are Immortal and the Result of

to Families of good Accounr And talk much of his Labours and losses When possibly he hath either hid his Talent in idleness or profusly spent it in superfluities Not but that a vertuous Man may come to misfortnne but many misguide their Fortune and make themselves unfortunate Which ordinarly is attended with want of the Exercise of Religion And such a Man whatever be his pretences in 〈◊〉 evil sense he cares not for to Mor●● what ever be his descent he carries 〈◊〉 Character of one useless in his generati●● that hath not made Right use of M●●mon to fit him to serve GOD nor co●●fortable to himself and useful to his ●●neration But the other who has walk●● in a solid way as to Religion and frug●●ly in his Calling he is known in 〈◊〉 Streets as a vertuous and honest Man 〈◊〉 poor Bless him He is a Boaz or a Jo● 〈◊〉 his Generation His Children hono●● him his house shines and all the Co●●trey about him respect him 2. Th●● the proper time of your labour and di●●gence and if thou do well now thou sh●● have more ease and eat the fruit of t●● labour hereafter and as it will prove t●● solid engagment with GOD and that t●● work is both well founded and th●● vertue advanced hitherto So if th●● miscarry in this Period it is to 〈◊〉 feared thou will not do well hereafter Except thou vainly think to recover thy loss by late Repentance and do thy work when thou cannot do any Leave not thy bussiness to a peradventure 〈◊〉 upon the Rock which cannot be moved make sure your interest Spiritual and ●ecular not by Dreams but by vertue since this is the high time for your bussiness thou may be shortly put Ab agendo And as the well doer now eats the Fruit of his labour hath his family in a right frame and his Children round about his table Psal 28. 3. So hath he a nearer Prospect of Heaven and if he hath any thing of the generous Spirit of Caleb and Joshua he may get a tast of the first fruites of the promised land and a Viaticum to carry him through his declining age and shall find one grape of Ephraim better than the vintage of Abiezer and by experience Know that Religion and vertue as it hath praise in the work so giveth joy in the end The Prayer LORD there is much of my course run out tho it be not finished and when I look back I find that I have lived under the shaddow of death I have sleeped too long in the morning and slumbered in the Noon of my Age and even have been lasie in the afternoon I desire to awake CHRIST be my life and light I have been dreaming through the dulness of my flesh and sense Alas this clod of flesh hath almost smuthred me and made me slugish But in Thee O LORD I can only thrive LORD give me Grace to do my best in time and wait till Th● loose my fetters not that I through Dispondenc● would go out of the World but wait thy leisu●● and be kept from the evil of the World and 〈◊〉 as well as I can for Eternity Amen COURSE Second The Contents An Application to Persons of Higher and Me●● Stations with an declaration what the pr●● duties of each of these are beside the com●● instances of Religion with means and moti●● s●●retly twisted in with the several discour●● § 1. ALthough this Treatise hath●● yet had the Utterance to ●●ress Persons but only to mention and p●●pose the evils and the duties of the by●● Stages of our Life leaving it to Men all Ranks if they shall peruse 〈◊〉 to make application themselves Yet hope it shall not be judged impertin●● ere I leave this pregnant stage of our liin all humility to adress four ranks ● Men. 1. The Nobilitie and persons of Quali●● 2ly The Gentry 3ly The Clergy 4ly 〈◊〉 Commons First The Nobility § 2. If it may be pertinent to interrupt ●our honours I would adventure to speak in behalf of GOD and your splendour to show you in this Map how Religion doth illuminate your Sphere to make you as St. Luke calls Theophilus Most excellent for it is not unknown to you that you are under a higher Elevation than a great many about you And that it is so with you by the disposition of Providence who might have infused your Soul in an Embrio of your meanest vassels and Tennants But the LORD hath brought you to this Earth with more splendor and made you personages of honour and quality to get respect and deference from others yet there is no respect of persons with God your high places puts you in a greater Arreer and makes you lyable to the searching Eye of the Almighty and the more you have received from GOD above others you have the more to account for to Him and your Coronet will be rather a blemish than a Ray of honour if your eminency be nor fixed on the Rock and your life set your place and tho your elevated s●tion hath put you above many for did a●● sore Employes yet are ye the more o● noxious to snares and Temptations fo● ye guide not well your hearts will s●●● with pride and ambition and your he●● plod your ruin and your hands beco●● heavy to oppress altho that you be put 〈◊〉 a higher Sphere yet your difficulties to 〈◊〉 truly Religious may be stronger for 〈◊〉 many mighty not many noble are called saye●● St. Paul 1 Gor. 1 26. Which is 〈◊〉 written to seclude you but to make yo● circumspect and that according to 〈◊〉 Prophet You be taught not to glory 〈◊〉 your power seing that the subtile ene●● that assailed the first Man and King 〈◊〉 Mankind will not ●ease to pursue yo● over whom by reason of your fallen N●● ture he hath greater advantage that 〈◊〉 the frogs in Aegypt entered Pharaohs Chamber the serpent may slily slide into your● and defile your well garnished Room and craul into your decked bed and di● vide 'twixt you and your honorable Co●● sort and put your family out of Frame § 3. With this Advertisement Re● member that as GOD hath made you great He expects great things from you● ●d ye will felicifie your high place by ●inning with Rayes of Religion which ●hall further particular ●i●e in a fourfold ●espect First Your personal Capacity ●y Your Domestick demeanure 3ly How 〈◊〉 behave in your Religion as to the Ministers ●d Institutions of Christ 4ly As to the Coun●ey and Common Wealth whereof you are Peers ●d Patriots .. First Your Persenal Capacity § 4. Beside ●ll unquestionable Duties ●ncumbent to Christians of all Ranks it 〈◊〉 particularly required of you to be emi●ent in some peculiar personal Properties Abraham shined in his Faith and Obedi●nce Isaac in his Contemplations Jacob ●n his Power with GOD Moses in his Meekness Joseph in his Chastity Job in ●is Righteousness and Honesty Joshuah in his Courage Caleh in his Generous

7. Fifthly How thou art Resolved to encount●● the Tr●als of this Period § 6. The longer man lives he is 〈◊〉 more subject to infirmities and beca●●● of our rudeness and many Indisposi●io● we are subject to the Rod and Discipli●● of the Holy JESUS Man in the beginni●● of his Life is much inconcerned in 〈◊〉 Youth like a Bullock unacquainted wi●● the Yoak and in his after life he ha●● need to be keept under by Fatherly Chastilement and so is subject to personal domestick and publick Tryals B●● he hath this for an Antidote that the Spirit of GOD in the Word represent● these Tryals very favourably as instances of Fatherly Love and Mercy Heb 12. 6 Whom I love I chastice sayeth the LORD Kev 3. 19. And count it all Jo● when ye fall into divers temp●ations sayeth St. James Jam 1. 2. It is the great Concern then of a Christian to hear the voice of the Rod To let patience have its perfect Work Jam 1. 4. To be of a contented ●ind to guard against Melancholy● Des●ondency to kiss the Rod to humble ●nder the Mighty Hand of GOD and to ●mprove the Rod as well as the Word ●or the purpoles of Religion 〈◊〉 But now in ●is declining Age he enters into broken ●aters and therefore should have a well ●uilt Ark and Cast his Anchor within ●he Vail Which in all the T●ssings and Troubles of this Period remains sure and stedfast Heb 5. 4. He must arm with pa●ience and have his Feet shod with the preparation of the Gospel of peace Eph 6. 15. that so through Faith and patience he then may inherit the promises Heb 6. 12. Sixthly If all Delayes be defeated and thou be now intent on thy Work § 7. 'T is dangerous to delay till now yet the Nature of Man is prone to pro 〈…〉 and put off till to morrow but if thy Work be undone th●● will be undone for ever There are many wants and defects indeed for which thou hast an All sufficient Help to recover thee yet must thou be dilligent in the ●use of the Means and GOD that prevents with free Grace can cure it to His Glory Seventhly What is thy Stock and Store in Grace and Vertue § 8. A Vertuous Man brings his Work to some fine and thou should have provision against evil dayes found well upon a Rock that will stand out the storm Labour to be Rich in Faith and good Works and to have fresh Oyl for thy Lamps and the Weddlng Garment neatly wrought Thy Heart and House in order that Tryals and Death do not surprise thee and the cry be at midnight Matth 25. 6. when thou art Sleeping and sudden destruction come when thou sayes Peace And after this serious Recollection thou must ponder aright Secondly What now remains to be done § 1. EVEN the Work that GOD hath given thee to do Look then to thy great bussiness Proficiency and wherein thou are short double thy diligence See that thou has First The methods of thy Life ordered unto Salvation 2ly Thy Progress and middle Work betwixt Youth and declining Age And then how you are prepared to enter the Vltima or the last things It is clear then thou should be now serious and seek first the Kingdom of GOD with all Seeking and persevering Constancy Be faithfull unto Death and the LORD will give thee the Crown of Life § 2. But particularly there are three things ought to be done 1 st That thy house and Affairs be in as good Order as possible 2ly that you may work out the work of your own salvation And 3ly that you Give all dilligence to make sure your Calling and Election § 3. First that thy house and affairs be in as good order as possible To manage thy Earthly concern with Discretion that thou may leave to thy Issue a good example and a 〈◊〉 the portion which GOD hath 〈◊〉 thee with a Blessing Least through thy Neglect thou render those behind thee destitute and despicable without a settled calling and course of vertue And if through incident accidents thou has been hurt in thy Estate GOD can make any remnant be like the Widows Cruse for thee and thine If thou improve dispensations to the best And to all that desire to thrive I cannot but Recommend a discreet Charity The merciful man disperseth and gives to the poor lends to GOD And his seed shall be well behind him as in Psal 37. and 112 But thy great work is 2ly to work out the work of thy own salvation Phil 2. 1. That thou put on the copstone as well as lay the foundation that thou perfect thy Faith and Repentance Charity and other Graces to have thy soul ●rim'd with the Wedding Garment and thy Lamps full of Oyle till the cry come Behold the Bride Groom cometh That thou fight that fight of Faith that so upon good Ground thou may expect the Crown of Righteousness that will be given all those who love Christs appearing 3ly That thou give all diligence to make thy Callling and Election sure which is not obtained by listening to humour and instinct but by that diligence that becomes a Christian in the exercise of faith And good works for it is not by the Revolving the leavs of destinie but by a diligent search of the Book of GOD and by a life suitable thereunto that thou canst secure thy peace and thy soul for there is no peace layeth my GOD to the wicked A Continuation of this STAGE From 50 to 70. and to the uttermost extent of Mans Life § 1. ALtho many fall ere they arrive to this stage of Life Yet since GOD hath given it and does give it to some to teach the length thou art seriously to consider thy Duty and how thou may improve it to the best which through Grace may be done If 1. thou labour to arrive at any pitch of Wisdom 2. If thou be well resolved to encounter and endure incident personal afflictions 3ly What account thou can give of thy self to GOD and Man 4. If through CHRIST helping thee thou labours to perfection 5. If thou be running thy Race in the good fight of Faith 6ly If thou be bu●ie now in ripening thy self for Heaven 7ly If thou dayly prepare for Death and have thy Soul fixed upon wing to flee to yonder Regions where CHRIST is And last of all to consider the means and motives to advance these § 〈◊〉 First If now thou hast arrived ●o any pitch of Wisdom The Apostle James Gives a full direction as to this Who is a wise Man among you let him shew forth by a good Conversation with Meekness Wisdom For as the Fear of GOD is beginning of Wi●dom so it compleats Wisdom forseeth and is provident F●●rageth with vain confidence Wisd●● makes thee a wise Virgine to provide 〈◊〉 in thy Lamps it directeth and clear● your affairs it puts thy house and Soul order and it keeps a clear account by good conscience since

to keep Memento mori in the Vade-mecum of our Mind that we may be ready to render up our Soul unto the Hands of a Faithful Creatour ss 12. 2ly Thou must be willing to die Death is indeed Irksome to Nature bu● when thou considerest it as a passage to thy Fathers house it is pleasant thou must be so willing as to submit to GOD and resign thy Life to His Will for GODS Will is still Good and g●ided with excellent ●udgment whether thou Nill or Will thy times are in His band Consult not therefore Flesh and Blood but Faith and chearfully drink of that Cup that all before us have tasted which is sweetened by the death of Christ and better to die willingly than to live in ●pposition to GODS Will say therefore with old Eli the Will of the LORD be done And if it be well principled thy willingness will come up the le●gth of a desire to die not of a pievish discontent with Jo●●h But with an Apostollick and Heavenly Spirit to desire to depart and be with Christ which is best of all Let not therefore the dreadour of death hinder thy desire since GOD is with thee to give thee a safe passage Death simply cannot case thee but it is dying in the LORD that makes thee Blesse● It is goo● then to have a well dected Mind and Soul For there are such attractives in the Recompence of Reward the Crown of Righteousness and of being ever with th● LORD As may make thee desire to be uncloathed that mortality may be swallowed up in Life 2 Cor 5. 4. I ●issintangle therefore thy self of Worldly Letts that thy Soul may as naturally tend to Heaven as the sparks flee upward ss 13. 3 l● M●ke Death familiar to thee for many put off the Evil Day and leave the thoughts of Death to ●ick and Dying Persons but thou should be more prudent walk every day as it were thy Last Day and frequent thoughts of it will make it to be no strange nor sad thing to die Fr●quent use makes the habit Easie and 〈◊〉 well prepared Christian will say my he●● s fixed § 14 4ly If any doubts fears arise whi●● may be incident to Christians when ●he● come seriously to look upon Eternity 〈◊〉 dark passage of death leading thereunt● thy death can make thee d●ubt of nothin● but what state it will put thee into but Giv● no place to doubt since it is certain 〈◊〉 thou Relie on Christ thou art secur● Thou must not consult the disorders 〈◊〉 thy life but the well ordered covenan● Are thy sins many GOD hath a multitude of mercies are they great he ca●● pardon them because they are great hast thou Backslidings He can hea● thy Backsliding Hast thou d●fficulties Light can clear thee art thou tempted He can Succour thee Art thou dijected He can comfort thee So whatever by thy case if thou come to Him upon the terms of the Gospel thou mayest be Satisfied in his love I● death be the King of terrors CHRIST is the King of comforts Thou needs not fear in f●tifaucibus in the jaws of Death If 〈◊〉 be i● Gremio Dei in the B●some of GOD let the dart of Death ●trick the shield of Fa●th will resist its force All Mortals before you have suffered ●eath even Children and the Weaker Sex and it is a sillie thing to dread that which is conquered can do nothing to a Christian but loose him from Bondage There is nothing dreadfull in Dea●h but to fall into the hands of an Angry GOD and if your pasillanimous Mind makes thee flee Death it follows thee Get thy Heart and conscience in a right frame then and then thou has nothing to do but to ly d●wn and sl●ep ●et thy faith and hope on work and By a heavenly Spirit lahour with Samson to destroy GODS Enemies Colect thy powers to render up thy Soul with comfort and that same GOD who has made Martyres Rejoice in their tortoures may make th●e sing as a Swan in death and Triumph with St. Paul O Death where is thy Sting 1 Cor. 15. 55. § 15 6ly To pray for a happy death Labour to die well and i● it be the LORD's will deprecate any thing extraordinary in thy Death except an extraordinary Repentance and a heavenly frame of Spirit Thou shouldest submit to the time and mann●r of thy Death but with all beg a comfortable demission to depart in peace and since there are thousand accidents incident to thy lif● and many have been taken off the Stag● by surprize and in the act of sin tho● art to pray for a happie Death and composed mind in dying and think it n● unsuitable to Deprecate a sudden Death tak● Sanctuary in GOD that in the uncertanties of this World thou mayest be secure Labour to Kill this Pasisisk with the Ey● of Faith Dayly die to sin and cleay to Christ pay the debt of nature with pleasure Lay down thy Body to a Grave perfumed with CHRIST's Burial and commit thy soul to a faithful Creatour and Blessed Redeemer Prayer in order to Death O LORD G●D of Life and Death Tho● only hast the empire over Death O Prince of Life who was once dead and art now alive Give me to live for Thee and in Thee and I shall not die but sleep Thy Love ca● keep my Soul warm in the dark Valley of Death save me from the bondage of the fear of Death and the sting of it and then I may harmlesly like a Child play on the hole of the Asp Fill me with Light and Spiritual Life and deliver me from ●●y thing that may make Death irksom that I may lay up store in my best circumstances against the power of it Save me from procuring my Death by the ill Government of my Life save me from all Misdemeanour that may procure a violent Death Deliver me from sudden Death if it be Thy Holy Will and let me not he surprized by my last Enemy Into Thy Hands I commend my spirit perfect Thy Grace in me that I may attain to the end of the Vpright and perfect Man to die in Peace Amen The Second last Thing JUDGEMEMT § 1. AFter Death the Judgement The belief of a Judgement is an Article of our ●reed and a great principle of our Religion Death and Judgement are both decreed Heathens have believed it and Nill they Will they Conscience asserts it and the worst of Men in Crosses and about their dying have had apprehensions of Judgement and such as have stiffled convictions have now within them fatal and fearful Convulsions for as GOD is so is He just and will bring all things to Judgement and tho Sentence be not pr●sently execute here Yet there remains 〈◊〉 Judgement Concerning which let● it 〈◊〉 first enquired as to the Truth of it 〈◊〉 The time of its Commencement 3ly The Judge 4ly the Process And 5ly Th● Sentence § 2. First That there is a Judgement to come

time of plowing and sowing in order to our great harvest We must work while it is called the day for the night cometh wherein no man worketh John 9. 11. What ever our hand findeth to do we must do it with our might for there is no knowledge nor work in the grave Ecl. 10. 9. The present time is the season of preaching ●o day if he will hear his Voice Ere long the Pastor's Mouth will be closed as well as your Ears GOD useth not to send a Seminary from the Dead to preach the Gospel the Living shall praise Him and act for Him for in this short Life all our Bussiness must be done in order to Eternitie the LORD doth not cause preach to the Dead for in the state of Separation our Bodily Organs are consumed and the Soul is under its everlasting Sentence it s therefore absolutely necessary that we plye our Work in time with all Alacrity and Diligence But this must be more particularly unfolded by the consideration of these following heads 1. The great care that serious men should have to make use of the Season 2ly Their great Diligence that they should manifest in their weighty Work 3ly The Frailty and Brittleness of our mortal Life our Soul is in a Tent or Tabernacle 4ly The Reinforcement of the Remembrance upon this account 1. The great Care that Serious Men should have to make use of the Season This is not the Work of Yesterday for that is past and cannot be recalled nor of to Morrow for we know not what then may be Prov. 27 1. Therefore we should not bost of it for we know not what a Day may bring forth But it is the Work of the Present 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 or Instant which passeth as a Thought and will not abide Delayes and as we know not if we shall preach another Day so people know not how long the Voice may be behind them saying This is the Way But this they may know that it is the Voice of GOD that callet● them and they know not how soon i● it may be silent and the Heavenly Oracl● give no more Response 2ly The great diligence that Serio●● Men should manifest in their Weighty Work Their Work is a Harvest the Labourers should be busie and tho GOD doth not allow that with too fast driving we put our selves out of Breath yet since the Work tho very weighty is so pleasant and so necessary and the exercise of the greatest Charity of the World to do good to Souls and since we have anointing Oil and the Aid of the Spirit to enable us we should not be idle nor taken up with Triffles and vain things and especially shun all worldly and sinfull Distractions that we may be well excercised in so good and necessary a Work 3ly The frailty and Brittleness of our mortal life Our life is both short and uncertain we are Pilgrims on Earth and sojurn as all our Fathers have done our Soul is in a tent and our life is but Transient ambulatory and transitory we are Pilgrims Souldiers strangers and not at home we have no continuing abode here the Tabernacle and Tent may soon be lowsed our passing house fall about our ears Which as it should prevent our taking our Rest on Earth so should it make us busie while we are in this Tabernacle and animate us in all our travels on earth with our priviledge that we shall come to a Temple and have a House with GOD Eternal in the Heavens 4ly The Reinforcement of the Remembrance upon this account the Apostle makes much use of this Word for Ministers are GOD's mouth they should admonish and incite People to duty People should be warned for they are secure and become tuchy when they are awakened they are ready to say Peace Peace before sudden destruction Come We should therefore seek supplie to our Lamps in time and to have our Wedding Garment in hand against the Bridegroom come there be many things to give us Memento and Ministers should never forget to give this warning but labour to keep people on foot to Run their Race unto the End Sermon IV. Of the Practical Knowledge of Death and the Information and Warning that the LORD giveth some of His Favourites thereof Knowing that shortly I must put off this Tabernacle Verse 14. ALTHO no doubt this Holy and Reverend Father had his Soul still upon readiness to render it up on his Master's Call with all Chearfulness And tho he was animated to Duty by an extraordinary Help of the Spirit Yet the Knowledge he was shortly to put off his Tabernacle did serve as a motive in him to excite him in his holy Work As his Master before him John 9. 4. 2 Wherein we may Consider 1st His Resolution Practical Knowledge of his approaching dissolution 2ly His favourable Representation of Death a putting off this Tabernacle and giving the Soul more room to commerce with GOD. 3ly His more than ordinary Information of this his Deseace As to the First we may observe that the Practical Knowledge of Death serves much to make serious Doct. 1 Men well Employed All men know they must die but few consider and improve it Which maketh Moses in the Name of the LORD so pathetically cry out O that they were wise to consider their latter End Deut. 32. 26. And Jeremiah so sadly to lament That Jerusalem was taken away because she knew not her last end The best of Men have layed this to Heart I have run sayeth St. Paul Cor 9. 26. For Death puts a Period to all Business Eccles 9. 10. Death puts us ab agendis a Judgement immediatly follows where account must be given of our Stewartship Who is then that faithful Servant that when the LORD cometh shall find so doing and busie about his work Do not say the LORD delayeth his comming let not GOD's Patience make thee procrastinate but be the more busie that thou hast a day to labour in 2ly If thy Work be imperfect and not done it will remain undone for ever and except Christ stand for thee thou will enter imperfect to ternity It is dangerous to sleep our time or triffle it but rather if thou hast loitered double thy diligence This practical knowledge of Death concerns all Men Omnes Tangit from the Court to the Countrey from the Palace to the Cottage Death hath an Universal Empire over all Ranks Sexes Ages Goodness Greatness Riches and the Greatest power and strength cannot prevent it bribe it nor oppose it It is the Messenger of the Great King It cannot be deforced disce mori learn to die is a great lesson it is a great principle in Practical Religion as nosce teipsum to know thy self is necessary Death comes upon many with a surprise and unaware it creeps on Gray hares are here and there on us ere we advert There are some inconsiderate and layes it not to heart Some are dead and drowned in interest and sing