terrible as the wit and malice of men can possibly make it He can converse with his last enemy as one that hath lost his sting and power and so without the least fear or dismayedness of spirit None of these things move me sayes Paul neither count I my life dear unto my self that I may finish my course with joy His Afflictions did not move him did not terrifie him but if death should come what then Why that shall be welcom too saith he Acts 20.24 Who is afraid of a conquered enemy an enemy which a man seeth dead and slain in the field One that has all things ready for a dying hour he sees death to be a conquered enemy an enemy conquered by the death of Christ and so is carried above the fear of it 2. Hereby the soul is inabled in a holy manner to triumph over death and even to scorn and contemn it which is an higher Conquest still A man that has all things set right and well ordered in the matters of his soul he is not only carried above the fear of death but he rides in triumph over it as one that divideth the spoil He can with boldness and comfort challenge this last Enemy of his and even dare it to do its worst to him O Death where is thy Sting O Grave where is thy Victory saith the Apostle The sting of death is sin the strength of sin is the Law But thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15.55 56 57. As if he should say Death you talk of a Sting but where is it Grave you would threaten us with Victory and overthrow but do your worst conquer us if you can As a man that has disarmed his Enemy thrown him upon his back sayes to him O Sir where is your Sword Where is your Pistol Where is the execution you threatned Do your worst 3. Hereby the Soul comes to be able solemnly to choose and desire Death yea to exult and rejoyce in Death as that which of an Enemy is become a Friend and an in-let into all happiness to him So 2 Cor. 5.5 6 8. Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God who hath also so given unto us the earnest of his Spirit Therefore we are alwayes confident knowing that whilest we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord We are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. So Phil. 1.22 23. But if I live in the flesh this is the fruit of my Labour yet what I shall choose I wot not for I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Mark he desires Death he chooses Death as that which is a Friend to him and an in-let into his happiness Such an one can say as I have read a German Divine did when dying I am ready sayes he and desire to be gone out of this life in which all things are not only full of miseries and calamities but which is to be lamented all things are full fraught with sins I say I desire to pass into that life in which there is no sin no misery Yea more such an one can exult and rejoyce in death Luke 2.29 30. Lord now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation They are words of joy and exultation in the sight of Death's approach The Child of some tender and indulgent Father being abroad at sojourn and seeing a Messenger come from his Father to fetch him home how does he exult and rejoyce O sayes he my Father has sent for me home now I must go to live with my Father to eat and drink at my Father's Table to live in my Father's presence enjoy my Father's love and counsels and this he rejoyces in and exultingly embraces the Messenger 'T is the very case here the soul having all things ready all things set right within when Death comes 't is but as a Messenger to him to fetch him home to his Father's house which he can welcome and embrace with joy O sayes he my Father has sent for me home home to Heaven there to live immediately in his presence and upon his fulness and now I shall be for ever with my Father now I shall for ever feast my Soul with my Father's love and the constant views of my Father's face now I shall see him face to face whom here I could never see but through a glass darkly now I shall see and be for ever in the embraces of my sweet Lord my Lord that bled for me that died for that trod the Wine-press alone for me Now shall I enter into the glorious liberty of the Children of God I have hitherto been in bondage in bondage to Satan in bondage to my own heart which has all along wretchedly imposed upon me but now I shall enter upon the glorious liberty of the Children of God Now I shall partake of the Inheritance of the Saints in light Now I shall bathe my soul in the Chrystal streams of undefiled pleasures running fresh along the banks of Eternity at my Father's right hand Now I shall spend a whole Eternity in Praises Doxologies and Hallelujah's to God and the Lamb Now I shall have all my spots and wrinkles my sins and sorrows done away at once Now shall I sigh no more and which is infinitely better I shall sin no more for ever no more complain of dark visions and short visits from God no more complain of distances and alienation between him and my Soul for ever There shall be no more interruption of communion with my sweet Saviour but I shall stand in his presence and behold his face for evermore In a word hereby death the King of Terrors becomes the King of Comforts to the Soul and a man comes to die both happily and comfortably Some men die neither happily nor comfortably and such is the case of all who die out of Christ they die in their sins they die to be damned for ever Some die happily but not comfortably such is the case of poor Christians dying under dissertion whose Sun sets in a Cloud they die in the dark not knowing what shall become of their Souls to Eternity which yet go safe to Heaven being built upon the Rock of Ages the Lord Jesus Christ Some die both happily and comfortably such is the case of all those who have all things set right between God and them all things ready and in order before a dying hour comes Some die presumptuously thinking all is right and well in the matters of their souls when indeed nothing is so that is sad for Eternity The Lord deliver your souls and mine from such an Exit Some die tremblingly or doubtingly not knowing how things are with them whether well or ill but they fear ill that
woful miserable and deplorable he saw their condition to be and how sad will it be with you if once Christ should come to say over you that dismal word now they are hid from your eyes 5. Is it an easie matter think you to set things right in your souls and to make all things ready for a dying hour Suppose my Beloved that you should live yet many days and withall your helps and advantages for the good of your souls should be continued to you yet is it an easie work which you have to do and shall you have time and days to spare Believe it Sirs all will be little enough to set things right to make things ready for a dying hour Pray consider with me these few things as to this 1. Consider in what a woful disorder all things are at present with you and how utterly unready for a dying hour I will give you the Scripture state of your case you are dead in trespasses and sins under whole loads and mountains of scarlet crimson guilt without Christ without hope without God in the world alienated and enemies in your minds by wicked works yea enmity it self against God and Christ full of sin both within and without and nothing but sin having no good dwelling in you void of all grace all true spiritual life under the power and predominancy of lust serving divers lusts and pleasures and carried Captive by the Devil at his will Closely glued to and deeply in love with this World ignorant of God and of the great Mystery of the Father and of Christ at least having no saving knowledge of them No savour of Heaven no relish of spiritual things in your souls wallowing in your blood and gore being filthy and abominable to every good work reprobate the heart strongly averse from God and all good and vigorously bent to sin and vanity nothing of Heaven within but full of Hell full of the Spirit and Image of the Devil under the Law of Sin strangers to the Law of Grace no Union with Christ no Oyl in the Vessel poor miserable blind and naked at most having but the form and denying the power of godliness This is your condition O what disorders are these And what an unready posture are you in for Death and Eternity 2. Consider how great a thing it is to be ready for Death ready indeed and to have all things set right and in order against a dying hour comes and how much is requisite in order thereunto 'T is a great saying of an holy man No one saith he can joyfully welcom Death but he that has been long composing his Spirit and making ready for it O my beloved to be indeed ready to quit the World to go into the Divine Presence the great the holy glorious presence of God to be ready to enter upon the Beatifical Vision to possess a Mansion in the Father's House to joyn with an heavenly Host of Angels and Spirits of just men made perpect in eternal praising admiring and adoring of Father Son and Holy Ghost Believe it this is a great thing and great things are requisite thereunto This calls for a near Union with Christ a firm peace with God clear Evidences for Heaven for much grace and holiness much heavenliness and spirituality of mind much weanedness from this World much holy deadness to sin self and the Creature much Victory over Corruption much Soul-cleansing much purity of heart and affections much diligence and faithfulness in Duties And my Beloved are these little things or things easie to be accomplished and attained unto O Sirs The Scripture speaking of these things calls upon us to strive Luke 13.24 to give all diligence in the pursuit of them 2 Pet. 1.5 10. To manage and dispatch them with fear and trembling Phil. 2.12 All which tells us that they are great things and not easily to be accomplished and attained unto Therefore we had need look after this and neglect no longer 3. Consider what lets and hinderances difficulties and oppositions you must expect to meet withall in your minding and managing this Work Not only is the Work it self great but you must also expect many lets and hindrances much difficulty and opposition in the managing of it You must expect lets and oppositions from the Devil he is the Enemy of Souls and you must expect that he will make use of all his wiles methods and devices all his craft and cunning all his Artifices and that he will stir up all his wrath and malice against you he is your Enemy and he is a subtil Enemy a potent Enemy an indefatigable Enemy an Enemy that always goes about seeking whom he may devour 1 Pet. 5.8 You must expect lets and oppositions from the World too from the men of the world from the things of the world from the smiles of the world from the frowns of the world The world is your Enemy as well as the Devil So much is intimated 1. Joh. 5.4 and you must expect opposition from it The men of the world will discourage you the things of the world will divert you the troubles of the world will mightily depress you the enjoyments of the world will miserably ensnare and entangle you The world is of a marvellous bewitching ensnaring and entangling nature it is indeed opposite to God and all goodness and so to the whole interest of our souls The friendship of the world is enmity to God Jam. 1.4 The world will plead for and take up your time your strength your thoughts Oâ— the hinderance that the World is to thousands and ten thousands in the work of their souls truly this ruines multitudes for ever This ruined him we read of Matth. 19.32 And saith Paul Demas hath farsaken us having embraced this present World 2 Tim. 4.10 You must expect lets and hinderances also from your own hearts yea from them above all others The heart the Holy Ghost tells us is deceitful above all things and disperately wicked Jer. 17.9 And who of us does at all observe it and the workings of it does not find it to be so Now it will openly oppose you then it will secretly seduce and ensnare you Now it will carry you off and draw you back from God and Duty Hebr. 3.12 then it will turn you aside to sin and vanity Isai 44.20 Now it will divert you from Duty then it will make you dead and slothful in Duty 'T is indeed wholly set against all that is good and it has a thousand wayes to hinder you in your Great Work and you must expect that it will do its utmost to hinder you This is a close Enemy it is alwayes at hand there is no end of its opposition till life it self ends One of the Ancients I remember breaks out into a sad exclamation against his own heart thus My heart saith he is a wicked heart a vain heart a roving a wandring heart My mind is exceeding light wonderful unconstant a
that happiness for ever Therefore if you would have all things right all things ready indeed for a dying hour then labour for the exactest purity and holiness that possibly you can This is that which the Apostle aims at and prays for on the behalf of the Thessalonians as most conducing to the preparing of them for their latter end 1 Thes 3.12 13. And the Lord make you to abound and increase in love one towards another and towards all men even as we do towards you to the end he may establish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God even our Father at the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all his Saints The posture he would have them to be in at the coming of Christ is the posture of unblamable holiness which indeed is the best and readiest posture The same thing he prays for in order to the same end in 1 Thes 5.23 And the very God of peace sanctifie you wholly and I pray God that your whole spirit soul and body be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ This is that also which that other Apostle injoyns in order hereunto 2 Pet. 3.14 Be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless the more spotless and blameless we are in our spirits and ways the more ready we are for Death and Judgment O press after an eminency in holiness admitting of none no not the least taint or tincture of sin or sinful defilement upon any terms whatsoever unholy souls are unready souls they are unready for Death unready for Judgment unready for the future life and for men to talk of being ready for these and yet be unholy is the greatest folly in the world therefore labour for much purity and holiness First Labour for much purity and holiness in your lives and walkings this is what God indispensably calls for 1 Pet. 1.15 16. As he which hath called you is holy so be ye holy in all manner of conversation because it is written be ye holy for I am holy We should press after universal holiness there should be a vein and tincture of holiness run through all we do even our Civil as well as our Religious actions we should as near as possibly be dedicated and devoted to God and our Lives should be lives of walking with him they and they onely who walk with God while they live are those who will be found ready to live with God when they come to die As for all careless licentious ones let them never talk of being ready for death and the future life for they are at an utter distance from any such thing indeed ready they are but for what ready for Hell ready for the wrath of God ready for destruction but they are not at all ready for a blessed Eternity The Apostle weeps over such as being indeed thus ready Phil. 3.18 19. Many walk of whom I have told you often and now tell you even weeping that they are enemies to the Cross of Christ whose end is destruction whose God is their belly whose glory is their shame who mind earthly things Many there are who profess and hope well of themselves as to another life who yet are loose and carnal wicked and licentious in their lives and walkings they do not watch and keep their garments but wallow in the mire of their lusts and pollutions they stain their profession with foul gross and scandalous sins at least they live and allow themselves in some secret way and haunt of sinning indulging this and the other Lust But my Beloved these are far indeed from being ready for a dying hour and must expect to be cast off from God and Christ for ever Such were those Mat. 7.22 23. They came and cried Lord Lord came with their gifts parts and privileges but Christ sent them away with a depart from me ye workers of iniquity So in Jer. 7. and beginning we read of some that made profession of God and his ways and yet walked in sin and wallowed in all manner of abomination And what is the issue Verse the 15th saith God I will cast you out of my sight God will at last cast off all loose licentious walkers Psal 21.9 David prays thus Gather not my soul with sinners And truly if you would not be gathered with sinners at last you must not walk in sin with siners now and as for the Saints themselves so far as they let down their watch and neglect their walking with God so far as they give way to a loose vain heedless way of living so far they have things out of order with them and they are unready for a dying hour Behold I come as a Thief saith Christ blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his Garments lest he walk naked and they see his shame Rev. 16.15 So far as the Saints carry it unbecoming their high and holy Profession which is too too frequent with them so far they are short of that compleat readiness for Death and Eternity they should press after Secondly Labour for much purity and holiness in your hearts and affections we must be pure and holy within as well as without in our hearts and affctions as well as in our lives and walkings if we would have all right indeed for a dying hour Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord and who shall stand in his holy place The answer is He that hath clean hands and a pure heart Psal 24.3 4. And Christ expresly tells us Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Mat. 5.8 Indeed impure hearts are unfit to see God he is a pure and holy God nor may impure-hearted ones expect that blessed sight I remember a saying which I have read in one of the Ancients which I look upon to be a great saying Woe and alas O Lord saith he how preposterous is it how rash and unadvised how inordinate how remote from the rule of the Word of thy Truth and Wisdom for a man to desire to see God with an unclean heart Oh have a watchful eye upon your hearts and labour to keep them as free from any taint and tincture of sin as possibly you can First Be sure you suffer no lust to get up into the Throne where it is too too often found When sin is consented to by the Will the lust is on the Throne in the heart and indeed it is wonderful to think how soon one or another corruption will mount up into the Throne in the Soul if we let down our Watch but a little But oh take heed of this so far as any one lust whatsoever is predominant within us so far we are marvellous unready for a dying hour And not onely so but Secondly Watch narrowly against the very first risings and motions of sin within Nip Lust if possible in the very Bud and Blossom It is true this calls upon us to have a very curious eye upon our hearts
welcom is the Harbour to him especially after having been long toss'd and beaten with storms and tempests and how sweet will rest be to the poor troubled tempted labouring travelling Saint whose whole life has been little else but trouble labour and sore travel who here could scarce all his days find a resting place for the sole of his foot the world as to him being covered with a deluge 3. Death whenever it comes will turn your conflicts into victory this Aceldama or Field of blood for such is this world into a Mount of Triumph and a Throne of Glory What is this world but an Aceldama a Field of blood to the poor Saints Sure I am this life is little else but a perpetual war and conflict with lusts with devils with afflictions and with temptations hence 't is call'd a fight a warfare and the like and the enemies which they in this warfare have to grapple with are formidable enemies We wrestle not says the Apostle with flesh and blood but with Principalities and Powers and spiritual wickednesses Eph. 6.12 13. We wrestle not vvith flesh and blood that is vvith men or any thing that is frail and vveak no vve have more potent and formidable enemies to deal vvithal vve vvrestle and conflict vvith Devils vvho are potent subtile and indefatigable Enemies as Calvin observes upon the place which wound before they appear and kill before they are seen Enemies which deal not onely by force and power but who are dreadfully crafty and subtil yea enemies which have fiery darts to cast at us as afterwards he speaks and for my own part I think it vvere vvell for us over what it is if these vvere the vvorst enemies vve had to grapple and conflict withal but there are legions of lusts within which I look upon to be vvorse enemies vvhich vve do and must vvrestle vvith intestine enemies are in many respects the vvorst these war against our souls 1 Pet. 2.11 and vvere it not for these all the Devils in Hell could do us no hurt Thus this life is to the Saints a vvarfare a conflict and O the vvounds the bruises the bloodshed vvhich they are exposed unto in this War now their Peace and then their Grace now their Comforts and then their Consciences are sorely wounded and they lie a bleeding for days and weeks and months together yea sometimes like him that vvas travelling from Jerusalem to Jericho they are vvounded and left half dead and did not the good Samaritan pass by take compassion on them and pour in of his Wine and Oyl his Blood and Spirit into their vvounds they vvould soon be vvholly dead Well but now when Death comes that puts an end to this War and sets them all down upon a Throne of Triumph To him that overcometh says Christ will I grant to sit with me upon my Throne even as I also overcame and am sate down with my Father on his Throne Rev. 3.21 When death comes then you begin an eternal Triumph with Christ then the Palm vvill be put into your hands and you shall triumphingly cry Victory Victory for ever O how sweet vvill this be how sweet is the Victory to a Souldier that has been long and hard put to it in the Battel and indeed the harder the Battel the more glorious the Triumph 'T is a sweet and a great saying which I have read in Aug. to this purpose The Conquerour saith he triumphs and unless he had fought he had never conquered and by how much the greater his danger and difficulty was in the battel by so much the greater is his joy in the triumph O Sirs not only will death set you upon a Mount of Triumph but know for your encouragement the sharper your conflicts and warfare have been here the more glorious will your triumph be when Death shall set you upon the Throne 4. Death whenever it comes will change your bondage into liberty your spiritual thraldom into glorious freedom and is not this a kindness Poor soul one thing which here thou bleedest and groanest under is that spiritual bondage and thraldom which thou liest under And indeed this world is no other than a Prison a Dungeon an house of Bondage to thee the Land of thy Captivity Here thou liest in Chains and Fetters the Chains and Fetters of Sin and Guilt yea and the iron sometimes enters into my spirit Hence we read of the bondage of corruption which indeed is the forest bondage in the world a worse bondage ten thousand times than that which Israel groaned and sighed under in Egypt who yet were made to serve with rigour and whose lives were made bitter with hard bondage Exod. 1.13 14. Truly this lust and the other lust this corruption and the other corruption are as so many Egyptians cruel Task-masters which make thee serve with rigour and thy life bitter to thee with hard bondage and oh how dost thou groan and sigh under the bondage of a proud dead hard carnal unbelieving heart an heart bent to backsliding from God And indeed who that is sensible of it can but groan under it This drew that heavy groan from Paul and bitter out-cry Rom. 7.24 O wretched man that I am says he Why Paul what is the matter Oh says he I find a law in my members warring against the law of my mind and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin and death I am by sin brought into captivity to sin and I have a body of sin and death lying heavy upon me heavier than a Mountain of Brass or Iron and who can but groan and as 't was with him so 't is with all the Saints in their measure Well but when death comes Sirs that will turn all this your boudage into liberty yea into the glorious liberty of the Children of God Rom. 8.21 that will turn again this your captivity And oh how sweet will that be You have some little tastes of this liberty here for where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty 2 Cor. 3.7 and the tastes of it are sweet very sweet but O how sweet vvill the full enjoyment on 't be Paul breaks out into praises in the faith of it before-hand I thank God through Jesus Christ Rom. 7.25 O soul how should this make thee long for Death Can a Prison can an house of Bondage can a state of thraldom be pleasant to thee Canst thou be vvell-pleased to lie in chains and fetters of sin and guilt Shouldest thou not rather vvelcom that vvhich alone vvould vvork thy deliverance 5. Death whenever it comes will be the death of all your sins and the perfection of all your graces and will not that be a kindness Poor Saint how dost thou here bleed and groan under the sense of the life and vigour of thy sins on the one hand and of the weakness and imperfection of thy graces on the other hand yea how great are the conflicts and holy contentions of thy spirit to