have the state of my soul determined for life or death salvation or damnation in the other World O how great a thing is this 3. When a man comes to die he has to do with God immediately as his Judge for Eternity and this speaks it yet more terrifying and astonishing For though a man is then to deal with God immediately and that as his Judge too yet if it were but for a time for some short term of years it would not be altogether such a terrifying and amazing thing but alas it is for Eternity and therefore his Judgment is called Eternal Judgment Heb. 6.2 Hence Austin speaking of Death calls it Ostium Aeternitatis the Gate of Eternity i. e. the Gate or Door that lets men out into Eternity an Eternity of life or death salvation or damnation the sentence which God will then pass upon the soul will be an eternal sentence and the soul must be eternally under the execution of it whether it be for life or death salvation or damnation When a man comes to die hee then sees himself launching forth into the great Ocean of Eternity he sees his eternal all to be immediately at stake and his eternal state to be immediately determined by the great and holy God now he sees he must shoot the Great Gulf and take up his abode in the Eternal Region This fills him with amazement O now sayes he a sentence must pass upon me once for all now I must shoot the Great Gulf now I must launch forth into the great Ocean where neither bounds nor bottom is to be found for ever now I must enter upon Eternal Joys or Eternal Flames an endless life either with God or Devils in Heaven or Hell Now I shall sind Infiniteness and Eternity combine to do their utmost to make me happy or miserable for ever Now I must become the immediate object either of infinite wrath or infinite love infinite hatred or infinite delight and that for ever Now I must hear from God either come thou blessed or depart thou cursed and that for ever And O what an astonishing thing is this O Eternity Eternity O vast Eternity O Eternity Eternity O boundless Eternity One serious view of it is enough to amaze a poor soul looking upon it at a distance But how much more amazing must it needs be when it shall be immediately before the soul and he sees he must enter upon it the next hour O then it will be amazing indeed astonishing indeed This one thing Eternity puts infinite sweetness into mercies and infinite bitterness into sufferings the thoughts of this was that which did so much amaze that good man who sitting in a deep Muse a long time and being asked the reason of it was silent and being asked again and again at length broke into these Words For ever for ever for ever for ever and for near a quarter of an hour together spake nothing else thereby telling them that asked him that it was the thoughts of this same for ever that so much amused him And if you were more in the thoughts of the weight of Eternity you would see it were an astonishing thing indeed And this is that which makes dying work such a weighty work and a dying hour such a difficult hour I will close this head and with that this demonstration with a saying I have read in one of the Ancients That is not to be accounted sayes he an evil death which has had a good life precedeing it nor doth any thing make death terrible but that which follows death therefore they which must necessarily die are not much to concern themselves what falls out to cause death but whither by death they are constrained to go whither death carries them It is a great saying and indeed 't is no great matter when we die or how we die or what is the occasion of our death But it is whither death carries us and where death sets us down whether in a blessed or wretched Eternity whether with God or Devils in Heaven or Hell Well then if Death be thus terrible in its own nature If in a dying hour the Devil be so fierce and terrible in his assaults upon souls if Conscience be so awakened and smart in its Charges and Accusations if then we must have to do with God immediately and as our Judge yea as our Judge for Eternity as one that will determine the eternal condition of our souls in unspeakable happiness or unspeakable misery then surely dying work is great work and a dying hour is a difficult hour It then greatly concerns us to have all ready and all in order in the matters of our souls against the time thereof comes CHAP. III. Which shews the Glory Sweetness and Blessedness of the attainment of having all things set right in the matters of our Souls before a dying hour comes which will further evince the truth asserted AS dying work is weighty work and a dying hour is a difficult hour so to have all things set right all well ordered and composed in the matters of our souls against such an hour comes is an high a sweet a blessed attainment an attainment which carries infinite sweetness and desirableness in it a taste of which I shall give you in two things only 1. Hereby we come to be glorious Conquerours over Death and the Grave 2. Hereby we come to have an abundant entrance ministred to us into Heaven and Glory And my Beloved what more sweet and desirable than this Surely this speaks it to be a very sweet and blessed attainment 1. Hereby we come to be glorious Conquerours over Death and the Grave Death is an Enemy 't is the last enemy the Children of God have to grapple and conflict with The last enemy that is to be destroyed is Death 1 Cor. 15.26 and being the last enemy in conquering this they conquer all conquering this they are compleat and eternal Conquerours Now by having all things set right in the matters of our souls all things ready and in order for a dying hour we come to conquer this last Enemy yea to get a glorious Conquest over it Hereby Death comes to be swallowed up of Victory as you have the expression 1 Cor. 15.54 Hereby we are more than Conquerours over it Rom. 8.37 Take the Conquest which this gives us over Death in these three things 1. Hereby the soul is carried above the fear of Death In Heb. 2.15 We read of some who all their life-time were subject to bondage through fear of Death And if in their life-time much more when they come to a dying hour Then Conscience as you have heard is more awake Oh the fears the terrors the Hell upon Earth that the sight of Death's approach fills many a poor soul withall But now take a soul that has all things right and in order in his spiritual concerns and he is carried above the fear of this King of Terrours and that when made as
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
one Question Dost thou indeed see thy particular concern in this business so see it as really to make it thy great work and solicitude while living to set all things right and make all things ready for a dying hour Some there are that are so happy as so to do and art thou one of them then why shouldest thou fear death yea why shouldest thou not exult and thy heart leap within thee in the sight and thoughts of its approach true it is a dark Entry but it leads to a fair and stately Palace even the Fathers house 't is a rough and difficult passage but it sets thee safe on shore in a large and fat land true it carries with it some what a black lowring and ghastly aspect to nature and nature may at first possibly be startled and recoil at the sight of it but open the eye of thy faith and behold it in the glass of the Gospel view it in the death of thy Lord and Head and it vvill not appear half so terrible yea thou vvilt find it to be not so much an enemy as a Friend not as a King of Terrours but rather as a King of Comforts not as an object to be dreaded and trembled at but rather to be rejoyced in and triumphed over by thee it vvill appear to be not loss but gain For me to die is gain says Paul Phil. 1.21 yea it vvill be thy great gain 't will be the period of all thy misery and the perfecting of all thy happiness and the truth is vve are never perfectly happy till death comes But for thy further encouragement I shall in a few particulars shew you vvhat Death come vvhen it vvill doth and vvill do for such as make all ready for its coming 1. Death vvhen ever it comes vvill translate thee thou ready soul from Earth to Heaven from a strange land to thine own home and Fathers house and vvill not this be a kindness as for this vvorld vvhat is it to the poor Saints but a strange land 't is Heaven is their home and Countrey hence they have confest and do confess themselves to be Pilgrims and Strangers upon earth Heb. 11.13 and the Psalmist in the words immediately foregoing my Text Psalm 39.12 owns it to God I am a Sojourner and a stranger here yea this world is not onely a strange land but a waste howling wilderness to such wherein they live among wild Beasts Lions Bears Wolves Tygers and the like Lusts within and Devils without ready daily to devour them but now when Death comes that carries them off from this strange land this waste howling wilderness to their own home and countrey which is Heaven yea to their Fathers house there to live with him to enjoy his presence and to adore his grace We know says the Apostle that when our earthly house of this tabernacle speaking of the Body shall be dissolved we have a building of God an house not made with hands eternal in the heavens 2 Cor. 5.1 And you know how Christ speaks to his Disciples Joh. 14.2 In my Fathers house are many mansions if it were not so I would have told you and thither does death carry you when it comes Oh sweet Oh my Beloved to go home to go to our Fathers house and to possess our Mansion there that Mansion which our dear Lord and Head is gone before to prepare for us how sweet is this to think of and how many deaths may it sweeten Suppose one of you were some thousand miles distant from your home Country and Comforts and you were in a waste howling Wilderness among Lions and Bears ready to devour you a wide Sea also being between home and you and suppose withal that a Ship should come and take you into her and in a short time set you down in your own Country and among all your Friends and comforts would not this be a kindness why this is your case here O ye preparing souls and this is the kindness death does for you when it comes while here you are ten thousand miles distant from your home and Country your Friends and Comforts and in a waste howling Wilderness but Death that swift Sailer comes and in a moment sets you down in Heaven your home and Country O how welcom should it then be to you 2. Death whenever it comes will carry thee from trouble to rest from a tempestuous Sea to a quiet Haven there to lie at an eternal Anchor in the bosom of thy sweet Lord. This world ever was and for any thing I know ever will be a place of trouble to the people of God sure I am Christ hath told us In the world you shall have tribulation Jo. 16.33 And who of us does not find it made good This world is a tempestuous Sea wherein the Waves lift up themselves and the poor Saints are afflicted and tossed with tempests and oftentimes not comforted Isa 54.11 We read in Jonah 1.13 that the Sea wrought and was tempestuous and the Mariners were fain to row hard to get the Ship to shore And truly thus 't is often in the case in hand the Sea of this world is tempestuous it works and the poor Saints are fain to row hard to get safe to shore yea as we read Acts 27.14 that an Euroclydon a tempestuous East-wind arose and beat upon Paul and others in the Ship with him which was ready to break all in pieces So truly the Saints in this world do meet with Euroclydons tempestuous winds not a few which beat upon them and are ready to split all and sink all but now when death comes those stormes are all made a calm and they I mean the Saints are brought into the desired Haven Death sets them at rest 't is indeed their dismission to rest There says Job speaking of the Grave the weary be at rest Job 3.17 Death sends the body to rest it frees it from all sensible sufferings when Death comes thy weak body thy sick body thy pained body thy consumptive body shall have its dismission to rest and Death sends the soul to rest that rests in God and with God Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord henceforth they rest from their labours Rev. 14.13 and you have I think both together in one Scripture Isa 57.2 where speaking of the righteous 't is said They shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds Hence we read that there remaineth a rest to the people of God Heb. 4.9 indeed it remains 't is not here but when death comes that sets them down in this remaining rest Oh what a kindness must this be Rest O how sweet is rest how desirable is rest and rest too after long and hard labour and trouble how sweet is rest to the labouring man that hath wrought hand all the day how sweet is rest to the weary traveller that hath gone a long and dirty journey how sweet is rest to the solicitous Mariner and how