know what is to be sick to be in great pain to faint and fall into a swoun which is a little Image of death as also the Heathen Poet called Sleep Death 's elder Brother But none knows what dying is It was a very sensible Word a dying Christian in this City spoke to my self when visiting him a few Hours before his Death No Man can tell another what dying is I feel I am dying but I cannot tell you what it is Death is a Path that you never trode before you never walked in it hitherto you may have thought your selves to have gone a good way in the Valley of the Shadow of Death but you never walked through it Paul died daily 1 Cor. 15.31 he was in deaths often 2 Cor. 11.23 Yet he was a living Man then when he said so and he dyed but once All new Tryals require new supplies of Grace And the Tryal of Death is quite new When we are tempted one day we may know what Temptation is thereby and be thereby fitted for the next but no past Experience can teach us fully what dying is 3. Dying is not only a necessary and new Tryal but it is such a Tryal in which a Man 's All is concerned for Eternity Immediately on Death follows Judgment Heb. 9.27 Death is the dark Trance betwixt Time and Eternity While we live we are in time when we are a dying we are leaving time and passing into eternity When we are dead we are quite and for ever out of time and are in eternity for ever If a Man miscarry in this Passage if a Man stumble in the dark Valley of death if he fall here he falls for ever I would not have people to imagine that the stress of their Salvation depends on their Frame when a dying For some Christians when near to death have neither the use and exercise of Sense or Reason much less of Grace But surely when the case of Mens Bodies permits Acts of a Man or of a Christian there is great need of grace to enable us to die well 4. Dying is a great Tryal of Faith Tho' we know not fully what dying is yet we may know so much of it as to be convinced that it is much harder to die in Faith than to live by Faith and yet living by Faith is the hardest thing we have to do in this World To trust in an unseen God to believe his unchangeable Love when we feel his Anger to trust his bare Word when we see no appearance of Performance but many to the contrary are no easie things to the hest Our frequent Experience of the difficulty and of our many failings in this daily Exercise of living by Faith may justly make us sensible of our need of great help of Grace when we shall be called to the new and more hard Work of dying by Faith To enforce this a little consider 1. Usually when death draws near to Men and they draw near to it the Eye of the Mind is clearer and the Conscience more tender and sharp-sighted in the review of their Life and Actions Many never saw their Lives well till they are just at the end of them And many Believers walk so as a spiritual review of their ways breeds no small Storm in their Consciences and Tryal and shaking to their Faith Though Death be a dark Valley yet great light of Convictions and Challenges springs up in it Wo to them that never knew till they are a dying what an awakened Conscience is Ways that are pleasing to Men when the evil day is put far away look frightfully on them when that day approacheth and is very nigh 2. A dying time is a time wherein the Devil is very busie He fetcheth then his last stroke on Saints and on Sinners He doth his utmost to secure the Damnation of Sinners that he may not lose them at last The Devil 's Deathhold of a dying Sinner is a strong one He also doth his utmost against Believers if not to marr their Salvation yet to hinder their Consolation The Devil 's parting Blow hath been dreadful to many a Saint It is a weighty Word Heb. 2.14 Where he is said to have the power of death It is true there it is said also that Christ overcame him and through death Death is properly and strictly in the Devil's Dominions Sin and Death are properly the Devil 's though the Lord hath the wise ordering of both he permits Sin and inflicts Death and Death lyes near the Devil 's great Prison Hell Through the Valley of death there are two Passages one leading to Hell and another to Heaven Most fall into the Pit others are brought through safe and sound by the Skill and Mercy of their blessed Guide Christ It fares here with Believers as with Israel and with Vnbelievers as with the Egyptians Heb. 11.29 By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry Land which the Egyptians essaying to do were drowned 3. Judgment and Eternity when near and seen at hand are awful things And a near view of them will try Faith greatly This view blows away the Presumption and Hope of the Hypocrite Job 27.8 What is the hope of the Hypocrite though he hath gained when God taketh away his Soul Job 11.20 Their hope is as the giving up of the Ghost His Hope lived as long as he lived and when he dies it dies also Wo to them that have a dying hope a hope that cannot out live Death Christians are begotten to a living or lively hope 1 Pet. 1.3 He hath hope in his death Prov. 14.32 The Man's body dies but the Christian's Hope and Faith lives He lyes down in the Grave in hope Psal 16.9 He dies in that Faith he lived by Heb. 11.13 2. What is the helpfulness of Grace in this time of great need a time of dying I am speaking to living Men but to such as must die and know not how soon I shall only insist on one thing at this time The Grace of God helps Believers by strengthening of their Faith That is the help they mainly need in that hour And this help stands in these 1. When a dying Believer is helped by Grace to see death in Christ's hand There is a vast difference betwixt Death in the Devil's hand who hath the power of it and Death in Christ's hand who is Master both of Death and the Devil Betwixt a Man's seeing Death approaching and the Devil behind it and with it and a Man's seeing Death coming on him and Christ with it Paul's Triumph rose on this ground 1 Cor. 15.55,56,57 O death where is thy sting O grave or Hell where is thy victory The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law but thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. That by which Death stings Men is Sin unpardoned and God's Holy Law binding Sin and Wrath on their Persons Victory over both Sin
the power of the air working powerfully in them as children of disobedence they were fulfilling the desires and lusts of the flesh and of the mind they were by nature the children of wrath even as others Who can be lower vifer and baser except they that are in Hell it self Yet in this Case and Condition Grace made its first visit to them All that this saving Grace falls on are lost and undone sinners men at the very brink of Hell An Elect child of God is worst and most sinful the moment preceeding his Conversion Paul was at his worst Acts 9. when Grace fell up him If there be nothing but the power of Grace that can subdue the corruption of Nature if this corruption grow in its strength till that subduing power of Grace be applyed and if there be no middle State betwixt Death and Life and these have been reckoned Gosper Truths how plain is it that a sinner is at his worst when saving Grace first comes upon him 2. Whither did this Grace bring Paul and the Ephesians and so all Christians Out of the Grave of sin unto a new Life and up to heavenly places in Christ Jesus ver 4 5 6. O what a mighty Arm hath the Grace of God It s nothing for Grace to pull a man out of Hell and set him down in Heaven When shall this Arm of Jehovah be revealed When will perishing sinners long for a saving pull of the Grace of God 3. What is all this great Work of Grace for ver 7. That in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of his Grace in his kindness towards us through Christ Jesus As if the Apostle had said You and I cannot sufficiently in our time and age admire this kindness Grace and Riches of Grace through Christ Jesus that we have receaved but as long as this world lasts and as long as there are receivers of this same Grace in future ages and that will be as long as the world lasts for the world lasts for the sake of the Throne of Grace and for what God hath to do on it and to give from it there will be praisers of this Grace for every Generation of Receivers of this Grace owe praises for all the Grace bestowed on all that have been before them And when this world is at an end there is a better world that shall succeed it wherein better and higher praises will be given forever there is no other musick but the praises of free Grace in Heaven and none shall sing its praises there but the happy Receavers of it here 2. Consider the Infinite Wisdom of this contrivance of a Throne of Grace for sinners The Lord wisely consulted poor mans case his Sinfulness his Misery and his Infirmity No where else can God and Sinners meet in Peace but at this Throne of Grace Here is the manifold wisdom of God Eph. 3.10 Grace abounds in all wisdom and prudence Eph. 1.8 Yet not according to the sorry Rules of the wisdom of this world nor of the Princes or great leading men of this world that come to nought But the wisdom of God in a mystery even the hidden wisdom hid to them that are lost 2 Cor. 4.3 which God ordained before the world unto our glory which none of the Princes of this world knew for had they known it they would not have crucified the Lord of Glory God and Holy Angels may meet in peace whenever he is pleased to manifest his Glory to them though they be sensible of their meanness as Creatures and deeply humble before his Majesty But where God and Angels meet comfortably God and sinners cannot meet comfortably That Light and Manifestation of divine Glory that makes a holy Angel happy would confound and destroy a sinful man Isaiah 6.1,5 The Seraphims adore humbly and praise Isaiah a sinner sinks he is terrified with the Sight and with the Song And yet this was a sight of Christ John 12.41 but his divine Majesty and Holiness as God was then represented to him which terrified the Prophet But when sin is forgiven by an act of Grace ver 6 7. then upon the Lords saying whom shall I send and who will go for us Isaiah answered here am I send me Now I have tasted the Grace of my Lord I will run his errands let him send me where and on what he pleaseth 3. Consider how costly the erecting of this Throne of Grace was It was a dear Building The Throne of Gods essential glory is in his own super-excellent Being and falls under no acts of the divine Will When he had a mind to rear up a Throne of Glory to his name in creating a world there was no more needful but his word of Power his Almighty Fiat Let it be and all things sprung up out of nothing in marvelous order and Beauty and Goodness But when a Throne of Grace is to be erected for sinners there is more to be done here God's own Son must be made man in that nature must be charged with their sins and must discharge that debt by bearing the Wrath of God and curse of the Law even unto death Rom. 3.25 the Apostle gives us a description of the Throne of Grace God hath set forth Christ to be a propitiation a Mercy Seat a Throne of Grace But his Blood went for it Law and Justice exacted it and Christ paid it On this comes forth the blessed Proclamation of Grace whoever he be of lost mankind that will come to this Throne of Grace by Faith and will receive his Justification in and by this Blood and will trust to it only shall never come into condemnation This Paul preached Acts 13.38,39 What is this grace revealed for ver 26. To declare at this time Gods righteousness that he might be just and the justifier of him that believeth in Jesus We all know that God is just and the condemner of transgressors of his Holy Law But how the Gospel is framed so as that God's justice may appear in justifying of a believing sinner is far deeper and more hardly known and believed But take in but these three things and it will appear 1. God was just and the punisher of the sins of the Elect laid on Jesus Christ. God's sending of his Son and laying of the sins of his people on him was an act of amazing grace and mercy But the exacting the debt of sin of him when the Father laid it on and the Son took it on him was of Justice and strict glorious Justice Never did Justice shine so in its glory and purity as in bruising the Son of God for the sins that were laid on him The sending of millions to Hell for their own sins and all must go thither that have them to answer for and all such have them all to answer for who offer to pay their debt with their own coyn and have no interest in Christs undertaking is a display of Divine Justice that
a Divine eternal Person I am he that liveth and was dead and behold I am alive for evermore Amen They that saw him dead could hardly believe he should ever live again and they that saw him alive had need of Faith to believe he had ever been dead He asserts both and we should believe both Since death entered into the World by Sin never was there a Man more truly really and fully dead than the Man Christ was who died for our Sins And there is no Man on Earth more truly alive than the Man Christ is now a living Man in Heaven He in his rising gave proof of his Divine Power He was crucified through weakness yet he liveth by the power of God 2 Cor. 13.4 There was never such an appearance of Weakness in the Man Jesus as when he expired and lay cold dead in his Grave Never did sin reign so unto death nor the Law 's Power more appear than in slaying the second Adam As great and greater was the appearance of his Divine Power in his rising again John 10.17 Therefore doth my Father love me because I lay down my life that I may take it again Christ died that he might rise again He went amongst the dead that he might rise from the dead ver 18. No man taketh it from me but I lay it down of my self I have power to lay it down and I have power to take it again This commandment have I received of my Father Christ was bid both die and rise again Blessed be the Commander and blessed be the Obeyer for our everlasting life is in this Commandment John 12.50 Never any but Christ had this power of his own Life We must yield our Life when God calls for it and till then we must keep it and when that Call comes we must obey We die because we can live no longer and because our times are in God's hand And when it shall please the Lord to raise up our bodies at the Resurrection we receave our life again but have no power to take it up again till the powerful Word of Christ come Arise from your Graves And that Word gives us our life again None but Christ had power of his own life both to lay it down and to take it again We dare we can we should do neither but only obey and submit to the Sovereign Will of our High Landlord at whose Pleasure we are Tennants in these clay cottages 2. Christ's Resurrection was a Demonstration of the Acceptance of the Sacrifice of himself That the Blood he shed and Sacrifice he offered was savoury and acceptable with God that the Debt was fully paid and the Payment accepted when the Surety was discharged of his Prison Therefore we find it so often written that God raised him from the dead Acts 2.24 and 32. even when it 's said that it was not possible he should be holden of death Death and the Grave are strong and cruel Song 8.6 They have taken or will take all Mankind Prisoners and are able to keep them Only they took one Prisoner Jesus Christ who was too hard too strong for them Death had dominion over him but for a little while and by his own consent Rom. 6.9 but it hath no more dominion over him But he hath dominion over it I have the Keys of hell and of death Rev. 1.18 Courage Believers in and Heart-Lovers of Jesus Christ Death and Hell are indeed dreadful Jayls but as long as Christ keeps the Keys and that will be till he cast them both into the Lake of fire Rev. 20.14 no Believer shall ever be locked up in them If Hell were searched never so narrowly amongst all the condemned Prisoners there no Man or Woman could be found in it in whose Heart there was never one spark of true Faith in or Love to the Lord Jesus Heb. 13.20 God brought again from the dead the great Shepherd of the Sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant Christ also is often said to rise by his own power Christ put forth his Divine Power in his Resurrection the Father declared his full satisfaction with his Undertaking of the Work and Payment of the Price of Redemption by discharging of him in and by his Resurrection The Angels Work was only to roll away the Stone but by his own divine Power his blessed Soul did take possession of his dead Body and he did rise up immediately a truly living Man And this he did by his Father's Leave and Will and the Angels served only as Sergeants and Officers to unlock the Prison-doors of the Grave For Christ could easily have removed that Stone by his own power as he did greater things in his Resurrection No wonder the Apostle Paul made it one of his great aims in Christianity to know the power of Christ's Resurrection Phil. 3.10 It is not to know the History of his Resurrection nor is it to know the Mystery of his Resurrection but it is to know the Power of it the same Power that Christ raised himself from the dead by is put forth and no less is needful for the raising of a dead Sinner The same Power that raised the Saviour dead for Sin is needful for raising a Sinner dead in Sin Rom. 4.5 Therefore we are buried with him by Baptism into Death that like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we should also walk in newness of life Eph. 1.19 There is an exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe according to the working of his mighty power which he wrought in Christ when he raised him from the dead c. How loath are Men to admit this that the saving quickening of a Sinner requires the same divine Power that quickened the dead Saviour All saving Conversions are the Fruits of Christ's Resurrection and of Almighty Power 3. Christ's Resurrection is the Pledge and Earnest of our Resurrection and of eternal Life How great things doth Paul build upon it 1 Cor. 15. He proves our Resurrection from Christ's Resurrection He argues for Christ's Resurrection by enumerating of Absurdities that must follow on the contrary As ver 14. If Christ be not risen then is our preaching vain and your faith is also vain ver 15. We the Apostles are found false Witnesses of God ver 17. Then you are yet in your sins ver 18. Then they also which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished ver 19. Then we are of all men most miserable But now Christ is risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that slept ver 20. For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead The first Adam was made a living soul ver 45. but when he became a sinner he became a killing Head to all his Posterity Rom. 5.12 The second Adam is a quickening spirit and gives eternal Life to all his Seed And he took possession of this eternal Life in
complained of Some Professors spend all the little Religion they have upon their Afflictions Take heed to your Hearts under Afflictions It is to be bewailed that many Christians their Afflictions come on them they know not whence they lye on them they know not not wherefore and they go off they know not how that if I may allude to such sacred Words and apply the Phrase to such a sinful Frame Afflictions come on many and they feel the smart of them but know not whence they come nor whither they go They come on them when they are sent and go off when they are called but they neither knew what God meant by them nor did by them No Christian can ever make a spiritual and hearty Song of Praise for Afflictions unless there be some Sense or Hope of Profit thereby If the Profit be seen the Wisdom and Love of God in afflicting will be heartily acknowledged 5. Time of special need of the grace of God is a time of special Duty and Service to God called for All the course of our Life is to be constant Service we ought to live to his Praise we are made as Creatures and as new Creatures for this end Isa 43.21 1 Pet. 2.9 But there are some Seasons in which special Work is called for and then there is great need of grace to help in that Hour It is a mighty Word of the Preacher Eccl. 8.6 Because to every purpose there is time and judgment therefore the misery of man is great upon him And it is only the wise man's heart that discerneth time and Judgment ver 5. I would name four of those times 1. The time that Men are called to believe on Jesus Christ and to secure their eternal Salvation by a full closing with him This is a now a day an accepted time a day of Salvation 2 Cor. 6.2 All that hear the Gospel are bound by the Call of God in it and warranted by the Promise of it to receave by Faith Jesus Christ and eternal Life every time they hear the Gospel But sometimes this Duty is specially called for which if neglected may be of fatal consequence to Men. Hence that Exhortation Isa 55.6 Seek ye the Lord while he may be found call ye upon him while he is near When Christ is knocking at the Door of the Heart then it is special Duty to open to him Rev. 3.20 This was the day Jerusalem had and neglected and that that Christ mourned over them for Luke 19.41,42 Unspeakable is Mens need of the prevailing help of grace when their Hearts and Consciences are warmed with the Calls of grace in the Gospel In such Seasons the everlasting Bargain is either fixed by the power of grace working Faith in the Heart or people are left to themselves and are further from Heaven than ever 2. Some special Call to Men to give their Testimony to Christ and his Gospel by suffering The Lord comes and craves Mens Testimony to his Truth and chargeth them thus If thou hast any love to me and my Honour I demand thy Witness venture thy all take up thy Cross Many Christians have neglected such trying Seasons which in vain and sorrowfully they have wished for again There is much of God's Grace needful to discern these Seasons and wisely to improve them 3. There is another remarkable Season of Mens need of God's Grace to help them in and that is The Season of the Lord 's calling them to a Duty-Tryal A Duty called to by way of Tryal The Lord gives the Call to try Men and very great are the Consequences of obeying or disobeying of such a Call Many instances are of this in the Word One is in Numb 14. The Passage is plain and awful When Israel had been above a Year in the Wilderness twelve Spies are sent to view the Land they all bring back an evil Report save Joshua and Caleb the People murmur God threatens them with Judgments They seem to be sensible of their Sin it 's like by the Plague that slew the ten false Spies ver 37. and by what Moses spake to them They acknowledge their Sin and resolve to go up next Morning ver 40. Moses tells them they now sinned again and that the Lord was not among them ver 41 42. What severe dealing is this The Lord was among them vesterday not this morning They were bid go up yesterday they are forbid next morning Because they did not what the Lord bid them do in his time he will not protect them when they do the same thing in their time Thus Saul was tryed twice 1 Sam. 3. Samuel bid him tarry for him seven days at Gilgal Saul tarried six days and part of the seventh and then offered Sacrifice not as I think that he did invade the Priest's Office himself but commanded some Priest to do it Profane Princes never want profane Chaplains What a severe Sentence doth Samuel pronounce against him ver 13.14 Again the same Man is tryed with another Duty 1. Sam. 15. and fails therein and is punished therefore This sort of trying Men by Duty is like that in 2 Kings 13.14.20 which Elisha did put Joash unto How may of the people of God through the want of the present help of Grace in some Duty-Trials have stepped into such Paths and have fallen into such Pits and Snares as they have never got well and clearly out of as long as they lived 4. It is a Season of great need of Grace to help us in when the Lord by his Providence puts several things in a persons choice and leaves them to choose The fullest of this kind was that offer made to David about Judgments 2 Sam. 24.12,13 A hard choice but David did choose wisely His Son Solomon had another Offer but it was of Blessings and not of Judgments 2 Chron. 1.7 Ask what I shall give thee And he chose wisely and by his choice proved that he had already receaved a good measure of Wisdom Moses had a great Offer and things of vast difference were in his Choice and he chose like a Man taught of God Heb. 11.24,25,26 Moses in his last Sermon to Israel Deut. 30.15,19 puts them on choosing I call Heaven and Earth to record this day against you that I have set before you life and death blessing and cursing therefore choose life that both thou and thy seed may live that thou mayest love the Lord thy God and that thou mayest obey his voice and that thou mayest cleave unto him for he is thy life and the length of thy days So did his Successor Joshua when he had setled Israel in the promised Land a little before his death Josh 24.15 Chuse ye this day whom ye will serve Elijah did so with Apostate Israel 1 Kings 18.21 Somewhat like this is laid before Men in the daily Ministry of the Word The Curse of the Law or the Blessing of the Gospel is in Mens Offer And Men get as they
and the Law comes by Jesus Christ When this Victor and Victory in Christ is seen by a Believer Death is defied and despised as a sting-less overcome thing Much and strong Faith is needful to enable a Man to play on the hole of this Asp Christ reveals himself to John almost dead with fear Rev. 1.17,18 Fear not I have the keys of Hell and of Death Behold them in my Hand and behold me as the Lord of them Should a Believer in Jesus fear any thing that Christ hath the power of The bitterness of death is past to all Believers by Christ's death and Victory over it And if their Faith was strong their Fears would be small 2. To have Faith enabled to look through death and beyond death If a Man's Eyes be fixed on Death only and see no further it is Death to look on Death But when the Believers Eye of Faith is so quickened that he can look through the Trance of Death and see within the Vail where Christ is that is a blessed help fo Grace Christians Faith and Hope enters within the Vail Heb. 6.19 And a view within the Vail is specially desirable and useful when the Christian is walking in the Valley of the shadow of death Psal 23.4 3. Faith is helped when the dying Believer is enabled to cast his Anchor on God in Christ confidently in this last Storm This last act of Faith is a great one The more sensible a Man is that he is on the point of eternal Ruin the nearer he is to drop into Hell without divine help the more sensibly he acts Faith Then the clingings and graspings of Faith on Christ are sensible and strong When a Believer looks on himself and on his way and seeth nothing in them pleasing or staying to his Soul he looks into the dark Passage before him and its frightful to Heart and Flesh he looks on Judgment and Eternity as just at hand and his Thoughts are swallowed up with their Greatness In this case to stay his Soul and say with dying David 2 Sam. 23.5 Although my house be not so with God tho' my Heart my ways be not so with God as they ought to have been yet he hath made with me an everlasting Covenant ordered in all things and sure and this all my salvation and all my desire requires singular help of the Grace of God To shut the Eyes and give the hand to Christ and to quiet the Mind by trusting our Guide in this last Step is a mighty Blessing I would conclude this Discourse with these four 1. It is a great Mystery of Faith and a great Tryal of Faith that the way to eternal Life should lye through the midst of this dark Valley of Death Our Lord Jesus Christ bought eternal Life for us by the price of his Blood he went through death to take possession of his Kingdom and Glory and yet his People must go through death to take Possession of the Gift of eternal Life If there were any allowed Room or Place for Prayer in this Affair how many and how earnest Prayers would we make to be delivered from going in this way to Glory But after a Life of Tryals Temptation and manifold Tribulations this last is still before us and we must pass through and set our Feet in the cold Waters of this Jordan ere we enter the heavenly Canaan After all the lively hopes of Heaven and sweet fore-tastes of it we have had after our Faith hath risen to a full assurance yet through death must all the Heirs of Glory pass 2. There is no Wisdom like that of preparing for this awful Hour Job 14.14 If a man die shall he live again all the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come I will think on it I will look for it I will prepare for it Men are wise or foolish according to their faithful diligence or unbelieving negligence in this preparing for death Many have bewailed their neglect never did any repent their diligence in this Work 3. There is no right and sure way of preparing for Death but by seeking saving acquaintance with Jesus If you set about the study of Holiness without Christ you mistake your way and will never reach your end But labour to be intimately acquainted with Jesus Christ and the Communications of his Grace will make you holy Death deals with Men and billets them into their eternal Quarters in Heaven or Hell as Men are in Christ or out of Christ Their Works according to which they are judged are but the Fruits and Effects of their different States These two different States of Men in this Life in Christ or not in Christ are the Foundation of the two different States in the next Life in Heaven or in Hell Tho' all in Christ are holy and all out of Christ are unholy 4. There is no Life truly comfortable but that which hath a comfortable prospect of Death and Judgment Never envy the condition of them who seem to be the only chearful Men in the World whom one quarter of an hours serious thought of Death and Judgment is enough to make them like Belshazzar at his great Feast Dan. 5.6 Whose countenance was changed and his thoughts troubled him so that the joynts of his loins were loosed and his knees smote one against another Amazement seized on Soul and Body How can a Man be said to live comfortably that dare not think of Death for fear of marring his comfort Miserable is that Consolation that cannot bear a serious thought of an approaching unavoidable thing This is the Wisdom and Mercy of the Lord to his People that their true Consolation doth not only stand and abide in the view of Death and Judgment but it ariseth from that view that is so terrible to all natural Men. This is the blessedness of Believers that his Grace allows them a right to and can give them a possession of And therefore we should come to the Throne of Grace for it Then you are happy Christians when serious thoughts of Death breed serious Joy SERMON XIII HEB. IV. 16. Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need YOU have heard of the helpfulness of the Grace of God in time of need both in geneneral and with particular instances of some special times of need The last whereof is the time of dying This I left at last day and would speak a little more unto it and then conclude all in a few Words Death is a Theme of great importance and of very obvious Influence If people would let it enter into their serious thoughts and would take a serious and steddy view of it they would quickly find more in it and about it than ever they did or could hear by all that is told them Next to the saving Illumination of the Holy Ghost with and by the Word there is no