before this Enemy This like Jonah will raise a Storm if not cast out Guilt that one word spoke by the Mouth of Conscience will be like a clap of Thunder in thy Bosom it will make a dreadful convulsion in thy inner when Death comes to attack thy outward Man therefore keep thy Garments clean and be often washing them in the Blood of the Lamb. Though thou art a Child of God yet remember thou hast that fuel still in thee that is very apt to catch the Devils Fire Can a Traveller hold on his way rejoycing with a Thorn in his Foot No more can the believer with comfort march into Eternity with guilt lying upon his Conscience Wherefore beloved seeing that 2 Pet. 3. 14. ye look for such things be diligent that ye may be found of him in peace without spot and blameless Walk circumspectly not as Fools but as Wise uncloathing your Souls as to the Old Man and his deeds which are Eph. 4. 22. 24. corrupt and putting on the New Man in Righteousness and true Holiness and this is the way with joy to meet thy God 4thly And lastly be faithful to Christ in thy particular and proper station Christ is the great Master and appointer of every Man's Work and Post in the World Be thou faithful unto the Death and then Rev. 2. 10. comes the Crown of Life John's hearers were not sollicitous about changing their imployments but how they might serve God in them How shall he that loyters with the sluggard in his day for service in the Evening rest from his Labours Some Men are always busie but doing nothing in the great work of their Salvation Why stand you here Matt. 20. 6. all the day idle He that hath least hath one Talent and if thou art not a wicked Servant that will be improved for thy Lord. Does Solomon send the sluggard to an insect to be his Teacher And may not many Christians be sent to the inanimate part of the Creation to learn to serve God in their particular relations The stars in their courses fought for God against Sisera He is the most excellent Christian that Honours God in his particular relations in which he hath placed him In short true Grace is no Friend to Idleness Parents and Children Masters and Servants Magistrates and Ministers have their work appointed them in the World and it s our Business to be diligent in it Would you then stand actualy ready Follow the example of your Lord Redeemer who when about to leave the World could say I have finished the work which thou John 17. 4. gavest me to do Lose not your present opportunities but do the Work of him that sent thee into this World while it is day that thou mayest say with the Apostle I have finished my course I have fought 2 Tim. 4. 7. the good fight of Faith I am now putting off my Sword and have no more to do but to receive the Crown And Blessed is that Servant whom when his Lord comes he shall find thus standing and thus doing He hath no more to do but to Die and enter into the joy of his Lord. The Second thing I proposed was to show That to lay Death to Heart when we see it removing the best of Men and Ministers is but highly reasonable The Living will de jure he ought to do it and if a Wise Man de facto he will lay it to Heart as hath been shown And that First Because it 's the end of all Men. No sooner Man brought in Sin but Death passed upon all Men. It 's an innocent mistake when in the House of Mourning where an end is come to another to imagine it our own It is but to antidate that which must certainly and it may be shortly come What if in the succession of many Ages God hath made two and but two Men's time run into eternity without interruption Can we tell what change past upon them in their translation For this I say that 1 Cor. 15. 50. Flesh and Blood as now fram'd and fashioned can't inherit the Kingdom of God And those that remain alive at our Lord 's appearing tho they shall not Die as it is a dissolution of the frame of Man or separation of the Soul and Body yet they shall be changed to a fitness or capacity for the Glory 51 52. of that illustrious Day Tho' the Life of Man admits of many maybes and peradventures yet his Dying admits of none It is appointed for all Men once to die The rich and Heb. 9. 27. poor are there The Beggar Dyed and so did the Rich Man all pass through this Gate tho' the ways immediately part upon it like a Princes Palace that hath but one common Gate at which Criminals and Children enter The one goes up to his Fathers Mansions the other down to his Dungeon Thus it is with good and bad The Rose of Sharon and Lillie of the Valley tho' they are more Pleasant and Beautiful while Living yet they are not less Mortal than the common Grass The sweet Singer of Israel must come to his last words and the most charming Preacher to his last Sermon Among the many Rules and Directions written for the preserving of Health none was ever so mad as to pretend a Medicine that would turn away Death for it 's the end of all Men. Secondly The weighty but unseen circumstances that may attend our Dying God hath as much appointed the limits of our Lives as the bounds of our habitations The whole of our Days make up but a few Years and they are full of Evil. The time at longest is but short But there are two circumstances which should most of all affect us one is we know not the critical moment when our Lord will come whether while weare young and tender or whether he will stay till Luke 12. 40. the Years come in which we shall say we have no pleasure Another is the manner in which he will send for us whether the thread of our Lives shall be snapt of a sudden or worn out by a lingering Consumption This Messenger Death will come but can we tell where he will meet us in the Street or in the Closet on Bed or at Board Can you tell in what Livery he will appear Tho' Death be to the believer the Messenger of a Father yet thy Father may send for thee in a Chariot of Fire May it not blow a Storm when thou art to launch out into the eternal ocean Whereas a more gentle gale may waft another over In a word all Pet. 1. 24. flesh is grass and the glory thereof as the flower of the grass the grass withereth c. Can you tell what Hand God will use to cut it down It may be the Hand of an Infant the Teeth of an Insect or a blast of Wind and if it stands long of it self it 's fading and withering Surely then
into Eternity He views his Family and there finds nothing to support his departing Spirit but when he Reads over the Charter of the Covenant he begins the Songs of Zion tho' not yet past the swellings of Jordan Here he saw that peace between God and him which would abide in Death and out-live the Grave They that are without the Bond of the Covenant who have never given their Heart and Hand to be the Lord's they may be dejected and there is cause for it But Why Ps 49. 5. should I fear in the day when the iniquities of my heels compass me about tho' not only Infirmities but many Iniquities lay seige against the believers Soul yet why should I be dejected For the Lord will redeem my vers 15. Soul from the power of the grave my God will receive me What tho' Death seem never so terrible it hath lost its Sting Christ by his Cross hath turned those Waters of Marah into a refreshing Stream to all that are in Covenant with God thro' him As in the first Covenant Death is the Messenger of Justice to drag the Sinner to execution so in the New Covenant it is the Messenger of a Father to fetch his Children to those Mansions Christ hath prepared for them tho' death is continued in its natural conception as it is a dissolving of our Frame and Union between Soul and Body yet it is not continued in its moral notion as a penal satisfaction Death it self is put into the Believers Inventory Death is yours 1 Cor. 3. 22. Death is to every Man according to the Covenant in which it finds him if there be a Covenant of Peace between God and Thee then thou may'st go out boldly and meet death as a real Friend tho' in the Array of a formidable Enemy 3dly When your Hearts are sanctfied and renewed We are saved Tit. 3. 5. by the Washing of Regeneration and renewing of the Holy Ghost Christ's Righteousness will never be a defence to any but his own Image If we take his Robe to cover us in our Sin we do but deceive our own Souls As death will wipe away all Tears from the Believer's Eyes so it will take off the paint of Hypocritical Professors then elevated strains shall not go for true Godliness nor fair Words pass for Charity nor an empty Name for the power of Religion he only shall appear an Israelite indeed that is without Guile and hath true Grace or Wisdom in the hidden parts As Hypocrites tho' they are embellish'd with many glistering Ornaments in the externals of Religion yet they are always loathsom to God because of their unseen uncleannesses so tho' Believers have many visible Infirmities and Imperfections yet they are always glorious with the truth of Grace within tho' like the Ark covered with coarse Skins yet pure Gold within then do we truly lay death to heart in preparing for it when Sin in its dominion is cast out of the heart for he is a Jew which is one Inward and Gospel Circumcision is Rom. 2. 29 that of the heart in the spirit where these three are secured that Soul's state is safe The second preparation is to be actually ready for death The former is and hath been the care of every true Believer but the neglect of this latter makes the message of death strangely surprizing to many real Christians instead of going out of the World like the Patriarch saying I have waited for thy Salvation or like old Simeon Now lettest thou thy Servant depart in peace Luk. 2. 29. they cry out like him O spare Psal 39. 13. me that I may recover strength before I go hence and be no more tho' the Believer's Righteous Soul while here is vexed with the filthy Conversation of the Wicked yet like Lot he is ready to linger when God calls him out of this Sodom of a World Would you then die not only in safety but with joy instead of being dragg'd forcibly go out willingly and while others have their Souls taken from them thou like thy Redeemer give up thine into the hand of thy heavenly Father for this purpose be conscientious in these four things 1. Let not the things of this World fix upon your Heart and Affections it 's difficult keeping the Heart chast for God when the Affections are intangled in the World tho' your necessity will oblige you to drink of this Jael's Cup yet beware of sleeping in her Tent beware of its Syrene Songs and Meretricious Smiles tho' neither Earth nor Hell shall keep the Believer out of Heaven yet they make many go halting thither Maintain as much as possible the same opinion of your earthly enjoyments while living as Men generally have 〈◊〉 when dying Look upon them rather as Talents committed to Servants to improve for their Master's use than as absolutely your own as they are free Gifts which we never deserved so be thankful to the Donor and as they are Talents so we should be faithful because we must give an account to our Lord and Master So use this world as not to abuse it 1 Cor. 7. 31. nor to have thy heart abused by it When thou seest the Kingdoms of this World and the Glory thereof beware of falling down and worshiping let not the dust of the Earth blind the eye of thy Faith nor the pleasures of it divide thy Love whatever be the delight of your Eyes be sure that nothing but God in Christ be the delight of your Hearts 2dly Keep your Loyns girt and your Lamps Burning As we are to stand actually ready for whatsoever service our Lord may appoint us whether doing or suffering so we must in order thereunto keep every Grace in exercise It was very surprising to the Wise Virgins when the mid-night cry came to go out and meet the Bridgroom to find their Lamps untrim'd tho' there was Oyl in their Vessels As Gall. 2. 20. we are to live by the Faith of the Son of God for daily influence so we are to walk by Faith as the eye to direct our Practice Let it 2 Cor. 5. 7. be your care to say with the Spouse At our gates are all manner of pleasant Cant. 7. 15. fruits which I have laid up for thee O my beloved There you have plenty and variety All manner of c and they are at the Gate that is actually ready and all for the Beloved As all Grace is derived from Christ's fulness so it 's devoted to him for his service Let there be Faith to follow him in dark Providences patience to wait for him under delays meekness to guard thy Spirit from being ruffled by the scurrilites of a sordid World Love which makes every duty easy and this is the way to have an abundant 2 Pet. 1. 11. entrance into thy Master's joy 3dly Dye dayly unto Sin It 's Sin that will be the Achan and troubler of thy camp This will make thee fly
to which your Souls and Hearts are devoted make it your work in preparing He that does not prepare what to say tempts God to come out of his ordinary Course to his assistance he that depends upon his own Preparations makes a God of his Gifts Let it be your work in delivering shew that your Business is rather to profit Souls than please the Ear beware of an affected Niceness in expression and shun a sor did rudeness least it cause a loathing of spiritual Food Let it be your work in Living as well as Preaching beware of pulling down with your hands what you build with your mouths in a word if the Ministry be thy work thou'llt give thy self to it and thereby in a little time do much for God And what if discourag'd by the World seeing your labour is not in vain in the Lord it will be more Honour and Glory in the Day of Christ to have been an Instrument in bringing one Soul to Heaven than if thou hadst conquer'd a World and brought it under thy power and what if you seem to labour in vain and spend your strength for nought when your judgment Isa 49. 4. is with the Lord and your Reward with your God The last Exhortation is to you that are Hearers Is God by Death removing your Useful Guides and Instructors from you Lay this to Heart First In being cautious to whom you commit the Care and Conduct of your Souls How shall they teach you the Mysteries of Salvation who themselves are ignorant of them It s an easie matter to run into the Ministsy but not so easie to be a Minister What was opprobriously said of old may be here applied Many Servants 1 Sa. 25. 10. run away now a days from their Masters I wish there were no cause to say many run from that which is their service into that they were never called nor sent of God There is an universal complaint that the Spirit is much withdrawn but if you view Mens running in this great Work of the Ministry without regard to the ordinary ways for attaining Qualifications for such an undertaking you must allow that either the Ministry is become a more easie business to discharge than ever it was judg'd to be formerly or that there is an Extraordinary Effussion of the Spirit by which Men of a suddain are qualified for it or else we are under a dreadful Judgment I am not such a superstitious Adorer of Learning as to lessen or Exclude the Work of the Spirit I know the Spirit can qualifie Persons for his Work but then what others must seek in an ordinary way that he does by his extraordinary power and when extraordinary Operations are not to be expected at least are professedly own'd in the present posture of Affairs to be departed we are to seek in the ordinary way to attain such Qualifications as are needful in that work the neglecting of which is but a gratifying the Designs of those who are several ways assaulting our Religion which are chiefly Two 1. Advancing Reason above and against Revelation As if like the Moon it never shin'd so brightly as when in opposition to the Sun they appeal to this as the supream Judge for Faith and Practice as if it were not our truest Reason to prefer the Mind and Word of an infinite Being before our own finite understanding Much more intolerable is this Arrogance when they have so debas'd and debauch'd their Rational Powers that they are not able to judge in things of a Man and yet will appeal to them only as the great and supream Decider of all Matters relating to God and the Christian Religion 2. By decrying a Standing Ministry in the Church of God Every one of the Lord's People are Prophets Would to God the Spirit of the Prophets appear'd in all that profess and claim the Priviledge A Standing Ministry is a Humane Invention and a piece of meer Superstition and the Idol Learning is only to make ignorant People credit and rashly receive what they impose upon them As the former is manag'd among the Men of Letters so the other is calculated for the People of a lower size I grant that great Clerks are not always Wise Men that Christ's fiercest opposers have been found amongst those who have been Head and Shoulders taller than others in Natural Knowledge But because some that have their Eyes abuse them shall I chuse a blind Man for my Guide You may as soon expect to see a Man bred up at Plough or Cart to steer a Ship in a Storm thrô Shelves and Rocks without dashing as ignorant Ministers maintain the Preaching of the Gospel without falling into dangerous if not damnable Errors therefore be very cautious to whom you commit the Conduct of your Souls Secondly Pray for your Ministers It may be you don't profit under their Ministry because you deny them a share in your Prayers their Work is great their Temptations many and their Strength in themselves small Never say you love 'em while you are not concern'd to ingage God to succeed them pray that God would give them the Tongue of the learned to speak a Word in season to thy condition and that he would give thee the hearing ear and the understanding Pro. 20. 12 heart both which are the gift of God Thirdly Maintain Affection and Esteem for your Ministers Let them not have cause to complain These are the wounds I receiv'd in the Houses of such and such Professed Friends I ask you not superstitiously to idolize Men or Ministers yet let them be highly esteemed for their works 1 The. 5. 13. sake Thô they are but earthen Vessels yet they are intrusted with the most precious Treasure What if their Persons are no more nay possibly less than other Men yet their Office calls for Respect and Honour They are Ambassadors of Christ and by the Law of Nations Ambassadors are to have civil Usage beware of Prejudice for he that is prejudic'd against the Person will not without a Miracle be edified by his preaching if Abab hate Micaiah he will be inraged rather than instructed by his admonition and warning therefore maintain Affection and Esteem for them Fourthly Lay to heart what you are frequently hearing from your Ministers while living let not their Doctrine which drops like the Rain be only like a Shower upon a Rock where no Impression is made or a Tale that is told but like Mary lay up what thou hearest in thy heart that when thy Minister is remov'd thou mayst be able to recollect and ruminate upon what was formerly deliver'd by him for thy Soul's Edification Oh beware of loosing your Seasons of Grace it may be there are some here th◠Morning that may never hear anothe◠Sermon and will it not be a cutting consideration to think that of all you have heard of dying you were never affecte◠with it nor mov'd to prepare for Deat by it We have lost many Eminent Ministers and is all lost you have heard from them Let not your Souls be like broke◠Cisterns that let out the pure water and keep nothing but the Mud and Corruption of this world Labour to make them the Store-house of Divine Truths giving most earnest heed lest at any time you should Heb. 2. 1. let them run out And this is the true means to keep your Soul both waking and working which is the right way of watching and waiting for the coming of our Lord. FINIS