1

in mind, that I have no abiding city here, but indifpenfably obliged to be continually feeking f one that is truly fo; (b) a city that bas fure and laff foundations, whofe Builder and Maker is God. (I= wait and watch all the days of my appointed time, -my last great change come. Since I know myself mafter of one moment of time, I will live in a c Яtant expectation of death, ready to forfake this earth tabernacle, whenfoever it fhall please God to call tr me. I will think upon my approaching diffolutie and learn, from the thoughts of it, to wean my ha from this present world, and all its moft pleafing tertainments; which, how enticing foever, I muf: fure in a little time to leave behind me; to renou all my most beloved lufts, which will otherwife or me exceffively dear, and, perhaps, before I have anj longer enjoyment of them; to grow ferious and de vout, as becomes the relation I ftand in to Almigh God, and the great account I muft foon give up c him; to bear all afflictions patiently, which I know? affuredly cannot affect me long; but may be muc nearer an end, than I at prefent apprehend; to mak a good improvement of my time whilft I have it, the I may find no caufe to complain of the want of ki when it fhall be no more; to be unwearied in we doing, before the night come wherein no man can work; and faithfully, refolutely, and immoveably, to retai my integrity at all times, and under whatfoever dirficulties or trials, inafmuch as I know not how foor I may receive my great reward. Thele are fome d the advantages that naturally arife from a daily me ditation of death; and, to the end they may be my daily care, I will not fail to take all opportunities of converfing with the dead.

Our life here is one continued journey towards the grave, and each one, every day, difpatches fome part of it. We are all like fo many paffengers in a fhip, who whether they think of it or not, every minut (i) Job xiv. 14.

(b) Heb. xi. 10.

draw

draw nearer the end of their voyage. Not only whilst they are awake, and look about them, but when at reft, and faft afleep in their beds, they are gradually conveyed along, till they come to their defired port. As they are always in motion, though it may be without obferving it; fo their voyage incessantly fhortens, and in a while they difembark upon a I diftant fhore.

Such is the life of man. It is a conftant progrefs towards another world, in which we fhall all, one after another, be landed in a little time. No fooner fhall our breath be recalled, but we fhall moulder into the dust, out of which we were taken; fhall give up the ghost, and be no more, as to any of the purpofes of this life. But then a new scene will forthwith open itfelf, to our unfpeakable either confolation or terror, according to the preparation we had made for it, whilft on our way to it. Death, to the righteous, is the gate of paradife, an entrance to a better life, and the only paffage to our promised inheritance but, to the wicked, it is the beginning of forrows, delivering them over to the fecond death, I which never fhall have an end. And what more Cogent argument can any poffibly expect, for exciting to a diligent preparation for death, than this confideration of the everlafting ftate, whereinto it will, one time or other, hereafter, if not at prefent, be fure to tranflate us all?

Were death an accidental ftroke, that rarely happened, no wonder if people generally did not think themselves much concern'd to expect it. Were only fome few liable to it, when it comes, a man might be tempted to hope it might be his lot to escape it. Were it an even lay, whether we should ever be feized by it, this would make a confiderable abatement of the finner's imprudence, in venturing to live regardless of it. Nay, were it allotted to much the greater part of mankind to die, but not to every particular perfon, there might be fome faint plea for

Cc 3

fuch

fuch as are unprepared for it. Or if none may be delivered from it, yet, had men a lease of their lives, that they could certainly know how much of them were yet remaining, it would be lefs indifcretion in them to put off their repentance, and trifle away their time, in hope to get it up again, by a greater foturé diligence. But when we are every moment at the mouth of the grave; when we know affuredly, that every man living is altogether vanity, and ourselves, amongst the reft; and, moreover, daily fee others, as lufty and vigorous as ourselves, and, in all appearance, as like to live as we, taken away before our face; fuch a profpect as this, one would think, fhould throughly awaken our minds, and enforce our refolutions; and not fuffer us knowingly to destroy ourfelves it fhould teach us earnestly to ftudy how we may perform our duty, in all refpects, with the greatest accuracy and circumfpection; fo as to give no fleep to our eyes, nor flumber to our eye-lids, till we had firft fecured to ourlelves an intereft in the Divine promifes.

Since we are all fo careful of this uncertain life, tho', at beft, but of fhort duration, and full of cares and troubles whilft it lafts; methinks it fhould feem highly reasonable to every one, that will but allow himself to confider, to have a much greater care of his foul, which is, by far, the better part of him, and whofe life will never know an end. Common prudence would hence teach every one to think frequently of death, and have it always in view; efpecially fince the remembrance of it is fo neceffary and ufeful, in order to a due regulating our lives. But I must not only think of death, but muft think of it in fuch a manner, as that the effect of thefe thoughts may fhew forth itfelf in a fuitable deportment. I muft learn to number my days in fuch à manner, as that I may apply my heart to that true and faving wisdom, which will, in a great measure, abate the pungency of whatfoever troubles and calamities I meet

ม 8

with here, and will make me infinitely happy after my departure hence. To neglect this, is, undoubtedly, the greatest folly and madness in the world; and the readieft way to fill my foul with the utmost confufion, when I come to languish upon a fick-bed, and find my end approaching; but efpecially, when I shall come at the last day to ftand before my Saviour's great tribunal, to anfwer to the heavy charge, that will hereby lie againft me. Nor can any thing, on the other hand, be fo much for my advantage, as a conftant attendance on this neceffary part of my duty; and that unspeakable glory and felicity, that will infallibly accompany it in a dying hour, and thenceforward for ever in the other world.

VII.

On a future Judgment.

MY life is continually drawing towards eternity;

I

and whether I will confider it or not, is each day fhorter than it was before. So that how healthy foever I may be at prefent, no man knows how foon may be fummon'd hence. At moft, no great number of years can have pafs'd, before I fhall be laid in the grave, and all my hopes, and comforts, and defigns, and purposes, as far as they concern this life, fhall vanish as a dream; and nothing fhall feem of any value, but what may be for my advantage in the other world. And thus, having paffed off the prefent ftage, I must be brought before God's tribunal, to have all my thoughts, words, and actions, canvassed, and my eternal portion allotted me, accordingly as they fhall be found to have been: fo lays St. Paul, (k) We must all appear before the judgment-feat of Chrift, that every one may receive the things done in the body, according to that be bath done, whether it be good or bad. Tho' death makes a feparation for fome time betwixt the foul and body, yet this is but for a time; (*) z Cor. v. 10. CC 4

which

which being paft, they fhall infallibly meet again, and be reunited, and never be parted more. (1) An archangel fhall be fent forth, and, as by the found of a trumpet, fhall fummon the (m) dead out of their graves; and thenceforward they fhall live for ever. (n) Then fhall the Son of man also descend in the clouds of Heaven with power and great glory; and (0) fhall fit on his throne, and caufe all nations to be gathered before him, that fo he may take an account of their different qualifications, and difpofe of them accordingly. Oh the pangs and agonies, the horror and perplexity of mind, wherewith the guilty finner will be feiz'd, when he fhall come there to receive his doom! When, () above, he may behold an impartial Judge ready to condemn him; beneath, Hell open to receive him; when, within, fhall be a ftinging conscience; without, a burning fire; here his fins accufe him, there the devils affright him; and the good angels fhall cashier him, as not fit to be admitted into Heaven; and the wicked ones will ftand ready to hurry him away into everlasting deftruction. When to appear will be intolerable, and yet not to appear will be impoffible. Whither will he then flee? Or where can he think to conceal himself? Which way foever he turns himself, he will be fure to meet with nothing for his comfort; with nothing but fear, and fhame, and forrow, and anguifh, and all the terrors that the most dreadful apprehenfions can work in him. It is impoffible to exprefs the extreme aftonishment, wherewith all the workers of iniquity will then be overwhelmed. But this may, in a good measure, be reprefented by the judgments threatened in the Revelation, upon the opening of the fixth feal; when it is faid, (9) There was a great earthquake, and the fun became black as fackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood; and the ftars of Heaven fell unto the earth,

(1) 1 Cor. xv. 52. (m) 1 Thef. iv. 16. (7) Matth. xxiv. 30. · (a) Ibid. xxv. 31, 32. (p) Dionyf. Carthuf. de quatuor Novif

fimis, artic. 28. (2) Rev. vi. 12, &c.