changeable God. Let thofe therefore, who have yet the time before them, confider what they have to do; let them be careful to hearken unto the voice of God to-day, while it is called to-day; let them be zealous to improve that time and thofe talents wherewith God has bleffed them, that when their Mafter cometh, he may find them fo doing, and bid them, as having been good and faithful fervants, to enter into the joy of their Lord: I fay, let us confider these things; and, while we rightly maintain, that true repentance cannot at any time be in vain, or ineffectual to procure pardon, let us be careful not to entertain any fuch notions of repentance as will take away the neceffity of a holy life, and of that perfevering obedience, which is the exprefs and indifpenfable condition of the gospel-covenant. And

Even they who are ready to welcome death by an habitual preparation, and have governed their lives un- of habitual der the conduct and influence of the thoughts of preparation. dying long before, must not rest, in the decline of their days, in too great a fecurity; they have not yet perfected the great work of falvation, which we are all fent into the world to finish under Jefus Chrift, the great author thereof. They muft therefore remember, that there must be a folemn preparation for it, or a thorough review of their lives and actions: they must make their peace with God and their own confciences, by examining whether there be any fin, which they have not fincerely repented of, and heartily begged God's pardon for; whether they have made reftitution and reparation, as far as in their power, for injuries done to their neighbour; whether they are in love and chriftian charity with all men; whether they have formerly been too negligent of their duty of charity to the poor, education of their own children, fupport of their families, and fuch-like duties required in their proper station of life; and from henceforth they must apply themselves to a more diligent difcharge thereof, by rectifying the distempers of their minds, mortifying diforderly paffions, and improving that grace which God giveth bountifully to all men. And they who thus prepare themselves for death will have great hope and affurance in their latter end. Therefore,

Let

Let us not reckon upon living threefcore years and ten, In all times or fourfcore years, when very likely thirty or of our life. forty, the best half of our lives, are already past away. Would men but seriously think upon this, they would not be so apt to flatter themselves with a long life; for no man accounts twenty or thirty years a long life; yet that is the most they, who are come to the decline of age, have to live, though they should be prolonged to the longest term of a common duration: much less should they flatter themfelves with a long life, when probably ten or fifteen years must balance the account with nature. What shall we fay then of those men, who draw near the end of their reckoning, or, perchance, who have already spun out the common thread of human life? These should, as the world expreffes it, be doubly diligent in their preparation for the approaching diffolution of their body and foul; which, how vigorous foever their conftitution may appear, cannot be at a great distance. Thefe, who have already attained to the common measure of human life, and are already in the borders and confines, or rather the very quarters of death, are unpardonable, if they are deceived with the hopes of living much longer.

By a thorough knowledge of the state of our own fouls, Its advan- we should enjoy peace and fatisfaction of mind; tages. and not only deliver our confciences from guilty fears, but even difarm death of its ftings, and terrors, by reforming whatever was amifs; for the fting of death is fin, and, when this fting is pulled out, we have nothing else to contend with, but fome little averfions to dying, which are more eafily overcome by the joyful profpect of eternal glory, which waits on the brink of eternity to receive those that die in the Lord; especially if we confider, what a blessed place it is where we shall be delivered from all the fears, and forrows, and temptations of this world: where we shall see God and the bleffed Jefus face to face, and converse with angels and glorified fpirits, without fear of dying any more: where there is nothing but perfect love, joy, reft, and peace; no cross interest and factions to contend with; no itorms to ruffle and disturb our joy and rest for ever: where there

is no pain, no fickness nor labour, nor care to refresh the wearinefs, or to repair the decays of a mortal body, nor fo much as the image of death, to interrupt our pleasures for evermore. Then we shall serve God, not after the manner of men, with dull and fleepy and unaffecting devotions, but with piercing thoughts, ravishment and transport, life and vigour. Whereas,

ration for

III. Such men as converse much in this world, and are distracted with the cares and bufinefs of it; if The binthey live in a hurry, fo as, when they have dif- drances of a charged one obligation, they are preffed hard good prepa with another; that in the morning they have no death. time to beg God's bleffing, nor hardly fpirits left to fay their prayers at night; and the Lord's day itself is thought more proper for reft and refreshment for their bodies and feeble spirits, than, as it ought to be, for devotion towards God, who has fanctified it to his own name, and for his peculiar fervice: fuch men, I say, can have but very dull apprehenfions of another life; because it is well known that, after all the care we can take, this world will infinuate itfelf into our affections, when our whole business is buying and selling, and driving good bargains: for fuch a hurry as this disorders our paffions, occafions feuds and quarrels, and gives us fuch a tincture of covetoufnefs, ambition, and pride, that there is work enough after a bufy life to root out the love of this world, and to fettle our whole defire on a future happy state.

Of a juft difpofal of our worldly affairs.

We must alfo fo fet our houfe in order, by a prudent and pious difpofition of our worldly affairs, which requires time and confideration to do it well; and therefore cannot fo well be dispatched in our laft moments, when our minds are difordered, our bodies oppreffed with pain and ficknefs, and when we run the hazard of being impofed upon by thofe, who out of intereft diligently attend us on these occafions. Perhaps we may in fome measure be free from those inconveniencies; yet the little time we shall then have to live is too precious to be confumed about the vanities we are going to leave. Wherefore, except we make our wills in the days of our health, that

matter

matter poffibly may never be performed, or after fuch an imperfect manner, as to convey ftrife and contention to our pofterity; and at beft, when we are leaft able to bear it, to give great trouble and diforder to ourselves: fo that such a will is too often rather the will of thofe about us than our own intentions. We ought to have both thought and confideration to difpofe of our eftates in a chriftian manner; to give children their fitting portions; to acknowledge the kindnefs of our friends; to reward the fervices of our dependants, and make diftributions for the poor and needy: and all this in fo clear a manner, that no differences or law-fuits may thence arife among thofe we leave in the world. For which purpose the church hath wifely directed the minifter, when he attends the fick perfon, if he hath not dis'pofed of his goods, to admonith him to make his will, and to declare his debts, what he owes, and what is owing to him for the better difcharging of his confcience, and the quietnefs of his executors; withal acknowledging, that ⚫ men should often be put in remembrance to take order for the fettling their temporal eftates while they are in health’ both in body and mind.

It is farther neceffary to make us die with comfort and Difregard of fatisfaction, that we wean our affections from the the world. things of this world; for our concern to part with them will always bear a proportion to the love and esteem wherewith we have enjoyed them; and to be feparated from objects upon which we have fixed our hearts, must be attended with great uneafinefs and regret. Therefore we fhould accuftom ourselves to refign freely to God what death will fnatch from us by force; and gently to untie those knots, which faften us to the world, that we may have less pain when they are to be intirely diffolved. Which practice confifts in being lefs concerned for the things of the body, and all bodily pleafures; to expect, with fubmiffion to the will of God, the fuccefs of our temporal affairs; to fupprefs all ambitious and covetous defires; to retrench fometimes the ufe of lawful pleafures; † to abound in works of cha

rity;

* See the vifitation of the fick.

+ See temperance in recreations, Sunday 16. Sect. III.

rity; to be most ready to part with what we love moft, when God thinks fit; and to bear all loffes and afflictions without murmuring and repining: fo that we may be able to say, we die daily; not only because the time of our death is every moment approaching, but also because we find daily lefs fondness for life, less earnestness for trifles, lefs defire of applause, lefs eagerness for profit, and lefs concern for whatever is most esteemed by the world. And as the days of our pilgrimage here upon earth muft draw to an end, which were given us to glorify God both in our fouls and bodies, to do good unto all men, and to work out our own falvation with fear and trembling; we should use great care about the spending our fhort time in improper vifits, or in vain diverfions, or in floth, as if mirth and doing nothing were the business of our mortal state. Let us now therefore, if we are settled ina calling, manage it with justice and diligence, always remembering we have a christian calling of greater importance: if we are not engaged in the world, let us chufe fuch circumstances as we shall most approve of in a dying hour: if we have great estates, and the advantages of power and understanding, let us look upon ourselves as under the greater obligations to spend our time well; because in fuch circumstances there is greater capacity and leifure to attend the good of others, as well as our own falvation. But

Our immediate preparation for death confifts in bearing our fickness, that precedes it, with a true chrif- of patience tian frame and temper of mind; with great patience in fickness. under our fufferings, and refignation of mind to the will of God; with a firm trust and dependence upon his infinite wisdom and goodness, and with thankful acknowledgements of those mercies with which he allays the forrows of ourdiftemper, and lightens the burden under which we labour; carefully restraining all murmuring against God, orany difcontent, by reason thereof; watching against all the temptations to anger, fuch as the mistakes and inadvertencies of thofe about us, the unfeasonable kindness of our friends, the difagreeableness of our medicines, and fuch-like; curbing anxious fears of worse than may come to pafs. Submissionto And, being content to wait God's time for our de- God's will.

E e

liverance,