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and what further streams of it may flow before it be put up in its fheath, God only knows. The evil arrow of famine (as God calls it, Ezek. v. 16.) is let fly against us at the fame time, and the famine is the arrow which is the foreft of the three. When it was put to David's choice, which of the three he would be the butt of, he would not chufe famine. The prophet Joel doth bewail and deprecate this judgment in the most pathetic manner, and calls the whole land to fafting and prayet, for removing it, Joel i. 10. 14. And we fee, when God is most angry, and threatens to spend his arrows upon a guilty people, he begins with the arrow of famine as the foreft, as in Deut. xxxii. 23, 24. "I will spend mine arrows upon them, they shall be burnt with hunger." And we fee what the Spirit of God faith of those who die by this arrow, Lam. iv. 9. "They that be flain with the fword, are better than they that be flain with hunger; for these pine away; ftricken through for want of the fruits of the field;" and therefore their death is moft lingering and miferable. Likewife, famine ufeth to bring on the most naufeous and mortal difeafes, and frequently the peftilence doth follow upon the back of famine. Is it not then high time for our land to take the alarm, when God begins to fhoot his evil arrows? When the lion roars, it becometh us to fear; yea, tỏ humble ourselves in the duft, and mourn for our iniquities, which kindle the fire of wrath.

Let us fearch and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord, from whom we have deeply revolted: and, particularly, let us mourn for, and turn from, those fins which the word of God points out as bringing on famine; fuch as, 1. Afcribing our earthly comforts and bleffings to other things than God the true author. This fin we find threatened with scarcity and famine, Jer. xliv. 17. 26, 27. Hof. ii. 5. 92. Perverting of plenty to luxury and prodigality, fenfuality and excess, revellings and dancings, balls and affemblies. We fee how these are threatened, Ifa. v. 11, 12, 13. Amos vi. 4, 6, 7-3. Rejecting the bread of life, and defpifing the food of our fouls. God ufed to punith men for their fins, by depriving them of bread for their bodies, Jer. xi. 21, 22-4. Men minding their own things

B 2

more

more than the things of God; and neglecting to build
his houfe, and put refpect upon his ordinances. Upon
fuch account God brings on fcarcity and famine, Hag.
i. 9, 10, 11.-5. Covenant-breaking, and dealing cruelly
with the poor, or with ftrangers that live among us:
It was for these fins that God fent a three
years famine
upon the land of Ifrael, 2 Sam. xxi. 1.

Moreover, let us look upon all these temporal ftorms and calamities which are come or coming upon the land, as warnings to prepare for a more awful form that we muft all meet with; namely, the ftorm of death and judgment; let us ftand habitually prepared for that ftorm, and then other storms will not fo much affect us. If it be asked, What we fhall do to be fafe in time of that trying ftorm? the answer is, Let us fee that we be among the broken in heart, or the fincere penitents, who are heartily grieved for all known fin: That we be true believers in Chrift, who truft in nothing but his righteousness and merits, for juftification and falvation: That we be born again, and made new creatures by a faving change both in heart and life: That it be our great bufinefs to clear up our evidences of peace with God through Chrift, and of our title to the manfions which he hath purchased by his blood. O that God's judgments, when they are on the earth, were means to awaken us to flee from the wrath to come, to Christ our refuge! when the floods of great waters are fwelling up to the brim, our only safety is to fecure a hiding place in Chrift's wounds.

Let us follow the example of Noah, who, when he faw the flood coming, took warning, and prepared an ark for faving himself and his houfhold, Heb. xi. 7. Let us even imitate the Egyptians that feared the Lord; they, when warned of the dreadful storm of hail that was coming on the land, made their fervants and cattle to flee into the houses, Exod. ix. 20. God hath in mercy, provided chambers for his people to hide themfelves in, when storms are coming, even the chambers of his attributes and promifes, and the chambers of Christ's wounds and interceffion; in thefe only we can find fafety; let us enter into them by faith, when he invites us, Ifa. xxvi. 20, 21.

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Seeing in thefe evil days we have fo many harbingers and fore runners of death before our eyes, it will be highly our wifdom to keep ourselves still in a waiting posture always ready and willing to die. What is there in this weary land to tempt us to defire to abide in it ? Is it not a land overwhelmed with fin and forrow? O believers, are you toffed with tempefts here? Seek the wings of a dove, that you may fly away and be at rest. Be habitually defiring to depart, that yoù may be with Chrift. Surely for you to die is gain, yea, infinite gain! What are the imaginary pleasures of this world to the real happiness of the next? tho' the struggles of death be grievous to nature, yet the gains of dying fhould reconcile you to it. You do not stick at the trouble of putting off your cloaths at night, to gain a little reft to your bodies; and why fhould you stick at uncloathing yourselves of the garments of flesh at God's call, to gain everlasting rest to your fouls, and the fruition of Chrift's glorious prefence for ever? Let the thoughts of this gain put you upon using all means to get your hearts weaned from the love of the world and its comforts. Keep the mantle of earthly enjoyments hanging loofe about you, especially in thefe calamitous times, that fo it may be cafily dropt when death comes to carry you to the eternal world. O for more of the lively faith of that world, and of him that is the Lord and purchaser of it! But feeing this fubject is more largely infifted on in the book itself, I fhall add no more here upon it; only I fhall fubjoin a collection of fome sweet and comfortable texts of fcripture, very proper for dying believers, to meditate and feed on by faith, to grip to and plead with God, and fuck confolation from, when they have a near profpect of going through the dark valley, and entering into the unknown regions of eternity. God's word will then be our hope.

A COLLECTION

COM

A COLLECTION

OF

COMFORTABLE TEXTS

For Dying Believers.

NOME unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you reft, Mat. xi. 28. Him that cometh to me I will in nowife caft out, John vi. 37. In my Father's houfe are many manfions; if it were not fo, I would have told you: I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there ye may be alfo, John xiv. 2, 3.

Because I live, ye fhall live alfo, John xiv. 19. Christ faith, Surely I come quickly. Anf. Amen. Even fo, come Lord Jefus, Rev. xxii. 20.

There remaineth a reft to the people of God, Heb. iv. q.

I have waited for thy falyation, O Lord, Gen. xlix. 18. Lord, now letteft thou thy fervant depart in peace ; for mine eyes have feen thy falvation, Luke ii. 29, 30. He is the Rock, and his work is perfect, Deut. xxxii 4. The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me, Pfal. cxxxviii. 9. Being confident

that he which hath begun a good work in you, will perform it until the day of Jes fus Chrift, Phil. i. 6.

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he fhall ftand at the latter day upon the earth. And though, after my fkin, worms deftroy this body, yet in my flesh fhall I fee God; whom I fhall fee for myfelf, and mine eyes fhall behold, and not another; though my reins be confumed within me, Job xix. 25, 26, 27.

Although my houfe is not fo with God, yet he hath made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all

things and fure. For this is all my falvation and all my defire, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the fhadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, Pfal. xxiii. 4.

Into thine hand I commit my Spirit thou haft rcdeemed me, O Lord God of Truth, Pfal. xxxi. 5.

For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will be our guide even unto death, Pfal. xlviii. 14.

Thou shalt guide me with thy counfel, and afterward receive me to glory, Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I defire befides thee. My flesh and my heart faileth; but God is the ftrength of my heart, and my portion for ever, Pfal. lxxii. 24, 25, 26.

The facrifices of God are a broken fpirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not defpife, Pfal.

li. 17.

O that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away and be at reft. I would haften my efcape from the windy storms and tempeft, Pfal. lx. 6, 8.

Though ye have lien among the pots, yet fhall ye be as the wings of a dove covered with filver, and her feathers with yellow gold, Pfal. Ixviii. 13.

The blood of Jefus Chrift his Son cleanfeth us from all fin, John i. 7.

Having boldnefs to enter into the Holieft by the blood of Jefus, Heb x. 19.

He hath faid, I will never leave thee nor forfake thee. Jefus Chrift, the fame yesterday, to-day, and forever, Heb. xiii. 5, 8.

He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy, Micah vii. 18.

Though he flay me, yet will I truft in him, Job xiii. 15. In his name fhall the Gentiles truft, Mat. xii. 23. Bleffed are all they that put their truft in him, Pfal.

ii. 12.

He knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are duft, Pfal. ciii. 14.

I lothe it, I would not live alway, Job vii. 16.

We

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