that is willing to take you foon home; whereby you will prevent much fin and forrow in the world.

Olje. II. "I have houfes and lands, and a comfortale dwelling on the earth."

Auf. Thefe are only needful in your paffage through the world; above there is no ufe for these comforts. There God provideth manfions for his people, a thoufand times more comfortable, John xiv. 2.-2 Cor. v. 1. Surely houfes of God's building, and of Christ's furnishing, are preferable to the cottages built by mens hands.

Object. III." But I am loth to leave God's ordinances, and the fweet communion I have had with him therein."

Anf. Above there will be no need of ordinances, facraments, Bibles, or minifters; for the Lamb will be the light of the heavenly temple, and all hid things in religion will be discovered in Chrift's face. There you will celebrate an eternal Sabbath, drink the fruit of the vine new with Chrift, be ever with the Lord, without any cloud or inferruption of your communion with him. Is it any lofs to be taken from the fhallow ftreams, and fet by the fountain that is ever full and running over.

Object. IV. " I am loth to leave the company of godly friends and relations."

Anf. Death will take you to your friend Chrift, that is far better than them all. And for one friend you lofe upon earth, you fhall find an hundred in heaven; and thefe godly relations you leave here, you fhall foon meet with them again there; where you will have far more fweet communion than poffibly you can have upon earth with them, or the best of them, who, while here, have feveral infirmities and paffions, that many times make their converfe uncomfortable..

Object. V. "But I would fain fee the glory of Zion upon earth, when God's promifes to her fhall be accomplished."

Anf.

Anf. So Mofes would fain have feen Ifrael's happinefs in the promifed land: But his dying in the firm belief of God's fulfilling all his promifes to them there, was more acceptable to God, than his beholding the performance. And the glory of the church militant, is a fight nothing comparable to that of the church triumphant above.

Object. VI. "But I would incline to ftay to do God more fervice in his church below, whofe neceflities are claimant."

Anf. 1. You will not want opportunity for ferving and glorifying God above, and where you will be in a far better cafe for it. Here, our hearts are often out of tune for God's work, and we are forced to hang our harps upon the willows; but above there are no willows to hang them on; no faint there will ever complain of any indifpofition of heart or tongue.

2. God knows the neceflities of his church, and is more concerned for them than thou canst be; and it is eafy for him to raise up inftruments to carry on his work when thou are gone.

Object. VII." I am afraid of the pain and pangs of death. The thoughts of these make me fhrink back."

Anf. 1. Many die without much feeming fenfe of pain, and it is probable have lefs pain at the hour of death, than they have felt under feveral former difeafes.

2. If they be sharp, they are foon over; and each pang of death will fet fin a ftep nearer the door, and thy foul a ftep nearer home: And therefore, it becometh a Christian to die cheerfully, and to be glad when he can find the grave.

Now, what I have faid in this chapter, is to the believing foul: For it is no wonder though the fouls of the ungodly, at death, fbrink back into the body, and tremble to go forth, when they can have no profpect of any better lodging than utter darknefs.

DIRECT.

DIRECT. V. Study to imitate the ancient worthies, by dying in faith.

THIS was the character and epitaph of the OldTeftament faints, Heb. xi. 13. "Thefe all died in faith." As they had lived in faith, fo they died in faith. They not only continued true believers to the laft, dying in the ftate of faith, but they died in the exercife of faith alfo. Now, the exercife of faith in dying, includes feveral things worthy to be imitated by all dying believers..

1. An open and profeffed adherence to the doctrine of faith, and truths of Chriftianity. This faith all Chriftians fhould zealously own in the view of death, and perfevere in it to the laft, without wavering. This would be to die like martyrs, though we die in our beds. How ftedfafily did old Polycarp adhere to Chrift and his truths to the laft, and fo did in faith? When he was urged by the Proconful to deny Chrift, he an fwered, "These fourscore and fix years have I served him, and he never once offended me: and how shall I now deny him."

2. Dying in faith imports an inward, hearty, and firm belief of the fundamental articles of the Christian faith; and improving them fo, as to make them the foundation of our comfort and hope at the hour of death. As, for inftance, we muft yield our departing fouls, in the firm belief of their living and exifting in a feparate condition after this life, and of that future ftate of bleffedness and reft which God hath prepared for all believers. Again, we muft difmifs the body to the grave, in a firm belief and hope of a joyful refurrection at the laft day. Thus that holy man Job both lived and died in faith, Job xix. 25. 26. "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though, after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my fleth fhall I fee God." A Christian then dies in faith, when he believes these truths fo, as cheerfully to obey God's call, and venture into the invifible world, upon the teftimony which God

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hath given concerning it; As Abraham did in going out to an unknown land, Heb. xi. 8. "By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he fhould after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went."

3. The believer dies in faith, when he makes fresh application to Christ as his only hope and Saviour, takes him in his arms of faith, as old Simeon did before his death, faying, "In the Lord Jesus Christ I have rightteousness and strength;" though I have neither righteoufnefs nor strength in myfelf, yet I have both in him, my bleffed Surety and Redeemer. We have many uses for faith in Christ at the hour of death. By faith we must depend upon Christ's blood for making atonement, and washing away the guilt of all our bypaft fins. By faith we must put on the righteousness of Chrift, for covering our naked fouls, when they are to appear and ftand before God. By faith we muft rely on Chrift for ftrength to fuffer pain, refift temptations, to conquer death and all our enemies. By faith we must look to Christ as our leader, and trust him for our fafe conduct through the dark valley of death, and for our fafe landing on the fhore of glory.

4. The believer dies in faith, when he trufts his departing foul with confidence in his Redeemer's hand, faying with Paul. 2 Tim. i. 12. "I know whom I have believed, and am perfuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed to him againft that day." This was the Pfalmift's practice, Pial. xxxi 5 "Into thy hand I commit my fpirit; for thou haft redeemed me, O Lord God of truth." So the man who dies in faith, commits the jewel of his foul to his Redeemer's keep ing, and confides in his care of it. Why? He made it, he hath redeemed it, he loves it, it is his own, a member of his body, and he will not hate his own flesh. He loves his dying faints much better than we love an eye, a hand, or any other member of our body, which, to be fare, we will not lofe, if it be in our power to fave it.

5. Dying in faith imports, that the dying faint confides in God's faithfulness artd truth for making good VOL. I.

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all his promifes to his church and people after his death, which are not yet accomplished. We should go off the ftage in the firm belief of God's fulfilling all his promifes concerning the profperity of his church, the calling of the Jews, the deftruction of Anti-Chrift, and the fecond coming of our Lord; and likewife concerning our families, that God will be as good as his word, and be a father to the fatherless, and a husband to the widow.

Would we then be fo happy as to die in faith, let us take thefe advices:

1. Let us be careful to get faith before-hand; for death is a time to use faith, not to get it. They were foolish virgins who had their oil to buy when the bridegroom was come.

2. Study to live every day in the exercife of faith, and be ftill improving and making ufe of Chrift in all his offices, and for all these ends and uses for which God hath given him to believers.

3: Be frequently clearing up your evidences for heaven, and beware of letting fin blot them to you.

4. Record and lay up the experiences of God's kind dealings with you, and be often reflecting upon them, that you may have them ready at hand in the hour of death.

Laftly, Meditate much on these promifes, which have been fweet and comfortable to you in the time of straits ; and beg that the Lord may bring them to your remembrance when you come to die.

DIRECT. VI. Set the Examples of other dying Saints before you, and study in like manner to fhine in Grace, and be exemplary in Piety and Heavenly Difcourfe, for the Glory of God, and Good of Souls, when you are going off the Stage.

THIS is the laft opportunity you have of doing fervice to God, and the intereft of religion; wherefore, ftrive to improve it diligently for the honour of God,

and