JLtfes JLcafe. -------··-·· the number turned to this poor cypher, they arc not, they have bun. I cannot leave him yet, his fickneffe lairs long, and at leafl: three dayes before his death,he prophefies his departure,and how fl:range a prophcfie? not oRely that he mu(]:; die, but foretelling the very day; On the Lords dtry ( faid he) loo.'<._ to me. Neither was that a word ofcourfc, which you may gueffc by his often repetition ; every day asking till the day came tndeed, What, is Sunday come r· At lafl: the Lookt– for day came on'; and no fooner had the Sun beautified that morning with nis light; but he fall! into a :ranee;. What (think ye) meant his bleffed foul, while!l the body it felf ufed fueh an aCl10n? hts eyeswere fixed, l1is face chearful, his lips fmiling, his hands and armes clafpmg ma bow, as tfhe would have received fame bleffcd Angel, that there was at hand to receive his foul; but he comes to himfclf, and tells them how he faw thefweetcft boy that ever eyes beheld, and bids them , Be ofgood chtar, for he m~:ft prefemly go wtth htm. One !landing near, as now fufpecting his time of diffolution, bides him fay,Lord, into thy hands I commend my fpirit; Yes, ( faid he) Into thy hands, l'f•l· Jr. S Lord,! commit myfpirit, which is thydt<e, f or why? thott haft redeemed it, 0 Lord my God moft tme. \Vho will not believe this childe now fings in Heaven, that fo foon had learned this Davids Pfalm on Earth? I cannot hold my felf, nor will I hold yoiJ long; but how may I omit his heavenly ejaculations ! Beloved, I bcfecch you pardon me whilefl: I fpcak his words, and I will promifeyou to fpeak no word, but the very fame formally which were his own: Pray,pray,pray,nayyet pray,and the more prayers,the better Ill/ profpers: God is the brft Phyjii:ian; Into his hands I commend my fpirit: 0 Lord Je(w" recei1.1e my Jo~tl. Now clofo mine eyeJ, forgive me, Father, Mothtr, Brothtr, Sifttr, all the world. Now I am well, my pain is almoft gone, my joy is at h~tnd; Lord, have mercy on me, 0 Lord, receive my {ot<l untothee. Where am I whil!l I fpeak thefe words ? Bleffed Saint, now thou fingell: in Heaven, God hath bid thee welcome, the Angels are hugging thee, the Saints rejoyce with thee, this day is the Crown feton thy head, this day is the Palm of viClory in thy hand; now art thou arrayed in the fhiniog robes of Heaven, and all the Holl: do triumph at thy Coronation. Sweet foul, how am I ravifhed to think upon thee! What joy is this? The Patriarchs falute thee, the Prophets welcome thee, the Apo!lles hug thee, all hands clap for joy, all harps warble, all hearts are merry and glad. 0 thou Creatour of men and Angels, help us all to Heaven, that when our dayes havebee11,] wemayall meet together in thy blcffed Kingdom. i have done: turn back by the fame threed that led you through this labyrinth,and you fhall have in two words the fumme of this whole Text. The time of our Leafe, what is it but our Life ? what is this Life, but a number of few dayes f what are thefe dayu, but a world full of evil.< But a life, but dayes, but few, but evil; can we adde any more? Yes, Life is life howfocver we live, and better you think to have a bad /cafe in being, than our life to be quite extinguifhed: nay, be not deceived, this life is but death, th,e daye.s that we fpend, they arc pall and done, f"! and evil they have been. Thus ends the Text with the expiration of our Leafe: yet IS not all done; when we lofe this life, we have another freehold prepared in Heaven; and this is not leafed, but purchafcd ; not for a life, but inheritance; not for dayes, but for ever ;' Croffe but the words of my Text , and many ar~d happy jh"llthe "l"of thy life be in heavm, for ever 11nd ever, Amen. Deaths
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