Of DEATH. Chap. VI. 'Twas the chief Defig" ?f the Philofophers, by Principles of Reafon, ~o fortify them. felves agamfl: all fnghtful Acetdents, and With a mafcuhne Mind, with rcmm rog- an ardent and generous Spmt1 to'{- encounter tlus mevitable Evil. \Vhen & incxora- ~~:th~r~~~leb:,dl;s r~~If:~~e~h~~at~~ctl~~r;;~u:~rt¥a~:~; C~~tJ;ie~~e~h~~ r;,·gi/. arc foftned and melted by fenfual Pleafurcs, and eafily receptive of terribl~ Imprel!ions_, not to a l'hilofopher to whom Death is contemptible in any appearance. rh1s was a p1ece of affe8:ed _Bravery ; for 'Pagan Plulofophy could never furmfh them wah Armour of Proof agamfl: the Dart of our !aft Enemy. ·But the Gofpel a!Turing us that Death is an Entrance into Immortality, makes that to be the Reality of a Chrifl:ian, that was a vain Bnafl: of the Philofophers. Now that we may be eftablifh'd in that ble!Ted Tranquillity that Death cannot difcompofe, the following DireCtions are infinitely ufeful. 1.. We mull: give all diligence to be in a fl:ate of Reconciliation with God. The things reqU!fitc to tha~ are, as the Apofile declares,_ Repentance to1vart/s God, and Faith in the Lord 'Jefru_ Cbrifl. ACts 20. 21. Repentance m:I.udes a Godly Sorrow for Sins pall:, with a detefl:a~JOn and forfakmg them lincerel~!.."ilthout Hypocrify; and entirely, without paruahty m the Heart and Converfauon. 1 IS called Repentance from dead Works Heb 6. 1. the proper Nameof our Sins,. t:fiat deferve Eternal Death. By Repentance 'were: turn to Obed1ence ~hat IS due to GoA.t our Maker and Lawgiver. Faith refpe8:s the Re. dee~er, 'Yhoby lusBloodlhedo'! theCrofs, and plea~ed in Heaven, reconciles God to pemtent Smners. The behef of h1s mewful and powerful Med1at1on for our Acceptance . and Pardon,_ 1vorks b~ Love, 2 ~r;r. 5·. 14. and co'!flrttim us .to dedicate our. felyes in a de~ ~~~t~~~r.~~tf~l~iel~ ~~c~~g ~t~dtr,~r~:~:i a~nlr!?v\'~~aifi~~~~fat~l::i~f.~~·c~~~- a/i~~~ as a Perfon fincerely repeni:'J and believes, he is jufl:ified before God ; and if he dies will certainly obtain Eternal f:ilory. This lhouldbe the early and moll: fpeedy Work dr our Lives: for the delay o'f Repentance, and negle8: of fccuring the Favour of God, arms Death with more Stir.gs and Terrors. The infinite dang<.r of this I will unfold, to awaken the carelefs and fecure. The Devil is a 5ophifler in perfeCtion ; and his ordinary and fuccefsful Artifice to elude the force of prefer,t ConviCtion, and wrap Men in Sin and Damnation, is to induce them todelaythegreat Work of the Soul tillafterward. He isnotfofooliOltotellthem, as he did our firfl: Parents, Te fballnot die; for the Temptation is Co palpable, that it could 1e~~:~~ ~fn~.inn~':~ tsh~o:~~~~:o~r~5~r~~i~~alJ'6o~!,~~;r~eY~~~:~·ist~~tJ:~~~~t~~~ can refifl the full and fl:rong conviCtion in Men, that Death is inevitable. Tho Nature recoils from it with abhorrence, yet this fad Truth is fo vifible, that it forces an affent fi·om all. Thofe who are titular Gods, the greatefl: Princes, are not fo vain as to pretend to an exemption by Privilege from that fatal Neceffity; they cannot fancy to be imbalm'd alive, and that Nature may be made incorruptible by Art. The Palace is as near the Grave os the Cottage : therefore the Devil cheri01es in Men fond hopes of a long Life. As fome Optick Gla!Tes deceive the fight, and make a fuper6cial Reprefenration in Colours on a Wall but two or three fl:eps diftant, appear a long deep Gallery : Thus the Temp· ter by adangerous Deceit, prefents to the Imagination the fatal Term at a great dillance; and fince he cannot leffen the Certainty of Death in Mens Belief, he removes the Image of it out of their Memories, to weaken the Impreffion that it is capable to make on their AffeCtions. They dare not venture to die, as they live, carelefs of Salvation, and unprepared for their Accounts with God ; therefore they fufpend the Workings of Confciencc by a feeming Compliance; they refolye at random to convert and reform ·hereafter, but will not determine at prefent to forfake their Sins. The Tempter infinuates there will be a long Interval between the prefent Time and the !aft Hour, that O>all decide their State for ever ; that it will be a convenient feafon to prepare for the other World when they have done with this; as if Repentance were beft at Iaft, when there are no Temptations, and therefore no danger of retraCting it. And the Heart of Man is a great Flatterer, very fubtile to deceive and ruin him with vain Refolutions of a devout Retirement, and becoming feriouOy religious hereafter: and thus by an eafy permiffion he gratifies the prefent Defiresof the Flefh, and goes in a circuit from one Vanity to another, till Death furprize the prefumer. 'Tis very applicable to this purpofe, what is related of .A/ea-u> the Athen. Poet, who from every feafon ot the Year, took Arguments to g1vc a new Title ro h1s ~~~:ri~~-a~r:~a~~: ;~~~gsu~!:~1't~e~~;~r1i~~~·'~~~~:'i~~J ~R~fi,.0tu!.?fhf~li ~h~!:; due
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