Direft,J, Dirt[i.z. Mr.Vws, Mr.CaptlJ, l\!r.Holli,;g..– wowh, Mr.Afhhurft, Mr.A •b;-oft, Mri<,B.,r;uU, &c. Direft, 3• Direll.+· Dirc/J. 5· 1Jireaiom for dyi1!g [omfortably. Tit. 3· 1Jirec1ions for a Comfortable or Peaceable :Death. COmfort is no_t ddir.1ble only a~ it_Pleafith rH, but alfo as itftrengthmeth tt!, and hclpeth us in our t,reatdl dutJCs. And when u 1t more needful than in Jick.,neft, and the approach of death? 1 flull thCrefore add fuch Directions as are neceif:ary to make our departure CtJmfortable or pe'aceful at the leall, as well as f•fe. Direct. 1. Becaufc I would make this Trc:atifc no longer than I needs mufl, in order to over– come thr:: fc:n:r of Death, and get a chcarful willingmfl to d;•t', I defire the lick to read ·ovcr thofe t_w.rr.ty Conhderadons, and the _following DinClions which 1have l.:~.id down in my BJok of Self-de– n)'l'l: And when rhc fears et dcarh arc: overcome, the great impcdirnt:nt of their corntort is removed. 9~ 2. DireCt. '2· Mi{underftaMd not fick,..neji, as if it were a greater· evil than it i-f; but ob[trve bow grt:Jt a mercy it ir, that Death btb fo fuitable a h.lrbinger •or fore-runner. That God Chou\d do fo much before he rakctb us hence, t6 wecn os from the world, and make us willing to be gone; that the .unwilling flc01 hath the help of pain : and that the fenf<s and appetite langui01 and decay, which did 'd{aw the mind eo earthly things, and that we have fo lowd a call, and f, grclt a help to true tf'pcr.tance an l fetious preparation? I know to thofe that have walked very clofe with God, and are alwayts rcady, a fl1dden death may be a mercy; as we have lately known divers holy Minillers and others, that have dyed either after aSacrJ:ment, or in the Evening of the Lords D.1y, or in the midjl of fame boly rxe,.cije with fo lirrle pain, that none about them perceive~ when thfy dyed: But ordinarily it IS amercy to have the flc:01 brought down and wtakned by painful hcknefs, to help w conquer our na· tural unwilliugndS ro dye. 9· 3· DirtCt. 3· Remember -ahofe Me(fenger fick.._nefl i1, and rrho it i1 that cJUelh you tod)'e. It is he that is the Lord oi all the world. and gave us the Lives which he takerh from us ; And it is he that mull dilfmfe of Angels and Men, of Princes and Kingdoms, ofHeaven and Earth, a.nd therefore there is no reatOn thilt fi.~eh \tVorms as we fl1ould ddlre to be excepted : Y0U cannot d,ny him to be the Difpofc:r of all thin[,s, without denying him to be God ; It ishe that Loveth us, and never meant us harm in :any thing that he hath done to us : that gave the life of his Son to Redeem us, and there.. fore think:tth ·nor L.ife too good for us : Our ficknefs and death arc fent by the fame Love, that fcnt us aSaviour, and ftnr us the powerful Preachers of his Word, and {ent us his Spirit, and fc:cretly and fwcetly chang<d our hearts, and li;nit them to himfelf in Love : which gave us a lifeof prerious mer– cies for our fouls and bodies, and hath promifed to give us life ctt:rnal: And fhall we think that he now intcndetl1 us any harm? Cannot he turn this al£0 to our good, as he hath done maf)y an affii~ ction which we have repined at? §. 4• Dit<tf. 4· Looi(. byf•itb to your dying, buryed, rifen, afcended, glorified Lord. Nothing will more powerfully overcome borh the pvyfon and the ftaTJ of Death, rhan rhc believing thoughts of him that hath triumphed over it. Is it terrible, as it feparateth the foul from the body? So it did by our Lord, who yet overcame ir. Is it terrible as it liyeth the body in the grave? So it did by our Sl– viour; though,he faw not corruption, but guickly rofe by the power of his Godhead. Hedyed to teach us believingly and boldly to fubmit to death. He was bttried, to teach us not overmuch to fear a grave. He n{e a;,ai~ to conquer death for us, and to affure lhofe that rife to newmfi of life, that they !hall be raif,d at lali by his power unto gl01y: and being made .partakers of the firft re· JitrreDion, thefrcond deatb Ou l\ bave no poWer over them. He Jiveth as our Head, that we might Jive by bim ; and that he might afii.1re all thofc that are here rifen with him, and feek firfi chc things that are above, that thollgh in .themfdves they aJ'e de1,d, yet tbcir life is hidwith Chriji in God, and n>hcn Chriji r:rho i1 our life jh<.JU appe.tr, tben jh.JU we al{o appear witb him iu glory, Col. 3· r, 2, 4, 5· \Vhat a comfortable word is that John 14• I9· Becaufe I live, ye p,.~D live alfo. D.::arh could .not hold the Lord of life: Nor can it hold us againfi his will, who .hath th< /;eyes of death and HeU, R(v. 1 , 18. He loveth every one of his fanCtitied ones much better, than you love an eye:, or a hand, or any other member of your body, which you will not lofe, if you arc able to favc it. When h: afcend~d, he ltft us that mdfage full of comfort for his followers, John 20· 17· Go tomy Brethren, and Jay um.o them, I ofoend untow1y Father ~nd your Father, tonry Go~ and your God: which, with thefe t\VO following, 1 would have wntten before me on my hck-bcd, John 12. 26. If any wan [crve me, let him foYow me, and where I am, there alfo jhall my ferv,.mt br. And Luke 23· 43· Verily I foy untothee, tod.,,y p,alt thou be with me in Par.tdife. 0 what a joyful thought fhould ir be to a Believer, te rhink when he is dying, that he is going to his Slviour, and thac our Lord is rifen and gone before us, to prcpne a place for us, and tJke us in feafun to him(i:lf. Jvtm 14· 2,_314• As you believe in God, believe thJU in Chrijl, and then your bearts will be le[J· troubled, Ver. 1. fr IS not a flranger that we talk of eo you; but yam Head and S1viour that loveth you betcer (han you love your fclves, whofe office it is there to appear continua\1y for you before God , and at lJ.Cl eo re– ceive your departing fouls ; and into hi-s hand it is that you mull then commwd them, as Suphen did, A[!, 7· 59· 9· 5· Direct 5· Choofe out fome Promifes moft fuitable to y:mr condi.liOJt, and rotl them over t~.nd over in your mind, and feed and ltvt Olt tbem by fairb. A fick man is not ( ufually ) fit to think of very many
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