2 1; Twenty Keafons for denying Life. well as the other. Neceffary fuffering and death is enough without the addition of unneceffary fears._ 3 Nay were it but to put an end to the inordinate fears ofdeath, even deathit felffhould.be the lefs fearful to us.Thefe very fears are.troublefome tomany anupright foul: and should we not defire.to be pall theml As a womanwithChild is,in fear- of the pain and danger of her travail ; but joyfull when its. over;fo. is the.true believer himfelftoo oft afraid of the depart-. ing hour : but death puts. an end to all thofe fears.. Is it the pain that you fear ? Why how loon will it be over ? Is it the ftrangenefs of your fouls to God, and the place that you area paffmg to? This alfo will be quickly over ; and one mo- ment will give you filch full acquaintance with. the bleffedr God,and theCeleflial inhabitants, and the world in :which you- are to live,. that y'ouwill find. felf no ftranger there ; but be more joyfully familiar and content then ever youwere, in the bofome of your deareft friend. The Infant in the. Womb is a ftranger to this lighter openworld and all the inha-- bitants of it.; and yet it is not bell ftay there. You can fail for, commodityto a Countrey that younever faw : andwhy can- - not you pats with peace and joy to a God, a Chrift, a Heaven. that you never faw ? But yet you are not wholly a ftranger there;Is it not that God that youhave loved,and thathath firft loved you? Have you not been brought into. the_world by_ him, and lived by him, and been preferved 'and provided for by him ? and.do you not know him ? Is it not your Father and he that hathgiven you his Son and. his Spirit ? have you not found an inclination towards him, defires after him, ancL force tafte_of his love, and communion with-him, ..and yet are, you wholly unacquainted with him ? Knowyou not himwhom, you have loved above all?inwhom you have trulted?andwhorn you have daily ferved, in the world ? Who have you lived to' but him ? for whom elfe have you laid out your time and la- bour ? and yet do you-not know him ? . And. know you not_ thatChrift that bath purpofely come down into. flefifthat you, might know him? and that bath Chewed himfelf to you in a, holy life, and bitter deat-h, and-inabundant pretious Gofpel, zuerciesi:andin Sacramental reprefentations,that fci he might, enter.- -
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