Boston - BT700 B7 1769

' . ,. Head tl. Dir.elfiom how 11 prepat;efor DtaJA. 3~7 iifhil Lord, lhaU comfortably rec~ive the grim mdfenger, whtle he beholds him ui"I!ering in Him, of whom he maycoo· ndent_ly fay, This h my God, and I ha~e ,Waited for him. The way to die comfortably is to die daily. Be o.ftea effllying (as is were) to die. ~ring yourfelv-es familiarly acquain'ted with d~ath~ by makiPg many vifits to the-grave. in ferious medita-tions upon it. ,.This was Jo.b's practice,' chap. x:vii. l 3• 14 I have made ni_y bed in the darluzefi. Go thou, and do likewife; and when death comes, thou fhah: have nothing ado but to lie down. I have faid to C9r– ruption, 'Thou art my father; 11 the 'lJ.Jorm, 7'hou art my• mother and my.Jifle'r, · Do thou fay fo too; and tbou wih be the fitter to go home to their houfe. Be frequently reflect– ing upon your conduct, andconfidering what courfe of life yow .. wifh to be found in when death arrefis you : and ace accord· ingly. \\Then you do the ·duties of your fiation in life, or are employed in atls ofwodhip, think with yourfel:ves, that, it may be, this is the ]aft opportunity; and therefo 1e act as if you was ne-ver to do more of that kind . When you lie dowa at night, compofe your fpirits as if you was nat to awake, _ till the hef!.veos be no more. And when ryou awake iri the· morning, confider that new d~y as. your lafl; and Jive accord-– i·ngly. Surel-y that night cometh, of which yoh will never fee the morning; or that morning, of which you wil1-never fee the night. But which of your mornings nr'night~ will' be fuch; you know not. _ Thirdly, .Employ yourfelves much in weaning your hearts· from the world.. The man who is mak:ing •eady ·to go· ,abroad, bufies himfelf in taking leave of hi£i frie·nds: Let· · t-he mantle of earthly enjoyments Hang loofe about you; that it may be eafily dropt, when death comes to carry· you away into another world:, Moderate your afFections to~ .wards your ·l;twful comforts o.f life; and let not your heartj' be 'too much taken with them. The uaveller atls unwife• ly, who fuffers himfelf to·be fo allured wi1h the conv·enien•– cies of the inn. 'rhere he ·lodgeth, as to make . his neceffary– departure Irom · it grievouS'. F-eed with fear, and walk-·thr~o• · the world as pilgrims and firangers. Likcas, when the .corn·. is forfaking the ground, it is ready for the fickle: ·when:. t-he fruit is ripe, it falls off the tree et~fily; fo, when at ~rilliaD's. hear.t.is. trulzweaned 'from the.world, he is prC"' nateiU .

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