Chap, 33. An Expofition upon the Bookof ,j o D. Verf. 22. 36L tweenaman that is very lick and the grave. Now if the Fick man be drawingnear unto the grave, then Firt+, Let them that are lick remember the grave ; 'tis our du- ty tobe alwayes remembring andmeditating upon the grave in our health, much more should that be our remembrance &medi- tation,whenwe are fick,mot+of all when we are lick untodeath,or ready CO dye anddrop into the grave. Secondly, If the Fickare drawing neare unto the grave, then let Fick men draw near untoGod ; if ever you will draw near unto God, the livingGod,be fure to doeit upon the borders of death `cis good yea bet+ todraw nighunto Godwhen we are well,and all is well with us, even at bet+ in the world (Pfal. 73. 2i.) But whenwe are indanger or drawing nigh untodeath,Ohowearneft- ly fhould we draw nigh untoGod,in the aelings of faith,and love; Yo whom fhould wegoe (as Peter faid to Chrit+, fah. 6. 68.) in the appearances and approaches of temporali death, but unto him whobath the words ofeternall life. It is high time for us todraw nigh untoGod, when any of the comforts of this life are with- drawing from us, is it not more thenhigh time therefore, to draw nigh tohim, when life it felfe is withdrawing from us, and we drawing nigh to the grave ! Howmi ferable is their condition who have death near them, and God far from them. Though we walke through the valley of thefhadow ofdeath, yet (as David profefled. hewould not, Pfal. s3. 4. ) we need not feare any evil!, while God is with ur ; but howwill the very lhadowes of death put us in feare, if Godbe not with us ? and what confidence can we have of his being with us, if we are not acquainted with him, if we ufe not to draw neare to him ? Thirdly, If they that are Fick draw near unto the grave, then it is good for filch as come tovif:t their fick friends, wifely to mind them of the grave ; when will a difcourfe with our friends of death and the grave be feafonable, ifnot when we fee them dying and going to the grave ? yet fore, when they vifit fick friends, will not fpeaka word ofeither ; they fear it may hat+endeath to hear of it,& that fpeakingof thegrave may put them into ir, then which I know no fear morefoolifh, or more to be feared. Yea forewill forbid vifiters tomention death, when theirRelations lye Fick, O doe not fpeak of death tomy Husband, faith theWife, &c. But remember it, if the lick are drawing near to the grave, ..aa they
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