The Overthro2» of the lag Enemy. $7 But again, a mans felt mutt be armed, or elfe he cannot incounter with his enemy, What is our Armour againfr death to keep off that blow, a Get armour The Apollle in one word fheweth us there Armours,when he faith,a Bre/1.plate of againft death. Faith, and Love,and the hope of Salvation a Helmet. If a man have got Faith co eft on Christ alone for eternal happinefs,and his Soul filled with the hope of glory, and falvation throughhim, and then with Love to him, and his fervants for his fake ; there three vertues willfecure a man again(} all the hurt that death candy. Faith, Hope, and Charity, the Cardinal vertues that Chriftian Religion requires, and commands us to feek, thefeare Armour of proof! againft all the blows of death: He that haththern (hall never behurt of death, be- caufe he (hill never tafle of the fecond death: He bath only to wre(tlewich thefirft death,and there is no terrour,nor terriblenefsin that,ifa mans heart be fecure by there Graces, Faithwhereby we depend on Chrift, and on him alone for grace and falvation, bringing hope whereby we expeót and look for falvation of our fouls by his blood according to his prose fe, and working Charity whereby we love him for hisgood- neis,tnd his fervancs forhis fake; (If is be charity notonly of the lip to fpeak weil,but chat thatproducing well-doing ) I tar, this is that that makes us that death cannotfe -+ parate us from Chrdt, but the further we are, from life, the neererwe areto him, for when hi -u-ward Tabernacle ofour houfe if dißolved,we have a building with God Eternal in the Heavens: Anddeath to luch a man is nothing but the opening of the door to let him to of the Dungeon of the world, and toplace him happily in the Pal - lace of' Eternal büfs, I pray en -é into confederation how ye have behaved your (elves in thecourfe of your live ,wh:theras Heathens,or as Christians. A man that takes no care to prepare for death, though re come to the Church from Sunday to Sunday, and partake ofall Gods Ordmances,yet if the conlidcrationofdeath be not fo imprinted in him,that it became a motive to him to labour for Faith,an Hope,and Charity, and to endeavour to edifie himfelf in thefegraces,he liveth as a Heathen or an Infidel e And whendeath cometh to him,it will do him morehurt, then it will an Infidel, becaufe by how much God hashgiven him more means to efcape,and by negleyting thole means, as his fin is greater, Co (hall his punishment be. Secondly, ifye have been carelefs for to prepare for this enemy ; Nowbe afhamed of it, and 'orrowfor it let your hearts nowfmite ye, and ake within you : Oh foolilh vfe. Z. r , Y e Y For repreben- man orwoman (lay) l have lived tweney,thirty, foecy,ñfcy years, and Come mote ; I Goa, have laboured againft other enemies, if men had any thing againft me, I would be Cure to take order; I havelaboured for the things of this life, for riches and friends, and give my felt' leave for coenjoy pleafures,and taken pains to do good to my body : But all this vih -le it never carne into my heart ferioufly to chink, I must die, and af- ter that comet Yudgment, that I mull Rand before Gods Tribunal, andgive ac- count of my wa,s; i +aye not laboured .to beware of death andof fin ; nor to kill my corruptions, I Navenot laboured to increafe in Faith, and Hope,and Charity ; I have left my elf unarmed againft the laft and worft enemy. Oh whatfolly is this, to live in the world many a long day,and never to confider, that there will be an end of all there days, and the end of thole, the beginning of another life, and a life that will heinfinitely more miferable than this. If this (neloved)have been any of your faults to be earthily forgetfulof your latter end,not tomilder of your departure hence: If the world have fo tempted you, and pleafureshave fo enamoured you, that you haveforgottenyour latter end, blame yotir felvm, it is the greateft of all follies. And that I may difgrace this folly,and make youashamedof it; Confider a little, Tuat this is ao he like children ; The Apoftlebiddech usnot to belikechildren in un- rieríanding: But he that forgetreth death, and is carelefs to prepare for iv, is avery child. A little one never thinketh he (hall ever bea man himfelf, and maintain himfelf, and live in the world by his own labour, or,by that he shall havefrom hit Friends, hec'areth for nothing but meat, anddrink, and fporr, and pa(fime: :WO dame their folly, and laughat it as rediculous, and therefore by our diligence we seven.
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