To the READER. not hurt him ; it doth free him from tem- porary mìfery, but cannot hinder him from eternal felicity : and as that noble Captain ofThebes, who having gotten the victory o- ver his enemies , but withal , received his mortal woi nd,hemade this his grandenqui- ry, whether his weapóns were fafe or not? whether his buckler was not in his enemies hands ? and when it was replied all was fafe, hedied witha great Ideal ofcourage and fortitude. So when a Chriflian is to grapple withdeath, his main care is,that his BucklerofFaith, and the Hel- met of his Salvation, his Hope, thatthey be fafe toguard his Soul, and then he paffeth not much what becomes of outwardman, he dies in peace and confidence. Now that we may be fitted to encounter with this laft enemy, ( betides the manifold helps which God bath reached to us in his Word, in thepaffages of his providence, ins the frequent examples of' mortality before us continually, and in our own fenfible ap- proaches to the gatesofdeath ; I fay, befides thefe and infinite more,) this enfuing Vo lump (with fomuch care andpains compi- led) by Gods bleffing, and our endeavours, may prove no fmall furtherance inour Pil- grimage 3 EachSermon thereinbein ?za feveralLe- gacy bequeathedby thofe, upon the occa/on ofwholedeaths theywere Preached, asby fomanyTeflators , who them- [elveshavemade a real experimentofMortality, andleft thefe forour infiruIion that fttrvive them. It is true, the daily examplesofMortality are fomany real
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