3 12, 6. We arc all to meet death. Saint Paulsf'rumpet, or To concinde all, confider that all ofus, there is no man upon the earth,but we are' all going to meet the mortal fleep of death: and if we (hail when that meets us,havc our own eonfeiettcestell us,that we have alto a fpiritual fleepwithin us: that we carry a fpiritual fle cp to meet that mortal fleep, what a miferable, and mournful (late will that be - when the heart ofman or womanthat is coming th die,thall fay,and (peak aloud,and vvitnefsaainfthis Maftcr,O,thouhailbeen afiaggiihandfleepy Chriftian: thou haft had good-Means but thouhaft notkept thy vvatch,thou vvouldeft fleepdo vvhat the exhortations ofthe Wordcould, thou vvouldeft be a drovvfie Chriflian. Hence it comes tr pars that fo many,vvhen on their death-bed theycome to grapple vvith that mortal fleep, and then confcience proclaims againft them, then they cry, Oh.that I had but one day,but one hour more,that i might evaken,andflrengthen the things that are ready to die,and that it might bebetter yvith me than it is.But alas novv their :hog day ispall, andone perpetual night to come, andnovv it is too late, as it proves many times.Thcrefore letnot timego,butknovv that that mournful daymull come upon us,vve muff meer'.that mortal fleep : Let us labour to !Bake off fpiritual fleep, drovvfinefs of fpirit, andmake ourpeace in the mean time, that confcience may vvitnefs vvithus,and fée us at the day ofdeath,and judgement. ,Let us labour tobe vvatchful, anddefire to be ready for the Lord,and.to have ouraccounts ready for him. 7 his (hall (office for the vvords. Nove for ouroccafion : becatsfe this is myfirfe occauion of this hind, I mull enter vvith a preface, and that is this : that as I have ever been in the courfe of my mi- niftr:, fo I (hall be very (paring in the praife of the dead, becmfe I knovv that there exercifes are appointed for the inflruEtingof theiliving, andthe confolation of thole that furvivc,and notfor thepraife,and cómmemoration of the dead. Beides, I knovv, and fee by daily experienceevery vvhere,hovv fevv there be that in their life time deferve the praife ofR.cligion intheir death. Formy part I never did, nornever will 'gildarottenpoll, or a mudvvall,or give falfe vvitnefs inpraifing, to give thpraife of&eligion tothofe that . deferve itnot. I defarc thofe ofmy con- gregation vvould make their oven FuneralSermons vvhile they be living, by their vertuons life, and corhierfationi .- As the Apofile faith, ¡k loath not praife, that to praifedofmen : but be theirpraifedof God. T H E
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