322 The `I.ighteoiu Mans2ZeJing-place, or, {tillto God ; and this tender Babe is not loft, he is but fentbefore,he is alive ftillin. theprefenceofGod, the foul ftill lives, and the body ¡hall live, and is in Gods ac count,Chrift bath thecharge of it,and willraife it at the laft day. That man can loft no friend, that loves hisfriend, in, and for God : becaufe they live with God, and he ¡hall enjoy them at the laft day. Again,as we maymourn for the lofs ofour friendsand children (or elfe we Were without natural affeétion ) fo we mutt rejoyce that they have gained : as we have loft them, as they aretaken from us ; fothey aretaen from the evils of the world, from a great deal of fin and mifery ; and what that might have been , the Lord only knows ; therefore we havecaufetobethankfuh And (beloved) be thankful too, ifGod fpare any ; if he take one,he mighthave takenall, andpreparefor ittoo : be thankful for them that areleft. And remember, labourbetimes toinftru& your children in the fear of God : let it be the firft thing we infufe into them,as foon as theybe capable : namely,the ele- mentsofChriftian Keligion,holy,and heavenly things,w hy ? becaufe theymight be taken away before we are aware. It maybe welfare but a littletime, but afew op- portunities to do good to them. I tell you what our confcience will tell us elfe, that w e have not been focareful to inftru& our children, as they have been capable. And this will cut fore, and lie heavy to our confcience : andtherefore let us do it betimes. Not only to prevent theDevil, and his temptations : but becaufe you fee how fuddenly they may be takenaway fromus in a moment. So Children fhould be admonifhcd to learn toknow the LordGod in thedayet of theiryouth: how foon that evil day may come we know not ( that thewife man! (peaks of) therefore betimeswhile ye have opportunity do it. And for our own part, let us learn this ; Firft,when God cropsfuch flowers that rife inthe bud;whenhe takes away fichi Children, be thankful to God thathchath given us a longer time, that he bath en- larged ourdayes, andprolonged our years ; that he bath given us filcha great deal lof 1-pace, and opportunity, to glorifie himhere, to dohim fervice in the land ofthe living,to get evidence of our Calling and ele&ion,and to get affurance of ourpeace withhim. Let us praife God for the lengthofour dayes, a blefling ofGod in it felfr and a blelling to us ifwe improve it P gain, every one remember, ifChildren do die, old men muftdie,anyman may dic. For if Death ftrike fuch as do butbegin to live, then wethat havelived long, it is time and reafon to expo& death, andnot to fear it. I fpeak not this,as ifwe fhould be flavilhly afraidofdeath : while we are Co our are not comfortable. What is thë reafon that we fear it inordinately ? becaufe we Iove our lives,we loveour bodies,and.the world inordinately, andnot in,and for I God. Simile. And then by the continual fpraacles6fmor ality,letus be acquaintedwith death. Avizone, and apparition to a Child,fcares him,aud he runs from it at the first: but at Taft he grows throughlyacquainted with it, and fears it not : fo it is in regard of death, many men will not endure to hear ofdeath, theywill not endure to think of it,they willnot endureto hear a Funeral Sermon,or to cometo the hoof. ofmourning, to be put in mind of their latter end Death isa ftrange vizourto thefe men and wo- men, they areafraid of it, and runfrom it, but ifwe did oft thinkof it, as oft as we thinkoffin in the caufe of it. And when we feel forrow,think,here is a harbinger, ofdeath. I feel pain in mc, ere long I mutt furrender to the ftroak ofDeath. And `. as oft as we feefpe&acles ofmortality, to read a le&ureof Death. And when w e lay our (elves down inour beds thinkofDeath. And upon all occafions come to the baufe ofmourning, and thinkofDeath. If theSerpents flingbe plucked out a man may handleit,he is (bleat thefirft .; but after, finding it cannot hurt him,he fears it not. So we have caufe to thank God for death, as well as for other things;, thus far s becaufe he bath changed the nature ofit, and made it a sweet paffage.to ano- ther life. And then though God take Children, or friends, or goods,or anything in this world, hewill beour exceedinggreat reward, he will be All inallto ushere, andhereafter. f Ii E j
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