30 The PraifeofMournihig, th mercy allo to thofe that live, that they feeing the fervants .ofGod lodged up before the tempeft, maylearn to fear, and to hide and fectire themfelves under Gods fist:- dal providence, who can either hide them amongft the living, or the dead, in cae worft times. Now let us conclude with Tome application to our felves. In the firff place , it ferveth for the juft reproofof that great neglc& that is in the world at this day ,t'as men 1aynottoheartthe death ofotbers.I with that this were only the fin of world- ly men. I know to a worldly man it is of all things the molt unpleafaiac thought that can be to think of death: he cannot indure to hear this , they fh.i!lfetch thy foulfrom thee. It is as unpleafantto him , as it is to a Bankrupt to hear ofa Sergeant coming to arreft him : as unpleasant as is to a Malefa&or co hear of being brought before theJudge. And that is the reafon why men in the time offeafting, cannot endure fetch difcourfes at their tables , as might put fad thoughts of death into them ; oh ! thofe are too melancholly thoughts. Yea, but it the mean time it is thy folly, thy want of wifdome. He that wasguided by the fpiritof wifdom , and had now bought Tomewifdom at a dear rate , by woeful experience of his former follies ; he now feeth that it was farte better to go to the house ofmourning, that is , feriop'ly to confider ofthar, which menaccount the moffordinary cattle ofmourning , that is, the death ofothers, and of themfelves s then to goe to the houfe of feafting , that is, to (port a mans (elfin the pleafures of the world , and to give liberty to a mans felfe to all mariner of de- lights. . But (.I fay ) I with tl'at this were their fault only , and that it may die with them. Butit is too myth the fault of Gods.own people. Mafia isfain to pray for Ifrael in the Wildernels, where they law fo many die before them, that God mould gave tbemwifdom to number their ',layer. And Minifters haveHill the farne caufe to pray for the people, and Chriffiaus to pray ,one for another; that God would give them wifdom to lay toheart the Death ofother men. Have you well confidered ofDeath, when you can only difcourfe , that fucha one thatwas profitable in his inffrudtion.,. is dead: fuch a one by whom we have hadgood in converfing with , is dead : fuch a one that was young, and likely to live many years. longer, is dead? What of all this ? this is but idle, and empty difcourfe. What rife makeft thouof this to thy felf? doff thou gather from thence the certaintyof thy own death ? Doff thou confider what death will d-o to thee' when it cometh? how that it will feparate between thee and all things in the world asit hathdone them? Doff thou confider for what caufe God fendeth Death abroad into the world? Doff thou confider this with thy felt, as thou oughteffto do ? This is an a&of wifdom; This is that we call due confideration when the foul refle&s upon it felt: it is their cafe now , and it will be mine , and mine in the fame manner, therefore it is good for me, to let my accounts ffrait with God. . When thou accompanieff another to the grave dolt thou conclude thus with thy felf, the verynext time that any death is fpokenof, it may be mine, or as Saint Peter fpeaksto Saphirah after the death of Armenia , thefeetofchafe that have buriedthy husband are at thedoor , andfha!! carry theeout elfo ? This is the reafonof all that worldly-mindednefs, ofall that earneftnefs, and in- vention, to gain the favour of men by indire& means, this is the reafon of all that immoderate areaboutour bufinefs with the negle&ofour fouls, this is the reafon of all that carnal fecurity , ofall that forgetfulnefsof God, and the account that (hall be made at the day ofJudgment, this is the reafon ofthe unfruitfulnefs of our lives, ofour unprofitable fpendingofour times , or ofwhatfoever elfe it be, this is even the very reafon ofall, becaufe even thofe that profeffe themfelves to be the people ofGod, and togive God the glory of his attributes in all hisworks, yet they lay not to heart the death of thole that are before them. Men durft not, they could not, paffe away their time in Inch unprofitablenefs, and unfruitfulnefs as they do, ifthey did ferioufly confider, and lay to heart the death of others be- fore them. Vfe r/ For eeproof. of the general negleEtof this duty, Again,
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