Deliverancefrom the Ding ofFears,or Means to be heed from the feat ofdeatb. I, Humility. z, Faith: ;. watchful- nefs. ç.Prcpuation. o a lively hope, to ara inheritance immortal and undefiled, and in what meafure the hope of Heaven is in the heart of man, in that meafure the fear of death falleth in :hat heart, now it is poflible that we may attain this fulnefs cf hope, and therefore it ispoffible that we may be freed quite from the fearcif Death. This may fuffice byway of Motive. A word'ar two by may of dire&ion. If this be poffible to be had, How (hall the Servants of God get it ? You fee fomeof Gods Servants are held under the fear ofdeath, and that all their life long ; How (hall we be freed from this fear ? I (hall now orderly cakeup the particulars laid down as Mures, and fhew that by thefeit is cured e As for in(lance. Dori, God do this for this end, that he may humbles man ? Then the more humble thou art, the lefs thou (haft be in the fear of Death, for God layeth thefe fears upon men to humble them, therefore labour for petfebt Humiliation, and thou (halt perfe&ly rid their fears out of thy heart : as we fee plainly,. the Servants of God, the more humble they havegrown, the lefs care- ful they have beenof Life, and the lefs fearful of Death : And fo thofe Servants of God that have been brought to deny themfelves, and to renounce all their worldly Expe&acionand Advancements, they have always been ready to die. Saint Paul was grown humble, and the Lord had prevailed upon him, kept down his Spirit from being exalted above meafure, and now (faith he ) my life rs net dear tome, he wascontent to lay down his life and all when he was humoled. Beloved, pride in Come outward excellencies or other, fettech a man above his place, therefore when a man is tookoff from all that puffs up the fpiric of a man, hewill be content to lay down any ofchofe things, even life it felf if need be. Again fecondly ; Dich God do it to RrengthenFaith in a man ? then the more thou ftrengthenefl Faith, the more thou (halt be freed from their fears ; you know Faith looks upon Chrifas the proper obje& of it, and the more a man interefleth himftl.' inChri(l,the more by Chrih,he isfreed from the fear ofDeach,Chritl hathre- deemed us from the Grave and from Death, and therefore whenby Faithhe looks up. on Chi iík, and through him upon Death ; he looks upon that as a thingmade, înflead of Poyfon a Medicine ; inroad of a Deflroyer,a Saviour and Deliverer, asa means to freehim from the Bondage of fin, and mifery,and affli&ions,&c. Thirdly ; Doth Goddo this, that he may makemenmore Holy and Watchful in their courfe ? then certainly the more thou mall purge out thy fin in thecourir of thy life, the lefs thou (halt fear Death. The Sting of Death irlin, then if thou wilt have Death comfortable, let thy life be conformable to God's Ruleand Word, or elle every fin will prefent it felf in deathbefore thee, fpecially chofe fns, thou allowefl thy ¡elf in, will make Death as bitter as Hell. Fourthly; Doth God do it for thisend,that hemay make thee better prepared for death? Then the more thou art prepared for death before hand, the lefs thon (halt fear it,when it cometh upon thee, it will notcome as a f}ranger, but thou wilt be ready co receive ic, as one with whomthou art acquainted already. It isa great matterifmen could learn this W:fdom to die daily; that is, be every day imployed, as dying daily : I mean for the manner of your carriage, not for the matter; for the fubflance of the duty. If a man were lure to 'die this day,¡ he would lay ride all bufnefs,and fet himfelf tobe prepared forJodgment,and would lay slide the u;e ofany ocher comforts and delights. But this is not the meaning, but that wecarry our felves in bufinefs every day, as ifdeath (hpuld (eize uponus in .hat bufcnefs, chat we might be found well-doing; chat is, when a man followeth his earthly bufnels with a heavenly mind, when hekeepeth to the rule of Righceoufnefs, . and truth inhis ordirfa:y calling, when he isdoing,or receiving good inhis company, when heufeth his pleafuresand recreations, as the Whet-flone to the Sithe, tomake him fitter for God; I fay, when thus we do things toa right end,and to aright man- 'ncr ; if death now should seize upon us in filch anaetioniit fhould find uswell- doing :. And this is that we perfwade you co, if you would have death comfortable, and not. terrible, be fo imployed, as that your a&ions may be good, both for matter and' form, that you ate now about, becaufe death may Miteyou in fuch an action. But I cannot Rand on theft Particulars. Again,'.
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