34 il Funeral Sem~on. ------------------------------ Night is hafi:ning, and fpreading it's wings over us; the Grave expclts us, and bids its other. Corps make room; Dcuth is grafping us in its cold Arms, and ready to carry us to the dreadful Tribunal; and yet how little of our great Work is done~ \Vc burn away our precious days, and miferably waft our light and our Life J we exhauft our ftrength, and lavifh out onr affections upon toys and fond nothings; and that Life of ours wt1ich the Pf.<~.lmift ca\ls a talc, for its fhortnefs, we make a tale for its vanity: We ijJcnd it moft frivoloufly, till the days ofD1rkncfs, which are many, come upon us; and then think to prepare for Eternity when we arc fit for nothing clfe, and leall: of all for that. Some fad infl:anccs there have been of thofe who having neglected this great work till the end of their Life, have then fpcnt that little remnant of time they had in· crying out for more: It ma:y be fo with you ; if your Confcicnces be not awakened fooner than by the Pain and Difquiet of your lick Beds, you will then with horrour cry out, more time, Lord, more time! but it will not be granted, the term is fixt, the lafr hour hath !truck, <the laft fand is run ; and as you and your ~ork, are then found, fo muft you into eternity. . Methinks, this is fuch a confi.deration as muft needs prevail with all th~ World : Our time is but Ihort and momentary, we arc but ofycfterday, and polllbly may not be to morrow; and God hath fufpended Eternity upon the improvement of this moment; a few hours will determine our everlafting condition, and according as they are fpent fo muft our doom be, either eternal Happinefs, or eternal Miferv. And why Ihould our precious Souls be fo vile in our eyes as to lofe them for veiy floth and carclefi1efs ? Why Ihould we hearken to the fuggeftions of the Flefh, or the allurcmcnts of the World? Stand off, we are working for Eternity, an Eternity that; is but a few days hence, a boundlefs, a bottomlcfs, and endlcfs fbtc, into which we know not how foon we may enter. This is a motive that cannot but prove effectual with all that h:tvc their right undcrftandingsabont them. But many arc fo ftrangcly bcfotted by the Devil, that though they bear thefc truths, truths that they cannot deny, that they cannot doubt of, yet they live at fuch a rate of fin and fccurity, as if their Eternity were to be expected here, or none to be expeCted hereafter. Now if we have carefullY prepared our fclvcs for Death, it will be to us :t repofe inftcad of a tcrrour. The Scriptnrc doth frequently compare it to flccp, and it is in-r deed the moll: natnral refemblance that can be given . While we arc aflecp we neither fee nor hear~ all our Senfes are lockt up, we enjoy none of the delights of Life, no comfort in our Friends, in our Riches orEftates; all thofc thingsarccancelledout of 0nr memories. And what more thall this can Death do to a Believer? And there.. 1 Th~( i· fore they are fait\ to {leep in<Jcfm. 'Tis a Oeep that gives them reft from their l:tbours, I+ a Oeep that opens their Eyes which were before benighted with ignorance andcrrour, a Oecp that deprives them of the dim and muddy light of this World, but brings them to the vition of that radiant fource and fountain of all Lights, in ·whofc BeamsAngels do .for ever rejoyce, and arc for evercherifhcd. . \;vhy !hould we then be fo terrified at the apprchenlions ofDeath? We may truly f1y, the bittcmefs of it is paft, its fting is taken out. We may fafcly take this Serpent into our Bofoms: though it hifs againft us, it cannot wound us. Yea, infl:ead of wounding us, 'tis reconciled to us, and become one of our party. And there.. fore when the Apoftle is drawing up a Chriftian's Inventory, he reckons Death as part of his Goods: Whether Life, or Death, or things prefont, or things to come, all dre youn, r Cor. 3· 22. And fo Philip I· 21. To me to live i1 Chrift, tmd to ilic is gain. And well may a Chriftian count Death among his gains, lincc it is the hana of Death that draws the Curtain of the great Tabernacle, and lets us in to fee God face to face in that Palace of ineftimable Majefty, where we Ihall have the ftrong Rays of his Glory beat full upon us, and be our felves made ftrong enough to bear them. Yea thcfc Bodies of ours, which arc the only part that can fnffcr damage, fhall have it abundantly recornpcnfed at the Refurredion. They dre }own in weaknefs, but 1 ~Cor. l'j•jiJtt!l be rdifed in power; they ar_e [own in dijlwnour, but raifed in Glory- T~cfe fra_il an~ 'IJ· dull clods fhall then become rmpaffible as Angels, fubtllc as a ray of Light, bnght as the Sun, and nimble as the wings of Lightning. . Having thus exhorted you to prepare for Death, 1 know .not how farther to Illforce i.t upon you with greater advantage, tlU!l by propoundmg ~o you the e~ample of this noble Pcrfon dcccafed, whofc whole Lrfe was a more fenous prejJaratJOn for Death, th>n moll: Mens dying thoughts. He well knew the Nobility of his extracuon
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