Book IV. D E A T H A D E P A R T U R E. 943 no Man can work. All a godly Man's Care is to be ready, when Night comes, to go to refl:. But the Wicked take little Thought about it. .2. Some Men fall afleep in an hurry of Bufinef,, and in great Difl:raClion, when others in a fweer Manner lay their Heads d own upon their Pillows: So fame wicked Men die in great Oifl:raftion, and under fad horror of Confcience, when many a godly Man dies in a fweet and heavenly Manner, declaring to all he harh nothing to do but to die. 3· Some Men dread the Thoughts of going to fleep, for that it is dangerous in fame Cales for fame Perfons to fleep: So fome wicked Men dread the Thoughts of Death, like him who cried out, I am fo jick I cannot live, and fo jinful that I am afraid to die : Bur mo(t godly Men are delivered from the Fear of Death, they go willingly to bed: Now lettefl thou thy Servant depart in Peace, &c. Luke ii. 2 9· Saints are many times willing to go ro refl:, becaufe they are quire wearied om. ( r.) Sin wearies them, and even wears them our, and makes them groan. (z.) The World wearies them, and makes them willing to go to bed. (3.) The Devil, the God of this World, weanes them with hisTemptations. (4.) Their bodily Weakndfes and difquiering Pains weary· them. (5.) The Ablence of Chrifl: alfo makes them willing to go home. 4· Some Men fall afleep in a dangerous Place, nay, and lometimes in the midfl: of their Enemies : So wicked Men die in a dangerous .I:' lace, being far from God, and out of the Covenant of Grace, and befides are furrounded about with evil Angels, who il:and ready w devour their Souls : Bot a godly Man falls afleep in Jefus. 0 that is a fweet Place to fleep in. (r.) He fleeps in the View of Jefus; Chrifl: knows his Grave, and will preferve his Dull:. (2.) He falls afleep in the Love of Jefus. (3.) He falls afleep in the Covenant of.jefus. I am the God of Ab:·aham, Ifaac a.1d Jacob. 5· Some Men's Sleep is much more fweet and comfortable than orhers, as .we !hewed before, fame Men's Sleep is very .troublefome, their Spirits are troubled : So the Death of the Godly is fweet, they have Peace and heavenly.Joy, being with Chriil:; but the .Death of the Wicked is uoublefome, their Spirits being in Torment, whilft the Body lies in the Grave. I might alfo lhew you the great Differen~e there lhall be in the . awaking of the .one, and the other.; but that I will leave to its proper Place. V. A Man-that is afleep; taking his natural Relt, may be eafily awakened, and called up by the Power of Man: ·.So the Body, when it is dead, can with infinitely more cafe be raifed up by the Power of God ; it is but a Call from Heaven, and we are awakened out of the lluil:: '!'he Day is coming, when all that are in the Grave jha/1·hear his f./oice, · and come forth, &c. John v. 28. I N . F E R E N C E ~ :I. WHAT a.blelfed Condition are Believers in! They are not only happy whilil: they · live, bur fhall be bleffed when they die; their Hodies have not only quiet Reil:, but their Souls alfo reft in Peace and ~ier. Il. It may fiir up zll Chriil:lefs Souls to labor after an lnterer\ in the Lord Jefus ; for if they ore nor in Chriil: whil!t they li1·c, they are nor like to fall a!leep in Chriil: when they die. ·Ill. We may learn alfo from hence, what little Ground there is tora godiy Man to be unwilling to die, when his Work is done: Are any -un wil!i~g ro go to ileep at Night, that have labored hard all Day? IV. Let us labor hard whilil: the Day lafts, whilfr we have Health and Life, that we may have done our Work,. and be ready to go to ileep. DEATH A D E P A R T U R E. Having a Dejire to dtparl, &c. Phi!. i. 23. ·WE at Death leave one Place to·go to another: If godly, we depart from our Place here on Earth, and go to Heaven; we depart from our Friends on Earth, and go to ·our Friends in· Heaven; we depart from the Valley of Teal's, and go to the Mount of Joy; we depart from an howling Wildernefs, to go to an heavenly Paradife. Who would be unwilling to exchange a Sodom for a Szon, an Egypt for a Canaan, M1fery for Glory? ~EATH
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