2 e 8 The rUffulnef of Vol. IL Betides, that the Nature of the Thingsof this World is fuch, that they af- ford but little Happinefs to us whilft we have them; we cannot do well without them, and yet we can hardly do well with them. Mott of the Enjoy- ments of this World, as defirable as they are to us, they are very dangerous, and are a}ways attended with fome Inconvenience or other; and even when we have all that we can with for in this World, we areapt to be.ftill uneafy, either fomething troubles us; or nothing pleafeth us ; we are pained with Fulnefs, and cloyed with the long Enjoyment of the heft Things this World can give ùs. Why then Ihould we fet fuch an high and unreafonable Value upon thefe Temporary Enjoyments, and be fo much concerned for thofe Things, of which we have fo flippery a Hold, and fo (lender an Affhrance, and which afford us fo very little Contentment and Satisfaction when we have them, and yet give us fo much Grief and Trouble when we lofe them ? Confidering how foon we mull, and how fuddenly we may leave ,this World, and all the Enjoyments of it, we ought in Keafon to let no great Price upon them. - VIII. The Confideration ofthe Shortnefs and Uncertainty ofour Lives, fhould ìnake us contented with our prefent Condition, and patient under all the Evils and Aflli&ions which may befal us in this World. A little may content us for a little while, for the (bort Time of our Abode -here; and fintewe do not expe& our Relit and Happinefs in this, World, we cannot think our felves difap- pointed, if we do not meet with it. If our Condition be tolerable, it is well, and we ,have . Reafon to be contented with it, lince it is as much as this World ufually affords. If it be very mean and [trait, it cannot lat long; and even that Confderation thould filence our Murmurings, and Ihould retrain andcheck our Difcontent. And it thould make us patient likewife under the greateft Evils and Aflli- &ions of this prefent Life, to confider that theywill fhortly have an End ; ei- ther they will give off of themfelves, or they will carry us off and make an End of us, and all the Patience we have exercifed will be rewarded far beyond the Proportion of our Sufferings. At the worft, the Afi&ions and Sufferings off this prefent Time are not like the Troubles and Miferies of the other World, they will not laft always. The molt grievous Things that can befal us here are not like the Torments of Hell, neither for the Degree, nor the Duration of them, without lntermiffion and without End. IX. The Meditation of Death, and of . the Confequencesof it, fhould make us upright and fincere inall our Words and A&ions. Hypocrify and Diffìnta- lation, as much as they are pra&ifed, are no Part of true Wifdom, no tíot as to this World; they recoil terribly upon Men, and turn to their Reproach and Difadvantage fo foonas they are difcerned, and they cannot be longpra- ailed without being difcover'd. But if we regard the other World, all Dif- guifes and Arts of Deceit are perfeft Folly-; becaufe then God will bring every Work into 5tudgment, and every Secret Thing, whether it be good, or.whether it be evil, as Solomon affures us, Ecelef. 12. 14. And our Bleffed Saviour cautions us againft Hypocrite, upon this Confideration, That there is a Day a coming, when all the falle Pretences of Men thall be expofed and laid open, and all thole Masks and Vizors which Men wear in this World will fall off, and the Actions of Men fnall appear in their true Colours, -Luke 12. 1, 2. Beware, lays our Savi- our there, fill of all of the Leven of the Pharifees, which is Hypocrify : for there is nothing cover'd, that (hall not be revealed ; nor hid, that (hall not be known. Laflly, The Meditation of our latter End should put us upon a careful, and . continual, and particular Preparation for the Time of our Death and Diffolu- tion. And this is very well worth our while ; and the fooner we let about it, the better : Becaufe, when this Work is in any good Meafure done, we have refeued our feives from that Bondage, to which molt Men are all their Life longfirbjeB, becaufe: of the continual Fear of Death. Nothing abates the Terror of Death, like a due Preparation for it. When this is once made, we cannot be touch concerned when it.comes ; for to a well prepared Mind, fooner or later 5 makes
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