Serm.CXXXIV. coopdering our latter End. ' 219 makes no great Difference : But if we have delayed this neceffary Work, the longer we have delayed it, the more unfit we (hall be for it, and the more un- willing to fet about it ; and if Neceffity drives us to it at laft, we (hall find that old Age and Sicknefs are but bad Times to make Preparation for Death in, to begin our Repentance and the Change of a bad Life. He that prepares not for Death, before he draws near to it, and comes to lie upon a Sick-bed, is like him that begins to Rudy the Art of Navigation, when he hath prefent Occafion andLife for the Skill which he hath not yet learned, when his Veffel is driven among Rocks, and is every Moment in Danger of being dalh'd in Pieces. Let this then he eftablifh'd for a firm Principle and Rule, That the belt and fureft Preparation for a happy and comfortable Death, is a holy and goodLife. For nothing will difarm Death of its Terrors, like the Confcience of our own Innocency, and of a fincere Defire and EOdeavour to pleafe God in the gene- ral Courfe and Tenour of our Lives, and of a fincere Repentance for all the Errors and Mifcarriages of our Lives. And though our Life be fhort and un- certain, yet it is a great deal that we may do by way of Preparation for another World, if we begin and fet out betimes, and be good Husbands of the prefent Opportunities. It is a great Way that we may go in a fhort Time, if we be always moving and prefling forwards. But the Mifchief is, many Men pafs fifty or fixty Years in the World, and when they are juft going out of it, they bethink themfelves, and fiep back as it were, to do fomethingwhich they had all this while forgot, viz. the main Bu- finefs for which they came into the World, to repent of their Sins and reform their Lives, and make their Peace with God, and in Time to prepare for Eter- nity. This, which is forgotten and deferr'd to the laft, ought to have been firy thought of, and to have been made the great Bufinefs of their whole Lives. But I proceed to give fome more particular Directions concerning our Prepa- ration for Death; namely, r. By frequent Meditationof it, which will render it more familiar to us, and help us to tame this Monfler, and to take off the Dread of it ; and there- fore we fhould accuflomour felves to the Thoughts of it, that we may in fome Meafure be reconciled to it. 2. We fhould endeavour to mitigate the Evil and Terror of Death, by think- ing of fomething worfe, I mean the Evils and Miferies of Life. For when we once come to look upon Death as a Remedy of all the Evils of Life, we fhall then begin to be reconciled to it, and if we be wife, (ball be glad to be Out of the Noife and Danger, and Suffering of fo many Evils as we are continually li- able to in this World; and (hall thank God heartily for difmifling us, and gi- ving us Leave to die, and by Death to put an End to this miferable Life, and to begin a better and happier Life, which (hall never have an End. And we fhould likewife meditate much on the Glory and Happinefs ofano- ther World. For if we be once poflefs'd with a firm Belief and Perfwafion of it, we (hall think the Time long that we are detained from it, and with for that which we fo much feared, I mean Death, that it may bring us to the En- joyment of that which we have much more Reafon to delire. And indeed, confidering (as I faid before) the many Evils and Miferies which we are liable to and always in Danger of, while we are in this World, we have Caufe to thank God that we were born to die, and that we are not condemned to live for ever in this World. So that whenever God (hall think fit to releafe us, we ought to efteem it a Favour : But if he will have us to flay a little longer, we mull with Patience wait for another Opportunity of making our Escape out of an evil and troublefome World. But methinks we fhould not much delire to ride it out in theStorm any longer, when the Port is open and we may fafely enter in. And they, ;. By Way of farther Preparation for Death, we should endeavour to main - tain always a lively Senfe of it in our Minds, that we may be, to all. good F f 2 Effects
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