2io ¶! be `U f fulnefr of, &c. Vol. IT. Effects and hurpofes, asmuch under the Power of it, as if it were juft approach- ing, is if the Phyficianor the Judge had pafs'd theSentence ofDeath upon us. We fhould always reckon upon that which may happen the next Moment ; and if we do fo, we can never be extreamly furprized 5 but whenever our Lord comes, (hall be found watching. And, Laft7y, We fhould make it our confiant Prayer to God, that he would fit us for our Diffolution, and ftandby us and comfort us in that needful Time, with- out whole gracious Support and Aflìftance, both Phyficians, and even the Mi- nifters of God thenifelves, are but miferable Comforters. It fhould be our daily Petition to. God, that he would enable us to perform this laft A& of our Life with Decency and Confiancy of Mind; that neither our Difeafe nor ourWeak- nefs may break the Firmnefs of our Spirits, or leave us to be amazed with Fear, or betrayed with Peevifhnefs, fo as to render u5 uneafie to our felves, or to make our Friends willing to be rid of ùs. But more efpecially, when God thinks fit, either by the Nature or prefent Danger of our Diftemper,to give us anearer Summons andclearerWarningofour Mortality, we fhould take the Opportunity to imprefs upon our Minds a deep and more lively Senfe of another World, that we may quicken our Pace, and wont the Work ofhim that Pent us into the World, while it is Day ; beeaufe the Night is coming when no Man can work, Nature I know is fond of Life, and apt to be ftill longing after a longer Con- tinuanee here, and to find many Delays and Excufes to tarry yet a while long- er in this World : And yet a very long Life, with the ufual Burdens and Infir- mities of it, is feldom in Reafon deliirable ;for it is but the fameThing over again, Or worfe 5 fo many more Days and Nights, Summers andWinters, a Repetition of the fame Pleafures, but {till with lefs Pleafure and Relifh ; a Return of the fame or greater Painsand Troubles, but ftill with lefs Patience and Strength to bear them. Let us then be of good Courage in the Approaches of Death, fince we fee Land, and the Stormwhich we are in will quickly be over; and then it will be as if it had never been, or rather the.Remembrance of it will be a great Plea- fare to us. Suave mari magno, turbantibus equora ventis, E terri alterius magnum fpeSare periclum. Non quia vexari quenquam eft jucunda voluptas; Sedquibus ipfe malls careas quia cernere fuave eft. It is a pleafant Thing to ftand upon the Shore, when we fee others in a " great Storm at Sea. Not that, it is delightful to fee others in Danger ; but " when others are in great Difficulties and Dangers, it is a Pleafure to find our " felves fafe and out of Danger. And if it fhould pleafe God to exercife us with great Pains or tedious Sick- nefs, we fhould make ufe of all the Confiderations which Reafon and Religion do furnifh us withal, to help to mitigate and deceive our Troubles, and tomake that (hors Way a little more.fmooth and eafie. For the heft of us have no Privilege and Exemption from the common Accidents of Humanity, no Piety can certainly fecure to any of us an eafie and comfortable Death ; and therefore it is a groundlefs Confidence for any Man to reckon upon it; we mutt in this, as in all other Things, refign up our felves to God's good Pleafure, and fubmit to him the Time and Manner, and all other Circumfiances of our Departure out of this World _ whether our Sun (hall fet in a Cloud, or Thine brighteft and look biggeft when it is going down. But however it fets, it is the Sun full, and the Fountain of Light, and will rife glorioufly. There are always theSeeds of Joy and Comfort in the Confcience of a goodMan; and tho' theybe hid and buried for a while, they will fpring forthone Time or other. Light is fown for the Righteous, and Gladnef for theupright in Heart, as David affures us; Pfal. 97. rr. I will conclude all with the Words of the Author of this Pfalm, Dent. 32. 29. 0 that they were wife, that theyunderfiood this, that they would confider their latter End. 4 S E R-
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