591 SVRPRIZE r DEATH. {DISC. I1I, How or and vain are our imaginations, when we have seen others called away, on a sudden, from the early scenes of life, to promise ourselves a long continu- ance here ! We have the sane feeble bodies, the same tabernacles of clay, that others have, and we are liable to many of the same accidents or casualties : The same killing diseases are at work in our natures, and why should we imagine or presume, that others should go so much before us And if we enquire of ourselves, as to character, or merit, or moial circumstances of any kind, and compare ourselves with those that are gone before, what founda- tion have we to promise ourselves a longer continuance here ? Have we not the same sins, or greater, to pro- voke God? Are we more useful in the world than they, and do more service for his name ? May not God sum- mon us off the stage of life on a Bidden, as well as others ? What are we better than they ? Are we not as muchunder the sovereign disposal of thé,reat God, as any of=our acquaintance, who have been 'seized in the flower and prime of life, and called away in an unex- pected hour? And what power have we to resist the sei- zure, or what promise to hope, that God will delay longer? Let us then no more deceive ourselves with vain imaginations, but each of us awake, and bestir ourselves, as though we were the next persons' to be called away from this assembly, and to appear next before the Lord. Motive IV. "When we are awake, we arenot only fit- ter for the comingof our Lord, to call us away by death, and fitter for, his appearance to the great judgment, but we are better prepared also to attend him in every call to present duty, and more ready to meet his appearance in every providence." It is the christian soldier, who is ever awake, and on his guard, that is only ,fit for every sudden appointment to new stations and services; he is more prepared for any post of danger and hazardous en- terprize, and better furnished to sustain the roughest assaults. We shall be less shocked at sudden afflictions here on earth, if our souls keep heaven in view, and are ready winged for immortality. When we are fit to die, we are fit to live also, and to do better service for God, in whichsoever of his worlds he shall please to appoint our station. My business, 0Father, anti my joy is to
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