373 / 674
D2
SC.
II.]
THE WATCHFUL
CHRISTIAN DYING
IN PEACE.
353
plied
to the
hour of death
also,
for then
the Lord comes
to shut
up the scene
of each
of
our
lives,
our
works
are
then
finished,
our last
day
is
corne,
and
the world
is
then
at
an end
with
us.
Let
it
be
observed,
,also,
that
there
is
a
further parallel
between
the.dáy of
the general
judgment, and
that of
our
own
death: The
one
will
as certainly
come as
the
Other,
but
the
time when
Christ
will corne,
in
either
of
these
senses,_
is
unknown to
us,.
and
uncertain
:
And
it
is this,
whiçh
renders
the duty
of
perpetual
watchfulness
so
necessary to
all men.
The
parable assures
us,
that
our
Lord
will
certainly
come,
but whether
at
the second,
or third
watch,
whether
at
midnight, or
at
cock
-
crow
-
ing,
or near the morning; this
is
all
uncertainty;
yet
whensoever
he
comes, he
expects
we
should have our
loins girded, like servants
fit
for business, and
our lamps
burning,
to
attend
him
at
the door,
and
that
we be
ready
to
receive
him as
soon
as
he knocks.
Were
the
appointed
hour
of
judgment, or
of
death,
made
known to
us
for
months
or years
before -hand,
we
should
be
ready
to
Think,
constant
watchfulness
a
very
needless
thing.
Mankind
would
persuade
themselves,
to
indulge
their
foolish and sinful slumbers,
and
only
take
care
to
rub their
eyes a little, and
bestir themselves
an
hour
or
two
before this
;Awful
event
:
But it
is
the sud-
denness
and uncertainty
of
the
coming
of
`
Christ
to all
mankind, for
either
of
these purposes,
that
extends the
charge
of
,watchfulness to all
men;
as well as
to the
apos-
tles;
Mark
xiii. 35, 36, 37.
and
that
calls
upon us aloud,
to
keep
our
souls
ever
awake,
lest;
as
our Lord there ex-
presses
it,
"
lest,
coming
suddenly,
he
should
find
us.
sleeping.
And remember
this,
that,4i
f
we
are
unprepared
to
meet the
Lord at
death,
we
can
never
be
ready when
he comes to
judgment
:
Peace and blessedness
attend
the
watchful christian, whensoever
his
Lord
cometh.
"Blessed
is
that
servánt,'whom,
when his
Lord
cometh,
he shall
find
watching."
'This
leads
me
to
the
second
general
head.
iw
Secondly,
What
is
implie
in
watchfulness.
Answer.
In
general
it
is
opposed
to sleeping,
as
I
have
already
hinted,
in
Mark
xiii. 35, 36.
And, in the
lance;
aae
of
scripture,
as well as in common speech,
sleep
and slum-
ber denote an unpreparedness
to
receive
what
ever.
VOL.
II.
A