tt lb DEATH A' BLESSING TO THE SAINTS. souls find themselves in the midst of the paradise of God, sur- rounded with joys unspeakable. Ifour mortal nature- decay by slow degrees, we have a precious opportunity for the more lively exercises of ftith, we may then converse with death before-hand, and daily grow in preparation for our departure. We see our- selves launching down the stream of time, and if our faith be awake and sprightly, we rejoice in the sensible and hourly ap- proaches of heaven and eternity.. We may speak many use- ful dying sentences for the glory of our Lord, and make happy impressions upon the souls of those we leave behind We may invite and require, we may allure and charge our dear relatives to follow us in the same path, and to meet us before the throne. 3. Our Lord also designs our benefit, whenhe appoints the place of our death, whether we shall quit the body at home or abroad ; for some of us he sees it best, that our friends should stand round us and close our eyes, and, as it were, see our spirits take theirflight futó the invisible world, that they may assist and support us with divine wards of consolation, pr that they them- selves may learn, and dare to die, and be animated by our exam- ple to encounter the last enemy. Our Lord sees it proper, for others of his saints,todie in the midst of strangers, or perhaps amongst enemies andby a violent death, that he may thereby give a glorious testimony to their faith and piety, as well as to the power of his own gospel. Whether we breathe our . last at land or at sea, in our native country, or in a foreign climate, all shall work togetherfor thefinal welfare of those that love God, and are called andjustified, and sanctified according to his holy pur- pose; Rom. viii. 28. There are, doubtless, some peculiar and secret reasons, in the grandcomprehensive scheme Of the counsels and decrees of God, whythe death of every saint is appointed atthis season, and not at another ; why some young buds are cropped ere they blos- som on earth, and transplanted to open and unfold themselves, and shine in the gardenof God onhigh, while others are brought home into the heavenly garner, like fruit well grown, or like, a shock of corn fully ripe. There is a divine reason why some are , hurried away by'a violent death, andothers are pemitted natur- ally to dissolve into their dust : Why somemust die on thisspot of ground, and others' op that : for the vast scheme of his coun- sels has a glorious consistency in it with the covenantof his grace And indeed, the covenant of grace runs through the whole scheme of divine counsels, and mingles itself with themall. We rejoice in this meditation, while we believe the truth of it. We are persuaded, that we shall know, hereafter, thevarious and ad- mirable designs of divine providence and love, in all the infinite A,
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