The Blessedness of the Death of These that Die in the Lord, Sermon 5
SERMON V.
Revel. 14: 13.
Blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord, &c.
IT hath been ane old saying of many, that none can be called blessed before their death, though possiblie in the sense that some Heathens took it, it be not sound, yet we who are Christians may say, if death be not taken in, and if a man be not blessed at his death he is not blest at all, and though death after a verie short whiles aboad in the world putts men out of time, yet it hath a long traine of eternal consequen…s following it, appearance before God in Judgment, and everlasting well or ill being, are no trivial nor light matters; and yet as men close their eyes in time at death, so they may expect the miserie or comfort that Judgment and eternitie will bring along with them; and it is the great scope and designe of this Scripture to commend to you dieing well from the blessednesse that accompanies and followes it.
We wer in the forenoone pressing, as we could, the practice of some directions how to prepare for death, and shall now speak a litle to one question ere we proceed to make any further use of the doctrine, and it is this.
What shall they doe at death who have quite neglected these directions, or not so minded them as they should have done, and who are brought in a surprise of providence, ere they be awar, near the border and brink of eternitie, who have but few dayes or rather houres to live and cannot promise one to themselves? A verie concerning question, (and O! That folk would studie to prevent it by minding the former directions in time) & withall a difficult question to answer solidly and cautiously; for indeed it is not easie to speak to dieing persons (what ever many may think of it) who when they are living will not hear; and therefore let none make a wrong use of what shall be said to the question, & this certainly is one wrong use of it, to delay time and to shift preparing for death till it come on you; but first, put this question seriously to yourselves, how ye should live that ye may not have such a question to ask at your death, and that ye may eshew the anxietie that such a question hath with it at such a time; ye will very readily ask the question but heartleslie in sicknesse, who in your health putt it off carelesslie till death surprise you, and therefore be rather in holy dread of that time when it may be ye will scarcelie gett ane hour to think on the bussinesse, or it may be gett none to speak to you to give you clearnesse about it, or possiblie ye may not have libertie for paine and sicknesse to think on it, or to hear one speak to you anent it, which should in reason stirr you up by all suteable meanes to endeavour to be in a good, meet, and ready postour before that time come. But to speak a litle in answer to the question, we shall distinguish unpreparednesse for dieing in three sorts or kinds of it, or there may be three sorts of persons that may be suprised by death in ane unprepared condition, and to each of these we shall speak a word. 1. There is one sort which are absolutlie and most sinfullie so, that never take anie paines at all to be prepared for death till it cometh upon them; we may speak to stones in the wall as well as to manie of you who are such. A second sort, is of these who have had some tendernesse, but they are fallen slacke, negligent, and out of a good frame. A third sort is of such as want feiling and comfort & are without clearnesse of their interest, and fear to die in that condition.
As for the first sort, we say to you, it is no wonder that ye slip away securelie, and fall into the pit of destruction that live senselesslie and stupidlie till death come upon you, ye that never think of death till ye and it meet, what can ye expect should be spoken to you for your comfort? alwayes we shall lay downe some grounds to be made use of, even in such a deplorable and desperat-like condition, when folk have quite neglected preparation for death in their health, if such have but one hour to live, they would consider 1. That repentance is then possiblie attainable, they are within trysting termes with God as long as they are in the land of the living and the sentence not past. Secondlie, That there is then no peace to be had with God, but in the same way it is gotten now, that is by faith in Jesus Christ, which goes along with repentance, and by folks betakeing themselves to a new way of living wer it but in a sincere resolution; Christ is the way the truth and the life, none can come to the father but by him, and without faith there is no union with him, and whoever look for eternal life, must have it thrugh faith in him. Thirdlie, That though a person wer to live but one hour, somewhat of these must be, some faith, some repentance, some endeavoured clearnesse of interest, some peace, some holinesse though it wer but in the bud, so as to speak but a few words to God, or to others standing by, as we may see in the theife on the crosse, grace wherever it comes wer it but of one houres age or standing, is grace and hath the same virtual substantial fruits, or fruits in the bud, as I said, that grace of older age and longer standing hath. Yet fourthlie, where short time is, there is need that there be some difference from what is ordinarie in the death of Christians of longer standing in the state of grace in pursueing of these things; 1. In respect of time, to goe the speedilier through them, that is, to run (as it wer) the more swiftlie and speedily thrugh repentance and selfe-examination, fleeing to Christ, and the fruits of holinesse; If time be short these would be contracted, not that they would be slighted, but there would be endeavouring to put them some way togither, The Lord sayeth, Matth. 11. 12. The Kingdome of Heaven suffers violence, and the violent take it by force; there must be a sort of violence even in health in this matter but more at death, that is, if they gett not all doubts answered they would know there is ane absolute necessitie to be at Christ, which must putt them to step over these particular difficulties; as the preaching of the moral Law in Iohn's time forced people some way to step over the Ceremonies of the Law to Christ, so by Analogie, persons who have been negligent in their life must use the same violence at death, they must have sound repentance and faith, and by these betake themselves to Christ speedilie, and this speedinesse is, as I said, to be understood in respect of time; these things fitt and qualifie for him and would be made use of speedilie to unit to him. 2. A difference would be in respect of the measure, though repentance be in this case shorter, the humiliation would be deeper, though the challenges be shorter, the pangs would be so much the sorer, the person would be further downe in selfe-loathing and abhorring; regeneration and the new birth in such persons borne againe so verie late, will readilie be with greater paine and sharper pangs, with higher indignation at sin and greater hatred at their own evil wayes, then if they had been sooner regenerated. 3. There would be a difference in respect of eagernesse and holie broudennesse, which would be beyond ordinarie; it is never good to delay repentance, faith, and holinesse, but yet folkes may come in to Heaven with a some-what flower pace (to say so) in health, then when they have putt off and delayed these till sicknesse and death come on them, then they would be in a special manner alwayes restlesse till they be at a point, 4. Having thus exercised faith and repentance, they would die resolving to be the more in free graces commoun and debt, for if anie of all Adams posteritie be oblidged to God, and bound to be the verie humble slaves (if we may speak so) of most soveraignlie free grace, most certainlie these persons are most singularlie so, who have been rescued and snatched from death, hell, wrath, and the Devil when he was even readie and about to lay presentlie▪ his hands on them, and pull them to the pitt with him: And now I say againe, none that are in such a condition, nor anie of you all, have anie the least ground of encouradgment given from this doctrine, to putt off or delay faith, repentance, and the studie of holinesse, let none therefore take anie, least they be put to smart for their follie eternallie.
As for the second sort that have had more tendernesse, but are backslidden and fallen negligent and out of frame, they are to take the same way; when death putts them in a flaught, as it wer, and conscience with challenges stairs them in the face, they would renew their repentance and faith in Christ, and the fruits of holinesse, the more speedily and eaggerly, they would be the more humbled, flee the more hastily to their citie of refuge, come with a more stopt mouth before God, and acknowledge grace to be the freer, and allow it to have the greater glorie.
As for the third sort, who have keeped up more tendernesse, and who would faine have their interest and peace clear, and to this day could never attaine to it, or if once they had it clear its grown somewhat dim and dark, and even in a manner worne away againe, they grow heartlesse when death comes and surprises them; to such I would say. 1. That beleivers may die without sensible comfort and die well, for as sensible comfort is not essentially necessarie to folks justification, so neither to their dieing in Christ; folks may die sleeping, or in a distemper, or in a spirituall fear, and yet that fear have faith and love in the bosome of it; and that condition which marrs not Christians peace once made with God in their life, and is not so sinfull, may also be died in; they may be in the dark and yet die well. Secondly, distinguish and put a difference betwixt the sense of the joy of the Spirit, and that comfort and joy which a beleiver may have from Gods word of promise; beleivers both living and dieing may want the one and have the other; though they have not the flowings of the Spirit in sensible comfort and joy, yet they may have solid peace and consolation, because they have Gods word of promise to rest on, who have fled to him for their life, and their conscience hath ane inward testimonie, that they have denied their own righteousnesse and betaken them to his, and in this they have peace; else how could a beleiver possiblie lye downe in anie measure of true quietnesse under desertion, even for their tryal, it may be, more then for their sin? And if we look to David dieing though we will not peremptourlie determine, yet it is like he had not much comfort, for in these that are called his last words, 2 Sam. 23. 5. He betakes him to Gods Covenant, though he did not so feill the fruits of it, and rests there as at ane anchor; And therefore thirdlie, they that are in this condition would with the more confidence put themselves in over upon, and within the compasse of, the Covenant, and make their faith the sickerer because they want sensible comfort; and readilie it is and will be so with beleivers at that time, for then they are most out of conceit with their own righteousnesse, and in a holie fear and solicitude in themselves; for as he suffers some to be the more untender in their life, and therefore makes them walk without sensible comfort to keep down their van… and pryde, so may he exercise some at death. Fourthlie, Let such so much the more trust God with their throwbearing, and resolve to be the more in his debt, and they never took shiping thus in deaths boat that had cause to fear to be drowned and cast away, He is the beleivers God and guide not onlie to death but even throw death; He may goe therefore through the valey of the shadow of death and fear none evil Ps. 23. We come now to add some further uses of the maine doctrine to these we made before.
And the first use is, seeing they are happie that di… in the Lord, & miserable that die out of him whatever their externall condition be; 1. Lay the lesse weight on the comforts of this life, and 2. be the lesse feared for the afflictions of it O! Beleivers in Christ; There are, ye see, two parts of this use, 1. (To begin with the last) If happinesse be the portion of them that die in the Lord, what needs Beleivers, who have clearnesse of Interest and well grounded hope to die in the Lord, fear the afflictions or be much troubled with the ups and downs of a present life? Though they meet with contempt, reproach, povertie, disgrace, imprisonment, fineing, confineing, exile, manie challenges &c. These have ane end, death will put a period and close to them all; their great happinesse is not here, it is at the back of death; all your miseries will be soone at ane end, and its a far more exceeding and eternall weight of glorie that is laid up for you; your time here away will not be long, it will be but 30 or 40 years to some, 10 or 20 years to othersome, some moe or fewer, and it may be but one year to some of you, and then our blessed Lord Jesus will come and wipe all tears from your eyes, and the comfortlesse rememberance of these tryalls, troubles, and tosseings shall never enter into heaven with you; its a shame that beleivers who have such a hope should be so heartlesse when they meet with crosses, and walk so discouradgedly under them. Secondly, seeing happinesse followes after death, lay not much weight on the comforts of this life, what comfort or satisfaction can ye have in them at death? And seeing they can yeeld you no solid satisfaction then, are ye not farr wide, and much mistaken that bestow your travell and paines in seeking satisfaction among creature-comforts, and never labour to enter into his rest; needs there any more be said to fright you from this foolish course but this, even to tell you that ye leave and forsake the fountaine of living waters, and betake yourselves to the cisternes that can hold no water, and which will dreadfullie beguile and disapoint you; what will riches, pleasures, grandour, honours, and great places doe to you at death? these make but a poor happinesse and will soone have ane end, and yet there is no lesson in the world that men and women learne lesse then this; As all creatures say that wisedome is not in them, Job 28, So they all cry with one voice that happinesse is not in them; Its not in riches, for they take to themselves wings and flee away; Its not in honour, for man that is in honour and understandeth not, is like the beast that perisheth, and he that is high in court to day, may be hanged the morrow; neither is it in pleasures, for the laughter of the fool is madnesse, and hath greife and …adnesse of heart with it and even in the midst of it.
A 2d Use is, and it hath other two branches, If happinesse follow them that die in the Lord; 1. It calls for a willingnesse as well as a readinesse to die when ever God calls you believers to it. 2. It serves to condemne a general unwillingnesse to die, and possiblie somewhat of it, even among the people of God. 1. I say if happinesse be in dieing in Christ, then they that are in the way to it should be readie, willing, and chearful to die. And 2. It must be ane exceeding great distemper when folks dow not hear of death with patience, and it argues stronglie that either folk are out of the way, or not thrugh and clear as to their being in the way; Therefor reflect on your condition; what if God should call any of you this night, are ye willing to die? I beleive there is not one amongst many that could heartilie say it, there is scarce one among many, but when death comes they would faine shift it, I speak not this to condemne the use of lawful meanes in sicknesse for recovering health, but to check our great loathnesse and unwillingnesse to die, which is such that we would alwayes suspend and putt it off; which speaks either; 1. Litle faith of this truth that they are happie who die in the Lord, otherwayes it could not be but if it wer solidly beleived, folk would be more willing to die and to be with Christ, yea, there would be a desyre to be there; if it wer testified to men by persons worthie of credit, that there wer a good, pleasant, and fertile land to be inhabited in such a place of the world, many would repair thither for makeing a good fortune (as ye use to call it) in this life, And yet for all Gods testimony (who cannot possiblie lie nor deceave) of the happinesse that followes dieing in Christ, yet its not beleived, and therefor few are willing or desyrous to goe through death to enjoy it, very few are like Paul, who desyred to be dissolved and be with Christ which was best of all, weaknesse of faith makes want of willingnesse to die. Or 2ly, it speaks out great want of love to Jesus Christ, unwillingnesse to die is no litle sin, but want of love is greater, when folkes preferre the being with Husband, or Wife, or Children, or Freinds, to being with Christ; O! love to Christ strangely looseth the heart from these, and makes the soul breath after being with him, as that which is best of all; Or 3ly, It speaks much earthlie mindednesse, and addictednesse to the things of a present world, hence it is that many carnal and earthlie minded wretches would never desyre a better life, nor another life then their house and bitt of land in quietnesse, the fellowship of their natural relations and other external enjoyments.
For clearing of this use further, let us in a word touch on a question or two, 1. If all willingnesse or desyre to die be good? 2ly, If a Christian may not sometime be warrantablie unwilling to die.
For the first of these, to witt, If all willingnesse or desyre to die be good? To cleir it we would distinguish and put a difference betwixt these two, a sinful and a commendable willingnesse.
First there is a sinful willingnesse or desyre to die in folkes carnal fitts, and it is threefold, 1. A desperat willingnesse; when folkes dow not abyde some present horrour on their Spirits, or some paine of their bodies, or some other very heavie and sharpe crosse, they will wish to be away, and some in such fitts dispatch themselves by their own hands, so Iudas dought not indure the horrour of his own conscience, and therefore hanged himselfe; but this is rather ane unwillingnesse to submitt to, and bear their present lot and case, then any willingnesse to die: the other two are incident to the Godly if not only to them; The 2d willingnesse then is, when the Godlie have many crosses that they dow not well bear, and are affrayed that God be dishonoured thrugh their fainting or other miscariages, or when they see it goeing ill with Gods People and his publick work, and they cannot doe any thing to mend it; they look upon themselves as uselesse and would faine be away, So Eljah 1 Kings 19. prayes, Lord take away my life, because they had slaine his Prophets, digged down his Altars and he only was left, as he apprehended, and they sought to take away his life; but the Lord tells him that he was wrong, that he had yet more to doe with him, and that matters wer not so ill as he trowed, for he had reserved seven Thousand who had not bowed the knee to Baal; Thus some eminent godly men in ane evil time, will readily wish to be away, they dow not endure to be alwayes fighting, striving, and contending to help and heal, especially since they think they can doe no good: And yet sometimes it is not so much the case of the publick, as fear of being straitned or disappointed in some one or other particular of their own, that is the great ground of their fainting and wishing to be gone, as we may see clearly in eminently godlie and faithful Baruch, Jer. 45. The 3d willingnesse to die is, when a dispensation or affliction reflects …ore on folkes credit, whither they be preachers or more privat Professours; either some slip or miscariage in themselves, or some affront put on them by others, which makes them think they will doe no more good (though it may be such a thing hath come sinfullie from others), or it may be from want of successe in some work committed to them, or some disappointment mett with which they may desyre to have removed, as we see in Ionah Cap. 3. where he desires the Lord to take away his life, he conceaving himselfe as a Prophet to be discredited, and he is so headstrong that when the Lord asks him, does thou well to be angrie Ionah? He answers pettishly, I doe well to be angrie even unto the death; where God hints it to be his passion that precipitated him, and by the gourd lets him see that it was his particular that too much swayed him, & that he was not right in his desyre of death, or in his willingnesse to die.
For the 2d, The commendable willingnesse, I shall shew you what it is by four or five propperties that it hath. 1. Right willingnesse to die is content to die in prosperitie, and is submissive to live in adversitie; when all things prosper with men, its a very rair thing to see them willing to die, though in fitts of crosse-dispensations, they may seem to be willing; and to have a submissive mind contented to live in adversitie, yea, in the midest of greatest troubles that are incumbent or imminent, is as rair: to be as Paul was, Philip. 1 23. content to abyd or goe as God thinks meet, is a sweet temper and frame of soul; to be willing to live shamed and reproached, and not to be discontented with the down-lookings of honest folkes, and to goe through evil report as well as good report, in all things labouring to keep a good conscience, and in prosperitie, as I said, to be content to leave the world and all that is in it▪ when God calls by death, is a great matter. 2ly, right willingnesse hath this proppertie, that it flowes not so much from a desyre to be quyte of the troubles of the world, as to enjoy Christ and the good which the soul hopes for in and with him; it is not because either the persons own particular crosses grow, or because confusions, distractions, and contentions in the publick increasse, that they covet to be out of that life and to be gone, but because they long to be with Jesus Christ, Wee (sayeth the Apostle 2. Cor. 5. v. 4.) that are in this Tabernacle doe groan being burthened, and what is the ground? not that we would be uncloathed but cloathed upon; not so much to gett the infirmities of the bodie laid downe, as to have the glorie promised; it is that which swayes mainly in the right desyre of death or willingnesse to die. 3. Right willingnesse to die hath much desyre and endeavour after communion with Christ here, and if it cannot come soone eneugh (so to speake) to full, immediat, and never to be interrupted communion with him in the next life, it seeks to make it up by pressing much after the neerest communion with him in this life; It is ane evil token when folk are desyreous to die and to be away, and yet are found neglecting communion with Christ while they are living; these that are rightly willing to die will be much in desyre and longing after fellowship with Christ, and much in the delightful contemplation of Heaven ere it come and in their practice tending thitherward, and very loath to doe any thing that may obstruct that so much desyred fellowship; This we may see in David, in the old Testament, and in Paul in the New, O! how doe they pray and pant after, and O! what paines are they at to keep communion with God? and how doe they labour alonge all their conversation so to behave, that no obstruction from them may be laid in the way of their so much longed▪for fellowship with him; let none then think that it can be a right willingnesse to die, that putts not men to be tender in the studie of holinesse, and of conformitie to Christ in their life; Therefore it is said of Simeon, who was so willing to die, that he was a just and devot man, waiting for the consolation of Israel; and by him and other such godlie persons in his time, was the Temple frequented night and day. 4ly, That is right willingnesse to die that is not by fitts, but continueing and distinct and goes upon solid grounds, I speak not of sensible comfort but of the grounds of faith, of some clearnesse of interest, and of sweet submission to Gods blessed will; for though none needs to wonder much of Simeons willingnesse to die when he hath gotten Christ in his armes, yet it hath this sweet submission to God in it.
The 2d Question is, if even beleivers may be unwilling to die? And if this be warrantable? I answer, They may be sometimes unwilling to die and that not unwarrantably; And for clearing of this we shall speak to two things. 1. To ane unwillingnesse to die upon carnal grounds; 2. To ane unwillingnesse to die upon good grounds; For the first, Beleivers may be unwilling to die from a sinful unpreparednesse to die, they may have a loathnesse to look death in the face throw the conscience of some, yea much carnalnesse in their life; beside that there is in all naturallie ane aversnesse from dieing, beleivers may have sometimes their own carnal designes that may make them unwilling, but this is sinful; for where there is a good conscience sprinckled with Christs blood, solid faith, and clearnesse about our peace with God, in so far they will make willingnesse to die. But 2ly, There is ane approven unwillingnesse that some-times hath been in the Saints, as in David and Hezekiah, which is rather asweet submission to live, then a direct desire to live, for other reasons, for if it be a fear about the want of temporal or spiritual things for soul or bodie, or about any thing that relates to Gods publick work, faith will answer these; but there are two reasons that the Saints have gone on, by which they have been induced to this, that made them approven in their unwillingnesse to die. 1. The great stroak and influence that their removeal might have had on the work of God, as it was in Hezekiah, Iosia and Paul, their case; if the former two should have been removed, it would very probablie have overturned the Work of God, as Paul's removal would have made many sore hearts amongst Christians. 2ly, When their dieing in such a case, or under such a dispensation seems to cary some blot with it on innocent godlie persons, or on godlinesse and the profession of it; As if Iob should have died in his affliction, it would have confirmed his Freinds in their erronneous opinion or tenet; and Davids dieing in the hands of his enemies before he came to the crowne, would have left some blemish on the faithfulnesse of God, and on the profession of Religion, and been matter of shame and blushing to the godly; Therefore sayes he, For their sakes returne thou on high; And so that unwillingnesse to die that flowes not from respect to a mans selfe, but from respect to the publick work of God, to his glory and others good or either of them, is warrantable.
A 3d Use is, which hath also two branches, 1. Learne from this Doctrine to try and Judge what true blessednesse is, it is even to die in the Lord. 2. Learne to cast at that as ane unhappie thing, which conduceth not to this end of dieing in the Lord. First I say, if ye would try your own hearts, when they are in a spiritual frame, take this as a mark of it, if ye doe really account this to be bessednesse; if ye wer to hear a voice from Heaven, declareing who is the blessed man, and if ye had the Spirits Testimonie sealling it, here he is, blessed is he that dies in the Lord; Its not they that conquer, and overturne, and transferr Kingdomes, that obtaine many victories, and have great successe in their atcheivments and undertakeings, that are blessed; Its not to be a Protectour, or sole Governour of Nations, that makes a man blessed, but this is it, to die in the Lord; this is the language of Heaven and that which is layed weight on there, and so should be by you. And 2ly, Lay all the things ye can Imagine in this world in the ballance with this, they cannot possibly weigh equally with it, let be down weigh it and what followes it; when they are all layed in the ballance with dieing in the Lord, and with the consequent glory and happinesse, they are light as a feather, yea lighter then vanity utterly unworthy to be named in a day with these; As there is therefore no happinesse in them so ceasse to seek it in or from them.
A 4th Use is, and its of other two branches, If there be a necessity of dieing and dieing in the Lord to them that would be happie; There is nothing so forcible to presse the studie of holinesse. 2. Nothing so forcible to scarr from prophanity, which are the great scope of all preaching: I say consider this doctrine rightly and it will be found, 1, To be most powerfully provocking to holinesse, the reason is, because dieing well, and living well are knitt togither, and nothing can more demonstrat the absolute necessity of holinesse, without which none shall see the Lord; its as necessary as peace with God and Heaven, and who ever they be who think not so now, when ever they shall be summoned to remove, they shall without all peradventure find it to be so. 2ly, Is there any thing more scarring at, and deterring from, profanity and a carnal walk? Gather all that the world can afford whither of sinful pleasures, or of lawful temporal delyts immoderatly often used, and suppose that ye could come by your very hearts desyre and wish in them, what will they all advantage you when death comes? to have so many thousands or hundred thousands of merks, to have so much land or so many houses, will doe you no good at death; what will it advantage you to spend your time in pleasure, in the lusts of the flesh, in tipling and drunkennesse? And ye that are swelled with prid and ambition, and would have all others backing you, and beckning and bowing to you, what, I say, will these profit you when death shall put ane end to them all, and make ane eternal divorce betwixt you and them, and when ye must lye downe amongst the dead, and when the wormes must be a covering to you? Its even a wonder (if ought of this kind could be a wonder to our carnal and profaine hearts) considering the necessity of dieing and of dieing in the Lord to all that would die well and happily, with the faith and conviction that we generally professe to have of them, that we think so litle seriously of death, and of such a death, and are at so litle pains in the study of holinesse to prepare for it.
I shall therefore in the last place speak a word or two to several sorts of persons, who should be thinking upon, and prepareing for death, but put it far away from them: 1. To them that are young and take a merry life of it, and dow abyde nothing but to be carnally Jovial, ah! poor wantouns, is not death fast approaching? Will it not be upon you ere ye be aware, and ere many years goe by? Certainly your life will not be eternall, and who knows but your time may be shorter then ye dreame of? The grave may be as soone filled with you that are younger, healthfuller, and stronger, as with the more aged, sick, and infirme, what reason then have ye to be so mirry and jovial, when your peace is not made sure with God? Its a most remarkable and alarming word that is spoken to you by the Spirit of God, Eccles. 11. 9. Rejoice O young man in thy youth, and let thy heart chear thee in the dayes of thy youth, and walk in the wayes of thy heart, in the sight of thine eyes; but know that for all these things God will bring thee into Iudgment: Ye may goe on, if you will at your perril, slighting all warneings and admonitions, but be assured Death and Judgment are quickly coming when ye will be called to reckon with God, not only for every open, but for every secret thing good or evil; Therefore be exhorted to review and to cast your eye along your youth, and to consider seriously how it hath been spent, and see if there be not reason for your takeing the exhortation that followes, Remember now thy creator in the dayes of thy youth &c. Eccles. 12. 1. and to spend some more time in thinking of, and prepareing for death; 2ly, To them that are exceeding wise in their own generation, very provident for Summer and Winter, and for all seasons of the Year, and who can manage their estates very well and put all things in good order for themselves and for their children, to make them a convenient life in the world, but doe not at all in good earnest mind ane other life, how many such are there, that are very wise for this life, but for the matters of God and their own soules are starke fools the veriest fools in the world? Many like Martha (who though a good woman was neverthelesse much prevailed over by this distemper, albeit it did not reigne in her nor obtaine dominion over her, as it doeth over unregenerat persons) are careful, cumbred, and troubled about many things, and neglect the one thing that is needful; Is it not a wonder that such very rational and wise men should wast all their precious time, except what they spend in eating, drinking and sleeping, upon the things of a present life, and not allow so much as one hour of all the week to think seriously on their soules and of death? I appeal to your own consciences if this be reasonable and a practice worthie of rational men having immortal soules capable of eternal happinesse and miserie? And if your time be not spent on these things which are but vanity, and which at death will doe you no good nor profite you, and concerning which you will then be made to cry, What profite have we of these things whereof we are now ashamed? 3ly, To such as are frequent in their attendance on publick ordinances, and in the use of other commanded meanes, and yet never thought nor beleived their soules to be in hazard, nor in good earnest prepared themselves for dieing; O! think yet upon your hazard, for that is the first spring of makeing readie for the remedie, O! seek grace to examine yourselves, to beleive in Christ, to repent, and to live as it becomes them that professe themselves to be dieing persons; Its really both strange and wonderful how it comes to passe that ye can so often hear and yet give no obedience to what ye hear, doe ye or can ye think that it is religion enough to hear? Hath not the Scripture said, James 1. That it is not the hearer, but the doer of the word that is blessed in his deed or doeing? I beseech you therefore be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only deceaving your own soules, or (as the word is) deludeing and playing the Sophist with your own soules. 4ly, To them that have greater parts and abilities, and higher places and power then others, and have withal moe opportunities to be prepareing for death; who are masters of families and can command their children and servants to read the Scripture, to fast and pray, and seek God; and who know from the word what is right and what is wrong, what is duty and what is sin▪ and yet are so very litle in the practice of these directions in order to their preparation for death; Consider I intreat you what your knowledge, parts, places, and power, will doe to you or advantage you when ye are dieing, if there be not faith and love, and the fruits of both in practice; Its really a wonder that so many men should have light in, and conviction of, these things, and yet should so dallie with their light and conviction and not endeavour to make them practicable. 5ly, To them that are aged and have their one foot as it wer in the grave, who are neir fifty or sixty, or a very few moe years which not many exceeds, and yet are, even when so far on in years, as secure and negligent in preparing for death as if it wer ane hundreth years from them; consider what ye are doeing, age (alace) and years doe not necessarly bring along with them more tendernesse in soul-concernes, for we see it in experience often-times, that the more aged men are, the more stocked are they in ignorance and senselessness; certainly if this word speak to any, it speaks to you that should in a manner cary your deaths-cloaths about with you, and be examplary to others in prepareing for death; ye would therefore take it to you. A 6th and the last sort we shall speak to, are these that are in a poor mean and low condition in the world, for all are not rich and wealthy nor have a plentiful outward condition, many can scarcely gett their families maintained, and yet even but few of such (which is a wonder) are seriously seeking after Heaven, and prepareing for dieing in the Lord that leads to it; the rich have a tentation that ye want; If any in the world should seek after Heaven it should be you who are poor, and yet how many of you will be miserable, not only here but also eternally hereafter ere ye betake yourselves to the way of holinesse? If ye wer wise, as ye ought to be, ye would blesse God that ever this Gospel came among you and was preached to the poor, which hath happinesse and everlasting riches in the bosome of it to all that will embrace it: O! take this word to you poor and rich, ye will all most certainly lye downe in the grave, but this will make the difference, ye will die happie or accursed, as ye die in Christ or out of him. Finally, I must say this word to them that have some acquaintance with God, and some conviction of the fecklessnesse and great deficience of their endeavours in prepareing for death, for their both humbleing and further upstirring to diligence, that there is amongst us both litle rouseing of ourselves, litle hastening to the comeing of the day of God, litle goeing out to meet' the bridegroome; Alace! We will, to speak so, take both a putt and a call to make us advance towards death, though we be drawing neirer to it dayly, yet few of us, as I just now said, are waiting for, and hastening unto the comeing of Christ and of the day of God.
I shall close up all with this one word, it may be that many of us shall teast of death before we hear so much spoken of it; take it therefor as ane advertisement and call from Heaven to mind more that which is so much forgotten, and yet so necessary to be alwayes remembred, even to live so as we may die in the Lord Christ, and so be eternally and unspeakably blessed.