Serious Reflections on Time and Eternity, Tract · Chapter 10
X. The Brevity of Life conſidered as the fruit of Sin. There are but three ways of leaving this World, as Abel, Adam, or Enoch. A diligent improvement of Time farther preſt: and the neglect of it bewailed.
THE ſhortning of our Days is the fruit of Sin. All the Funerals that have ever been in the World, have been cauſed by Sin. We dye becauſe we have ſinned, and yet we ſhould not ſin as now, if this were not forgot, that we muſt dye. From the firſt Tranſgreſſion of Adam we derive our death; and therefore ſome of his Poſterity lived longer than he. Which proves that the lengthning of our Days is the peculiar Gift of God; and yet 'tis ſuch a Gift as was more deſired formerly, than ſince the appearance of Chriſt: for we read of none in the New Teſtament, ſince Life and Immortality is brought to light by the Goſpel, who deſired a long continuance here on Earth. Were we delivered from Sin, the ſting of Death, by having made our Peace with God in the Blood of Jeſus, Death would not be frightful, or put on ſuch a ghaſtly Vizor, as to moſt it doth. But we are uncertain of our Juſtification, we waver between hopes and fears as to our final Sentence; and are conſcious to our ſelves that we are not ready for our great Account. This makes Death ſo terrible. Conſidering with all that it is inevitable; the way of all the Living. For tho' the curſe be removed, and the ſting be taken out by our B. Saviour; ſo that the Souls of Believers are ſafe, and ſhall not be toucht by the ſecond Death: yet God hath not taken away the ſtroke of it from the Body. Tho' a Chriſtian is aſſured of deliverance from Hell, he is not exempted from the Grave, as his paſſage to Heaven.
Prepare me, Lord! by the free Remiſſion of all my Sins, and make me meet for the Bleſſed Inheritance, by ſanctifying Grace; and then thy Time is beſt; Thy holy Will be done. No matter then, whether my Death be violent, or what we call Natural. It will be one of the two, for I can't expect to be Tranſlated, by a miraculous change, as Holy Enoch was, and as they ſhall be, who ſhall be found alive in the World, when our Glorious Judge ſhall come again. There are but thoſe three ways of leaving Earth: and the Three firſt Men of whoſe departure we read in Scripture, are Inſtances of all Three. Abel of a violent Death, Adam of a natural one, and Enoch of a Tranſlation. The variety and order of their Departure, as one obſerves, is very admirable, and deſerves to be conſidered. For all Mankind muſt follow one or other of thoſe three Examples. Every Man or Woman, that is born into the World, muſt leave it by one of thoſe three ways; Either be cut off by a violent Death, as Abel, the firſt Man who dyed: or dye a natural death, as Adam did, who was the ſecond: or be tranſlated, as Enoch, who was the Third we read of.
But tho' I know that within a few years at fartheſt I muſt leave this World by one or other of theſe ways; tho' I have been dying ever ſince I began to live; am Dead to the laſt year, and to all the preceding Portions of my Time; and know withal, that what remains will quickly paſs and be gone, after the ſame manner; yet how have I overloved this Body, as if I ſhould never live out of it! and ſet my Heart and Affections on this World, as if I ſhould never remove to another! and trifled away my precious Time and Life, as if a change would never come!
That few do ſeriouſly admit ſuch thoughts is too evident, by the general courſe and practice of their Lives. For to what hazards do Men expoſe themſelves? what pains will they take? what Inconveniences will they bear? with what unwearied Induſtry will they toyl and labour, to get a little Money, or Honour in this World, tho' they know not but they may be called out of it, before the end of this Year? And yet the ſame Perſons are remiſs and ſlothful about a future Life; negligent and unconcerned about an Eternal ſtate; careleſs and indifferent, yea ſottiſhly ſtupid, about the welfare of their Immortal Souls. Henceforward, O my Soul! whatever other others do, let me reſolve to live in the expectation of a Change, which I know is certain, and may be very near.