grave. When thou art entering into thy bed, think upon the sepulchre where thou must one day be stretched. If thou dost awake in the night, consider that Death will shortly come, and put out the taper of thy life. Let thy sleep be the image of thy death, and let it call to thy mind how thou must, within a few days, sleep in a bed of dust. When thou awakest, think upon the delightful sound of the archangel's trumpet, that shall rouse thee out of Death's long sleep.Say within thyself, when thou arisest, It may be, that I shall never rise again till the Son of God shall come from heaven to lift me out of the grave with his almighty hand. When we cast our eyes upon the rising sun, let us say within ourselves, It may be, I shall never behold any other sun arise again, but the Sun of Righteousness, that carrieth healing under his wings. Consider when thou puttest on thy garments, that the time is coming when thou must be clothed with a more magnificent and glorious robe, a robe of light and immortality. When thou sittest down to eat, think upon the hour that is drawing near, in which Death will feed upon thy carcase; imagine that it may be, that this is the last time that thou shalt sit at the table; that next thou mayest sit with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with all the blessed martyrs, who have washed and whitened their robes in the blood of the Lamb; and that it may be, that thou shalt never taste, any more, but of the food of angels, and of the fruit of the tree of life; and that thou shalt never drink, but of the new wine in the kingdom of heaven, and of the rivers of eternal pleasures that run from the throne of God.

Every night that thou goest out of thy dwelling, or changest thy abode, fancy to thyself, that in a little time thou must depart out of this mortal tabernacle. Art thou alone, and separated from human society? Remember that within. a few days Death will separate and divide thee. Art thou going to any meeting, or entering into any company, or marching

marching to the holy assemblies? Discourse with thyself in this manner: It may be, that I shall never go into any other company, until I come to the church and congregation of the first-born, whose names are written in heaven. Art thou invited to the marriage of a friend? Say unto thy soul, It may be, I shall never go to any other feast, but to the marriage of the Lamb offered from the foundation of the world. Dost thou see a rich and glorious palace, or a pleasant garden? Say to thyself, It may be I shall never see any other palace, but that where the living God dwells; and that it may be, I shall never behold any other place of pleasure, but the celestial paradise.

If thou castest down thine eyes to look upon the earth upon which thou treadest, consider at the same time, that this earth, or something like to it, shall afford thee a grave, and that thou shalt sleep there the sleep of death. Remember what God told Adam, "Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return," Gen. iii. Or say with the holy man Job, "Remember, I pray thee, that thou hast formed me of clay, and that thou shalt reduce me to dust; I shall sleep in the dust, and if thou seekest for me in the morning, Ishall be no more," Job vii,

If thou takest a view of the plants, of the herbs, and flowers, do not forget what the word of God speaks concerning our life, in the xcth Psalm, that, "man is like the grass which groweth up; in the morning it flourisheth, and is green; in the evening it is cut down and withered." And in the ciiid Psalm," As for man, his days are as grass; as the flower of the field, so he flourisheth; for the wind passeth over it, and it is gone, and the place thereof shall know it no more." And elsewhere," All flesh is like grass, and the glory of man like the flower of the field," Isa. xl. 1 Pet. i.

If thou takest notice of the shadow of the needle in a dial, that follows the swift motion of the sun, or of the shadows

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dows which solid bodies cast upon the earth; in the evening they stretch a great way, and a little after vanish: consider seriously, and engrave in thy mind this excellent sentence; "Man is like vanity, his days are as a shadow that passeth away," Psa. cxliv. and say, as David, "I am gone as a shadow when it declineth," Psa. cix.

If thou hearest the whistling of the winds, which God taketh out of the storehouses, lift up thy soul unto God thy Creator, and say with Job, chap. vii. "Remember that my life is but a wind, mine eye shall see no more good ;" that is, the imaginary good of this miserable world. And elsewhere, "Thou liftest me up to the wind, thou causest me to ride upon it, and dissolvest my substance," chap. xxx.

If thou lookest upon the glory and beauty of the heavens, and beholdest the ravishing sight of the stars, consider that thy gracious God hath formed thee after his image: not to continue always among this slimy and miserable earth, but to dwell with him for ever in the heavens; and that at the end of the race he will raise and carry thee into the palace of his glory, where thou shalt shine as the sun in the greatest splendour.

If thou dost meditate upon the changeableness of the seasons, remember that the spring of thy infancy, the hot summer of thy youth, the autumn of thy maturity, and sadcountenanced winter of thy cold and decrepit age, shall suc ceed one another in the same order.

Let him who travels by land, think upon Job's complaint, "My days have been swifter than a post, they flee away, they see no good," Job ix. Let him call to mind the apostle's excellent saying, "This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto

those

those things which are before, I press forward toward the mark, for the prize of the high calling of God through Christ Jesus," Phil. iii. 13.

Let him who sails upon the sea, fancy the whole world is a great sea, swelling with waves, our life as a dangerous voyage, and our days as ships that pass away in a moment; and let him consider, that the last wind of Death will drive him into the haven of eternal felicity, to the enjoyments of immortal glory, Job ix,

Doth God bless us with children? Let us understand that we are minded by them of our mortality, for they come to take our room, and to succeed in our estate. Doth God take them away to his rest of whom we are most fond? Let this advertise us, that God intends thereby to cut off all the lower roots that tie us to this earth, to unloose our hearts and affections, that we may offer them up to him alone. Instead of spending our lives in tears, and indulging our foolish humours in needless displeasures, let us comfort our selves with this consideration, That, by this means, a part of ourselves is entered into heaven, and that the other part will follow apace. Let us say with David, "We shall go to them, but they shall not return to us.”

Let the magistrate, whenever he delivers his vote, or pronounces a sentence, be provided with this consideration, That he who sits in a judgment-seat here below, shall stand at the bar, and be judged himself above; that one day he shall appear as a poor prisoner at the tribunal of his great God; that the books will be opened, and that the universal Judge of the world will pursue every particular of his accusation; that he must render an account, not only of his words and actions, but also of his most secret thoughts; and that without examination at the rack, God will discover the very secrets of his heart.

Let

Let the gentleman, whenever he receives his rents and revenues, call to mind the tribute he must needs pay to Death. Let the prince and the lord, when he handles his royal patents, and his ancient charters, or when he examines the homage and duties to be paid to his house and family, take notice that he must go in person to heaven's gates, and pay his homage to the Divinity. Let the king who sits in his seat of justice, or chair of state, think upon the throne of the King of kings, before which he must appear, as well as the most wretched slave, and the meanest of his subjects; and that he must be accountable to a just God, who is no respecter of persons.

Let the minister never be employed about the duties of his function, but let him long and wish for that happy day, in which the Lamb shall instruct and feed him in person, and lead him to the fountain of living water.

Let the Christian soldier engrave upon his sword this sentence of Job, "Is there not as it were a warfare appointed for all mortals upon earth?" Job vii. And, instead of thirsting af ter human blood, let him prepare to encounter Death itself.

Let the husbandman, whenever he sows his seed, or when he reaps the corn of his fields, be mindful of the season that comes on apace, in which his body must rot in the earth, that it may grow up to eternity. Let him meditate upon what St. Paul saith, "O fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die," 1 Cor. xv. And let him meditate upon David's comfortable persuasion, "They who sow in tears, shall reap with songs of triumph."

Let any handicrafts-man, that works in his shop, imprint in his mind this excellent sentence, " Our days are like the days of an hireling ;" and when he hath ended his task, and