A Prayer and Meditation for a Christian Soul, which arms itself against the Fears of Death, by meditating on our strict and inseparable Union with Jesus Christ by his Holy Spirit, and the First-fruits in us of our blessed Immortality.

O MIGHTY and merciful Lord, the Sun of righteousness, and fountain of living water, drive away from me the dark shadow of death, and quench all the fires that it kindles in my soul. Thou hast not only died for me, but thou art pleased to live in me, that I might one day live for ever with thee. Thou hast, of thy pure mercy, chosen me for thy child, and hast made me a member of thy mystical body, flesh of thy flesh, bone of thy bone, and caused me to be a partaker of thine Holy Spirit. God has given thee the Spirit without measure, that of thy fulness we might receive grace for grace. By the means of this blessed and infinite Spirit that abides in my soul, I am united to thee in a more perfect manner than the tree is to the root that bears it, or the child to its mother that nourisheth it in her womb, or the members of the human body to the head that gives them life. Ties that unite me unto thee, O glorious Saviour! are more unchangeable than the heavens and the earth. As nothing can pluck me out from thine hand, there is nothing can separate me from thine heart. Whether I live or die, I am thine, my Lord and my God, and nothing can alter thine affection for me. Death can take me out of the world, and carry me out of the embraces of my dearest friends: but it can never separate me from thine Holy Spirit, the soul of my soul, and the light of my life, which cannot be put out by all the envious blasts and storms of the prince of darkness; but it will rather bring me nearer to behold thy face, to rest in thy bosom, and unite me to thee more perfectly for ever. To whom

shall I ? Thou hast the words of eternal life, and art go the inexhaustible fountain. Thou art my hope, and my treasure, my glory, and mine only happiness. O faithful and unquestionable Witness! I should be worse than an infidel, if I questioned my future salvation and glory, since the Father hath not spared thee for me, though thou art his only beloved Son, the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person; since thou, O merciful Lord, hast willingly suffered the most shameful death of the cross, and spilt thy precious blood to wash away my sins, and satisfy for my crimes; and since thine Holy Spirit is come into my heart, to make me a partaker of that precious blood, and seal me for the day of redemption. O glorious Spirit of my Saviour, that rests upon me! when I shall be able to speak the language of angels, I shall not sufficiently express the wonderful operations that thou producest in my soul. Thou kindlest in me such heavenly flames as never go out, but are always alive, as the fire of thine altar. Thou formest in me a white stone, where a new name is written, which } no man knows but he that receives it. Thou givest me to eat of that hidden manna, of that food of angels, that the world knoweth not. Thou witnessest with my spirit that I am a child and heir of God, and joint-heir with Jesus Christ, the King of kings. Thou dost not only seal me the pardon of all my sins, but dost also purify my conscience from all dead works, to serve the living God. Thou causest me to cry out, Abba, Father; and imprintest in my heart the glorious image of my heavenly Father. Thou art the seal of my adoption, the earnest of mine incorruptible inheritance, prepared for me in heaven. Thou hast given me the infallible assurIances of a glorious and eternal life, and begun it already in my soul, granting me its first-fruits. Thou causest me to behold the sunshine of thy grace, and makest it to No. 11.

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give light in mine understanding. Thou dost not only vouchsafe me the favour of beholding from this valley of tears thine heavenly Canaan, but causest me to taste of its fruits. I am not yet come to the fountains of waters that spring forth to eternal life; but I taste the streams and rivers that flow in me. I am not yet in thine holy paradise, but thou hast caused paradise to be in me; thou hast given to me an unspeakable and glorious joy, and hast bestowed upon me the grace of God that passeth all understanding. O living and quickening Spirit, unknown to the world! Thou strengthenest me in such a manner, that Death shall never be able to fright me. Thou hast united me to thyself by an inseparable union, O Prince of life! and hast put in me a state of immortality, an infallible principle of glory, and a source of unspeakable happiness: Thou art in me, to dwell with me for ever; therefore thou shalt fill up the measure of thy most signal favours. My faith, by thy divine assistance, hath spied out the kingdom prepared for me from the beginning of the world; and, shortly, I shall see with mine eyes the inexpressible beauties of that celestial country, that flows with the milk of the purest and sincerest joys, and with the honey of the sweetest and most ravishing comforts. Thou hast sent a foretaste of the fruits of the tree of life; but I shall come into thine heavenly paradise; I shall ever have my fill of those delicious fruits. Now, thou hast caused some drops of the dew of heaven to fall upon mine heart; but then thou wilt make me drink of the rivers of thy divine pleasures. At present, in my painful passage, in the midst of my groans and tears, I may gather some ears; but, when I come to my heavenly country, I shall reap my hands full with songs of joy. Here upon earth I see God as in a glass, obscurely; but in heaven I shall behold him face to face, and I shall be satisfied with his likeness.

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My Lord and my God, who, by the infinite merits of thy sufferings, hast purchased for us this Spirit of life, and who hast given to my soul such an authentic seal of my salvation, and such a precious earnest of thine eternal bliss; I feel in me the motions and endeavours of this new man, that strives to leave this body of darkness and death, to enter into the light of the living. Lord Jesus, since thou hast granted me the spirit of thy grace, enlightened my soul with thy divine knowledge, and caused me to know the way of life; since thou hast given me to taste of the heavenly gift of the powers of the life to come; and hast vouchsafed to me the firstfruits of thy glory, and that I already feel heaven in my soul; since I behold thee with the eyes of my faith, I embrace thee with all my affections, and that thou dwellest in my heart; perfect in me the work of thy grace, and bring me at last to thy eternal glory. "Lord, "now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace; for mine eyes have seen thy salvation."

CHAP. XX.

The Eighth Consolation is, to consider that Death delivers us from all temporal Evils, that we daily suffer.

THERE are certain pictures with two faces; the one represents most ugly features, and the other beautiful and pleasant things. This is the true emblem of Death; for it may be painted with a fearful countenance, a lean body, and iron hands, that ravish us from our goods and our honours; and that divide our persons, dragging our bodies unto a loathsome sepulchre. If we look upon death in this manner, we cannot but tremble and fear.

We may also look upon, it as a powerful deliverer, that unlooseth all our fetters, breaketh our chains to pieces, raiseth our souls to the highest glory and happiness. If we consider it thus, there is nothing more lovely than death, and nothing more to be desired.

I have hitherto endeavoured to shew how a believer shall strengthen and comfort himself against the fears of Death; but now I shall add something more, with Heaven's assistance. I shall labour to prove, not only that death is to be expected without apprehension, but to be received with an holy joy; that it is not at all dreadful, but rather is to be earnestly desired. I shall no longer give, to speak properly, any consolations against the fears of death; for I hope to make it plain, that death itself is to be looked upon as the greatest consolation and comfort. That I may attain my purpose, I shall shew, as in a picture, a short view of all the dreadful miseries from which death delivers us; and then I shall endeavour to paint out in the brightest colours, or rather I shall chalk out unto you, the blessedness and glories into which it ushers us.

Man's life and misery are twin-sisters, that are born at the same time, and own Adam for their first parent; they die together at the same instant in true believers. We all know, that man begins his life weeping and crying, and ends with sighs and groans. We come into the world all covered with blood, and we go out covered all over with a cold sweat. If the child cries not so soon as it is born, we judge that it is dead; and when the sick body ceases to groan and sigh, we say that he is past hopes. So that our crying is a token of life, and the end of our sighs is likewise an infallible sign of our death. Wretched man! how miserable is thy condition! Thy best friends rejoice at thy crying, and they weep and lament when thou ceasest to sigh and groan. All the