'

to

beg, to ftrive, to watch, to spare
no Care, or Coft, or Labour,
make all fure in a Matter of fuch
Weight. This should be done with
Speed, with Zeal and Earneftnefs,
and a full Refolution of Soul. Who
can ftand dallying, as moft Men do,
at the Door of Eternity,
Eternity, when
they believe their immortal Souls
muft be there shortly!

I cannot fay, that I am prepared for Death as I ought to be, but am endeavouring it the beft I can. I am fenfible that my Time on Earth is fhort and uncertain. Mr. Fox faith; You gray-headed Sinners, against whom Death hath raised his Batteries, you have but a few Sands in your Glafs, your departing Hour cannot be far off, your. Candle is in the Socket, and will be a ftinking Stuff fhortly, the next Blaft the Houfe may fall. You that lean on your Staves, and look through your Spectacles, you are juft ready to enter into Eternity; if you do not mind your great Work immediately, wo, wo be to you for ever! Poor Mortal, fince you cannot prevent Death, make all the Preparation

you

you can for it; for it is the grand Bufinefs of your Life. These good Sayings of Mr. Fox I often confult, and am much affected with them; I take them to be fpoken to my felf; for I am under thofe Symptoms of old Age he mentions; On this Occafion he writes these Verfes; which we will infert, tho' divers fuch Pieces of his plain Poetry we have omitted.

J

My Head is gray, my Time is almoft spent
Prepare for Death, O wicked Heart repent.
When Death doth call away, then go I must2
My Soul to God, my Body to the Dust.
Christ dy'd for me, my Hope is fixed there;
I hope in Mercy, yet I live in Fear.
I fear my God, yet other Fears I have ;
I've broke his Laws, why should he own & favě
A wicked One, that spent his Days in Sin,
That knew his Word, & what's contain'd
(therein?

In Mercy pardon all I've done amiß, (Bliß.
Through Christ my Lord, my Happines and

I am now at the laft Stage of

my Life; I may well expect the Summons of Death every Day; my Time is even at an End; O let not me be one of thofe, that defire

⚫ to

to die the Death of the righteous, but will not live the Life of the righteous; but let it be my chief Care, my earneft Endeavour to ferve God, and pleafe him, left Death 'fhould come upon me, like a Thief in the Night, or furprize me at Midnight, as the Bridegroom did the fleeping Virgins that had no Oil.

L

Mr. Gouge faith, O Sinner, it had been better for thee never to have been born, than not to be born again; 'tis as neceffary as Heaven and Happiness. I befeech Thee, for thy precious Soul's fake, ftir up thy felf to work out thy SalvaC tion. This is excellent Advice, Lord, give me Grace to take it.

I will not for a few merry Hours hazard my eternal Safety; I <defire not to flatter my felf, or think better of my State than it is; ' but would judge my felf, that I may C not be judged of the Lord; for as old Mr. Henry us'd to fay, when we fet our Sins before our Faces in Repentance and Confeffion, God cafts them behind his Back in Pardon and Remiffion; but if we carelefly

'caft

caft them behind our Back, God juftly fets them before his Face.

Whether we are ready or unready, Death will not ftay; 'tis the greatest Change that can pafs C upon us; it carries us from all prefent Enjoyments, turns the Body to Duft, brings the Soul into the Prefence of God, removes us from Time to Eternity; the Awfulness of the Change, fhould make us careful to get ready, and it's no eafy Thing to prepare as we fhould C for Death. The whole Time of our Life, is not more than fufficiC ent; we have no Time to lofe or fquander away; we have many Sins to repent of, many Graces to obtain; Temptations to refift, Difficulties to break through, Duties to perform; we muft get our Guilt removed, our Hearts purified, our C Natures refined, the Image of God imprefs'd on us, and all our CorC ruptions mortified. Strive to live C much in a little Time. Live apace

This

in this Sente, difpatch the great " Bufinefs of Life out of Hand. of Mr. Paragraph he glean'd out Calamy's Sermon on the Death of Mr. Sylvifter.

С Medi

Meditation of Death hath been my frequent Practice many Years; but (as Mr. Burghal faith) it is but loft Labour, unless that Meditation draw us to a ferious Preparation for it. Bishop Patrick faith; O let it please my God to ftrengthen me in my holy Refolutions, till I arrive at his heavenly Court; O let his Spirit breath upon me, and carry away my Soul in holy Defires towards him; let him guide my Course through this troublesome Sea, on which I am tofs'd, and bring me fafe to a quiet Haven of C eternal Reft and Peace.

С

.

Death, and Preparation for it, I defire to make the chief Sub-. C jects of my Meditation, according to my weak and mean Capacity. I hope, my merciful Father will accept me, who knows my Frame, and remembers I am but Duft. A religious Life is certainly the happieft Life we can live in this World, tis pleafant while we live, and C comfortable when we die, it makes a Death-bed eafy.

.

God