night to thy repose, thou canst not be so certain to awake again in the morning, as when thou layest thyself down in death, thou art sure to awake in the morning of the resurrection. Out of this bodily sleep thou mayest be startled with some fearful dreams, with tumults, or alarms of war; but here thou shalt rest quietly in the place of silence, free from all inward and outward disturbances; while in the mean time, thy soul shall see none but visions of joy and blessedness.

But oh the sweet and heavenly expression of our last rest, and the issue of our happy resuscitation, which our gracious apostle hath held forth for the consolation of his mournful Thessalonians! For if we believe, saith he, that Jesus died and rose again; even so them also, which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him. Faith is antidote enough against the worst of death: and why then are we troubled about death, when we believe that Jesus died? And what a triumph is this over death, that the same Jesus who died, also rose again: and what a comfort it is that the same Jesus who arose, shall both come again, and bring all his with him in glory! Lastly, what a strong cordial is this to all good hearts, that all those who die well, do sleep in Jesus. Thou thoughtest perhaps of sleeping in the bed of the grave, and there indeed is rest; but he tells thee of sleeping in the bosom of Jesus, and there is immortality and blessedness. Blessed Jesus, in thy presence is fulness of joy, and at thy righthand are pleasures for evermore. Who would desire to walk in the world, when he may sleep with Jesus?

SECTION 10.

Death sweetened to us by Christ.

THOU fearest death:-But consider on what terms, and in what form, death presents itself to thee. If as an enemy, as that is somewhere his style, the last enemy, thy unpreparedness shall make him dreadful; thy readi ness and fortitude shall take off his terror. If as a mes

senger of God he come to fetch thee to happiness, what reason hast thou to be afraid of thine own bliss?

Death being in himself a privation of life, nature cannot but abhor him. But what he is made to us by Christ is quite another matter: here he becomes an introduction to life, a harbinger of glory. Why would the Lord of life have yielded to death, and by yielding vanquished him, but that he might alter and sweeten death to us; and of a fierce tyrant, make him a friend and benefactor. And if we look upon him thus changed, thus reconciled, how can we but bid him welcome?

SECTION 11.

The painfulness of Christ's death.

THOU art afraid of the pangs of death:-There are those that have died without any great sense of pain. Some we have known to yield up their souls, without so much as a groan and how knowest thou, my son, what measure God hath allotted to thee? Our death is a sea voyage, so the apostle expresses it; I desire to launch forth,' Phil. i. 23; and here some find a rough and tempestuous passage, others calm and smooth. Such thine may prove, and thy dissolution may be more easy to thee than a fit of sickness.

But if God have determined otherwise, look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of faith, the Son of God, the Lord of glory. See with what agonies he conflicted, what torments he endured in his death for thee. Look upon his bloody sweat, his bleeding temples, his furrowed back, his nailed hands and feet, his racked joints, his pierced side. Hear his strong cries. Consider the shame, the pain, the curse of the cross, which he underwent for thy sake. Say whether thy sufferings can be compared with his. He is a cowardly and unworthy soldier, that follows his general sighing. Lo, these are the steps in which thy God and Saviour hath trod before thee. Walk on courageously in this deep and bloody way: after

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a few paces thou shalt overtake him in glory. For if we suffer with him, we shall also reign together with him. 2 Tim. ii. 12.

SECTION 12.

The vanity and misery of life.

THOU shrinkest at the thought of death:-Is it not because thou hast overvalued life, and made thy home on earth? Delicate persons that have pampered themselves at home, are loth to stir abroad, especially upon hard and dangerous voyages. Perhaps it is so with thee.

In this I cannot but pity thy mistake, in placing thy contentment where a greater and wiser man could find nothing but vanity and vexation. Alas, what can be our exile, if this be our home? What woeful entertaiment is this to be enamoured of! What canst thou meet with here, but distempered humours, hard usages, violent passages, bodily sicknesses, sad complaints, hopes disappointed, frequent miscarriages, wicked plots, cruel menaces, deadly executions, momentary pleasures sauced with lasting sorrows; lastly, shadows of joy, and real miseries. Are these the things that so bewitch thee, that when death calls at thy door, thou art ready to say to it, as the devil said to our Saviour, Art thou come to torment me before the time? Matt. viii. 29. Are these those winning contentments, that cause thee to say of the world as Peter said of mount Tabor, Master, it is good for us to be here ?

If thou have any faith in thee, (and what dost thou profess to be a christian for without it?) look up to the things of the other world, whither thou art going; and see whether that true life, pure joy, perfect felicity, and the eternity of all these, may not be worthy to draw up thy heart to a longing desire of the fruition of them; and a contemptuous disregard of all that earth can promise, in comparison of this infinite blessedness.

It was one of the defects which our late noble and

learned philosopher, lord Bacon, found in our physicians, that they do not study those remedies that might procure an easy passage for their patients, since they must needs die, and pass through the gates of death. Such helps I must leave to the care of the skilful sages of nature, who must act with great caution, lest while they endeavour to sweeten death, they shorten life. But let me prescribe and commend to thee, my son, the true spiritual means of thy happy exit; which can be no other than this faithful disposition of the labouring soul, that can truly say, I know whom I have believed. I have fought a good fight: I have finished my course: I have kept the faith: henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge shall give me at that day. 2 Tim. i. 12. iv. 7, 8.

SECTION 13.

Examples of courageous resolutions.

THOU startest back at the mention of death-How canst thou but blush to read of that heathen martyr, Socrates, who when the message of death was brought to him, could applaud the news as most joyful; or of a cardinal of Rome, (who yet expected a tormenting purgatory) that received the intimation of his approaching death with exclamations, Good news, good news! Is not this their confidence thy shame; who believing, that when our earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved, we have a building of God, a house not made hands, eternal in the heavens; yet shrinkest at the motion of taking possession of it? Canst thou, with dying Mithridates, when he took his unwilling farewel of the world, cry out,

Oh light!' when thou art going to a light more glorious than this thou leavest, even as the sun exceeds a weak rush-candle.

It is our infidelity, my son, it is our mere infidelity that makes us unwilling to die. Did we think, according to the wretched opinion of some fanatics, that the soul sleeps

as well as the body, from the moment of dissolution till the day of resurrection; or did we doubt lest we should wander to unknown places, where we cannot be certain of the entertainment; or did we fear a scorching trial after our emigration, in flames little inferior, for the time, to those of hell; there were some cause for us to tremble at the approach of death. But now that we can boldly say with the wise man,The souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them. In the sight of the unwise they seem to die; their departure is taken for misery, and their going from us to be utter destruction; but they are in peace.' Wisd. iii. 1-3. Oh thou of little faith, why fearest thou? Why dost thou not chide thyself, as that dying saint did of old, Go forth, my soul, go boldly forth what art thou afraid of?'

Lo, the angels of God are ready to receive thee, and to carry thee up to thy glory: neither shalt thou sooner have left this wretched body, than thou shalt be possessed of thy God. After a momentary darkness cast upon nature, thou shalt enjoy the beatific vision of the glorious God. Be not afraid to be happy; but say in faith what Jonah said in anger, It is better for me to die, than to live. Jonah iv. 3.

SECTION 14.

The happy advantages of death.

I AM afraid to die :-This is the voice of nature; but wilt thou hear what grace saith? To me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If therefore mere nature reign in thee, thou canst not but be affrighted with death: but if true grace be prevalent in thy soul, that guest shall not be unwelcome.

Was ever any man afraid of profit and advantage? Yet such is death to the faithful. Whosoever he be that finds Christ to be his life, shall be sure to find death his gain; for he is thereby brought to a more full and near