in this World, that no Man muft expect to escape them all; nay, there are a great many Troubles which are infupportable to human Nature, which there can be no Relief for in this World. The Hopes and Expectations of a better Life are in moft Cafes, the fafeft Retreat. A Man may bear his prefent Sufferings with fome Courage, when he knows that he fhall quickly fee an End of them, that Death will put an End to them, and place him out of their reach. For there the Wicked ceafe from troubling, and there the Weary be at reft; there the Prisoners reft together, they hear not the Voice of the Oppreffor; the Small and Great are there and the Servant is free from his Mafter, Job, iii. 17, 18, 19.

So that in many Cafes the Thoughts and Expectations of Death is the only Thing that can fupport us under prefent Sufferings; but while the Thoughts of Death itself are terrible to us, this will be a poor Comfort. Men who are under the Senfe of Guilt, are more afraid of Death than they are of all the Evils of this World. Whatever their prefent Sufferings are, they are not fo terrible as Lakes of Fire and Brimftone, the Worm that never dieth, and the Fire that never goeth out. So that fuch Men, while they are under the Fears and Terrors of Death, have nothing to fupport them under prefent Miferies, The next World, which Death puts us into the Poffeffion of, is a very delightful Profpect to good Men; there they see the Rewards of their Labour, and Sufferings, of their Faith and Patience. They can fuffer Shame and Reproach, and take joyfully the Spoiling of their Goods; fince thefe light Afflictions, which are but for a Seafon, will work for them a far more exceeding and eternal Weight of Glory. But Men who are not prepared to die, while they are afraid of Death,

can

can find no Relief in the Thoughts of it, and therefore want the greatest Support that we can have in this Life against the Sufferings of it. The fooner

we prepare to die, the fooner we are delivered from the Fears of Death; and then the Hope of a better Life will carry us chearfully through this World, whatever Storms we meet with.

3dly, Since we must certainly die, it makes it extremely reasonable to facrifice our Lives to God, whenever he calls for them; that is, rather to chuse to die a little before our Time, than to renounce God, or to give his, Worship to Idols, or any created Beings, or to corrupt the Faith and Religion of Chrift. There are Arguments indeed enough to encourage Chriftians to Martyrdom, when God calls them to fuffer for his Sake: The Love of Chrift in dying for us, is a fufficient Reason why we fhould chearfully die for him; and the great Rewards of Martyrdom, that glorious Crown which is referved. for fuch Conquerors, made the primitive Chriftians. ambitious of it. It is certain there is no Hurt in it: Nay, that it is a peculiar Favour to die for Chrift; becaufe thofe Perfons who are most dear to him, were crowned with Martyrdom. But our prefent Argument fhews us, at what an eafy Rate we may purchase fo glorious a Crown; for we part with nothing for it: We die for God, and we muft die whether we die Martyrs or not. And what Man then, who knows that he muft die, and believes the Rewards of Martyrdom, can think it fo terrible to die a Martyr? No good Chriftian can think that he lofes any Thing by the Bargain, to exchange this Life for a better; for as many Years as he goes fooner out of this World, than he fhould have done by the Courfe of Nature, fo many Years he gets fooner to Heaven; and, I fuppole,

pofe, that is no great Lofs. It is indeed a noble Expreffion of our Love to God, and our entire Obedience and Subjection to him, and of a perfect Trust in him, to part with our Lives for his Sake: But what can a Man, who knows he muft die, do lefs for God than this; to part with a Life which he cannot keep, willingly to lay down a Life for God, which would fhortly be taken from him, whether he will or not?

4thly, This fhews us alfo, what little Reason we have to be afraid of the Power of Men. The utmost they can do, is to kill the Body; a mortal Body, which will die whether they kill it or not: Which is no mighty Argument of Power, no more than it is to break a brittle Glass; nor any great Hurt tous, no more than it is to die, which we are all born to, and which is no Injury to a good Man. And therefore our Saviour's Counsel is very reasonable, Luke xii. 4, 5. Be not afraid of them who kill the Body, and after that have no more that they can do; but I forewarn you whom you shall fear : Fear him, which after he hath killed, bath Power to caft into Hell; yea, I say unto you fear him.

This is very reasonable, when the Fear of God and Men is opposed to each other, which is the only Cafe our Saviour fuppofes. No Man ought foolishly to fling away his Life, nor to provoke and affront Princes, who have the Power of Life and Death: This is not to die like a Martyr, but like a Fool, or a Rebel. But when a Prince threatens Death, and God threatens Damnation, then our Saviour's Counsel takes Place, not to fear Men, but God. For indeed God's Power in this is equal to Mens at least, Men can kill, for Men are mortal, and may be killed; and this only is for a mortal Creature to die a little out of Order: But God can kill

too;

It is true

too; and thus far the Cafe is the fame. moft Men are of a Mind, in fuch a Cafe, rather to truft God than Men, because he does not always punish in this World, nor execute à fpeedy Vengeance. And yet when our Saviour takes notice, That God kills as well as Men, it feems to intimate to us, that fuch Apoftates, who rather chufe to provoke God than Men, may meet with their Deferts in this World: For no Man is fecure that God will not punish him in this World; and Apoftates of all others have leaft Reafon to expect it. Those who renounce God for fear of Men, are the fitteft Perfons to be made Examples of a fudden Vengeance. But then when Men have killed, they can do no more; they cannot kill the Soul. And here the Power of God and Men is very unequal; for when he has killed he can caft both Body and Soul into Hell-fire. This is a very formidable Power indeed; and we have Reafon to fear him: But the Power of Men, who can only kill a mortal Body, is not very terrible; it ought not to fright us into any Sin, which will make us obnoxious to that more terrible Power which can destroy the Soul.

CHA P. III.

Concerning the Time of our Death, and the proper Improvement of it.

L'

ET us now confider the Time of our Death, which is once, but when uncertain.

Now when I fay the Time of our Death is uncertain, I need not tell you, That I mean only it is uncertain to us, that is, That no Man knows when he fhall die, for God certainly knows when we shall die, becaufe he knows all Things; and therefore

Ꮐ

therefore with refpect to the Fore-knowledge God, the Time of our Death is certain.

Thus much is certain as to Death, That we muft all die; and it is certain alfo that Death is not far off, because we know our Lives are very fhort. Before the Flood Men lived many hundred Years but it is a great while now fince the Pfalmift obferved, that the ordinary Term of human Life had very narrow Bounds fet to it ; The Days of our Years are threefcore Years and ten; and if by reafon of Strength, they be fourfcore Years, yet is their Strength, Labour and Sorrow, for it ts foon cut off, and we fly away Pfal. xc. 10.

There are fome Exceptions from this general Rule, but this is the ordinary Period of human Life, when it is fpun out to the greatest Length; and therefore within this Term we may reafonably expect it; for in the ordinary Courfe of Nature, our Bodies are not made to laft much longer.

Thus far we are certain: But then, how much of this Time we shall run out, how foon, or how late we fhall die, we know not; for we fee no Age exempted from Death: Some expire in the Cradle, and at their Mother's Breafts; others in the Heat and Vigour of Youth; others furvive to a decrepit Age, and, it may be, follow their whole Family to their Graves. Death very often furprizeth us, when we leaft think of it, without giving us any Warning of its Approach; and that is Proof enough, that the Time of our Death is unknown and uncertain to us.

But thefe Things deferve to be particularly difcourfed; and therefore with reference to the Time of our Death, I fhall obferve these four Things; not fo much to explain them, for moft of them are plain enough of themfelves, as to improve them for the Government of our Lives.

I. That