dife, and procured us an Entrance into that Place of eternal Bliss.

10. Now to prevent the Horror of the Grave, we do not confider as we ought our Lord Jefus Christ in the Tomb, and that he hath fanctified it with his Holy and Divine Presence. We do not imprint in our Imagination, that it is juft and reasonable that we should be conformable to Chrift in his Abasement, if we will have any Share with him Glory and Exaltation.

11. Befides, that which entertains in our Souls the Fear of Death is this; we look upon it as if it were in its full Strength and Vigor. Whereas we should remember, that Jefus Chrift hath overcome and difarmed Death by his powerful Refurrection, and that for our Parts, we need but follow the Footsteps of his glorious Victories, and faften that furious Beaft to his triumphant Chariot.

12. We do not confider as we fhould, with a ferious and religious Application of Mind, how our Saviour Chrift is not only rifen from the Sepulchre, victorious over Death, but that he is also afcended up into the highest Heavens, as our Fore-runner, to prepare a Place for us; and that by departing out of our miferable Bodies, we follow the Path of our Everbleffed Saviour, to reap with him the Fruits of his moft glorious Victories.

13. We ftoop too much to confider our frail, corruptible, and mortal Nature; and we feldom enter into this most useful Meditation, That by the Holy Ghoft we are nearly and infeparably united to Jefus Christ, the Prince of Life, and the Source of Light; and that we have already in us the Seeds of Bleffedness, of Glory and Immortality.

14. As the Children of Ifrael murmured againft Mofes in the Defart, and wished to be again in Egypt, forgetting their bitter Slavery, under which they had groaned, their painful labouring amongst the Bricks, and the Heat of their Furnaces, and minding only the Pleasure which they had loft. They dreamed of nothing

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nothing but the Plenty of Bread and Flesh, of the Cucumbers, Onions, and of the Meats with which they had so often filled their Bellies. Thus we repine at Death, because we do not dream of the Evils from which it delivers us, we think only upon the vain Pleasures, and feeming Advantages of which it robs us.

15. We imagine that Death deftroys and reduces us to nothing; and we do not confider that it never meddles with the principal Part of our Being, but only pulls off from us Sin, and breaks the reft of the Chains of our fpiritual Bondage; fo that Death is rather the Death of Sin than of the Faithful.

16. Here is another great Fault in us; we do not lift up our Minds to confider the Glory prepared for us at the Egrefs of our Souls out of our mortal Bodies. However we may demean ourselves, and whatever we may pretend, we do not firmly, without doubting believe the Felicities which God promifeth to us in the Contemplation of his Face. Sometimes we may think upon the Joys of Paradife; but it is a Thought that paffes through our Souls with too much Speed, and do not take any Root. So that many, if they were not ashamed, would be ready to fpeak in the Emperor Adrian's Language, My little Soul, my dearest Darling, O Guest and Companion of my Body, whither art thou now going?

17. To these former Caufes of the Fears of Death in us, we may add another: That we fuffer our Eyes to dwell too much upon the Rottennefs and Corruption that threatens our Body; whereas we fhould carry our Eye-fight to behold its glorious Refurreétion that shall foon follow. Pleafant Abode, and delightful Companion of my Soul, muft Death, this cruel Death feparate it from thee with so much Violence? Muft thou part with thy dear and fweet Companion? Muft my Soul leave thee upon fuch grievous and lamentable Terms? That of fo many Honours which have been heap'd upon thee, thou shalt not carry fo much

as

as their Shadow to the Grave? That of many rich Moveables and Treasures, thou shalt bear away nothing but a Winding-fheet, a few Boards, or at the most fome Pounds of Lead? After thou haft lived in fo much Splendor and Magnificence, must thy Covering be at last the Worms? After thou haft walked fo proudly in Palaces gilded with Gold, and perfumed, muft at last thy Confinement be in a stinking and loathfome Sepulchre; Must these beautiful Eyes be clofed? Thefe Lips of Coral become pale? This golden Mouth be stopped? and muft this dainty Flesh rot and become odious to the Eyes of the World?

18. In the laft Place, we do not meditate as we ought, upon that eternal Blifs and Glory that hath been prepared for us from the Foundation of the World, and into which we shall enter, when Chrift Jefus fhall come from Heaven with his holy Angels, to judge both the Quick and the Dead; when he shall re-unite our Souls and Bodies together for all Eternity; that he may be glorified in his Saints, and wonderful in all the Faithful.

CHA P. VII.

The first Remedy against the Fears of Death, is, to meditate often upon it.

W

E become acquainted with the most dreadful Things by Cuftom and Conversation. Fresh Soldiers commonly quiver and shake at the Sight of an Enemy; they tremble at the Vollies of Shot, and half dead fall to the Ground at the terrible Noife of the great Ordnance. But when their Courage hath been hardened by a long Exercise, they can then without Fear feek the Enemy in his greatest Advantages, and can go as merrily to the Combat as to a Feast, or a Triumph. The Showers of fmall Shot,

the

the Lightning and Thunder of the Cannon, cannot make them fo much as to fhut theirEyes, or stoop their Heads; they then laugh at their former Apprehenfions: Thus the firft Conceits of Death commonly terrify us; but when we seriously meditate upon it, and look it in the Face, we fhall not only contemn it, but we shall seek it boldly in its Retreats, and with an undaunted Countenance, we fhall behold Death let fly all its Arrows, and cafting its Thunderbolts, without the least Apprehenfion. As they who are not wont to fee favage Beafts, dare not draw near to them, and can scarce look upon them without Fear; but fuch as are familiarly acquainted with them can touch them without Apprehenfion, and freely play with them : Thus it is with them who never had any Confidence to look Death in the Face; they tremble, and are filled with Aftonishment, as foon as they fee its Approaches; but they who often behold Death, are familiarly acquainted with it, and therefore they can with Confidence thrust their Fifts into its Jaws. Mofes fled away from his Rod, when it was firft turned into a Serpent, but when he began to take it into his Hand, and faw that it returned to its former Shape and Being, he was far from running from it, or entertaining the least Apprehension of it; he made a very happy Use of it, and by God's Command wrought many Miracles. Thus it is with Death; it frights us at firft; but if we can but take hold of it with the Hands of a true and lively Faith, it will be so far from fcaring or frightening us, that it will difcover to us a World of delightful Wonders.

Death therefore is fo far from terrifying fuch as are accustomed to it, that it fills them full of Comfort and Joy. As a Child that looks upon the Father who hath a Vizard on his Face, is frighted, and begins to cry; but if he hath but the Confidence to pull off the Vizard, and take but Notice of the loving Smiles of his Parent hid under that Deformity, he will not only ceafe from Weeping, and fettle his Mind, but

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he

he will also leap for Joy and embrace him. Thus if we look upon Death with a timorous Countenance, and behold its hideous Appearance, we shall be struck with a fudden Horror; but if we can with any Affurance lift up its Vizard, we fhall foon difcover our heavenly Father, and with Tears of Joy we shall run to embrace him. As the Apoftles when they espiedJefus Chrift in the Night walking upon the Waves of the Sea, cried out in a Fright, thinking that it had been a Spirit, but when he drew near to them, and they heard his Voice, they perceived him to be their Saviour; when therefore they had received him into their Ship, the Storm ceafed immediately. Thus if we look upon Death at a Distance, the Blindness and Ignorance with which we are poffeffed, will represent to us a frightful Spirit; but if we examine and behold it nearer, by the Help of the Gospel Light, we fhall find it to be our Salvation, and the accomplishing of our Redemption. All our Fears will then be calmed, and our Souls will return to their former Temper. In a Word, as he that runs from his Enemy, increases his Courage, and renders him more earnest, and refolved to pursue him; thus when Death fees us tremble and decline its Approaches, it becomes more proud and imperious over us. We must therefore think betimes of Death, represent to ourselves continually, and enter into an Acquaintance with it. It was holy Job's Practice; for he cried unto the Pit, Thou art my Father, and to Corruption and Worms, ye are my Mother and my Sifters, Job xvi. And imagine that this was the chief Reafon of Philip of Macedon's commanding a Page every Morning to rouze him out of his Sleep, with, Ŏ King, remember thou art a mortal Man. For by this often repeated Leffon, he laboured to humble his lofty Mind, and teach his frail Nature not to glory fo much in the Splendor of his Crown and Sceptre, nor to abuse the Power committed to his Truft. By this Means alfo he became acquainted with Death, that it might not seem strange when it fhould

come