it ftrike through his heart, to fee himself thus unexpectedly hurried away, one part of him to the grave, and the other into the world of spirits; now, when he thought himself fo fecurely poffeffed of a long enjoyment of the good things of this life.

Wherefore, as we would be forearmed against the terrors of death, and enabled to abide its approaches with a firm and constant mind; it concerns us now, while we are furrounded with the joys and pleafures of this life, to entertain our minds with frequent thoughts and remembrances of it and from thefe confiderations, to affect our minds with fuch lively pictures and refemblances of this king of terrors, as may render its appearance more familiar to us, and give our thoughts a more lively acquaintance with it. And this will put us upon laying in fuch wife and good thoughts, as will fortify our minds against its approaches. The

IVth. AND LAST motivé Ifhall mention, for our remembering the days of darkness, even in the midst of our most happy circumstances

cumstances here, is this: That as it is neceffary to prepare us for the terrors of death, fo it is alfo neceffary to prepare us for eternity.

And hence it is, that we are so often called upon in holy fcripture to confider our latter end; and are invited by the examples of the best of men, so to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. To which end, we are also put in mind, that here we have no continuing city; and that it is appointed for all men once to die; and that our life is even as a vapour that appears for a little time, and then vanisheth away: Which is as much as to fay, Since your time here is fo very short and uncertain, fee that you endeavour beforehand to loofen yourselves from this world, and to put yourfelves into a fit posture to leave it for it is but a short scene of things, that will quickly be fhifted, and then there will an eternal ftate of things fucceed.

And indeed, fince to die well is the laft act, and the final confummation of our life; it must needs highly concern us, to arm and prepare ourselves for it beforeDd 2 hand;

hand; left we lofe our reward, when we are just going to receive it. For in the hour of death, we throw our last cast, for an eternity of happiness, or an eternity of mifery. And how much doth it behove us to throw that well, upon which so vaft a concern depends?

It is, in truth, a most serious thing to die; to pass this dark entry of eternity, through which, as we go right or wrong, we are made or undone for ever. For to carry us right through, it is not a few death-bed forrows, or good wishes; it is not a few extorted promifes, or forced refolutions, will do the business: but in order to do it effectually, we had need of good store of fpiritual preparations. We shall have need of a strong and active faith, a mind well furnished with wife and good confiderations, a deep and tried repentance, a confirmed patience, a profound fubmiffion to the will of God, and a well-grounded hope of a bleffed eternity.

For without all these together, we shall be very ill prepared to die, and fhall run a fearful

a fearful hazard of mifcarrying for ever. And these are such things as do not usually fpring up in an inftant, and much less in. the disturbed moments of a dying hour; but do require a much longer time to ripen and perfect in.

But now, if whilft we are entertaining ourselves, among the joys and pleasures of this life, we banish from our minds the remembrance of our mortality, and look upon eternity as a thing at a vast distance; this will put us upon delaying and deferring our preparation for it.

For in this temper we fhall be apt to conclude, that we have time enough to come, to begin and compleat our repentance, and that we may fafely indulge ourfelves yet a good while longer, and fin on at present upon this fecurity, that we will certainly repent hereafter. And thus do men draw themselves on, through the several stages of their fin and life, till they arrive at their death-bed, and then they begin to think of repenting in good earnest.

But then, alas, what will they be able to do, when their thoughts are continually disturbed, partly with the care of difpofing their affairs in this world, and chiefly with the frightful profpect they have of the other? when their minds are distracted with inceffant pain and uneafiness, so that it is not in their power to confider fo much as a quarter of an hour together? when through the violence of their disease, they are not able to range their scattered thoughts, into any of those fober reflections and ferious meditations, that are neceffary to the forming of a fincere repentance?

In effect, therefore, for men to refer their repentance to a death-bed, is one of the most abfurd things that can be imagined. And yet upon this extremity men caft themselves, through their neglect of remembering their mortality. For if they did reflect upon it, they could never be perfuaded upon any confideration whatfoever, to defer their repentance, upon the uncertain hopes of futurity. For,

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