in its approaches with Joy and strong Confolation.

Now an actual Readiness for Death and the coming of Christ, may be confider'd as confisting in, and as being promoted by these following things.

1. In a confcientious avoiding those Sins that otherwise would darken the Mind, and fill it with too much Horror, either to be ready or defirous to leave this World; fuch as, Senfuality, Oppreffion, and Uncharitableness. Imention thefe Sins, because our Saviour takes notice of them, and warns against 'em in this very Cafe. Take heed to your felves, left at any time your Hearts be overcharg'd with Surfeiting and Drunkenness and Cares of this Life, and fo that Day come upon you at unawares. By Surfeiting and Drunkenness I do not barely underftand those two Sins, but all the fad effects of Gluttony and Intemperance; which as they ftupify the animal Spirits, fo they make the Mind infenfible; they abate the Appetite, and fpoil the Relish of Spiritual things. And then for Uncharitableness, 'tis particularly warn'd against on this occafion: The Lord was wroth with that wicked Servant that would not forgive his Fellow-Servant a few Pence, and commanded him to be deliver'd to the Tormentors. A Man of a rigid implacable uncharitable Spirit is very unfit to live, but I am fure he is much more unfit to die; for how can fuch a Man expect the pardon of Myriads of Sins from the Judg of the World, when he will not forgive his poor Brother a trifling Debt or a small Offence?

2. Endeavour after a Weaned nefs from this World, and all the Enjoyments of Senfe. As

'tis

'tis inconfiftent to ferve God and Mammon, fo 'tis morally impoffible to be actually ready for the other, while we are anxiously follicitous about the Affairs of this World. The Cares

of this Life are of a distracting nature; and a State of Wealth as well as that of Poverty, is attended with many Temptations and Snares: And indeed a Rich Man is commonly more distant from an actual readiness to die, than he that is poor; because his Eyes are dazl'd with the Glories, and his Heart is faften'd to the Treasures that he has in this World: fo that the very thoughts of leaving his Wealth and Conveniences behind him, create an inward Pain that is very acute, like the tearing of his Heart from the midst of his Bowels.

And let me tell you, there are fome good Men, who having abundance in this World, tho they are habitually fit to die, yet find it extremely difficult to work up their Minds to a chearful difpofednefs to leave the World; yea, tho they are almost funk into the Grave with Age, yet with what kind of Uneafinefs and Paffion do they look behind 'em, like Lot's Wife when he was leaving Sodom? Alas! whatever we affect with too ftrong a Paffion, when 'tis fnatch'd from us, or we from it, it occafions a proportionable Pain: therefore if we would fet loose by the things of this World, and be always ready to quit them, we ought to have the fame thoughts of them in the time of our Health, as Men ordinarily have when they are fick and dying.

It may be, fome that hear me now, at one time or other, have had the Sentence of Death within themselves, and have expected every Moment when their Souls would have diflodg'd

from

from their Bodies. Pray what were your thoughts then of this World, and thofe Enjoyments in it that now ftrike fo hard upon your Senfes? Did you not then think that they were all Vanity and Vexation of Spirit, and that they had not that in them which your flattering Expectations promis'd you? When you thought that you were just leaving the World, did you not look on it as a contemptible Trifle? Labour to recover the fame Thoughts again now you are in Health, which will help you to fit loofe to this World and the Enjoyments of it, and to promote your actual readiness for Death and Judgment. I fhall close this Head with the Advice of the Apostle: But this, I fay, Brethren, the time is Short; it remaineth, that both they that have Wives be as tho they had none, and they that weep as tho they wept not, and they that rejoice as tho they rejoic'd not, and they that buy as tho they poffefs'd not, and they that use this World as not abufing it for the fashion of this World passeth a

way.

3. An actual Readiness for Death and Judgment confifts in a freedom from the fear of Death. I do not mean from the natural Fear of Death, but from that which is tormenting and flavish. The Love of Life is not more natural than the Fear of Death, and therefore the Son of God himself does not feem to be exempted from it; the reluctancies which our Saviour discover'd against his dying, did not in the leaft impeach the Re&titude of his Nature: there were no Irregularities in the Affections of his Human Soul, which always mov'd agreeably to the Quality of those Objects about which they were converfant. Therefore, I

fay,

Ifa. 38. 1.

fay, fuch a natural Fear of Death is not finful, nor inconfiftent with an actual Readiness for it.

Indeed many that are habitually fit to die, are fo much indifpos'd by a flavish Fear of Death, that they earnestly defire longer Life, and cry out with the Pfalmift, O spare me, that I may recover Strength, before I go hence, and be no more. With what Concern and Uneafinefs did good Hezekiah receive that Meffage, Set thine House in order, for thou shalt die and not live? For tho he had walk'd with God and liv'd to him, tho he had done that which was right in the fight of the Lord, and had done it with a perfect Heart; yet upon the notice of his Diffolution, when he understood he fhould be remov'd from his agreeable Society, and fuddenly fink down into the Solitude of the Grave, He turn'd his Face toward the Wall, and pray'd unto the Lord, and wept fore. The AHeb.2.15. poftle speaks of fome, who thro a predominant fear of Death, are all their Life-time fubject to Bondage. And indeed there is too much of this Fear obtains upon thofe that are habitually fit to die; for tho they have receiv'd the Spirit of Adoption, yet at fometimes they are as full of Doubts and Fears as thofe who are under the Spirit of Bondage: 'tis no unufual thing for them that are dead to the Law by the Body of Chrift, to imagine themselves ftill under it. They that are in a very safe State, may be in a very legal Frame, especially fuch People as are fomewhat addicted to Melancholy.

Ver. 2, 3.

Now the best way for a Believer to overcome this, is to confider what Chrift hath done for him. This the Apostle plainly intimates, who having faid, that the Sting of Death is Sin, immediately adds, But thanks be to God, that giveth

us the Victory thro our Lord Jefus Chrift, i. e. The Victory over Sin, and confequently over Death: For the Sting of Death is Sin. Now Chrift having by his Death fully fatisfy'd for Sin, Death hereby is difarm'd of its Sting and Terror, the Guilt of Sin is remov'd by the Merit of our Saviour's Blood, and the Power of it destroy'd by the Efficacy of his Spirit: And when these are witness'd to the Confcience, and the Perfon is well affur'd concerning 'em, the flavish Fears of Death do vanish; which by the way, fhould make Chrift more precious to our Souls, and fhould engage us to love him equally to the strong Obligations we are under to him.

One of the antient Romans (as Dr. Bates has obferv'd) "did highly celebrate the Aftrono

mers, who difcover'd the true caufe of the "Eclipfes of the Sun and Moon, and freed "the World from the double darkness of Ig"norance and Fear; for before that discovery, "Men believ'd the obfcuring of those great "Lights were the fainting Fits of Nature, and mortal Symptoms threatning an uni"verfal Calamity."

But how much more Praife, Honour and Glory is due to our Bleffed Saviour, who hath abolish'd Death, and brought Life and Immortality to light through the Gospel, and has affur'd us, that the Death of a Believer is but a Paffage out of this World to a better; where fuch fhall never be at a lofs by reafon of Darknefs, but live under the immediate Rays of Divine Glory and Love?

But in all this I would not be mistaken by those that are unconverted: You, Sirs, are not the Perfons that fhould not fear Death,

for