for you have all the reafon in the World to fear it, for when you fee Death riding on a pale Horfe, what can you expect fhould follow but fiery Indignation and an eternal Hell, which will strike your guilty Minds with an Ifa.33.13. infinite Terror? For who among you can dwell with devouring Fire? who among you can dwell with everlafting Burnings? Indeed fuch as are freed from the Fears of Death, and the Bondage that is confequent thereupon, can welcome Death in its approaches, and fay with the Pfalmift, Tho I walk thro the Valley of the Shadow of Death, I will fear no Evil, for thou art with me. They look on Death as a Meffenger fent to call them home to their Father's Houfe, where they fhall enjoy a Freedom from all moral and penal Evils, and be rais'd to the Enjoyment of the higheft pofi-' tive Good. For in God's Prefence is Fulnefs of Foy, and at his right Hand there are Pleasures for

evermore.

4. If we would be actually ready for Death we must be diligent in the difcharge of every Duty, and in the exercife of every Grace, as the Place and Circumstances wherein God has fix'd us, do call for. Whatever God has enjoin'd us, whether publick or private, whe ther a Branch of our general or fpecial Calling, whether perfonal or relative, we should be always ready to difcharge thefe Obligations, to answer our Abilities, and improve all the Opportunities that God gives us for his Service; for the least allow'd Omiffion will fill us with Uneafinefs and Confufion. If our Talents are not improv'd, our Hearts will reproach us; and we cannot think of standing with Comfort at the Divine Bar, if we have

been

been unfaithful Stewards. Therefore, let us have our Loins girt about, and our Lamps burning; for blessed is that Servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, fhall find fo doing. One thus imploy'd will have the thoughts of Deathfweeten'd to him, especially if his Graces are vigorous and active, as the Circumstances of his Condition call for. The Life of every Christian is chequer'd with Mercies and Afflictions; and according to the different States of Sorrow or Triumph, are our active or paffive Graces to be call'd forth into Exercise. So that we may abound in all the Fruits of Righteoufnefs, which are by Jefus Chrift, to the Praife and Glory of God the Father. In a word, do not defer any thing to a Death-bed, that may and ought to be done in the time of Health. Let your House be fet in order as well as your Soul, and then you'll have nothing to do but to die, when you are call'd hence.

5. Live a Life of Communion with God, and daily wait for your Change, and the Lord's fecond Coming. If a Believer has for a time been off from his Watch, and intermitted the Exercise of Grace, and has not had any Communion with God, the Thoughts of Death will be fomewhat ftartling. He that would be always ready to leave this Earth, must constantly have his Converfation in Heaven. And fuch a one that's converfant in the other, will be like a Stranger in this World: He walks with God here, and when he leaves the World (to ufe the Words of a dying Saint *) changes his Room, but not his Company.

Vid. Dr. Bates on Death, p. 128,

God

4

God was always with him on Earth, and he fhall be ever with God in Heaven.

I fhall close this Head with the words of the Apostle 1 John 2.28. John: And now, little Children, abide in him; that when he shall appear, we may have Confidence, and not be afham'd before him at his Coming.

Heb. 11. 8.

6. Let us revive in our Minds thofe Promifes which gave us incouragement at firft to come to Chrift, and venture our Souls upon him. The Spirit of God works by the Word, and every Chriftian has fome Word upon which God has caus'd him to hope. Now in order to an actual Readiness for Death, we muft labour to be putting forth frequent Acts of Faith on Chrift, thro thofe Promifes that have been powerfully imprefs'd on our Minds, and which have encourag'd us to hope in the Mercy of God thro the Redeemer. And here let us obferve, whether thefe keep us at the foot of Chrift, and raise our esteem of him; whether they engage to a thorow unaffected Piety, to a close regular Walk with God, and Dependence on him: And if thefe are the Effects, we shall be capable of clearing up our Eviden ces for Heaven, without which we cannot pafs out of this World with Comfort.

Indeed we read that Abraham, when he was call'd to go out into a Place which he should after receive for an Inheritance, obey'd; and he went, not knowing whither he went. But certainly none can be willing to go out of this World into the next, while he doubts whether he fhall go to Heaven or Hell, whether he fhall afcend into the Hill of God, or drop into a Lake of Fire. To be doubting and dying at the fame time, is a very uncomfortable thing; yet this has been the Lot of fome of the Children of

God,

God, who tho they have been habitually fit to die, have not been actually ready. Therefore as you would avoid being perplex'd and uneafy in your last moments, labour after a wellgrounded Affurance of the Divine Favour; which being obtain'd, will enable you to fay with old Simeon, Now letteft thou thy Servant depart in peace, for mine Eyes have feen thy Sal

vation.

7. An actual Readiness for Death, and the Coming of Chrift, is promoted by the lively and vigorous Representation to our Minds of the Glories of the Heavenly Inheritance. Therefore frequently think of the Weight and Luftre of thofe Crowns that are prepar'd for the faithful Followers of the Lamb: Think of the Society and Imploy of the Bleffed, the Perfection of their Knowledg, Purity and Love, the Magnificence and Grandeur of Chrift in his glorified Humanity, and how Millions of obfequious Spirits bow at his Feet. Think again how officious and ready the chief Principalities of the glorious Empire are to convey the Souls of fuch as die in the Lord thro the vast Regions of Air to their Father's Houfe. And can you think of these things without earnest Defires to depart, and to be with Chrift? Surely a good Man that has been long inur'd to fuch Contemplations, can very eafily quit his Body, and very joyfully commend his departing Spirit into his hands that has bought it with his Blood.

Secondly, I proceed now to confider the forcible Reafon our Bleffed Saviour uses to press this Duty of being Ready; For in fuch an Hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh. I have already

already fignified to you, that by the Coming of Chrift, we are to understand his fecond folemn Appearance to judg the World, the Certainty of which is here fuppos'd and taken for granted. But that wherein the force of the Argument lies, is, That he fhall come in an Hour we think not of. When he is least thought of or look'd for, when Men are stupid and infenfible, and do not expect his Coming, then fhall Mankind be furpriz'd with the Appearance of their Judg, as were the Old World with a Luke 21,35. destroying Deluge; For as a Snare fhall it come upon all them that dwell on the face of the Earth. We are as certain that Chrift will come, as if his Coming were paft or prefent, as if we now heard the Sound of the last Trump, and faw the Heavens open, and the Son of God moving towards us thro the Air in the Chariot of a bright Cloud: But we cannot tell whether he'll appear in the first or fecond, in the third or fourth Watch of the Night; fo that 'tis reasonable that we watch the whole Night, I mean, that we be always ready.

We are as ignorant about the time of our Death, as we are about Chrift's fecond Coming; for People are call'd out of this World in an hour they think not of. There is no Place, Time or Company can fecure us from a fudden Death.

We read that the ten Virgins were called while flumbering, and at Midnight. So, Sinner, God may ftop thy Breath when thou art moft fecure, and call thee hence when thou haft the least thoughts of thy Departure. When Sinners cry Peace, Peace, then comes fudden De struction, as Travail upon a Woman with Child. Some of you that are hearing this Sermon,

before