Change; they think of Death under the Notion of a King of Terrors, but the Righteous wait for it as a Meffenger of Peace and the reafon of both is obvious, for the former at Death quit their imaginary Happinefs for real Mifery, whereas the latter have good ground to believe. they fhall pass from an imperfect, to the most defirable and compleat enjoyment of God.

2. This Waiting implies a profound Submiffion to the Will of God, both with refpect to the fixed Time of his Change, and the Things that lead to it.

(1.) This waiting for our Change, implies a profound Submiffion to the Will of God, in regard of that Time he has fix'd for it. We may all fay with Ifaac, We know not the Day of our Death; yet if we wait for our Change aright, we are content to depart this Life at the time that Heaven hath appointed, be it fooner or later. O, fays fuch a Soul, He that is the Lord of all my Time, has a Right to contract or lengthen it; He that breath'd into me the Breath of Life, may ftop it when he pleases, and call back that Spirit which he first gave. I am content with God's predetermining the Time of my Exit, because he is infinitely wife, and can beft order the Seafon of my Removal out of this World, who fix'd the Moment of my coming into it.

(2.) This waiting for our Change, implies a Submiffion to the Will of God, in bearing thofe Afflictions he fhall think fit to lay upon us in the way to it. There are a great many Difficulties which moft good Men struggle through, before they arrive at that Place, where the Wicked ceafe from troubling, and the Weary are at rest. Befides the Cares and Dif appoint

appointments of this Life, befides the Treachery of pretended Friends, and the Malice of open Enemies; there are Hofts of Diseases that our Bodies are incident to, fome loathfome, and others painful, that try the Graces of good Men to the utmoft; fo that e'er they are aware, they flide into Fits of Impatience: but the Grace of God, that has the afcendent in their Souls, foon corrects their Disorders, and filences their Complaints; and then, like the Holy Pfalmift in his Afflictions, they are dumb, and open not their mouths, because God does it. For being fatisfied with God's appointing the time of their Death, they are also willing to undergo those intermediate Evils which he fees fit to bring upon them, to weaken their Strength in the way, till they fink down into the Duft of Death. And they endure Chastisement as Children, they are neither stupid nor impatient, they do not defpife the chaftening of the Lord, nor faint when they are rebuk'd of him.

(3.) Waiting for our Change, implies a making of frequent and ferious Reflections on the shortnefs and uncertainty of our Time. He that waits aright for his great Change, frequently confiders how swiftly his Time passes, and how foon there will be a Period put to it: That he is not to continue long in this World, but is hastening to the other. 'Tis remarkable, that tho Facob had liv'd 130 Years, when he ftood before Pharaoh, yet he lets him know, that the days of the years of his Life were but few, as well as evil. But alas, how much is Human Life fhorten'd fince that time! I obferve, that Job in the Text refolves to wait all the Days of his appointed Time: He does not fpeak of Weeks, or Months, or Years, but of

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Days,

Days, certainly to denote the brevity of Human Life. The Apostle James compares our Jam. 4. 14. Life to a Vapour, which appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. A Vapour is a fit Representation of the Life of Man, for the fhortness of its continuance, and the fuddennefs of its departure. Now he that waits for his Change aright, lives every day as if it were to be his laft: I know, fays fuch a Divine Soul, the Time is fhort, and it will not be long before the Angel fhall fwear by Him that lives for ever and ever, that Time fhall be no more; and fince my Time is fo fhort and uncertain, Í will demean my felf like a Stranger upon Earth, and as a Citizen of Heaven, and will conftantly beg, That God would fo teach me to number my Days, that I may apply my Heart to Wisdom.

(4.) Waiting for our great Change, implies the exercise of the utmoft Diligence to be actually prepar'd for it. Every true Saint is habitually ready for Death, but there are but a very few that are actually prepar'd: all that are brought into a State of Reconciliation with God, and united to Chrift, that are justified by his Blood, and renew'd by his Spirit, are habitually fit to die; but an actual Preparation for Death, fuch as the Apostle Paul had, when in fo great a degree he was crucified to this World, and the World to him, that he could fay, He was willing rather to be abfent from the Body, and prefent with the Lord, but very few enjoy however fuch an excellent Temper is labour'd after by all fuch as wait aright for their great Change. I proceed now to the Improvement of the whole.

(1.) I infer, That God never defign'd this changing World for our Eternal Abode. Here

we have no continuing City, the Fashion of this World is paffing away; this can't be the Center of our Reft, because there is nothing in it to fatisfy the boundless Cravings of an Immortal Spirit. We fhould not be in a waiting posture, if we had Hope only in this Life: but, bleffed be God, we that are Chriftians have fo lid ground to expect a better and a more durable State! This Life infenfibly glides away like a rapid Stream, and it will not be long e'er the time of waiting for our Change by Death fhall be over; and tho after this we shall expect with pleasure the Refurrection of our Bodies, yet in the intermediate Space we fhall enjoy fuch refin❜d Delights as fhall give us, not only a just Idea of that State we were originally defign'd for by the Author of our Beings, but an experimental Relish of the Pleasures belonging to it.

(2.) How ftupid and criminal are fuch, who instead of daily expecting their great Change, banish all ferious Thoughts of Death from their Minds! who put the evil Day far from them, and cannot tell how to think of the Horror and Silence of the Grave, that they muft be buried out of fight, and lie in a Bed of Stench and Rottennefs. I confefs, if the thrusting thefe Thoughts from your Minds would prevent this Change, there would be fome fhew of Reafon in what you do: But alas, whether you think of Death or not, it is making hafty Advances towards you; therefore be prevail'd with to give your felves the liberty of a few ferious Thoughts about this matter. Will your Change be the better, or the easier to come, if unlook'd for? No furely, but much the worfe; for then it will overtake you while

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you

you are unprovided for it: And what will be the Confequence of that? Why, immediately after your falling by the first Death, you'l fink down under the Power of the fecond Death. You'l not only be swallowed up in the Heart of the Earth, but drop into a Lake of Fire. O, be no longer unconcern'd about your great Change, but familiarize the Thoughts of Death, and refolve with Job in the Text, To wait all the Days of your appointed Time till your Change

come.

(3.) If the Inhabitants of this lower World have reason to expect fuch a Change as you have heard, then none of them are fit Objects of our Truft. Those that share the greatest Honours both in Church and State, are as frail as Perfons in the most abject condition. ThereIfa. 2. 22. fore, Ceafe ye from Man whofe Breath is in his Noftrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? Don't place a mighty Confidence in your Rich and Potent Friends; for if they fhould not alter in their Respects to you, yet this Change of Death may overtake them, before they have done you the Service you expected from them. Pfal. 146. Put not your trust in Princes, nor in the Son of Man, in whom there is no help; his Breath goeth forth, he returneth to his Earth, in that very day his Thoughts perish. But make fure of an Interest in an unchangeable God, a God that abideth the fame, of whofe Tears there is no end; a God, whofe Love is, like himself, Unchangeable and Everlasting.

3, 4.

(4.) If God has predetermin'd the Period of Human Life, then we ought not to be anxiously defirous to die before the Time that He has fix'd. I know that fome good Men, under Jeb 7. 15. great Afflictions, have chofe Strangling, and

Death