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lie down, and rise up, and walk abroad, with our hearts full of the joys of God, we continually fill them with perplexing fears. For he that fears dying, must be always fearing, because he hath always reason to expect it. And how can that man's life be comfortable, who lives in continual fear of losing his comforts ?-Are not these fears of death self-created sufferings? As it God had not inflicted enough upon us, but we must inflict more upon ourselves. Is not death bitter enough to the flesh of itself, but we must double and treble its bitterness? The sufferings laid upon us by God, do all lead to happy issues; the progress is from tribulation to patience, from thence to experience, and so to hope, and at last to glory. But the sufferings we make for ourselves, are circular and endless, from sin to suffering, from suffering to sin, and so to suffering again. And not only so, but they multiply in their course; every sin is greater than the former, and so every suffering also: so that, except we think God hath made us to be our own tormentors, we have small reason' to nourish our fears of death.-And are they not useless, unprofitable fears? As all our care cannot make one hair white or black, nor add one cubit to our stature; so neither can our fear prevent our sufferings, nor delay our death one hour: willing or unwilling, we must away. Many a man's fears have hastened his end, but no man's ever did avert it. "Tis true, a cautions fear concerning the danger after death, hath profited many, and is very useful to the preventing of that danger; but for a member of Christ, and an heir of heaven, to be afraid of entering his own inheritance, is a sinful, useless fear.And do not our fears of dying insnare our souls, and add strength to many temptations? What made Peter deny his Lord? What makes apostates, in suffering times, forsake the truth? Why doth the green blade of unrooted faith wither before the heat of persecution?-Fear of imprisonment and poverty may do much, but fear of death will do much more. So much fear as we have of death, so much cowardice we usually have in the cause of God. Beside the

multitude of unbelieving contrivances, and discontents at the wise disposal of God, and hard thoughts of most of his providences, which this sin doth make us guilty of.

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23. Let us further consider, what a competent time most of us have had. Why should not a man, that would die at all, be as willing at thirty or forty, if God see fit, as at seventy or eighty? Length of time doth not conquer corruption; it never withers or decays through age. Except we receive an addition of grace, as well as time, we naturally grow worse. "O my soul, depart in peace. As thou wouldst not desire an unlimited state in wealth and honour, so desire it not in point of time. If thou wast sensible how little thou deservest an hour of that patience which thou hast enjoyed, thou wouldst think thou hadst had a large part. Is it not divine wisdom that sets the bounds? God will honour himself by various persons, and several ages, and not by one person or age. Seeing thou hast acted thy own part, and finished thy appointed course, come down contentedly, that others may succeed, who must have their turns as well as thyself. Much time hath much duty. Beg therefore for grace to improve it better; but be content with thy share of time. Thou hast also had a competency of the comforts of life. God might have made thy life a burden, till thou hadst been as weary of possessing it, as thou art now afraid of losing it. He might have suffered thee to have consumed thy days in ignorance, without the true knowledge of Christ; but he hath opened thy eyes in the morning of thy days, and acquainted thee betimes with the business of thy life. Hath thy heavenly Father caused thy lot to fall in Europe, not in Asia, Africa, or America; in England, not in Spain or Italy? Hath he filled up all thy life with mercies, and dost thou now think thy share too small? What a multitude of hours of consolation; of delightful sabbaths, of pleasant studies, of precious companions, of wonderful deliverances, of excellent opportunities, of fruitful labours, of joyful tidings, of sweet experiences, of astonishing

providences, hath thy life partaken of! Hath thy life been so sweet, that thou art loth to leave it? Is this thy thanks to him, who is thus drawing thee to his own sweetness? O foolish soul! would thou wast as covetous after eternity, as thou art for a fading perishing life! and after the presence of God in glory, as thou. art for continuance on earth! Then thou wouldest cry, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Why tarry the wheels of his chariot? How long, Lord? how long?" -"What if God should let thee live many years, but deny thee the mercies which thou hast hitherto enjoyed? Might he not give thee life, as he gave the murmuring Israelites quails? He might give thee life, till thou art weary of living, and as glad to be rid of it as Judas, or Ahithophel; and make thee like many miserable creatures in the world, who can hardly forbear laying violent hands on themselves. Be not therefore so importunate for life, which may prove a judg ment, instead of a blessing." How many of the precious servants of God, of all ages and places, have gone before thee! Thou art not to enter an untrodden path, nor appointed first to break the ice. Except Enoch and Elijah, which of the saints have escaped death?` And art thou better than they? There are many millions of saints dead, more than now remain on earth. What a number of thine own bosom-friends, and companions in duty, are now gone; and why shouldest thou be so loth to follow? Nay, hath not Jesus Christ himself gone this way? Hath he not sanctified the grave to us, and perfumed the dust with his own body; and art thou loth to follow him too? Rather say as Thomas, "Let us also go, that we may die with him." § 24. If what hath been said will not persuade, scripture and reason have little force. And I have said the more on this subject, finding it so needful to myself and others; finding among so many Christians, who could do and suffer much for Christ, so few that can willingly die; and of many, who have somewhat subdued other corruptions, so few have got the conquest of this. I persuade not the ungodly from fearing

death. It is a wonder rather that they fear it no more, and spend not their days in continual horror.

CHAP. XI.

The Importance of leading a heavenly Life upon Earth. 1. The reasonableness of delighting in the thoughts of the saint's rest. § 2. Christians exhorted to it, by considering, § 3. (1) it will evidence their sincere piety; § 4. (2) it is the highest excellence of the Christian temper; § 5. (3) it leads to the most comfortable life; § 6-9. (4) it will be the best preservative from temptations to sin; § 10. (5) it will invigorate their graces and duties; § II. (6) it will be their best cordial in all afflictions; 12. (7) it will render them most profitable to others; 13. (8) it will honour God; § 14. (9) without it, we disobey the commands, and lose the most gracious and delightful discoveries, of the word of God: § 15. (10) it is the more reasonable to have our hearts with God, as his is so much on us; 16, 17. and (11) in heaven, where we have so much interest and relation; § 18. (12) besides, there is nothing but heaven worth setting our hearts upon. § 19. Transition to the subject of the next chapter.

§ 1. Is there such a rest remaining for us? Why then are our thoughts no more upon it? Why are not our hearts continually there? Why dwell we not there in constant contemplation? What is the cause of this neglect? Are we reasonable in this, or are we not? Hath the eternal God provided us such a glory, and promised to take us to dwell with himself, and is not this worth thinking on? Should not the strongest desires of our hearts be after it? Do we believe this, and yet forget and neglect it! If God will not give us leave to ap proach this light; what mean all his earnest invitations? Why doth he so condemn our earthly-mindedness, and command us to set our affections on things above! Ah! vile hearts! If God were against it, we were likelier to be for it; but when he commands our hearts to heaven, then they will not stir one inch. Like our predecessors, the sinful Israelites, when God would have them march for Canaan, then they mutiny, and will not stir; but

when God bids them not go, then they will be presently marching. If God say, Love not the world, nor the things of the world, we dote upon it. How freely, how frequently, can we think of our pleasures, our friends, our labours, our flesh and its lusts, yea, our wrongs and miseries, our fears and sufferings! But where is the Christian, whose heart is on his rest? What is the matter? Are we so full of joy as to need no more? Or, is there nothing in heaven for our joyous thoughts? Or rather, are not our hearts carnal and stupid? Let us humble these sensual hearts, that have in them no more of Christ and glory. If this world was the only subject of our discourse, all would count us ungodly; why then may we not call our hearts ungodly, that have so little delight in Christ and heaven?

§ 2. But I am speaking only to those, whose portion is in heaven, whose hopes are there, and who have forsaken all to enjoy this glory; and shall I be discouraged from persuading such to be heavenly-minded? Fellow-christians, if you will not hear and obey, who will? Well may we be discouraged to exhort the blind ungodly world, and may say, as Moses did, Behold the children of Israel have not hearkened unto me, how then shall Pharaoh hear me?-I require thee, Reader, as ever thou hopest for a part in this glory, that thou presently take thy heart to task, chide it for its wilful strangeness to God, turn thy thoughts from the pursuit of vanity, bend thy soul to study eternity, busy it about the life to come, habituate thyself to such contemplations, and let not those thoughts be seldom and cursory, but bathe thy soul in heaven's delights; and if thy backward soul begin to flag, and thy thoughts to scatter, call them back, hold them to their work, bear not with their laziness, nor connive at one neglect. And when thou hast, in obedience to God, tried this work, got acquainted with it, and kept a guard on thy thoughts till they are accustomed to obey, thou wilt then find thyself in the suburbs of heaven, and that there is indeed a sweetness in the work

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