Is the time of uncertain painful sickness better than this? O how doth sensuality besot the World! and inconsiderateness deprive them of the benefit of their reason? O Sirs, if you know indeed that you must shortly die, live then as dying men should live: Choose your condition in the World, and manage it as men that must shortly dye: Use your Power, and Command, and Honour, and use all your Neighbours, and especially use the Cause and Servants of Christ, as ⟨p. 156⟩men should do that must shortly die. Build and plant, and buy and sell, and use your Riches as those that must die, remembering that the fashion of all these things is passing away, 1 Cor. 7.29, 30. Yea pray and read and hear and meditate as those that must die. Seeing you are as sure of it as if it were this hour; in the name of God delay not your preparations. It is a terrible thing for an immortal Soul to pass out of the body in a carnal unregenerate, unprepared state: and to leave a World which they loved and were familiar with, and go to a World which they neither know nor love, and where they have neither heart nor treasure, Matth. 6.19, 20, 31. The measure of Faith which may help you to bear an easy cross, is not sufficient to fortify and encourage your souls, to enter upon so great a change. So also bear all your wants and crosses as men that must shortly die: Fear the cruelties of men, but as beseemeth those that are ready to die: He that can die well, can do any thing, or suffer any thing: And he that is unready to die, is unfit for a fruitful and comfortable life. What can rationally rejoice that man, who is sure to die, and unready to dye, and is yet unfurnished of dying comforts? Let nothing be now sweet to you, which will be bitter to your dying thoughts. Let nothing be much desired now, which will be unprofitable and uncomfortable then. Let nothing seem very heavy or grievous now, which will be light and easy then: Let nothing now seem honourable, which will then seem despicable and vile Consider of every thing as it will look at death; that when the day shall come which endeth all the joys of the ungodly, you may look ⟨p. 157⟩up with joy, and say, Welcome Heaven, This is tho day which I so long expected, which all my days were spent in preparation for, which shall end my fears, and begin my felicity, and put me into possession of all that I desired and prayed and laboured for;
Is the time of uncertain painful sickness better than this? O how doth sensuality besot the World! and inconsiderateness deprive them of the benefit of their reason? O Sirs, if you know indeed that you must shortly die, live then as dying men should live: Choose your condition in the World, and manage it as men that must shortly dye: Use your Power, and Command, and Honour, and use all your Neighbours, and especially use the Cause and Servants of Christ, as ⟨p. 156⟩men should do that must shortly die. Build and plant, and buy and sell, and use your Riches as those that must die, remembring that the fashion of all these things is passing away, 1 Cor. 7.29, 30. Yea pray and read and hear and meditate as those that must die. Seeing you are as sure of it as if it were this hour; in the name of God delay not your preparations. It is a terrible thing for an immortal Soul to pass out of the body in a carnal unregenerate, unprepared state: and to leave a World which they loved and were familiar with, and go to a World which they neither know nor love, and where they have neither heart nor treasure, Matth. 6.19, 20, 31. The measure of Faith which may help you to bear an easie cross, is not sufficient to fortifie and encourage your souls, to enter upon so great a change. So also bear all your wants and crosses as men that must shortly die: Fear the cruelties of men, but as beseemeth those that are ready to die: He that can die well, can do any thing, or suffer any thing: And he that is unready to die, is unfit for a fruitful and comfortable life. What can rationally rejoyce that man, who is sure to die, and unready to dye, and is yet unfurnished of dying comforts? Let nothing be now sweet to you, which will be bitter to your dying thoughts. Let nothing be much desired now, which will be unprofitable and uncomfortable then. Let nothing seem very heavy or grievous now, which will be light and easy then: Let nothing now seem honourable, which will then seem despicable and vile Consider of every thing as it will look at death; that when the day shall come which endeth all the joyes of the ungodly, you may look ⟨p. 157⟩up with joy, and say, Welcome Heaven, This is tho day which I so long expected, which all my dayes were spent in preparation for, which shall end my fears, and begin my felicity, and put me into possession of all that I desired and prayed and laboured for;
