The Twentieth, and so the last Lesson, that you are to learn by the Rod (or by the raging pestilence) is, To prepare for death, it is to be in actual readiness to dye. Ah Friends, every ache, every pain, every disease, is one of deaths warning pieces. There is not a head-ache, not a tooth-ache, not a gripe, not a grief, not a fall, not a wrench, not a plague-sore; but is a divine warning to man, to prepare to die. 'Tis a solemn work to die, and therefore we had need prepare to die. 'Tis a work that is to be done but once; and therefore we had need prepare to do that work well, that is to be done but once. In this world, we hear often, & pray often, & read often, and meditate often, & eat often, & drink often, 1and that which is worst, we sin often; but we must die but once. Death will try all our graces, & all our experiences, & all our evidences, & all our comforts, ⟨image 49⟩& all our attainments, and all our 2enjoyments; and therefore we had need to prepare to die. Though there is nothing more certain than death, yet there is nothing more uncertain than, 1. The time when we shall die. 2. The place where we shall die. And 3. The manner how we shall die; as whether we shall die a sudden death, or a lingering death, or a violent death; or whether we shall fall by the sword abroad, or by famine or pestilence at home, or whether we shall fall by this disease or that; and therefore we had need be always in an actual readiness to die. No man shall die the sooner, but much the easier, and the better, for preparing to die: And therefore let us always have our loins girt, and our lamps burning. As death leaves us so Judgment will find us; and there fore we have very great cause to secure our interest in Christ, a changed nature, and a pardon in our bosoms; that so we might have nothing to do, but to die. Except, we prepare to die, all other preparations will ⟨image 49⟩do us no good. In a word, Death is a change, a great change, 'tis the the last change till the resurrection, 'tis lasting, yea, an everlasting change; for it puts a man into an eternal condition of happiness or misery; 'tis an universal change, all persons must pass under this flaming Sword. That Statute Law, Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return, will 3sooner or later take hold on all mortals; and therefore it highly concerns us to prepare for death.
The Twentieth, and so the last Lesson, that you are to learn by the Rod (or by the raging pestilence) is, To prepare for death, it is to be in actual readiness to dye. Ah Friends, every ach, every pain, every disease, is one of deaths warning pieces. There is not a head-ach, not a tooth-ach, not a gripe, not a grief, not a fall, not a wrench, not a plague-sore; but is a divine warning to man, to prepare to die. 'Tis a soleemn work to die, and therefore we had need prepare to die. 'Tis a work that is to be done but once; and therefore we had need prepare to do that work well, that is to be done but once. In this world, we hear often, & pray often, & read often, and meditate often, & eat often, & drink often, 1and that which is worst, we sin often; but we must die but once. Death will try all our graces, & all our experiences, & all our evidences, & all our comforts, ⟨image 49⟩& all our attainments, and all our 2enjoyments; and therefore we had need to prepare to die. Though there is nothing more certain than death, yet there is nothing more uncertain than, 1. The time when we shall die. 2. The place where we shall die. And 3. The manner how we shall die; as whether we shall die a sudden death, or a lingring death, or a violent death; or whether we shall fall by the sword abroad, or by famine or pestilence at home, or whether we shall fall by this disease or that; and therefore we had need be alwayes in an actual readiness to die. No man shall die the sooner, but much the easier, and the better, for preparing to die: And therefore let us alwayes have our loins girt, and our lamps burning. As death leaves us so Judgment will find us; and there fore we have very great cause to secure our interest in Christ, a changed nature, and a pardon in our bosomes; that so we might have nothing to do, but to die. Except, we prepare to die, all other preparations will ⟨image 49⟩do us no good. In a word, Death is a change, a great change, 'tis the the last change till the resurrection, 'tis lasting, yea, an everlasting change; for it puts a man into an eternall condition of happiness or misery; 'tis an universal change, all persons must pass under this flaming Sword. That Statute Law, Dust thou art, and unto dust thou shalt return, will 3sooner or later take hold on all mortals; and therefore it highly concerns us to prepare for death.
- 1Job 14. 14. Heb. 9. 27.
- 2He that would see more of this, may read my String of Pearls, and the Funeral Sermon that is at the end of my Book of Assurance.
- 3Gen. 3. 18.
