The blessedness of the death of these that die in the Lord and more…The blessednesse of the death of these that die in the Lord and more…

A fourth direction is this, these that would die in the Lord would be timeously acquainting themselves with the cross of Christ and not seeking after a pampered life, or to have the world at their will, but learning to fold, bow, and stoop to difficulties and straits; not that I would have any procuring crosses to themselves, but as they would not procure them, so they would not peremptorily determine to eschew them when the Lord calls to take them on, and bear them; but 1. they would carry along a resolution to fold to crosses when they come. 2. When they come, they would neither with sinful anxiety, seek to shun them, nor would they lye down discouraged under them, but deny themselves, take up their cross pleasantly, and cheerfully, and follow Christ. 3. They that have personal freedom from crosses would kindly sympathise with them that are under the cross, Hence Solomon says, that it is better to be in the house of […] then in the house of feasting, Eccles. 7. v. 2. there is a greater good to be had there nor in the house where there is banqueting, revelling, and carousing; The reason is, because few living in prosperity are content and disposed to die, and adversity doeth best loose folks grips from the world; O! it is hard to be glutting in the things of the world, and to live in a prosperous and plentiful condition, and not to be withdrawn thereby from spiritual things; Therefore is the cross and dying to the world so much commended, for little crosses are, as it were, bits of death or little deaths and pieces of the curse, as well as death itself is (though by the death of Christ they are turned into blessings to believers) and if we be habituate to these little deaths, there will be a much easier yielding to the great▪death, and less to do when it comes.

A fourth direction is this, these that would die in the Lord would be timeously acquainting themselves with the crosse of Christ and not seeking after a pampered life, or to have the world at their will, but learning to fold, bow, and stoup to difficulties and straits; not that I would have anie procureing crosses to themselves, but as they would not procure them, so they would not peremptorly determine to eshew them when the Lord calls to take them on, and bear them; but 1. they would carie along a resolution to fold to crosses when they come. 2. When they come, they would neither with sinful anxietie, seek to shun them, nor would they lye downe discouradged under them, but denie themselves, take up their crosse pleasantlie, and cheerfullie, and follow Christ. 3. They that have personal freedome from crosses would kindlie sympathise with them that are under the crosse, Hence Solomon sayes, that it is better to be in the house of then in the house of feasting,