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…

It would make Christians walk ⟨p. 98⟩lovingly and edifyingly with others, loather to do wrong, more patient when they suffered wrongs, and more easy to forgive, and more ready to forget wrongs; our carnal humours would not get such way, if the thoughts of dying were suitably entertained; and half an hours discourse together with the impression of it on us, through Gods blessing, would edify and profit us mutually, more then many days meeting without it could do. 4ly, In reference to a mans self: 1. More generally, meditation on death is a most quieting and Spirit-sobering thing, it stays the mind, it diverts from vanities, and removes them from being the object of his pursuit, nay it someway crucifies him to them; And hence it is that men are seldom or never in a more sober and in a better frame, then when they are seriously apprehensive of death, as suppose men to be in sickness, or in danger at Sea or on Land, they will readily be in another frame then ordinarily they use to be in, and when the danger or strait is by, that impression wears readily much away; but were we more in meditation of death, this frame might be more constant and lasting. 2ly, More particularly 1. It contributes, through Gods blessing, to rectify a mans Judgment that by original sin is darkened, and accounteth ill good and good ill, the thoughts of death make a man wise, discreet, and condescending; men while they are in health and without these thoughts, will not quite an inch of their will, they will rather wound their conscience then their credit; and to get their barns full and all going well with them in the world, wholly takes them up, but the serious thoughts of death makes them wise to discern and judge of things, therefore Moses joins these two together, thinking on death and the applying of the heart to wisdom, Psal. 90. when folks think not on death, they are cumbered with many things, they r•ne to cisterns and turn their back on the fountain; ⟨p. 99⟩whereas serious pondering on death, lets the vanity and emptiness of these things be seen; how many see we daily when dying, counting little of these things they thought much of before, and calling & accounting themselves fools that suffered themselves to be so carried away with them; and however Gods Spirit calls them fools that make such a choice.