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…

As then it is most indubitably certain, that we must die, so the time for the continuance of our life and days here, is very short, even but as an hand-breadth, and our age as nothing before him, our days are spent as a tale that is told, they are as a shadow on the earth, and there is none abiding; they are swifter then a Post, they flee away and see no good; they are passed away as the swift Ships, as the Eagle that hasteth to the prey, they are swifter then a Weaver's shuttle; our life is even as a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away; as a little warm breath, that is turned in and out at our Nostrils, which is very easily and quickly stopped. The precise time also of the expiring of this breath of life is (however to God, to whom (as is said) are known all his works from the beginning, most infallibly certain) to us most uncertain; death comes on us ordinarily, in such an hour as we do not think of; It comes on us as a thief in the night; We are now strong and in good health, and on the sudden we grow weak and sicken: Now we live, and by & by we die, & see men no more in the land of the living. All which, to wit, the certainty of our death, the exceeding brevity of our frail and brittle life, with the great uncertainty of the precise time of our dying, do with one voice unanimously call aloud unto us seriously to ⟨image 17⟩mind, and with all our might to make for an other life; to make sure peace and friendship with God thorough the blood of Christ's cross; to secure an interest in him (the choice and wale of all interests, the only everlastingly durable interest, in comparison of which, all other interests are but petty and inconsiderable, to which they all ought to cede and give place, and, as it were, to strike their flag and lower their top-sail) by sincere closing with Jesus Christ on his own terms, and cordially consenting to, and taking hold of, the Covenant of Grace; and to live so as it becomes them, who are very certain that we shall die, and very uncertain how long we shall live:

As then it is most indubitably certain, that we must die, so the time for the continuance of our life and dayes here, is very short, even but as an hand-breadth, and our age as nothing befor him, our dayes are spent as a tale that is told, they are as a shaddow on the earth, and there is none abyding; they are swifter then a Post, they flee away and see no good; they are passed away as the swift Ships, as the Eagle that hasteth to the prey, they are swifter then a Weaver's shutle; our life is even as a vapour that appeareth for a litle time, and then vanisheth away; as a litle warme breath, that is turned in and out at our Nostrils, which is very easily and quickly stopped. The precise time also of the expiring of this breath of life is (however to God, to whom (as is said) are knowne all his works from the beginning, most infallibly certain) to us most uncertain; death comes on us ordinarly, in such an hour as we do not think of; It comes on us as a thief in the night; We are now strong and in good health, and on the sudden we grow weak and sicken: Now we live, and by & by we die, & see men no more in the land of the living. All which, to witt, the certainty of our death, the exceeding brevity of our frail and brittle life, with the great uncertainty of the precise time of our dieing, do with one voice unanimously call aloud unto us seriously to