5. When you are strongly oppressed with the slavish fear of Death: When the fore thoughts of your going out of this world are distressing thoughts to your mind; especially being (either by grey hairs, those Blossoms of the Grave, or by pining sicknesses, &c. by the dangers of troublesome times growing) warned of the probable nearness and approach of it, and you are hereby put out of frame, and greatly hurried and disquieted in your spirits; think now and meditate: But was ever a Child unwilling to go home, especially where he knew that he should have all things according to his hearts desire, and was at present under manifold troublesome exercises? Is rest a thing so unwelcome or ungrateful to the weary man? why then should I shrink from ⟨p. 53⟩it? Did not my dearest Saviour comfort himself with this thought, when he drew near to a most cruel and bitter Death, yet he was going to his Father, and my Father? And am I unwilling to go to my Fathers House, to that Palace and Court, where I (who have been a stranger all this while in a strange Country, going under a disguise, so as the World I live in knows me not, and therefore despiseth and persecuteth me) shall be set forth and adorned like the Child of a King? And what! Is it a thing so hard to bear, and that which should make me to draw back and fly from it? is to be stripped out of these rags of mortality, this dirty defiled garment of flesh, and to receive in exchange for it those Princely Robes of Glory, and be made to appear in such Oriency and splendour, as will out-shine the light of the Sun in the firmament? And is this the thing I am so much afraid of? Is it this at which my thoughts do so much, start and give back? No, no, I will not fear, but make all the hast I can that I may in due season finish my work, and go home: The World is weary of me, and would gladly part with me; and I am as weary of it, and as willing to leave it▪ And were it not that I have a little work to do for the glory of my God and Father here, I could be content forthwith to be gone: However, I am willing to tarry on his business, but when my Father shall please to call, I will say, ⟨p. 54⟩Lord, here am I; and in the mean while, I will wait till my change comes.
5. When you are strongly oppressed with the slavish fear of Death: When the fore thoughts of your going out of this world are distressing thoughts to your mind; especially being (either by gray hairs, those Blossoms of the Grave, or by pining sicknesses, &c. by the dangers of troublesome times growing) warned of the probable nearness and approach of it, and you are hereby put out of frame, and greatly hurried and disquieted in your spirits; think now and meditate: But was ever a Child unwilling to go home, especially where he knew that he should have all things according to his hearts desire, and was at present under manifold troublesome exercises? Is rest a thing so unwelcome or ungrateful to the weary man? why then should I shrink from ⟨p. 53⟩it? Did not my dearest Saviour comfort himself with this thought, when he drew near to a most cruel and bitter Death, yet he was going to his Father, and my Father? And am I unwilling to go to my Fathers House, to that Pallace and Court, where I (who have been a stranger all this while in a strange Country, going under a disguise, so as the World I live in knows me not, and therefore despiseth and persecuteth me) shall be set forth and adorned like the Child of a King? And what! Is it a thing so hard to bear, and that which should make me to draw back and fly from it? is to be stript out of these rags of mortality, this dirty defiled garment of flesh, and to receive in exchange for it those Princely Robes of Glory, and be made to appear in such Oriency and splendor, as will out-shine the light of the Sun in the firmament? And is this the thing I am so much afraid of? Is it this at which my thoughts do so much, start and give back? No, no, I will not fear, but make all the hast I can that I may in due season finish my work, and go home: The World is weary of me, and would gladly part with me; and I am as weary of it, and as willing to leave it▪ And were it not that I have a little work to do for the glory of my God and Father here, I could be content forthwith to be gone: However, I am willing to tarry on his business, but when my Father shal please to call, I will say, ⟨p. 54⟩Lord, here am I; and in the mean while, I will wait till my chang comes.
