The tenth subject of meditation, is, meditate of death*. We say we must all die, but who is he that meditates seriously upon it? Meditate, §11. Of the certainty of death, statutum est; 'Tis appointed for all once to die, Heb. 9.27. There's a statute out. §22. Meditate upon the proximity of death, it is near to us; Et mors atra caput fuscis circumvolat alis. — We are almost setting our feet upon the dark entry of death. The Poets painted time with wings; it not only rides Post, but flies, and carries us upon its wings. The race is short between the cradle and the grave: the sentence of death is already passed, Gen. 3.19. To dust thou shalt return; so that our life is but ⟨p. 121⟩a short reprieval from death which is granted to a condemned man; Mine age is [Greek or Hebrew], as nothing, Psal. 39.5. nay, if it were possible to take something out of nothing, our life is less than nothing, reckoned with eternity. §33. Meditate upon the uncertainty of the time. We have no Lease, but may be turned out the next hour; there are so many casualties, that it is a wonder if life be not cut off by untimely death*. How soon may God seal us a lease of ejectment? Our grave may be digging before night. To day we lie upon a pillow of down, to morrow we may be laid upon a pillow of dust. To day the Sermon-bell goes, to morrow our passing-bell may go. §44. Think seriously, that to die is to be but once done, and after death, there's nothing to be done. If thou diest in thy impenitency, there's no repenting in the grave. If thou leavest thy work at death ⟨p. 122⟩half done, there is no finishing it in the grave, Eccles. 9.10. There's no work nor devise, nor wisdom in the grave whether thou goest. If a garrison surrender at the first summons, there is mercy, but if it stay till the red flag be hung out, and the garrison is stormed, there's no mercy then. Now 'tis a day of grace, and God holds forth the white flag of mercy to the penitent, if we stay till God hold forth the red flag, and storm us by death, now there's no mercy. There is nothing to be done for our souls after death. Oh meditate of death. 'Tis reported of Zeleucus, that the first piece of household-stuff he brought into Babylon, was a tomb-stone: think often of your Tomb-stone. The meditation of death would work these admirable effects.
THe tenth subject of meditation, is, meditate of death*. We say we must all die, but who is he that meditates seriously upon it? Meditate, §11. Of the certainty of death, statutum est; 'Tis appointed for all once to die, Heb. 9.27. There's a statute out. §22. Meditate upon the proximity of death, it is near to us; Et mors atra caput fuscis circumvolat alis. — We are almost setting our feet upon the dark entry of death. The Poets painted time with wings; it not only rides Post, but flies, and carries us upon its wings. The race is short between the cradle and the grave: the sentence of death is already passed, Gen. 3.19. To dust thou shalt returne; so that our life is but ⟨p. 121⟩a short reprieval from death which is granted to a condemned man; Mine age is 〈non-Latin alphabet〉, as nothing, Psal. 39.5. nay, if it were possible to take something out of nothing, our life is lesse than nothing, reckon'd with eternity. §33. Meditate upon the uncertainty of the time. We have no Lease, but may be turned out the next houre; there are so many casualties, that it is a wonder if life be not cut off by untimely death*. How soon may God seale us a lease of ejectment? Our grave may be digging before night. To day we lie upon a pillow of downe, to morrow we may be laid upon a pillow of dust. To day the Sermon-bell goes, to morrow our passing-bell may go. §44. Think seriously, that to die is to be but once done, and after death, there's nothing to be done. If thou diest in thy impenitency, there's no repenting in the grave. If thou leavest thy work at death ⟨p. 122⟩half done, there is no finishing it in the grave, Eccles. 9.10. There's no work nor devise, nor wisdome in the grave whether thou goest. If a garison surrender at the first summons, there is mercy, but if it stay til the red flag be hung out, and the garison is storm'd, there's no mercy then. Now 'tis a day of grace, and God holds forth the white flag of mercy to the penitent, if we stay till God hold forth the red flag, and storme us by death, now there's no mercy. There is nothing to be done for our souls after death. Oh meditate of death. 'Tis reported of Zeleucus, that the first piece of houshold-stuff he brought into Babylon, was a tomb-stone: think often of your Tomb-stone. The meditation of death would work these admirable effects.
- *Vera Philosophia est mortis contemplatio. Plato in dial. de sap.
- *Quis scit an adjiciant hodiernae crastina vitae tempora, dii superi! Horat.
