A good man making a good end. The life and death, of the Reverend…

Sirs, This is the Frame, wherewith we are to do, what we do. But then, How Willingly, How Cheerfully! God forbid, That we should Commit our Spirits into His Hand, as only Dragged, and Forced unto it by Unavoidable Death. Our Dying Lord said, Father, Into thy Hands I commend my Spirit. When God calls for our Spirit, we are to think, 'Tis my Father that calls for me; and shall not I go to my Father? It was a good Speech even of an Heathen, Bene Mori est Libenter Mori, ⟨p. 31⟩one Thing in Well Dying, is to Die willingly. 'Tis a dismal Thing, for the Spirit of a man to be Torn from him, and be pulled away with Roaring Reluctances, with Horrid Convulsions. Where would be the sense of it, if a Dying man should say, Lord, Into thy Hand I commit my Spirit, but if I could have my choice, my Spirit should never come there! When we perceive that Call from our Lord Jesus Christ, Go up and Die! Let us Freely Surrender our Spirits, unto our Great Lord, and, Go up and Die: He is the Lord of our Lives. Freely, did I say? Yea, and Gladly too. When we have aright Committed our Spirits into the Hand of the Lord, then take up that conclusion, in Psal. 49.15. God will Receive my Soul. And then, Let us wonderfully comfort our selves, in the Thoughts of that Spiritual World which we are going into Think, I shall quickly Rest from Sin, and all Temptations, and all Afflictions, and all the cursed Effects of Sin, and all Annoyances of Ill Spirits for ever. I shall quickly be Lodged among the pure Spirits, that see God, and serve Him Day and Night in His Temple, and God shall wipe away all Tears from my Eyes. Yea, I shall quickly be with my Lord Jesus Christ, which is by far the best of all. Oh! Rejoice in the Hope of this Glory of God! And let not your Joy be Interrupted, by any Fear, of what may become of your Friends, when you shall be Dead and Gone. The Lord that calls you to Commit your ⟨p. 32⟩Spirits into His Hand, calls you at the same time, to Commit your Widows, your Orphans, and all your Friends, into that Omnipotent Hand: He says, Leave them all with me, and He take the care of them all! It wa• noted of the English Martyrs, which Died at the Stake, in the Bloody Marian Persecution; That none of them went more joyfully to the Stake, than those that had the largest and the dearest Families then to commit unto the Lord: And afterwards those large Families, were wondrously provided for.