Inf. III. Believers on Christ should be Very willing to Die and leave this World, so they may Enjoy that Hope which is laid up for them in Heaven. When ever God calls them to it, they should Die willingly. Indeed, there are but few men who Leave this World willingly. Their Souls are Forced out of their Body's, full sore against their wills. Tis with them as it was said of the Enemies of David, Their Souls are slung out, as out of the middle of a Sling, 1 Sam. 25.29. Or, as it was said of the Rich Fool, Thy Soul shall be Required of thee, Luk. 12.20. Death comes upon them like an unwelcome Bailiff, and drags their Souls out of their Bodies. It may not be so with Believers on Christ: They should Die with a Good will. 2 Cor. 5.8. We are willing to be absent from the Body. For certainly Death, how ever it has been their Enemy, is now their Good Friend: The Day of their Death will be a better Day to them, than the Day of their Birth. Why then should they be afraid or unwilling to bid it welcome? There are holy Men spoken of in the Scripture, who were ⟨p. 252⟩Very willing to Die, and go out of this sorrowful sinful World. Abraham was so He was full of Days , Gen. 25.8. Said to be so, not only in that he Lived to a good Old Age, but he was weary of the World: he had had his Full of it; and was desirous to be gone to a Better; that is to an Heavenly Country. Jacob was willing to Die: he said to Joseph, Now let me Die, Gen. 46.30. The like we see in Simeon; he said, Lord, Now lettest thou thy Servant Depart in Peace, Luk. 2.29. The Apostle Paul Desired to depart & to be with Christ, Phil. 1.23. I might mention othe• Examples, (besides those in the Scripture) of Good Men unto whom Death has been very welcome. He that Reads the History of the Martyrs, will see how willing they were to Die, that so they might go to Christ. They were afraid of nothing so much, as lest their Persecutors would let them Escape, and not take their Lives from them, when they offered themselves to Death for the Name of Christ: They Rather Erred in too much Forwardness, than in too much Backwardness to part ⟨p. 253⟩with their Lives, which they did not Love unto the Death· I could tell you of many holy Servants of Christ in these Latter Ages, who notwithstanding they were Contented to Live, Desired rather to Die: When Mr.
Inf. III. Believers on Christ should be Very willing to Dy and leave this World, so they may Enjoy that Hope which is laid up for them in Heaven. When ever God calls them to it, they should Dy willingly. Indeed, there are but few men who Leave this World willingly. Their Souls are Forc'd out of their Body's, full sore against their wills. Tis with them as it was said of the Enemies of David, Their Souls are slung out, as out of the middle of a Sling, 1 Sam. 25.29. Or, as it was said of the Rich Fool, Thy Soul shall be Required of thee, Luk. 12.20. Death comes upon them like an unwelcome Bailiff, and drags their Souls out of their Bodies. It may not be so with Believers on Christ: They should Dy with a Good will. 2 Cor. 5.8. We are willing to be absent from the Body. For certainly Death, how ever it has been their Enemy, is now their Good Friend: The Day of their Death will be a better Day to them, than the Day of their Birth. Why then should they be afraid or unwilling to bid it welcome? There are holy Men spoken of in the Scripture, who were ⟨p. 252⟩Very willing to Dy, and go out of this sorrowful sinful World. Abraham was so He was full of Days , Gen. 25.8. Said to be so, not only in that he Liv'd to a good Old Age, but he was weary of the World: he had had his Full of it; and was desirous to be gone to a Better; that is to an Heavenly Countrey. Jacob was willing to Dy: he said to Joseph, Now let me Dy, Gen. 46.30. The like we see in Simeon; he said, Lord, Now lettest thou thy Servant Depart in Peace, Luk. 2.29. The Apostle Paul Desired to depart & to be with Christ, Phil. 1.23. I might mention othe• Examples, (besides those in the Scripture) of Good Men unto whom Death has been very welcome. He that Reads the History of the Martyrs, will see how willing they were to Dy, that so they might go to Christ. They were afraid of nothing so much, as lest their Persecutors would let them Escape, and not take their Lives from them, when they offered themselves to Death for the Name of Christ: They Rather Erred in too much Forwardness, than in too much Backwardness to part ⟨p. 253⟩
