O happy fouls that you are! others of us, and thofe, by far the most (I fear) are utterly negligent in this business; death and eternity are little minded by us; but we are in a fleepy, drowsy, fecure fpirit, and to fuch (methinks) this truth speaks in a language much like to that of the fhip mafter to Jonah, chap. 1. 6. "What meanest thou, O "fleeper? Arise and call upon thy God, if fo be "he will think on us, that we perish not." So what mean you, O you sleepy, drowsy, fecure fouls! Arife, make ready for a dying hour; set all things right, all things in order in your spiritual concernments, left death come upon you unawares, you be loft for ever; and to fuch of us I would fay, as fometimes God did by the prophet to Hezekiah, Ifai. 38. 1. "Set thine house in order, for "thou fhalt die, and not live.” and So I fay to you, fet your hearts in order, your spiritual concerns in order; make all even between God and you, for you shall shortly die, and not live; you shall shortly go hence, and be no more. And why should we not all do so, if you be to change your condition in the world, how careful and folicitous are you to have all things ready and in order for that change S Why (my beloved) you are shortly to pass under that great and laft change; a change from time to eternity; and will you have no care, no folicitude to make ready for that change? If you are to take a journey, though but a few miles, or to make a voyage into a strange land; O how are you concerned to have all things ready, all things in a prepared pofture, in order thereunto? And (my beloved) should not you be more concerned to make ready for your great journey, your laft and great voyage? You are making a journey, a voyage out of time into eternity; you are just launching forth into the great ocean: and what, nothing in order, nothing ready, nothing set right in order thereunto? That is ftrange! If you have fome great business, a business of more than ordinary importance to be done, or a fuit at law to be tried or determined; O how clofe do you follow it? and how careful are you to have all things ready in order thereunto ? And (my beloved) fhould you not be as careful and diligent to prepare, and fet all things right for the great business of your fouls in another world? Have you any business, any concern of greater importance to you, than the concern of your fouls, and eternity? If you are to appear before fome earthly judge, especially if it be about a matter that concerns your life; O how thoughtful are you tọ have all things ready and in order, in reference thereunto ? And (my beloved) fhould you not be as thoughtful and folicitous to make all ready, and to fet all right, in order to your appearing before the Judge of all the earth; and that about a matter which concerns the life of your souls, about a matter of eternal life and death. you Well, what shall I fay? Will you set about this great business, this great concern ? Or, is it all one with you, whether live or die, are faved, or damned to eternity? God yet fpares you, bleffed be his name; will you not fet all right, before you go hence and be no more? Sinners, will you fet about this great bufinefs? Your work is wholly yet to do; though, it may be, your day is far spent, your glass is almost run, your fun near setting, and all your work to do. Oh 'tis high time for you to awake out of fleep; unless you mean to fleep the fleep of eternal death. Saints, will you fet about this great business, while God fpares you? You have done fomewhat, but there is much more yet to be done; there is much out of order yet in your fouls: grace weak, (it may be) corruption ftrong, peace broken, evidences ftained and blotted; unbelief powerful within you, the heart much estranged from God; little suitableness to heaven in your spirits, and the like; will you now labour to recover ftrength? How many of us may complain, as that hely man (St. Bernard) once did? "I am ashamed to live, "because I am fo unprofitable; and I am afraid to "die, because I am fo unprepared." Surely this truth concerns the beft of us all: and if we underftand ourselves, we cannot but know it; the Lord help us to know it effectually. And if after all, you would indeed address to this great work and business, then I have several great and weighty directions to propound to you for your help therein, of which fome more general, some more particular, and I would fpeak of each diftinely. CHAP. XLI. WHEREIN ARE PROPOUNDED SEVERAL DIREC- 1. WOULD you indeed fet all things right in your fouls, make all ready for a dying hour? Then in your most profperous and flourishing ftate here, maintain a frequent and ferious. remembrance of death and the grave upon your spirit. If a man live many years (faith Solomon) and rejoice in them all; yet let them remember the days of darkness, for they are many, Ecclef. 11. 8. By the days of darkness here, we are to underftand death, and the ftate of death; the abode of our bodies in the grave, which is a land of darkness, and where the light is as darkness, Job 10. 20.. Now, faith he, though a man live many years, and. rejoice in them all; that is, though a man live long. and profperously, long and joyfully; yet let him. remember death and the grave, the future state. 'Tis true, there are other days of darkness, which we are fubject to in this world, and fhould be re |