dilated and contracted. By dilating themfelves, they attract and fuck in the air into themielves; firft duly to prepare and temper it, and then communicate it to the heart for its refreshment; which being quickly heated in the heart, is again breathed out by the lungs, by contracting themselves again. This double motion of infpiration and expiration, we call refpiration; and this refpiration is the bond that holds our fouls and bodies together.

And indeed, this is but a feeble bond, a very flender and weak thread, which holds our fouls and bodies in union. What more volatile, evanid and uncertain, than a puff of breath? The noftrils are the outer door of the body, our breath is continually in our noftrils; and how foon may that depart, which is day and night at the door, as if it were still taking leave of us? Our breath is always going; and what is still going, will be gone at last. How fmall a difference is there betwixt respiration and expiration, a breathing and a breathless lump of clay? Breath cannot continue long, and life cannot stay a mo. ment behind it, Pfal. civ. 29. " Thou takeft away their breath, "they die, and return to their duft." Life is breath given, and death is breath taken away. The breath of man is like a written sentence, in which there are divers comma's, or short paufes, after which speedily follows a full ftop, and there's an end of it.

Some conceive Solomon points at the continual motion of the lungs, in that figurative and elegant defcription of the death of man, Ecclef. xii. 6. " Or ever the filver cord be loofed, or "the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the "fountain, or the wheel be broken at the ciftern." "The "double motion of the lungs he seems here to compare to the "double motion of the buckets in a well; the turn of the wheel "fends one down, and draws the other up." But as we use to say proverbially, The bucket or pitcher that goes fo often to the ciftern or well, is broken at laft: So much we fay of thefe, they will fail at laft. One fitting by the bed-fide of a dying perfon, fighed out this compaffionate expreffion, Ah! quid fumus? His fick friend hearing it, replyed Pulvis et umbra fumus, duft, a fhadow, a puff of wind. The wind without us

is fickle and inconstant to a proverb, and so is that within us

*The lungs are like the pulleys of a ciftern, for as the pulley first lets down the buck es into the well, then raifes it again, in like manner, the lungs by a perpetual motion attract and expel the air, Alfted. Theol. nat. p. 623.

too. Many grudge at the shortness of life; but confidering the feebleness of this bond, we have more cause to wonder at the flowness of death. For let us seriously confider the frailty of our breath, on a double account, viz.

1. In refpect of our breathing inftruments.

2. Or of breath-stopping accidents.

1. Great is the frailty of our breathing inftruments. What is flesh but weakness? even the most folid and substantial; it is as fading grafs, Ifa. xl. 6. "But our lungs are the most lax, fpungy, and tender of all flesh, if that which is fo airy, light, "and fpumous, deferves the name of flesh." And as it is the moft frail of all flesh, fo it is in continual motion, labouring night and day, without reft or intermiffion; and that which wants alternate reft cannot be durable. We fee motion wears out the wheels of the watch, though made of brafs; but our Strength (as Job fpeaks) is not the ftrength of stones; nor cur bones (the moft folid, much lefs our lungs the most frail and feeble parts). of brass. Befide,

2. There are a multitude of breath-ftooping accidents, which may, and daily do beat the laft breath out of mens noftrils, before any decay of nature cause it to expire,

Many mortal difeafes are incident to thefe frail and tender parts. Phthifics, interenations, ulcers, eafily bar the paffage of our breath there; yea, and flighter accidents, which immediately touch not that part, are fufficient to flop our breath, and diflodge our fouls. A fly, a gnat, the ftone of a rafin, a crumb of bread, have often done it. There is not a pore in the body, but is a door large enough to let in death, nor a creature fo defpicably small, but is ftrong enough (if God commiffionate it) to ferve a writ of ejection upon the foul: The multitudes of difeafes are fo many lighted candles put to this flender thread of our breath, befides the infinite diverfity of external accidents, by which multitudes daily perish. So that there are as great and aftonishing wonders in our preservation, as in our creation.

Infer. 1. How admirable then is the mystery of providence in the daily continuation of the breath of our noftrils?

Thatour breath is yet in our noftrils is only from hence, that he who breathed it into them at first is our life, and the length of our days, as it is Deut. xxx. 20. It is because our breath is in his hand, Dan. v. 23. not in our own, nor in our enemies hands. Till he take it away, none shall be able to do it; Pfal. civ. 29.

+ The substance of the lungs is a lax fpungy airy kind of flesh, and like the coagulated from blood. Alfted, Theol. nat. p. 623,

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"Thou takeft away their breath, they die, and return to their “dust."

It is neither food, nor phyfic, but God in and by them, that "holdeth our fouls in life," Pfal. lxvi. 9. We hang every moment of our life over the grave, and the gulph of eternity, by this flender thread of our breath: But it cannot break, how feeble foever it be, till the time appointed be fully come. If it be not extinguished and fuffocated, as others daily are, it is because he puts none of these diseases upon us, as it is Exod. xv. 26. or if he do, yet he is Jehovah Rophe, the Lord that healeth us, as it follows in that text.

We live in the midst of cruel enemies, yea, 66 among them "that breathe out cruelty," as the pfalmift complaineth, Pfal. xxvii. 12. Such breath would quickly fuffocate ours, did not he, in whofe hand ours is, wonderfully prevent it. Oh what cause have we to employ, and spend that breath in his praise, who works to many daily wonders to fecure it!

Infer. 2. Is it but a puff of feeble breath which holds our fouls and bodies in union? Then every man is deeply concerned to make all hafte, to take all poffible care and pains to fecure a better, and more durable habitation for his foul in heaven, whilft yet it fojourns in this frail tabernacle of the body.

The time is at hand, when all these comely and active bodies fhall be fo many breathlefs car cafes, no more capable of any ufe or service for our fouls than the feats you fit on, or the dead bodies that lie under your feet. Your breath is yet in your noftrils, and all the means and feafons of falvation will expire with it; and then it will be as impoffible for the best minister in the world to help your fouls, as for the ableft Physician to recover your bodies. As phyfic comes too late for the one, so counfels and perfuafions for the other.

Three Things are worth thinking on in this matter.

1. That you are not without the hopes and poffibilities of falvation, whilft the breath of life is in your nostrils. A mercy, (how lightly foever you value it) that would ravish with joy thofe miferable fouls that have already fhot the gulf of eternity, and turn the fhrieks and groans of the damned unto joyful fhouts and acclamations of praife. Poor wretch, confider what thou readeft; that thy foul is not yet in Chrift, is thy greatest mifery; but that yet it may be in Chrift, is an unspeakable mercy; though thy falvation be not yet fecured, yet what a mercy is it that it is not defperate?

2. When this uncertain breath is once expired, the last hope VOL. III.

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of every unregencrate perfon is gone for ever: It is as impoffible to recover hope, as it is to recover your departed breath, or recal the day that is paft. When the breath is gone, the compofitum is diffolved; we ceafe to be what we now are, and our life is as water fpilt on the ground, which fhall not be gathered up till the refurrection. Our life is carried like a precious liquor in a brittle glafs, which death breaks to pieces. The spirit is immediately prefented to God, and fixed in its unalterable state, Heb. ix. 27. All means of falvation now ceafe for ever; no ambaffadors of peace are fent to the dead; no more calls or strivings of the spirit: no more space for repentance. O! what an inconceiva ble weight hath God hanged on a puff of breath!

3. And fince matters ftand thus, it is to be admired what fhift men make to quiet themselves in fo dangerous a state as moft fouls live in; quiet and unconcerned, and yet but one puff of breath betwixt them and hell! O the stupifying and befotting nature of fin! O the efficacy and power of fpiritual delufions! Are our lives fuch a throng and hurry of bufinefs, that we have no time to go alone and think where we are, and where we fhortly must be? What fhall I fay? If bodily concerns be fo weighty, and the matters of eternity fuch trifles; if meat and drink, and trade and children, be fuch great things, and Christ, and the foul, and heaven, hell and the world to come, fuch little things in your eyes, you will not be long in that opinion, I daré Affure you.

Infer. 3. Is the tie fo weak betwixt our fouls and bodies? How close and near then do all our fouls confine and border upon eternity?

There is no more but a puff of breath, a blast of wind betwixt this world and that to come. A very thort step betwixt time and eternity: There is a breath which will be our laft breath: refpiration muft, and will terminate in expiration: The dead are the inhabitants, and the living are borderers upon the invifible world. This confideration deferves a dwelling place in the hearts of all men, whether,

I. Regenerate, or

II. Unregenerate.

I. Regenerate fouls fhould ponder this with pleasure. O it is tranfporting to think how fmall a matter is betwixt them and their complete falvation. No fooner is your breath gone, but the full defire of your hearts is come; every breath you draw, draws you a degree nearer to your perfect happiness; Rom. xiii. 11.. "Now is your falvation nearer than when you believed ;" therefore, both your chearfulness, and diligence fhould be greater

than when you were in the infancy of your faith. You have run through a confiderable part of your Chriftian course and race, and are now come nearer the goal and prize of eternal life. Q defpond not, loiter not now at laft, who were fo fervent and zealous in the beginning.

It is tranfporting to think how near you approach the region of light and joy. O that you would distinctly confider, 1. Where you lately were.

2. Where now you are.

3. Where shortly you shall be.

1. You that are now fo near falvation, were lately very near unto damnation, there was but a puff of breath betwixt you and hell. How many nights did you fleep fecurely in the state of nature and unregeneracy? How quietly did you reft upon the brink of hell, not once imagining the danger you were in? Had any of those fickneffes you then fuffered, been fuffered by God, like a candle, to burn afunder this flender thread of life, which was fo near them, you had been as miferable, and as hopeless, as thofe that now are roaring in the lowest hell. I have heard of one that rid over a dangerous bridge in the night, who, upon the review of the place next day, fell into a fwoon, when he was fenfible of that danger which the darkness of the night hid from him. O reader, fhall not an escape from hell affect thee, as much as fuch an escape would do?

2. It is no lefs marvellous to confider where you now are; you that were afar off are now made nigh, Eph. ii. 13, You that were not beloved, are now beloved, Rom. ix. 25. You were in the state of death and condemnation. You are now paffed from death to life, by your free juftification, 1 John iii. 14. Your union with Chrift hath fet you free from condemnation, Rom. viii. 1. Die you must though Chrift be in you, but there is no hazard, or hurt in your death. The ftopping of your breath can put no ftop to your happiness, it wiil haften, not hinder it: If the pale horse come for you, heaven, not hell will now follow him; your fins are pardoned, the covenant of your falvation fealed. Death is difarmed of its fatal fling; and what then should hinder you from a like triumph, even upon your death-bed with that, 1 Cor. xv. 55. “O' death, where is thy "fting? O grave, where is thy victory?.

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*He fays this, because the faithful had been when they first believed more diligent and chearful in good works, but afterwards grew cold, or turned lukewarm. Eftius on the place.