this difcourfe, furnish them with some special affistance therein. But withal, I must tell you upon what great difadvantages I am here to difpute with your fears: fo ftrong is the current of nátural and vicious fear, that except a fpecial hand of God enforce, and fet home the arguments that fhall be urged, they will be as easily swept away before it, as fo many ftraws by a rapid torrent; nor will it be to any more purpose to oppose my breath to them, than to the tides and waves of the fea.

Moreover, I am fully convinced, by long and often experience, how unfteady and inconftant the frames and tempers of 'the best hearts are; and that if it be not altogether, yet it is next to an impoffibility, to fix them in fuch a temper as this I aim at is. Where is that man to be found, who after the revolutions of many years, and in thofe years various difpenfations of providence without him, altering his condition, and greater variety of temptations within, can yet fay, notwithstanding all thefe various afpects and positions, his heart hath still held one fteady, and invariable tenour and course?

Alas, there be very few (if any) of fuch a found and fettled temper of mind, whofe pulfe beats with an even ftroke, through all inequalities of condition, alike free and willing at one time, as another, to be unclothed of the body, and to be with Chrift. This height of faith, and depth of mortification; this strength of love to Chrift, and ardour of holy defire, are degrees of grace to which very few attain.

The cafe ftanding thus, it is no more than needs, to urge all forts of arguments upon our timorous and unfteady hearts; and it is like to prove a hard and difficult task, to bring the heart but to a quiet and unregretting fubmiffion to the appointment of God herein, though fubmiflion be one of the lowest steps of duty in this cafe.

If it be hard to fix our thoughts but an hour, on fuch an unpleasant fubject as death, how hard muft it be to bring over the confent of the will? If we cannot endure it at a distance, in our thoughts, how shall we embrace, and hug it in our bofoms? If our thoughts fly back with diftafte, and impatience, no wonder if our will be obftinate, and refractory: we must first prevail with our thoughts, to fix themselves, and think close to fuch a fubject, before it can be expected we chearfully refign ourselves into the hands of death. We cannot be willing to go along with death, till we have fome acquaintance with it; and acquainted with it we cannot be, till we accustom ourselves to think affiduously, and calmly of it. They that have dwelt many

years at death's door, both in refpect of the condition of their bodies, and difpofition of their minds, yet find reluctancy enough when it comes to the point.

Object. But if feparation from the body be (as it is an ene my to nature, and there be no poffibility to extinguift natural & verfation; to what purpose is it, to argue and perfuade, where there is no expectation of fuccefs?

Sol. Death is to be confidered two ways, by the people of God 1. As an enemy to nature.

2. As a medium to glory.

If we confider it fimply in itself, as an enemy to nature, there is nothing in it for which we should defire it; but if we confider it as a medium, or paffage into glory, yea, the only ordi nary way through which all the faints muft pafs, out of this into a better state; fo it will appear not only tolerable, but de firable to prepared fouls. Were there not a fhore of glory on the other fide of thefe black waters of death, for my own part, I fhould rather chufe to live meanly, than to die eafily. If both parts were to perish at death, there were no reason to perfuade one to be willing to deliver up the other; it were a madaefs for the foul to defire to be diffolved, if it were fo far from being better out of the body than in it, that it should have no being at all. But, Christians, let me tell you, death is so far from being a bar, that it is a bridge in your way to glory, and you are never like to come thither, but by paffing over it: except, therefore, you will look beyond it, you will never fee any defireableness in it. "I defire to be diffolved (faith Paul) and to be

with Chrift, which is far better." To be with death is fad, but to be with Christ is sweet; to endure the pains of death is doleful, but to fee the face of Christ is joyful; to part with your pleafant habitations is irkfome, but to be lodged in the heavenly manfions is most delightful; a parting hour with dear relations is cutting, but a meeting hour with Jefus Christ is transporting; to be rid of your own bodies is not pleafing, but to be rid of fin, and that for ever, what can be more pleasing, to a gracious foul?

You fee, then, in what fenfe I prefent death as a desirable thing to the people of God; and therefore feeing nature teach eth us, (as the apostle speaks) to put the more abundant comeli nefs upon the uncomely parts; fuffer me to drefs up death in its beft ornaments, and prefent it to you in the following arguments, as a beautiful, and comely object of your conditional, and well-regulated defires. And,

Arg. 1. f upon a fair and just account, there shall appear to

be more gain to believers in death, than there is in life; reason muft needs vote death to be better to them that are in Chrift, than life can be; and confequently, it should be defirable in their eyes.

'Tis a clear dictate of reafon, in cafe of choice, to chuse that which is best for us. Who is there that freely exercises reason, and choice together, that will not do fo?

What merchant will not part with a hundred pound's worth of glass beads, and pendants, for a tun of gold? A few tinfel toys, for as many rich diamonds? Mercatura eft amittere, ut lucreris; that is true merchandise, to part with things of leffer, for things of greater value.

Now, if you will be tried, and determined by God's book of rates, then the cafe is determined quickly, and the advantage appears exceedingly upon death's fide. Phil. i. 21. "To me "to live, is Chrift; and to die, is gain."

Object. True, it might be so to Paul, who was eminent in grace, and ripe for glory; but it may be lafs to others, who have not attained the height of his holiness, or affurance.

Sol. The true and plain fenfe of the objection is this, whether heaven, and Christ, be as much gain to him that enjoys them, though behind others both in grace and obedience, as it is to them who are more eminent in grace, and have done, and fuffered more for their fake? And let it be determined by yourfelves. But if your meaning be, that Paul was ready for death, and fo are not you; his work and courfe was almost comfortably finished, and fo is not yours; his death, therefore, muft needs be gain to him, but it may be loss to you, even the loss of all that you are worth for ever.

To this I fay, the wisdom of God orders the time of his people's death, as well as all other circumstances about it: And in this, your hearts may be at perfect reft, that being in Christ, you can never die to your loss, die when you will. I know you will reply, That if your union with Chrift were clear, the controverfy were ended; but then you must alfo confider, they are as fafe who die by an act of recumbency upon Chrift, as thofe that die in the fullest affurance of their interest in him.

And befide, your reluctancies, and averfations to death, are none of your way to affurance; that fuch a strong averfation to fio, and fuch a vehement desire after, and love to Chrift, as cần make you willing to quit all that is dear, and defirable to you in this world for his fake, is the very next door or step to alfarance; and if the Lord bring your hearts to this frame, and fix them there, it is not likely you will be long without it.

But to return: Paul had here valued life, with a full allow

ance of all the benefits and advantages of it; "To me to live, "is Chrift; that is, if I live, I fall live in communion with Christ, and service for Chrift, and in the midft of all thofe comforts which usually refult from both. Here is life, with the most weighty, and defirable benefits of it, laid in one fcale, and he lays death, and, probably, a violent death too, (for of that he fpeaks to them afterwards, chap. ii. 17.) in the other scale. Thus he fills the scale, and the balance breaks on death's fide; yea, it comes down with a woλaw μœλdov xpessσov, a far, far bet ter.

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But here falls in (as an excellent person * observes) a rub in the way there are in this case two judges, the flesh, and the fpirit, and they cannot agree upon the values, but contradict each other. Nature faith, It is far better to live, than to die, and will not be beaten off from it. What then? I hope you will not put blind and partial nature in competition with God alfo, as you do life with death. But feeing nature can plead fo powerfully, as well as grace, let us hear what thofe ftrong reafons are, that are urged by the flesh on life's fide, and what the foul hath to reply, and plead on death's fide, (for the foul can plead, and that charmingly too, though not by words and founds) and then determine the matter as we fhall fee caufe: but be fure prejudice pull not down the balance..

1. The pleas of nature for life, and against diffo

lution..

And here the doleful voice of nature laments, pleads, and bemoans itself to the wil ling foul.

O my foul, what doft thou mean by these 'defires to be diffolved? Art thou in earnest, when thou fayeft thou art willing to leave thine own body, and be gone? Confider; and think again, ere thou bid me farewel, what thou art to me, and what I • have been, and am to thee; thou art my foul, that is, my prop, my beauty, my honour, my life, and, indeed, all that is ⚫ comfortable to me. If thou depart, what am I but a specta cle of pity, an abhorred carcafs, in a few moments? a prey ⚫ to the worms, a captive to death? If thou depart, my candle is put out, and I am left in the horrors of darkness.

I am thy houfe, thy delightful habitation, the house in which thou haft dwelt from the first moment of thy creation, and never lodgeft one night in any other every room in me hath one way or other, been a banqueting-room for thy en⚫tertainment, a room of pleasure; all my fenfes have been pur

* Mr. How, in Mrs. Margaret Baxter's funeral fermon.

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⚫veyors for thy delight, my members have all of them been thine inftruments and fervants, to execute thy commands and pleasure. If thou and I part, it must be in a shower; thou fhalt feel fuch pains, fuch travailing throws, fuch deep, emphatical groans, fuch fweats, fuch agonies as thou never felt before: for death bath fomewhat of anguish peculiar to itself, ⚫ and which is unknown, though gueffed at by the living. Be• fides, whenever thou leavest me, thou leaveft all that is, and • hath been comfortable to thee in this world: thy house shall know thee no more, Job vii. 10. thy lands, thy money, thy trade, which have coft thee fo many careful thoughts, and yielded thee fo many refreshments, fhall be thine no longer; • death will strip thee of all these, and leave thee naked.

• Thou hast also, since thou becameft mine, contracted ma⚫nifold relations in the world, which I know are dear unto thee; I know it by coftly experience: How haft thou made me to wear and waste myself, in labours, cares, and watchings for them? But if thou wilt be gone, all these must be left expofed, God knows to what wants, abuses, and miferies! for I can do nothing for them, or myself, if once thou leave me.' Thus it charms and pleads; thus it layeth, as it were, violent hands upon the foul, and faith, 'O my foul, thou shalt not depart.' It hangs about it much, as the wife and children of good Galeacius Caracciolus did about him, when he was leav ing Italy, to go to Geneva, (a lively emblem of the cafe before us). It faith to the foul, as Joab did to David, "Thou haft

fhamed thy face this day, in that thou loveft thine enemy, "death, and hateft me, thy friend." "O my foul! my life! my darling! my dear and only one! let nothing but una• voidable neceffity part thee and me.' All this the flesh can plead, and a great deal more than this, and that a thousand times more powerfully and feelingly, than any words can plead the cafe. And all its arguments are back'd by fenfe; fight, and feeling atteft what nature speaks.

2. The pleas of faith in behalf of death.

Let us, in the next place, weigh the pleas, and reafons, which, notwithstanding all this, do over-power, and prevail with the believing foul to be gone, and quit its own body, and return no more to the elementary world. And thus the power of faith and love enables it to reply: My dear body, the companion and partner of my comforts and troubles, in the days of my pilgrimage on earth, great is • my love, and strong are the bonds of my affections to thee. • Thou hast been tenderly, yea, exceffively beloved by me; my

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