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My

life, fo fhort, is not only like, but fure, to have an end. And I not only may, "but muft die. And though I may feem to know "this well enough; yet, it will not be enough;

except thou, Lord, do teach me, with the wisdom " from above. O make thou me to know my end. "And then I fhall know it, in another, and more "effectual manner; not only fo as to be fure of it; "but to take fuitable care about it; and make fuf"ficient provision for it. O teach me fo to num"ber my days, that I may wifely foresee my last "day, and lay up against the evil day. And as I "am fure of my death and diffolution; fo help me "to make fure my calling and election: that I may "welcome my dying day, and find it prove the period of my grief, and the beginning of fuch joys, as fhall laft world without end. Amen."

68

MEDITATION XXXVI.

Of the uncertain time of our death.

My foul, what an uncertain world is it that I live in? a world ftill ringing changes; and conftant only in its own inconftancy. Where all things are moving and flitting: and nothing we have the prefent hold of, that we can put any truft in; or promise ourselves any continued fatisfaction from. But what now raifes our high expectation;

how

how foon does it turn to the matter of our fore vexation! and as well may we look for certainty from wind or weather, as from any thing this world has wherewith to flatter us, or that it can fecure to us. For even when it feems to have fet us on the safeft terms; yet fo far are we from fure footing, and fo flippery ftill is our ftanding, that we know not what a day may bring forth, to turn us out of all.

But amidst all the uncertainties of the world, O my foul, what more uncertain than my own life? which I hold upon fuch precarious conditions, that he who lent it may, whenever he pleases, without a minute's warning recal it. No leafe have I of it, for years, or days: no affurance, fo much as for an hour. And what do I know, but this night my foul may be required of me? or how can I tell, but the next fun may rife, to light me down to the chambers of death? do not I fee, how foon even the healthiest and strongest are pulled down, and cut off? and be my conftitution never fo firm and robuft; there are the boisterous diftempers, and fuch harbingers of death, as will not be baffled, by any ability of body: but feem to glory in meeting with fuch a match. And finding me the abler, will but handle me the rougher, and dispatch me the fooner. Has not our Lord faid, that he comes as a thief; and at fuch an hour as we think not? At midnight, (the ufual time of dead fleep ;) there was "a cry, "Behold the Bridegroom cometh," Matth. xxv. 6. O how many are furprised with it, like men catched afleep; to wake in another world? "It fhall "come to pafs, in that day, faith the Lord God," Amos viii. 9. "that I will caufe the fun to go "down at noon; and will darken the earth in the "clear day." Thus does the fun of our present life often fet, as foon as it touches the meridian : and O how often before that? who then has ever a

jot

jot the better fecurity or defence, to fet death at defiance; because they are youthful, or heal, and in outward appearance, like to stretch out their life to the utmost extent poffible? when, alas, the flourishing youngster, the man of might, may fooner be gone, than the old crazy wretch, that has long been thought to have one foot in the grave. Nay, though I escape the dafhes, and violent brufhes; yet (repit non intellecta fenectus:) the age and infirmities that carry me hence come ftealing on, by fuch unperceiveable advances, that death may be just at my heels, even when I am fancying it far off, at the greatest distance.

Now confider it, my foul, why does the Lord leave the time of death, to me fo uncertain? is it to catch me at difadvantages, and take me at the worft? no, but to keep me in his holy fear, from the fin, that is more deadly than death: to make my life better; and fo, my accounts easier; and all the likelier and hopefuller with me, for comfort and glory hereafter. For he that is ever looking for his judge, will fure take care to keep in a pofture fit to appear before him. Therefore is not my Lord hard with me; but kind to me: when he acquaints me not with the certain feafon of his coming: that still I may employ myself fo well, as one who ever expects him. And how does it lie upon thee, my foul, to be watchful, and ftand upon thy guard; fcouting out thy thoughts to discover the approaches of the laft enemy; that thou mayest prevent the horrible surprise; and not be taken at unawares, in a forrowful unprovided cafe? watch ye therefore, and pray always, faith our bleffed Lord. Never indulge to fecurity; nor flack thy prayers to the God, in whofe hands are thy times: that he would teach thee fo to number thy days, that thou mayeft apply thy heart to wisdom and mayeft remember thyfelf better, and order thy af

fairs wifer; than to hang the weightieft of all con cerns, upon the greatest uncertainties; prefuming of thofe futurities and opportunities, which the odds is much against me, whether I fhall ever live to fee. When I am fure of death, but fure of no time beyond the present, to provide for it: O may not I harden my heart; nor refufe to hear the Lord's voice to-day but fo husband and improve the seasons, which now I have in my hands; and keep always in a readiness, that I may not find a doleful meeting with my Lord; come when he will: but with hope and chearfulness may give up my foul to him, and with courage and comfort, and the greatest gladnefs and rejoicing, appear be

fore him.

TH

THE PRAYER.

HOU haft acquainted us, O Lord, that thou comeft as a thief; and pronounced him "bleffed that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, "that he discover not his nakedness and fhame. "O make me watchful against the enemies of my "foul; and full of care, in waiting and preparing "for the coming of my Lord. Let me not put off "my prefent duty, in prefumption of a future op"portunity; which I do not know, whether I

fhall live to fee; or fhall have the grace and "will to use it, if I do not reach to it. But quic"ken and haften me to do all that is needful to be "done, while I have time for it, and that day, which, with fo many, is paft already, yet fhining upon me. And fo keep me ftill in a readiness, to meet the bleffed Bridegroom of my foul; that "at what time foever that thou fhalt come, to call "me away, I may not appear before thee with confution, and forrow; but with confidence and rejoicing. Amen."

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ME

MEDITATION XXXVII.

Of the warnings of death.

HAT particular immediate warning fome

WH

W may have of their diffolution approaching,

I cannot tell. But many notices more remote, and general fummons there are, which I fee lie in common to all the world. The changes and death fo frequent among our neighbours, and the decays and ailments prevailing upon our own bodies; what are they, my foul, but certain prognostics to tell us, it cannot be far from us; and we know not how near to us? when death is not only preached, but itself even preaches to us; in all the havock that it makes before us: is this nothing to us? does it not come clofe, to touch and concern us? when I am not only told from heaven, duit thou art and to duft thou fhalt return; but I have often obferved it exemplified on earth, in the multitudes, (more than I am able to remember,) that I have known dead and gone and I cannot look into a church or churchyard, but the graves fo thick there, are all filent monitors, to acquaint and affure me, what fhall alfo become of me. O my foul, is not this warning upon warning, from abroad! to bid me remember, how nicely I ftand; and how certainly 1 fhall fall and follow them that have led me the way; and find their very cafe to be my own? nay, when I have the remembrances within, as well as without me; the declenfions and infirmities of my flesh, dimness of fight, deafnefs of hearing, rottennefs of teeth, feeblenefs of limbs, ftiffness of joints, VOL. I. weakness

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