WHoever thou art, I here pre­sent thee with a bundle of my Thoughts, when I apprehend­ed my self standing upon the brink of Eternity: What entertainment they will find with thee I know not, or what thy present thoughts of Death are I cannot tell; but had thy Soul stood in my Souls stead, when I apprehended Death at the door, if thy Eyes had been opened, and thy Conscience awakened, haply thy thoughts might have been like mine; especially if thou believe there is a God, a Devil, a Heaven, and a Hell, that the Soul is Im­mortal, and the Scripture the Word of God, (pardon the supposition, for some deny the whole, and most men live as if they did not believe it;) but whatever thy present thoughts be, if thou art unregenerate, thy future thoughts will shew thee thy folly, and thou wilt have time enough to wish thou hadst neglected thy Ease, Honour, Plea­sure, Grandure, yea, thy life it self, to have [Page]made thy peace with thy God, and made preparation for Eternity; for this prepara­tion would have made thee dye never the sooner, nor the neglect of it have made thy life the longer; whether thou art prepared or no, Death will make a very great change, when Eternity is an addition to thy weal or woe: If prepared, Death cannot hurt thee, for it hath lost his sting; if not, it cannot benefit thee, for it terminates thy happi­ness, and dates thy misery; the godly shall never have no more Suffering, because they have no more sin; the wicked, as they are never weary of sin, so God will never be weary of punishing: Haply thou maist live in great misery here, and thinkest Death will set thee at liberty, but if thou art in an unregenerate condition, 'tis but leaping out of the Frying-pan into the fire, from Temporal Troubles to Eternal Tor­ments, which are ten thousand times worse; and is it not then time to be serious? and haply thou art young and strong, and think­est thou maist live many a fair day yet; but what assurance hast, when younger and stronger are gone before thee? Job 21.23, &c. In Job's days such as thee have dyed, and so they do still; One dyes (saith he) in his full strength, being wholly in peace and quietness, his Breasts are full of Milk, and his bones [Page]are moistned with Marrow: And another dyes in the bitteeness of his Soul, and never eateth with pleasure: Some dye in the Ze­nith or heighth of their perfection, in the highest degree of worldly Prosperity, ha­ving abundance of good blood and fresh spirits, even compassed in their Fat, Psal. 17.10 as the Psalmist hath it; for a full Belly ma­ny times makes a foul heart, and most weeds grow in the fattest soil; and experi­ence teacheth, that present health and strength are no assurance of a long life; Amos 6.3. think not because thou puttest far from thee the evil day in thy thoughts, that therefore 'tis really at a great distance: It follows not that because thou winkest and wilt not see Death, therefore Death is blind and cannot see thee: No, No, he is stealing upon thee at unawares, tacito pede, with a swift but silent foot, and if he arrest thee before thou hast made thy peace with the Credi­tor, Mat. 5.26 thou wilt be cast into Prison till thou hast paid the utmost Farthing. Our time-wasting Gallants that spend their time idly, or worse than in doing nothing, will one day find the Bill of their accounts many fa­thoms longer than they imagined; then they will set a greater estimate upon time than now they do, and willingly would they redeem their lost hours (which now [Page]they know not how to pass away) at a high rate, but it will not be; now they set Death at defiance, and meet it half way, and ha­sten it by their Intemperance, Drinking, Whoring, or shorten their lives in a Drunken Fray, or Whores Quarrel; but when Death comes in good earnest, Dan. 5.5. it will seem as terrible as Belshazzers hand-wri­ting upon the wall, make their hearts to ake, and their joints to tremble; especi­ally did they know the consequences of Death, they would not be such prodigals of their lives, or did they mind their work which they have to do, they would not be such Prodigals of their time they should do it in, and would think it went away fast enough without driving: Oh! how a little time will alter these mens Judgments then their Feathers and Fancies will be laid aside, when they stand upon Christs left hand, and all their wealth will not purchase one drop of water to cool their tongues: 'Tis not then a Baalams wish will serve turn, nor a Lord have Mercy upon me, Mal. 7.22. & 25.11. will do their work; Lord, Lord, open to us, will not prevail; those are not like to receive the reward of the Righteous, that persecute them for righ­teousness sake: Then they will befool them­selves as fast as now they befool others wi­ser than themselves: Then they shall change [Page]their minds, and sigh for grief, and say, Wisd. 5.3. &c. This is he that we sometimes had in derision, and in a Parable of Reproach; we Fools thought his life Madness, and his End without honour; now he is reckoned among the Children of God, and his Portion is among the Saints, &c. What hath Pride profited us? or what hath Riches with our Vaunting brought us? all these things are passed away like a Shadow, and as a Post that passeth by, &c. Then our proudest Gallants willingly would be found in the garb or Fashion now they disdain and deride: Now they call those Fools that deny themselves, their Ease, their Pleasure, or Carnal Interest for Conscience sake; but then they will befool themselves for choos­ing Pebbles before Pearls, Earth before Heaven, and the Creature before God; for these things will prove but a pitiful Portion when there is most need. Now they think Heaven is held at a dear rate, and they will not come up to the price; but then they'l know that it was sold at a cheap rate, when they parted with it for a lust, and that the World was bought too dear when they gave the Soul for it: Mat. 16.26. Now like Damocles they feast themselves without fear, and see not the Sword that hangs over their heads, ready every moment to pierce into their Brains, and end their lives with their din­ner. [Page]Now they prize their honour more than their honesty, and consider not, that if the foundation of honour be not laid in Ver­tue, the building cannot stand; for those that lay the foundation in a shadow, the build­ing is but like a Castle built in the air, and will soon fall about their Ears; but that honour is lasting where God is the top of the Kin, and Religion lyes at the bottom.

But to pass over this, I shall give you some account of my present undertaking. Some there are that think Books of this nature are unseasonable, especially to our youthful Gallants, because it spoils their Mirth, and they have time enough to think of such things hereafter; and they cannot endure to have their Enemy brought upon the Stage, for this spoils the Play: But to this I answer, A young Sheep-skin is brought to the Market as soon as an old; and I see not but the Gentry die as well as others; yea many by Intemperance hasten their own death; and when the Disease is common, why should not the Remedy? 'Tis like enough these will not have time to read this, from their necessa­ry Recreation; but this is no fault of mine, 'tis doubt they will want time for other things also: but those that will not give themselves the trouble, 'tis doubt [Page]will ere long meet with trouble of ano­ther nature. Others may think the Book useless, because many have treated upon this Subject: To these I answer, The more shame they are practised no better. It was indeed Solons complaint, That there were many good Laws made, but one was wanting to put all the rest in execution: So many good Rules for Life and Death are published, but could a Book be published to perswade men to live by these Rules, it would be a happy work. I am not so vain or simple to think this may prove such a piece, yet I know not what better Subject to treat of, that is more likely to prevail, than a Treatise of Death, to per­swade men to practise the Rules of Life: for those that put far from them the evil day, are most like to neglect their daily Duty; and what hitherto is written, seems too little to effect the work, and therefore I have added my Testimony to the rest. I know 'tis easie for Momus to quarrel and find fault with another mans Tale, when perhaps he may tell it worse himself; 'tis easier to find fault with another, than to be free from faults himself: Those that have done better, or will do better, I shall give them their due respect; for others, I shall not value their censure; what I have [Page]done hath pleased my self, and the work was undertaken for my self, and I hope I shall not displease any sober or discreet person; but for those that God, his Word, his Works, or his Providences cannot please, I neither hope nor desire to please: what I have done is intended for a Cordial for those that have Death in their eyes, and the Fear of God in their hearts, and these usually have better Stomachs than to nauseate their meat, because not modishly drest; those I mean that have Gods beauty­spots, not the Worlds upon them; I mean Grace in the heart, not Spots on the face, to adorn them and make them lovely in the eyes of God and good men; 'tis these I speak to: As for those that take the World for their Portion, and therefore are loth to leave it, I shall not envy them, but pity them, their Portion is little worth; for Nobleness of Blood, Greatness of Birth, Crowns and Kingdoms, shine not so bright as the Image of God in poor Lazarus at the Gate, or Job upon the Dunghil; for Grace is better than a thousand Escutche­ons, for these are but empty badges of Ho­nour.

I have only two sorts of persons here to speak to: The first are poor Desponding Christians, that though they have right to and [Page]Interest in Christ and Glory, yet are under some black and direful apprehensions of Death; and though they would willingly live to God, and if required dye for God, yet are not out of fear of Death: To these I have spoke unto most in the Book, and and therefore shall say little to them in the Epistle: The other sort are such, that though they would dye the Death of the Righteous, and have the righteous mans reward, yet are they loth to live their-lives; they would have the wages, but none of the work; they would dye happily, but will not live holily; they would land in Heaven, but they sail the contrary way; they will not go into the Vineyard, and yet expect their penny at night: such as these haply are afraid of Death, and well they may, for it will speak no good to them, but evil, as Ahab said of Micaiah: Now I have said but a little to those in the Book, for it was not my business, and therefore I shall speak the more to them in the Epistle; not that I have any comfort for them in this Condition, but only this, that there is a possibility to get out, and therefore would willingly lend them my hand to help them [...]ut; and therefore I shall reach out some Directions, which if they take, they will [...]e capable of the comfort the Book it self [Page]holds forth, and the Directions are these that follow.

1. Direction. If you would look Death in the Face with comfort, get your Corrup­tions mortified, and the power of sin abated, for til then Death will be an Enemy: there is nothing that makes Death terrible, but unpardoned unmortified sin; an honest man can look the Judge in the face without fear, when the Malefactor trembles. Paul could triumphantly insult over it: 1 Cor. 15.54, 55, 56, 57. Oh Death where is thy sting? Oh Grave where is thy Victory? the sting of Death is sin, and the strength of sin is the Law, but thanks be to God who hath given us the Victory through our Lord Jesus Christ: You see sin is the sting of Death, and what hurt can the Ser­pent do that hath no Sting? what a bold challenge was this to Death? as if Paul had said, Death, do thy worst, I fear thee not: In like manner Ambrose could say, I am not ashamed to live, nor afraid to dye: and Ann Askew the Martyr, in her Confession, [...] neither wish for Death, neither do I fear it. As Christ hath not taken away sin it self but the guilt of it, so hath he not take [...] away Death it self the consequent of sin but the sting of it, so that every godly ma [...] may say with the Martyr, Kill me it may hurt me it cannot, the worst it can do, is b [...] [Page]to send me to my Fathers house the sooner; but to others the Serpent is dangerous, and his sting deadly, for if sin dye not the Soul can­not live: 'tis true, some there be that seem to brave Death to his Face, but this shews an ignorant mind, and a seared Conscience, and an hard heart; for 'tis impossible, if the Conscience be awake, that a man should look into Hell, yea leap into it, without horror: Death to such (if their eyes be open) will be terrible, yea of all Terribles the most terrible, saith a Heathen; yea the King of Terrors, saith Bildad, Job 18.14. yea, and as experience tells us, the Terror of Kings: Nothing can make Death look terrible but unpardoned sin; till therefore this Pardon be obtained, your condition is damnable, till you have assurance of it, it will be uncomfortable: Now Faith and Re­pentance have the Promise of Pardon and Eternal Life, and the want of this will make you liable to Eternal Death; Luk. 16.16 He that be­lieveth and is Baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not, shall be Damned. He that confesseth and forsaketh his sin, shall find Mer­cy: Leave off therefore lusting after Rich­es, Honours and Pleasures, and spend your time in minding your main Interest, fight against sin which is your greatest Enemy; for if sin dye not before you, your Souls [Page]must dye: 'tis not enough to quarrel s [...] but you must kill it; 'tis not enough to co [...] ­fess it, but you must forsake it; 'tis [...] enough to rail against it, but you must ha [...] it with an irreconcileable hatred, a [...] shake hands with it, and give it a bill [...] Divorce; and well you may, for it is y [...] implacable Enemy, and the cause of [...] your misery, and will be the cause of yo [...] Eternal Damnation if you repent not of [...] This is it that arms Death against you, [...] when 'tis mortified and subdued it will [...] pardoned, and when it is pardoned, De [...] may buzze about your ears like a D [...] Bee but cannot sting you; by stinging Ch [...] he lost his sting, that he cannot sting [...] of Christs faithful people: Hence man [...] the Martyrs went as chearfully to dye a [...] dine, and accounted their Dying-day t [...] Wedding-day, as indeed it is to all Bel [...] ­ers; for in this life they are betroathe [...] Christ, and at their Death the Mar [...] will be consummate, and they shall for [...] enjoy their Beloved, and be Eter [...] lodged in his Bosom: Oh the madne [...] the men of the World, who lodge this pent sin in their Bosom, which break [...] match between Christ and the Soul.

2. Direct. There is another Enemy that must be overcome as well as sin, or [Page]will not dye chearfully and happily, and that is the World; for till it be overcome and crucified, a man is not fit to dye, neither can he be willing to dye; Gal. 6.14. for who can willingly part with what he loves? By Christ (saith the Apostle) I am Crucified to the World, and the World to me; the world and he were at a point, there was no love lost; the World mattered him not, and he mattered the World as little; they were each to other as a dead Carkass, offensive and unsa­voury; and though the World should lay many Temptations before him, it would signifie no more than if they were presented to a dead man; though she draw forth her two breasts of Profit and Pleasure, he scorns to suck at such botches, he looks upon it as a dead thing, and behaves himself as dead to it: He had learned to want and to abound, and in every Estate to be content, and therefore mattered not her Superfluities, and for Necessaries he knew he should not want them: A prosperous Estate could not make him surfeit, nor a wanting Estate re­pine; he was semper idem, alwayes the same; as Job upon the Throne and upon the Dunghill, he still keeps his Integrity, he wears the world about him as a loose Garment, ready to cast off upon all occasi­ons, and he is at a point with all things [Page]under the Sun; if he may keep them with a good Conscience he is content; if not, he is content also; and it behooves others that would look Death in the face with com­fort, to learn this lesson; for if the affecti­ons close with the World, 'tis impossible Death should be either safe or comforta­ble: safe it cannot be, for it makes a man break his peace with God; for two such Masters as God and Mammon no man can serve; Mat. 6.24. for if he love the one, he will despise the other: Jam. 4.4. Know you not (saith the Apo­stle) that the friendship of the World; is En­mity to God? Whosoever therefore will be a Friend of the World, will be an Enemy to God: 1 John 2.15. And again, Love not the World, neither the things that are in the World, if any man love the World, the love of the Fa­ther is not in him: Those that goe a Whoring from God to the Creature, and woe this vile Strumpet the World, are very unfit to be received into the bosom of Christ; have it we may, use it we must, as a Traveller doth his Staff, so far as 'tis helpful, but love it we must not, if we will not renounce the love of God; a man may allow his wife a Servant to wait upon her, but not to lodg in her bosom: the love of the World is Enmity with the Lord, Enmi­ty both active and passive; it makes a man [Page]both to hate God, and to be hated by God; he cannot be espoused to the World, but he must be divorced from God; see this in Judas, in Demas, in Demetrius, in Ahab; he will have Naboath's Vineyard, or he will have his blood, though he lose his Soul for it; Col. 3.2. wise therefore was the Apostles Counsel, to set our affections on things above, and not on the Earth: Things on Earth are mutable and momentary, subject to vani­ty or violence, when things above are as the dayes of Heaven and run parllael with the Life of God, and line of Eternity; and as the love of the World makes a man dye unsafely, putting him out of a capacity of eternal happiness, so it makes him dye un­comfortably also: for who can willingly part with a present good, for a future un­certainty; with a thing he loves, for he knows not what? If the World seem a Pearl in his eye, he will not let it goe if he have no assurance of a better: Mat. 19.22 see this in the young man in the Gospel, that would not exchange Earth for Heaven, nor the Creature for God, that parted with Christ whom he pretended to love, rather than with his Estate which he did love: Oh World! how dost thou bewitch thy great­est admirers! how dost thou deceive those that trust in thee! But could we see the [Page]worth of Heaven, or had we but a Pisgah-sight of the Heavenly Canaan, we should soon make Moses's choice: but the blind Moles of the World think God holds it at too dear a rate, and if he will not abate he may keep it to himself; some indeed while Religion is in credit will follow the Cry, yet resolve they will, never lose by it; as the Young man before mention­ed, who came to Christ hastily but went away heavily: the world breaks many a match between Christ and the Soul, by bid­ding more as they think than God doth; but it will fail in the payment: but he that forsakes not all for Christ, cannot be his Disciple; the lesson I know is hard, but necessary, and there is a great reason it should be so; when we look upon the World as our chiefest Jewel, we are loth to throw it over-board; but when we see the Vanity, Emptiness, yea Nothingness that is in it, and can have recourse to a better Treasure, we shall not matter it; while we look upon it as our chiefest Trea­sure, we shall be unwilling to part with it; but when by the eye of Faith we can see better Treasure beyond Death, and ob­serve how little good it can do us at Death; or after, when we have most need, we shall not much value it: For indeed [Page]it proves like a bush of Thorns, the hard­er we grasp it, the more deeply it wounds; and when by Experience we find, that no Content, Satisfaction or Happiness is to be had in the enjoyment, we shall not much trouble at the loss: In a word, while the World is admired, Death is hated, but when Heaven is in our eye, Death looks more lovely. If ever therefore you would dye Happily and Comfortably, beware of letting out your affections upon the World, for you will never be willing to leave what you love, nor to pay so dear for Christ and Heaven till you affect them better.

3 Direct. If you would dye happily, then redeeem your Time carefully, make preparation for a dying time, and take heed of losing time, and spending it in vain; he that would win the Race, will set out with the first, and hold on to the last, and take all the advantages that are offered in the way; he that hath much work to do, and that of great concern, must not lose the Morning, or if he do, must ply it hard the rest of the day: You will find all your time that is allot­ted you little enough for the work you have to do, and not an hour to spare to spend in idleness; for delays and Idle­ness are the two Gulphs wherein many [Page]Souls are drown'd: Many when they are young, depending upon and trusting to their Youth, their health and strength, send Repentance thirty years before, and 'tis odds they never overtake it; many young men go to Hell that thought to repent when they were old, and many old men that thought they might have lived a little longer. Many are resolved to spend their youthful dayes in the Devils service, and then stop Gods mouth with the Blind and the Lame, but he seldom takes up with a death-bed Repentance from those that purposely put him off to the last; he usually reckons with such mis­penders of time for the Talents he hath lent them, and payes them off, not with a Penny but a Prison; for he expects what he hath given us to glorifie him, should be that way improved; upon this little inch of time Eternity doth depend, our Everlasting well or ill being, and therefore 'tis too precious to be spent in vanity and folly; and how then dare you spend a day, an hour vainly in an Ale­house or other Vanity, and not know whether you have another hour or day to live? I have read of a Gentlewoman, that usually spent her time in Cards and Dice, and other unnecessary Recreations; [Page]and coming from her Sport late in the night, found her Maid reading, (for she was godly,) and casting her eye upon the Book, reproved her thus: Thou poor me­lancholy Soul, what alwayes reading, and spending thy time thus; wilt thou take no comfort in thy life? And so passing into her Chamber went to bed, but could not sleep, but sigh and groan; her Maid lying in the room with her, demanded the reason of it, and whether she was well? Fox, Time and the End of Time, p. 70. She replyed, She had read the word Eternity in her Book, which had so pierced her heart, that she believed she should never sleep more till she had some better assurance of her Eternal condition: And if this word Eternity were but well considered, it might send our time-wasting Gallants trembling home from their Sports; but God hath hid these things from their eyes. There are more than those guil­ty, though few more guilty; there is many a man that is a good Husband for the World, and careless in nothing but in matters relating to his Soul; he can observe Times and Seasons for Plowing and Manuring of his ground, Seed-time and Harvest shall not be neglected, not the meanest Beast but shall be heeded, his Garden, Orchard, &c. shall be fenced, [Page]pruned, manured, weeded and preserved, his House well furnished, and Provision prepared, and yet his Soul altogether neglected, and neither Food nor Rai­ment prepared for it: for this life he is carefull that neither he nor his Posterity shall want, and yet hath no care for the Life to come; he can go from Fair to Market to prepare for the Body, and matters not the Harvest Season or Mar­ket-day for the Soul. The Mariners that observe the Wind and Tide, yet neg­lect the sweet gales of the Spirit of God, when they blow upon the Soul, and would waft them Heavenward, and help them forward to their Journeys end, to the desired Port. The Devil by his dili­gence condemns us, for where his work is, Latimer 1 Pet. 5.8. there is he; he is no Non-resident, but alwayes in his Diocess: He goes about like a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may devour: And shall we not be as vigilant to save our Souls, as he to destroy them? if he find us idle, he will soon imploy us. The heart of man is a Mill that will be alwayes grind­ing, if not Gods Wheat, then the Devils Tares: If the Devil spend all his time to deceive us, we should spend all our time to prevent him: All the time we have is little enough, and there is none to spare, and [Page]what is past is irrecoverably gone, though we could give a world of Treasure for an inch of time: Now if you would redeem time, beware of those great devourers of Time, which usually steal away a great part, such as vain and idle Thoughts; how much of our time is this way consumed! many an hour which might have been better spent, viz. in the Contemplation of God, of Christ, of Heaven, of Glory, is spent in roving vain imaginations, which bring no profit, do no good, and tend to no benefit. Yea, worldly thoughts and cares take up also a great part of our time; 'tis true, the World must have some of our thoughts and time, but most men make a bad division between God and it, they let the World run away with his part as well as their own; yea much of that Sacred time set a part for a better use; yea many times amidst our Religious duties the heart is stole away by the World; Idleness also consumes much, many enter not into the Vineyard till the eleventh hour, and then mind not their work, but their Wages; vain and unpro­fitable Discourse also is a Thief, and steals away much of our time, and many idle and unnecessary Visits also; and when all this is deducted, 'tis no wonder there is [Page]but little left for our grand business: to these may be added, immoderate lying in Bed, vain and time spending Dressings and Attirings, the whole Mornings work to our Female Gallants; immoderate and unnecessary Recreations, which some make all the Calling they follow, Drinking, Tip­ling, and what not? but if these, in this their idle expence of time, should ask themselves this question, Which of the Eternities lye before them? and to which of them they are going? it might spoil their sport; for when Death hath struck his stroak, the Soul is in a stated condi­tion, which Eternity it self cannot alter; and seriously, 'tis one of the saddest sights in the World, to a man apprehensive of the danger, to see an unconverted man fetch his last breath, and lanching forth into an infinite Ocean of boiling Lead and burning Brimstone; for the avoiding of that, take time while time serves, and lose not that Prodigally that cannot be redeem­ed with the whole World.

4 Direction. The next thing I would advise you to, which indeed is the chief of all, is to get an Interest in Christ, that so you may have a title to Glory; for till this be had, you cannot dye safely, and till it be cleared up, you cannot dye comfor­tably; [Page]for who would leave a present Possession, that hath no assurance of a fu­ture? and when this is done, Death will not be terrible. But what can bear up the Soul against the pangs of Death, if this be wanting? Now the way to get an Interest in Christ, is to espouse the Soul to him; now there is nothing but Ignorance can stave off our affections from him: ignotus nulla cupido; The blind World can see no Excellency in him, no need of him, nor any use of him, and therefore they have no love nor desire for him: but all that know him, will love him; who prizeth a Physician that is not convinc'd of his skill, and finds he hath a real need of him? for who will take Phy­sick before he be sick? or minds a Plaister before he have a Sore? But when the poor soul is convinced of her undone con­dition by Nature, and that there is nothing in her, or that can be done by her, will serve turn for Salvation; yea, that help is not to be had in any Creature, no not in the Angels themselves could she be Espoused to them; for they cannot pay her debts, nor secure the Soul; in this desparing condition, no wonder the Soul dreads death; but when it knows withall, that though there be an Emptiness [Page]in the Creature, there is a Fulness in Christ, and that he is fully able to make her eternally happy; and that Christ doth make love to her, and sends many Suit­ors in his behalf, to woe for her af­fection, and that he is the only suitable object in the world for her Affections, and that he can make her happy, when all the rest would leave her miserable: I say under these convictions she begins to hear­ken to Christs proposals, when she sees he is more useful than any other, and will stand her in more stead both in Pro­sperity and Adversity, in Health, Sickness, in Life and at Death, when all other helps fail her: While the world is lookt upon to be the best match, Christ will not be valued, till the cheat be found out; for who will forsake the better to choose the worse? but when they see Christ really better than the world, they will then part with the world for him; for who will stick at such a bargain, when a man considers that the world can do him no good at Death or Judgment; But Godliness hath the promise of this life, 1 Tim. 4.8. and that to come; and that it is profitable to all things; Rom. 8.32. and that having Christ, all shall be ours; for if he spared not his own Son, but freely delivered him up for us all, how [Page]shall he not with him freely give us all things? When the match is made up be­tween Christ and the Soul, all her Debts are made over to her Husband, and he is touched also with the feeling of her Infirmities, bears the heavier end of the Cross, and in all her afflictions, he is afflicted; Isa. 63.9. and he makes over all his riches to her, his Merits, his Righteousness, his Spirit, his Graces, and his Glory; Plal. 34.10. he hath pro­mised she shall want nothing that is good, and that he will never leave her nor for­sake her, Rom. 8.28. and that all things shall work to­gether for her good: Now whatever he hath promised, he can make it good; for he is both Omnipotent, and Omniscient, and he will make it good, for he is Faithfull, and the Experience of five thousand years prove it, in all which time no man could stand forth and say, This Promise God hath failed in; the world yields us some lit­tle comfort if God give it a Commission; but Christ is all and in all; all the ex­cellency that is in the Creature, is but as a Vein to lead us to this Mine, as a drop of this Ocean, and as a ray of this Sun; whatever our condition be, he can help us; if the Soul be sick, he is her Phy­sician, and all others are Physicians of no value; if wounded, he hath a Plaister of [Page]his own Blood to cure her; if she hun­ger, here is food, the Bread of life, and the Water of life; his flesh is meat indeed, and his blood drink indeed; If she be Poor, and Blind, and Miserable, and Naked, he can make supplies; here is a Treasure to enrich her, a Pearl of great price, and spiritual Eye-salve to make her see; if she have Enemies he is her Champion, that can overcome the Devil and all his In­struments, and none can hurt her but through his sides: In a word, she can want nothing when her Lord and Husband pos­sesses all things; the Cattle of a thousand hills are his, yea all the beasts of the For­rest; with his own Robes he arrayes her, and with the Jewels of his Grace he a­dorns her, with his Spirit he directs her; and if heavy laden, bears her burden; if she be weary, he is her resting place, and hath promised never to leave her nor for­sake her; Heb. 13.5. and then no matter what others do: These promises the Soul may press home by Prayer, as Jacob did in a great dan­ger; Gen. 32.9. Lord, thou saidst thou wouldst do me good; and this was as good as present pay, for God loves to be bound by his word, and to be sued upon his own bond: Prayer is a putting the Promises in Suit; God can no more deny such Prayers, [Page]than he can deny himself: what need the Soul to fear when Gods Word is out upon it, That all things shall work together for her good? and if all things, then Afflicti­ons, nay Sin it self: Seneca. Venenum aliquando pro remedio fuit, saith a Heathen. 'Tis said, that to drink of the Wine wherein a Vi­per hath been drowned, cureth the Lepro­sie, and the Scorpion healeth his own wound, the flesh of the Viper cureth the biting of the Viper; and so God some­times cureth us by the wound Sin gives us: we usually say, The act increaseth the habit, but 'tis not so here; for the believer is like a Sheep, that by his fall into the mire is warned to take better heed. Now look over all the World, and see if you can find such a match for the Soul, whe­ther any Creature in Heaven or Earth hath deserved thy Affections better than he, or hath done more, or will do more than Jesus Christ; that is a greater Bene­factor than he, and hath bestowed better Gifts; whether any other can pay thy Debts, or make preparation for the Eter­nal well-being of the Soul; and if he prove the fittest Match, stand not upon Terms with him, think not to alter his Condi­tions, or make him abate of his Price; he expects neither Money nor Moneys­worth; [Page]worth with thee as a Dowry, yet will he make thee the largest Joynture; his Co­venants will be, only to carry thy self to him as a loving and obedient Wife ought to do to her Husband, to love him a­bove all, to obey all his Commands, and to submit thy self to his dispose; leave the Sin he forbids, do the Duties he com­mands, and forsake all others for his sake; resolve thus to do, give up thy self thus to him and thou needest not fear death, for it cannot hurt thee; for 'tis but his Pursi­vant he sends to fetch thee home to his Fathers house, where all things are made ready for thy Marriage with the Lamb: when thou canst say, Cant. 6.3. My beloved is mine, and I am his, thou art fit to Live and fit to Dye, and not till then: such a man that hath gotten a full gripe of Christ, is sure that neither Death, nor Life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, Rom. 8.38. nor Powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor Heighth, nor Depth, nor any other Creature, shall be able to se­perate him from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord: 1 Cor. 6.17. for he that is joined to the Lord is one spirit; As truely one as those members are one Body, that are animated by the same Soul, or as Husband and Wife are one flesh: All that I am and have, saith the Soul, is his, and [Page]all he hath is mine; he that hath this full assurance of Faith, looks death undaunted­ly in the face, and goes gallantly to Hea­ven.

5 Direct. If you would Dye well, your way is to Live well, for a holy life al­wayes ends in an happy death; Heb. 12.14 and a sin­full life, if true repentance prevent not, alwayes hath a Tragical end; for without holiness no man shall see God; and how can such a man think then to come to Hea­ven, when the beatifical vision of God is Hea­ven it self? but no unclean thing, Rev. 21.27 1 Cor. 6.10 no un­righteouss person shall ever enter there; no dirty Dog shall tread upon that pave­ment: As the tree falleth so it lyeth, Eccles. 11.3. and as death leaves us, so Judgment shall find us: Be not deceived, God is not mocked, for what­soever a man soweth that shall he also reap; Gal. 6.7. for he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap Life ever­lasting: He that sails towards Hell, is not like to land in the Port of Heaven if he change not his course; the way of Sin is the direct road to Hell, and those that follow the broad Way, will ere long enter the wide Gate; but the way to Heaven is narrow, and the gate strait; he that swims down the stream, is not like to find the [Page]fountain-head; and he that goes down the hill, is not like to come to the top; but most men, like dead Fish, swim down the stream, even into the dead Sea of Eternal perdi­tion: Exo. 23.2 Take heed therefore of following a mul­titude to do evil, for the way to Hell is Broad and well trodden; beware of evil Company, lest thou learn to swear with Joseph, to curse with Peter, but be coura­gious for Heaven, and valiant for the Truth. 'Tis better go to Heaven alone, than to Hell with company; to be with Noah in the Ark, than with all the World in the Flood: the way of Holiness I know is not in fashion, but 'tis never the more to be shunned for the small company that walks in it; nor is the way of wickedness the more eligible because 'tis thronged: the way of Holiness haply may seem rugged and per­plexed by reason of the stumbling-blocks laid in it, 1 Sam. 14.4 13. like unto that of Jonathans and his Armor-bearers way, that had sharp rocks on either side, that they were forced to go upon hands and feet, yet consider it leads to Happiness; and who will not take pains for profit? Sic petitur Coelum sed fa­cilis descensus averni: Heaven is got by pains and patience, but a man may wink and go to Hell: To come to Heaven, Opus est pulveris non pulvinaris, (as one saith:) [Page]those that trade in Righteousness and Ho­liness, are most likely to treasure up Hap­piness; those that live uprightly to men, holily to God, and walk, as Zachary saith, Lu. 1.75. in Righteousness and Holiness before him all the dayes of their lives, men may be­fool them, but God will never condemn them; these men never need to fear Death, or any Messenger God sends; Act. 23.1. & 24.16. the that hath made his peace with God, and with Paul keeps a Conscience void of offence towards God and towards Men, though he may meet with troubles in his life, he shall meet with Comfort at death; when those that think to dance with the Devil all day and Sup with Christ at night, to do the Devils work and to receive Gods wages, that will not enter into the Vineyard and yet expect the penny, will find them­selves under a great mistake: for his ser­vants you are to whom you obey, and from him you work for you may expect wa­ges: you will find at last, that a Lord have mercy upon you will not serve turn: Mat. 7.21, 22. Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the Kingdom of Hea­ven; but he that doth the will of my fa­ther which is in heaven: many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name, and in thy name cast [Page]out Devils, and in thy Name done many wonderful works, and then will I profess un­to them, I never knew you, depart from me ye workers of iniquity. The like we see by the foolish Virgins, that cried, Lord, Lord, open to us, but the door was shut against them and they kept out: such mens hope will prove like the Spiders-web, or the giving up the Ghost, and but serve them as Absaloms Mule did him, bring them to destruction and there leave them: yet many verbal Professors we have, that if Heaven will be had for fair words will have it, but this is their best bid; as Epicte­tus complained in his time, That many would be Philosophers as far as a few good words would go, but no further; but it be those, and those alone that make Christi­anity their daily trade, and to please God their great design, that are worthy the name of Christians: when the heart is up­right God accepts the Sacrifice, as he did Abels; when the heart is rotten he disowns it, as he did Cains: Those fly­blown Sacrifices, such as the Pharisees of­fered, will not down with God: But when the chief design is to glorifie God, Mat. 6.1. &c. and that with a perfect heart, like Josiahs, with such Sacrifices God is well pleased; such a man, though he may lose something [Page] for Christ, will never lose any thing by Christ; death which sets a period to other mens happiness, will set an end to his misery; those only that live a holy life, can rationally expect a happy death.

6 Direct. If you would dye willingly and happily, learn with the Apostle to dye daily; have death alwayes in your eye, the strangeness of death makes it so terri­ble. The Fox in the Fable that had ne­ver before seen a Lion, trembles at the first sight, but after grew more bold: those that go first to Sea, are usually more time­rous in storms and tempests than the An­cient Mariners: sudden danger more sur­prizeth, when expected trouble is better born. Death is stealing upon us whether we mind it or no, and nothing more dis­covers our folly and madness than to neg­lect our watch when we are besieged by our Enemy, and know he intends to sur­prize us; to put far off the evil day when we know not but it is ready to dawn. 'Tis a folly for a Tenant to forget his Rent day, and then think his Landlord hath forgotten it also; or for a Malefactor to forget the day appointed for his Exe­cution: 'tis a folly for a needy man to forget the Market or Fair, where he should have supplyed his wants, Death is no Jest­ing [Page]matter, but a real thing, and will make a real change both to good and bad as to the Body; for haply both may say the next day to corruption, Thou art my father, and to the worm thou art my mother and my sister: then must they leave behind all their earthly Glory, and worldly Pomp, their friends and Relations, their pleasant Houses, yea Crowns and Kingdoms if they do enjoy them, and all their earthly comforts they enjoyed, and must march down to the Chambers of Death, and make their graves in the dust: but with the Soul is a greater change, either they must go to everlasting Torments, or endless Joyes; and should not such a change be mind­ed? did the greatest Prince upon earth, or our time-wasting Gallants consider, it would spoil their sport; did a Malefactor know that in a few dayes he should be dragg'd to Execution, would he take no notice of it, but spend his time as idly as before? and shall we only be unconcerned? they know in a few dayes, and they know not in how few, Eternity will shut her mouth upon them, and then their souls will be in a stated case, never to be changed. Oh what a prodigious Creature is a hard hearted Sinner! and how senceless is many a profane wretch, that know not but the night following their souls may be required of them, and yet regard it [Page]not; that feel this house of clay mouldering about their ears, and provide for no other Habitation; that sensibly feel Deaths ap­proaches by the many darts he throwes at them, and yet need to be minded that they must dye: the wisest Virgins had some­thing to do against the Bridegroom came, though they had Oyl in their Vessels, yet their Lamps must be trimmed, but the Fool­lish wanted Oyl to trimme them, and yet slept: the best of Saints should have their Loins girded, and be in a Centinel posture against the coming of their Lord and Master, and set themselves in order for so great a change; were a mean woman to be married to some mighty Prince, she would make some preparation against the Wedding-day; but 'tis the worst of sinners that least think of death, though they have most need, all the spectacles of mortality without, nor Mo­nitors of mortality within, cannot make them mind their latter end. Those should be like to Jonathans Arrows to David, warn them of approaching danger; our Children that rise up in our stead, and tread out our foot-steps, tell us that we are marching off the Stage, and they are coming in our room to act their parts. The Sun never sets but it may mind us of our latter end, and that now one day more is past of our determined num­ber [Page]of dayes that we had to live: 'tis good therefore to consider whether we are a days Journey nearer Heaven than we were in the morning, or what work we have done in reference to Eternity; every Bell that tolls may mind us of our Passing-bell; every time the Clock strikes, or the Glass is run out, may mind us how our time hasts away, and our death approaches; every breath we fetch, or every time our Pulse beats, may mind us of death, for the number of them is determined as well as the number of our months: Job. 14.5. Did men certainly know they should dye within a month, what a change would there be in the world? who then would mind earthly greatness or indulge his lust, which yet those that are not sure of a day do eagerly pursue? If you would dye happily, think on death to prepare for it; if comfortably, think on it to be acquainted with it.

7 Direction. It is not enough meerly to think of death, but you must also pre­pare for it; for the former is necessary in or­der to the latter: this preparation is your great Concern, the very business of your lives: God did not send you into the world as Leviathan into the Seas, to play therein, neither meerly to cark and care, to moil and toil, and drudge for the world; you [Page]were made for an higher end, and sent in­to the world upon another Errant, to make provision for your immortal souls: some may think this work is difficult, and so it is to flesh and blood, and cross to our carnal in­terest, but 'tis necessary, and the neglect dangerous: were but your houses on fire, we need not use many words to perswade you to quench them, though there were difficulty and danger in the enterprize; or were your lives in danger, you would en­dure hardship to save them; were you in danger of drowning, you would lay hold upon every twig, and take any offered ad­vantage to escape; were your Estates in dan­ger, you would spare no pains nor cost to clear it up; were but one of your beasts, though but a Sheep or Swine, in danger, you would seek for help; and is the immortal Soul only to be neglected? There are none but those that deny there is a God, a Devil, a Heaven or a Hell, or that think the Soul is mortal and shall dye with the body, and that the Scriptures are not Gods Word, but must needs confess there is great danger in dying unprepared, or in an unregenerate condition, and yet few live accordingly: but whatever men think, Hell will prove a real misery, and Heaven a real Happiness, and our Atheist will ere long be convinc'd of it [Page]to purpose: Luk. 16. God will be true, though every man be a lyar. The rich Glutton found to his full conviction, that Hell was no scare­crow, nor Gods Threats no Bugbear, but real things; and we have many in our Age far worse then he is there described, that yet have blind hopes it shall be well with them: and if these things be real, should not we be serious about them? is not Heaven worth having, and Hell worth the avoiding; and the soul worth saving? we are serious about the things of the world, and much more should we be to save our lives, and are Salvation and Damnation trifles not fit to be regarded? one year or month may make a great alteration in our Families or Neigh­bourhood, and many now living may then be dead and landed in Eternity, that thought they might have lived longer: sometimes death strikes the Child in the womb, when he spares him that stoopeth through Age, and this may be your case for ought you know. This was Jerusalems fault and ruine, She remembred not her latter end, Lam. 1.9. therefore she came down wonderfully; and many I fear dye of her disease. Now though our life is short, and time uncertain, yet our work is great, and of great Concernment, and requires time to do it in; and those that consider it well, know we have no time [Page]to spare, all is little enough for our work; and those that have been Prodigals of their time, have found their mistake when it hath been too late. We are in a race, and run for our lives, and shall we not set out with the first, and hold on to the last, and use our utmost diligence in the way? if we turn aside, or turn back, or slack our pace, or sit down, we are never like to win the prize; we stake our Souls to Heaven, and there­fore 'tis for no small wager; if we run well, heaven is ours; if not, the Soul our chiefest Jewel is lost; we have a great deal of work to do, and Night draws on; and the shadows of the Evening are stretched out, and when night comes no man can work; and is it not time to be up and doing? most men are be­wildred in the dark, and lose themselves with their reward, and miss their way, or fall short of their desired Journeys end, and this will be our case if we prevent it not; for the way is difficult, and delayes as well as mistakes are dangerous. Many that have wit enough to get an Estate, yea to deceive and to circumvent their Brethren, have yet been deceived themselves in this their great concern; yea many that have made a great profession of Religion, and have directed others, and have been their guides, for want of a guide have miscarried [Page]themselves, and lost their way: those that have lived under the powerful means of Grace, and performed many duties, and preacht and prayed, and thought them­selves wiser than others, and cast their ground, and thought to go a nearer way to Heaven than others, yet have been lost, and never came to the place they aimed at. Those that have exhorted others to take heed, have lost themselves for want of heed; and though they have been confident in the way, have yet miss'd of the way; and is it time for us that never arriv'd to that heighth to sit still and venture: there is but a little between us and death, and if death cut the thred of our lives before our peace be made with God, we are past remedy; for if once we fall into that gulph of Eternity, there is no getting out, we shall never find bank nor bottom: As the tree falls so it lyes, all the world cannot turn it; and if the Soul miscarry, our case will be worse than the beast that perisheth; for as now men are never weary of sinning, then God will be never weary of punishing, and all the racks, tortures and torments in the world will not equalize the torments of a miscarrying Soul: but if we are prepared for death, have made our peace with God, and even­ed our Accounts with him, have espoused [Page]the Soul to Christ, and cleared up our Evi­dences for Heaven, 'tis not the Devil, nor his Instruments, 'tis not death, nor him that hath the power of death, nay 'tis not Hell it self that can hinder a Believers happiness: for Assurance of Gods love will bear up the heart above water, and keep it from desponding or sinking even under the pangs of death. 2 Tim. 1.12 I know (saith Paul) whom I have Believed, and I am per­swaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day. And again, Rom. 8.38 39. I am perswaded that neither Death, nor Life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor things pre­sent, nor things to come, nor heighth, nor depth, nor any other Creature, shall be able to separate us from the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

8 Direct. For Preparation, 'tis necessa­ry to put your Hearts as well as your Houses in order, nay 'tis much more ne­cessary: if you would reform, begin at the right end; if you reform the heart the rest will follow, but all other refor­mation signifies little without it: the way to kill a Tree is not to lop off here a Bough, and there a Branch, but to stub it up by the root; and to destroy the tree of Sin, is not to be lopping off here one, [Page]and there another, but root up the whole; which will be done if the heart be reform­ed: 'tis not the Stream but the Fountain we must cleanse, if we will have clean water; the other will prove but labour in vain. Prov. 4.23. Keep the heart with all deligence (saith Solomon,) for out of it are the is­sues of life: Quod sanitas in corpore, id sanctitas in corde: if a Disease strike to the heart 'tis dangerous, but if the heart be sound there is hopes; if the Spring be clear the water will purge it self, Job 31.1. if that be infected or polluted 'tis in vain to purge the Stream: Eccles. 5.1. 'tis true, the Eye, the Foot, the Hand, must be heeded, but if the heart be not first Regulated, these will not be kept in order; the Eye will be full of Adultery, and the Hand swift to shed blood; for out of the heart proceed murders, Mat. 18.8. adul­terycs, &c. Look to the heart, and the heart will look to the rest. The heart of man is of so great a Concern, that it hath many Suitors; the world yields many of them; Riches, Honour, Pleasure, woe for the Affection, and seldom but one of these prevail; Pro. 23.26. and spiritual Powers make suit also; God saith, My Son give me thy heart, and happy are we if we give our consent: as the heart is defiled he will have none of it, and till it be renewed he will own [Page]nothing that man doth, nor any Sacrifice he Offereth; God sends many a Messenger to wo for it, and many a time he striveth by his own Spirit to win it, and many a Love Token he sends to oblige it, and many a promise he makes to win upon it: The Devil also contends more for it than a­bout the Body of Moses, for that is imagined to be but in reference to it, he owns it as his by nature, and would fain keep the possession, for while he keeps this fort all is safe; he can give the eyes, ears, the tongue their liberty, if the heart be his he mat­ters not, his Prisoner is secure; and to keep possession of the heart a thousand snares are laid in the way, and if any make an escape he sends out Hue and cry after them, stirs up all his Instruments to bring them back again; sets some to reproach them, some to perswade them, yea some to flatter, some to threaten, and some to persecute: for he knows the heart is the Master-wheel that guides all the rest; for a man is deno­minated good or bad according as his heart is either good or bad; this is the Shop wherein good or bad wares are forged: Mat. 2.35. 'tis fons boni vel pec [...]andi origo, the Foun­tain of good, or the Spring of evil: if there be a principle of life there, the acti­ons are pleasing to God; if not, they are but [Page]dead works. A carnal heart is a Stewes or Shambles, a place whence unclean and cruel thoughts are produced, the forge where wicked thoughts are framed, the Mint where they are coined, the very Anvil upon which all Sin is forged, an Augean Stable for Filthiness: the heart is the Temple wherein Gods Ark or the Devils Dagon are placed, Gal. 4.7. and worshipped; 'tis the Palace wherein dwelleth, the Throne wherein sitteth the King of Glory, or the Prince of darkness: Eph. 2.2 [...]. for the Devil works and acts in a wicked heart, as a Smith doth in his Forge, or an Artificer in his Shop, what he pleaseth, without controul; these two Princes cannot sit in the same Throne, or rule in the same heart; these two Masters cannot be served by the same man, their commands are so different, those that love the one will despise the other, and if one be obeyed the other must be neglected; he that gets possession of the heart is our Ma­ster, for we may know it by our obedi­ence: If Christ rule there, the Devils king­dom must down, and if the Devil rules, Christ will be gone: now his servants ye are to whom ye obey; the heart is the foun­tain out of which all water flows, whe­ther sweet or bitter, Mat. 7.26. and therefore it con­cerns us to see it be not defiled: It is a [Page]Tree, and we may know whether it be good or no by the fruit; By the fruit (saith Christ,) ye shall know them: 'Tis a Trea­sury out of which good or evil things are brought; 'tis the primum mobile, that sets all the rest in motion, and gives moti­on to the inferior Orbs; the hand, the eye, the foot, the tongue, are all moved by it, either in a direct or irregular motion: 'Tis the chief Monarch in the Isle of man, that gives Laws and Commands to all the rest: 'Tis like the Treble in a Viol, if this be in tune, the other are soon ordered; if out, the Musick is spoil'd; 'tis the spring or Ma­ster-wheel of all the curious Clock-work of the Soul, and sets all the rest in mo­tion: This is it that denominates an acti­on good or bad, as it differenced be­tween Cains sacrifice and Abels, and the fastings, prayers, and alms of the Pha­risees, and of the Apostles. The more of the heart is in the sin, the greater is the aggravation, but the more of the heart is in a duty, the better God accepts it. Where the heart goes not along with the sin, God will pardon it, but if the heart go not along with the du­ty he will not own it: weak performan­ces are accepted where the heart is right, glorious actions are abominable [Page]where the heart is rotten. Now the heart by nature is polluted, and must be clean­sed; it is deceitful, and if not lookt to will betray us; and when the heart is polluted the whole man is defiled, and till this be cleansed a man is neither fit to live, nor fit to dye, nor after death to come to Judgment. Get therefore the heart pu­rified by Faith, or never think to dye comfortably or happily.

9 Direction. As the Heart must be purged from sin, so 'tis necessary that it be replenished with Grace, for without this you can neither dye a happy nor comfortable death; for these are the Di­vine qualifications which God hath made necessary to salvation; this is the Oyl which the wise Virgins had in their Vessels, Mat. 25.4. &c. their Hearts, which the foolish did want, and therefore were shut out of the Bride­chamber: This is the wedding-garment, without which you will be bound hand and foot, Mat. 22.1. and cast into outer darkness; this is the Sheep-mark of Christ, those that have it he will own, and place them at his right hand, when all other like re­probate Goats shall be set on the left; This is the Ticket, whosoever hath it shall be admitted into Heaven, and whoso­ever hath it not Heaven gates will be [Page]shut against him; now how can that man be happy or comfortable in death, that hath not this Oyl, this Wedding-garment, this Sheep-mark, nor this Ticket; that hath nothing to shew for Heaven and happiness, or why he should not go to Hell and misery? These Graces are the Jemmes and Jewels that adorn the Spouse of Christ, and make her amiable in his eyes; this is the differencing badge be­tween the Children of God, and the men of the World, that shall have their portion in the Lake that burns with fire and brim­stone: These, these are the Evidences Be­lievers have for Heaven, and by these it is they hold God to his bargain; for he hath told them, he that believeth shall be saved, and he that believeth not shall be con­demned: This is the witness of the Spirit, for 'tis the Spirit that worketh those graces in the soul, and also enables the Soul to read them thus written in the heart, by the Spirit; and so the Spirit witnesseth with our Spirits that we are the Children of God. Now can any man willingly leave a pre­sent Inheritance, that hath no assurance of any for the future? Holiness is the Image of God, the Livery that all that go to Heaven are clad with, and though now it be out of fashion, at death our greatest Gallants [Page]would willingly be found in this Livery; yea Balaam himself would dye the death of the righteous, though he liked not his life; other Jewels adorn the Body, but this adorns the Soul, these have this excellent vertue, they make a man live holily and dy happily, none can miscarry that wear them; these make men dye securely, but it is al­so requisite that they know they have them, for sometimes Believers lose their com­forts for want of clearing up their Eviden­ces for Heaven; 'tis necessary that a man have grace, and 'tis comfortable to know he hath it; to have it in the habit sufficeth not, if he act it not: he must not only have faith, but he must live by faith, and by faith suck sweetness from the promises: this will make a man look death in the face undauntedly; this grace will assure a man that life and death will prove advantagious to him, and that God and his departing soul are at peace, and that the Covenant re­mains firm even in the Grave it self; this makes a man look even beyond death it self, and see the Crown of glory, the re­compence of reward before him, and as­sures him death will do him more good than hurt, that it will set an end to his misery, and beginning to his happiness, and that when death hath struck the stroak, [Page]the Angels will carry the Soul into Abra­hams bosom, yea lodge it in the Arms of their dear Redeemer. These apprehen­sions made Paul to desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, and the Martyrs to be so willing to dye, and so chearfully to go to the stake: Love to God also is another grace which much sweetens the very thoughts of death; indeed this sweetens the sharpest passage of Providence, when we think, this is my Fathers will, whom I love, and who loves me, and knows best what is for my good; yea death it self shall be welcome when 'tis a Messenger from him I love, to fetch me home to his bosom: what will not a loving Wife suffer to en­joy her beloved Husband? love desires the strictest union, and most intimate communion with the party beloved, but this the Soul cannot obtain but by Death: O saith the Soul, now I lye under the hatches, troubled with a thousand infir­mities, I can seldom have a glimpse of Christ here; well, the time is at hand that I shall see him face to face, and enjoy him in glory, where I shall serve him without distraction, and never be troubled more with vain thoughts or roving imaginations, or any of Satans temptations: Oh when will this time be! The other graces of [Page]the Spirit are also necessary to this end, to sweeten death, such as Knowledge, Re­pentance, Obedience, Humility, Self-deni­al, Patience, Hope, &c. of which I shall not speak particularly. Now the Promi­ses are made to these graces not only of this life but of that to come; among the rest of the good things promised, is Hea­ven and Happiness, but what is a carnal man the better for these promises, that is not qualified for them? but when by Faith we can see this Crown of glory, and see our Names written upon it, and get a Pisgah-sight of this heavenly Canaan, we shall willingly venture over this Jordan, and encounter all the Sons of Anak we meet in our way, and not fear what Man, what Devils, what Death can do unto us: get these Graces in exercise, and you need not fear Fire and Faggot.

10 Direction. That you may thus emp­ty the heart of sin and wickedness, and re­plenish it with Grace and godliness, that so you may be fit to live and fit to dye, and fit to live with Christ-for ever, 'tis fit and necessary you take Gods way; for it can­not be done by your own strength. Im­prove therefore all the means which God hath afforded you for this end; for those that refuse the means seldom attain the end. [Page]Improve his Word and Ordinances; these are the appointed means, however some scorn at them, and some think they are above them, but those that go not this way seldom come to Heaven. In the Word are given Rules how to live, and how to dye, and how to behave ourselves in all Conditions; here is Oyl to be had, and those that neglect will be to seek when the Bridegroom comes. Those that now neg­lect the Wedding-garment, will want it when they have occasion to use it, and so be thrust out of the Bride-chamber. This Word of God should be our daily study, for here are directions both for life and death, and none but those that are bad Husbands for the soul, will neglect it: here are the precious Promises which are our Fathers Legacy, out of which the Soul by Faith sucks sweetness, which are special Cordials against fainting fits, which bear up the head above water, and the heart in all storms and tempests: here is directi­on in Heavens way, yea way-marks set up that we should not erre nor wander; here you may find what qualifications God requires in his servants, and what Eviden­ces for Heaven are good and authentick, and what God will own another day; and if by the help of the Spirit you can read [Page]them in your own hearts, as in a counter pane, there is no better Evidence for Hea­ven, no greater Cordial in the world to bear up the heart: here you may find com­forts and consolatious in all your condi­tions, and if you walk in this road you will meet with much help and assistance, yea many companions in your Journey: here you have the Spirit of God both to direct and comfort you, and who can erre that hath such a guide, or droop that hath such a comforter? here you shall hear a voice behind you saying, this is the way walk in it, turn not to the right hand or to the left: here you have the assistance of Gods Mi­nisters to direct you, but take heed of quenching the motions of his Spirit, or abusing his Messengers, lest his Spirit leave striving with you, and God take away his Messengers in his anger: here you may find many that have walked the same way, met with the same troubles, suffered the same afflictions, temptations, crosses and losses as you do, and yet have born it with patience, and overcome it with constancy and comfort; here you may know the worst that death can do to you is for your advantage, if you love God, for such death cannot hurt; kill you it may, hurt you it cannot; the worst it can do is but [Page]to send you to your Fathers house the soon­er. Meditate therefore upon this Word of God, and also upon the Attributes of God, and this must needs support you un­der sufferings. Meditate also upon mans Mortality to quicken you in your pace, of the Worlds vanity and emptiness to make you slight it, and the fulness of Christ to make you to desire him. The Meditati­on of death will not make you dye soon­er, but safer, and the Promises will yield sweetness even in the pangs of death; for death is to the godly but as a Pursivant to fetch them to Heaven, and his wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth, are Cordials also, and will help to keep the heart from fainting and despond­ing; and will shield the Spirits against all crosses and afflictions they shall meet with: and by Meditation in the Word, you may learn the happiness of the godly, and the miseries of the wicked, and what will be the end of both; yea you may find there what are the pains of Hell, and the Joyes of Heaven, and these may be used as mo­tives to a holy life: Prayer also is an ex­cellent duty to prepare for death; by this God is engaged to help at a time of need: Christian Conference also is another help, wherein one fire-stick helps to inkindle ano­ther, [Page]till all come into a flame. Now those that are constant and faithful in these and the rest of the Ordinances and means God hath appointed to this end, are like­lyest to have the qualifications before men­tioned, and those thus qualified need not fear death; those that walk evenly with God in Prosperity, are most like to hold out in Adversity, Heb. 2.14. and need not fear death, nor him that hath the power of death, the Devil. The more faithful and constant any one is in the Trade of Godliness, the more Assurance he may have of a happy death, and joyful Resurrection; and what hinders then but a chearful resigning our selves to death when God calls? a man will not willingly resign up his old Lease till he have assurance of a better: but who will not leave a Cottage for a Palace, or exchange an old Suit for a new, Rags for Robes? when assurance of Heaven is got, no wonder if earth be contemned; for who will not change a Temporal Life for Life Eternal?

And thus, (Courteous Reader) if thou art prepared, I have spoken to thee in the Book, if not in the Epistle, wherein I have given thee some direction how thou maist be prepared, and how thou maist come to be fit to live, and fit to dye, and fit to lye [Page]in the Arms of Christ for ever: What effect the Book will have upon the one, or the Directions on the other, I know not; but my desire is, and my Prayer shall be, that it may be beneficial both to the one, and to the other: This will be your own advantage, but the comfort of him who subscribes himself.