of the Holy Spirit of God, and shining in and through all the whole course of my life, by all such good works as may glorify Thee our Father which art in Heaven. This is that sa cred light (even "faith which worketh by love") which will infallibly guide me through all the mazes of this mortal life, and convey me safely through the gloomy shades of death, into the region of light, and life everlasting. Amen. IV. In this life our condition is changeable from better to worse, and from worse to better: but in death, all hopes of bettering our condition are buried with the lifeless corpse. "Now is the acceptable time, now is the day of salvation." It is in the day of this life I am commanded to "work out my salvation with fear and tremblings." When the night of death cometh, no man can then work: "there is neither work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom in the grave where thou goesth." And it is wisely therefore advised in the following words; "whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with all thy might:" be vigorous, be active, be zealous, "be fruitful in every good worki.” The soul that is laden with the fruits of well-doing, shall cheerfully in the approach of death commit herself" unto God, as to a faithful Creatork." Those good deeds, which through the merits of Christ will render us secure in the hour of death, are, 1. Devout and humble, frequent and fervent prayers unto God, and praises of Him, wherein we do most immediately both commit and commend our souls unto God, and gain His grace and favour, especially when accompanied with, 2. "Fastings often':" by these we offer our bodies in sacrifice unto God: as by prayer our souls". 3. Charitable alms-deeds; for " with such sacrifices God is well pleased "." Such preparation for death is advised by the wise Syracides, "Remember that death will not be long in coming: and that the covenant of the grave is not shewed unto thee. Do good to thy friend before thou h Eccles. ix. 10. i Col. i. 10. m Rom. xii. 1. a Heb. xiii. 15, 16. die:" put not off to thy last will and testament; but "according to thy ability stretch out thy hand, and give unto" the poor. To make the poor our friends, or rather our acts of charity towards them, against the day of death, is commanded by our Lord, "Make yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness P," in the pious and charitable distribution of your worldly goods; "that when you fail," your bodies fail to be the habitation of your souls, "they may receive you into everlasting habitations." Which is yet more fully and plainly commanded by our Lord, Luke xii. 33-36. Thus the wise virgins were provided for the coming of the Bridegroom, with "oil in their lamps" their light of faith was kept flaming by charity and good works, by which means they were admitted into the bridal chamber of celestial paradise: from whence the foolish virgins were excluded, who had lamps, but no oil; faith without charity: or else good works without sincere intentions and holy affections in the performance of them. Ecclus. xiv. 12, 13. It is not doubted but every act of charity is transient; and every good work, of what nature soever, takes end with the work done: but the charity, the piety, the wisdom, the righteousness of every religious work, is not of a dying stamp: "for righteousness is immortal"." As therefore the good works of holy and good men pass away and vanish: so the holiness and charity of their actions pass into Heaven, and stand there upon record to plead through the merits of Christ, for their admission into those regions of bliss. "He hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor, his righteousness remaineth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honours.' "Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord; they rest from their labours, and their works follow them t." Lord, I pray Thee, that Thy grace may alway prevent and follow me; and make me continually to be given to all good works, the never-failing fruits of a true Christian faith; and by these inseparably conjoined, P Luke xvi. 9. Psalm cxii. 9. a Mat. xxv. 3, 4, &c. Rev. xiv. 13. to make my calling and election sure, sealed in the blood of my dear Redeemer. Amen. V. 1. There are three general messengers of death: 1. Chance; 2. Sickness; 3. Old age. Chance renders the life of man doubtful and uncertain sickness makes it grievous and wearisome: old age makes it tedious, and death inevitable. Some persons are stifled in their mother's womb, and die before they see the light of this life. Some die in their infancy, some in their youth, some in their man's estate; and some there be, but these are of all other the fewest in number, who die in their old age and yet the most of men do not only desire, but fondly conceit they shall live to be old, and yet never think themselves old enough to die which makes so many millions of persons die unpreparedly, and so pass from a temporal to death eternal: for death is then most generally the nearest, when it is conceited to be farthest off". 2. It is the thought of a longer, and still of a longer life, that is the great impediment of repentance, and amendment of life: whereby the devil hurries men by throngs to be his woeful companions in his region of blackness of darkness for ever. And the great reason is, because repentance delayed till sickness or old age come, is not only uncertain and unsafe, but very seldom or never truly and sincerely performed. It is a dreadful saying of St. Jerome, that scarce one of ten thousand, who have continued in any sinful course of life, without the conscientious practice of a true and timely repentance, do ever so perfectly repent, as to obtain the remission of their sins in the hour of death. For the prevention of so great and general a mischief, and perdition of ungodly men, the All-wise and good Providence of Heaven hath ordained, that in all ages and conditions of men this life shall take end: that so none, how young and lusty soever, with his bones full of marrow, should yet dare to live unprepared for death, presuming still upon further time for repentance and amendment of life. Tu in senectutem sana Mors enim propior esse solet, cum longius abesse putetur.-Bern differs consilia, et inde vitam | vis inchoare quo pauci perduxerunt: stultitia magna est tunc vivere incipere, cum desinendum est. Blessed Lord, suffer me not thus to deceive myself, through the sly insinuations of Satan, and my own sensual inclinations and desires; but make me so mindful of my end, that I may pass the remainder of my days in the constant practice of repentance and godly fear; that living in Thy fear, I may die in Thy favour, and in a well-grounded hope to live with Thee for ever. Amen. VI. 1. Every change in my frail constitution, every lit- | tle pain and ache in my corruptible flesh, all distempers and diseases are as so many memorials of my mortality; but the older I grow, the nearer still is the approach of my dissolution by the hand of death: "for that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away." 2. Happy is the man, who on his bed of death can say with the Apostle, "I have fought a good fight',' against all the assaults of * Heb. viii. 18. the devil, the world and the flesh, which war against the soul: "I have finished my course" as the course of my life, so the course of godliness in all its respective duties enjoined me. 66 I have kept the faith," untainted by any atheistical imaginations, heretical opinions, or sinful practices: and I have been faithful in the discharge of those offices and relations wherein my great Lord and Master hath entrusted and estated me. If my heart condemn me not in any of these respects, I may thence conclude with joy and exultation, "from henceforth there is laid up a crown of righteousness which the righteous Judge shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but to all them also that love His appearing." The Prayer. Look graciously upon me, O Lord, I beseech Thee, in the time of my approaching dissolution: and the more the outward man decayeth, strengthen me so much the more continually by Thy grace and Holy Spirit in the inner man: give me unfeigned repentance for all the errors of my life past, and a steadfast faith in Thy Son Jesus, that my sins may be done away by Thy mercy, and my pardon sealed in Heaven, before I go hence and be no more seen. II. In the midst of life we be in death of whom may we seek for succour but of Thee, O Lord, Who for our sins art justly displeased? Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death. Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts: shut not up Thy merciful ears to our prayers, but spare us. O Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, Thou most In my last hour, O Lord, I humbly beg Thy protection from the busy sugges tions and direful insultings of my grand enemies, the devil and his angels: Oh, let not then my faith fail, or my hope wither, or my charity wax cold with the waning flesh: but when all my joints shall tremble by the batteries of death, mine eyes be darkened, and my tongue falter; then, O then let my heart be enlarged towards my God, waiting upon Thee, longing for Thee, and incessantly praying, Shew me Thy mercy, O Lord, and grant me Thy salvation. PSALM XXXIX. 1. "I said, I will take | unruly evil, and must be heed to my ways: that I tamed as a wild horse with offend not in my tongue." a bridle, especially when The meditation of death provoked by captious, conmakes every wise man care- tentious, and quarrelsome ful of all his ways, and more persons. especially to avoid the offences of the tongue. 2. "I will keep my mouth as it were with a bridle: while the ungodly is in my sight." The tongue is an 3. "I held my tongue, and spake nothing, I kept silence; yea, even from good words: but it was pain and grief unto me." Reproaches are for the most part best |