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my unwillingness yet to die, than my desire to do the work of life for my own and other men's salvation, and to finish my course with joy, and the ministry I have received of the Lord!"" XIV. As it is on earth I must do good to others, so it must be in a manner suited to their earthly state. Souls are here closely united to bodies, by which they must receive much good or hurt. Do good to men's bodies, if thou wouldest do good to their souls. Say not-Things corporeal are worthless trifles, for which the receivers will be never the better. They are things that nature is easily sensible of, and sense is the passage to the mind and will. Dost thou not find what a help it is to thyself, to have at any time any ease and alacrity of body; and what a burden. and hinderance pains and cares are? Labour then to free others from such burdens and temptations, and be not regardless of them. If thou must rejoice with them that rejoice, and weep with them that weep,' promote then thy own joy by helping theirs; and avoid thy own sorrows, in preventing or curing theirs. But, alas! what power has selfishness in most? How easily do we bear our brethren's pains and reproaches, wants and afflictions, in comparison of our own! How few thoughts, and how little cost and labour, do we use for their supply, in comparison of what we do for ourselves! Nature indeed teaches us to be sensible of our own case; but grace tells us, that we should not make so great a difference as

we do, but should love our neighbour as ourselves."

XV. "And now, O my soul, consider how mercifully God hath dealt with thee, that thy strait should be between two conditions so desirable. I shall either die speedily, or stay yet longer upon earth; whichever it be, it will be a merciful and comfortable state. That it is desirable to depart, and be with Christ,' I must not doubt, and shall hereafter more copiously consider. And if my abode on earth yet longer be so great a mercy, as to be put into the balance against my present possession of heaven, surely it must be a state which obliges me to great thankfulness to God, and comfortable acknowledgment: nor should my pain, or sickness, or sufferings from men, make this life on earth unacceptable while God will continue me in it. Paul had his thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet him, and suffered more from men, though less in his health, than I have done; and yet he gloried in his infirmities, and rejoiced in his tribulations,' and was ' in a strait betwixt' living and dying; yea, rather chose to live yet longer. Alas! the strait of most men is between the desire of life for fleshly interest, and the fear of death as ending their felicity; between a tiring world and body, which makes them weary of living, and the dreadful prospect of future danger, which makes them afraid of dying. If they live, it is in misery; if they must die, they fear greater misery: whether

they look behind or before them, to this world or the next, fear and trouble is their lot. Yea, many serious christians, through the weakness of their trust in God, live in this perplexed strait, weary of living and afraid of dying, continually pressed between grief and fear. But Paul's strait was between two joys, which of them he should desire most. And if that be my case, what should much interrupt my peace or pleasure? If I live, it is for Christ, for his service, and to prepare for my own and his everlasting felicity: and should any suffering make me impatient with such a work, and such a life? If I die presently, it is my gain; God, who appoints me my work, limits my time; and surely his glorious reward can never be unseasonable, or come too soon, if it be the time that he appoints. When I first engaged myself to preach the gospel, I reckoned, as probable, but upon one or two years, and God has made it above forty-four. And what reason have I to be unwilling now, either to live or die? God's service has been so sweet to me, that it hath overcome the trouble of constant pains or weakness of the flesh, and all that men have said and done against me. How much the following crown exceeds this pleasure, I am not now able to conceive. There is some trouble in all this pleasant work, from which the soul and flesh would rest. And blessed are the dead which die in the Lord: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them.' O.my soul,

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what need has this kind of strait to trouble thee? Leave God to his own work, and mind that which is thine. So live that thou mayest say, Christ liveth in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.' Then, as thou hast lived in the comfort of hope, thou shalt die in the comfort of vision and enjoyment. And when thou canst say of God, Whose I am, and whom I serve; thou mayest boldly add, I know whom I have believed, and into his hands I commit my departing spirit.''

CHAPTER II.

THE NECESSITY AND

ING THAT PIOUS
CHRIST.

REASONABLENESS

SEPARATE SPIRITS

OF BELIEV

ARE WITH

I. II. I. Such faith is necessary, III. 1. to ascertain the design of life; IV. 2. to excite to holiness; V. 3. to make us know, value, and improve our mercies; VI. 4. and to comfort us under sufferings. VII. II. Such faith is reasonable, because, VIII. 1. the soul is immortal; IX. 2. this immortality is the dictate of nature; X. 3. every man ought to seek happiness; XI. 4. men and brutes differ in the knowledge of God and futurity: XII. 5. God is a just Governor; XIII. 6. and there is a gospel revelation: also because, XIV. 7. of God's regard to prayer; XV. 8. the ministration of angels; XVI. 9. Satan's temptations; XVII. 10. and, especially, the sanctifying influences of the Holy Spirit. XVIII-XXI. The author inculcates these considerations upon himself in order to strengthen his own faith.

we

I. THE subject suggests to my thoughts-The necessity of believing that the souls of the godly, when departed hence, shall be with Christ; and, The reasonableness of such a faith. We are elsewhere assured, that " shall be with him, where he is." And to be with him can mean no less than a state of communion, and a participation of happiness. To believe such a state of happiness for departed pious souls, must appear upon consideration to be both necessary and reasonable.

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