the Lightning and Thunder of the Canon, can't make them to much as to fhut their Eyes, or ftoop their Heads, they then laugh at their former Apprehenfions: Thus the firft Conceits of Death commonly terrify us; but when we feriously meditate upon it, and look it in the Face, we fhall not only contemn it, but we fhall feck it boldly in its Retreats, and with an undaunted Countenance, we shall behold Death let fly all its Arrows, and cafting its Thunderbolts, without the leaft Apprehenfion. As they who are not wont to fee favage Beafts, dare not draw near to them, and can fearce look upon them without Fear, but fuch as are familiarly acquainted with them can touch them without Apprehenfion,and freely play with them: Thus 'tis with them who had never had any Confidence to look Death in the Face; they tremble, and are filled with Aftonishment, as foon as they fee its Approaches; but they who often behold Death, are familiarly acquainted with it, and therefore they can with Confidence thruft their Fifts into its Jaws. Mofes fled away from his Rod, when it was firft turn'd into a Serpent, but when he began to take it into his Hand, and faw that it return'd to its former Shape and Being, he was far from running from it, or entertaining the least Apprehenfion of it; he made a very happy Use of it, and by God's Command, wrought many Miracles. Thus 'tis with Death; it frights us at firft; but if we can but take hold of it with the Hands of a true and lively Faith, it will be fo far from fcaring or frightning us, that it will difcover to us a World of delightful Wonders.

Death therefore is fo far from terrifying fuch as are accustomed to it, that it fills them full of Comfort and Joy. As a Child that looks upon the Father who hath a Vizard on his Face, is frighted, and begins to cry, but if he hath but the Confidence to pull off the Vizard, and take but notice of the loving Smiles of his Parent hid under that Deformity, he will not only ceafe from weeping, and fettle his Mind, but

4

he

he will also leap for Joy and embrace him. Thus if we look upon Death with a timorous Countenance, and behold its hideous Appearance, we shall be ftruck with a fudden Horror; but if we can with any Affurance lift up its Vizard, we fhall foon difcover our heavenly Father, and with Tears of Joy we shall run to embrace him. As the Apoftles when they efpied Jefus Chrift in, the Night walking upon the Waves of the Sea, cried out in a Fright, thinking that it had been a Spirit, but when he drew near to them, and they heard his Voice, they perceived him to be their Saviour; when therefore they had receiv'd him into their Ship, the Storm ceas'd immediately. Thus if we look upon Death at a Distance, the Blindness and Ignorance with which we are poffefs'd, will reprefent to us a frightful Spirit; but if we examine and behold it nearer, by the Help of the Gofpel Light, we fhall find it to be our Salvation, and the accomplishing of our Redemption. All our Fears will then be calm'd, and our Souls will return to their former Temper. Ina Word, as he that runs from his Enemy, encreafes his Courage, and renders him more earnest and refoly'd to pursue him; thus when Death fees us tremble, and decline its Approaches, it becomes more proud and imperious over us. We must therefore think betimes of Death, reprefent to our felves continually, and enter into an Acquaintance with it. It was holy Job's Practice; for he cried unto the Pit, Thou art my Father, and to the Corruption and the Worms, you are my Mother and my Sifter, Job xvi. And imagine that this was the chief Reafon of Philip of Macedon's commanding a Page every Morning to roufe him out of his Sleep, with O King, remember thou art a mortal Man. For by this often repeated Leffon, he labour'd to humble his lofty Mind, and teach his frail Nature not to glory fo much in the Splendour of his Crown and Scepter, nor to abuse the Power committed to his Truft. By this means alfo he became acquainted with Death, that it might not feem strange when it fhould

come

come in earnest and snatch him away. This was also the Defign of that Emperor Meruan, or Meruanes, who caus'd this Motto to be engrav'd upon his Seal, Remember that thou must die. These Words minded him of that which his Courtiers were afraid to mention to him. So that this great Prince never confirm'd with his Seal the Death of any Man; but at the fame time he represented to himfelf, that his own Death was not to be avoided. For the fame Reafon, the Noblemen of China are wont to have their Coffins ready made in their Chambers, that at every Moment they might look Death in the Face. And for that Intent, the Egyptians in their most sumptuous Feafts, commonly placed a dead Man's Scull in an eminent Corner of the Room. By this Spectacle they intended not only to oblige the Guests to moderate their Joys, and to restrain their unruly Lufts, but also to bring them acquainted with, and to accuftom them to behold Death amongst all their Delights. They treated it as if their Design had been to invite it to their most delicious Feafts, that they might rejoice together with it, John xvi. I conceive that the Jews for the fame Cause builded their Sepulchres in their Gardens of Pleasure, that they alfo might have the Image of Death continually before them, and that in the midst of all their Divertisements, it might be their most pleasant and ordinary Entertainment. For us Chriftians to oblige us to think upon Death, there is no need that a Page fhould remember us every Day that we are mortal, nor that the Motto of a Ring fhould call to our Mind that we muft die; there is no need of a Coffin to be plac'd in our Chambers: in fuch things there is many times more Oftentation than Piety; nor is it needful that a dead Man's Scull be put before our Eyes, or that a Sepulchre be built or hewn in our Gardens and Places of Recreation and Delight. For as Alexander the Great understood that he was a mortal Man, by the Blood that run out of his Wounds; Thus the Diseases unto which we are fubject,

fubject, and the daily Infirmities that we feel, fufficiently inftruct and affure us that we are Mortals: And as a famous Philofopher, when he received the unhappy News of his only Son's untimely Death, anfwer'd the Meffenger with a fettled Countenance; I knew, faid he, that I begot him a mortal Man, Xenoph. Thus will the Faithful fay without Change of Countenance, or Appearance of Fear when his Death is declar'd to him, I knew that my Mother had conceiv'd me a mortal Man. I knew very well that Death is the Tribute that we must all pay to Nature, and that upon this Condition, I am entred into the World.

If we will make use of any exterior Help to imprint this Leffon into our Fancy, we must practice with Care the Advice of theWife-Man; It is better to go to the Houfe of Mourning, than to that of Feafting, Ecclef. vii. for that is the end of all Men, and the living will lay it to his Heart. Never look upon a deceased Body ftretch'd upon a Bed, or upon a dead Corpfe in a Coffin, but remember that this is an univerfal Law unto which all Mankind must pay Obedience; that pay it is the broad Road of all the Earth, and that there thou mayeft behold the lively Image of thy future State. I conceive this may be a good Expedient, and very fuccessful to entertain in our Minds the continual Thoughts of Death, to make our laft Will betimes, and frequently to perufe it; for as when we meditate upon a Farewel that we are to take of our Friends, we feel in our Souls the fame Affections and Motions as are in us at the Moment of our Separation: Thus will it be with us when we seriously meditate upon that laft Farewel that we are to bid to the World. Death will feem to appear upon our Lips, or rather we fhall think our felves already in the fweet Embraces of our divine Jefus, our glorious Redeemer.

Befides those things that are extraordinary, I find nothing in, or out of us, nothing that we feel, tafte, or relish; in fhort, nothing that paffeth

either in our private or publick Converfation, but is able to recal to our Minds the ferious Confideration of Death. The Flefh that thou doft eat, the Wool that cloaths thy Nakedness, the Silk that adorns thy Body; in general, all thy Garments and Ornaments are but the Spoils of the dead Creatures. The Sight therefore of all these things, muft call to thy Remembrance thy frail and mortal State, and caufe thee to meditate upon the Preacher's Saying; The fame Accident that happens to the Beafts, the fame happens to Mankind; as is the Death of the one, fo is the Death of the other They have all the fame Breath, and Man hath no Advan tage above a Beaft, for all is Vanity, all goes to the fame Place, all proceeds from the Duft, and hall return to the Duft again.

Never pull off thy Cloaths, but remember that thou muft fhortly quit this miferable Body, and lay it down in the Grave. When thou art entring into thy Bed, think upon the Sepulchre where thou must one Day be ftretch'd. If thou doft awake in the Night, confider that Death will fhortly come, and put out the Ta per of thy Life. Let thy Sleep be an Image of thy Death, and let it call to thy Mind, how thou must with in a few Days fleep in a Bed of Duft. When thou a wakeft, think upon the delightful Sound of the ArchAngel's Trumpet, that fhall roufe thee out of Death's long Sleep; fay within thy felf when thou arifeft, It may be that I fhall never rife again 'till the Son of God thall come from Heaven, to lift me out of the Grave with his Almighty Hand. When we caft our Eyes upon the rifing Sun, let us fay within our felves, It may be I T fhall never behold any other Sun rife again but the Sun of Righteoufnefs, that carries healing under his Wings. Confider, when thou putt'ft on thy Garments, that the time is coming, when thou must be cloathed with a more magnificent and glorious Robe, a Robe of Light and Immortality: When thou fitteft down to eat, think upon the Hour that is drawing near, in which Death will feed upon thy Carcafes imagine

that