vel by Land, are delighted to fee on one fide deep Vallies, and on the other high Mountains, that reach above the Clouds; but if God had but taken us up into the Seat of his Glory, and that we should from that high Heaven caft down our Eye upon this contemptible Globe of the Sea and Land, to behold the proud and stately Mountains, with the moft fwelling Waves; they would appear unto us but an even Plain, or rather they would feem altogether very little. Thus when we compare the Men of the World, the one with the other, we fhall find that fome have liv’d long, and others but a little while; that fome are old, others young; but in respect of God, there is no Difference between the Young and the Old, between an over-ag'd Methufalem, who lived nine hundred threescore and nine Years, Gen. iv. and a Child that hath only feen the Light of the Living; for the Life of all Mankind is but a Moment in Comparison of Eternity.

If thou art ready to die for Righteousness, of a violent Death, meditate ferioufly upon the Saying of the Prophet David, Pfal. cxvi. Precious in the Sight of the Lord, is the Death of all his Saints. Arm thy felf with an holy Confidence, and fay with Eli, 1 Sam. iii. 'Tis the Lord, let him do what feemeth him good. Imitate the Generofity of St. Paul, Acts xx. and grave in thine Heart these divine Expreffions, The Holy Ghost witneffeth in every City, faying, that Bonds and Afflictions abide in me, but none of these things move me, neither count Imy felf dear unto my felf, fo that I might finish my Course with Joy, and the Miniftry which I receiv'd of the Lord Jefus, to teftifie the Gospel of the Grace of God. Remember always the Prayer that our Lord and Saviour offer'd up unto God in the greateft Agony; Father, O my Father, if this Cup may not pass away from me except I drink it, thy Will be done. Forget not alfo at this time Chrift's Advertisement, He that loveth his Life. fball lofe it, and be that hateth his Life in this World, fhall Save it to eternal Life, Joh. xii. O great and glorious

Lord

Lord God, the Enemies of thy Truth are met together against thy dear Children whom thou haft fanctified by the Blood of the Covenant; but they are not able to do any thing but what thou haft appointed to be done in thine eternal Wisdom.

A Prayer and Meditation upon the Time of Death.

Merciful Lord, who doft govern all things by thine infinite Wisdom, and haft referved the Times and the Seafons in thine own Power; thou haft not only written my Name in the Book of the Living, but haft alfo measured the Length of my Life, and appointed the Hour of my Death. Thou haft numbred my Days, and prefcribed to me my Bounds, that I cannot pass beyond them. This miferable Body is but a weak Tabernacle made up of Earth, fubject to all manner of Infirmities; nevertheless none is able to deftroy it without thy divine Affiftance. The fame Hand that hath fashioned and form'd it, must break it in pieces. If a Sparrow cannot fall to the Ground without thy Permiffion, 'tis not poffible that my Soul fhould fly away into Heaven without thy Warrant. My God and Father, give me daily Apprehenfions of Death, but let me reft· upon thee, who doft kill and give Life, who doft caft unto the Grave, and fetch from thence again. Let Satan and all the Enemies of thy Glory, lay their Snares for me, they are not able to do any thing, but what by Wifdom bath ordain'd and appointed before the Foundation of the World; without thy Leave and Permiffion, they are not able to pluck an Hair from my Head, nor diminish a Moment from the Time that I am to live in this Earthly Tabernacle. O Almighty and most merciful God, I recommend to thee my Soul, as to my faithful Creator, and yield it wholly into thine Hands. Here I am to accomplish thy Will, and to fubmit my felf to thy Pleafure, without any Refiftance; whether this Soul which

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thou

thou haft created after thy Likeness, and which is an Image of thy Divinity, remain in this Body, that I may be able to ferve thee on Earth, or whither thou doft call for it, and take it up into Heaven, that it may glorifie thee in the Company of thy Saints, and of thy blessed and glorious Angels. Amen.

A Prayer and Meditation upon the Manner of our Death.

God, the Creator of all Flesh, and the Father of the immortal Spirits, I know that every kind of Death of thy Children is precious in thy Sight; and that bowfoever that shall happen, thou wilt take care of my Soul. When I confider all things, I find that it matters not whether my Spirit iffues out of my Lips, or out of a Wound, fo that it enter into thy Glory to enjoy thine eternal Happiness. What Matter is it if my Lamp goes out of its own accord, or if it be blown out by fome envious Blaft, fo that it be lighted again by the immortal Beams of the Son of Righteousness, and continue for ever glorious in the highest Heavens. I fhall be fufficiently happy, if I die in the Lord, and enter into thine eternal Reft, from all my Labours, in what manner foever Death affaults me. From all Eternity, O Lord, thou knowest all thy Works, and with a Glance of thine Eye, thou difcovereft the Depths, and feeft into an endless Eternity. As thou haft marked out and appointed the Moment of my Death, thou haft alfo ordained the Manner of it. I muft, O Almighty God, repofe my felf upon this wonderful and wife Providence, and be contented with thy uncontroulable Decrees. But, O my God and heavenly Father, if thou wilt give me the Liberty, who am but Duft and Afbes, to speak to thee, and to fend up the Thoughts of my Heart; I befeech thee to be fo gracious, as to let me know my End, that I may not be furpriz'd on a fudden by an unexpected Death, as Job's Children;

and

and fo merciful as to give me timely Notice of my Departure, as thou didst to thy Servant Hezekiah. I defire not the Notice of many Years, but of a few Days, or at leaft of a few Hours immediately before, that my Soul may not be difturb'd with evil Thoughts, or frighted with falfe Conceits, and malicious Suggestions of the Devil; but that I may end my Days with all Tranquillity and Satisfaction of Mind, that I may always have a perfect Ufe of my Senfes, of my Reafon and Underftanding, and the Afiftance of thy Grace, that I may glorifie thy Name, and edifie my Neighbours, until the last Moment of my Departure. Suffer not therefore my Soul to be fnatch'd away by force on a fudden, but grant me time to commit it into thy merciful Hands. Amen.

A Prayer and Meditation for One that dies in a Atrange Country, in the midst of Infidels.

My God and heavenly Father, how grievous is this Trial? Who can express the Troubles of my Mind? At the Moment of my most urgent Neceffity, and of the Oppreffion of my Soul, at the time of my Agony, I fee my felf deftitute of all human Affiftance. Here I am at a Distance not only from my Country, and pleasant Company of my Friends, and depriv'd of all fpiritual Comfort, of which I have at prefent greatest Need in this Extremity; but also, to my unspeakable Grief, bere I am in a frange Place, in the Power of my cruel › Enemies. I have no Body to ftrengthen me in the Faith of my Saviour Chrift. All things that appear before me, increafe and add to my Trouble; I am here among the Adverfaries of thy Truth, who labour to deftroy my Intereft in Chrift, and caufe me to perish, now that I am entring into the Haven of Eternity. I must encounter with Death, with Hell it felf, and with the fubtil Infinuations of the infernal Spirits. O Almighty and merciful Lord, fuffer me not to lose my Courage, and to yield

to the prefent Temptation. By thy wonderful Providence, and out of thine abundant Mercy, fupply all my Wants and Infirmities, and grant that I may, with the Shield of Faith, quench all the fiery Darts of Satan. I am befet with many visible and invisible Enemies; but they that are for me, are more in number than they that are against me. 'Tis true, I am far from Heaven, whereof the Earth is the Centre. I am at a Distance from all my earthly Friends, but nothing can put me at a Distance from thee, O good God, who loveft me with an unchangeable Affection. I am in the Embraces of mine heavenly Father, and of my God, I have not the Affiftance of a Minifier to help me in my Grief and Pain; but I know that thou will fend me thine holy Angels, as once to thy beloved Son in his bitter Agony. Thefe Angels fhall protect me against all the Powers of the Prince of Darkness; thou wilt adminifter unto me thy felf, the fweet Comforts of thy Salvation; thy Rod and thy Staff will affift me in this Valley and Shadow of Death. O Lord, thou doft things that are not to be fearched out, and fo many Wonders, that 'tis not possible to number them; thy Grace is fufficient for me, and thy Power is made manifeft in mine Infirmities. Thine holy Spirit, who is the true Comforter, and the great Power of the Almighty, shall refresh me in thefe my Afflictions, and in all things fhall make me more than a Conqueror. Thou art ftronger than all other Beings, so that I am perfuaded, nothing can ravish me out of thine Hands. I am certain that neither Death nor Life, nor Angels, nor Principalities, nor Powers, nor things prefent, nor things to come, nor heighth, nor depth, nor any other Creature, can feparate me from the Love that thou haft declared to me in Jefus Chrift my Lord, this precious Faith with which thou hast ftrengthened my Soul, fhall vanquish the World, triumph over Hell, and destroy Death in its own Empire. Amen.