great things, and raiseth the expectations of the hufbandman; but the fun rifeth, and the cloud is fcattered; death comes, and man evanifheth. The Apostle James propofeth the question, "What

is your life?" chap. iv. 14. Hear his own anfwer, "It is even "a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanifheth "6 away." It is frail, uncertain, and lafteth not. It is fmoak, which goes out of the chimney, as if it would darken the face of the heavens; but quickly is fcattered, and appears no more: thus goeth man's life, and where is he? It is a wind, Job vii. 7. "O remember "that my life is wind." It is but a paffing blaft, a fhort puff, "a "wind that paffeth away and cometh not again," Pfal. Ixxviii. 3 39. Our breath is in our noftrils, as it were always upon the wind to depart; ever paffing and repaffing like a traveller; until it go away for good and all, not to return, till the heavens be no more. Laftly, Man's life is a fwift thing; not only a paffing, but a flying vanity. Have you not obferved how fwiftly a fhadow hath run along the ground, in a cloudy and windy day, fuddenly darkening the places beautified before with the beams of the fun, but as fuddenly disappearing? Such is the life of man on the earth, for "he fleeth as a fhadow, and continueth not," Job xiv. 2. A weaer's fhuttle is very fwift in its motion; in a moment it is thrown from one fide of the web to the other: yet 66 our days are swifter "than a weaver's fhuttle," chap. vii. 6. How quickly is man toled through time into eternity! See how Job describes the fwiftnefs of the time of life, chap. ix 25. "Now my days are swifter than a "poft: they flee away, they fee no good." ver 26 "They are "hafted away as the fwift fhips; as the eagle that hafteth to the "prey." He compares his days with a poft, a foot post; a runner, who runs fpeedily to carry tidings, and will make no flay. But, though the poft were like Ahimaaz, who over-run Cufbi: our days would be fwifter than he, for they flee away, like a man fleeing for his life, before the purfuing enemy; he runs with his utmost vigour, yet our days run as faft as he. Howbeit, that is not all. Even he who is fleeing for his life, cannot run always; he muft needs fometimes ftand fill, ly down, or run in fomewhere, as Sifera did into Jael's tent, to refresh himself; but our time never halts. Therefore it is compared to ships, which can fail night and day without inter miffion, till they be at their port; and fwift hips, Ships of defire, in which men quickly arrive at the defired haven; or, fhips of pleasure, that fail more fwiftly than fhips of burden. Yet the wind failing, the fhips courfe is marred: but our time al ways runs with a rapid courfe. Therefore it is compared to the eagle flying: not with his ordinary flight, for that is not fufficient to reprefent the fwiftnefs of our days; but when he flies upon his prey, which is with an extraordinary fwiftnefs. And thus, even thus, our days fly away.

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Having thus difcourfed of death, let us improve it, in difcerning the vanity of the world; in bearing up, with Chriftian contentment and patience, under all troubles and difficulties in it; in mortifying our lufts; in "cleaying unto the Lord with purpose of heart," on all hazards; and in preparing for death's, approach.

And firft, Let us hence, as in a looking-glass, behold the vanity of the world; and of all these things in it, which men fo much value and esteem, and therefore fet their hearts upon. The rich and the poor are equally intent upon this world; they bow the knee to it; yet it is but a clay god: they court the bulky vanity, and run keenly to catch the fhadow; the rich man is hugged to death in its embraces; and the poor man wearies himself in the fruitless purfuit. (What wonder if the world's fmiles overcome us; when we purfue it fo eagerly, even while it frowns upon us?) But look into the grave, O man, confider and be wife; liften to the doctrine of death; and learn, (1.) That hold as fast as thou canft, thou shalt be forced to let go "thy hold of the world at length." Though thou load thyself with the fruits of this earth; yet all fhall fall off when thou comeft to creep into thy hole, the houfe, under-ground, appointed for all living. When death comes, thou must bid an eternal farewell to thy enjoyments in this world: thou must leave thy goods to another: and "whofe thall "thofe things be, which thou haft provided?" Luke xii. 20.(2.) "Thy portion of these things fhall be very little ere long." If thou ly down on the grafs, and ftretch thy felf at full length, and obferve the print of thy body when thou rifeft, thou mayft fee how much of this earth will fall to thy fhare at laft. It may be thou shalt get a coffin, and a winding-fheet: but thou art not fure of that: Many who have had abundance of wealth, yet have not had fo much when they took up their new houfe in the land of filence. But however that be, more ye cannot expect. It was a mortifying leffon, Saladine, when dying, gave to his foldiers: He called for his ftandard-bearer, and ordered him to take his winding.fheet upon his pike; and go out to the camp with it, and tell them, That of all his conquefts, victories and triumphs, he had nothing now left him, but that piece of linen to wrap his body in for burial. Loftly, " This world is a falfe friend," who leaves à man in time of greatest need; and flees from him when he has most ado. When thou art lying on a death-bed, all thy friends and relations cannot refcue thee; all thy fubftance cannot ransom thee; nor procure thee a'reprieve for one day; nay, not for one hour. Yea, the more thou poffeffeft of this word's goods, thy forrow at death is like to be the greater: for tho' one may live more commodiously in a palace, than in a cottage; yet he may die more easily in the cottage, where he has very little to make him fond of life.

Secondly, It,may ferve as a ftore-houfe for Chriftian contentment and patience under worldly loffes and croffes. A clofs application of the doctrine of death is an excellent remedy againft fretting; and gives fome eafe to a rankled heart. When Job had fuftained very great

loffes,

loffes, he fat down contented, with this meditation, Job i. 21. "Naked "came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the "name of the Lord." When providence brings a mortality or murrain among your cattle, how ready are you to fret and complain! But the ferious confideration of your own death (to which you have a notable help from fuch providential occurrences) may be of ufe to filence your complaints, and quiet your rankled fpirits. Look to the houfe appointed for all living, and learn, (1.) That ye must abide "a forer thruft, than the lofs of worldiy goods." Do not cry out for a thrust in the leg or arm; for ere long there will be a home-thrust at the heart. You may lofe your dearest relations: the wife may lose her husband; and the husband his wife: the parents may lofe their dear children, and the children their parents. But if any of these trials happen to you, remember you must lofe your own life at laft; and "Wherefore doth a living man complain?" Lam. iii. 39. It is always profitable to confider, under affliction, how our cafe might have been worse than it is. Whatever be confumed, or taken from us, "It is of the Lord's mercies that we ourselves are not confumed," ver. 22. (2.) It is but for a short space of time we are to be in "this world." It is but little our neceffities require in this fhort fpace of time; when death comes, we will ftand in need of none of these things. Why fhould men rack their heads with cares how to provide for to-morrow; while they know not if they shall need any thing to-morrow? Tho' a man's provifion, for his journey, be near fpent, he is not difquieted, if he think he is near home: are you working with candle-light, and is there little of your candle left? It may be there is as little fand in your glafs? and if fo, ye have little ufe for it. (3.) "Ye have matters of greater weight that challenge your care." Death's at the door, beware you lofe not your fouls. If blood break out at one part of the body, they use to open a vein in another part of it to turn the stream of blood; and so to stop it. Thus the Spirit of God fometimes cures men of forrow for earthly things; by opening the heart-vein to bleed for fin. Did we purfue heavenly things the more vigorously that our affairs in this life profper not, we hould thereby gain a double advantage: our worldly forrow would be diverted, and our best treasure increased. (4) "Crofles of this nature will not last long." The world's fmiles and frowns will be quickly buried together in everlafting forgetfulnefs. Its files go away as the foam on the water: and its frowns are as a paffing ftitch in a man's fide. Time flies away with fwift wings, and carries our earthly comforts, and croffes too, along with it: neither of them will accompany us into the house appointed for all living, Job iii. 17. "There the wicked ceafe from troubling, and there the weary be at reft. Ver. 18. There the prifoners reft together, they hear "not the voice of the oppreffor. Ver. 19. The finall and great are there, and the fervant is free from his mafter." Caft your eyes

on

on eternity, and ye will fee, affliction here is but for a moment. The truth is, our tim is fo very hart, that it will not allow either our joys or griefs, to come to perfection Wherefore, let them that weep, be as tho' they weeped not; and they that rejoice, as tho' they rejoiced not," &c. 1 Cor. vii 29, 30, 31- (5.) "Death will "" put all men on a level," The king and the beggar muft dwell in one house, when they come to their journey's end; tho' their enter. tainment by the way be very different The fmall and the great are there," Job iii. 19. We are in this world as on a stage: it is no great matter, whether a man act the part of a prince or a peafant; for when they have acted their parts, they must both get behind the curtain, and appear no more. Lastly, If thou be not in Chrift, whatever thy afflictions now be, troubles, a thousand times worse, are abiding thee in another world Death will turn thy croffes into pure unmixed curfes: and then how gladly wouldst thou return to thy former afflicted ftate, and purchase it at any rate; were there any poffibility of fuch a return If thou be in Chrift, thou mayft well bear thy crofs. Death will put an end to all thy troubles. If a man on a journey be not well accomodate, where he lodgeth only for a night, he will not trouble himself much about the matter; because he is not to stay there: it is not his home Ye are on the road to eternity; let it not difquiet you, that you meet with fome hardships in the inn of this world Fret not, because it is not fo well with you as with fome others. One man travels with a cane in his hand; his fellow-traveller (perhaps) has but a common stick, or staff:-either of them will ferve the turn. It is no great matter which of them be yours; both will be laid afide when you come to your journey's end.

Thirdly, It may ferve for a bridle, to curb all manner of lufts, particularly thofe converfant about the body. A ferious vifit made to cold death, and that folitary manfion, the grave, might be of good ufe to repress them.

ift, It may be of ufe to caufe men remit of their inordinate care for the body; which is to many the bane of their fouls. Often do thefe queftions, "What fhall we eat? What fhall we drink? And

wherewithal thall we be clothed?" leave no room for another of more importance, viz. "Wherewith fhall I come before the Lord?" The foul is put to the rack, to anfwer these mean questions, in favour of the body; while its own eternal interefts are neglected. But ah!" why are men fo bufy to repair the ruinous cottage; leaving the inhabitant to bleed to death of his wounds, unheeded, unregarded! Why fo much care for the body, to the neglecting of the concerns of the immortal foul? O! be not fo anxious for what can only serve your bodies; fince, ere long, the clods of cold earth will ferve for back and belly too.

2dly, It may abate your pride on account of bodily endowments, which vain man is apt to glory in. Value not yourfelves on the blossom of youth; for while ye are in your blooming years, ye are but

ripening for a grave: and death gives the fatal ftroke, without asking any body's age. Glory not in your strength, it will quickly be gone: the time will foon be, when you fhall not be able to turn yourselves on a bed; and you must be carried by your grieving friends to your long-home. And what fignifies your healthful conftitution? Death does not always enter in fooneft where it begins foonest to knock at the door; but makes as great dispatch with fome in a few hours, as with others in many years. Value not your felves on your beauty, i which shall confume in the grave, Pfal. xlix. 14. Remember the change death makes on the faireft face, Job xiv. 20. " Thou changest his countenance, and fendeth him away." Death makes the greatest beauty fo loathfome, that it must be buried out of fight. Could a looking-glafs be used in the house appointed for all living; it would be a terror to thefe, who now look oftner into their glaffes than into their Bibles. And what though the body be gorgeously arrayed? The finest clothes are but badges of our fin and fhame; and, in a little time will, be exchanged for a winding-fheet; when the body will become a feast to the worms.

3dly, It may be a mighty check upon fenfuality and fleshly lufts, Pet. ii. 11. "I beseech you, as ftrangers and pilgrims, abftain from "fleshly lufts, which war against the foul." It is hard to cause wet wood take fire; and when the fire doth take hold of it, it is foon extinguished. Senfuality makes men moft unfit for divine communications, and is an effectual means to quench the Spirit. Intemperance in eating and drinking, carries on the ruin of foul and body at once; and haftens death, while it makes the man most unmeet for it. Therefore, "take heed to yourselves, left at any time your hearts be overcharged with furfeiting and drunkenness, and fo that day come upon you unawares," Luke xxi. 34. But O, how often is the foul ftruck through with a dart, in gratifying the fenfes! At these doors deftruction enters in. Therefore Job made a covenant with his eyes, chap. xxxi. 1." The mouth of a ftrange woman is a deep pit; he "that is abhorred of the Lord, fhall fall therein," Prov. xxii. 14. "Let him that standeth, take heed left he fall." Beware of lafcivioufnefs; study modefty in your apparel, words and actions. The ravens of the valley of death will at length pick out the wanton eye: The obfcene filthy tongue will at length be quiet, in the land of filence! and grim death embracing the body in its cold arms, will effectually allay the heat of all Aefhly lufts.

Laftly, In a word, it may check our earthly mindedness; and at once knock down" the luft of the flesh, the luft of the eyes, and the "pride of life." Ah! if we must die, why are we thus? Why fo fond of temporal things; fo anxious to get them, fo eager in the embraces of them, fo mightily touched with the lofs of them? Let me, upon a view of the house appointed for all living, befpeak the world. ling in the words of Solomon, Prov. xxiii. 5. "Wilt thou fet thine eyes upon that which is not? For riches certainly make themfelves wings;