4thly, It is alfo to be confidered, that all this Happiness, the Happiness both of This and the Other World, we have but this One Opportunity for.

In things of This Life, we may see and correct our paft Errors: We may lose one Opportunity, and Redeem it by another. But if we Live and Dye in our Sins, we Dye but Once, but we are thereby Undone for Ever; We are Loft beyond Redemption. When Dives Dyed, and in Hell lift up his Lukexvi. Eyes being in Torments, and cryed out for 26. Mercy, he was told it was too late, The Great Gulph was fixt, and there was no Returning. If we will do any thing for ourselves, we must do it on this Side the Grave, before we pass that Gulph which there is no Repaffing.

This is the Day of Salvation, and it ought to be the great Care and Concern of our Lives to work out our Salvation in this our Day. If we will work it out, and finish the Work that God has given us to do, we must do it whilft it is Day; whilft the Day of Life lafts; for the Night cometh when no Man John ix. 4. can work. When Darkness overtakes us,

there is then Nothing more to be done; The Time of Working is then at an End. There is (lays Solomon) no Work nor Device, no Eccl. ix. Knowledge nor Wifdom in the Grave, whi ther thou art going.

10.

And This Life, as it is our Time of Working, fo is it our Time of Hope and Mercy; but when once Death is come, we must then Abide by what we have Done. Death is the Final Period of our Endeavours and Hopes; It fixes our Doom, and feals us up for Eternity. Death is [the Nexus, or Terminus Communis,] a Middle Point betwixt our Temporal and Eternal Life, which connects them Both together: It is the Last Moment of our Time, and the First of Our Eternity. And oh! of what infinite Confequence is that Laft Minute of our Life to us! Our All depends upon it: According as we Dye, we are Happy or Miferable to all Eternity. If we Dye in our Sins, (the Death of the WickMat. xxv. ed) we fhall then go away into everlasting 46. Punishment; But if we Dye in Chrift (the Death of the Righteous) then into Life Eternal.

If it is therefore of fuch vaft Importance to us, to Dye the Death of the Righteous, it certainly doth very much concern us to take Care of it, and Provide for it. Which is the

III.

IIId and Laft thing to be spoken toHow we may best Prepare ourselves for Death.

Now we are to confider our Preparation for Death as Twofold;

I. A General Preparation for it; This is to be made in our Healthful Days, throughout the Course of our Lives; which we may call a Prepared State, or an Habitual Preparation.

II. A more Particular and Immediate Preparation for Death, when it is Near at Hand.

As Soldiers must understand their Buftnefs, and be upon their Guard, always Prepared for the Enemy, and hold themselves in Readiness to fight whenever there fhall be Occafion; but when the Enemy draws Nigh, and is come in Sight, they must then immediately put themselves into a Pofture, and actually make themselves ready for Battel: So is it with us: We must never be Secure, nor Unprovided for any Sudden Attack; But when we See our Laft Enemy approaching us, we must then beftir ourselves, and presently put ourselves in order for the great Conflict.

I.

I. There must be a General Preparation for Death, which is to be made in our Healthful Days throughout the Course of our Lives: We are to Live in a Prepared Stats, in an Habitual Preparation for Death.

All that we have to Do in this World, is only to Live and Dye. We are Born to Dye; and this Life is the Time given And the great and gene

us to Prepare for it.

ral Rule of Preparation for Death, is HOL

G 4

NESS

NESS of Life; which confifts in the Practice of the feveral Graces and Virtues of the Chriftian Life; fuch as thofe the Apostle advifes us to, as moft Neceffary to build us up in our most Holy Faith, 2 Pet. i. 5. Give all Diligence to add to your Faith, Vertue, Knowledge, Temperance, Patience, Godlinefs, Brotherly Kindness, Charity -For if you do these things (fays he) ye shall never fall: For fo an Entrance fhall be miniftred to you abundantly, into the Everlasting Kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Thefe, and fuch like, are the Acts of Holiness that the Gospel injoins us, as the only Preparation for Future Happiness.

"

Men would indeed fain Commute: Any Outward Performances or Oblations, or any Aufterities, or Any thing elfe, but forfaking their Sins; Any thing but Inward Purity of Heart, and Real Holinefs of Life; But That is what can never be Difpens'd with. Holiness is the Great Rule that the Scriptures prescribe, and prefs and infift upon, as most abfolutely Neceffary and Indifpenfible; abfolutely Neceffary for the obtaining a Happy Death, and Happiness after Death; for withHeb. xii. out Holiness (fays the Apoftle,) No Man 14. Shall fee the Lord.

Therefore when we are first made Chriftians, we are required to enter into a Vow of Holiness, as the proper Vow of our Chriftian Profeffion : "We vow, that we will "Renounce

"Renounce and Forfake Sin, and that we "will obediently keep God's Holy Will "and Commandments, and Walk in the "fame all the Days of our Life.”—This is one Part of our Baptifmal Vow: But here is the Mischief and Fatal Miscarriage of all, that Men enter into a Vow the First thing they do after they come into the World, and very often, the Laft thing they do before they Leave the World, is to Think of their Vow: They Vow a Vow of Holiness, for all the Days of their Life, and begin to confider it juft at their Life's End.

Yet though they will not Live unto Holinefs all their Life long, they would fain Reap the Fruits of Holiness when they come to Dye: They would Sow to the Flesh, and yet Reap the Fruits of the Spirit.

This indeed is our Seeds-time, in which we must take Care to make our Provifion for the Future: Then, in the End, cometh the Harveft. But when it does come, we fhall be fure to Reap, not according to what we may then Wish, but according to what we have Sowed. For by this Metaphor of Sowing and Reaping, the Holy Spirit of God does, in the Scriptures of Both Teftaments, very frequently reprefent and illuftrate this whole Matter; and pursues the Metaphor; Thereby plainly teaching us, that as in the conftant Course of Nature

God