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to experience the reft of God, and to dwell with him for ever, in heavenly peace and love. Form this ftate of the cafe, it is impoffible to confider death as a misfortune to any real chriftian; on the contrary, it becomes the greatest the greatest bleffing that can befall him. To establish us in this affurance, let us, for example, review, the ftory of the penitent malefactor, who fuffered on the fame cross with Chrift. No one will venture to affert, that he loft any thing by his bodily death, but it must be granted that his gain was precicus. Did not our bleffed Lord affure him, This day thou shalt be with me in paradife? and in the happy deliverance of Lazarus before mentioned, did not death afford him the most bleffed release from the united miseries of pain, poverty, and hunger? Nay, more, did it not promote him to a place of happiness inexpreffible; to which he was conveyed under the charge of miniftering angels. Thefe fcriptural affurances will ever defend the humble, pious, diligent chriftian, from any improper fear of mortal diffolution. Depend upon it, that Chrift hath already prepared for all his truly faithful fervants, the fame ports of joy and happiness (proportionable to their labors) that he mercifully appointed for the afflicted patient beggar, and for the penitent, forrowing, and believing finner. Our only care, therefore, must be to hold faft by the word of his falvation, and most gracious redemption of both foul and body; let us ftudy, and rely upon his holy word; ferve him truly from the heart; love and obey him in all his precepts; and whatever we have in time paft committed contrary to his mott holy will, we must now repent in time, while it is yet day, and ftrive in future to correct our ways, praying continually to him for help, and doubting nothing, but that we fhall find him in the end, as merciful to us, as he was to either of the perfons here cited for our comfort. All holy Scripture, faith the Apostle, is VOL. I.

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written for our example, and profit; and doubtless thefe fingular cafes are recorded to difcourage defpair, and fupport the unfortunate. They are defigned for the confolation of repenting finners; or thofe, who by the unerring will and wisdom of Divine Providence, are fuffered to experience the various forrows and calamities of this mortal life; for from thefe relations they are taught not to cease crying for mercy to the laft, but ever to hope they may find forgiveness of fins repented of, and forfaken, and life everlasting in reward for their obedience and fufferings. So far, I truft, it appeareth very evident, even from the infallible word of God himself, that bodily death can no ways leffen or prevent the happiness in ftore for all, who ftedfaftly depend on Chrift; but is the immediate road to that preferment, which every truly chriftian fpirit moft naturally defires; who being deeply penitent for their manifold offences, depart this life in perfect love with all mankind, and wholly refigned to the will of God, humbly trufting in his mercy towards them, and that he will overlook their great unworthinefs for the merit's fake of Jefus Chrift, his only Son, the Mediator on whom they truft.

But as it is poffible that in some we may discover a fear of death, of whofe future ftate (in the riches of divine mercy) we have reafon to encourage a favorable hope, their cafe must be attributed to the fecond caufe, why fome are fubject to this mortal terror*. This may be the confequence of violent fickness,

* It does not follow, because a true chriftian fpirit is certainly fuperior to any dread of death in fome; that therefore all chriftians fhould poffefs an outward fortitude, and triumphant confidence in an equal degree; nor on the other hand, can we form a pofitive judgment of the foul's happiness from mere appearance of contempt of life, or undifmay at death's approach; for apparent indifference, or fortitude, may proceed in fome from total infenfibility of their future ftate, or from uncommon vigor of nerves and mind in others, no

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fickness, and grievous pain, preying upon a peculiar delicacy of the human nerves; which viewed as the forerunners of mortal diffolution, may produce a tenderness of mind, that naturally is fubjected to uneasiness and want of fortitude; but the fear of fuch perfons, is the common dread of weak flesh and blood, and natural unavoidable feelings, which cannot be entirely feparated from certain conftitutions. But of thefe, and the neceffary dif tination to be made concerning them; as likewife what remains to be more fully examined relative to the third occafion of the univerfal fear that is apt to present itself to mortals, on the awful change from time into eternity; I must defer the further difcuffion, to fome other opportunity. In the mean time, let us pray to God to ftrengthen us from all defponding fear, through the grace and for the fake of Jefus Christ our Lord: To whom, &c.

ways exemplary for chriftian virtues. The only criterion then, that can inform man's decifion, is the general tenor of the perfon's life and converfation. The principles of the heart can only be known to God; who will determine our fate according to their fruits; and not according to accidental circumftances of our latest

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DIS

DISCOURSE XI.

The fame Subject.

AVING made an introduction in the former

HAVING an ulter fatement of the second cause that affects many perfons upon a serious contemplation of their departure out of this life, and which are grounded on the influence of bodily pain, and mortal weakness; it may be now profitable for the confolation of humble, meek, and timid minds to difpoffefs their fears of any effential confequence from the due confideration of the following circumstances: 1. The humble and trembling chriftian muft ftrive to combat his fears. by a firm faith in God's promifes, to all who call upon him in fincerity. He must recollect the influence of human nature even on the fpirits of the immaculate Jefus, that he was forrowful to death, though he knew no fin; and that the pain and agonies he fuffered even in the place of finners, upon the cross, occafioned him for a moment to utter the most desponding and difconfolate exclamations. Again, they fhould comfort themselves that this was but a transitory gust of mortal frailty; that the triumphant power of faith led him to commend bis fpirit fecurely into the bands of God, and confequently the delightful reflections of the joys and everlasting happinefs awaiting us in Heaven, are very fufficient to leffen their corporeal pangs and terrors, and fo to reduce the violence of the fears at tending

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