death reminds us, that our own lives may fail; that their lives, in whom our happiness is placed, or on whom our hopes depend, may fail; and even those, who seem to stand at a great distance from us, may overturn, by their fall, the whole edifice, which our forward imagination had erected. Undoubtedly the dreams, which men indulge, of enjoying more in the world than it hath to bestow on them, are mighty pleasing ones for a while. But from the first they do us harm: they give us a different turn of mind, from what our Maker intended we should have: and when a disappointment comes; then lasting wretchedness immediately succeeds our short-lived felicity. For, whether we continue in a state of dejection; or whether we repeat the same folly; expect again, and are again deceived; either way we are miserable. Or could we escape with ever so little uneasiness, or enjoy in this manner ever so much pleasure here; yet setting our hearts on that, as our portion, and seeking our happiness where God hath not placed it, can never end well for us. And therefore we should contemplate with care every dispensation of Providence, that may warn us against so fatal a mistake; and hearken diligently to that voice, with which God hath appointed that every thing on earth shall cry aloud to us; Arise ye, and depart: for this is not your rest*. So far from it indeed, so absolutely incapable is the present world of giving us any security for any one enjoyment: that the highest and the lowest persons in it are quite upon a level in this respect; equally unable to promise the least thing with certainty, either to themselves or to others. Whatever is human, is alike precarious; and our only sure dependence is on the Power that made us. Put not *Mic. ii. 10. your trust in princes, nor in any child of man: for there is no help in them. Their breath goeth forth; they return to their earth: in that very day their thoughts perish. Blessed is he, that hath the God of Jacob for his help; whose hope is in the Lord his God: which made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is therein; which keepeth truth for ever*. A world, like this, cannot be the seat of happiness. Yet our gracious Creator and Father certainly designed us to be happy. And therefore, the less provision he hath made for it here, the surer we may be, that a better state remains in reserve. It is true, indeed, we are all sinners; and from our own deserts could have little ground of comfort in looking beyond the grave. But we have it abundantly from the assurance of forgiveness, on most equitable terms, in Jesus Christ; who hath brought life and immortality to light †, and delivered them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage. Here then it is that the uncertainty of life, and every thing in it, directs us to fix: on the firm foundation of faith in the Gospel of our blessed Redeemer. Secured, by him, of future bliss, in proportion to the present afflictions, which we bear as we ought, we shall pass through them all, not only with composed, but cheerful resignation: the more stedfastly we look on the dark side of objects, the clearer light will arise to us out of them; and the truest consolation from the house of mourning. You see therefore, what improvement the heart of the wise may receive from a general consideration of the end of all men. But the further view, of the different ends of different men, is a subject of yet fur Ps. cxlvi. 3—6. † 2 Tim. i. 10. ‡ Heb. ii. 15. ther advantage. The wicked is driven away in his wickedness: but the righteous hath hope in his death*. The former of these reflexions is indeed a very dreadful, but a very instructive one. For whether we set before our eyes the dying terrors of an ill person, whose conscience is awakened too late; or the fatal insensibility of one hardened through the deceitfulness of sint, and going to lie down in sorrow, without the least apprehension of it: no admonition can be either stronger or more important, than that which both these cases naturally convey. But the death of the righteous gives instruction unattended with horror: and the seriousness, which it inspires, is pleasing and peaceful. In one way indeed of considering things, the departure of good and virtuous persons from amongst men is matter of most melancholy reflexion. Their number is very small: and their use is very great. They are the salt of the earth §, that preserve society from utter corruption and dissolution. And though the generality of the world hath little regard to this; and is much more apt to depreciate the merit of such, than to think of the good they do, or the evils they prevent; yet the example and influence of but a few of them, distributed amongst the rest of mankind, is a thing of much benefit: and when any of them are qualified with eminent abilities, and placed by Providence in stations of importance; there are times, when their life may be a blessing of incredible extent; and their death prove the means of opening a breach, for unknown mischiefs to rush in. Help, Lord: for the godly man ceaseth: for the faithful fail from among the children of men ||. The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and ↑ Isa. 1. 11. + Heb iii. 13. * Prov. xiv. 32. || Ps. xii. 1. the merciful are taken away; none considering, that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come *. Such reflexions, as these, it may perhaps appear wisdom rather to drive from us, than invite them to disquiet us. But it is always wise to think of whatever it is possible to prevent and a reformation of national sins is the plain method to prevent the coming of national calamities: as the reformation of ourselves is, to prevent our being upon the whole the worse for them, if they should come. Whatever human supports may at any time fail, God will always support that people, who place a virtuous trust in him. Or though a nation were growing, in appearance, incorrigibly bad; yet they, who are careful to preserve themselves from the spreading infection, particularly by prudent meditations on the threatening removal of valuable persons, may possibly be thus excited to such usefulness, as will defer, if not hinder, its ruin at least they take the way to deliver their own souls†, undoubtedly from the punishments of another life, and perhaps also, wholly or in part, from sufferings in this. The days of man are like a shadow, that declineth: and he withereth like the grass. But the Lord is the same: and his years shall have no end. The children of his servants shall continue: and their seed shall stand fast in his sight ‡. Be the loss thereof otherwise as great as it will, which befalls, at any time, either the public in general, or ourselves in particular, when the hand of God snatches away the worthy and the eminent; yet thinking seriously and rightly upon it, we may certainly extract more than a little good from it. And whoever is taught effectually, by such an occurrence, to cease from man whose breath is in his nos* Isa. lvii. 1. † Ezek. xiv. 14. Ps. cii. 11. 27, 28. trils*, and place his expectations and hopes in the ever-living God; far from being overwhelmed by the melancholy part of the event, will be able, with a very considerable degree of composedness to contemplate and improve by the enlivening and comforting parts. Amongst others, it surely is one very great comfort, to see or to hear of that distinguished tranquillity, with which religious persons meet their approaching dissolution. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace †. Sometimes indeed fears and doubts, arising from the influence of a disordered body, cloud the mind of the righteous at their death, and obscure their setting sun. Nor is it useless to take notice even of these cases, for our future satisfaction, if ever the like should be our own, that our covenant-right of God's favour may be very well grounded, notwithstanding for the present we are quite incapable of seeing and rejoicing in the light of his countenance. But when the pious soul enjoys in that hour its genuine serenity, then is the beauty of holiness beheld in the strongest point of view. Then we have a noble opportunity of discerning what religion is, and what it can do; when we observe the manner, in which it enables those, who are supported by it, to possess themselves in the face of death. When we see them, in the strength of it, joining the tenderest affections to those whom they leave behind, with the quietest submission to part with them; and the most virtuous reasons for wishing to stay longer here, with the most dutiful obedience to Him who calls them away: when we see them calmly divesting themselves of their dearest attachments to life; and only solicitous to provide, by serious advice and kind reIsa. ii. 22. + Psalm xxxvii. 37. + Psalm lxxxix. 16. |