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God giveth to every Seed its own Body, according to the Bleffing he bestowed on them at the Beginning, that every Thing fhould bring forth its Fruit after its kind; So alfo in the Moral Life, the Harvest will be answerable to the Seeds-time; as we fow, fo muft we look to Reap. Good Seed received into a Good Heart, and duly cultivated, will be fure to bring forth Good Job xiv. Fruit, Fruit unto Holiness, and the End Everlasting Life. But who can bring a Clean Thing out of an Unclean? If we will fuffer Ourselves to be drawn away of our own Lufts, and inticed, Luft when it hath conceived will bring forth Sin, and Sin when it is finished, will bring forth Death; as St. James tells us, Chap.

i. 14.

It is an Overweening Folly and SelfDelufion, ever to think to Reap any thing but Mifery from Sin. All Caufes, Natu ral and Moral, will produce their Proper Effects. Remember, I pray you (fays Eliphaz in Job,) Who ever perished being Innocent, or where were the Righteous cut off? Even as I have feen, They that Plow Job iv. 7. Iniquity, and Sow Wickedness, Reap the fame. He that Soweth Iniquity (fays Prov. xxii. Solomon) fhall Reap Nothing but Vanity.

8.

And why fhould Men expect any Otherwife, than to Reap the proper Fruits of their Doings? Do Men gather, or ever

expect to gather, Grapes of Thorns, or Figs Mat. vii. of Thiftles? Why then fhould they ever think of Reaping the Rewards of Righte oufnefs, if they will not Live by the Law of Righteoufnefs? Why fhould they flatter themselves that they may Live the Life of the Wicked, and yet Dye the Death of the Righteous?

The Apostle does by this very Metaphor fharply reprove the Folly of fuch Self-Deceivers; who cannot Deceive God, and will be found in the End to have Deceived none but themselves. Be not Deceived Gal. v. 73 (fays he) God is not mocked: For whatfoever a Man Soweth, That shall be alfo Reap; He that Soweth to the Flesh, fhall of the Flesh Reap Corruption; but he that Soweth to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit Reap Everlasting Life. All other Ways and Devices will Deceive us, but Good Works of Piety and Charity, and Holinefs of Life, are a Sure Foundation that will not fail us. So the Apostle tells us, that They are a Good Foundation which we may lay up in Store for Ourselves a-1 Tim. vi, gainst the Time to come, that we may lay 19. hold on Eternal Life.

Therefore let us hear the Conclufion of the whole Matter: We muft Live unto Holiness, if we will have our Fruit unto Holiness; There is no other

Way to Dye
Happily,

Happily, but to Live Holily; We muft Live the Life of the Righteous, if we will be Happy with him in his Death.

Which that we may all be, God of his Infinite Mercy Grant, through Jefus Christ our Lord.

SERMON

SERMON IV.

Of Preparation for Death.

The Fourth SERMON on this Text. (With fome Additions.)

NUM. XXIII. Part of the 10th Verse. Let me dye the Death of the Righteous, and let my Laft End be like His.

T

HE Laft General, which I pro-
posed to discourse of from these
Words, was Preparation for a
Happy Death.
This I told you

ought to be twofold.

I. A General Preparation for Death.

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

I.

I. The General Preparation for Death, which is to be made throughout the whole Course of our Life. This is a Prepared State, an Habitual Preparation for Death. Now the great and general Rule of Preparation for Death, is Holiness of Life; which confifts in a Careful, Circumfpect, Christianlike Way of Living; that is, in the Practice of the feveral Graces and Virtues of the Christian Life; fuch as the Apostle reckons up, Faith, Virtue, Knowledge, Temperance, Patience, Godliness, Brotherly-Kindness, Charity.

This, I fay, is the General Rule of Preparation, Holiness of Life. But there are Many Particular Rules, that may be very conducing to that great End; which I fhall offer in fuch Order as they have occur'd to my Thoughts.

1. Men that would Live in any Degree of Preparation for Death, must not Live at all Adventure, but by fome Rule and Order. It is a ftrange fort of Life, for Creatures of Reason to live at Random, Ratling about from Place to Place, without Thought or Defign; or ever fo much as propofing to themselves any Wife or Serious End of Living: But live extempore, a Loofe and Carelefs, a Various and Inconfiftent Life; following their prefent Fancy or Appetite, or

any

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