death; and (i) the Gymnofopbifts could defpife the fear of it; and (k) Epictetus wifhed to be released from the bonds of this life, and become nearly related to the gods; and Antonine teaches of a wife and virtuous man, (1) that he is not concerned bow late or how foon be dies, but is ready to depart whenever his time comes ; but (m) Cicero thus expreffeth himself, I cannot agree with thofe, who begin of late to teach, that the foul dies together with the body, and all is extin&t by death. The authority of the antients fways more with me, either of our own ancestors, who attributed fuck religious rites to the dead, which verily they never would have done, bad they believed them to have no claim to them; or of those who taught the nation of the Greeks by their precepts and inftructions, and especially of him who was by Apollo's oracle efteemed the wifeft of men, who did not talk this and that, as is too common with most, but always faid the fame thing, namely, that the fouls of men are of a divine nasure, and that the way to Heaven lies ready before them, whenever they depart hence, but most ready of all to the beft and jufteft of them. And at another time he tell us, (n) that Hegefias the Cyrenian difputed fo largely about death, that at length king Ptolemy thought it neceffary to put a stop to him, whereby to prevent his auditors making away with themselves to tafte the fweet of it. Theoph. This was great, for fuch who lived before the times of Chriftianity, and had no other arguments for a future ftate, than their own reafon could furnish them with. But fince (0) life and immortality has been brought to light by our Saviour, it will be ftrange, if the profeffors of his Gofpel are not able to bear up against death with greater magnanimity, and a more encouraging and bleffed hope, than was before to be expected. Death is now difarmed of all its former. terror. And we have no reason to shrink from it, (i) Diog. Laërt. in Procem. (k) Arrian. 1. 1. c. 9. (1) Εἰς dal. 1. 3. c. 6. () De Amicit. c. 4. () Tufc. Quæft. 1. 1. (°) 2 Tim. i. 10. unless unless it be through our own folly, in not having made a timely preparation for it. Eufeb. It is a matter then of fingular importance, to learn to die whilft we live, and may poffibly be as yet fome diftance from death. And there is none therefore who has not great reafon to be often ruminating upon his latter end, and trying to fit himself for it, and become in a manner acquainted with it beforehand, that fo, whenfoever it fhall come within his view, it may appear no ftrange or furprising fpectacle, nor he receive its fummons with reluctancy. Death is frequently, in Scripture, compared to fleep. And, as we compofe ourselves to the one, by putting off our clothes, lying down in our beds, drawing our curtains, and closing our eyes; so ought all likewise to prepare themselves for the other, by reflecting upon the certainty of it, the little reafon a good Chriftian has to be afraid of it, the deliverance it will be to him from his pains and fickness, and all the other evils of this life, and the fecurity it will bring with it of never being liable to any of them for the future; but efpecially the neceffity of it in order to the pofEfeffion of thofe infinite rewards which are promised to the righteous in the other state, fuch as eye batb not seen, nor ear beard, neither bath it entered into the beart of man to conceive; happiness incomparably beyond all that this world affords, abounding with bleffings of divers forts, and of inestimable value, and which will continue for evermore; which none can believe and expect, without finding the thoughts of death easy to him, and its approach welcome. Nor can any of the things of this life be supposed to have fuch an influence upon him, as that he fhould not be ready to part with them upon fo good an account. He will rather have brought himfelf to triumph over death, as no longer able to do him any mischief, bleffing himself at the fight of it, and crying out in the apoftle St. Paul's language, (p) O death, where is (p) 1-Cor. xv. 55, 56, 57. sby thy fing? O grave, where is thy victory? The fling of death is fin; and the ftrength of fin is the law: but thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. And who would not glory in fuch a deliverance? He is no wife man that would not defire to be able thus to comfort himfelf, upon a profpect of his approaching diffolution; that whenever it comes, no guilt may difcompofe him, no fears disturb or interrupt the peace of his mind; but his foul may take its flight into the other world, with a joyful and a chearing hope of eternal reft and glory. Nor is he a friend to himself, and to his own principal intereft, who would not be at whatever pains to get himself into this condition. It is a juft obfervation of (g) Bishop Taylor, that he who is afraid of death with a violent and tranfporting fear, a fear apt to difcompofe his duty and bis patience, either loves this world too much, or dares not truft God for the next. And St. Augustin supposes, that a righteous man (r) Ideo mori velit, &c. will defire to die, not out of an averfion to this present life, but because of the hope and expellation he has of living far better in the other state. And it must be granted, that though death itself be not agreeable, the charming profpect that the good Chriftian has beyond it, may very well remove all the bitterness of it, and make it at least as tolerable, as a tempestuous voyage at fea is to the worldly-minded man, when undertaken in order to a noble eftate and authority. Anchith. No pains of death can be too sharp to be borne, in order to the attainment of thofe exceeding great and precious promifes, which are made by the Gospel to all that faithfully labour after them. And oh that it may pleafe Almighty God to give me a fure title to them! and I fhall never fear any thing that can befal me in my paffage towards them. (r) Holy Dying, Chap. 3. Sect. 8. (r) De Civ. Dei, 1. 14. c. 25. A Prayer A Prayer for Victory over Death. Almighty Lord God, thou alone knoweft how near I am to my great change, if thou wilt, thou canst raise me up, and grant me a longer continuance here. But I find fo great an alteration in myself, and the violence of my diflemper has spent me to that degree, that I can expect nothing but death, and that too in a fhort space: 173 To thee therefore I flee for help, befeeching thee to fupport my Spirits by thy divine influence, that I be not difcouraged nor difcomfited in my last conflict. Death, I am too fenfible, is terrible to nature, and the guilt of my fins lies heavy upon me; and this life is not yet wholly divested of its temptations. So that I have great need of thy affiftance, thy mercy and goodness, to carry me through thofe difficulties, and protect me against the fears of death, that under whatsoever form it shall present itself, I may not be affrighted at it. Fix my mind, O God, upon the glorious recompence of reward promised above in Heaven; which infinitely furpasses all that this lower world contains. And convince me, I beseech thee, of my title to it. Affure me, that, in Chrift Jefus, my fins are forgiven me, and thou, of thine abundant goodnefs, art reconciled to me, as if I had never finned against thee. Thefe are unspeakable blessings that I beg of thee; but fince thou hast encouraged me to ask them, with hopes of acceptance, and my Saviour has graciously promifed thofe who unfeignedly come to him, that he will in no wife caft them out, this emboldens me to pray, that what I dare by no means ask in my own name, thou wilt condefcend to give me in the name, and for the fake, of thy ever bleffed and dearly beloved Son Jefus Christ our Lord and only Saviour. Amen. Eufeb. What would you prefcribe next, Theophilus? Theoph. V. To improve his faith in Chrift, that he call to mind the ineftimable price his Lord has paid for him, the wonderful degree whereto he humbled himfelf Y for or our redemption, and the full fatisfaction and atonement hereby made for all our fins; and comfort himself with the confideration of fo tranfcendent a deliverance, and ftedfastly rely upon Chrift for the benefit of it. He knows affuredly, that (s) there is no falvation in any other, there being no other name under beaven given among men, whereby we must be faved, but his alone; and moreover that the falvation purchased by him is of univerfal extent, that every one who duly feeks after it, may be partaker of it. For fo fays St. John, (t) God fo loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, to the end that whojoever believeth in him fhould not perish, but have everlasting life. And to the fame purpose St. Peter teftifies, that (u) to him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him, shall receive remiffion of fins. And to them that look for him, as the apoftie to the Hebrews teaches, (x) he shall appear the fecond time, without fin, unto fal vation. So that it is easy to oblerve, what excellent encouragement Chriftians have to place their truft in Chrift, and depend upon him for the pardon of their fins, and the acceptance of their lame and imperfect righteoufnefs, in hope of obtaining, by his mediation, an intereft in the kingdom of Heaven; which they could never have pretended to without him. And though fuch a faith as this will never of itself justify and fave us, being but one branch of that holiness which the Gofpel requires of all its profeffors; yet is it of fuch absolute neceffity, that there is no hope of being faved without it. For, alas! it is impoffible for poor finful creatures to be admitted into glory any way, than by the blood of Chrift, (y) who gave himself a ransom for all; and (2) through whofe ftripes alone we are bealed. But fince he has thought fit to offer himfelf in our stead, to become a price of redemption for us, every good Chriftian may well look upon himfelf, as in a happy condition through him. For now fays other |