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hours. He is very favourable to thee to transplant thee before thou hast felt the heat of the day, and the scorching of the sun. Remember, that it is the pleasant gale of his divine mercy that drives thee so fast into the secure haven of eternal happiness. Think not, therefore, that God's calling thee away in thy strength, is a testimony of his displeasure and hatred; for to hasten and render a person most happy is no sign of ill-will. It may be that God calls thee, because he hath found some good thing in thee, as in Abijah the son of Jeroboam king of Israel; because he loves thee dearly, and favours thee, he intends only to remove thee from the approaching evils, as he did Josias, one of the holiest and most religious princes that ever reigned; because thou dost walk before him, and seekest to please him, he will take thee up into his holy and heavenly 'paradise as he did Enoch, for fear that the temptations of the world should alter thy religious disposition; and for fear that the enemy of thy salvation should prevail upon thee, by his continual and wicked suggestions, to leave the way of righteousness, in which thou dost walk at present. As there are some rich stuffs, whereof the ashes are the most precious, and others, whereof the cinders are good for nothing but to be cast away; thus there are some happy grey heads, where the rich and precious relics of righteousness and piety shine, whereas others are only fit to discover the follies and vanities of our human nature. As there is some sort of wine that grows better by old age, and preserves its strength until it comes to the dregs; whereas other wine there is that soon becomes sour and useless: likewise there are some men, whom old age makes better and wiser; so that they are like to the Indian trees, that yield precious perfumes and frankincense only when they begin to decline and wither. The old age of such is most honourable, and sends forth a blessed perfume of piety; whereas others corrupt with age, and give out a most filthy stench: under a white head they hide a black soul, and wicked conscience. In the decay of their

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age, the vices of their mind gather strength and flourish. Instead of weeping for the sins of their youth, they add sin to sin, and are more hardened in evil. Old age imprints more furrows and wrinkles in their malicious hearts, than it doth upon their foreheads. Neither men nor their lives are to be measured by a yard or an ell. We must not only consider how long we have lived, but how well we have lived and employed the course of this life; for there are some young men, who have the wisdom aud prudence of grey heads; and there are grey heads that become as weak as infants; and some that scarce go out of that simple age. The first are twice children, the others continue always in their childhood. Some young men have performed such brave and glorious deeds, that one would judge by the passages of their lives that they have lived several years or ages. On the contrary, some old and decrepit persons can scarce prove that they have been long in the world, unless it be by the church register, by their grey hairs, or by the great number of their wicked and abominable actions. This consideration causeth the author of the book of Wisdom to say, that "old age is not the most reverend, that can shew a number of years; but wisdom is to be reckoned old age amongst men, and a life without spot," chap. ix. It is certain he hath lived sufficiently, who hath learned to live well, and hath prepared himself to die well. To what purpose should this miserable and languishing life be lengthened a few days? Art thou afraid to be happy too soon? and fearest thou to see the end of thy torments? Doth the traveller endeavour to lengthen out a painful and dangerous way? Doth the workman grieve to have finished betimes his laborious task? Doth the soldier murmur because he comes off from his watch and guard? Miserable man! what are all the years for which thou dost so impatiently afflict thyself, and vainly desire? For a day with God is as a thousand years; and a thousand years, in his sight, but as one day.

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He that sails' upon the sea admires the spacious extent of the waters, and the difference of its rolling waves, that mount up sometimes to the clouds, and then fall down again into a bottom. And such as travel by land are delighted to see on one side deep vallies, and on the other high mountains, that reach above the clouds; but if God had but taken us up into the seat of his glory, and that we should from that high heaven cast down an eye upon this contemptible globe of the sea and land, to behold the proud and stately mountains, with the most swelling waves, they would appear to us but an even plain; or rather they would seem altogether very little. Thus when we compare the men of the world the one with the other, we shall find that some have lived long, and others but a little while; that some are old, others young; but in respect of God, there is no difference between the young and the old; between an over-aged Methuselah, who lived nine hundred threescore and nine years, Gen., v. and a child that hath only seen the light of the liv ing; for the life of mankind is but a moment in comparison of eternity.

If thou art ready to die for righteousness, of a violent death, meditate seriously upon the saying of the prophet David, Psa. cxvi. "Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of all his saints." Arm thyself with an holy confidence, and say with Eli, 1 Sam. iii. "It is the Lord; let him do what seemeth him good." Imitate the generosity of St. Paul, Acts xx. and grave in thine heart these divine expressions: "The Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying, that bonds and afflictions abide me but none of these things move me, neither count I myself dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God." Remember always the prayer that our Lord and Saviour offered up unto God in the greatest agony; "O my Father, if this cup may not pass

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away from me, except I drink it, thy will be done." Forget not also at this time Christ's advertisement, "He that loveth his life, shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world, shall save it to eternal life," John xii. O great and glorious Lord God, the enemies of thy truth are met together against thy dear children, whom thou hast sanctified by the blood of the covenant: but they are not able to do any thing but what thou hast appointed to be done in thine eternal wisdom.

A PRAYER and MEDITATION upon the Time of Death.

MERCIFUL Lord, who dost govern all things by thine infinite wisdom, and hast reserved the times and the seasons in thine own power; thou hast not only written my name in the book of the living, but hast also measured the length of my life, and appointed the hour of my death. Thou hast numbered my days, and prescribed to me my bounds, that I cannot pass beyond them. This miserable body is but a weak tabernacle made up of earth, subject to all manner of infirmities; nevertheless, none is able to destroy it without thy divine assistance. The same band that hath fashioned and formed it, must break it in pieces. If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without thy permission, it is not possible that my soul should fly away into heaven, without thy warrant. My God and Father, give me daily apprehensions of death; but let me rest upon thee, who døst kill and give life, who dost cast into the grave, and fetch from thence again. Let Satan and all the enemies of thy glory lay their snares for me, they are not able to do any thing but what thy wisdom hath ordained and appointed before the foundation of the world; without thy leave and permission, they are not able to pluck an hair from my head, for diminish a moment from the time I am to live in this earthly tabernacle. O Almighty and most merciful God, I

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recommend to thee my soul, as to my faithful Creator, and yield it wholly into thine hands. Here I am to accomplish thy will, and to submit myself to thy pleasure, without any resistance; whether this soul, which thou hast created after thy likeness, and which is an image of thy divinity, remain in this body, that I may be able to serve thee on earth; or whether thou dost call for it, and take it up into heaven, that it may glorify thee in the company of thy saints, and of the blessed and glorious angels.

A PRAYER and MEDITATION upon the Manner of our Death,

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GOD, the Creator of all flesh, and the Father of the immortal spirits, I know that every kind of death of thy children is precious in thy sight, and that howsoever that shall happen, thou wilt take care of my soul. When I consider all things, I find that it matters not whether my spirit issues out of my lips, or out of a wound, so that it enters into thy glory to enjoy thine eternal happiness. What matter is it if my lamp goes out of its own accord, or if it be blown out by some envious blast, so that it be lighted again by the immortal beams of the Sun of righteousness, and continue for ever glorious in the highest heavens? I shall be sufficiently happy if I die in thee, Lord, and enter into thine eternal rest, from all my labours, in what manner soever death assaults me. From all eternity, O Lord, thou knowest all thy works, and with a glance of thine eye thou discoverest the depths, and seest into an endless eternity. As thou hast marked out and appointed the moment of my death, thou hast also ordained the manner of it. I must, O Almighty God, repose myself upon thy wonderful and wise providence, and be contented with thy uncontrolable decrees. But, O my God, and heavenly Father, if thou wilt give me the liberty, who am but dust and ashes, to speak to

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