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It is most true indeed, that Death will shortly take all away, or rather, take us away from all that we enjoy in this World. And then what's become of all in the World, which we fo much admired and doted on? Yea, what's become of that pleasure and delight which we have taken in Riches, or in any thing else that the World afforded us, and what good have we done our felves by feafting on them? If the Rich muft die as well as the poor, and so much the fooner ordinarily, the richer they are, their Riches tempting and affifting them many ways to fhorten their own Lives; and if nothing of all which we have had will remain to us when we are dead, no not fo much as a pleafing Senfe of our past Enjoyments; then let this

teach us.

First, not to weary our felves in feeking and fcraping up Riches, as if we fhould never die, but live here for ever to enjoy them. How foolith a thing is it to make fo much ado about a thing that is of fo fhort continuance, and of no longer ufe to us than Riches will be? We must all die within a few Years, what then should we do with Goods laid up for many Years? This Night our Souls may be called away out of our Bodies, and then whofe fhall these things be which we have been all our Life time providing? Yea, fo bufy are we in providing for we know not whom, that we our felves cannot get time to live; we are onely providing for Life, till it be at an end, and all our Provifion is to no purpofe. Shall we live again after Death, or not? If not, 'tis certain we can enjoy nothing of all that we have so long labour'd for: If we fhall, yet the Life we must then live, will be fuch, as will have no need,neither can make any ufe of all the Stores we have laid in.

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If we fhall live no more,one wou'd think we fhou'd be concern'd to make this fhort Life as pleasant and fweet to us as we can, feeing we cannot lengthen it as we would, and not imbitter it, and render it worse than death to us tby anxions cares, and toilfem drudgings. And if we fhall live again, certainly we are very Fools, if we concern not our felves as much for that future as for this prefent Life; efpecially feeing that will be everlasting, and this but for a moment; and yet this but the Seed time, aed that the Harvest. Why are we not then providing Bags which wax not old? Why are we not laying up for our felves Treasures in Heaven? Why are we not feeking first the Kingdom of God,and his Righteousness? This, if we did, and made it, as we ought, the principal care and bufinefs of this prefent Life, we might labour with eafe, and rejoice in our Labours for the Things of this World, and whilft our Hands are at their necessary and boneft Work, we might fet our Hearts at reft; not doubting, but all thefe Things we labour for, And our Heavenly Father knows that we stand in need of, fhall be added unto us, in fuch a meafure, as is most expedient for us. A very little is enough for a very short Life; and a feafon able preparation for that other Life, which will need none of these things will make that little ve ry comfortable.

Secondly, Let us wifely husband that ftock of Wealth, which God hath beftow'd upon us, whether it be more or less, in this Life; fo as that if it be poffible we may reap fome benefit by it in the Life to come. We must quickly die, how rich foever we be; and tho' when we live again, these Things we now have, fhall be no more, any way ferviceable to us; yet the ule we now

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make of them will. We fhall reflect upon with joy and comfort, and receive an ample Reward for it. Let us now make our felves Friends of this unrighteous or deceitful Mammon, that when we fail, and can live no longer in this tranfitory World, they may receive us into everlasting Habitations. Feed the Hungry, cloath the Naked, relieve the Poor; let all we have be feasonably laid out, and difpofed of wifely in works of neceffity, piety and charity; and hereby we shall hoard up abundance, and our Wealth will fo encrease upon us, that death itself cannot confume it, but we shall continue rich to all eternity. Is not this a better way of improving our Wealth to our own advantage, than to feed and cram our Bodies to Death with it, and by fatisfying our Lufts, to prepare fuel for Hell-fire with it, or to lay it up for the ruft or the moth to eat, or for Thieves to fteal, or a prodigal Son to waste, and deftroy himself with it?

Thirdly, Let us therefore fo forecast and order all our affairs in time, that Death, how foon foever it comes, may not be able to rob us of any thing, or fo much as to affright us. That tho we muft of neceffity leave all our wealth behind us, yet we can lofe nothing by dying. Tho' we have Wealth, let us be fure not to love Let us be fure to love God, our own Souls, and our Neighbours, our Religion, and our Country; and let every one of thefe have a full share of whatever we have; and then we are fure, that all we have is fafe. Let us therefore make haste, and thus difpofe of all our riches, and be fure to banish them quite from our Hearts before Death furprize us. How terrible elfe will Death appear to us, and what mifchief will it do us, when it will carry

away

away all, and yet cannot come by it without breaking our Hearts to get it, O Death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a Man, that liveth at rest in his poffeffions, unto the man that hath nothing to vex him, and that hath profperity in all things? Eccluf. xli. 7. Our Chefts, our Tables, our rich Apparel, ftately House, and brave and gliftering Furniture,and whatever we moft dearly loved we muft fee no more; our tender and delicate Bodies muft be fed upon by Worms,and our famifhed Souls go to make the Devils merry, if they can be fo with their torments. Is it not our wisdom to prevent all this now we may by a right difpofing of all our Wealth, as God directs us? Let us then empty Our Hearts of them, how full foever be our Chefts or our Parfes: Yea, let us make haft to empty thefe too, and put all our Treafure into fafe hands: for fhortly we must die, whatever arts and shifts we now ufe to keep off Death, or to get rid of the troublesome thoughts of it. We have no way to fecure ourselves from being hurt by it, but by dying to our Wealth beforehand, and making Piety and Charity, and the neceffities of Nature, and of our Relations, our Executors of all.

2. Let the Poor man alfo confider that he muft die. Death pitieth the Poor no more than it feareth the rich. As it cannot be bribed by the one, fo neither can it be intreated by the other. The Beggars mournful tone and lamentable note, the fhewing of his rags or his fores, can here move no more to forbearance, than they could do the rich and proud churl to compaffion. Let the Poor confider this well, and make a right ufe of it.

First, Let us, if we be Poor in this Worlds goods, labour to be rich in Grace and Goodness. This, and this alone can arm either the rich or poor against

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the fting of Death. The fting of Death is fin, 1 Cor. XV. Let not Sin have dominion over us, let it not reign in our Bodies, fo that we obey it in the Lufts thereof; and Death brings nothing along with it, wherewith it can burt us. Let us therefore make haft thus to difarm Death, by repenting of all our Sins, and doing good as long as we Live; and live we never fo poorly now, we shall be sure after Death to live gloriously for ever.

Secondly, if we be poor and lame, fore or fickly, let us comfort ourselves with this, that we fhall not be long fo, for we muft fhortly die; and therefore none of the evils which we now endure, can laft any long time. Let us not, whatever elfe we want, want patience too; and the rather becaufe we are fure we fhall but a very little while ftand in need of it, and yet without it this little while will feem very long to us. This advantage we have of the rich, that Death, how foon foever it comes, can deprive us of nothing but a miferable Life, and that's a thing no man can be very fond of. As Death puts an end to all the rich Mans Joys; fo doth it also put an end to all the poor Mans Troubles and Sorrows, and can it be thought a killing thing to part with these? O Death, acceptable is thy Sentence unto the needy, and unto him whofe ftrength faileth, that is now in the last Age, and is vexed with all things. Eccluf. xli. 2. O how sweetly may a pious poor Man, whofe only care it has been to ferve God, and whofe only comfort to trust in him, depart out of this tiresome Life, to receive his reward in Life Everlasting? He never tasted any thing in this World, wherein he could find any great fweetness or pleasure; he hath no worldly delight or luft clinging to him, and holding him faft; so that he needs ftruggle

hard

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