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Job xiv. 2. A weaver's shuttle is very swift in its motion; in a moment it is thrown from one side of the web to the other: yet our days are swifter than a weaver's shuttle," chap. vii.6. How quickly is man tossed through time into eternity! See how Job describes the swiftness of the time of life, chap. ix. 25, "Now my days are swifter than a post; they flee away, they see no good." Ver. 26, "They are hastened as the swift ships; as the eagle that hasteth to the prey." He compares his days with a post; a foot-post; a runner, who runs speedily to carry tidings, and will make no stay. But though the post were like Ahimaaz, who overran Cushi, our days would be swifter than he, for they flee away, like a man fleeing for his life, before the pursuing enemy; he runs with his utmost vigour: yet our days run as fast as he. Howbeit, this is not all. Even he who is fleeing for his life, cannot run always; he must needs sometimes stand still, lie down, or run in some where, as Sisera did into Jael's tent, to refresh himself; but our time never halts. Therefore it is compared to ships, which can sail night and day, without intermission, till they be at their port; and swift ships, ships of desire, in which men quickly arrive at the desired haven; or ships of pleasure, that sail more swiftly than ships of burden. Yet the wind failing, the ship's course is marred; but our time always runs with a rapid course. There it is compared to the eagle flying, not with his ordinary flight, for that is not sufficient to represent the swiftness of our days; but when he flies upon his prey, which is with an extraordinary swiftness. And thus, even thus, our days fly away.

Having thus discoursed of death, let us improve it, in discerning the vanity of the world; in bearing up, with Christian contentment and patience, under all troubles and difficulties in it; in mortifying our lusts; in cleaving unto the Lord with purpose of heart, on all hazards; and in preparing for death's approach.

And, first, Let us hence, as in a looking-glass, behold the vanity of the world; and of all these things in it, which men so much value and esteem, and therefore set their hearts upon. The rich and the poor are equally intent upon this world, they bow the knee to it; yet it is but a clay God: they court the bulky vanity and run keenly to catch the shadow; the rich man is hugged to death in its embraces; and the poor man wearies himself in the fruitless pursuit. (What wonder if the world's smiles overcomes us, when we pursue it so eagerly, even while it frown upon us ?) But look into the grave, Ŏ man, consider and be wise; listen to the doctrine of death,

and learn, (1.) That hold as fast as thou canst, thou shalt be forced to let go thy hold of the world at length. Though thou load thyself with the fruits of this earth, yet all shall fall off, when thou comest to creep into thy hole, the house, under ground, appointed for all living. When death comes, thou must bid an eternal farewell to thy enjoyments in this world: thou must leave thy goods to another: and "whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?" Luke xii. 20. (2.) Thy portion of these things shall be very little ere long. If thou lie down on the grass, and stretch thyself at full length, and observe the print of thy body when thou risest, thou mayest see how much of this earth will fall to thy share at last. It may be thou shalt get a coffin, and a winding sheet; but thou art not sure of that. Many who have had abundance of wealth, yet have not had so much when they took up there new house in the land of silence. But however that be, more ye cannot expect. It was a mortifying lesson, Saladin, when dying, gave to his soldiers. He called for his standard bearer, and ordered him to take his winding sheet upon his pike, and go out to the camp with it, and tell them, That of all his conquests, victories, and triumphs, he had nothing now left him but that piece of linen to wrap his body in for burial. Lastly, This world is a false friend, who leaves a man in time of greatest need; and flees from him when he has most to do. When thou art lying on a death bed, all thy friends and relations cannot rescue thee; all the substance cannot ransom thee, nor procure thee a reprieve for one day, nay, not for one hour. Yea, the more thou possesseth of this world's goods, thy sorrow, at death, is likely to be the greater: for though one may live more commodiously in a palace than in a cottage, yet he may die more easily in the cottage, where he has very little to make him fond of life.

Secondly, It may serve as a storehouse for Christian contentment and patience under worldly losses and crosses. A close application of the doctrine of death, is an excellent remedy against fretting, and gives some ease to a rankled heart. When Job had sustained very great losses, he sat down contented with this meditation, Job i. 21, "Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord." When providence brings a mortality or murrian among your cattle, how ready are you to fret and complain! But the serious consideration of your own death (to which you have a notable help from such providential occurences) may be of use to silence your complaints, and quiet your rankled

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spirits. Look to the house appointed for all living and learn, (1.) That ye must abide a sorer thrust, than the loss of worldly goods. Do not cry out for a thrust in the leg or arm; for ere fong there will be a home thrust at the heart. You may lose your dearest relations: the wife may lose her husband, and the husband his wife: the parents may lose their children, and the children their parents. But if any of these trials happen to you, remember you must lose your own life at last; and "wherefore doth a living man complain?" Lam. iii. 39. It is always profitable to consider, under affliction, how our case might have been worse than it is. Whatever be consumed, or taken from us, "it is of the Lord's mercies that we ourselves are not consumed," ver. 22. (2.) It is but for a short space of time we are to be in this world. It is but little our necessities require in this short space of time: when death comes, we will stand in need of none of those things. Why should men rack their heads with cares how to provide for tomorrow, while they know not if they shall need any thing tomorrow? Though a man's provision for his journey be nearly spent, he is not disquieted, if he think he is near home. you working with candle light, and is there little of your candle left? It may be there is as little sand in your glass: and if so, ye have little use for it. (3.) Ye have matters of greater weight that challenge your care. Death is at the door! beware you lose not your souls. If blood break out at one part of the body, they used to open a vein in another part of it, to turn the stream of blood, and thus to stop it. Thus the Spirit of God sometimes cures men of sorrow for earthly things, by opening the heart-vein to bleed for sin. Did we pursue heavenly things the more vigorously, that our affairs in this life prosper, we should thereby gain a double advantage: our worldly sorrow should be diverted, and our best treasure increased. (4.) Crosses of this nature will not last long. The world's smiles and frowns will be quickly buried together in everlasting forgetfulness. Its smiles go away as the foam on the water; and its frowns are as a passing stitch in a man's side. Time flies away with swift wings, and carries our earthly comforts, and crosses too, along with it: neither of them will accompany us into the house appointed for all living, Job iii. 17, "There the wicked cease from troubling, and there the weary be at rest." Verse 18, "There the prisoners rest together, they hear not the voice of the oppressor. "" Ver. 19, "The small and great are there, and the servant is free from his master." Cast your eyes on eternity, and ye will see affliction here is but for a moment. The truth is, our time is so very short,

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that it will not allow either joys or griefs to come to perfection. Wherefore, let them that weep, be as though they wept not; and they that rejoice, as though they rejoiced not," &c. 1 Cor. vii. 29, 30, 31. (5.) Death will put all men on a level. The king and the beggar must dwell in one house, when they come to their journey's end, though their entertainment by the way be very different. "The small and the great are there," Job iii. 19. We are in this world as on a stage: it is no great matter, whether a man act the part of a prince or a peasant, for when they have acted their parts, they must both get behind the curtain, and appear no more. Lastly, If thou be in Christ, whatever thy afflictions now be, troubles, a thousand times worse, are abiding thee in another world. Death will turn thy crosses into pure unmixed curses; and then how gladly wouldst thou return to thy former afflicted state, and purchase it at any rate, were there any possibility of such a return. If thou be in Christ, thou mayest well bear thy cross. Death will put an end to all thy troubles. If a man on a journey be not well accommodated where he lodgeth only for a night, he will not trouble himself much about the matter, because he is not to stay there, it is not his home. Ye are on the road to eternity; let it not disquiet you, that you meet with some hardships in the inn of this world. Fret not, because it is not so well with you as with some others. One man travels with a cane in his hand; his fellow-traveller (perhaps) has but a common stick or staff: either of them will serve the turn. It is no great matter which of them be yours: both will be laid aside when come to your journey's end.

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Thirdly, It may serve for a bridle, to curb all manner of lusts, particularly those conversant about the body. A serious visit made to cold death, and that solitary mansion, the grave, might be of good use to repress them.

First, It may be of use to cause men remit of their in ordinate care of the body; which is to many the bane of their souls. Often do these questions, "What shall we eat? What shall we drink? And wherewithal shall we be clothed?" leave no room for another of more importance, viz. "Wherewithal shall I come before the Lord " The soul is put to the rack, to answer these mean questions, in favour of the body: while its own eternal interests are neglected. But ah! why are men so busy to repair the ruinous cottage, leaving the inhabitant to bleed to death of his wounds, unheeded, unregarded? Why so much care for the body, to be neglecting of the concerns of the immortal soul! O! be not so anxious for what can

only serve your bodies, since ere long, the clods of cold earth will serve for back and belly too.

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Secondly, It may abate your pride on account of bodily endowments, which vain man is apt to glory in. yourselves on the blossom of youth: for while blooming years ye are but ripening for a grave: and death gives the fatal stroke, without asking any body's age. Glory not in your strength, it will quickly be gone: the time will soon be, when you shall not be able to turn yourselves on a bed: and you must be carried by your grieving friends to your long home. And what signifies your healthful constitution? Death does not always enter in soonest where it begins soonest to knock at the door, but makes as great despatch with some in a few hours, as with others in many years. Value not yourselves on your beauty, which " shall consume in the grave, Psal. xlix. 14. Remember the change death makes on the fairest face, Job xiv. 20, "Thou changest his countenance, and sendest him away." Death makes the greatest beauty so loathsome, that it must be buried out of sight. Could a looking-glass be used in the house appointed for all living, it would be a terror to those who now look oftener into their glasses than into their Bibles. And what though the body be gorgeously arrayed? The finest clothes are but badges of our sin and shame: and in a little time will be exchanged for a winding sheet; when the body will become a feast to the worms.

Thirdly, It may be a mighty check upon sensuality and fleshly lusts, 1 Pet. ii. 11, I beseech you, as strangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul." It is hard to cause wet wood to take fire; and when the fire doth take hold of it, it is soon extinguished. Sensuality makes men most unfit for divine communications, and is an effectual means to quench the Spirit. Intemperance in eating and drinking carries on the ruin of the soul and body at once; and hastens death, while it makes the man most unmeet for it. Therefore, "take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and so that day come upon you unawares, Luke xxvi. 34. But O, how often is the soul struck through with a dart, in gratifying the senses! At these doors destruction enters in. Therefore Job made a covenant with his eyes, chap. xxi.1, "The mouth of a strange woman is a deep pit; he that is abhorred of the Lord shall fall therein." Prov. xxii. 14, "Let him that standeth, take heed lest he fall." Beware of lasciviousness; study modesty in your apparel, words, and actions. The ravens of the valley of death will at length