patience to experience, and so to hope, and at last to glory. But the sufferings which we make ourselves, have no such good fruits.

VII. Consider further, they are all unprofitable fears. As all our care cannot make one hair white or black, or add one cubit to our stature, so neither can our fears prevent our sufferings, nor delay our death one hour. Willing or unwilling we must depart hence. Many a man's fears have hastened his end, but never averted it. It is true, a cautious fear or care concerning the danger after death, has profited many, and is very useful for averting that danger; but for a member of Christ, and an heir of heaven, to be afraid of entering his own inheritance, this is a sinful, useless fear.

VIII. But though this fear be unprofitable yet to Satan it is very serviceable. Our fears of dying ensnare our souls, and add strength to many temptations. Nay, should we be called to die for Christ, it may draw us to deny the known truth, and forsake the Lord himself. You look upon it now as a small sin, a common frailty of human nature; but if you look to the dangerous consequences of it, methinks it should move you to other thoughts. What made Peter deny his Lord? What makes apostates in suffering times forsake the truth? Fear of imprisonment and poverty may do much, but fear of death will do much more. When you see the gibbet, or hear the sentence, if this fear of dying prevail in you, you will immediately begin to say with Peter, "I know not the man." When you see the faggots and the fire ready, you will say as that apostate to the martyr, "O the fire is hot, and nature is frail," forgetting that the fire of hell is hotter. Besides all this, it gives rise to a multitude of unbelieving contrivances and discontents at the wise disposals of God, and hard thoughts of his providences. When time also should be most precious to us in the close of life, and when it should be employed to the best purpose, we vainly and sinfully waste it in these distracting fears. Thus you see what a dangerous snare these fears are, and what a fruitful parent of many other evils.

IX. Consider what a competent time the most of us have had to prepare for death. Some have had thirty, some forty, some fifty or sixty years; and why should not a man that would die at all, be as willing at thirty or forty, if God see meet, as at seventy or eighty? Usually, indeed, when the longest day is come, men are as loath to depart as ever. Length of time does not conquer corruption; that never withers nor decays through age. Unless we receive an addition of grace, as well as of time, we naturally grow worse as we grow older. Let us, then, be content with our allotted proportion.

X. Consider, thou hast had a competency of the comforts of life, as well as of time. God might have made thy life a course of uninterrupted misery, till thou hadst been as weary of possessing it, as thou art now afraid of losing it. If he had denied thee the benefits of living, thy life would have been but a slender comfort. Has thy Father allowed thee so large a portion, and caused thy lot to fall so well, and given thee thine abode in pleasant places, and filled up all thy life with mercies, and dost thou now think thy share too small? Is not that which thy life wants in length, made up in the breadth, and weight, and sweetness of thy mercies? What a multitude of consolations, of delightful Sabbaths, of pleasant studies, of precious companions, of wonderful deliverances, of excellent opportunities, of fruitful labours, of joyful tidings, of sweet experiences, of astonishing providences, has thy life partaken of? And yet art thou not satisfied with thy lot? Has thy life been so sweet, that thou art loath to leave it? Is that the thanks thou returnest to him, who sweetened it, to draw thee to his own blessedness? O infatuated soul! would thou wert as covetous after eternity, as thou art of a fading perishing life; and after the blessed presence of God, as thou art of continuance with earth and sin! XI. Consider, what if God should grant thy desire, and let thee live yet many years, but withal should strip thee of the comforts of life, and deny thee the mercies which thou hast hitherto enjoyed? Would this be a blessing worth the begging for? Might not God in judgment give thee life, as he gave the murmuring Israelites quails, or as he often gives men riches and honour, when he sees them over earnest for them? Might he not justly say to thee, "Seeing thou hadst rather linger on earth, than come and enjoy my presence; seeing thou art so fond of life, take it, and a curse with it. Let thy table be a snare; let thy friends be thy sorrow; let thy riches be corrupted, and the rust of thy silver eat thy flesh." God might give thee life, till thou art weary of living; be not, therefore, so importunate for life, which may prove a judgment instead of a blessing.

Lastly. Consider, how many of the saints of all ages have gone before thee. Thou art not to enter an untrodden path. Excepting Enoch and Elijah, which of the saints have escaped death? Nay, has not Jesus Christ himself gone this way? Has he not sanctified the grave to us, and perfumed the dust with his own body? And art thou loath to follow him too? O, rather let us say as Thomas, "Let us also go, and die with him;" or rather, Let us "suffer with him, that we may be glorified together."

I have said the more on this subject, because it is so needful to myself and others,-finding that among so many Christians, who could do and suffer much for Christ, there are yet so few that can willingly die, and of many who have somewhat subdued other corruptions, so few have got the conquest of this.

Before, however, concluding, I will answer a few objections.

Objection 1. O, if I were but certain of Heaven, I would never shrink from dying.

Answer 1. Didst thou not say so long ago? If you are yet uncertain, whose fault is it? You have had no greater matter than this to mind. Had you not better fall immediately to the trial, till you have put the question beyond a doubt? Must God stay while you trifle? must he exercise his patience to cherish your negligence? If thou hast played the loiterer, do so no longer. Go search thy soul, and follow the search close, till thou come to a clear discovery. Begin to-night; stay not till the morning. Certainty comes not by length of time, but by the blessing of the Spirit upon wise and faithful trial. You may linger out thus twenty years more, and be still as uncertain as you are now.

2. Perfect certainty may not be expected. We shall still be deficient in this, as well as in other doings: I know no reason why we may not expect perfection in all things else, as well as in this. If your belief of that Scripture, "Believe and be saved," be imperfect; or if your knowledge, whether your own deceitful hearts do sincerely believe or not, be imperfect, the result or conclusion must needs be imperfect too. If then you stay till you are perfectly certain, you may stay for ever.

3. Both your assurance, and the comfort thereof, are the gift of the Spirit, who is a free bestower. And God's usual time to be largest in mercy, is when his people are deepest in necessity. A mercy in season, is the sweetest mercy. I could give you abundance of examples of those who have languished for assurance and comfort, some all their sickness, and some most of their lives; and when they have been near to death, they have received it in abundance. Never fear death, then, through the imperfection of thy assurance; for that is the most usual time of all for God most fully and sweetly to bestow it.

Objection 2. O but the Church's necessities are great. God has made me useful in my place, so that my death will be a loss to many; otherwise, methinks, I could willingly die.

Answer. This may be the case of some; but yet remember the heart is deceitful. God is often pretended, when ourselves are intended. But if this be, indeed, what stops thee, consider, Art thou wiser than God? Does he not know how to provide for his Church? Cannot he do his work without thee? Or find out instruments enough besides thee? Think not too highly of thyself, because God has made thee useful. Must the Church needs fall when thou art gone? Art thou the foundation on which it is built? Could God take away a Moses, an Aaron, a David, an Elijah, and find supply for all their places? and cannot he also supply thine? This is to derogate too much from God, and to arrogate too much to thyself. Neither art thou so merciful as God; nor canst love the church so well as he: As his interest is infinitely beyond thine, so are his tender care and bounty.

Frederick, the third elector of the Rhine, when he was a dying at Heidelberg, said to his friends, I have lived long enough on earth for you, I must now go live for myself in heaven for ever. So methinks when Christians have lived long in hard labour and sufferings for God and the church, they should be willing to live in heaven for God and themselves.

Yet mistake me not in what I said: I deny not but that it is lawful for a Christian to desire God to delay his death, both for obtaining further opportunity of gaining assurance, and for being further serviceable to the church. I doubt not, but we may pray for recovery from sickness; we may rejoice in it, and give thanks for it, as a great mercy; we may pray hard for our godly and ungodly friends in their sickness; we must value our time highly, and improve it as a mercy which we must be accountable for; every godly man is ordinarily so useful to the church, that even for the church's service he may desire to live longer, as Paul did, even till he come to the full age of man, and while he is able to serve the church, and it hath need of him. No man should be over-hasty to enter on a state that can never be changed, when both assurance of glory, and his fitness for it, are still imperfect; especially as the saints ordinarily grow fitter for it as they advance in age. But then this must not be from love of earth; we must consider it as our present loss to be kept from heaven, though it may tend to the church's and our own future advantage, and so may be desired.