threatens to take away the Staff of Bread, that is to fay, the nourishing Strength and Virtue of the Bread, Lev. xxvi. likewife he takes away his Bleffing from the most sovereign Remedies, and renders them altogether useless. Tis thus with all the other Accidents that happen to us, and that bring us to our Graves. For when it pleaseth him to remove any Body out of the World, he fuffers him to fhut his Eyes to all the Light of Reafon and Prudence, and to caft himself headlong into the most apparent Danger. As when he defign to destroy Abfalom, and to cut him off, he caused him to be led away by evil Counsel, and difappointed the dif creet and prudent Advice of Achitophel. Therefore fince God hath appointed or fore-ordain'd before Man's Creation, the Time and Manner of his Death, at what Hour, in what Place, and by what Means foever God calls away our Friends, or ftrikes at our Perfon; 'tis always our Duty to poffefs our Souls with Patience, and not to fuffer the leaft repining or defpairing Word to proceed out of our Mouths.

If Death fuddenly fnatches away the deareft Children, or thy moft intimate Friends, complain not of its Inhumanity. Remember that it puts in Execution the Decrees of God's everlafting Will, and that it carries with it a Commiffion fealed with the Signet of the living God. Adore therefore with all Humility the Supreme Monarch of Heaven and Earth, and fay to him as David, with a profound Submiffion, Lord, Theld my Tongue,and faid nothing,because it was thy doing,Pf. xxxix.

I don't with thee to have a Heart of Flint, without natural Affection. Piety and Religion are not barbarous, they deprive us not of our Bowels; the Affection that thou beareft thy Children, is not difpleafing to the Father of Mercies, if it be but well govern'd, and don't exceed the natural Bounds. 'Tis lawful for thee to be fenfible of thy Griefs, to weep for their Diftempers, and to pray for the Recovery of their Health. But when God hath difpofed of them, and receiv'd 'em into his eternal Reft, thou must stop

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all thy Sight, wipe all thy Tears, and fay as David did after the Death of his beloved Child, We fall go. to them, but they shall not come to us, 2 Sam. xiii.

Do they die of a violent Death? Stop not thy Confideration at the evil Blafts that have carried them away, but lift up thy Mind to the great God that draws thefe Winds out of his Treafuries; and being armed with a holy Conftancy, fay with the patient Job, The Lord gave, and the Lord taketh away, bleffed be the Name of the Lord. I am but a weak Inftrument which God hath employ'd to put them into the World; but he is their King, their Father, their Creator; he is also their Saviour and Redeemer. Now 'tis both juft and reasonable that God fhould difpofe of his Subjects, of his Children, of his Workmanship, and of thofe whom he hath redeemed with his precious Blood.

The Mafter of a Family gathers at his Pleasure the Flowers and Fruits of his Garden; fometimes he cuts: off the Buds, fometimes he fuffers them to bloffom, fometimes he gathers the green Fruit, fometimes he ftays till it be ripe; and fhall not Almighty God have the Liberty to difpofe at his Will, of all that grows in his own Territories? The Mafter of the Family hath not created the Trecs and Plants that are at his Command; but God hath made and fashioned with his Almighty Hand, all his Children, and all the Men in the World. Our Flowers wither and fpoil in a Moment, and our Fruits are foon rotten, and become unprofitable, notwithstanding all our Care and Skill to preferve them; but the Flowers that God cuts or pulls off, he transplants in his heavenly Garden, and gives them a perfect and a divine Luftre and Glory, that never fades; and the greenest Fruits that he gathers, he preferves for all Eternity in unfpeakable: Sweetness.

Doth this Death draw near to threaten thy Perfon, when it hath difpatch'd thy dearest Friends? Be not frighted at its Appearance; for 'tis not able to anticipate a Moment, the Hour appointed by the Wildom

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of Almighty God. And when that Moment shall be come, that he fhall call thee to himself from Heaven offer no Resistance, and ftop not thy Ears at thy Creator's Voice; fay with the Prophet Samuel, Speak Lord, for thy Servant heareth, 1 Sam, iii. Exod. xxxiii, Ó merciful God, fince thy glorious Prefence goes before me, I am ready to depart out of this crazy Tabernacle, and to quit this miferable Wilderness, to enter into the heavenly and happy Canaan; fay with our Saviour, Father, the Hour is come, glorify thy Son, that thy Son may glorifie thee, John xvii,

Halt thou lived many Years upon the Earth? A fcribe not the Caufe to the Conftitution of thy Body, to the Manner of thy living, nor to the Skill of thy Phyficians; but remember that God lengthens thy Days, and come and caft at his Feet thy reverend gray Hairs, which the holy Scripture ftiles, A Crown of Silver, or a Crown of Glory, Prov. xvi.

Art thou threatned with Death in the Flower of thine Age? Fret not thy felf at it, and let not the leaft Word proceed out of thy Mouth, but what is feasoned with the Salt of true Piety. Remember that 'tis God alone cuts off the Thread of thy Life, and puts a Period to thy mortal Race. Thou haft as much Reafon to be grieved, because thou art born fo late, as to be forry that thou dieft fo foon. Instead of spending thy felf in useless Complaints, which is, as if thou who art but an earthly Veffel newly form'd, fhouldst cast thy felf against the Rock of Eternity. Remember to adore and praise thy Great Creator, and return him hearty Thanks, in that he is fo well pleas'd to crown thee in the middle of thy Race, and fo bountiful as to bestow the Salary of the whole Day upon thee, who haft labour'd but a few Hours. He is very favourable to thee to transplant thee before thou haft felt the Heat of the Day, and the Scorching of the Sun. Remember that 'tis the pleasant Gale of his divine Mercy, that drives thee fo faft into the fecure Haven of eternal Happiness. Think not therefore that God's calling

calling thee away in thy Strength, is a Teftimony of his Displeasure and Hatred; for to haften and render a Perfon moft happy, is no Sign of Ill-will. It may be that God calls thee, because he hath found fome good thing in thee, as in Abijah the Son of Jeroboam King of Ifrael, because he loves thee dearly, and favours thee, he intends only to remove thee from the approaching Evils, as he did Jofias, one of the holiest and most religious Princes that ever reign'd; because thou doft walk before him, and feekest to please him, he will take thee up into his holy and heavenly Paradife, as he did Enoch, for fear that the Temptations of the World fhould alter thy religious Disposition; and for fear that the Enemy of thy Salvation fhould prevail upon thee, by his continual and wicked Suggestions, to leave the way of Righteoufnefs, in which thou doft walk at present. As there are fome rich Stuffs, whereof the Ashes are most precious, and others whereof the Cinders are good for nothing but to be caft away: Thus there are fome happy gray Heads, where the rich and precious Relicks of Righteoufnefs and Piety fhine, whereas others are only fit to discover the Follies and Vanities of our human Nature. As there is fome fort of Wine that grows better by old Age, and preferves its Strength until it comes to the Dregs; whereas, other Wine there is, that foon becomes fo wre and useless; Likewise there are fome Men, whom old Age makes better and wifer; fo 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 fuch is most honourable, and fends forth a blessed Perfume of Piety; whereas others corrupt with Age, and give out a moft filthy Stench; under a white Head they hide a black Soul and a wicked Confcience. In the decay of their Age, the Vices of their Mind gather Strength and flourish. Inftead of weeping for the Sins of their Youth, they add Sin to Sin, and are more hardned in Evil. Old Age imprints more Furrows

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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 confider how long we have liv'd, but how well we have liv'd, and employ'd the Courfe of this Life. For there are fome young Men, who have the Wisdom and Prudence of gray Heads; and there are gray Heads that become as weak as Infants; and fome that scarce go out of that fimple Age. The first are twice Children, the others continue always in their Childhood; fome young Men have perform'd fuch brave and glorious Deeds, that one would judge by the Paffages of their Lives, that they have liv'd feveral Years or Ages. On the contrary, fome old and decrepit Perfons can scarce prove that they have been long in the World, unless it be by the Church Regifter, by their gray Hairs, or by the great Number of their wicked and abominable Actions. This Confideration causeth the Author of the Book of Wisdom to fay, That old Age is not the moft Reverend, that can fhew a Number of Years, but Wisdom is to be reckoned old Age amongst Men, and a Life without Spot, Chap. iv. "Tis certain he hath liv'd fufficiently, who hath learn'd to live well, and hath prepar'd himself to die well. To what Purpose should this miferable and languifhing Life be lengthned a few Days? Art thou afraid to be happy too foon? and fearest thou to fee the end of thy Torments? Doth the Traveller endeavour to lengthen out a painful and dangerous Way? Doth the Workman grieve to have finish'd betimes his laborious Tafk? Doth the Soldier murmur because he comes off from his Watch and Guard? Miferable Man! What are all the Years for which thou doft fo impatiently afflict thy felf, and vainly defire? For a Day with God is as a thousand Years, and a thousand Years in his Sight, but as one Day.

He that fails upon the Sea, admires the spacious Extent of the Waters, and the Difference of its rowling Waves, that mount up fometimes to the Clouds, and then fall down again into a Bottom. And fuch as tra