CHAP. XXIII.

Of the Meditation of Death.

"T"

HERE will very quickly be an end of thee here: See thou behave thy felf after another manner. To day the man is, to morrow. he is not feen. And when he is once out of fight, he is foon out of mind too. O the dulnefs and hardnefs of man's heart, to think only of things prefent, and to have no more forefight nor regard to the things that are to come! So oughteft thou to carry thy felf in every action and every thought, as if thou wert to die this very day. If thou hadft a good confcience, thou wouldst not much fear Death. It were better to avoid fin than to flee Death. If thou art not prepar'd to day, how doft thou propofe to be fo to morrow? To morrow is an uncertain day; and how knoweft thou, that thou fhalt live till to morrow?

II. What availeth it to live long, fince we are amended fo little? Alas, length of days does not always make us better, but often adds only to the number of our fins. Would to GOD we had lived in this world,

as

as we fhould do, tho' it were but one day! Many count years from the day of their converfion; yet oftentimes the fruit of their amendment is but flender. If it be terrible, to die, perhaps it may be more dangerous to live longer. Happy the man, that hath the hour of his Death conftantly before his eyes, and that composes himself for dying every day.

III. If thou haft at any time feen another man depart this life, confider that thou alfo muft pafs the fame way. When it is morning, think thou mayft not live till the evening. And when evening is come, prefume not to promise thy felf another morning. Be thou therefore always in a readiness, and fo live, that Death may never find thee unprepared. Many die fuddenly and upon furprize; for in fuch an hour as ye think not, the Son of man cometh. When that last hour is come, thou wilt begin to have a quite different fenfe of all thy life paft; and thou wilt be exceedingly grieved for having been fo negligent and remifs.

IV. O the happinefs and wifdom of that man, who makes it his bufinefs to be fuch now while he liveth, as he defires to be

found when he comes to die! For a perfect contempt of the world, a zealous defire of improving in virtue, the love of dif cipline, the labour of penitence, readiness of obedience, felf-denial, and the patient enduring of any crofs and affliction whatever for the love of Chrift, will give a man a great affurance of a happy life after Death. Thou mayft do many good works, whilft thou art in health; but when thou art sick, I fee not what thou art able to do. Few are better'd, and amended by a fick bed; în like manner as great Pilgrims feldom become great Saints.

V. Depend not upon friends and relations, neither do thou put off the care of thy foul to after-times: Because men will forget thee fooner, than thou mayft imagine. It were better to provide now in time, and to fend thy good works before thee, than to reft upon the help of others after thou art gone. If thou art not concern'd for thy felf now, who will be concern'd for thee hereafter? Now are the moments exceeding precious: Now is the day of falvation: Now is the feafon of acceptance. But oh! That thou fhouldeft not

2 Cor. vi. 2.

employ

employ this time more profitably, wherein it is in thy power to gain eternal life! A time will come, when thou wilt with for one day, one hour to amend in; and whether thou wilt obtain it, I know not.

VI. Awake then, my dearest Brother, awake and confider, from what a mighty danger thou mayft deliver thy felf; from what a horrible fear refcue thy felf, by living in fear at prefent, and in a conftant expectation of Death. Make it thy bufinefs now fo to live, that at the hour of Death thou mayft have more reason to rejoice than to fear. Learn how to die to the world, that thou mayft then begin to live with Chrift. Learn now to defpife all things, that thou mayft then have no incumbrances, but be at prefect liberty to mount up to Jefus. Chaftife thy body now by penance, to the end thou mayft then have an affured confidence.

VII. Ah fond man! Why doft thou flatter thy felf with the thoughts of living long, when thou canst not promise thy felf fo much as one day here? How many poor fouls have been deluded with this hope, and hurried out of the body, when they feast ex.

In the original Latin: To merit eternal life.

pected

pected it? How often haft thou been furpriz'd with the news of fuch an one being run through; another drowned; a third breaking his neck by a fall; a fourth fallen down dead at table, or choaked with his meat; a fifth making his exit at play; a fixth perifhing by fire; a feventh by the fword; an eighth by plague; a ninth by the hand of a high-way-man? And thus the end of all is Death, and the life of man passeth away fuddenly like a fhadow.

VIII. Who is it that will remember thee after thou art dead and gone? And who is it that will pray for thee? Be doing, be doing now, my dearest friend, whatever thy hand findeth to do; because thou knowest not when thou fhalt die, nor yet what will befall thee after Death. Whilft thou haft opportunity, be gathering up a treasure of durable and undecaying riches. Think of nothing but thy own falvation: Be conthings of GOD. Make to thy-felf friends now, by reverencing the Saints of GOD, and imitating their actions, that when thou faileft, they may receive thee into everlasting habitations. IX. Keep thy felf as a Stranger and Pil

cerned only for the 4

a Luke xvi. 9.