whose shall all these Things be? Death will shortly close thy Eyes, and then thou fhalt not so much as fee the God thou worshippeft; the Earth fhall fhortly cover thee, and then thou shalt have thy Mouth and Belly full of Clay and Duft. Such Thoughts as thefe will cool our Defires to this prefent World; will make us.contented when we have enough, and very charitable and liberal of what we can fpare: For what should we do with more in this World, than will carry us through it? What better and wiser Ufe can we make of fuch Riches as we cannot carry with us into the other World, than to return them thither before-hand in Acts of Piety and Charity, that we may receive the Rewards and Recompence of them in a better Life? That we may make to ourselves Friends of the Mammon of Unrighteousness, that when we fail, they may receive us into everlasting Habitations.

When he finds his Mind begin to fwell, and to increase as his Fortune and Honours do; Lord, thinks he, what a Bubble is this! which every Breath of Air can blow away? How vain a Thing is Man in his greatest Glory, who appears gay and beautiful, like a Flower in the Spring, and is as foon cut down and withered! Though we fhould meet with no Change in our Fortune here, yet we fhall fuddenly be removed out of this World; the Scene of this Life will change, and there is an End of earthly Greatnefs. And what a contemptible Mind is that which is fwelled with dying Honours, which looks big indeed, as a Body does which is fwelled out of all Proportion with a Dropfy, or Tympany; but that is its Difeafe, not a natural Beauty. What am I better than the pooreft Man who begs an Alms, unless I be wifer and more virtuous than he? Can Lands and Houses, great

Places

Places and Titles; Things which are not ours, and which we cannot keep, make fuch a mighty Difference between one Man and another? Are thefe the Riches? Are these the Beauties and Glories of a Spirit? Are we not all of the fame Mould? Is not God the Father of us all? Muft we not all die alike, and lie down in the Duft together? And can the different Parts we act in this World, which are not fo long as the Scene of a Play, compared to an eternal Duration, make fuch a vaft Difference between Men? This will make Men humble and modeft in the highest Fortune, as minding them, that when they are got to the Top-round of Honour, if they keep from falling, yet they muft be carried down again, and laid as low as the Duft.

Thus when he finds the Body growing upon the Mind, and intoxicating it with the Love of fenfual Pleasures, he remembers that his Body muft die, and all thefe Pleasures muft die with it; that they are indeed killing Pleafures, which kill a mortal Body before its Time; that it does not become a Man who is but a Traveller in this World, but a Pilgrim and Stranger here, to ftudy Eafe and Softnefs and Luxury; that a Soul which muft live for ever, fhould feek after more lafting Pleafures, which may furvive the Funeral of the Body, and be a Spring of ravishing Joys, when he is ftripped of Flesh and Blood. These are the Thoughts which the Confideration of Death will fuggeft to us, as I have already fhewed you. And it is impoffible for a Man, who has always thefe Thoughts at Hand, to be much impofed on by the Pageantry of this World, by the tranfient Honours and Plea fures of it.

It is indeed, I think, a very impracticable Rule which fome Men give, To live always as if we

were

were to die the next Moment. Our Lives fhould always be as innocent, as if we were immediately to give up our Accounts to God; but it is impoffible to have always thofe fenfible Apprehenfions of Death about us, which we have when we fee it approaching. But though we cannot live as if we were immediately to die, (which would put an End not only to all innocent Mirth, but to all the neceffary Business of the World, which I believe no dying Man will concern himself for) yet we may, and we ought to live as thofe who muft certainly die, and ought to have thefe Thoughts continually about us, as a Guard upon our Actions. For whatever is of fuch mighty Confequence to us, as Death is, if it be certain, ought always to give Laws to our Behaviour and Converfation.

2dly, If it be certain we muft die, the very first Thing we ought to do in this World, after we come to Years of Understanding, should be to prepare for Death, that whenever Death comes, we may be ready for it.

This, I confess, is not according to the Way of this World; for dying is ufually the last Thing they take Care of. This is thought a little unfeafonable, while Men are young and healthful, and vigorous. But befides the Uncertainty of our Lives, and that it is poffible while we delay, that Death may feize on us before we are provided for it; and then we must be miserable for ever; [which I fhall speak to under the next Head] I doubt not but to convince every confidering Man, that an early Preparation for Death, is the very beft Means to make our Lives happy in this World, while we do continue here. Nor fhall I urge here, how a Life of Holiness and Virtue, which is the best and only Preparation for Death, tends to make us happy in

this World, delivers us from all thofe Mischiefs which the Wildnefs and Giddinefs of Youth, and the more confirmed Debaucheries of riper Years, expofe Men to: For this is properly the Commendation of Virtue, not of an early Preparation for Death. And yet this is really a great Engagement and Motive to prepare betimes for Death, fince fuch a Preparation for Death will put us to no greater Hardfhips and Inconveniencies, than the Practice of fuch Virtues as will prolong our Lives, preferve or increase our Fortunes, give us Honour and Reputation in the World, and make us beloved both by God and Men. But fetting afide thefe Things, there are two Advantages of an early Preparation for Death, which contribute more to our Happinefs than all the World befides. 1. That it betimes delivers us from the Fears of Death, and confequently from most other Fears. 2. That it fupports us under all the Troubles and Calamities of this Life.

1. It betimes delivers us from the Fears of Death: And indeed it is then only a Man begins to live, when he is got above the Fears of Death. Were Men thoughtful and confiderate, Death would hang over them in all their Mirth and Jollity,. like a fatal Sword by a fingle Hair; it would four all their Enjoyments, and ftrike Terror into their Hearts and Looks. But the Security of moft Men is, that they put off the Thoughts of Death, as they do their Preparation for it: They live fecure and free from Danger, only because they will not open their Eyes to fee it. But thefe are fuch Examples as no wife Man will propose to himself, because they are not fafe. And there are fo many Occafions to put thefe Men in Mind of Death, that it is a very hard Thing not to think of it; and when

ever they do, it chills their Blood and Spirits, and draws a black melancholy Veil over all the Glories in the World. How are fuch Men furprized when any Danger approaches? When Death comes within View, and fhews his Scythe, and only fome few Sands at the Bottom of the Glafs? This is a very frightful Sight to Men who are not prepared to die: And yet fhould they give themselves Liberty to think in what Danger they live every Minute, how many thousand Accidents may cut them off, which they can neither foresee nor prevent; Fear and Horror, and Confternation would be their conftant Entertainment, till they could think of Death without Fear; till they were reconciled to the Thoughts of dying, by great and certain Hopes of a better Life after Death.

So that no Man can live happily, if he lives like a Man with his Thoughts and Reafon and Confideration about him, but he who takes Care betimes to prepare for Death and another World. Till this be done, a wife Man will fee himself always in Danger, and then he muft always fear. But he is a happy Man, who knows and confiders himfelf to be mortal, and is not afraid to die. His Pleafures and Enjoyments are fincere and unmixed, never disturbed with a Hand-writing upon the Wall, nor with fome fecret Qualms and Mifgivings of Mind, he is not terrified with prefent Dangers, at least not amazed and diftracted with them. A Man who is delivered from the Fears of Death, fears nothing elfe in Excess but God. And Fear is so troublesome a Paffion, that nothing is more for the Happiness of our Lives than to be delivered from it.

2. As a Confequence of this, an early Preparation for Death will fupport Men under all the Troubles and Calamities of this Life. There are: fo many Troubles which Mankind are exposed to

in