pects we should act like reasonable Creatures; and therefore does not think fit to give us Notice of a Change, for which we ought always to be preparing. For this Reafon, if the Certainty of another World, and the Uncertainty of our Stay in this, be not enough to turn Men's Thoughts to Serioufnefs and Religion; He will not try whether the certain. Knowledge of the Time, when we shall pafs from one into the other, will influence them. more. That we may die in a Moment, and that thousands do fo, is Reafon enough to engage us always to expect and prepare for it. And if we will venture we must take our Chance, and not, if we mifcarry, lay the Blame upon God for not giving us Warning. SERM, And from hence the Transition is very eafy to the ill Confequences of the other Cafe just now supposed, viz. of a Man's being certainly affured that he fhould live to be old. For if the uncertain Hopes and Expectations of long Life ruin fo many Men; what would the certain Knowledge of it do? Would not a Man that was apprized that he had still threefcore Years to come, have too much Temptation to indulge himself in Sin, upon the Profpect of having fo much Time before him, in which he may repent? Add to this, that XVI. SERM. fuch a Certainty and Affurance of a Man's living long, would deftroy one of the most principal and prevailing Motives he could have to Virtue and Religion. For the moft fenfible and affecting Arguments in this Cafe are those which in my last I had Occafion to mention, viz. The Wicked fhall not live out half their Days; and The Fear of the Lord prolongeth Days, but the Years of the Wicked fhall be shortened. Thefe Promifes and Threatnings would have no Effect, should God once fuffer Men to know how long they have to live, and at what time they shall certainly die. Add again, That such Certainty, as we are fuppofing, of a long Life to come, would fruftrate and render ineffectual and vain all the Methods and Designs which Providence makes Use of for the reclaiming of Sinners. Plague, Peftilence or Famine, the ftrongest Judgments he could inflict on Mankind, would have no Influence upon Perfons who are beforehand fure of efcaping them. Nor would Sickness or Misfortunes prevail with those who are aware that they shall live to recover and furvive them. In a Word, whilft we are uncertain how long or short our Lives may be, we have always a Motive to continual Watchfulnefs, that we may be al ways 1 ways in a Readiness for a Change that we do not know how foon may happen: But to know of a Certainty when we fhall die, would be of Ufe to none of us; i. e. of no good Ufe, but would perhaps increase our Wickednefs here, and our Damnation hereafter. May none of us therefore be follicitous and uneafy for a Knowledge which would very probably undo us; but rather let us adore the Goodnefs of God, for concealing from us what would be the Occafion of fo much Harm, Having thus gone through the feveral Points I proposed to speak to from my Text; Let us now see what practical Ufes may be made of it. And the first and leading Subject of my Difcourfe, which was to prove that we are destined to die but once, is a Subject that may very fuccefsfully be applied both to comfort and inftruct us. By way of Comfort, it adminifters Confolation against the melancholy Thoughts which are apt to arife from the Confideration of the Multiplicity of Deaths and Difafters to which Human Nature is continually expofed: When we look over a weekly Bill of Mortality, or visit the various Wards of an Hofpital, or hear of the diffeBb 4 rent SER M. SER M. rent and difmal Accidents that fometimes beXVI: fall our Acquaintance or Friends: We are apt to shrink and shudder at every particular Cafe, for fear it fhould be our own. But if we remember the Admonition in my Text, all this Dread will be needlefs and vain. For of all the different and various Kinds of Deaths we know, we are fure there can be but one for any particular Perfon: Dying is an Act to be done but once; and once well done we are happy for ever. Thus the Text and the Doctrine drawn from it, fpeaks to us, if attended to, by way of Confolation. But by way of Inftruction it is ftill much more weighty and important. For if Death comes but once, and that once is for Eternity; of how great Confequence is it to us all, to be well prepared and armed beforehand that once to die well. Who then would ever live in fuch Manner, as that Death, when it comes may be faid to furprize him? Who on the contrary would not be always in a Readiness for a Change that may at once, and without Warning, put him into an everlasting and an unalterable State either of Happiness or Mifery? But fecondly, fince the Number of Days that we are to pafs in this World, is in fome Measure 3 XVI. Measure left to our own Management and SERM. |