DEARE Sisters , wee haue all beene a good while vpon our journey to our long home and there is none of vs which is not past , or at least come to the middle way of this journey , though wee were certaine that wee should fulfill the Age prescribed vnto Mankind . ( Psal. 90.10 . ) But of this it were folly for any of vs to promise or presume any thing : The terme of this our mortall life is vncertaine and vnknowne . Whosoeuer is most backward vpon this way by reason of yeares , may by the sudden stroke of Death get the start of his or her fellowes . Wee haue seene both of our neere Friends , as our Brother W. E. and Sister D. C. some good while since ; more lately , our Sister A. E. and these younger then our selues goe before on this way , whose staffe standeth next the doore wee know not . And certainly , Death hath giuen lowd bounces at some of our doores , who haue beene brought so neere vnto it that our recouery was beyond our owne and others hope : You will say , wherefore doe you write these things which wee all so well know ? Why , but to tell you all and my selfe that we must make better vse of these things then I feare wee yet haue done . It standeth vs vpon to labour our hearts , that wee may be touched with some deepe and serious sense of our mortall case , and not slightly to examine our selues how wee are fitted for that houre . It is an ordinary fashion for vs vpon the death of Friends or others , to breath out a sigh or two with some such words or wishes . Thus wee see what wee are , and whereto wee must , or God make vs ready for him : But I doubt our care to make tryall of our fitnesse and to make our selues fit doth vanish with our words , and is nothing but the smoake of a suddaine passion . But good Sisters , wee must know , that there is no trifling in a businesse of this nature . Death is an aduersary with whom perforce wee must grapple ; and a thing which first or last wee must vndergoe . And as once wee shall dye and that but once , so vpon that once dying doth depend our euerlasting weale or woe . Marriage , is said to bee a mighty thing ; which , wee are with much aduisement to thinke of ere wee attempt . For , oft our Wedding-day doth proue the first or last of all the good and pleasant dayes of our life ; but much more is it so with the day of our Death . For , haue wee beene vnhappie in our match ? If nothing else , at length Death will vntie the knot and release vs of that misery : but after Death no change or alteration of our estate can bee expected . Dye wee well ? wee are for euer ( as wee say ) made men ; nay , for euer blessed and glorious Saints in Heauen . Dye wee ill ? woe be vnto vs , that euer we were borne . Wee shall for euer bee out casts from the Blessed presence of GOD and companions with all Damned wretches and Diuels of Hell . Alas then ! that wee should make so light account of this houre : that wee should spend so few thoughts about it , and cast away so much of our precious time on other things of no moment . Would wee not hold him a very sot and idle fellow , who hauing some great businesse in hand whereon his whole Estate or his Life did depend ; neglecting that , should spend his time and money in walking London streets , seeing the Lyons , Beares , Exchange , and other Monuments of the Citie . Loe , what is this but our owne case ? There doth lye vpon vs the most weighty businesse that can bee ; and whereon doth stand our eternall Blisse or Misery ; namely , to bee ready for Death and to dye in the LORD . How doe wee forget our selues then , that letting this lye by the walls wee passe away our liues as a Dreame , and employ the most and best of our time and strength in walking the Streets , on the gawdy Toyes of the world , and hunting after the profits and pleasures of it , which at the last cast , when wee shall most need comfort , will stand vs in no stead , but rather adde , to our griefe and misery .

This is an errour which holy DAVID doth blame in mens courses , Psal. 39.7 . Doubtlesse , Man walketh in a shadow , ( or amidst shadowes ) and doth disquite himselfe in vaine ; hee heapeth vp riches and cannot tell who shall gather them . They are but fleeting shadowes and emptie shewes of good things rather then things truely good , with which men are deluded , pursuing them with much sweat and toyle , and vexing their soules with many feares and cares about them , but alas ! all in vaine . For , as they haue onely shadowes when they haue got them , so they cannot hold them , nor yet leaue and bestow them to whom they would .

But there is a Wisedome which MOSES the man of GOD doth desire , that hee might set his heart vpon , Psal. 90.12 . LORD teach mee so to number my dayes that I may apply my heart vnto Wisedome . And wherein standeth this , but in preparing our selues for Death ? And to say truth , this is the onely true Wisedome ; one dram whereof is more worth then all the carnall Prouidence and worldly Wit that is of such account with men , though it fill our Coffers with Gold and bring in worldly wealth aboue our hearts wish . The more that wee apply our hearts to this wisedome , and employ our time about it , the more wise and prouident shall wee proue to haue beene for our best good ; and the sooner wee doe see about it , so much the safer worke shall wee make for our Soules . Our Life is heere assigned vs to make ready for Death ; which if it were much longer and more certaine then it is , were yet at the shortest for such a businesse ; how much more in this shortnesse and vncertainty thereof ? This worke , then cannot bee too earely begun nor earnestly followed , which is of that great importance for our Eternall good or ill ; and for which , so short a time and that vncertaine is allotted vs . Heere then I desire you to goe along with mee , and wee will consider what is the best course to fit our selues for Death , and gather out of GODS Word ( which onely can instruct vs with this wisedome ) some Obseruations which by GODS assistance , may giue vs all some helpe and furtherance in this matter .

First , then it is a good step of preparation vnto Death thoroughly to vnderstand , that wee are fraile and mortall Creatures , with the cause from whence it springeth , that is Sinne , and the consequent thereof , namely , Eternall happinesse or miserie . MOSES doth take his rise heere and fetcheth this wisdome of making ready for Death from a serious apprehension of our Mortalitie . LORD , teach mee ( sayth hee ) so to number my dayes , &c. Psal. 90. What is this numbring of our dayes , but to haue a right vnderstanding , and to take a serious notice of our life how short and fraile it is ? Let vs know this and ponder vpon it with the circumstances therof , and it will excite vs to an industrious and constant care of Dying in the LORD ; whereof while wee haue little right knowledge & lesse thought , wee are both vnready , and carelesse to make ready for Death . It is a speciall part of that waking which our SAVIOVR doth pronounce Blessed , Luk. 12.37 . Blessed are those Seruants , whom the LORD when hee commeth shall finde waking . A man that is fallen into a sound sleepe doth not for the time know what his estate and case is , much lesse scanne and ponder it with himselfe . It is the waking man onely , who can and doth vnderstand the condition of his health , credit , and abilitie , and employ his thoughts about them to maintaine or amend the same . Wee may bee sure then that wee haue well shaken off that drowsie sleepe , wherein by Nature wee lye knowing little and minding lesse our mortall state , sinfull condition , GOD and the future Life , when wee begin duely to vnderstand , deepely apprehend and earnestly minde , among other Spirituall things , our fraile and mortall Nature , our sinne which hath brought vs vnder the dominion of Death , and the issue of it , which is ( as I said ) Eternall woe or happinesse . It is not a common thing thus to awake ; and rare is the man , that is endued with this vnderstanding of his Mortalitie . It is a mysterie not learned but in GODS Schoole , and that by the teaching of GOD himselfe onely . Wherefore else doth MOSES craue it of GOD , but that he was the onely teacher of it ? LORD , teach mee to number my dayes , &c. Psal. 90. And DAVID likewise , LORD , let mee know mine end and the measure of my dayes what it is , Psal. 39.4 . By humaine Arithmeticke men attaine to rare skill in numbring ; they learne to diuide , multiply , adde and substract , they are able to cast vp great summes and euen account infinite numbers : Geometrie doe teach men to measure Lands , to take the distance of Places , the height of Hills , and Towers ; yea by Art , men aduenture to define the Compasse of the Earth ; the breadth of Heauen ; the height and magnitude of Starres and Spheares . But there is no Art or skill that can teach vs aright to number our Dayes or measure our Life , but the Heauenly arithmeticke taught vs in Gods word ; no Master hath any faculty to instruct vs hereunto , but GOD himselfe , who must open this mysterie vnto vs & giue vs wisedome to apply our heart vnto it . Nature and Reason can giue vs but a slender view and shallow vnderstanding of this thing . What therefore is more common with vs , then to take a false measure of our life ? who of vs truely doth number his dayes ? We imagine all our life to bee of many elles length which is but of an hand bredth . Wee conceiue not perhaps that wee shall liue euer ; nor doe wee duely consider that wee may shortly and suddenly ; that wee must certainely Dye , and that to our euerlasting torment if we preuent it not . Children for want of discretion vnderstand nothing of their Mortalitie ; Young men who are in the floure and prime of their yeares , thinke that Death cannot yet bee neere them , and that it were but lost labour for them to thinke on it ; Men of more mature age encumbred with multitude of worldly businesse haue not leysure to consider of it .

And of Old men , none is so aged who is not perswaded , that hee shall or may liue yet a Yeare , a Moneth , a Weeke , or at least a Day longer . It will heere bee said , that Heathen men haue worthily discoursed of our Mortalitie . And who doth not acknowledge that he is Mortall ? I grant it , and cannot but admire the speeches which I finde in Heathen men , wanting the knowledge of GOD and of his Word touching this subiect . But how speake they hereof ? Much as a Grammer scholler , writing or declaiming on a Theme which hee doth not well vnderstand , vttereth many things wittily and pretily to the purpose ; but they are such things , as hee hath gathered out of some Authors or haue suggested vnto him by others , or fell from him at vnawares , more by hap ( as wee say ) then by cunning . Amongst many shafts shot by a blind man , it chancheth that some flye toward the marke . Wee haue read of some ignorant man who in a trance or sleepe haue spoken Latine and Greeke , made Verses , and talked of wonders , which for the present they minde not ; nor when they awake , are they able to call to minde . Such like is the Discourse of learned Heathen men concerning Mortalitie , which they learned rather by Ocular obseruation then Diuine instruction ; and of which they let fall some true and graue speeches , but without thorough apprehension or full vnderstanding of the point . For they had but a darke glimpse of that future state which ensueth Death ; and knew nothing of the true cause of this our vanitie and frailtie , which they pored after in the warre and contrarietie of the Elements , whereof our Body is framed ; but was truely in sinne that hath put emnitie betweene GOD and vs , and cut vs off from GOD which was our Life . And for the vulgar knowledge of our Mortalitie , what is it , but a fleeting fancie and swimming conceit , that maketh no deepe impression nor constant apprehension of Death and the issue of it in our hearts . It is with vs , as with a man viewing himselfe in a Glasse ( as Saint IAMES speaketh in another case ) who for the present doth see what his face and figure is , but vpon the turning of his backe doth forget it : Euen so , if some spectacle or speech of our mortalitie bee offered , wee entertaine some slight thought of it , of the nature and sequell thereof ; but in a moment it doth vanish and is shlipped out of memory ere it can take any firme footing in vs . Finally , there is a naturall knowledge of our Mortalitie gotten from experience of what wee see daily from the principles of nature , and literall instruction of the word . A carnall man doth attaine to this , but with no benefit while it doth shew to him onely the out-side of this mysterie and giue him but a slight view thereof that doth neuer enter his heart , nor enlarge it to a serious meditation of his fickle state . And there is a spirituall knowledge also of this thing , which doth lay open our Mortalitie with the circumstances of it to the full , and doth present to our mindes with such a cleere and constant view thereof , that wee cannot but thinke vpon it and lay it to our heart . An Image of it doth still stand before our eyes , and a silent voyce euer whispereth in our eares , that wee dwell in houses of Clay , haue our foundation in the dust , and perish from the Morning vnto the Euening , Job . 4.16.19 , 20. Whosoeuer hath gotten this vnderstanding , hee hath learned it of GOD , who awaking him out of the spirituall sleepe that oppresseth carnall men , hath giuen him eyes and senses to see beyond them and pry more exactly into the mysterie of Mortality , then they can do , who doe but superficially know and more slightly lay to heart their mortall case with the cause and issue of it . This then wee may resolue for certaine , that wee are in a good way of readinesse for Death , if once wee bee come to a thorough vnderstanding of these things and doe deeply ponder them . There is none of common sense , that doth know and take speciall notice of the comming of a friend or foe , and their intent therein that it is for his singular good or vtter vndoing , but will looke about him to bee in some readinesse to receiue the one and resist the other ; Euen so , if the LORD haue once well enformed our mindes of these things ( I meane the certaine comming of Death , the vncertaine time thereof , together with the blessed issue of a good end and miserable of a bad ) it will at once in some degree make vs ready for Death , and awake vs to a speciall care more and more , to prepare our selues . See touching this , a worthy passage in CALVINS Institutions , Lib. 3. cap. 9. sect. 2.

A second thing which will further vs in this worke , is to watch for , and against this houre of Death . If wee will not haue the day of the LORD come on vs as a Thiefe in the night , ( saith blessed PAVL . Thes. 5.8 . ) let vs not sleepe as others doe , but let vs watch and bee sober . And blessed is hee that watcheth , ( saith the Holy Ghost , Reuel. 16.15 . ) Watching is a word of larger sense in these and such places of Scripture . But by Watching I heere meane ( which sense is also in them included ) an expectation of Death , and such a one , as that wee looke for it euery moment , and make account that wee may , nay , that wee shall meete therewith wheresoeuer wee bee . The flocke is quickly wearied of the Woolfe , and the House is soone broken vp and spoyled of the Thiefe , if the Shepheard and Good-man of the house keepe not good watch against them . The Watch not well kept hath oft giuen an opportunitie to the Enemie to enter and sacke a Towne , to surprize an Armie , and cut the throates of the Souldiers sleeping : but , the Enemie which is well Watched , doth much the lesse hurt . Thus wee must make sure reckoning , that Death will take vs at some aduantage , and ouertake vs at vnawares to our vnspeakeable hurt , if wee set not a good and continuall spirituall Watch against him . As then the carefull Sentinell doth expect the Enemie all the night long , suspecting that if hee come not at one houre hee may come at another ; if not one way , yet another , and dareth not let sleepe to seaze on his eyes no not for a moment ; so are wee to bee in a like watchfull expectation of our Death at all times and places . Make wee account , that if hee haue vs not by the backe in our Child-hood , hee will in our Youth ; if hee baulke vs in youth , that wee shall heare of him in our riper Age ; if not then , yet surely in our Aged yeares . Doth hee spare you at home ? expect him abroad ; Are you layd in your bed ? looke for him there to disease you ; Feed you at your boord ? looke for him there to bee a guest with you ; Bee it day or night ; bee you alone or in company , in the field or in the Towne , at your sport or about businesse , let this bee your thought , heere may Death come and arrest me .

This hath beene the ruine of many men , that as sometime carelesse Souldiers stragling abroad without order or armour , presuming not to meete with any Enemy , haue beene caught in an ambush and cut off when they least expected ; so they not looking for Death then and there , haue beene set vpon at vnawares and taken away vnprepared as they were . It is then extreame folly for vs in any place or time to promise to our selues securitie from the stroke of Death ; an Enemy , that ( like the Iewes against PAVL ) hath vowed our destruction ; that will make no league or take no truce with vs ; that no brazen Tower can exclude , no Guifts winne , no Prayer intreat ; an Enemy that doth chase vs continually , sometime in visible forme , of open danger and sicknesse , sometime in an inuisible figure of secret perils and diseases ; that hath a thousand wayes to assault ; and as many weapons to kill vs , being neuer farre from vs , and oft neerer then we thinke of ; whose mortall stroke no fence can ward off , nor armour resist . What then can wee doe other ( if wee will doe wisely ) but euer meditate of our Death and expect it alwayes ? Euen as well in the Prime of our yeares as the Winter of our age ; in Health as Sicknesse ; at a Banquet and in the middest of our mirth , as in a Battaile and amongst the carkasses of dead , and cryes of dying men .

Yea , but ( you will say ) this will marre all our mirth . For who can laugh and bee merry , if his heart bee euer taken vp with the sad memory of Death ; and such a ghastly Image bee still before his eyes . It may bee that this meditation will indeed quell and coole our Carnall mirth , which wee take in laughing , gaming , dauncing , and such outward things : And if it doe so , farewell such mirth . Some affirme of Oxymel a syrupe pleasantly tart , compounded of Water , Honey , and wine Vineger boyled together , that where Flegme doth abound , it auayleth prettily to extenuate and cleanse it away ; but if that bee wanting , it preyeth on the substance and strength it selfe of Nature ; and the frequent vse of it rotteth the Teeth , dulleth the Sight , hurteth not seldome the Stomacke , alwayes the Sinewes : It may bee then wholesome as a medicine , to them that are circumspect in the vse of it ; but it is ineuitably hurtfull to them , that turne it into a vsuall food : Euen so this worldly mirth is highly prized , and praised as a soueraigne medicine to preserue our bodily health , and to put ouer sorrowes and qualmes off the heart , wherein also perhaps it may doe somewhat , wisely and warily vsed ; but it is perillous , yea pernicious , to the sound state of our better part , our Soule , I meane ; chiefely , if it bee followed as a Trade and taken vp as a dayly Diet. For what doth it but steale our hearts from GOD , our time from his seruice , make the Diuell a faire way to ensnare vs , and giue Death an opportunitie to seaze vpon vs at vnawares . And then what commeth of all our merriment and sport , but euerlasting woe and lamentation ? As CHRIST hath it in Luke , 6.25 . Woe bee vnto you that laugh ; for you shall mourne and lament . No good seed doth prosper in ground that is too ranke and rich ; Nor is there any place in an heart disposed onely to this Carnall mirth , for godly sorrow , true repentance , feruent and frequent prayer , serious meditation of GODS Word , nor finally , for this serious Spirituall wisedome , in making ready for Death ; of which the heart carnally merry , cannot endure the sight or thought . Anger or griefe ( saith SALOMON Eccles. 7.5 . ) is better then laughter ; for by a sad Countenance the heart is made better . Our Children learne not most where they laugh most , and haue most sport and play . The best Schoole for learning is a place of sober and moderate Discipline , to restraine Children from wanton liberty and sometime to make them smart for it , and other faults . So the schoole of CHRIST , where wee are to learne true wisedome , is not the House of mirth and feasting , but of godly sorrow and mourning . Wee shall then sustaine no losse , if by this meditation of Death wee leese and abate any thing of this worldly mirth , which is the bane of our soules health . But for our true spirituall Ioy in GOD it will further that , making vs so much the more to minde and seeke heauenly things to solace our hearts in the hope of them , to hasten our repentance , and labour for the assurance of a life more stable and certayne , by how much the more wee minde the vncertainty and end of this our Mortall life , and all the comforts of it . And as for lawfull and Christian solace in outward blessings , it will not hinder that , but direct and keepe it within compasse , that it bring not an obliuion of GOD and better things on vs , and a securitie in the neglect of our saluation and the meanes thereof . It is not briefely the Christian expectation of Death , that will marre our good and honest mirth , but a seruile feare thereof , and vnreadinesse for it . The more that wee shall in a Christian sort expect Death , the more ready shall wee bee for it , and the lesse shall wee stand in feare of it . As a man forewarned , is thereby also well fore-armed ; so a godly expectation of Death , is a good degree of preparation thereunto .

In the third place , this wee must take heed of , that wee bee not farre engaged into the world , nor deepely plunged into the affaires of it , if wee will bee in a readinesse for Death . The approach of the Enemy and the allarme vnto the Battaile , is vnwelcome and heauy newes vnto a Souldier , who is turned Merchant , that hath great Trade by Land and Sea , hath got his houses full of Merchandize and Coffers of money ; or is become a iolly Farmer , hauing about him a great stocke of Corne or Cattle ; And so will Death bee vnto vs , if wee keepe our hands full of worldly businesse , and haue our hearts set on the cares and pleasures thereof . No man ( sayth PAVL , 2. Timoth. 2.4 . ) that goeth on Warre-fare is intangled with the businesses of this Life , that hee may please him which hath chosen him for a Souldier . It is a speciall point of a good Souldier , to bee alway ready at his Captaynes call , bee it neuer so sodaine . Such a one will therefore keepe himselfe free from other imployments , that all times hee may attend his Captaynes pleasure in going whether hee shall send him , and doing what hee shall Command . What are wee , but GODS Souldiers vnder IESVS CHRIST our Generall ? whom to please ought to bee our speciall care ; and to that end must wee keepe our hearts and hands free from the intanglements of this worlds affaires and delights , that wee may at all times bee ready for whatsoeuer seruice hee shall put vs to , bee it to hazard our liberty , credit , or wealth , for his names sake ; or at his call though very suddaine , to lay downe and giue vp our liues . Surely , to meddle farre with worldly matters and hamper our selues , with them , must needes bee a maine impediment to this readinesse . For these cares and pleasures , if once they insinuate into vs , will so intrench themselues in our heart , that it will not bee easie to expell them : Nay , they will justle out of place or much hinder this most speciall and greatest care to make ready for Death , drowning all thought thereof by their continuall buzzing in our hearts and eares ; and taking away our time by worldly employments , which they will one after another without rest put vpon vs . Good-fellowes ( as they are misnamed ) and Ruffians , cannot brooke the presence of sober and ciuill men ; nor will they admit of such into their Chamber where they intend to bee frolike and merrie ; or at least will not rest till they haue thrust them out of doores , if by chance they bee amongst them . As ill can worldly cares and pleasures consist and agree with spirituall and religious , which they will eyther greatly disturbe , or vtterly , put out of place , as whose fellowship is vnpleasing to them . Nay , to say truth , godly thoughts and purposes cannot thriue and grow vp to their maturitie , among worldly cares and pleasures , Which as Thornes and Bryers ouershadow and choake vp the good seed of GODS Word , sowen in the Hearts of men . Luk. 8.14 . Besides , this vnspeakeable mischiefe , how vnwilling doe they make vs to depart this Life , when our time approacheth . O Death ( saith one ) how bitter is thy remembrance , to a man that hath pleasure in his Riches ? But how much more terrible is the presence it selfe of Death to such a one ? Did not the backwardnesse of the Guests which were inuited to the Kings wedding Feast come from hence , euen from their worldly cares , pleasures , and businesse ? One , had a Farme which hee must needes goe out and see ; Another , had a yoake of Oxen to proue ; A third , had married a Wife , whom hee must Wayte on and a Family growing on him which hee must care for . Luk. 14.18 . &c. Thus , for one thing or other , none could finde leasure or get their goodwils to come vnto the Feast ; that is , to embrace the Gospell of IESVS CHRIST . From the sound profession whereof , if worldly profits and pleasures , doe keepe vs , when yet it doth permit vs soberly to vse and enioy the same ; much more will they make vs vnwilling to dye , when wee must leaue all such things , and appeare before our Iudge Almightie GOD , to giue account how wee haue gotten and vsed them . Is it not an ordinary complaint of men , that Death doth come too soone vpon them ? And whence growes it , but hereof , that they are too much ensnared and entangled with the World ? For , what doth the Young-man complaine of , but that hee is taken away in the flowre of his yeares , before hee doth know the world , and haue thoroughly tasted the pleasures of it ? And what doth the Elder alledge , but that hee dyes in the middest of much businesse , and hottest pursuite of his game ? The one could bee content ( hee thinkes ) to dye , if hee had well satisfied himselfe with the delights and pleasures of the world : and the other , if hee had brought about the world to his minde , for his Wife and Children . It is then a great let vnto our readinesse , to remoue hence when wee step too farre into the world , and hamper our selues with the affaires thereof . Wherein also wee are deceiued by a vaine confidence , that wee can at our pleasure and on short warning , vnwinde our selues from these intanglements , and rid our hands of them .

But how , alas ! was poore SAMPSON beguiled with this conceit ? When suffering DALILAH to shaue off his lockes against his vow , and to fetter him , hee thought , as at other times ; the Philistims assailing him , to breake all and free himselfe , but the Lord , beside his expectation , being gone from him , he was not able so to doe , but was taken prisoner by them , and his eyes being put out , he became a drudge to grinde in prison , and a May-game vnto his enemies . No lesse feare is there that they who suffer themselues to bee intangled and fettered with worldly occasions shall finde it much harder to cleere themselues then they imagined . For earthly cares and pleasures are very heauy stuffe and presse downe , yea , oppresse such soules as vndertake them , Luk 21.34 . And they doe further beside their weight , beset vs with such cunning , and hang so fast vpon vs as it is , Heb. 12.1 . that wee cannot escape from them and shake them off at pleasure . If wee haue made them our familiars in our health , they will not in sicknesse be cast off , but like importunate companions , will then hang about vs , presse vpon vs , hinder our best consultations about our last passage , distract our thoughts to thinke and dispose of them , and dull our spirits that wee shall not be able to pray , to receiue , and apprehend any spirituall instructions and comforts , or constantly and cheerefully to meditate on the future life . As a poore bird caught in a snare at vnawares feedeth securely , not mistrusting her owne freedome ; vntill vpon the sight of the Fowler shee assailing to flye away , findeth her selfe to hang fast , and that the more shee struggleth and fluttereth to get loose , the more she doth intangle her selfe , and so beating her selfe to extreme wearinesse , shee at length falleth into the Fowlers hands : Euen so our soules being entangled with cares and pleasures , as it were snares , wee all the time of our health nothing doubt , but that wee are free enough , vntill that vpon the approach of Death when wee would get loose , wee finde our soules so fast hung and fettered , that with all their struggling and contention they cannot escape , but , vnlesse God of singular mercy set them free , they become a prey to death , and to him that hath the power of death ; that is , the Deuill . The Lord therefore giue vs wisedome to keepe our hearts free from these snares , to haue our conuersation without couetousnesse , and to be content with things present : The Lord teach vs to keepe within compasse , that wee doe not ouerload our hearts and heads with worldly cares , nor out of an inordinate loue of the world , thrust and ingage our selues further thereinto then that with ease and at the first call , wee may retire . It were an happy thing for vs ( I am sure ) if wee would imbrace that good aduise of St. Paul , 1 Cor. 7. that is , hauing wife and children , to bee as if wee had none : Hauing bought or otherwise gotten large reuenewes , to be as if wee possessed no such thing , and to vse the world as those that did not vse it , or would not abuse it . Whatsoeuer comforts , as wife , children , wealth , credit , dignity , GOD shall beslow vpon vs , there is no doubt but that hee doth allow vs to vse them as some solace to vs in this land of our Pilgrimage ; occasions of honest labour and trauaile : and furtherances of doing good and our better seruing him . But such a loose affection ought wee alway to carry toward them , that the inordinate loue of them doe neyther cause vs to make any breach in our Conscience to get or keepe them , nor to encumber our selues with worldly businesse while wee heere sojourne ; nor at GODS summons to bee vnwilling eyther to hazard them all for the Truths sake , or by Death to goe away from them all . Nay , such ought to bee the disposition of our heart toward these earthly Comforts , that when Death doth warne vs it should bee all one with vs as if wee had none of them ; and no lesse ready should wee bee to leaue our best contentments and fairest hopes , to goe vnto the LORD , then if our life were wholly voyde and destitute of them ; yea , were full of troubles and afflictions .

The fourth thing which will specially prepare vs for Death , is , to looke hereunto , that wee bee alway in a Spirituall manner well cloathed and armed from top to toe . The armed Souldier is ready for the skirmish vpon short warning , and the better hee is appointed , with the more courage doth hee enter the Field . If a man bee ready girt and fully cloathed , you may dispatch him away on a suddaine journey ; which , a naked man or halfe-apparelled cannot vndertake , but vpon greater leysure .

So heere , if wee haue our Spirituall cloathing and armour euer well girt and closely buckled vnto vs , wee shall neuer bee vnready for this battaile , nor vnfit to take our journey hence vpon the shortest warning .

To speake somewhat of them in seuerall . Behold , J come as a Thiefe , sayth our Sauiour CHRIST , Reuel. 16.15 . And what then ? Why ? Blessed is hee that watcheth and keepeth his garments , that hee walke not naked and men see not his filthinesse . Bee CHRISTS comming ; bee our Death neuer so suddaine , there is no feare of our well doing , if wee keepe our garments about vs to couer our nakednesse , and hide our filth from GODS eyes .

Now , what these Garments bee wee are told Reuel. 19.7 , 8. The marriage of the Lambe is come and the Bride hath made her ready ; And it is giuen her that shee should bee cloathed with Linnen pure and shining . And what is this pure and shining Linnen ? It is as there followeth , The righteousnesse of the Saints . Righteousnesses ( sayth the Scripture ) not Righteousnesse onely . For it is a double garment wherewith wee must bee clad . One is an inner garment , so to call it , that is the righteousnesse of Faith ; namely , CHRISTS righteousnesse , Obedience , and Merits , reckoned ours by GOD , and apprehended by Faith . The other is an outer garment , that is , The righteousnesse of a good Life through the sanctification of the Spirit , that doth renew vs to the loue , knowledge , and feare of GOD , and ingender in vs a generall and constant care and purpose to walke in the wayes of GOD.

These are the Wedding garments , these the pure and shining rayments of the Christian soule ; with the which , who so is apparelled , as a Bride beeing richly decked in her Wedding habite , is ready to consummate the marriage with her dearest Bridegroome ; for is hee alwayes in readinesse to goe hence and appeare before the LORD in the Heauens . For , there is no good vse , which our garments performe vnto our Body , which this spirituall rayment doth not richly performe vnto our Soule . Our garments , first , are couers for our nakednesse to hide our vnseemely parts and secret deformities , from the view of men ; secondly , they keepe vs warme , and defend vs from Winters cold , sharpe blasts , and other annoyances of the weather ; thirdly , they distinguish and put a difference betweene Nations , Sexes , and Degrees of men . So one is the habit of the French , another of the Dutch ; one of the Woman , another of the Man ; one of the Gentleman , another of the Yeoman . Lastly , they doe serue to decke and adorne our persons by their comely shew , procuring vs acceptance , and adding to our respect before men .