Some Meditations for drooping Believers when death

TRA

is near.

TRAVELLERS, who have met with many storms, troubles, and dangers in their journies, rejoice when they come near their own country; and shall not I, a stranger and pilgrim, that hath been long wandering in a wilderness, be glad when I come near my blessed home, my dear friends, and eternal habitation?

It

With what cheerfulness do some women endure the pains of childbearing, being supported with the hope of a child's being born into the world? And what is the joy of a man-child being brought into this sinful and miserable world, to the joy of a sanctified soul's being brought out of it into heaven for ever. is pleasant when the hard winter goeth over, the messengers of the spring, the singing of birds doth come: and shall not I rejoice when sickness and forerunners of death do tell me, that the winter of my darkness and trouble is past, and the summer of my eternal light and joy is at hand?

What though death be the king of terrors? Is not glorious Christ the king of comforts? Have not I met already with this blessed king; and why should I fear to meet with the other? Olet my strength and support at this time come from Christ my covenanted Redeemer.

O Lord, deliver my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling! O bring me out of the miry clay, set my feet upon a rock, and establish my goings, and put a new song in my mouth, even praises to our God!

If Jacob went down so cheerfully into Egypt, when God had said unto him, "Fear not to go down, for I will go down with thee, and I will bring thee up again;" why should a believer fear to go down to the grave, when God hath undertaken to go down with him thither, and to bring him up again? His body may be turned into dust, but God is in covenant with

his dust, and will not suffer the least particle of it to be lost.

Are not the righteous taken away from the evil to come? Do they not rest on their beds, and enter into peace? Why then should I grudge at dying? When the Lord is to bring heavy wrath and judgments on a land, he frequently houseth many of his people in heaven before-hand; and how happy are these that get into the house before the sweeping hail-shower doth fall. A believer needeth not to look for any settled fair weather in this world: it will be nothing but one shower up and another down, till he be housed in heaven. O why then should I linger in this wil derness !

How highly dignified is the believer, in being made an heir of God, and a joint-heir with his own Son Jesus Christ! so that Christ and the believer do, as it were divide heaven betwixt them; they have the same Father, dwell in the same house, sit at the same table, reign on the same throne, and partake of the same glory. O what honour is this which is put upon a worm of the earth! It is, indeed, but little that the young heir enjoys of the inheritance while in this world; no more than will serve to bear his charges to heaven, where he shall get all, forget his present straits, and remember his poverty no more. O why then should not I, like a young heir, be looking and longing for the expiring of my minority, when I shall arrive at ripe age, and enter upon the full possession of the inheritance! O that I could send out faith and hope, these two faithful spies, to survey the promised land, or at least to visit the borders of my elder brother's country! What an encouraging report would they bring back! My glorious Lord is gone, he hath left the earth, and entered into his glory; my brethren and friends have many of them arrived there al

So.

How great is the difference betwixt my state and theirs! I am groaning out my complaints, but they are singing God's praise; I am in darkness, and can

not see God; but they are in light, and see him face to face. O my Lord, shall I stay behind, when they are gone? Should I be satisfied to wander in the wilderness, far distant from my Father and my God, when they are triumphing above, dividing the spoil? No; I will look still after them with a stedfast eye, and cry, O Lord, how long? I will wait now in hope, yea, rejoice in the forethoughts of the day, when my minority shall be expired, my pilgrimage finished, my banishment over, that I may get home to my country and friends above.

What though my days be dark and gloomy now, my winter be sharp and stormy? Why, it is but short, and near over; the eternal summer approacheth. The long day, the high sun, and the fair garden of my well-beloved, above these visible heavens, will quickly make amends for all. Let me get up by faith, and visit the new land, view the fair city, and behold the white throne, and the Lamb that sits thereon, that I may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.

Shall many of the heirs of wrath go singing and rejoicing to hell, and will an heir of God go drooping and sorrowing to heaven! Oh, let me not by my behaviour on a deathbed bring up a bad report upon Christ's good way, and the land which he hath purchased.

Have I such great and precious promises left me, and shall I not live and feed upon them in the time of my need? Shall I not trust the word of him that is faithful and true? Hath he not said to me, "When thou passeth through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burnt, neither shall the flames kindle upon thee !" When thy disciples were sore tossed with winds and waves, thou camest to them in the fourth watch of the night, walking on the waters; and when their fears were increased, thou saidst, "It is I, be not afraid." Thou rebukedst the winds, and there presently fol

lowed a great calm. My Redeemer's compassions continue: his bowels are not shut up this day, more than in the days of his flesh. "Jesus Christ is the

same to-day, yesterday, and for ever."

Ah! I have too little improven my acquaintance with precious Christ in the day of my life! How ready am I to misken and mistake him, when he changeth his dispensations towards me! Though I have been long at Christ's school, what small proficiency have I made in the work and mystery of faith! How little have I learned to believe in the dark, and to drop an anchor at midnight upon the rock of ages, and to look out for the dawning of the day!

Surely the day shall break, and the shadows flee away: my King cometh, my Well-beloved is on his way; he hath sent his letter before him to warn me of it, saying, "Behold I come quickly." O that, like the cold and wearied night-watch, I may be looking out for the appearing of the morning-star, and the breaking of the eastern sky; and may be still crying, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus; come quickly!"

Thou hast said, "Light is sown for the righteous, and gladness for all the upright in heart." Surely God's seed shall not lie always beneath the clods; the time is at hand, when it shall spring; and joyful will the crop be at last. O that, like David in affliction, I could encourage myself in the Lord my God, and say, "The Lord liveth, blessed be my rock!" Why should I droop, while my Lord liveth, and my rock standeth? My hopes may die, my comforts may die, my gifts die, my riches die, my relations die, and my body die; but, good news, "The Lord liveth, blessed be my rock." The disciples had a melancholy time while Christ was dead, and lying in the grave: but that sad time is over; he is now risen, and will die no more. Nay, he hath proclaimed it, for my comfort, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last; I am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold I am

alive for evermore, Amen, and have the keys of hell and death."

When my soul is cast down within me, let me remember God from the land of Jordan and the hill Mizar; that I may reason myself out of all my fears and discouragements; for yet the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the day-time; and in the night, his song shall be with me; and my prayer to the God of my life.

"Why then art thou cast down, O my soul, and why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God."

Now, when death is at hand, let not my Saviour be far off. He who remembered the dying thief, and spoke comfortably to him, let him now remember me when he is seated in his kingdom, and say to my soul,This day thou shalt be with me in paradise." When it is absent from the body, let it be present with the Lord. Let the angels now be ready to do their office, to carry my departing soul into Abraham's bosom. Let me now depart, that I may be with Christ; yea, be for ever with the Lord, that I may see his face. Let me dwell there, where they have no light, need no candle, nor light of the sun for ́ever! where God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying.

Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit. By the hands of him who hath redeemed it, let it be presented to thee without spot or wrinkle or any such thing.

An Addition of some further Meditations proper for any sick person in the view of death.

THE HE Lord is pleased sometimes to cast men down on beds of sickness, and draw the curtain betwixt the world and them, that they may take a view