The Consideration of the Death of Others

The consideration of the death of others j espeeiaUy of relations fiiendSi and acquaintance haw to be improved. What instructions we may learn by the sight of a dead carcase or a deatKs headj and the usual motto on it: and noheU by the death of holy persons, to quicken our desires to be as they.

Hath divine patience added one year more to the number of my days, when so many others were removed by death the last year? Others, whom a few months since I knew in vigorous health, wiser, stronger, more likely to live, and to answer the ends of life, than I; some of them my near relations and useful friends; in whose conversation I took delight, and promised myself advantage by their company and example; but they are taken, and I am left. Thy holy will, O Lord! is done! And they, who are prepared, are infinite gainers by this my loss* Quicken my preparations, by following their piety, to meet them in thy heavenly kingdom. Let thy long-sufiering lead me to repentance; and suffer me not to slight thy warning, by the death of others, to expect my own. Lord! cure my earthly-mindedness and practical unbelief; and, by all such admonitions of thy providence, teach me to possess and use this world, as knowing I must shortly leave it; and let not the thoughts of my mortality wear off as soon as the funeral of my friends is over.

Every year some or other of our acquaintance drop into the grave, we attend them thither, and lament, it may be, for a few days, their departure and removal; but consider not that others will, ere it be long, do the same for us; it may be before this year be ended. Oh! how soon do we forget our deceased friends, and ourselves, who are likewise dying! and count upon a long life, which we cannot reasonably expect; and hug the enjoyments of this transitory world, as if our present state would last for ever! Will nothing but our own dissolutbn effectually convince us of our mistake and folly in this particular!

Though the arrows of death fly continually round about us; sometimes over our heads, when superiors are taken away; sometimes fall at our feet, when children. And servants, and inferiors, die; sometimes on our left hand, when an enemy is cut off; and, while I am pleased with that, in that very hour, it may be, another arrow on our right hand strikes the friend of our bosom and delight. And can we see all this, that great and small, high and low, friends and foes, are all vanity, and drop down dead round about ua; and shall we not consider, that we are as vain as they, and must shortly follow! Shall we not, by a Christian chemistry, extract spirits out of these dead bones! and by these examples learn the end of all men, and lay it to heart!

Whenever I see the funeral of another, let roe think thus with myself: why might not I have been that man or woman that is now carried to the grave? if we had been compared a few days since, it is probable I should have been thought as likely to K«n been his monitor, by dying first, as he mine. By such an improvement of these warnings, the request of the rich man to Abraham was in a great measure granted; for it is a call from the dead that speaks loudly to us, to consider ourselves, and prepare in time for so great a change; and say, as the prophet to Hezekiah, “Set thine house in order, for thou shah die.”

Can we look upon a death’s head and not remember what we shall shortly be I May not much be learned from its common motto! “I am that which thou shalt shortly be, and have been that which thou art now:” that is, I have been as gay and jocund, as brisk and merry, as proud and train, as rich and great, as careless and secure, as honourable and as much esteemed, as beautiful and as well beloved, as witty and as learned, as thou art or canst be now. I valued myself as much upon my estate, and trade, and healthy and beauty, upon my education, profession, employments, parts, friends family, &c. as thou hast ever done, or canst do; I lived in ease and pleasure, in mirth and jollity; I minded the world as much, and indulged myself as much in sensuality, and was as careful of my body, pampered and pleased my flesh, as much as thou; and thought as little of a sudden death, and prepared as little for such a change, as thou dost: but now my dry bones are looked upon with contempt and scorn, but thou shalt shortly return to dust, and be as vile as I am.

It cannot but affect us, did we consider it, to see divers snatched away in their youth, and outward prosperity; and in the midst of their sin and folly, without any visible signs of true repentance, or in terrible anguish and horror for their past crimes; and jret how few do take the warning, carefully to prefent the like unhappiness I O Lord, preserve those strong convictions, those serious thoughts, those holy resolutions, those lively apprehensions, of the life to come, of the evil of sin, and the terrors of thy wrath, which the sight of dying persons hath at any time awakened in my soul! O the eloquence of a dying sinner, to persuade to repentance! even when be hath lost his speech, and lies. gasping, and trembling, on a bed of sickness; breathing out his last faint breath, and passing into the other world, to answer for the crimes and follies of a wicked life! Lord! revive those thoughts upon my soul, and let me feel the power and influence of them, in the hour of temptation, and in every time of need; and let the consideration of the death of believers, the blessedness they are thereby entered into, and the holiness they are possessed of, quicken my desires ind diligence to prepare to follow. When I think where they are, and what they are doing; what is their work, and what their state; what their continual employment, and what their enjoyments, and how different from ours; I cannot but wish to be with them, to be as they are, and do as they do; to know, and love, and praise God as they. They ire not hindered by such a clog as this body is to as; or tempted by their senses, appetite, and fancy, ;o sin against him; they complain not of a seducing lesh, unruly passions, low and disordered thoughts; of temporal afflictions, spiritual desertions, the snares pf the world, and the malice and subtlety of the devil; we, who are pilgrims and travellers, are exposed to these difficulties and storms, which they are freed from. They are now rejoicing in the light of God’s countenance, and shall never question his love more, while we are in tears and sorrows, groaning to be delivered.

But think, O my soul I that they were lately such as we are now. They were members of the militant church, before they entered into joy and triumph. They had their conflicts and difficulties, their hour of temptations and time of trial, as we have ours. They were slandered, and persecuted, and saddened, and disappointed, as their followers are. They went to heaven the same way, and got the victory after the same manner, by repentance, and faith, and humble persevering obedience. They were once imperfect as we are now; and complained of the body of sin and death, and strugglings of unmortified lust, as we do; and were sometimes in the dark about their interest in the promise, and walked heavily under the hiding of God’s face, and endured temptation, even as we. And as we have nothing to do, or suffer, but what they met with, we have the same encouragement that administered to their support; the same God and Saviour, the same way and rule, the same assistance, by the aids of his Holy Spirit, offered to us; the same promises, and the same rewards proposed which they enjoyed, first in faith and hope, and afterwards in fruition. Yea, they passed through the dark valley, and so must we; their earthly tabernacle was dissolved, and so must ours. We must expect to go the same way, to rest and glory, and wait God’s time for our admission. We must finish first the work which God hath for us to do and suffer, tod then all tears shall be wiped from our eyes; we shall grieve no more, we shall sin no more, but be as the angels in heaven, or as the spirits of the just made perfect.