go out; that we have as much Caufe to be afflicted with the Day of our Birth, as with the Day of our Death; that Humanity and Immortality are not confiftent; that Death is a Tribute we all owe to Nature; that the Kings and greatest Monarchs are forced to pay it, as well as the meaneft Subjects, and that this is fuch an univerfal Law, that it admits of no Exception.

But these kinds of Comforts increase our Trouble, and add to our Affliction. I have therefore good Reafon to speak to thefe grave Philofophers in Job's Language to his troublesome Friends, Miferable Comforters are ye all. For in Truth, they do not only fearch the Wound to the Quick, without any Application of an healing Plaister, but they alfo tear and widen it, inflame and render it far more grievous. When we are in Hopes of feeing an End to our Calamities, our Mind is comforted, and arms itself with Conftancy and a patient Refolution; but when we see ourselves caft into an Abyss of Evil, and that no Hopes appear of getting out, we are then overwhelmed with Grief and Despair. It is a lamentable Thing to be born to die, but it is far more lamentable and grievous to know that Death is not to be avoided, that all the Treasures of the World cannot free us from it. For his Affliction is the greatest whose Misery cannot be cured.

This alfo is a falfe and deceitful Maxim, That the Comfort of the Miferable is to have Companions in Mifery., Though many Thousands drink together of the Waters of Marah, they feem no lefs bitter. And although thou shouldst be burnt in a Fire where many are confumed, thou fhalt not find there a more easy Abode. Thy Neighbour's Grief does not leffen thy Affliction; their Sickness cannot restore to thee Health, nor their Death comfort thee against the Approaches of thine own. On the contrary, if thou haft any Senfe of Humanity, thou wilt weep for their Mifery and thine together. It is that which great Xerxes, King of Perfia, practifed; for upon Review of his

numerous

numerous Army, in which there were 1 100000 Men, he confidering that within an Hundred Years fo many brave Captains and Soldiers would be rotting in their Graves, was moved with Compaffion and wept I mention not here the bruitish and foolish Opinion of fuch as imagine that Man's Soul is mortal, and perishes with the Body. This Confideration brings no Comfort, but brings us into an irrecoverable Despair. For befides the Torments of Hell-fire, there is nothing that can be imagined more dreadful than a Reducement to a Non-Entity.

It is also needless to mention the Platonists, who have discoursed of the Soul's Immortality, and of its Bleffedness after this Life. They imagine themselves very acute and fubtle; but their Difcourfes of this Matter are fo gross and extravagant, that instead of perfuading the Truth, they expofe it to Scorn and Contempt. Let their fond and imaginary Descriptions of the Elyfian Fields be Witneffes. For whatfoever they have invented of this kind, hath been reckoned amongst the Fables and poetical Fictions. Those chimerical Gardens and Ground, contain nothing like to the Divine Excellencies and unfpeakable Pleafures of the Paradife of GOD.

In a Word, seek amongst the rarest and most precious Treasures of Wit and Learning of the Heathen Antiquity; turn over the Writings of the moft eloquent Orators, of the fubtileft Philofophers, of the moft famous Poets; examine the Secrets of the most experienced Physicians, confider their Practice, and all the Remedies they prescribe to the Soul, and you fhall find them too unfkilful to perform the leaft Cure. They do but charm and flatter the Disease ; they harden us against Evil; they furnish us with a good Exterior, and teach us to bear a good Mien; but they have no real Antidote against the Venom, that kills the Principle of Life; nor the Remedy that reaches to the Heart: And as Torrents, that dry up in the hottest Seasons, fuch Confolations that flow

not from the Fountain of Life, vanish away without effect, and dry up to nothing, when a deep Sorrow, Fear and Affliction feize upon a finful Soul.

It feems the Compilers of the Heathen Religion were fenfible of this Truth. For they dedicated Temples, and erected Altars to all manner of Gods and Goddeffes; not only to Virtues and Health, but also to Vices and Difeafes, to Fear, Cowardice, Anger, the Fever, the Peftilence, and an infinite more; but they left Death out of their Devotions. This is an open Declaration, that they knew not how to ftrike Acquaintance with Death, and win its Efteem and Favour. They had no Sacrifice nor Incence that could allay its Fury; they looked upon it as their moft inhuman and irreconcileable Enemy. The very Name of Death terrified them; therefore it was one of their moft unfortunate Omens. Adrian the Emperor is Witness of what I fay: He was one of the greatest Princes in former Ages; he made moft Part of the habitable World yield to his Sceptre, and put to Death an infinite Number of Men; but at laft he trembled, and was aftonished himself at the Approaches of Death; He had overcome the most barbarous Nations, and tamed the most favage Beafts; but when he came to this last Enemy, he had no Weapons fit for the Encounter. Therefore on this Occafion he discovers the Weakness and Inconftancy of his Mind, far more disturbed than his Body was with the Disease. Sometimes he employed the Magick Art to retard Death; fometimes he made use of his Sword and Poyson to haften it; at last he killed himself by an Abstinence from Food neceffary to entertain his Life. He had conquered all the World, and given Peace and Happinefs to his Empire; but he could not overcome himfelf, or appeafe the Troubles of his Confcience. He was fo far from quieting the disturbed Thoughts of his Soul, that he fuffered himself to be overwhelmed with Defpair; he flattered his Soul in haftening its Ruin, for when his Disease gave him Liberty to breathe, he talked

talked unto it on this manner, My little Soul, my deareft Companion, thou art now going to wander in obfcure, cold and frange Places: Thou shalt never jeft again according to thy wonted manner; thou shalt never give me any more Sport or Pleasure.

You'll fay, Adrian was a powerful Monarch, but no great Philofopher; perhaps he knew how to govern, and was well acquainted with the Politicks; but he was ignorant of the Morals, and had no Skill to die well. To answer this Objection, let us give an Example beyond all Exception.

Ariftotle is generally esteemed to have been the fubtileft, and the most learned of the Heathen Antiquity, the Prince of all the Philofophers, the Glory of his Age, and the Founder of his Sect, when his excellent Soul had furveyed all Things, examined the Heavens, searched among the Excellencies of the Earth, pried into all the Wonders of the World, and found out the rareft Secrets of Nature; he could never find any folid Comfort against the Apprehenfions of Death. Notwithstanding all his admirable Subtilties and his profound Learning. The Fear of this cruel Death terrifies his Confcience in fuch a manner, that he confeffed, That of all terrible Things, Death was the most dreadful.

Of divers Sorts of Death, with which we are

W

to encounter.

HEN David had a Design to fight with Goliab, and could not make ufe of the Armour of King Saul, he took a smooth Stone out of his Bag, caft it with his Sling, ftruck the Philistine in the Forehead, and brought down this proud Giant, who had defied the Armies of Ifrael. We have already C 4 examined

examined and tried all the Armour of human Wifdom and Learning, laid up in the Store-houses of the greatest Wits of former Ages, and we have found that they are not able to afford us any Affiftance in an Encounter with Death. Let us therefore now fee whether we may overcome this proud Enemy with the Sling of our myftical David, with the Weapons of our Divine Shepherd. But before we begin the Refistance, let us look and behold it in the Face, The Enemy that I intend you fhall overcome, is a Monster with three Heads; for there are three Sorts of Death, the Natural, the Spiritual, and the Eternal.

The Natural Death is a Separation of the Soul from the Body; altho' our Body hath been fashioned with the Finger of God, it is but a weak and frail Veffel made of Earth; but our Soul is an heavenly, fpiritual and immortal Subftance. It is a Sparkle and a Ray of the Godhead, and the lively Image of our Great Creator. For when God had made our firft Parent, be breathed into his Noftrils the Breath of Life, Gen. ii. 7. that we might thereby understand, that our Souls alone proceeded from his immediate Hand; therefore he is named the Father of Spirits, Heb. xii. and The faithful Creator of Souls, 1 Pet. iv. This Soul raises us a Degree above all Animals, and above the celestial Bodies, and renders us like the Angels of Heaven. It is the Light that enlightens us, the Salt that preferves us from Corruption. In one Word, by this Soul we live, enjoy our Senfes, move and underftand. As foon as this Angelical Gueft leaves its Manfion, the Body, it lofeth all its Beauty, and falls of itself into a State of Ruin. For this Fleth that we are so careful of, and feed with all manner of Dainties, then corrups and rots. After that it hath been ftretched a while upon Beds of Gold, and richly attired in Purple and Scarlet, it is caft upon a Bed of Worms, and covered with the vileft Infects of the Earth, Notwithstanding all its former Perfumes, it