To die, is just as natural as to be born. That one generation fhould pass away, and another come *, is the fettled law of things. Our predeceffors have made way for us, and it is but fitting that we should make way for our fucceffors: that they alfo, in their turn, may enjoy the pleasures of life, and feel its pains; busy themselves, and be talked of; die, and be forgotten. Fear not, therefore, the fentence of death. Remember them that have been before thee, and that come after thee. For this is the fentence of the Lord over all flesh; and why art thou against the pleasure of the Moft High? Still it is very true, the manner in which we are to pass out of the prefent world, though a great part of its terrors are mere imagination, hath yet fomething in it fhocking enough; especially when we confider it as being originally the punishment of fin. And tho', at a proper period, we may have a fatiety of this earthly life, as well as of other things here: yet to expect the intire lofs of our being then, would be a thought of dreadful gloominefs; and were this to be our cafe at death, it must affect thinking persons, on whom that awful change was coming immediately, with a dejection and horror fcarce to be borne. But our gracious Redeemer hath delivered them, who else through fear of death, would all their life-time, and especially at the close of it, have been fubject to bondage ‡. To believers in him the bleffed knowledge of a better state shines forth, totally changes the profpect, and makes our standing on the brink of this life, in truth, the joyfulleft fituation we were ever in: for what can be better for us, than that this corruptible should put on incorruption, this mortal immortality § ?, For the vicious indeed, old age hath no comfort, and much terror. There have been few things in their past lives, that can give them pleasure when reflected on; and many, that muft give them inexpreffible concern. For the proper satisfactions of their present condition they have never learnt to have any relish; and the thoughts of their approaching one, it will be hard for them to avoid, and yet much harder to fupport. A most dreadful dilemma: to be weary of this life, yet afraid of the next; and the ftrongest fears to fall infinitely fhort of what there is to be feared. But to the aged pious Christian, Ecclus. i. 4. A a † Ecelus. xli. 3, 4. Christian, the confideration of hereafter, if dwelt on as it ought, almost annihilates every thing that could difquiet him here. He will never regret that he is no longer qualified for worldly enjoyment, when he thinks of the unspeakable bliss that he knows is at hand, nor faint under worldly afflictions, which are but for a moment, fince they are working out for him so foon eternal glory. The punishment prepared for the wicked ftrike him with no terrors; but the rewards prepared for the. righteous fill him with fuch comfort, that though his outward man perish, yet his inward man is renewed day by day; when his flesh and his heart faileth, he triumphs in the declaration, that God is the ftrength of his heart, and his portion for ever ‡. There may poffibly have been much wanting hitherto of the esteem and honour, with which his boary head was intitled to be crowned; but now, having fought the good fight and finished his courfe, henceforth there is affuredly laid up for him a crown of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge fhall give him at that day §. 2 Cor. iv. 17. + 2 Cor. iv. 16. SER Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor truft in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy that they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to diftribute, willing to communicate. : EVERY condition of life hath its peculiar dangers to be avoided, and duties to be done, but none hath dangers more threatening or duties more important, than that of the rich and great whose fituation, notwithstanding, is feldom confidered by those who are in it, as having any thing to be feared; and is generally imagined by others, to comprehend almost every thing that is to be wifhed. Now the mistakes even of the lower part of the world concerning this matter, are attended with fome exceeding bad confequences; difpofing them very unreasonably to envy their fuperiors, and be uneafy at their own lot. But the mistakes of the rich and great themselves concerning the advantages and obligations of their station, produce the most fatal effects that can be, on themselves and all around them. And it greatly adds to the unhappiness of their cafe, that whilft they have many things to divert their attention from what is right, and prompt them to what is wrong;. to make the gratifying of their bad inclinations easy; and fupport them in the world, let them act as they will; they have. commonly scarce any one to remind them, if they act amifs. Intimations of mifbehaviour, however prudently given, are to moft perfons difagreeable: but to perfons of rank they appear difrefpectful too. And fuch of them, as will bear to be told A a 2 of their managing their healths or their fortunes ill, fhew a great reluctance to let their conduct, in point of religion or morals, be touched with any ferioufnefs. So that, just where they need admonition moft, they have the leaft given them. It is but few, that can with propriety ufe freedom enough with them, to do any good: for, to flight and diftant hints they think no ferious regard is due. And amongst thofe that can, there are fewer yet that will undertake an office, in which they have little prospect either of success or thanks. Indeed the generality of thofe that come about them, in all likelihood, mean nothing but their own intereft, or their own amusement: and thefe, they may be fure, will take care never to offend them by giving them good advice: but there is much cause to suspect, what the great, notwithstanding, feldom do fufpect, that they will often court them by giving them bad: or, if they do not directly perfuade them into fin, (which might fometimes be too grofs behaviour) will however more covertly dispose them to it: encourage and countenance them it; either to bring about fome particular end, which they have to ferve by it, or with a gene ral view of making themselves agreeable. To be thus environed with temptations, and probably fenfible of none of them, is a moft pitiable condition. And yet the rich and great, when they are led wrong, do not fo deserve compaffion, as not to deferve much blame too. For as there are fome things to excufe their faults, there are many that aggravate them. Their education, fo coftly and laboured in feveral respects, must have been conducted with the abfurdeft negligence in the most material; if it hath not given them a much fuperior knowledge of their duty, to that which common perfons can ufually acquire. Their difengagement afterwards from cares, that others are swallowed up in, affords them peculiar leifure for thought and recollection: and the vast and evident importance of their whole behaviour, on fuch a multitude of accounts, one should think, could not fail of engaging their attention to every ftep they take. So that if they have fewer occafional admonitions given them; it might be hoped they would have lefs need of them: for their very fituation admonishes them conftantly, that they are raised by providence above others, in order to be authors and examples of good, not evil, to their fellow-creatures. This is directly their bufinefs and truft: it is the nobleft and happieft that can be. The labours labours of it are foftened by many honourable and pleafing dif tinctions, which God hath bestowed on them; for which he will justly expect they shall make him a return: if it be fuch as it ought, they will be eminent for ever in the next world, as well as for a few days in this: And how can perfons be excufable, that are uninfluenced by such considerations? : It is very true, our Saviour doth exprefs in very strong terms, the difficulty of a rich man's entering into the kingdom of heaven. But he means, of such a one's profeffing himself a fubject of Chrift; which required uncommon refolution at that time, when all worldly advantages were to be given up, and the bitterest perfecutions undergone for the fake of the gofpel. Yet even then no man was excused, either from embracing or practising christianity: much less now. And if at all times the great have temptations beyond others, they have alfo reafons beyond others for struggling with them, and will be rewarded beyond others for overcoming them. Therefore St. Paul in the text gives them no difpenfations, but only provides for them ftronger warnings and instead of authorifing the minifters of God's word to wink at their faults, requires that they admonish them with fingular earneftnefs to perform their duties: the only prerogative in relation to this matter that can be allowed them. But as in general the leaft offenfive, and therefore most efficacious way of admonishing, is by publick inftruction, we ufually confine ourselves to that; and the upper part of mankind ought to attend upon it more conftantly, and hearken to it more seriously, in proportion as they are less likely to be told their faults and their dangers, in private, to good purpose: and fhould fuffer the word of exhortation* to be given with greater plainness and freedom to them all in common, the greater objections there are againft taking any confiderable liberties with each of them fingly. And as thofe of middle rank, may yet when compared with their inferiors, be confidered as highly exalted, and do accordingly confider themselves as fuch: all degrees above the lowest, are concerned to obferve the apostle's charge: and the very lowest will find their own failures, and their own obligations intermixed of courfe with what will be faid about thofe of their betters. Now Heb. xiii. 22. |