Page:Great importance of a suitable preparation for death (1).pdf/22

( 22 ) The Firſt conſideration is this, To die well, and in the Lord, is a moſt difficult work, Therefore, I entreat you to prepare for death. It is a difficult work to communicate aright, it is a difficult work to pray aright and it is a difficult work to confer aright; but, I muſt tell you, it is a more difficult work to die aright, than any of theſe. It is true, it is more difficult to communicate aright, than ſo pray aright; yet it is much more difficult to die aright, than to communicate aright; for it is a more difficult work to die in the Lord— Death will put the moſt accurate Chriſtian that is here to a wonderful ſearch; and, therefore, I will tell you nine things that death will try in thee.

1. Death will try both the reality and ſtrength of thy faith. It may be eaſy for thee to keep up faith under many difficulties, but death will put thy faith to thegreateſt ſtreſs that ever it did meet with. Yea, know this, that the faith of the ſtrongeſt believer may get (and ordinarily doth get) a ſet at death, the like whereof it never got before : therefore prepare for death.

2. Death will try thy love to God.— Some perſons pretend much to love him; but death will propoſe this queſtion to ſuch a perſon, ‘Loveſt thou him more than theſe?’ Loveſt thou him more than thy wife, more than thy houſe, more than thy friends?——