afcend into Heaven, which is the true Center of all intelligent Beings. This feems to be the original Intention of God in making Man; and then this earthly Life was from the beginning but a State of Growth and Improvement, to make us fit for Heaven, tho' without dying.

But to be fure the Scene is much altered now, for Adam by his Sin made himself mortal, and corrupted his own Nature, and propagated a mortal and corrupt Nature to his Pofterity; and therefore we have no natural Right to Immortality, nor can we refine our Souls into fuch a divine Purity as is fit for Heaven, by the weaken'd and corrupted Powers of Nature; but what we cannot do, Chrift has done for us; he has purchased Immortality for us by his Death, and quickens and raifes us into a new Life by his Spirit: But fince ftill we must die, before we are immortal, it is more plain than ever, that this Life is only in order to the next, that the great Business we have to do in this World, is to prepare ourselves for Immortality and Glory.

Now if our Life in this World be only in order to another Life, we ought not to expect our compleat Happiness here; for we are only in the way to it; we must finish the Work God has given us to do in this World, and expect our Reward in the next; and if our Reward cannot be had in this World, we may conclude that there is something much better in the next World than any thing here.

If

If this Life be our Time to work in, we should not confult our Eafe and Softness, and Pleasures here; for this is a Place of Labour and Diligence, not of Reft: We are a travelling to Heaven, and must have our Eye on our Journey's End, and not hunt after Pleafures and Diverfions in the way.

The great End of living in this World, is to be happy in the next; and therefore we muft wifely improve prefent Things, that they may turn to our future Account; muft make to ourfelves Friends of the Mammon of Unrighteousness, that when we fail, they may receive us into everlasting Habitations. What concerns a better Life, must take up moft of our Thoughts and Care; and whatever endangers our future Happiness, must be rejected with all its Charms. It would not be worth the while to live fome few Years here, were we not to live for ever; and therefore it becomes a wife Man, who remembers that he must shortly leave this World, to make his prefent Life wholly fubfervient to his future Happiness.

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SECT.

SECT. II.

The Second Notion of Death, that it is our Putting off thefe Bodies.

II.

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ET us now confider Death as it is our putting off thefe Bodies; for this is the proper Notion of Death, the Separation of Soul and Body, that the Body returns to Duft, the Soul or Spirit unto God who gave it. When we die, we do not cease to be, nor cease to live, but only cease to live in these earthly Bodies; the vital Union between Soul and Body is diffolved, we are no longer encloifter'd in a Tabernacle of Flesh, we no longer feel the Impreffions of it, neither the Pains nor Pleasures of the Body can affect us, it can charm, it can tempt no longer. This needs no Proof, but very well deferves our most serious Meditations.

For, 1. This teaches us the Difference and Distinction between Soul and Body, which Men who are funk into Flesh and Sense, are apt to forget; nay, to lofe the very Notion and Belief of it: All their Delights are fleshly, they know no other Pleasures but what their five Senfes furnish them with; they cannot raise their Thoughts about this Body, nor entertain any noble Designs, and therefore they imagine, that they are nothing but Flesh and Blood, a little organized and ani

mated

mated Clay; and it is no great wonder, that Men who feel the Workings and Motions of no higher Principle of Life in them, but Flesh and Senfe, fhould imagine that they are nothing but Flesh themselves. Though, methinks, when we see the fenfless and putrifying Remains of a brave Man before us, it is hard to conceive that this is all of him; that this is the Thing which some few Hours ago could reafon and difcourfe, was fit to govern a Kingdom, or to inftruct Mankind, could defpife Flesh and Senfe, and govern all his bodily Appetites and Inclinations, and was adorned with all divine Graces and Virtues, was the Glory and Pride of the Age: And is this dead Carcafe, which we now fee, the Whole of him? Or was there a more divine Inhabitant, which animated this earthly Machine, which gave Life, and Beauty, and Motion to it, but is now removed?

To be fure, thofe who believe that Death does not put an end to their Being, but only removes them out of this Body, which rots in the Grave, while their Souls furvive, live and act, and may be happy in a separate State, should carefully confider this Diftinction between Soul and Body, which would teach them a moft divine and heavenly Wifdom.

For when we confider, That we confist of Soul and Body, which are the two distinct Parts of Man, this will teach us to take care

of

of both. For can any Man, who believes he has a Soul, be concerned only for his Body? A compound Creature cannot be happy, unlefs both Parts of him enjoy their proper Pleasures. He who enjoys only the Pleasures of the Body, is never the happier for having a human and reasonable Soul: The Soul of a Beast would have done as well, and it may be better; for brute Creatures relifh bodily Pleasures as much, and it may be more, than Men do; and Reafon is very troublesome to those Men who refolve to live like Brutes; for it makes them ashamed and afraid, which in many Cafes hinders, or at least allays their Pleasures. And why should not a Man defire the full and entire Happiness of a Man? Why fhould he defpife any Part of himself, and that, as you fhall hear prefently, the beft Part too? And therefore, at least, we ought to take as much Care of our Souls as of our Bodies. Do we adorn our Bodies, that we may be fit to be feen, and to converse with Men, and may receive thofe Refpects which are due to our Quality and Fortune; and fhall we not adorn our Souls too with thofe Chriftian Graces, which make us lovely in the Sight of God and Men? The Ornament of a meek and quiet Spirit, which is in the Sight of God of great Price; which St. Peter especially recommends to Chriftian Women, as a more valuable Ornament than the outward adorning of plaiting the Hair, or wearing

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