beyond what the merits of this SacriSerm.10.fice will atone for. More especially ought we to be careful, that we do not dye in an impenitent ftate. For, whatever the Church of Rome may talk of Sacrifices for the dead, we have no ground from Scripture to trust in any fuch. Laftly, Since the Sacrifice of Christ is of fuch vast advantage to all Chriftians, and procureth for them fomany and fuch inestimable benefits, hence we may learn, what great reafon Christians have, at all times to contemplate and remember this Sacrifice: but more particularly, when they partake of that holy Feaft, which our Lord himself purposely inftituted for the commemoration of it. With what eager joy and delight ought we to embrace all opportunities, but more particularly the great and folemn one now approaching, of remembring how dearly the fon of God has loved us, even unto death, and how beneficial, unfpeakably beneficial, this his love has been to us? With what defire ought we to defire to be frequent in the commemoration of that Sacrifice, which has has taken away fin, overcome death, obtain'd eternal redemption, and fet open the gate of everlasting Life, for us? And oh that every one of us may fo effectually remember it, as evermore to hate and avoid fin, which was the occafion of it: fo effectually, as above all things to love him, who willingly became this Sacrifice for us: in one word, fo effectually, as to live ever hereafter like thofe, who are bought with a price, even the inestimable price of the blood of the Son of God: and are therefore bound, to glorify God, with their bodies and spirits, which are his. Serm.10. 1 Co. 6.20. Serm.11. SERMON XI. Preach'd before the QUEEN, The defirableness of dying a righteous Man's Death. Numbers 23. 10. the latter part of the verse. Let me dye the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like bis. WH 7Hat Balaam, whose words thefe are, precifely meant by Grote in them, and whither, as fome learned Men fuppofe, he had refpect in them only to the temporal promises of the loc. Jewish Law, by which good Men feem to have been fecur'd against vio- Serm. 11. lent and untimely Deaths, is not very material here to enquire. It is enough, for my prefent purpose, that that holy Spirit, by which Balaam fpake, may be very reasonably prefum'd to have had a much larger and nobler prospect, a much higher meaning and intention, in them; and that, according to the natural and unforced fenfe of the words themselves to dye the death of the righteous must fignify to dye, exactly in the fame circumstances and condition, in refpect of death confider'd purely as death, in which a righteous Man dyeth: and to have our last end like his muft either fignify the fame thing with dying his death (Death being frequently call'd in Scripture Man's laft or latter end) or elfe it may farther denote our undergoing the fame fentence at the day of Judgment, and having the fame lot and portion that he fhall (the word, which we here tranflate laft end, fignifying fometimes the final issue and event, the ultimate refult and upshot of things, as alfo the wages and rewards of them.) But it is needless to contend 24 contend which of these fenfes fhall Serm. 11. take place, fince in reality and effect they are both the fame, and do virtually and implicitly comprehend each other. For he, and none but he, who dyeth a righteous man's death, fhall have a righteous Man's judgment, and be partaker in a righteous Man's rewards. The entire fenfe then of this with may be briefly fumm'd up in these following words. O may it fo happen to me, that, when I come to dye, I may both in the hour of my death, and in whatever is to come after it, fare just fo as the righteous Man fhall. The words thus explain'd offer me a fair opportunity, of enquiring First, Why it is fuch a defirable thing to dye a righteous Man's death, Secondly, How they ought to live who expect and defire fo to dye, and Laftly, Of earnestly exhorting you all to use your utmost endeavours, fo to |