And yet they are but gone before us, in the _path_ all _flesh_ must tread: How then should we make sure, and infinitely much of a _Saviour_, who delivers us from the _power_, and _bitternesse_ of _Death_, and _Grave_, and _Hell_, who is a _resurrection_ and _life_ unto us, and will raise up and make our bodies glorious, like his glorious _Body_, when he shall shortly appear in glory. It is further of great and sweet use against the _bitternesse_ of _Death_, and against the _bitter-sweet delusions_ of this world daily to thinke each day our _last_, the day of our _last farewell_, the day of the splitting of this _vessell_, the breaking of this _buble_, the quenching of this _Candle_, and of our passage into the land of _Darknesse_, never more to behold a sparke of _light_ untill the Heavens be no more. [Sidenote: 3 Terrible uncertainties.] [Sidenote: Meditations of death powerfull as to many heavenly purposes.] Those three uncertainties of that most certain _blow_, to wit, of the _Time_ when, the _Place_ where, the _Manner_ how it shall come upon us, and dash our _Earthern Pitcher_ all to pieces, I say the consideration of these three, should be a threefold _cord_ to bind us fast to an holy _watchfulness_ for our _departures_, and a _spur_ to quicken us to aboundant _faithfulnesse_ in _doing_ and _suffering_ for the _Lord_ and his _Christ_, it should draw up our minds unto _heavenly objects_, and loosen us from the vexing _vanities_ of this vaine _puffe_ of this present sinfull life. Oh how weaned, how sober, how temperate, how mortified should our _spirits_, our _affections_, our _desires_ be, when we remember that we are but strangers, converse with _strange companies_, dwel in strange houses, lodge in strange beds and know not whether this day, this night shall be our finall change of this strange place for one far _stranger_, darke and dolefull, except enlightened by the _Death_ and _Life_ of the Son of _God_. How contented should we be with any _Pittance_, any _Allowance_ of _Bread_, of _Cloaths_, of _Friendship_, of _Respect_, &c.? How thankfull unto _God_, unto _man_ should we poor strangers be for the least _crum_, or _drop_, or _rag_, vouchsaf'd unto us, when we remember we are but strangers in an _In_, but passengers in a Ship, and though we dreame of long _Summer_ dayes, yet our very life and being is but a swift short _passage_ from the bank of _time_ to the other side or _Banck_ of a dolefull _eternity_? How patient should our _minds_ and _bodies_ be under the _crossing_, disappointing hand of our all-powerfull _Maker_, of our most gracious _Father_, when we remember that this is the short _span_ of our _purging_ and _fitting_ for an eternall _Glory_, and that when we are _judged we_ are _chastened_ of the _Lord_, that we should not be _condemned_ with the world?