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SERMON XXVIII.

The comfort of a good man at the approach of death.

2 TIM. iv. 8.

Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteoufnefs, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, fhall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto all thofe also that love his appearing.

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HE time when this epiftle was writ, SER M. hath been difputed, whether at St. Paul's XXVIII. first appearing before Nero, or at his fecond, which was the time of his death: But the reasons which are given why the epistle was wrote immediately before his martyrdom, seem much to out-weigh those of the contrary fide; and the poftfcript is very exprefs that it was written from Rome when Paul was brought before him the second time, which, if it be allowed authentick, puts the matter out of doubt: And indeed it is not likely that the Apostle

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SE R M. would have used fuch folemn expreffions of his XXVIII. courage and behaviour in any one particular danger, as is fuppofed by thofe of the other opinion. It is much more probable, that these words were a refult of a ferious view of the manner of his discharging the great trust committed to him, and that at a time when he had an immediate prospect of death, and was like to have no farther opportunity of confirming the truth of the Gospel, but by his blood. He was now apprehended by the Emperor, as is thought, under pretence of firing the city; and was fentenced to death for that crime, which he himself was guilty of: For when he had fired the city in fport, to take off the odium, he laid it on the chriftians. And that which is faid to have incensed him more against the Apostle, was his converting one of Nero's concubines, from lewdnefs and heathenifm, to the modesty and chastity of the Gofpel. His end being near, as he fays in the verfes before the text, when he was ready to be offered, and the time of his departure being at hand, all his labours and fervices adminifter folid joy and comfort to him; his hopes clear up at the approach of the death; all his defpondences begin then to vanish, and he hath fuch a full affurance of hope, that he already fees Heaven open to receive him, and the inward teftimony of his confcience is fo clear and fincere, that it breaks out into thefe expreffions of a full truft and confidence in the veracity and goodness of God; I have fought a good fight;

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I have finished my courfe. Henceforth, &c.

SERM.

In which words, we have these five things XXVIII. exprefsly contained, in this order.

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The 1ft thing is, That there is a reward of virtue and piety in another world, which is here expreffed with a full confidence, and the greatest affurance imaginable, which shews that the faith and perfuafion of his mind, founded upon the promises of God, was as firm and unfhaken, as any affent could be from demonftration or fenfible evidence. When men's minds are purged of the prejudices of fenfe, by the habits of virtue and piety, and are difentangled from the fenfual pleasures of this world, and are used for fome time to reflect upon themselves and a future ftate, then their minds clear up as to thefe matters; they begin to have quick and lively fentiments of them and then the evidence they have of moral truths, is nothing fhort of what knowledge we acquire by the strictest methods of reasoning: And that prophane and carnal men, perfons habitually wicked, whofe eyes the God of this world hath blinded, are so much in the dark, as to these things of another life, is no wonder; for people that do not apply themfelves to fearch into the nature of any particular science, cannot expect to comprehend the force of any reafoning of that nature: And fo it is in religion; unless people will bend their minds this way, and put themselves in the road of thinking, they will not discern the great strength, and invincible force of that evidence

SER M. vidence we have for the moral and myftical XXVIII. truths of our religion, and particularly of this,

of an eternal weight of glory, for good and virtuous people, in Heaven; of which St. Paul's words fhew us he had fuch a firm perfuafion.

The difpofition of men's minds, when death is near them and unavoidable, is very different, according as their lives have been truly good and virtuous, or lewd and vitious: When good people are going out of the world, then they are filled with comfortable and joyful expectations of being for ever happy; and the wicked in those circumftances, are terrified with a dreadful looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation. These things are not fleeting and tranfient, but lafting and durable, and leave fuch deep impreffions upon the minds of men, that they can never bear them off. Though vitious men, in health and profperity, banish all thoughts of another world, and feel but little remorfe of confcience, yet when any danger threatens them, then they are alarmed with sudden apprehenfions of vengeance; whereas, the greater the danger is, the more firm and pofitive is the teftimony of a good confcience; and the nearer death approaches, thefe hopes and fears become more ftrong. And thus St. Paul, when he was in prifon, and was convinced that the time of his execution drew nigh, instead of being dejected, his hopes were enlarged at the approach of death. But 2dly,

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The second thing expreffed in these words, SER M. is the nature of the reward of virtue and good- XXVIII. ness in another world, and it is here called a crown of righteousness. That of a crown is the most usual representation of those heavenly joys that are to be the reward of virtue hereafter; and accordingly, it is called elsewhere a crown of glory that fades not away. And it is faid, that Chrift bath made us kings and priests to God, and that we shall reign with him for ever: By which expreffions is undoubtedly fignified fome extraordinary dignity that shall be conferred upon us in heaven, but of what nature, we are able not now to conceive. It is called a crown of righteousness for these two reafons:

ift, Because the promises of eternal happinefs are made only to good and virtuous perfons; and therefore it is faid, that without bolinefs no man shall fee the Lord. And,

2dly, Because of the natural tendency of virtue and holiness to make men glorious and happy in another world, infomuch that glory is literally begun in grace; and this is the reafon of thofe Scripture expreffions of calling virtue and goodness by the name of light, and that the righteous fhall fhine beyond the glory of the Sun; and that piety and holiness go by the name of the white robe in the Revelations.

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I fhall only obferve to you, that this crown of glory is faid here to be laid up for us; caufe the true nature and degrees of this glory and happiness of the faints is fo obfcured from

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