Use. Well then, it maketh for the comfort and caution of rich men.
1. For their comfort. There are some of your order, though not many : 1 Cor. i. 26, ' Not many mighty, not many noble, are called,' Joseph, a courtier in Egypt ; and the eunuch in Acts viii. 27, was treasurer of queen Candace. Usually the poor receive the gos- pel, in the first times of the gospel especially, lest it should seem to be supported by human force and power, but not always. God hath taken in great ones, there is room for your faith.
2. For their caution. Be of Joseph's temper, let Egypt be nothing to Canaan. This is the true greatness of mind, in counting the high- est things which you enjoy as nothing in comparison of heaven. There are none bound to look after better things so much as you ; for you have tasted more of God's bounty, you have more occasion to make trial of the world's vanitv and nothino-ness, vou are in a condition wherem many miscarry ; as in a dangerous way we are more careful of our steps. Say then. All this is nothing to heaven ; let me go there where my home, my country, my estate, my treasure, my inheritance is.
Secondly, The time when his faith was exercised — When he died, rekevTMv, at his ending ; it alludeth to his speech : Gen. 1. 24, ' I die ; and God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this land.' He saw that death was at hand, and he meeteth it with a confident spirit. It is one of the blessings which God bestoweth upon his children, that when they are about to go out of the world he begetteth a know- ledge of it, or maketh it sensible to them that their end draweth nigh, that they may dispose of their affairs, and compose their spirits for their dissolution. ' When he was dying ; ' all of them are said before to die in faith, and therefore is this circumstance so often repeated. Observe how willing the children of God were to renew their own faith, and to encourage, and strengthen others a little before their death. We brought you the examples of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and here is Joseph's instance, he comforts himself and his brethren with the memorial of the promise. I showed you tiieir grounds, because this was the last act of love, and then their words were received with most reverence. Now I shall only press you that you may go and do like- wise, to be providing for such a time. All our lifetime we should be
VeR. 22.] SERMONS UPOy HEBREWS XI. 409
preparing for our dying speech and valediction, that vre may not go out in a snufF, but may take our leave from the world with honour to God and comfort to ourselves. Christians, is your dying speech ready ? Consider, there is no dissembling then, you must be able to speak it in truth of heart, and it had need be pressing, and serious, and stirring, for you shall never speak for God more in the world. I say, Is it ready ? Can you call to mind promises ? Can you yield up your souls to God ? Are you furnished Avith experiences to confirm others ? A christian is not to die like a beast, to be only passive, merely to yield to the necessity of nature, and there is an end. It is a harder matter to die well than you are aware. Can you take your soul in your hand, and yield it up to God in a confidence of the promises ? Oh ! let us all provide, we are all hastening this way; some of you are young, and you hold life but by an uncertain tenure. When swine come into a garden, they crop off the buds as well as the grown flowers ; death maketh no distinction. Some of you are old, you are as good as dead already : Heb. xi. 12, ' Therefore sprang there of one, and him as good as dead,' &c. A little provision will not serve the turn ; many of God's eminent servants have been even foiled in this last combat ; you had need gather up many experiences, you had need be acquainted with the promises, that you may have them ready. In the text it is said, 'He made mention,' or remembered, efivij/novevcre ; if we would make use of the promises in a dying time, we should keep them in sight and mind that they may be ever ready. It is the last enemy you are to grapple with, you had need of armour of proof. It is an enemy that will come well jirovided with weapons ready drawn, and if we are not wholly armed, we shall go by the worst ; nay, we shall put weapons into the enemy's hand by our sins and fears. If you have not the breast-plate of faith and the helmet of salvation, what will you do ? Alas ! you never met with such an enemy in your lives as this last enemy ; you have lived forty or fifty years, and have rubbed out well enough, but this is another manner of enemy.