But, my dear friends, did our LORD JESUS CHRIST take _Peter_, _James_, and _John_ into a mountain to pray? Are any of you fathers, mothers, masters and mistresses of families? Learn then from hence to take your children, your servants, and those that belong to you, from the world, at certain times, and not only pray for them, but pray with them. If CHRIST did thus, who had few wants of his own to be supplied, and nothing to confess and lament over; if CHRIST was such a lover of prayer, surely, you and I, who have so many wants to be supplied, so many corruptions to mourn over; you and I should spend much time in prayer. I do not say that you are to lock yourselves up in your closets, and not mind your shops or farms, or worldly business; I only say, that you should take care to husband all your time: and if you are GOD’s children, you will frequently retire from the world, and seek a visit from your GOD.
Was the LORD JESUS transformed or transfigured, while he was praying? Learn hence, to be much in spiritual prayer. The way to have the soul transformed, changed into, and made like unto GOD, is frequently to converse with GOD. We say, a man is as his company. Persons by conversing together, frequently catch each others tempers: and if you have a mind to imbibe the divine temper, pray much. And as CHRIST’s garments became white and glistering, so shall your souls get a little of GOD’s light to shine upon them.
Did _Moses_ and _Elias_ appear in glory? Are there any old saints here? I doubt not but there are a considerable number. And are any of you afraid of death? Do any of you carry about with you a body that weighs down your immortal soul? I am sure a poor creature is preaching to you, that every day drags a crazy load along. But come, believers, come, ye children of GOD, come, ye aged decrepid saints, come and trample upon that monster death. As thou goest over yonder church-yard, do as I know an old excellent christian in _Maryland_ did; go, sit upon the grave, and meditate on thine own dissolution. Thou mayest, perhaps, have a natural fear of dying: the body and the soul do not care to part without a little sympathy and a groan; but O look yonder, look up to heaven, see there thy JESUS, thy Redeemer, and learn, that thy body is to be fashioned hereafter like unto CHRIST’s most glorious body; that poor body which is now subject to gout and gravel, and that thou canst scarce drag along; that poor body, which hinders thee so much in the spiritual life, will ere long hinder thee no more: it shall be put into the grave; but though it be sown in corruption, it shall be raised in incorruption; though it is sown in dishonour, it shall be raised again in glory. This consideration made blessed _Paul_ to cry out, “O death, where is thy sting! O grave, where is thy victory!” Thy soul and body shall be united together again, and thou shalt be “for ever with the LORD.” Those knees of thine, which perhaps are hard by kneeling in prayer; that tongue of thine, which hath sung hymns to CHRIST; those hands of thine, which have wrought for GOD; those feet, which have ran to CHRIST’s ordinances; shall all, in the twinkling of an eye, be changed; and thou shalt be able to stand under an exceeding and an eternal weight of glory. Come then, ye believers in CHRIST, look beyond the grave; come, ye dear children of GOD, and however weak and sickly ye are now, say, Blessed be GOD, I shall soon have a body strong, full of vigour and of glory.
But as this speaks comfort to saints, it speaks terror to sinners, to all persons that live and die out of CHRIST. It is the opinion of Archbishop _Usher_, that as the bodies of the saints shall be glorified, so the bodies of the damned shall be deformed. And if this be true, alas! what a poor figure will the fine ladies cut, who die without a CHRIST! What a poor figure will the fine gentleman cut in the morning of the resurrection, that now dresses up his body, and at the same time neglects to secure an interest in CHRIST and eternal happiness! It is the opinion, likewise, of Archbishop _Usher_, that damned souls will lose all the good tempers they had here; so that though GOD gave unregenerate people a constitutional meekness, good nature, and courage, for the benefit of the commonwealth; yet, the use of these things being over, and they having died without CHRIST, and it being impossible there will be an appearance of good in hell, their good tempers will be for ever lost. If this be so, it is an awful consideration; and I think persons who love their bodies, should also hence take care to secure the welfare of their souls.