1. Darkness and horror, which chiefly belong to the night. Of this we have striking illuftrations, in the destruction of the first born of the Egyptians, and of Sennacharib's army in Judea. 2. Drowfinefs and carnal fecurity, illuftrated in the appofite cafe of the foolish virgins.* 3. Sadnefs, in oppofition to those nights, which he had perhaps spent in debauchery and vain diverfions. 4. Sin and ignorance of the ways of God; which are called darkness and night, works of darkness, &c. in various parts of the fcripture.

O think upon this night of death, ye that forget God. How foon may it be here to caft a veil upon your pride, and make it fhare the fate of Abfalom's beauty, Jezebel's paint, and Saul's ftature.

If this night of death is coming upon all, this night, when no man can work, let us follow our Lord's advice, and work the works of God, while it is day.t

IV. How wonderful is the nature, how ineftimable is the value, of that foul, which was required of this fool; and which fhall be required of us!

How excellent is that noble, that neglected being, in itfelf? Spiritual---immortal---endued with the most glorious faculties---made after the very image of God!

How precious is it, as well as how excellent! It is a jewel of ineftimable value, and its worth may be estimated, 1. From the admirable texture of the body, which is only the cafket where that jewel is placed. 2. From the extraordinary pains, which the fons of men take to repair and adorn the body, whofe value depends only on the jewel it contains. 3. From the teftimony of Chrift, who prefers one foul to the whole material creation-what fhall it profit a man, if he gain the whole world, and lofe his own foul?

Suffer me then to entreat you, brethren, to beftow on your fouls, pains and care, in fome measure, proportionable to their worth; at leaft, be not offended

• Mat. XXV.

↑ John ix. 4.

Mat. xvi. 25,

with us minifters, for fhewing fome concern for the falvation of your precious, immortal foul?

V. Who fhall require his foul? Thy soul shall be required. The original word, art, means, They shall require. The queftion then offers itself, Who they are, that fhall require the unprepared worldling's foul?

3.

I answer, 1. Not Chrift, as a Saviour; for in that capacity he hath nothing to do with dying unbelievers. They would not receive his grace into their hearts, and he will not receive them into his glory.* 2. Nor good angels: We read, indeed, that they carried Lazarus to Abraham's bofom :† but the rich man found his way to the flames without them. Nor departed faints, who neither can nor will meddle with unregenerate fouls. For this we may read the converfation between Abraham and the wretch, who prayed to him for help. Who then? 1. Some un foreseen accident or distemper. 2. Death, who, as an officer, delivers the wicked into the hands of the tormentors. 3. Evil Spirits, the minifters of divine juftice; which may be inferred from the ftrong fenfe of the powers of darkness, which fome wicked men have in their laft moments. See the cafe of the memorable Francis Spira.

Believers cheerfully refign their fouls into their Saviour's hands; yea, they long to depart and be with Chrift, which is far better. Unbelievers, who have their portion in this world, are loath to leave it; but a peremptory, forcible command fhall fet afide all their pleas : their foul fhall be required.

VI. The laft words of the text, afford matter for the laft head of the difcourfe. Death comes to require a foul; "Not of me," fays perhaps the rich farmer, "Not of me, for I have much goods laid up for many years;" but God fays, Of thee fhall thy foul be required.

*Prov. i. 24, &c.

+ Luke xvi. 22.

+ Luke xvi.

What, may not the foul of fome poor Lazarus, whe pines away in want, ficknefs, and obfcurity, be required firft? No, fays God, it must be required of thee. May not an old Simeon, who longs to depart in peace, be allowed to die for the rich man? No: his hour is come; of him is his foul required. But, perhaps, fome of the rich man's fervants, at the feet of the bed, may go upon this fatal errand for him? No, fays death, he must go himself: of thee is thy foul required. See all those weeping friends, who furround his bed? May not one of them do for death? No, cries the ftern meffenger, My errand is to thee.

Confider the peremptorinefs of the inexorable meffenger. Gold will not bribe him. Entreaties prevail not. He takes no notice of promises of amendment. Tears melt him not. In fpite of phyficians and medicine, he does his office, and requires of the worldling his unprepared foul.

2.

The epithet, which God fixes on the rich man belongs, 1. To all, who depend upon many years of life, and do not habitually prepare for death. To all, whether rich or poor, who are not rich towards God. 3. Efpecially to thofe, who, though they have not the conveniencies, and hardly the neceffaries of life, will yet trample on the riches of divine grace and heavenly glory. If the rich worldling was a fool in God's esteem, how doubly foolish are the poor, to whom the gofpel is preached in vain ?

Ye foolish virgins, ye flumbering fouls, awake---arife-trim your lamps. Be wife to falvation; be as anxious about your eternal, as he was for his temporal profperity. Pull down, not your barns, but your fins. Build not larger houses, but the house that will stand, when death beats upon you with all its storms: And never fay to your foul, Soul, take thine ease, until you have an habitation, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Ye who are wife virgins, and who are preparing to meet the Bridegroom, apply to your fouls, but in a better fenfe, the words, that the rich fool fpake to his

foul, Eat, drink, and be merry. Feed upon the flesh of Chrift, and drink his blood; that is, believe the gofpel of Jefus, firmly believe that, by his cross, he redeemed you from fin, death, hell, and the grave; and through faith in him you will be able to rejoice in the Lord, with unfpeakable joy, and to antedate your heaven.

I beseech thee, awakened finner, who tremblest at death and judgment, to come, by the prayer of faith, to the Prince of life, that, through the value of his death, he may take away the fting of death, sin, from thy heart. Steadfaftly believe thefe comfortable words of St. Paul, He tasted death for every man, that he through death, might destroy him that hath the power of death, that is the devil, and deliver them, who through fear of death, were all their life subject to bondage.* If you heartily credit this bleffed report, you will find your fears of death changed into longings after it; and, with your dying breath, you will be able, through mercy, to challenge the king of terrors, and to fay with the apoftle, O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Heb. ii. 9. 14. 15:

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