1

up

of thy Countenance upon me ; and raise my sinking Soul towards Heaven, where I hope to dwell when thou shalt call me hence, there to sing Praises to God and to the Lamb with the heavenly Host through all the Ages of Eternity. Amen.

SICKNESS being the usual Forerunner of Death, as Death is of Judgment, when the Soul will be sentenced to an unalterable State, I cannot dismiss this Subject without a few more Words of Advice. O that Men were wise, that they understood this, that they would consider their latter end. I have observed with Sorrow, how slow and backward Country People are to make their Peace with God. But do you, whilst you have Time before you, look carefully into your Breast, and diligently examine how Accounts stand betwixt God and your own Soul; see if all Things are right between Heaven and you. All your Thoughts, Words, and Works, will then be looked into and examined by an impartial Judge, who will pronounce a Sentence that cannot be reversed. Neither Wit, nor Power, nor Friends, nor Riches, shall avail you any Thing. Imagine to yourself, that you are soon to be brought before the All-seeing God, encompassed by Millions of glorious Saints and Angels; that Satau and your own Conscience will accuse you, and set before you the Things which you have done. This Thought should, methinks, make the most obdurate Hearts relent, and excite the Sinner to cadeayour after a Reconciliation with the justly offended Majesty of Heaven. Make no tarrying to turn to

the

the Lord, and put not off from Day to Day. If you neglect the present Time, depend upon it, that the Devil, who is vigilant, cunning, and powerful, will not lose the least Opportunity of deceiving and bringing you into the Pit of Destruction. Be sober, be vigilant, because your Adversary the Devil walketh about as a roaring Lion, seeking whom he may decour: And he rageth the more fiercely, because he knoweth that he hath but a short Time. This Adversary, who has a thousand Ways to deceive, will ruin you eternally, if God doth not protect and defend you. Therefore, seek unto God with your whole Heart, and unto him commit your Cause.

First, Ask thy Soul, what Abuses of Health thou hast been guilty of, if thou hast not neglected God and Heaven too much, and been too careful about this present World? Ask whether thou hast not omitted thy Duty to God, in the disuse both of public and private Prayer? Or whether thou hast not wor shipped him in a cold and formal Manner?

Secondly, See if you have not injured your Neighbour, if you have not hurt his Soul by ill Advice, or ill Example, or his Body in any Respect.

Thirdly, Turn your Eyes inwardly on yourself; and see whether you have kept your Body in Temperance, Soberness and Chastity: Look upon your present bodily Indisposition as sent,

1. To try your Patience. The Captain of our Salvation who was made perfect through Sufferings, calls upon his Disciples to take up their Cross daily, and follow him. Now were the Servants of Jesus Christ to be always healthy, prosperous, and rich, they could not give any Proof how much they are con

tent

tent to suffer, and how patiently they can resign themselves up to God, under all Sorrows and Afflictions. If therefore you are visited with Illness, let not your bodily Pains, the Scorching of a Fever, the Pains of the Cholick, Gout, or Stone, tempt you to unbecoming Murmuring and Impatience. Think that to be best, which infinite Wisdom hath permitted to befal you; and let your Sickness and Infirmity of Body, wean you' from all inordinate Love of Riches and Pleasures of this Life. So will God be glorified, and others dified, by your submissive and quiet Behaviour under

this Visitation.

2. A second Design of your Sickness is to exercise your Faith, that it may be found in the Day of the Lord, laudable, glorious, and honourable, to the Increase of Glory and endless Felicity. God sends you this Sickness, that you may have an Opportu nity of shewing your Stedfastness in the Christian Faith before Men here, that he may crown your Faith with everlasting Honours, before his holy Angels hereafter.

3. This Sickness may be sent to reclaim you from a vicious and ungodly Course of Life. When all Things go smoothly on, how apt Men are to be betrayed into Sin! And therefore God who is rich in Merry, often afflicts the Body, in order to cure the Soul. Have you not, in Time of Health, abused your Strength to Luxury, to Lust, Gluttony, or Drunkenness? God now punishes you in the Flesh, for those Sins which you have committed in the Flesh.

Have you not immoderately pursued the Riches and Glories of the World, at the same Time neglecting the Care of your Soul, which is the one thing needful? God now convinces you by what you suffer, that these earthly Goods cannot give you, the least Comfort. Have you not wanted Compassion for the Sick? You are now taught what Sorrows and Suffering Multitudes of your Fellow-Creatures

go through, and how much you are to blame, for not having assisted them according to your Ability. Have you not neglected the Means of Grace? As public and private Prayer, religiously observing the Lord's Day, and receiving the Holy Sacrament. Now, then, if Sickness brings you to a Sense of your past Omissions, if it makes you better, more holy and patient, if it encreases your Faith, and excites in you a Hunger and Thirst after Righteousness, this will make you dearer to God, and will set you for ward in your Way to Heaven. They who have no Sorrow, no Sickness, no Troubles, to exercise them, are commonly too fond of this World; they are loved by the World; and they delight in nothing but worldly Pleasures and Enjoyments. But then, alas! earthly Happiness is all they are to enjoy and who would envy them these perishing short-lived Satisfactions? Besides, as I said before, the Captain of our Salvation was not made perfect without Sufferings. If therefore you expect a Part in his Triumph, you must not murmur to follow your glorious Leader through Tribulation.

Thus, when you have settled your worldly Affairs, have been Charitable to the Poor and Needy, according to your Ability, examined and tried your Ways, made a special Confession of your Sins, if you felt your Conscience troubled with any weighty Matter, and received the Holy Sacrament, and made the best Preparation you was able for your great Change, you may with Comfort and Joy think on your approaching Dissolution. Death at first, will appear frightful and amazing; the Separation of Soul and Body those old Companions, will be somewhat shocking But then a Voice has been heard from Heaven, saying, Blessed are the Dead that die in the Lord. A well grounded Hope that our Death wi be thus blessed, will strip the King of Terrors of all his affrighting Ghastliness. You then shall walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death,

and

and fear no Evil. You may look forward before you with inexpressible Delight, to a bright Scene of Glory and Immortality; when you shall be gathered to the general Assembly of the Saints, and to the Spirits of just Men made perfect; there shall you receive the Things which God hath prepared for those that love him; Things which your Eye never saw, nor your Ear heard, nor the Tongue of Man is able to express. There your Portion shall be with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with the Prophets and Apostles, with Martyrs and Confessors, and all the holy Saints, in the Kingdom of God, to eternal Ages.

But they that have lived in such an unprepared State of Soul, as they that are afraid to die, and appear before the Judgment Seat of Christ, should it be their miserable Lot to be cut off in the Midst of their sinful Folly, and expire with their Sins unpardoned; the very Thoughts of Death will strike them with Horror and Amazement. The sharp and tormenting Pains which the departing Sinner feels in his Body, make him wish to die, but the more tormenting Pains of his awakened Conscience make him dread the Thoughts of Death. Thus the dying Sinner is racked and distressed both in Body and Soul. The Agonies of his guilty, despairing Mind, are more insupportable than all the Pains and Tortures of his Disease. He has, as it were, a Foretaste of Hell, even before Death; and after his Departure hence, his lost, unhappy Soul shall be hurried by the wicked Spirits to the Mansions of the Damned, to the Seats of Horror and Despair, where Satan, who tempted him to his Destruction, shall insult at bis Calamity, and rejoice at his Damnation. There shall be weeping, wailing, and gnashing of Teeth, in that dismal Place, where the Worm dies not, and the Fire is not quenched.

From all Blindness of Heart, from the Crafts and
Assaults

15