s&s&icni- 
 
* Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2012 with funding from 
 
 ■Prmceton TheologicaL Seminary Library 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/afflictedmanOOwill 
 
IS* 
 
 AFFLICTED MAN'S COMPANION 5 
 
 or, a 
 
 DIRECTORY 
 
 FOR 
 
 FAMILIES AND PERSONS 
 
 AFFLICTED WITH SICKNESS OR ANY OTHER DISTRESS. 
 
 WITH 
 
 Wivttitow$ to lit S^:» 
 
 BOTH UNDER AND i^FTER THEIR AFFLICTION ; 
 
 ALSO TO THE FRIENDS OF THE SICK, 
 AND OTHERS WHO VISIT THEM: 
 
 AND LIKEWISE TO ALL, HOW TO PREPARE-BOTH FOR 
 
 SICKNESS AND DEATH, 
 
 AND HOW TO BE EXERCISED AT THE TIME OF DYING. 
 
 WITH A COLLECTION OF THE DYING WORDS OF MANY CHOICE AND 
 EMINENT SAINTS, 
 
 NECESSARY FOR FAMILIES. 
 
 TO WHICH ARE ADDED, 
 
 THE DYING WORDS OF THE AUTHOR, * 
 
 Written by Himself, and found among his Papers after-Ms Death. 
 
 By the Rev. Mr. JOHN WILLISON, 
 
 LATE MINISTER OF THE GOSPEL AT DUNDEE. 
 
 Job xiii. 15. — Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. 
 
 GLASGOW: 
 
 PRINTED BY KHULL, BLACKIE, AND CO. 
 AND ARCHIBALD FCLLARTON AND CO. EDINBURGH. 
 
 1821. 
 
TO THE 
 
 HEADER, 
 
 H^HE subject of this book, however melancholy it 
 ||- may appear to some, yet it is necessary unto all; 
 seeing the word of God, and our own experience do 
 assure us, that (i Man who is born of a woman, is of 
 few days, and full of trouble;" and that he <« is born 
 to trouble as the sparks fly upward." Nay, God's 
 dearest children are not exempted from this common 
 fate. We see what is the character God givetli his 
 church, Isa. liv. 11. "O thou afflicted, tossed with 
 tempest, and not comforted !" . * . 
 
 If in this world then we must look for tribulation, 
 it is highly necessary for every man to seek direction 
 how to provide for it, and behave under it, so as he 
 imay glorify God, edify others, and attain to eternal 
 happiness at last. The tribulations we have to look for 
 here are manifold; but among these that are outward, 
 I know none about which men ought to be more 
 thoughtful and concerned, than bodily sickness, that 
 usual harbinger of death, and which ushers the way to 
 judgment. 
 
 This is a subject not much handled in public ser- 
 mons, which are delivered only to them that are in 
 health, the sick being incapable to attend them. 
 
iv To the Header, . 
 
 Wherefore it seems the more necessary to handle it in 
 writing, that so the afflicted may have a book in their 
 houses, and at their bedsides, as a monitor to preach 
 to them in private, when they are restrained from 
 hearing sermons in public. 
 
 And though sometimes ministers' sermons may be 
 very suitable to the case of the sick and afflicted ; yet, 
 alas ! the most part are careless and forgetful hearers 
 of these things while they are in health and prosperi- 
 ty, as reckoning the evil day at some distance from 
 them. A book then, such as the following Directory, 
 being with them in time of sickness and affliction, may, 
 by the divine blessing, be useful to bring to their re- 
 membrance these counsels and admonitions which they 
 very much neglected in the time of their health. 
 
 Again, ministers of the gospel, though ever so 
 much inclined to attend the sick, yet by reason of dis- 
 ability and multiplicity of other work, cannot be al« 
 ways with them, to direct, resolve, and comfort them. 
 But such a book as this they may have still at hand to 
 consult with. 
 
 And in regard, the afflicted, for the most part, are 
 out of case to read for themselves, it would be a most 
 charitable work for friends or neighbours that attend 
 them, to lay hold on proper seasons for reading such a 
 book as this in their hearing, and especially such 
 chapters or directions as they judge most suitable for 
 them. Thus you might be helped in some measure 
 to exoner your consciences, and do your last offices of 
 kindness to your sick and dying friends, when you can 
 serve them no longer in the world. 
 
 I might have brought in, and handled some contro- 
 versies (had I been fond of them) in the ensuing trea- 
 tise, about the administration of the Lord's supper to 
 the sick, and about extreme unction, which some also 
 begin to plead for, and thence have taken occasion to 
 touch at some other new usages, such as the middle 
 state, prayers for the dead, and other Popish errors, 
 that some (called Protestants) would have revived 
 
To the Header. v 
 
 and introduced among us. But I have industriously 
 shunned what is controversial, and kept close to what is 
 practical, and owned by all true Christians. 
 
 For preventing the growth of these and other errors, 
 (from which this nation hath been much longer free 
 than others), I wish all ranks among us would closely 
 observe the sacred rule of faith, God's word, and 
 remember the solemn and national engagements we of 
 this land are under, to maintain the pure truths of God 
 therein contained, in opposition to all sorts of errors, 
 whether Popish, Pelagian, Arian, Antin.omian, &c. 
 And may we ever abhor the doctrine that would teach 
 us to break these bands asunder ! 
 
 Have we not ground this day to suspect that Satan 
 is carrying on a deep and subtle plot for shaking our 
 covenanted reformation, and weakening a Protestant 
 interest ? when, upon the one hand, some are begin- 
 ning openly to advance and propagate the old abjured 
 Popish doctrines, which our Reformers did throw out, 
 and with axes and hammers would go at once to cut 
 down all the carved work; and at the same time, on 
 the other hand, some would be at breaking down the 
 excellent fences of our Reformation, viz. our Cove- 
 nants, Confessions, the Magistrate's power, &c. For 
 this end, papers are spread and positions advanced, 
 impugning the warrantableness of our national cove- 
 nants and confessions, and the obligation thereof; 
 reflecting also upon our worthy Reformers and ances- 
 tors, as unenlightened, who framed and took them, 
 or died adhering thereunto ; and also denying the 
 magistrate's power circa sacra, (for the support of the 
 truth, and suppressing of heresies,) acknowledged by 
 the word of God, and our Confession of Faith; and 
 all this, forsooth, to make way for a toleration of ail 
 errors and sects among us ; though they cannot but 
 know, that tolerating of false religions, is expressly 
 ranked among the sins forbidden in the second com- 
 mandment according to the exposition of our Larger 
 Catechism; and is also condemned by the twenty- third 
 
 a 3 
 
vi To the Header, 
 
 chapter of our Confession: in both which we may see 
 the clear scripture texts cited by the Assembly, for 
 refuting and condemning any such toleration. Ah f 
 what joy may all this cause at Rome ! therefore tell it 
 not in Gath, &c. 
 
 As the Lord did signally countenance our Refor- 
 mers' practice, in entering into solemn and national 
 covenants with God, and among themselves, for reli- 
 gion and reformation, by the pouring out of his Spirit 
 from on high, for bringing in of many souls to him- 
 self, and fov overturning idolatry and superstition, and 
 advancing reformation to a great pitch, in spite of all 
 the enemies and difficulties that were in the way; so 
 their practice of national covenanting even under the 
 New Testament dispensation, is sufficiently warranted 
 both by the light of nature, and by the word of God, 
 and that in both Testaments. And this will appear, 
 if we consider the scripture precedents, together with 
 the promises and prophecies of the Old Testament 
 relating to gospel times, and compare them with the 
 New ; and especially these which foretel the unchurch- 
 ing of the Jewish nation, and the ingrafting of the 
 Gentile nations into their room; and that thereupon 
 'the national church state and privileges of the Jews 
 were to be transferred to Christian nations, and parti- 
 cularly this of being nationally in covenant with God; 
 — which prophecies are to have their special and full 
 accomplishment at Babylon's downfall. For illus- 
 trating these points, and applying the scripture texts 
 relative thereto, I might expatiate in several sheets of 
 paper, if it were proper here. I shall only at this time 
 cite some of the texts that may be well improven to 
 the foresaid purposes; which the reader may turn to, 
 and consider at his leisure, such as Isa. xix. 18, 21, 
 23, 24, 25. Isa. xlv. 23. Jer. 1. 4, 5. the lx. lxi. and lxii. 
 chapters of Isaiah throughout. Isa. lv. 3, 4, 5. Micah 
 iv. 1, 2. Zech. viii. 21, 22, 23. Rev. ii. 15. Rom. xi. 
 17, 19. Rom. x. 12, 19. Matth. iii. 5, 6. Acts viii. 6. 
 12. 2 Cor. viii. 5. Matth. xxi. 43. Rom. ix. 24, 25, 26. 
 
To the Reader, vii 
 
 compared with Hos. i. 9, 10, 11. Hos. ii. 23. Likewise 
 I might cite several prophecies with respect to the 
 islands, and utmost ends of the earth, which were 
 peopled by Japhet, that have a very peculiar and 
 favourable aspect in this covenanted land. 
 
 Besides all which, it is evident from the first and 
 great command of $he law, which is directed to Israel 
 as a nation, and is obligatory under the New Testa- 
 ment as well as the Old, that it is a moral duty 
 universally and perpetually binding upon nations and 
 societies, as well as single persons, to choose, acknow- 
 ledge, and avouch the Lord to be their God, to walk 
 in his ways, and keep his statutes. This is required 
 in the first commandment, according to the exposition 
 of our Larger Catechism ; and is there confirmed by 
 these texts, that warrant and exemplify the practice 
 of national covenanting, such as Deut. xxvi. 16, 17. 
 Josh. xxiv. 22. In such a national way did our 
 fathers of old acknowledge and avouch the Lord to be 
 their God, and devote themselves and their posterity 
 to the Lord. And blessed be the Lord our God, who 
 did many ways declare himself to be well pleased with 
 the bargain, and especially by filling the temple with 
 his glory. 
 
 As the prophets and godly Jews were at great pains 
 to convey to posterity historical accounts of the won- 
 derful deliverances God wrought for Israel at the Red 
 Sea, and in rescuing them from Egypt, Babylon, and 
 other enemies ; so it would be useful to fortify our 
 reformation, if we were careful to hand down to the 
 rising generation a sense of God's distinguishing 
 mercies to this land, in delivering us from spiritual 
 Babylon, and in rescuing us from time to time, from 
 these captains that have sought to lead us back thither. 
 Many a time hath he delivered us, when we have been 
 brought very low. 
 
 By many instances it bath appeared that the glori- 
 ous Jehovah hath not been ashamed to own his cove- 
 nant relation to this sinful and unworthy land. God 
 
viii To the Beaddr. 
 
 forbid that we of this age should be ashamed to own 
 our covenant relation to him. This hath been both 
 our glory and our safety ; and I hope there will still 
 be found a remnant to own it, and plead it with God 
 in the time of danger. Surely it is not time now to 
 disclaim it, when the enemies of our Zion are com- 
 bining together, and seeking to raze her to the foun- 
 dation. Let all her lovers cry mightily to her cove- 
 nanted Lord in her behalf, in these shaking times: let 
 them join to put up that prayer of the Psalmist, Psalm 
 Ixviii. 28. " Strengthen, O God, that which thou 
 hast wrought for us ;" and that of Habakkuk, Hab. 
 iii. 2. " O Lord, revive thy work in the midst of the 
 years." 
 
 May 27, 1727. 
 
 N. B. The foresaid digression in the preface to the 
 first edition was occasioned by the broaching of some 
 Sectarian notions, which introduced great reelings and 
 shakings in this corner, and other parts of this church; 
 since which time, alas ! she hath^enjoyed little peace 
 within her walls, or prosperity within her palaces; but, 
 instead thereof, she hath been tossed with tempests and 
 troubles of various kinds, whereby the children of Zion 
 have been brought and still lie under great distress 
 and affliction. 
 
 The first impression of this book being disposed of, 
 and a second called for, I have the more readily con- 
 sented to it, at this time of general calamity and dis- 
 tress, seeing the book is intended as a directory to 
 Christians under affliction, whatever sort it be. It can- 
 not but be obvious to every serious observer, that the 
 Lord's judgments are in the earth at this day, and that 
 the inhabitants of this land are generally visited with 
 calamities of divers kinds, both spiritual and temporal; 
 which makes a Directory how to manage and carry 
 under them the more seasonable and necessary. 
 
 Ah ! the Lord's hand is visibly lifted up against us 
 
To the Reader. ix 
 
 at this day, and hath been for some years past, in shut- 
 ting up the church's womb, blasting gospel ordinances, 
 and withdrawing his Spirit from the assemblies of his * 
 people, and from our judicatories. The floodgate is 
 opened for error, infidelity, and looseness to over- 
 spread the land; so that the gospel of Christ, the holy 
 scriptures, and all revealed religion, are contemned 
 and ridiculed by many. " The anger of the Lord 
 hath divided us both in church and state, and hath 
 mingled a perverse spirit in the midst of us;" yea, 
 hath made such woful breaches amongst godly minis- 
 ters and Christians, who are aiming at the same 
 things, that no balm can be found for healing then*. 
 There is a way opened for a carnal self-seeking minis- 
 try to get into the vineyard, when faithful labourers 
 are thrust out, and godly preachers and students are 
 discouraged from entering in. Not a few Christian 
 congregations, who lately were harmonious and united 
 in partaking of gospel ordinances, are now so mi- 
 serably rent and scattered, through mournful intru- 
 sions and dividing courses, that they cannot worship 
 Ood together ; and many of them are wandering like 
 sheep having no shepherd, exposed to beasts of prey, 
 and liable to perish in a state of ignorance or negli- 
 gence. 
 
 Likewise, the Lord's hand is remarkably lifted up 
 against us, in the variety of temporal judgments and 
 calamities brought upon us within a very short time 
 bypast. Sometimes the Lord sends forth his stormy 
 winds with extraordinary violence, so as to carry terror 
 and destruction alongst with them both by sea and 
 land, and even threaten to bury us in the ruins of our 
 houses. Sometimes he sends such long continued 
 rains in time of harvest, as threaten to destroy the 
 whole crop before our eyes. Sometimes such extra- 
 ordinary storms of frost and snow, as to bind up the 
 waters and mills, that food cannot be prepared for us, 
 and we are ready to famish in the midst of plenty* 
 Sometimes he sends such destructive storms of light* 
 
X To the Reader. 
 
 ning and thunder from heaven, and kindles such 
 violent fires on earth, that whole cities with their in- 
 habitants are like to be consumed therewith. Upon 
 our neighbouring countries dreadful inundations have 
 been sent of late, for destroying the inhabitants with 
 their cattle and effects. Again, God hath visited us 
 with long continued drought, cold, and unnatural 
 storms in the spring, and sometimes with frost in the 
 midst of summer, which have brought on extraordi- 
 nary scarcity and dearth of victual ; so that there are 
 great disorders committed in the land by riots and 
 tumults for want of food, and multitudes of families 
 are dissolved, and forced to wander begging their 
 bread; and the cattle also are famished for want of 
 grass and food to sustain them. In the mean time we 
 are engaged in war with cruel enemies, who seize our 
 ships, carry our countrymen captive, throw them into 
 dungeons and noisome prisons, where they use them 
 barbarously; yea, much of their blood is shed, and 
 many valuable lives lost in our defence. And besides 
 our other calamities, we suffer greatly through decay 
 of trade and merchandise, and penury of money: in 
 many places merchants, tradesmen, and artificers want 
 business; there is no work nor hire for labourers, and 
 for those who would use honest industry for bread, 
 whether men or women: so that want is " come upon 
 us as one that travaileth, and poverty like an armed 
 man;" and many are reduced to extreme misery, and 
 starving circumstances for lack of bread. 
 
 By all which proceedings it appears that God hath 
 a peculiar controversy with Scotland, and threatens to 
 punish her remarkably for her heinous sins and provo- 
 cations. The Lord's hand hath been long lifted up 
 against us, and now it is higher lifted than ever; and 
 the higher it is lifted up, the blow is like to be the 
 severer when given. He hath sent many lesser strokes 
 and judgments upon us, as fore-runners and warnings 
 of greater, which he hath still in reserve for us, if 
 we repent not ; for his magazine is far from being 
 
To the Header, xi 
 
 exhausted. As there are many causes for these cala- 
 mities of ours, so I think there is a principal one men- 
 tioned, Matth. xxiv. 12. « Iniquity doth abound, and 
 the love of many is waxed cold." Infidelity, immo- 
 rality, and contempt of the gospel, are come to a pro- 
 digious height: our hearts are become cold and frozen 
 to Christ and his interest, to his people and holy 
 laws ; for which cause God is provoked to send such 
 judicial cold and frosts upon our land and the fruits 
 of the earth, so as to mar and diminish our crops, and 
 reduce both men and beasts to the greatest straits. 
 And yet so great is our irapenitency and perverseness, 
 that we will not see the Lord's hand, nor be reformed 
 by all these judgments. 
 
 It might be well expected, when the Lord's judg- 
 ments are so visible in the earth, that not only his people 
 by profession, but even the inhabitants of the world, 
 would learn righteousness, according to Isa. xxvi. 9. 
 But alas ! so perverse are we in walking contrary to 
 God, that neither the inhabitants of the world, nor 
 these who profess to be separated from the world, will 
 alter their course, nor learn righteousness; nay, instead 
 of that, many are learning still more wickedness. 
 " Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: 
 and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as 
 this ?" Alas ! hath he not been provoked to say con- 
 cerning us, as he did concerning his ancient people, 
 Lev. xxvi. 23, 24. «« If ye will not be reformed by all 
 these things, but will walk contrary unto me; then 
 will I also walk contrary unto you, and will bring 
 seven times more plagues upon you, according to your 
 sins." And likewise to say unto us, as unto them, 
 « When ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine 
 eyes from you; and when ye fast, and make many 
 prayers, I will not hear; but I will consume you with 
 the sword^ with the famine, and with the pestilence," 
 as in Isa. % A3. Jer. xiv. 12. 
 
 The sward, famine, and pestilence, are God's three 
 mortal arrows, which he commonly threatens to shoot 
 
xii Ta the Bender. 
 
 against impenitent and incorrigible offenders. Two 
 of these are already shot against us: the sword is 
 drawn, and much of our countrymen's blood is already 
 shed; and what further streams of it may flow before 
 it be put up in its sheath, God only knows. The 
 evil arrow of famine (as God calls it, Ezek. v. 16.) 
 is let fly against us at the same time; and famine is 
 the arrow which is the sorest of the three. When it 
 was put to David's choice which of the three he 
 would be the butt of, he would not choose famine. 
 The prophet Joel doth bewail and deprecate this 
 judgment in the most pathetic manner, and calls the 
 whole land to fasting and prayer for removing it, Joel 
 i. 10, 14. And we see, when God is most angry, and 
 threatens to send his arrows upon a guilty people, he 
 begins with the arrow of famine, as the sorest, as in 
 Deut. xxxii. 23, 24. " I will spend mine arrows upon 
 them ; they shall be burnt with hunger." And we 
 see what the Spirit of God saith of these who die by 
 this arrow, Lam. iv. 9. " They that be slain with 
 the sword are better than they that be slain with 
 hunger ; for these pine away, stricken through for 
 want of the fruits of the field," and therefore their 
 death is most lingering and miserable. Likewise 
 famine useth to bring on the most noisome and mortal 
 diseases, and frequently the pestilence doth follow 
 upon the back of famine. Is it not high time, then, 
 for our land to take the alarm, when God begins to 
 shoot his evil arrows? When the lion roars, it becomes 
 us to fear, yea, to humble ourselves in the dust, and 
 mourn for our iniquities, which kindle the fire of his 
 wrath. 
 
 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to 
 the Lord, from whom we have deeply revolted : and 
 particularly, let us mourn for, and turn from these 
 sins which the word of God points out as bringing on 
 famine; such as, 1. Ascribing our earthly comforts 
 and blessings to other things than God, the true 
 author. This sin we find threatened with scarcity and 
 
To the Reader. xm 
 
 famine, Jer. xliv. 17, 26, 27. Hos. ii. 5, 9. 2. Per- 
 verting of plenty to luxury and prodigality, sensuality 
 and excess, revellings and dancings, balls, and assem- 
 blies. We see how these are threatened, Isa. v. 11, 
 12, 13. Amos vi. 4, 6, 7. 3. Rejecting the bread of 
 life, and despising the food of our souls. God useth 
 to punish men for this sin, by depriving them of 
 bread for their bodies, Jer. xi. 21, 22. 4. Men's mind- 
 ing their own things, more than the things of God, 
 and neglecting to build his house and put respect up- 
 on his ordinances. Upon such accounts God brings 
 on scarcity and famine Hag. i. 9, 10, 11. 5. Cove- 
 nant-breaking, and dealing cruelly with the poor, or 
 with strangers that live among us; it was for these 
 sins that God sent a three years' famine upon the lanil 
 of Israel, 2 Sam. xxi. 1. 
 
 Moreover, let us look upon all these temporal 
 storms and calamities which are come, or coming upon 
 the land, as warnings to prepare for a more awful 
 storm that we must all meet with, namely, the storm 
 of death and judgment; let us stand habitually prepar- 
 ed for that storm, and then other storms will not so 
 much affect us. If it be asked, What we shall do to 
 be safe in time of that trying storm? the answer is, 
 Let us see that we be among the broken in heart, or 
 sincere penitents, who are heartily grieved for all known 
 sin: that we be true believers in Christ, who trust in 
 nothing but his righteousness and merits for justifica- 
 tion and salvation : that we be born again, and made 
 new creatures by a saving change both in heart and 
 life : that it be our great business to clear up our evi- 
 dences of peace with God through Christ, and of our 
 title to the mansions which he hath purchased by his? 
 blood. O that God's judgments when they are in -the 
 earth, were means to awaken us to flee from the wrath 
 to come, to Christ our refuge ! When the floods of 
 great waters are swelling up to the brim, our only safe- 
 ty is to secure a hiding place in Christ's wounds. 
 
 Let us follow the example of Noah, who, when he 
 b 
 
xiv To the Header. 
 
 saw the flood coming, took warning, and prepared an 
 ark for saving himself, and his household, Heb. xi. 7. 
 JLet us even imitate the Egyptians that feared the Lord; 
 they, when warned of the dreadful storm of hail that 
 was coming on the land, made their servants and cat- 
 tle to flee into the houses, Exod. ix. 20. God hath, 
 in mercy, provided chambers for his people to hide 
 themselves in when the storms are coming, even the 
 chambers of his attributes and promises, and the cham- 
 bers of Christ's wounds and intercession : in these on- 
 ly we can find safety ; let us then enter into them by 
 faith, when he invites us, Isa. xxvi. 20, 21. 
 
 Seeing in these evil days, we have so many harbin- 
 gers and forerunners of death before our eyes, it will 
 be highly our wisdom to keep ourselves still in a wait- 
 ing posture, always ready and willing to die. What is 
 there in this weary land to tempt us to desire to abide 
 in it? Is it not a land overwhelmed with sin and sor- 
 row? O believers, are you tossed with tempests here ? 
 Seek the wings of a dove that you may flee away, and 
 be at rest. Be habitually desiring to depart, that you 
 may be with Christ. Surely for you to die is gain, yea, 
 infinite gain i What are the imaginary pleasures of this 
 world to the real happiness of the next? Though the 
 struggles of death be grievous to nature, yet the gain 
 of dying should reconcile you to it. You do not stick 
 at the trouble of putting off your clothes at night, to 
 gain a little rest to your bodies; and why should you 
 stick at unclothing yourselves of the garments of flesh 
 at God's call, to gain everlasting rest to your souls, and 
 the fruition of Christ's glorious presence for ever? Let 
 the thought of this gain put you upon using all means 
 to get your hearts weaned from the love of the world, 
 and its comforts. Keep the mantle of earthly enjoy- 
 ments hanging loose about you, especially in those ca- 
 lamitous times, that so it may be easily dropt when 
 death comes to carry you to the eternal world. O for 
 more of the lively faith of that world, and of him that 
 is the Lord and purchaser of it 1 But seeing this sub- 
 
To the Reader. xv 
 
 ject is more largely insisted on in the book itself, I 
 shall add no more here upon it. Only I shall subjoin 
 a collection of some sweet and comfortable texts of 
 scripture, very proper for dying believers to meditate 
 and feed on by faith, to grip to and plead with God, and 
 suck consolation from, when they have a near pros- 
 pect of going through the dark valley, and entering 
 into the unknown regions of eternity. God's word 
 will then be our hope. 
 
( xvi } 
 A COLLECTION 
 
 OF 
 
 COMFORTABLE TEXTS 
 
 FOR 
 
 DYING BELIEVERS. 
 
 |^<OME unto me all ye that labour, and are heavy 
 V^ laden, and I will give you rest, Matth. xi. 28. 
 Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out, 
 John vi. 37. 
 
 In my Father's house are many mansions; if it were 
 not so 1 would have told you: I go to prepare a place 
 for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, 
 I will come again, and receive you to myself, that where- 
 I am, there ye may be also, John xiv. 2, 3. 
 Because 1 live, ye shall live also, John xiv. 19. 
 Christ saith, Surely I come quickly. Ans, Amen* 
 Even so, come, Lord Jesus, Rev. xxii. 20. 
 
 There remaineth a rest to the people of God, Heb* 
 iv. 9. 
 
 I have waited for thy salvation, O Lord, Gen. xlix* 
 18. 
 
 Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace t 
 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, Luke ii. 29, 30v 
 He is the rock, and his work is perfect, DeuL 
 xxxii. 4. 
 
 The Lord will perfect that which concerneth rae, 
 Psal. cxxxviii. 8. ^ 
 
 Being confident that he which hath begun a 
 
 good work in you, will perform it until the day o£ 
 Jesus Christ, Phil L 6* 
 
Comfortable Texts, fyc. xvii 
 
 I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall 
 stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though 
 after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my 
 flesh shall I see God *. whom I shall see for myself, 
 and mine eyes shall behold, and not another ; though 
 my reins be consumed within me, Job xix. 25, 26, 27. 
 
 Although my house be not so with God, yet he hath 
 made with me an everlasting covenant, ordered in all 
 things and sure; for this is all my salvation, and all 
 my desire, 2 Sam. xxiii. 5. 
 
 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shad- 
 ow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me, 
 Psal. xxiii. 4. 
 
 Into thy hand I commit my spirit : thou hast re- 
 deemed me, O Lord God of truth, Psal. xxxi. 5. 
 
 For this God is our God for ever and ever; he will 
 be our guide even unto death, Psal. xlviii. 14. 
 
 Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and after- 
 wards receive me to glory. Whom have I in heaven 
 but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire 
 besides thee. My flesh and my heart faileth: But God 
 is the^strength of my heart and my portion for ever, 
 Psal. Ixxiii. 24, 25, 26, 
 
 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit : a broken 
 and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise, 
 Psal. li. 17. 
 
 O that I had wings like a dove ! for then would I 
 flee away and be at rest. I would hasten my escape 
 from the windy storm and tempest, Psal. Iv. 6, 8. 
 
 Though ye have lain among the pots, yet shall ye 
 be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her 
 feathers with yellow gold, Psal. lxviii. 1 3. 
 
 The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from 
 all sin, 1 John i. 7. 
 
 Having boldness to enter into the holiest by the 
 blood of Jesus, Heb. x. 19. 
 
 He hath said, I wilj, never leave thee nor forsake 
 thee. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, to-day, and 
 for ever, Heb» xiiL 5, 8. 
 
 bs 
 
xviii * Comfortable Texts 
 
 He retaineth not his anger for ever, because he de- 
 lighteth in mercy, Micah vii. 18. 
 
 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him, Job 
 xiii. 15. 
 
 In his name shall the Gentiles trust, Matth. xii. 23. 
 
 Blessed are all they that put their trust in him 5 
 Psal. ii. 12. 
 
 He knoweth our frame, he remembereth that we are 
 dust, Psal. ciii. 14. 
 
 I loathe it, I would not live alway, Job vii. 16. 
 
 We know that if our earthly house of this taber- 
 nacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an 
 house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. 
 We are willing rather to be absent from the body, 
 and present with the Lord, 2 Cor. v. 1, 8. 
 
 For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. Hav- 
 ing a desire to depart, and to be with Christ, which is 
 far better, Phil. i. 21, 23. 
 
 And now, Lord, what wait I for? my hope is in thee, 
 Psal. xxxix. 7. 
 
 My beloved is mine, and I am his. His left hand is 
 under my head, and his right hand doth embrace me. 
 Awake, O north wind, and come, thou south, blow 
 upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out : 
 let my Beloved come into his garden, and eat his plea- 
 sant fruits. Until the day break and the shadows flee a- 
 way. Make haste, my Beloved, and be thou like to a 
 roe, or to a young hart on the mountains of spices, 
 Cant. ii. 6, 16, 17, and iv. 16, and viii. 14. 
 
 O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy 
 victory? But thanks be to God, which giveth us the 
 victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ, 1 Cor. xv, 55, 
 
 57. 
 
 The time of my departure is at hand. I have fought 
 a good light, I have finished my course, I have kept 
 the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown 
 of righteousness, which the Lord the righteous Judge 
 shall give me at that day; and not to me only, but unto 
 all them also that love his appearing, 2 Tim. iv. 6, 7> 8. 
 
for Dying Believers. xix 
 
 The day of death is better than the day of one's 
 birth, Eccles. vii. 1. 
 
 And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes, 
 and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor 
 crying, neither shall there be any more pain; for the 
 former things are passed away, Rev. xxi. 4. 
 
 This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all accepta* 
 tion, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sin- 
 ners, of whom I am chief, 1 Tim. i. 15. 
 
 God so loved the world that he gave his only be- 
 gotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should 
 not perish, but have everlasting life, John iii. 16. 
 
 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew 
 no sin ; that we might be made the righteousness of 
 God in him, 2 Cor. v. 21. 
 
 Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift, 2 Cor. 
 ix. 15. . 
 
 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath vi- 
 sited and redeemed his people, and hath raised up an 
 horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant 
 David, Luke i. 68, 69. 
 
 Them which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with 
 him. Then shall we be caught up together with them 
 in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall 
 we ever be with the Lord, I Thess. iv. 14, 17. 
 
 Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our 
 sins in his own blood, &c. Worthy is the Lamb that 
 was slain, to receive power and glory, Rev. i. 5. and 
 v. 11. 
 
 We know that we have passed from death unto life, 
 because we love the brethren, 1 John iii. 14. 
 
 I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor an- 
 gels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, 
 nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any ci- 
 ther creature shall be able to separate us from the love 
 of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord, Rom. viii. 
 
 *, 39. 
 
 I know whom I have believed, and I am persuaded 
 
xx Comfortable Texts, fyc. 
 
 that be is able to keep that which I have committed 
 unto him against that day, 2 Tim. i. 12. 
 
 I count all things but loss and dung, that I may win 
 Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own 
 righteousness, &c* Phil. iii. 8, 9. 
 
 Christ Jesus who of God is made unto us wisdom, 
 and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption, 
 1 Cor. i. 30. 
 
 We rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence, 
 in the flesh, Phil. iii. 3. 
 
 Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made 
 us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints 
 in light, Col. i. 12. 
 
 Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall 
 see him. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus, Rev. u 
 *7. and xxii. 20. 
 
 Dundee, 5th June 5 174L 
 
THE 
 
 CONTENTS, 
 
 Page 
 
 Collection of comfortable Texts for dying Believ- 
 ers, ~~, *~~ ™~ «~, 16 
 
 The Introduction, ~~ — ^i. 25 
 
 Chap. I. Containing general directions to all fami- 
 lies and persons under sickness, ,~~ 26 
 
 Direct. I. Inquire into the ends and designs for 
 which God sends sickness and affliction, ^ ib. 
 
 Direct. II. Search for the Achan, or cause of God's 
 controversy with you, ~~, ^« 32 
 
 Direct. III. Think seriously upon death, and make 
 diligent preparation for it, ~~» — 36 
 
 Direct. IV. Be not anxious for recovery, but leave 
 the issue of thy sickness to God, ^ 40 
 
 Direct. V. Bind yourself with purposes to improve 
 health better, if God shall recover you, ^« 42 
 
 Direct. VI. Timeously make your wills, and settle 
 your worldly affairs, ^« 43 
 
 Chap. II. Containing particular directions to those 
 who are afflicted with sore and long affliction^ 46 
 
 Direct. I. Justify God in the greatest afflictions, 48 
 
 Direct. II. Be sensible of God's hand, and beware 
 of stupidity under heavy afflictions, ^ 50 
 
 Direct. III. Beware of misconstructing God's deal- 
 ings, or charging him foolishly, ^ 52 
 
 Direct. IV. Labour to exercise a strong faitb s 53 
 
 Direct. V. Labour to bear up with patience, 56 
 
 Direct, VI. Do not envy the wicked, when you see 
 them in health and prosperity, „^. KWa 59 
 
xxii CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 
 Direct. VII. Guard against repinings and murmur- 
 ings against the providence of God, „^ 61 
 
 Chap. III. Containing special directions to the 
 Children of God, under sickness or any afflictions^ 70 
 
 Direct. I. Guard against fainting or desponding 
 under God's afflicting hand, „^ ^* ib. 
 
 Direct. II. Study to be exemplary in patience and 
 submissive to God under affliction, 78 
 
 Direct, III. Be much in the exercise of praise, 85 
 
 Direct. IV. Set about actual preparation for death, 89 
 
 Direct. V. Study to glorify God, and edify those a- 
 bout you by your speech and behaviour, ^^ 96 
 
 Direct. VI. Shew your concern for advancing the 
 kingdom of Christ in the rising age, •*. 102 
 
 Direct. VII. Labour to be fortified against Satan's 
 temptations in time of sickness, , 104* 
 
 Chap. IV. Containing special directions to the un- 
 regenerate when under sickness and affliction, 109 
 
 Direct. I. Consider the miserable condition of a 
 Christless person under sore sickness, „~» ib* 
 
 Direct. II. Improve sickness as means of conver- 
 sion, ^ -~~ «»*. «~~ 111 
 
 Direct. III. Beware of slighting God's voice in the 
 rod, _ ^ ~~ ~~ 113 
 
 Direct. IV. Reflect upon the sins of your bypast 
 life, and be deeply humbled for them, — 114r 
 
 Direct. V. Flee presently to Christ by a true faith, 116 
 
 Direct. VI. Call the elders of the church to pray 
 for you, — — ~-~ ~~ H7 
 
 Chap. V. Containing directions to God's people, 
 when recQveredfrom siclmess arid distress, 118 
 
 Direct. I. Try if affliction hath been sanctified to 
 
 you, _ ~~ ~~ ~~ to- 
 
 Direct. II. Offer to Ccd the sacrifice of thanks- 
 giving, ^ ««» ~~- ~~. 120 
 
 Direct. III. Beware of forgetting the Lord's kind- 
 ness, — *~~ ~~* — 1*4? 
 
 Direct. IV. Inquire after these fruits of righte* 
 
CONTENTS, xxiii 
 
 Page 
 
 onsness, which are the genuine effects of sancti- 
 fied affliction, — — ^ ~~ 125 
 
 Direct. V. Be careful to perform these engage- 
 ments which you come under in time of sick- 
 ness, — ,~~ ~~ ~~ 127 
 
 Chap. VI. Containing directions to the unregene' 
 rate, when they are recovered from sickness, 130 
 
 Direct. I. Examine what are the fruits of your af- 
 fliction, and if it hath not the marks of that 
 which is unsanctified, — w .~ . ib. 
 
 Direct. II. Consider the danger of not being bet- 
 tered by sickness, — — „„ 132 
 
 Direct. III. Admire God's sparing mercy to such 
 heli-deserving sinners, and be thankful for it, 35 
 
 Direct. IV. Improve sparing mercy in a right 
 manner, ^~ — ~~ 137 
 
 Chap. VIL Containing dneciions to these sick per- 
 sons who are appare?itly in a dying condition, 141 
 
 Direct. I. Exert your utmost activity in preparing 
 to meet with death, _^ 142 
 
 Direct. II. Continue in the exercise of repentance 
 to the last, _ _ _ _ 155 
 
 Direct. III. Be mindful of the acts of justice and 
 charity incumbent on you at this time, 157 
 
 Direct. IV. Labour to overcome the love of life 
 and fears of death, that ycu may get willing- 
 ness to die, 159 
 
 Direct. V. Imitate the ancient worthies, by dying 
 in faith, _ — 168 
 
 Direct. VI. Set the example of other dying saints 
 before you, and study to imitate them in their 
 shining piety and heavenly speeches at their 
 death, _ 171 
 
 Many choice sayings of dying saints, ib. 
 
 Direct. VII. Let dying persons be earnest in pray- 
 er to God, ~~ 201 
 
 Some meditations and ejaculations, proper for sick 
 
xxiv CONTENTS. 
 
 Page 
 and dying persons, and especially for a dying 
 believer, _ _ , ^ 203 
 
 Some meditations for drooping believers, when 
 death is near, ^ 210 
 
 An addition of some further meditations proper 
 for any sick person in the view of death, 214? 
 
 Chap. VIII. Containing directions to the friends 
 and neighbours of the sick, nsoho are at present 
 in health, «~~ Jj ~~*. 222 
 
 Direct. I. Be thankful to God for health, and im- 
 prove it to his glory, _ ^ «^ ib. 
 
 Direct. II. Make conscience of visiting the sick, 224 
 
 Direct. III. Deal faithfully with the sick about 
 their soul, — — _ 226 
 
 Direct. IV. Pray with and for the sick, , 232 
 
 Petitions for the sick, _ _ 234 
 
 Direct. V. Let your sick friends have suitable 
 company and converse, ^ . 236 
 
 Direct. VI. Be duly concerned also for the bodies 
 of the sick, — **■ _ 238 
 
 Direct. VII. When their sickness doth ensue in 
 death, behave Christianly under the dispensa- 
 tion, *~~ — — ~~~ 239 
 
 Direct. VIII. Let the sickness and death of others 
 be a warning to you in time of health, to make 
 due preparation for the time of sickness and of 
 dying which is before your hand, 246 
 
 Direct. IX. Let those who are in health set about 
 the work of repentance, and turning to God in 
 Christ timeously and quickly; and beware of 
 delaying this work until the time of sickness, 
 and of dying, _. ^ — 255 
 
 Some dying words of the late Rev. Mr. John Wil- 
 lison to his wife and children, found among his 
 papers after his death, «~» ~~*. 265 
 
THE 
 
 AFFLICTED MAN'S COMPANION; 
 
 OR, A 
 
 FOR A FAMILY OR PERSON UNDER AFFLICTION, BY 
 SICKNESS OR OTHERWISE. 
 
 M- 
 
 INTRODUCTION, 
 
 AN, when he first dropped from his Maker's 
 hands, was a holy and innocent creature, pure 
 From sin, and consequently free from sickness and trou- 
 ble, enjoying uninterrupted health and prosperity both 
 in body and soul. But no sooner was he tainted with 
 sin, but he became liable to all sorts of miseries tempo- 
 ral, spiritual, and eternal. His soul being the residence 
 of sins and lusts, his body turned the receptacle of 
 sickness and diseases. And, seeing God's own child- 
 ren have the relics of sin and corruption in them, 
 while in this world, they are not to expect exemption 
 from such afflictions; and the infinitely wise God sees 
 meet to make use of bodily distempers to correct the 
 corruptions, and try the graces of his people, and to 
 promote both their spiritual and eternal advantage. 
 Hence it is said of Lazarus, John xi. 3. M Behold, he 
 whom thou lovest is sick." He was beloved, and yet 
 sick. It is no rare thing for the dearest of God's saints 
 to be put to chatter like cranes, and mourn like doves, 
 by reason of sore sickness.; as Hezekiah did, Isa. xxxviii. 
 14?. Sanctified and healthy souls may be matched with 
 weak and sickly bodies, as was Gaius, 3 John 2. Not- 
 withstanding the case is sometimes most trying and ex- 
 ercising to the best of God's people; and they are never 
 more ready to question God's love, or quarrel with 
 
 A 
 
26 Directions to Families and 
 
 his providence, than under heavy sickness and bodily 
 distress. It is therefore highly the concernment of all, 
 whether families or private persons, to inquire how 
 they ought to behave under or after afflicting sickness; 
 and how they shall provide for such an evil time be- 
 fore it come. And for the help of all that desire in- 
 struction in this matter, I have written the following 
 directory, which for method's sake, I shall divide into 
 several chapters: — 
 
 I. I shall give some general directions to all families 
 and persons visited with sickness and affliction. 
 
 II. Some particular directions to those who are 
 sharply afflicted with sore sickness and long trouble. 
 
 III. Directions to the children of God under sick- 
 ness. 
 
 IV. Directions to unregenerate persons under sick- 
 ness. 
 
 V. Directions to the people of God when recovered 
 from sickness. 
 
 VI. Directions to unrenewed persons recovered 
 from sickness. 
 
 VII. Directions to those sick persons who are ap- 
 parently in a dying condition. 
 
 VIII. Directions to the relations, acquaintances, and 
 neighbours of the sick, who are themselves in health 
 for the time. 
 
 N. B. Let it be remembered, that what I say to those 
 visited with sickness is likewise applicable to all other 
 afflicted persons, whatever their distress be. 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 CONTAINING GENERAL DIRECTIONS TO ALL FAMILIES 
 AND PERSONS VISITED WITH SICKNESS. 
 
 Direct. I. Diligently inquire into the ends and de- 
 signs > for 'which usually God sends sickness and af- 
 fliction upon persons. 
 AN infinitely holy and gracious God hath various 
 and wise ends in afflicting the children of men, 
 
Direct. I. Persons wider Sickness, 27 
 
 whether they be converted or unconverted; which 
 ought to be duly considered by all, and especially by 
 those who are visited with sickness; some whereof I 
 shall instance. 
 
 I. God visits with sickness, to cause careless sinners 
 bethink themselves concerning their souls' state and 
 condition, who perhaps had never a serious thought 
 about it before. There are many who, when in health 
 and strength, are so intent upon the pleasures and pro- 
 fits of the world, that they mind nothing else: all the 
 warnings, exhortations, and counsels of ministers, teach- 
 ers and friends, are lost upon them: they cannot en- 
 dure to entertain a thought of God, of the soul, of 
 death, of heaven, of hell, or of judgment to come, till 
 God doth cast them into some sickness or bodily dis- 
 tress, and then sometimes they begin with the prodi- 
 gal to come to themselves, and bethink themselves con- 
 cerning their souls and a future life. Now, this is 
 God's design, 1 Kings viii. 47. " If they bethink them- 
 selves in the land whether they are carried captives, 
 and repent," &c. By sickness God gives a man, that 
 before was wholly diverted from soul-matters by busi- 
 ness, company, and pleasures, occasion to bethink 
 himself. The man is now confined to his chamber, 
 is deprived of his former company and diversions, and 
 so gets time and leisure to commune with his own 
 heart, and reflect on his former ways, and to hear 
 what conscience speaks concerning a judgment-day, 
 and a world to come, and the need of a Saviour. And 
 so, by the blessing of God upon such afflictions, not 
 a few have begun their first acquaintance with God 
 and Christ, and serious religion. Nay, the furnace is 
 Christ's usual workhouse, where he has formed the 
 most excellent vessels of honour and praise, Isa. xlviii. 
 10. " I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction," 
 Manasseh, the Prodigal, Paul, and the Jailor, were all 
 chosen there. 
 
 II. God visits us with sickness, in order to instruct 
 and teach us these things we know not, Psal. xcvi. 12. 
 
28 directions to Families and Cfiap. 1. 
 
 It was a saving of Luther, Schola cruris est schola lu- 
 cts. And indeed the school of affliction is the place 
 where many of Zion's scholars have made good profi- 
 ciency in spiritual and experimental knowledge. Now 
 there are several remarkable lessons which jGrod would 
 teach us by the rod. 
 
 1st, The knowledge of God. It is said of Manas- 
 seh, 2 Chron. xxxiii. 12, 13. " When he was brought 
 to affliction, &c. Then Manasseh knew that the Lord 
 he was God." Though Manasseh was well educated, 
 and early taught the knowledge of God, yet till now he 
 knew not the Lord; but now he knew him in his power 
 and greatness, his holiness and hatred of sin^ now he 
 knew God in his goodness and mercy, and wondered 
 that he had kept him so long out of bell. 
 
 2<%, Another lesson is the knowledge of ourselves. 
 In time of health and prosperity we are apt to forget 
 ourselves, and our mortality; but sickness causeth us 
 to know that we are but men, and frail men, Psal. ix. 
 20. that God hath an absolute sovereignty over us, 
 and can as easily crush us as we do a moth. 
 
 3dly 9 He teacheth us the emptiness of the world. 
 How vain a help is that, which fails a man in the time 
 of his greatest need ! And ofttimes we see that worldly 
 means and friends can never give the least ease to the 
 bodies, nor comfort to the souls of persons under sick- 
 ness and distress. 
 
 Mhly, Another lesson is the great evil of sin, which 
 is the cause of all sickness and diseases whatsoever, 
 1 Cor. xi. 30. " For this cause many are weak and 
 sickly among you." Ah, what a root of bitterness 
 must that be, which brings forth such bitter fruit! 
 
 5Mfr/, He sheweth us the preciousness and excel- 
 lency of Christ and his promises; which only can ena- 
 ble a Christian to rejoice in tribulation, and be easy 
 under the greatest pains and diseases. There are many 
 who are indifferent about Christ in time of health, that 
 when sickness comes, do change their note and cry, 
 O for an interest in Christ above all things! 
 
Direct. I. Persons under Sickness. 29 
 
 III. God sends such trials and distresses, in order 
 to mortify and kill sin in us, Isa. xxvii. 9. " By this 
 shall the iniquity of Jacob be purged, and this is all 
 the fruit to take away his sin." And indeed sickness 
 and affliction, through the blessing of God have a 
 native tendency to weaken and subdue our prevailing 
 sins and lusts. O man, is thy heart turned hard, so 
 as thou art not sensible of thy own sins, or of others 
 sufferings? God sees meet to try the fire of affliction, 
 to see if it will melt thy frozen heart. Hast thou un- 
 dervalued health, and slighted thy mercies? Now God 
 removes them from thee, that, by the want of them, 
 thou mayest know the worth of them. Art thou turn- 
 ed proud and self-conceited? God sends thee a thorn 
 in the flesh to prick the swollen bladder of pride, that 
 thou mayest not be puffed up above measure; God 
 lays thee low upon thy bed, that thou mayest be lowly 
 in thy heart. Doth love to the world prevail in thee? 
 God sends affliction to discover its emptiness, and wean 
 thee from it. Art thou fallen secure, dead and form- 
 al? God sends affliction to awake thee, that thou may- 
 est not sleep the sleep of death. 
 
 IV. God sends sickness, to awaken in us the spirit 
 of prayer and supplication, and make us more earnest 
 and importunate in our addresses to the throne of grace. 
 There is a great difference betwixt our prayers in health 
 and in sickness, betwixt our humiliations in prosperi- 
 ty and in adversity. In prosperity we pray heavily 
 and drowsily, but adversity adds wings to our desires, 
 Isa. xxvi. 16 " Lord, in trouble have they visited thee, 
 they poured out a prayer when thy chastening was up- 
 on them." Though they were backward enough to pray 
 before, yet they pour it out most freely now. The ve- 
 ry heathen mariners cried loud to God in a storm. 
 What a famous prayer did Manasseh make when he 
 was under his iron-fetters? we find it thrice mentioned, 
 2 Chron. xxxiii. 13, 18, 19. And the voice of fervent 
 prayer is what the Lord desires to hear. 
 
 V. Another end is, to loose our hearts from things of 
 
 A 3 
 
SO Directions to Families and Chap. L 
 
 this world, and cause us to look and long for heaven. 
 When we enjoy health and ease in this world, we are 
 apt to say with Peter on the mount, " It is good for 
 us to be here," but when distress cometh, God's people 
 will turn their tongue, and say with the Psalmist, Psal. 
 Ixxiii. 28. $i It is good for me to draw nigh to God.'* 
 When things here go well with us, we are apt to think 
 ourselves at home; but, when trouble ariseth, we be- 
 gin to say, arise let us depart, this is not our rest. 
 Though heaven was much out of sight and out of mind 
 before, yet when afflicting sickness comes, the poor be- 
 liever will sigh, and say with David, Psal. lv. 6. " O 
 that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly a- 
 way, and be at rest; I would hasten my escape from 
 the windy tempest." 
 
 VI. God designs to make the world bitter, and Christ 
 sweet to us. By such afflictions he lets men see that 
 the world is nothing but vanity and vexation of spirit^ 
 that riches avail not in the day of wrath; then it is they 
 may see the insufficiency of the world to relieve them, 
 that (as one saith) a velvet slipper cannot cure the gout* 
 a golden cap cannot drive away the head-ach, nor a bed 
 of down give ease in a fever. And as the world turns 
 bitter, so Christ grows sweet to the believer. In time 
 of ease and health, Christ is often very much neglected 
 and forgot. As the disciples, while the sea was calm, 
 suffered Christ to sleep with them in the ship, think- 
 ing they might make their voyage well enough with- 
 out his help; but when they were ready to be drown- 
 ed, then they saw their need of Christ, they awaked 
 him, crying, Master, save us, we perish: so the best of 
 saints, when all is easy about them, are prone to 
 suffer Christ to sleep within them, and so to neglect 
 the lively actings of faith in Christ; but when the storm 
 of affliction begins to arise, and they are ready to be 
 overwhelmed with distress, then they cry, *« None but 
 Christ, none but Christ." 
 
 VII. God trysts with sickness and distress, in order 
 both to prove and improve his people's graces, Deut. 
 
Direct. I. Persons under Sic/cness. 31 
 
 viii. 2. Rev. ii. 10. Grace is hereby both tried and 
 strengthened. 1st, Such afflictions do prove both the 
 truth and strength of our graces, as they serve to 
 try if we Jove God for himself, if we. can endure and 
 hold out in serving him, waiting and depending upon 
 him notwithstanding of discouragements. That faith, 
 will suffice for a little affliction, that will not suffice for, 
 a great one. Peter had faith enough to come upon 
 the sea at Christ's call ; but, as soon as the waves 
 began to swell, his faith began to fail, and his feet to 
 sink, till Christ mercifully caught hold of him, saying 
 " O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" 
 Matth. xiv. 31. Little did Peter think his faith was 
 so weak till now. 
 
 2dly, They tend to improve our graces also, by 
 quickening and strengthening them. They serve as 
 a whetstone to sharpen faith, so as the soul is made 
 to renounce earthly shelters, and clasp about God, in 
 Christ, as its only refuge and portion. They exite 
 to repentance and serious mourning for sin; for, like 
 the winter frost and snows, they make the fallow- 
 ground of our hearts more tender. They prompt 
 us to heaven ly-mindedness, self-denial, and patient 
 waiting on God. Yea, the experience of God's peo- 
 ple can attest it, that grace is never more lively than 
 under affliction. David never found himself better as 
 to his spiritual state, than when he was persecuted and 
 hunted as a partridge on the mountains; and hence he 
 says, Psal. cxix. 71. " It is good for me that I have 
 been afflicted." 
 
 VIII. God's aim is, to awaken us to redeem time, 
 to prepare for flitting, and clear up our evidences for 
 heaven. In time ot health we are apt to trifle away 
 time, loiter in our journey, and forget that we are 
 pilgrims on the earth: Wherefore God sends sickness 
 as his messenger to mind us hereof. 
 
 Now it highly concerns us, when sickness attacks 
 us, to consider and meditate upon these ends for 
 which God brings on distress, and pray earnestly that 
 
32 Directions to Families and Chap. L 
 
 they may be accomplished in us: And so our sickness 
 shall not be unto death, (spiritual or eternal) but to 
 the glory of God and the good of our souls. 
 
 Direct. II. Let all w7io are visited xmth sickness and 
 distress, search for the Achan in the camp, and en- 
 quire diligently "what is the ground and cause of 
 God's controversy 'with them, 
 
 IT hath been the practice of God's people in scrip- 
 ture-times, to inquire into the cause and meaning 
 of God's rods which have been laid upon them. So 
 David, 2 Sam. xxi. when the land of Israel was three 
 years under the stroke of famine, he inquired into 
 the meaning of it. So Job is exceedingly desirous to 
 know why God set him up as a mark for his arrows, 
 Job vii. 20. and hence it is that he makes that petition, 
 Job x. 2. which is most suitable to every man in dis- 
 tress, " Shew me wherefore thou contendest with me." 
 I grant, indeed, that God sometimes visits his peo- 
 ple with affliction for the trial and exercise of their 
 grace, and for their spiritual instruction, more than 
 for the correction of their sin. But, sin being the o- 
 riginal and foundation of all affliction, it is safest when 
 it is our own case, and most acceptable to God to own 
 sin as the procuring cause. Or, if our sins have not 
 immediately procured the present affliction, yet the 
 best of God's children must own that they have at 
 least deserved it; for God never afflicted a perfectly 
 innocent person; there is still just cause for it. We 
 see the sin of the Corinthians is mentioned as the 
 cause of their sickness, 1 Cor. xi. 30. " For this cause 
 many are weak and sickly among you." The Psalm- 
 ist concludes the very same thing, Psal. cvii. 17, 18. 
 " Fools, because of their transgressions and their ini- 
 quities are afflicted: Their soul abhorreth all manner of 
 meat; and they draw nigh unto the gates of death." 
 But ordinarily by sickness the Lord points at some one 
 sin in us more than another, some Jonah in the ship. 
 
 ! 
 
Direct. II. Persons under Sickness. S3 
 
 that hath raised the storm, which the Lord would 
 have us to search out, and throw overboard without 
 delay. 
 
 Quest. But, how shall we discover and find out the 
 particular sin for which God afflicts us with sickness 
 and distress? 
 
 Ahs. 1st. Study the Lord's word, and the chastise- 
 ments there recorded, which he hath inflicted upon 
 people for their sins, and inquire if you be guilty of 
 the like. Observe what hath been God's mind to his 
 people, and what sin he hath pointed out to them, 
 when they have been brought under such a rod, and 
 so you may learn his rnind to you, Rom. xv. 4. <c For 
 whatsoever things were written aforetime, were written 
 for our learning." 
 
 2dly, Consider what is the sin which conscience 
 doth most of all accuse thee for, in thy most serious and 
 solitary hours. Conscience is God's deputy, and thy 
 bosom monitor, whose voice perhaps thou hast little 
 regarded in the day of thy health; wherefore God 
 hath sent a sharper messenger to second the voice of 
 conscience. Hear now the voice of the rod, for it is 
 the same with the voice of conscience. In the day of 
 prosperity, carnal profits and pleasures make such a 
 noise, that the voice of conscience could not be heard ; 
 wherefore God hath brought on thee the silent night 
 of adversity, that his deputy may obtain audience. 
 "Well then, give ear; what saith conscience now? May 
 you not hear it saying, as Reuben to his brethren in 
 distress, spake I, not to you in the day of health, do 
 not commit such a sin, and do not delay repenting for 
 such a sin, but you would not hear: O man, let con- 
 cience get a hearing at last, as it got with the patri- 
 archs when they were brought to distress in Egypt, 
 and made them confess their sin in selling of Joseph, 
 Gen. xliii. 21. « We are verily guilty concerning our. 
 brother, in that we saw the anguish of his soul, when 
 he besought us, and we would not hear. Therefore is 
 this distress come upon us a " 
 
34? Directions to Families and Chap. 1. 
 
 2dly, Consider what are these evils that others have 
 observed in you, whether they be friends or foes. 
 Hearken to what a Christian friend noticeth in you, 
 either when speaking to you, or to others about you ; 
 ** Let the righteous smite me, (saith David) and it shall 
 be a kindness." Yea, do not disregard what even ene- 
 mies say of you. As David got good by the malicious 
 reproaches of Shimei in the day of his affliction, so 
 may you in the time of distress; for sometimes malice 
 itself will speak truth. Enemies are sharp-sighted to 
 spy out our faults, and so may, through the divine 
 blessing, prove monitors to us, both with respect to 
 sin and duty. 
 
 4/^/j/, Consider the nature and circumstances of 
 thy distress. Ofttimes the affliction is so suitable to 
 the transgression, that we may clearly read our sin 
 written on the forehead of our punishment, as in the 
 case of Adonibezek, and many others. And also you 
 may be helped to find it out by the Lord's timing of 
 the rod to you: Was it sent when you was under much 
 formality in duty? or when you was eagerly pursuing 
 the things of the world? or when you was under the 
 power of some prevailing lust or other? Then the rod 
 comes to reprove you, and awake* you to see the evil 
 thereof. 
 
 bthly^ Consider what is the sin that hath been form- 
 erly most affrighting to thy thoughts, and perplexing 
 to thy conscience, when thou hast been in the imme- 
 diate view of death and a tribunal. It is very likely 
 (if thou hast not truly repented of it) that is the sin 
 which God now intends to awake thee to see the evil of, 
 that thou mayest sincerely mourn for and turn from 
 it, looking to God in Christ for pardon and mercy. 
 
 Object. Ah ! (saith one) it is my lot to ly under a 
 dumb and silent rod, 1 do not understand its language, 
 I cannot hear its voice, I cannot find out the sin that 
 is pointed at by it: what course shall I take? 
 
 Ans. 1. Be deeply humbled under this trial, and be- 
 wail thy case before the Lord; for it very much ag- 
 
Direct. IT. Persons under Sickness. 35 
 
 gravates the affliction of God's people, when they know 
 not the language of it : Hence was it that Job lamented 
 so heavily, that his way was hid, and he knew not the 
 reason of God's contending with him, Job iii. 23. 
 
 2. A believer's case may be sometimes so dark, that 
 it requires a great deal of spiritual art and wisdom to 
 enable him to hear the voice of the rod, and understand 
 its language. Hence it is said, " He is a man of wis- 
 dom that seeth God's name upon it." Micah vi. 9. 
 Now, this wisdom must only come from above. 
 Therefore, 
 
 3. Go to God, and earnestly beg for this wisdom, 
 that you may know his mind, and the meaning of the 
 rod. Do as Rebekah, when' the children struggled in 
 her womb, she went to inquire of the Lord, saying, 
 " Why am I thus?" Gen. xxv. 22. Cry to God to give 
 you this spirit, to teach and enlighten you to see sin 
 in its evil, and the particular evils you are guilty of. 
 This was Job's course in his affliction; " Shew me 
 (says he) wherefore thou contendest with me. That 
 which I see not, teach thou me. Make me to know 
 my transgression and my sin." There is no better 
 way for a prisoner to know the reason of his confine- 
 ment, than to ask the magistrate that committed him. 
 God is a wise agent, and can give the. best account of 
 his own actions. 
 
 4. If thou canst not find out the particular sin for 
 which God afflicts thee, then labour to repent of eve- 
 ry known sin, and cry for pardon of every unknown 
 and forgotten sin also. Do that out of wisdom, which 
 Herod did out of malice, who, because he could not 
 find out the babe Jesus, killed all the children of Beth- 
 
 \ lehem, that he might be sure to kill Jesus among them. 
 Let us seek the utter ruin and death of all our sins, 
 that we may be sure to destroy that sin for which God 
 afflicts us. 
 
 5. Study to exercise a strong faith, and a humble 
 submission, while God keeps you under the silent rod. 
 Believe firmly, that God is most just, though you know 
 
36 Directions to Families and Chap. I. 
 
 not for what he contends. And, however long he 
 thinks fit to make you walk in the dark, resolve hum- 
 bly to wait on him, and commit yourself to him, who 
 has many times guided the blind in the way they knew 
 not. 
 
 Direct. III. When any Jit of sickness attacks you, 
 think seriously upon death, and make diligent prepa- 
 rations for it. 
 
 T Do not mean that any man may delay the work of 
 -*- preparation for death, till sickness cometh: No, no, 
 this should be the great and uptaking business of e- 
 very man in the time of his health and strength. But 
 sickness and diseases being the harbingers of death, 
 and messengers sent from God to warn us of its com- 
 ing; every man is thereby called to renew the work of 
 preparing for death with all earnestness and applica- 
 tion. God's voice by every fit of sickness, is that in 
 Deut. xxxii. 29. " O that they were wise, that they 
 understood this, that they would consider their lat- 
 ter end." God knows our folly, and readiness to for- 
 get this great work in the day of health ; and there- 
 fore in his mercy he sends sickness and affliction, to 
 teach us so to number our days, that we may apply 
 our hearts to this piece of heavenly wisdom, of mak- 
 ing preparation for death. 
 
 And here I shall drop, 1st, Some motives to press it. 
 2dly, Advices for the doing it right. 
 
 I. For motives, consider these things. 
 
 1st, Consider God's mercy and patience towards you, 
 in giving you so many warnings, and so many years, 
 to prepare for death: and in sending his messengers 
 and warnings so gently and gradually to excite you to 
 this work: when many younger and stronger than you 
 are hurried into eternity, and little or no time given 
 them to think where they are going. Have you not 
 been spared many years in the midst of dangers, when 
 you have seen that bold archer death, shooting his 
 arrows, and killing thousands of your neighbours and 
 
Direct. III. Persons under Sickness 37 
 
 friends round about you ? Sometimes the arrow hath 
 glanced over your head, and slain some great man, your 
 superior : Sometimes it hath lighted at your feet, and 
 cut off a child or servant, your inferior: Sometimes it 
 hath gone by on your left hand, and killed your ene- 
 my ; at other times it hath passed on your right hand, 
 and killed your near relations. So that you have seen 
 friends and foes, superiors and inferiors, relations and 
 strangers dropping down head round about you ; and 
 all this for a long tract of time, to give you warning 
 to prepare for death. O let the goodness and forbear- 
 ance of God towards you lead you to repentance, and 
 per&uade you to flee speedily to Christ for refuge, and 
 protection from wrath. 
 
 2dly> Consider how terrible death will be, if it meets 
 you in an unprepared state, in a Christless and impeni- 
 tent condition. What a fearful change will it bring 
 upon you ? A change from earth to hell, from hope to 
 despair, from pleasure to pain, from comforts to ter- 
 rors: a change from the offers of grace to the revelation 
 of wrath; a change from probabilities to utter impossi- 
 bilities of salvation. Death will cut of all your hopes 
 and expectations of mercy for ever, Job xxvii. 3. There 
 is no coming back to amend what hath been done a- 
 miss here, and there is no work nor device in the 
 grave whether you go. As the tree falls, so will it lie, 
 through all eternity. 
 
 IL I come to give some advices, in order to the 
 right preparation for death. 1st, Set about self-exa- 
 mination work, Inquire if you be in Christ or not; if 
 you be yet far off from God, or if you be brought near 
 by the blood of Christ, And see that you be impartial 
 in this search, and willing to find out the truth in this 
 important question. Be not foolishly tender of your- 
 self, and apt to believe that you are safe, when it is 
 not so ; for this way thousands do ruin themselves. 
 But be content to know the worst of your case, and 
 thoroughly to understand your soul's danger that you 
 may be moved to take the right way to escape it. 
 
 B 
 
38 Directions to Families and Chap. L 
 
 Wherefore take a view of the marks of Christless and 
 unconverted persons, set down in God's word, and 
 judge yourself by them, and consider also the signs 
 of true grace there recorded, and see if they be appli- 
 cable to you or not. 
 
 Vdly, If after inquiry, you find your state is bad, that 
 you have been a lover of the world more than of God, 
 you have minded your body more than your soul, you 
 have lived in the neglect of precious Christ, allowed 
 youreslf in known sin; O then be convinced of jour 
 inability to help yourself, and your need of Christ to 
 help you. And labour to be deeply humbled before 
 God under a sense of your sin and folly. " Ah, how 
 foolishly, how rebelliously, how unthankfully have I 
 carried 4 I have abused God's mercies, and left undone 
 the work for which I was made, preserved, and enjoy- 
 ed the gospel. O ! I had all my by-past time given me 
 to make preparation for endless eternity, and I have 
 never minded it, till now that sickness, the harbinger 
 of death, is come upon me : and now what shall I do 
 to be saved?" Well then in order, toconvinceand hum- 
 ble you the more, cast back your eyes upon the sins 
 of your nature, and of your by-past life; view them 
 in their number, nature, aggravations and deserts. O, 
 do not so many years sins need a very deep humiliation. 
 O, do you not stand greatly in need of such a person 
 as Christ to be your Saviour and ransomer from such 
 avast number of sins? O but their weight will press 
 you eternally down to the lowest hell, if left jto yourself, 
 and laid upon your back. 
 
 Sdly, O sinner, art thou deeply humbled, % and de- 
 sirous of mercy upon any terms? Believe then, that 
 thy case is not remediless, but that there is a sacrifice 
 provided for your sins, and an able and all-sufficient 
 Saviour in your offer. Believe that the Lord Jesus 
 Christ is the Son of God, and become flesh, to be a sure- 
 ty for you, that he is both able and willing to save to 
 the uttermost all that come unto God by him. Though 
 your sins, your dangers and your fear3 were ever so 
 
Direct. III. Persotis under Sickness. 39 
 
 great, yet be is able and willing to save. O flee pre- 
 sently to this refuge city, whose gates are open to re- 
 ceive you. Trust your souls upon Christ's sacrifice and 
 meritorious blood for mercy and salvation. Apply hum- 
 bly to him, that he may teach you the will of God, re- 
 concile you to his Father, pardon your sins, renew 
 you by his Spirit, and save you from eternal wrath. 
 
 Ukly, Give up yourself to God in Christ, by way 
 of covenant and solemn resignation. Every man doth 
 this sacramentally in baptism ; but you must also re- 
 new it personally and explicitly; and thereby give a 
 cordial and voluntary consent to the covenant of grace. 
 Acquiesce cheerfully in the gospel way of salvation 
 through Christ and his righteousness; and accept of 
 God in Christ, as thy portion. Make choice of God 
 the Father asthy reconciled Father in Christ j and God 
 the Son as thy Redeemer and Saviour; and God the 
 Holy Ghost for thy sanctifier, guide, and comforter. 
 And likewise give up thyself, soul and body, and all thou 
 hast, to be the Lord's ; engaging in Christ's strength, 
 to live for God, and walk with him in newness of life. 
 And study to do all this deliberately, unfeignedly, and 
 cheerfully. Though perhaps you have done this hy- 
 pocritically at former times, you have profaned God's 
 covenant, and behaved unsteadfastly and perfidiously 
 therein ; yet now endeavour to be sincere with God 
 for once. 
 
 5thly, Believing daily in the exercise of faith and 
 repentance; renew the acts thereof frequently, in pro- 
 portion to your renewed sins and guiltiness, cleave 
 close to glorious Christ your high priest and surety, 
 and be ever washing in his blood. As long as you 
 are in the world, you'll need to wash your feet, John 
 xii. 10. Come death when it will, let it find you at 
 the fountain, always looking to, and making use of Je- 
 sus Christ. You have great need of Christ every day 
 of your life, more especially in sickness; but most of 
 all at a dying hour. O what need will you have of 
 Christ then as an advocate with God, when the ques- 
 
 B2 
 
40 Directions to Families and Chap. I. 
 
 tion is to be determined, where your mansion is to be 
 assigned through all eternity, whether in heaven or 
 hell ? O then be looking always to Christ with the eye 
 of faith. Live in the constant thoughts of this blessed 
 Mediator. Let him be first in your thoughts in the 
 morning, and last in your thoughts at night. 
 
 6thly, By striving to mortify every sin and hist, 
 both outward and inward. By dying to sin daily, that 
 so you may not die for sin eternally. O that sin may 
 be daily losing its strength, and dying in you 1 so that 
 it may be certainly dead before you ! Pray earnestly that 
 all your sins may die before you die: for if they die not 
 before you, but outlive the dying body, they will live 
 eternally to sting and torment the never dying soul. 
 
 Direct. IV. Be not anxious for recovery of healths; 
 but leave the issue of the present sickness to the will 
 and pleasure of the infinitely wise God. 
 
 .XJEMEMBER, O man, thou art the clay and God 
 -*-* / is the potter ; he is absolute Lord of thy life and 
 times, therefore learn to adore his sovereignty o- 
 ver thee and all thy enjoyments, David doth so, when 
 he says, " Lord, my times are in thy hand," Psal. 
 xxxi. 15. And indeed they are only best in his hand, 
 for he best knows how to dispose of them. The 
 •prophet sailh, Isa. xxx. 18. "The Lord is a God of 
 judgment, blessed are all they that wait for him," 
 judgment there signifies wisdom : the Lord is a God 
 of wisdom, and will order and time all things well; 
 and therefore it becomes us quietly to wait for his 
 pleasure, saying, "The will of the Lord be done." 
 It is taken notice of, as great sin in the Israelites, that 
 they waited not for his counsel, but limited the holy 
 One of Israel, Psal. lxxviii. 41. What unacountable 
 folly and presumption is it, for worms of the earth 
 to seek to stint and limit the Sovereign of heaven to 
 their measures 1 It becomes us at all times, and especi- 
 ally in sickness and afflictions, to have low s-ubmis- 
 
Direct. IV. Persons under Sickness. 41 
 
 sive thoughts of ourselves, and high exalted thoughts 
 of God's sovereignty, such as Nebuchadnezzar had, 
 Dan. iv. 35. "And all the inhabitants of the earth, 
 are reputed as nothing: And he doth according to his 
 will in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabi- 
 tants of the earth ; and none can stay his hand, or say 
 unto him, what dost thou ?" We should therefore re- 
 fer all to his wise determination, and be willing to 
 die or live, as he shall be pleased to appoint. I re- 
 member I have read of a godly woman, who, in her 
 sickness, being asked by one, whether she was most 
 desirous to die or to live? she answered, " I have no 
 choice in that matter, but refer myself to the will of 
 God." But, said the other, " Suppose God should re- 
 fer it unto you, whether to die or to live? which of 
 them would you choose ? " If God (replied she) should 
 refer it to me, I would even refer it back again to him." 
 It becomes thee, O man, to be entirely resigned to the 
 will of thy Maker, and to stand like a centinal in thy 
 station, ready to move as thy great general and com- 
 mander shall give orders concerning thee. It would 
 be pleasant and acceptable to God, to see thee more 
 desirous to be delivered from sin, than from sickness. 
 O but sin is a far worse disease than any sickness in 
 the world ! Beg importunately, that the great Physician 
 may cure this woeful soul disease, and let him do with 
 the body what he pleaseth. This was David's practice 
 in his affliction, Psal. xxv. 18. "Look upon my afflic- 
 tion and my pain, and forgive all my sins." As for 
 his pains and afflictions, he asks no more but that 
 God would regard them, and look upon them, and 
 do with them as he thought fit; but, as for his sins, 
 no less will satisfy him than a pardon, and blotting 
 them entirely out, so as they might be remembered 
 ao more. 
 
 a a 
 
4?2 Directions to Families and Chap. I. 
 
 Direct. V. Bind yourself with holy purposes and re- 
 solutions, in Christ's strength, to be more watchful 
 against sin, more diligent in duly,, and to improve 
 the time of health better, if God shall be pleased to 
 restore it again to you. 
 
 "IT^THEN God is visiting your iniquities with rods, 
 ^* and pleading a controversy with you for your 
 omissions and slackness in duty, he expects that yon 
 will return from your backslidings, and set about a 
 serious reformation and change of life, Hosea v. 15* 
 " I will go, and return to my place, till they acknow- 
 ledge their offence, and seek my face; in their afflic- 
 tion they will seek me early." See then that you open 
 your ear to discipline: study to answer God*s call and 
 expectation, and in his strength resolve to enter upon 
 a new life. " Surely now it is meet to be said unto 
 God, I have borne chastisement. I will not offend 
 any more. That which I see not, teach thou me : If 
 1 have done iniquity, I will do so no more," Job xxxiv* 
 31, 32. Now is the season, you should say with E- 
 phraim, Hos. xiv. 8. <J What have I to do any more 
 with idols ?" 
 
 Having duly examined yourselves, and searched out 
 your sins, you ought to put a bill of divorce into each 
 of their hands. Deliberately resolve against all your 
 sins, whether secret or open ; and especially resolve a- 
 gainst your darling and beloved sins, those sins which 
 do most easily beset you. Resolve also against all 
 temptations to sin, and particularly against the snares 
 of bad company, whereby you have been formerly en- 
 ticed; say now with David, Psal. cxix. 115. "De- 
 part from me, ye evil-doers: for I will keep the com- 
 mandments of my God." You must not only pur- 
 pose to forsake all sin, but also to mind every known 
 duty : That you will make religion your one thing need- 
 ful I the pleasing of God, the chief business of your 
 life; that you will set the Lord always before you, 
 give him your heart in all duties, aim at nearness and 
 
Direct. VI. Persons under Sickness. 43 
 
 communion with God in every one of them ; and still 
 jwess forward to the full enjoyment of God in heaven 
 through eternity. 
 
 Resolve, also, through grace, that you will in a spe- 
 cial manner, mind secret duties, which the eyes of 
 men do not observe, and these duties which conscience 
 doth most challenge you for neglecting. And you 
 that are heads of families, resolve to make more eon- 
 science of family-religion, of worshipping God with 
 your families both morning and evening, instructing 
 your children and servants in the knowledge of Christ, 
 and recommending religion and godliness to all round 
 about you, whether relations or strangers. 
 
 And if you would have your resolutions effectual, 
 see that they be accompanied with a deep sense of your 
 insufficiency to perform them in your own strength. 
 Bear always in mind the corruption and deceitfulness 
 of your own heart, and make all your resolutions in a 
 humble dependance on the sufficiency of Jesus Christ 
 your Surety. Observe the apostle Paul's advice to his 
 son Timothy, 2 Tim. ii. 1. "Be strong in the grace 
 that is in Jesus Christ." All your stock, O believer, 
 is in his hand, so that without him you can do no- 
 thing; but through Christ strengthening you, you are 
 able to do all things. 
 
 Direct. VI. Set your house in order, by making your 
 latter wills, and settling your domestic and secular 
 affairs, while you have freedom and capacity for do- 
 ing it. 
 
 A FTER the heart is set in order, the next work 
 ~r\^ is to set your house in order, according to God's 
 counsel to Hezekiah, Isa. xxxviii. 1. It is recorded of 
 the patriarch Abraham^ that he was careful to settle the 
 affairs of his family before his death, Gen. xxv. 5, 6. 
 He disposed of his estate to Isaac, and legacies to the 
 sons of his concubines. It is too general a fault that 
 
44« Directions to Families and Chap. I. 
 
 men delay and put off making their wills, as they do 
 their repentance, to the very last, and so too frequent- 
 ly never make them at all. Consider the evil of defer- 
 ring or neglecting this necessary affair : For if you, 
 upon whom God hath bestowed means, should die 
 intestate, your estate may descend otherwise than you 
 intended ; much of it may be spent in tedious and ex- 
 pensive law suits; such differences may fall out among 
 relations that should live in friendship and mutual af- 
 fection, as cannot be healed ; some of them may be re- 
 duced to extreme want, when a small legacy might 
 have put them in a way of living; and many such in- 
 conveniences may follow. Well then, if your neglect 
 should bring on these evils, and involve posterity in 
 endless strifes and contentions ; may you not justly 
 fear that the guilt thereof will pursue you into ano- 
 ther world, whose wretched carelessness was the occa- 
 sion of all that mischief? 
 
 Pray, what is the reason that men put offthis affair? 
 Is it not, because they do not incline to think so seri- 
 ously on death, as this will occasion them to do? Doth 
 not this smell of abominable earthly-mindedness, and 
 speak as if a man desired all his portion in this life, 
 and cared not for a better ? and that he is so far from 
 preparing for death, that he cannot endure to think of 
 it ! Alas that this worldly disposition should so far pre- 
 vail amongst us ! But surely there is no wise man 
 will say, that the putting off the thoughts of death 
 will keep death at the greater distance ; or that prepar- 
 ing for death, or making our wills, will bring on 
 death the sooner. 
 
 It were surely best to order our affairs timeously ; 
 yea, do it in time of health, rather than to delay unto a 
 sick-bed or a death-bed ; for either you may be snatch- 
 ed off suddenly, and have no time for it; or you may 
 be taken with such a distemper as shall seize your 
 tongue, so as you cannot express your mind ; or seize 
 your understanding, so as you cannot rationally dispose 
 of your effects. And though none of these should hap- 
 
Direct. VI. Persons under Sickness. 45 
 
 pen, yet certainly it proves a great disturbance to a 
 dying man, to be casting up, ordering and settling the 
 affairs of his family, when he should be securing a 
 heavenly mansion for his soul, and clearing up his evi- 
 dences thereunto. It is great wisdom to put this af- 
 fair byhand, that you may have as little to do with 
 the world as may be, and all occasions of distraction 
 to your immortal soul may be prevented, when it is near 
 to its flitting into an eternal and unchangeable state. 
 
 Moreover, in settling your secular affairs, observe 
 these following advices r 1. Make your wills cheerfully, 
 and freely lay down whatever you enjoy, when God 
 calls you to it. Praise God that you had these things 
 while you needed them ; and when you have no long- 
 er use for them, leave them without repining, to these 
 that come after you. Look not back to Egypt, when 
 you are upon your march to Canaan. 
 
 2^7/y, See that you deal justly, in providing your 
 family, paying all your just debts, and making restitu- 
 tion if you have wronged any. Abhor all designs of 
 defrauding any of your lawful creditors. For, if your 
 last act should be unjust, you leave a blot upon your 
 name here; and since you cannot repent of this wick- 
 edness, it being among your last deeds, you expose 
 yourselves, to a fearful doom in the world whether you 
 are going. 
 
 3d%, In settling your estates, see that God and 
 good uses be not forgot nor left out. When you are 
 leaving the world, and can glorify God no longer here 
 by your words or actions, see to honour the Lord witli 
 your substance, by leaving some part thereof to a pious 
 and charitable use. I know, it is a work of charity to 
 give for maintaining the bodies of the poor; and espe- 
 cially the poor of God's people, who belong to his fa- 
 mily. But it is much more pious and charitable, to leave 
 somewhat for propagating Christian knowledge in dark 
 places, for educating poor children to read the scrip- 
 tures, and instructing ignorant souls in the knowledge 
 of Jesus Christ. It is much to be lamented, that so 
 
46 Directions to Persons Chap. II. 
 
 many rich men among us die, and leave nothing to such 
 pious uses. The liberality of Papists on their death- 
 bed, may give a sharp challenge to many professed 
 Protestants. O what a shame it is to the professors 
 of the Doctrine of Grace, that the false Doctrines \ 
 of merit and purgatory should produce so many do- 
 nations and mortifications among the Papists, and the 
 faith of Christ's most glorious gospel should not do the 
 like among true believers ! Shall the proud conceit of 
 merit, and the imaginary fear of purgatory, prompt 
 men to do more this way than the certain persuasion 
 of the love of God in Christ, and the well-grounded 
 hope of eternal life through the alone merits of Jesus 
 Christ? O what a reproach is this to our holy re- | 
 ligion ? 
 
 4tMy, It might be much to the glory of God and 
 good of soulsj that a great part of our testaments and 
 latter wills should consist of solemn charges* exhort- 
 ations and blessings to our children, or those to whom 
 we bequeath any legacy ; so as they can never open 
 our testaments, or look into them, but they might 
 hear something that may make impressions on their 
 souls for their spiritual edification, and for quickening 
 them to the di^ent practice of both family and per- 
 sonal godliness. 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 Containing some particular directions to these 
 who are sharply afflicted with sickness and 
 long trouble. 
 Direct. I. Justify God in the greatest afflictions which 
 
 befal you. 
 npHOUGH God should condemn you, see that 
 -*- you acquit him, and say, he is righteous in all 
 his dealings. When the church was under the hea- 
 viest distress, she finds cause to justify God, Lam.i. 18. 
 < { the Lord is righteous, for 1 have rebelled against 
 his commandment." So doth godly Nehemiah, Neh. ix. 
 
^Direct. I. under sore Affliction. 47 
 
 .33. *' Howbeit thou art just in ali that is brought up- 
 on us ; for thou hast done right, but we have done 
 wickedly." The same doth holy David acknowledge, 
 Psalm cxix. 75. "I know, O Lord, that thy judgments 
 are riffht, and that in faithfulness thou hast afflicted 
 me." Now, in order to bring you to this agreeable 
 frame, and to convince you of the equity and justice of 
 God in his dispensations, however heavy and long 
 your distress be, I shall lay before you the following 
 considerations. 
 
 1st, Consider the infinitely holy and righteous nature 
 of that God who smiteth thee, Psal. cxix. 137. " Right- 
 eous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments." 
 We presume it of a righteous man that he will do right- 
 eous things : and shallwe not much more believe so of 
 a holy and righteous God ? We cannot be infallibly 
 certain that a righteous man will always do so ; for a 
 righteous man may leave his righteousness, because the 
 creature is mutable: but God is immutably righteous; 
 so that we may be confident of it, that the judge of ali 
 the earth will do right, for it is impossible he can do o- 
 tberwise, Zech. hi, 5. " The just Lord is in the midst 
 thereof, he will not do iniquity." He will not, he can- 
 not; for it is contrary to his nature. 
 
 Idly, Consider that God never brings on any af- 
 fliction without a cause, 1 Cor. xi. 30. " For this cause 
 many are sick." He hath still just ground for the hea- 
 viest affliction, from thy sins and provocations; and may 
 always say to thee, as to Israel, Jer. ii. 17, 19. *« Hast 
 thou not procured this unto thyself, in that thou hast 
 forsaken the Lord thy God, when he led thee by the 
 way? Thine own wickedness shall correct thee, and thy 
 backsliding shall reprove thee; know therefore, and 
 see, that it is an evil thing and bitter that thou hast 
 forsaken the Lord." There is still ground enough for 
 affliction to be found in the best of God's people; and 
 therefore it is said, Lam. Hi. 33. " Fot he doth not af- 
 lilict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." No; it 
 is our sins that oblige him to it. As Christ whipped 
 
48 Directions to Persons Chap. IL 
 
 the sellers of oxen and sheep out of the temple with a 
 whip (as is generally thought) made of their own cords; 
 so God never scourgeth us but with a whip made of our 
 own sins. Prov. v. 22. " His own iniquities shall take 
 the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the 
 cords of his sins." If we consider the mighty God as 
 a Lord dispensing grace, then we find he acts sove- 
 reignly, and according to his will and pleasure, Mat. 
 xi. 16. "Even so, Father, for it seemed good in thy 
 sight." But, if we consider him as a judge dispensing 
 judgments, he never doth it without a foregoing cause 
 on the creature's part. God's treasure of mercy is al- 
 ways full and ready to be let out to them that seek it; 
 but his treasure of wrath is- empty till men fill it by 
 their sins, Rom. ii. 15. " Thou-treasurest up to thy- 
 self wrath against the day of wrath." We do always 
 provide fuel for God's wrath before it kindle and break 
 out upon us. 
 
 3<%, Consider further this instance of God's equi- 
 ty, that when there is a cause given, God doth not pre- 
 sently take it, but continues to threaten oft, and warn 
 long, before he executes the sentence of his word: He 
 sends lesser strokes as warnings of greater if we re- 
 pent not; and he repeats his warnings many times 
 both by his word and providence before he smites. Yea, 
 even when repeated warnings are slighted, he delays 
 along time and waits to be gracious, Isa. xxx. ]8. 
 And when men's obstinacy and incorrigibleness arrive 
 to such a height that he can spare no longer, yet, how 
 loath is he to give them up to severe judgment ! Hos. 
 xi. 8. " How shall I give thee up Ephraim ? How 
 shall I deliver thee, Israel? How shall I make thee as 
 Admah ? How shall I set thee as Zeboim ? Mine heart 
 is turned within me, my repentings are kindled to- 
 gether." When the Lord hath sinners in his arms, 
 ready to give them up to severe judgments, yet he 
 makes a stand, and would fain be prevented before he 
 proceeds to his strange work : for so he calls his acts of 
 judgment, Isa. xxvii. 21. Acts of mercy are con- 
 
Direct.!. under tore Affliction. 49 
 
 natural, most agreeable, and pleasant to God, Mic. 
 vii. 18. " He delighteth in mercy," but judgment is 
 his strange act, and his strange work. 
 
 Itkly, Consider, that when at last he sends strokes 
 on us, they are always short of the cause; he exacts 
 not the whole debt that sinners owe to his justice, as 
 Ezra doth acknowledge, Ezra ix. 13. " Thou hast 
 punished us less than our iniquities deserve." The 
 stroke he there is speaking of, was of a most heavy judg- 
 ment; fearful ruin and desolation came upon Jerusa- 
 lem, and the whole land of Judah; the city and tem- 
 ple were burnt to ashes, the people carried captive to 
 a strange land, and treated as bond slaves among the 
 heathen: Yet, saith the holy man, thou hast punished 
 us less than our iniquities deserve, q. d. u It is true 
 we have been carried to Babylon, but in justice we 
 might have been sent to hell: our houses were burnt, 
 but our bodies might have been burnt too: We have 
 been drinking water, but we might have been drinking 
 blood: We have had grievous burdens on earth, but we 
 might have been groaning in hell: We were banished 
 from the temple, but we might have been eternally 
 banished from God's presence." We think it a great 
 favour among men, when any punishment is mitigated, 
 when the sentence of death is changed into banishment, 
 or when banishment is turned into a fine, or a great 
 fine is made smaller: And will you think that God 
 deals severely or rigorously with you, when he lays 
 you on a sick-bed, when he might justly have laid you 
 in hell, and poured out all his wrath upon you there ! 
 You but taste of the brim of the cup, when God might 
 cause you drink of the bottom and dregs thereof. 
 
 Have you not cause then to acknowledge God's jus- 
 tice, nay. even his mercy too, in his dealings with 
 you, however rough they may seem to be? May you not 
 with good reason, say, anything less than hell is a mercy 
 to such an ill-deserving creature as I am? If even a 
 hard hearted Pharaoh, under distress, came the length 
 to own the justice of God, Exod. ix. 27. " I have sin- 
 
 C 
 
50 Directions to Persons Chap. II. 
 
 ned, the Lord is righteous;" shall any professed Chris- 
 tian fall short of that obstinate Egyptian? 
 
 Direct. II. Labour still to be sensible of God's hand 
 wider heavy affliction^ and beware of stupidity and 
 unconcernedness under it. 
 
 T is a sin to faint under heavy affliction, but it is a 
 duty to feel it, Heb. xii. 5. " My son, despise 
 not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when 
 thou art rebuked of him." The apostle there doth 
 caution against two extremes, which every Christian 
 under the rod should be careful to avoid. 1. Despising 
 or making light of affliction. 2. Sinking or desponding 
 under affliction. We are in great hazard of running 
 into the one or the other. As to the first, We may be 
 said to despise the chastening of the Lord, when we 
 do not observe God's hand in our affliction, so as to re- 
 form the things whereby he is displeased ; or when 
 we resolve to abide the trial, by the strength of our 
 own resolutions, and stout-heartedneEs, without look- 
 ing to God for supporting grace; or when we turn stu-< 
 pid and insensible under the heavy and long continued 
 rod. This despising and slighting of the rod is not 
 patience, but stupidity ; it is not Christian magnanimi- 
 ty, but a stoical temper of mind, most sinful and pro- 
 voking to God. We see how angry God is with sin- 
 ners when his strokes are not felt, lsa. xli. 25. " He 
 hath poured upon him the fury of his anger; and it 
 hath set him on fire round about, yet he knew not; 
 and it hath burned him, yet he laid it not to heart." 
 Jer. v. 3. " Thou hast stricken them, but they have not 
 grieved : thou hast consumed them, but they have re- 
 fused to receive correction: they have made their 
 faces harder than a rock, they have refused to re- 
 turn." There is little hope of a scholar minding 
 his lesson, that is regardless of whipping. It is a 
 dreadful sign to be like Pharaoh, sleeping in our 
 sins, when God is thundering in his wrath. He that 
 
Direct. II. under sore Affliction. 51 
 
 will sleep when his house is on fire, or lie still in bed 
 as if he was not concerned, may assuredly expect to be 
 consumed in its flames. As David could not bear it, 
 when the messengers he sent to the Ammonites out of 
 good will, were affronted and despised ; so neither will 
 God endure it, when the messengers he sends to sin- 
 ners are slighted ; for he that slights a messenger af- 
 fronts his master. Those who make light of affliction, 
 make light of God that sends it, and make light of sin 
 that procures it. 
 
 Quest, But, when is it that people are suitably con- 
 cerned under a heavy rod ? Ans. When they see God's 
 hand, hear God's voice, answer his intent, are curi- 
 ous to know his mind, desirous to do these things he 
 requires, and reform these things he is displeased with. 
 Remember, every affliction is a messenger from God, 
 and deserves a hearing from you. It comes to thee 
 with such a message as Ehud did to Eglon, Judges iii. 
 20. " 1 have an errand from God to thee, O king:" I 
 have a message from God to thee, O Christian, O sin- 
 ner. Well, lend an ear and hearken with reverence 
 and attention to this errand ; say, " Speak, Lord, for 
 thy servant heareth. W'hat vvouldst thou have me to 
 do ?" Believe it, that God speaks as really to you by 
 his rod, as by his word : therefore he says, hear ye the 
 rod. God spake as truly by his ten plagues to Egypt, 
 as he did by his ten precepts to Israel. And if the calm 
 voice of the word were more regarded, we should hear 
 less of the rough voice of the rod. As Gideon took 
 briers, and thorns of the wilderness, and with them 
 taught the men of Succoth, who would not be taught 
 by fairer means, Judg. viii. 16. so God takes the sharp 
 prickles of soreafflictions, to teach you his statutes, when 
 you will not be taught by softer methods. Beware then 
 of grieving God's Spirit, by turning stupid and insensi- 
 ble under sharp or long continued trials: But, the more 
 pains God is at with you by his rod, hearken the more 
 carefully to his voice; and labour to make the greater 
 
52 Directions to Persons Chap. II. 
 
 proficiency in the school of affliction, where he thinks 
 fit to continue you; that so you may inherit that bles* 
 sing, Psal. xciv. 12. iC Blessed is the man whom thou 
 chastenest,. O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law/' 
 
 Direct. III. Beware of misconstructing God's dealings 
 towards you, and of charging him foolishly. 
 
 "fJCTE are apt to believe Satan^s suggestions under 
 * * heavy trials, and to entertain wrong thoughts 
 of God and his dispensations. Now, these you ought 
 to guard against; as for instance, 1st, Beware of har- 
 bouring atheistical thoughts^ as if there were no pro- 
 vidence, nowise governor of this lower world, no distinc- 
 tion betwixt the good and bad; and that it is to no pur- 
 pose to be religious, like these mentioned in Mai. ilL 
 14. " Ye have said, It is vain to serve God; and what 
 profit is it, that we have kept his ordinance^ and walk- 
 ed mournfully before the Lord of hosts?" Yea, even 
 the Psalmist, when he begins to compare his own sharp 
 trials with the wicked's ease and prosperity, is tempted 
 to think all religion is vain, and say, Psal. lxxxiih 
 13, 14. " Verily I have cleansed my heart in vain, and 
 washed my hands in innocency. For all the day long 
 have I been plagued, and chastened every morning.'* 
 But these are nothing but the hellish suggestions of Sa- 
 tan, that irreconcileable enemy of God and precious 
 souls, against which we should closely stop our ears. 
 
 2dly, Beware of charging God in your hearts with 
 rigour or injustice in his dealing, like these, Ezek* 
 xviii. 25. " Yet, ye say, the way of the Lord is not 
 equal." How highly unjust and injurious are such 
 thoughts of him, who is the judge of all the earth, and 
 cannot but do right! 
 
 3<%, Beware of thinking that heavy afflictions do 
 always speak wrath in God against thee: No, some- 
 times they speak forth love, and God may be carrying 
 on a love design thereby to thy soul, viz. to subdue 
 thy strong lusts, and draw thee nearer unto himself; 
 
Direct. IV. under sore Affliction, 53 
 
 as for those who think that the smarting rod and di- 
 vine love cannot dwell together, let them read that 
 passage, Heb. xii. 5, 6. " And ye have forgotten the 
 exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, 
 My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, 
 nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the 
 Lord loveth he chastenetb, and scourgeth every son, 
 whom he receiveth." 
 
 Zthli/, Beware of desponding and distrusting thoughts 
 of God under sharp afflictions. Some are ready to 
 raze the foundation, quit their interest in God and 
 the promises and cast away their hope and confidence, 
 saying with Gideon, Judg. vi. 13. " Oh my lord, if 
 the Lord be with us, why then is all this evil befallen 
 us?" So David was ready to draw a hasty conclusion, 
 Psal. xxxi. 22. " I said in my haste I am cut off from 
 before thine eyes." But this was the effect of unbelief : 
 for he that believeth will not make haste. 
 
 Direct. IV. Under sore trouble and distress t labour 
 to exercise a strong and lively faith, 
 
 TT was a noble and heroic resolution in that holy man 
 -*■ Job under his singular trials, Job xiii. 15. " Though 
 he slay me, yet will I trust in him." q. d. Let my 
 strokes be ever so sore and heavy, yet 1 will not let go 
 my grips of his word and promises, I will not raze 
 these foundations of my hope. It was this way the 
 Psalmist kept himself from sinking under bis heavy 
 burdens, Psal. xxvii. 13. "I had fainted, unless I had 
 believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of 
 the living." Consider but a little the noble influence that 
 faith has to strengthen and support the soul under sore 
 trials. 
 
 1st, Faith grips to the great gospel- promises of sal- 
 vation in and through Jesus Christ, and so secures the 
 soul's main interest through eternity: which is enough 
 to make the soul easy in every lot. 
 
 2<%, Faith views God in Christ at the helm in the 
 C 3 
 
54? Directions to Persons Chap. II. 
 
 greatest storm, and so it " endures as seeing him who 
 is invisible, Heb. xi.*27. 
 
 3dh/ 9 Faith casts the soul's anchor upon the rock of 
 ages, and stays itself on God and the faithful promises; 
 whereby the soul is eased and disburdened of its 
 fears and melancholy apprehensions, Psal. lv. 22. Isa. 
 1. 10. 
 
 Uhly^ Faith brings new strength and auxiliary sup- 
 plies of grace from heaven, when the former supply is 
 exhausted and spent; whereof David had the sweet ex- 
 perience, Psal. xxvii. 13. As God doth plant and ac- 
 tuate grace in the soul, so he is pleased to come in with 
 seasonable supplies and reinforcements to the weak 
 and decayed graces of his people, answerable to their 
 present exigencies and pressures : and thus he doth 
 from time to time feed the believer's lamp with fresh 
 oil, giving more faith, more love, more %ope, and 
 more desires; and hereby he gives power to the faint, 
 and strengthens the things that remain, when ready 
 to die. 
 
 bihlyy Faith keeps the soul from sinking under 
 heavy trials, by bringing in former experiences of the 
 power, mercy, and faithfulness of God to the afflicted 
 soul : Hereby was the Psalmist supported in distress, 
 Psal. xiii. 6. lxxxvii. 4. O saith faith, tf Remember 
 what God hath done both for thy outward and inward 
 man : he hath not only delivered thy body when in 
 trouble, but he hath done great things for thy soul ; 
 he hath brought thee out of a state of black nature, 
 entered into a covenant-relation with thee, made his 
 goodness pass before thee; he hath helped thee to pray, 
 and many times hath heard thy prayers and thy tears. 
 Hath he not formerly brought thee out of the horrible 
 pit, and out of the miry clay, and put a new song in 
 thy mouth, and made thee to resolve, never to give 
 way to such unbelieving doubts and fears again ? And 
 how unbecoming is it for thee now to sink in trouble?" 
 
 6/%, Faith supports the soul, by giving it a plea- 
 sant view and prospect of a happy outgate from alt 
 
Direct. IV. under sore Affliction. 55 
 
 trouble ; when it shall be admitted to see and dwell 
 with Christ hereafter. Thus was Job supported in 
 his great distress, Job xix. 25, 26, 27 " For I know- 
 that my Redeemer liveth; and that he shall stand at the 
 latter day upon the earth — Whom I shall see for my- 
 self, and mine eyes shall behold," &c. A believing 
 \iew of the soul's meeting with its Redeemer, and re- 
 ceiving a crown of glory from him at last, is an excel- 
 lent support to a Christian under the heaviest afflic- 
 tion ; and so it was to Paul, 2 Tim. iv. 7, 8. 
 
 7thl7/ } Faith gives great support, by the encourag- 
 ing representations it makes of Christ, and of his pre- 
 sent concern for the believer while under affliction. As 
 for instance, 1st, Faith represents Christ to a believer 
 under trials, as sympathizing with him under his dis- 
 tress, feeling bis pain, hearing his groans, bearing 
 his burdens, and ready to relieve him in his own ap- 
 pointed time, which it well becometh him to wait 
 for. 
 
 2dlj/i Faith represents Christ as putting in his al- 
 mighty arm under the believer's head, and conveying 
 invisible strength to support and hold him up under 
 his greatest pressures. 
 
 3d{y, Faith represents Christ as pleading the afflict- 
 ed believer's cause *with God, and answering all the 
 charges of the law, the challenges of conscience, and 
 accusations of Satan againsl him. 
 
 4//?/y, Faith represents Christ as standing by the 
 furnace, as a refiner where the gold is melting, care- 
 fully overseeing the trials of his people, that they may 
 work for their good ; and ready to bring them out 
 thereof, when they are sufficiently purified from their 
 dross. 
 
 Sthly, Faith represents Christ as smiling on hispe<*- 
 ple under the cross, whispering peace into their ears, 
 and saying, " Well done, good and faithful servant." 
 
56 Directions to Persons Chap. II. 
 
 Direct. V. Labour to bear with patience whatever 
 load of trouble the Lord appoints for you, 
 
 X^TE will perhaps observe some who are strangers 
 * * to religion contentedly enduring very painful 
 evils; and this they may do by virtue of a natural hardi- 
 ness and resolution which some are endued with, or 
 upon the account of arguments furnished by human 
 prudence. This is only patience as a moral virtue 
 which some attain to. But it is patience as a spiritual 
 grace, or a fruit of the Spirit which we must aim at 
 under our trials; that we may bear them contentedly, 
 from divine principles, to divine ends. Now this 
 grace of patience we must earnestly beg from God un- 
 der heavy afflictions, for it is only he that must work 
 it in us; and therefore he is called the God of patience, 
 Rom. xv. 5. And in order to your attaining of this 
 grace, I shall lay before you the following considera- 
 tions, which may be useful through the Lord's blessing 
 for that end. 
 
 1st, Consider the patience of our Lord Jesus Christ 
 under sufferings inexpressibly greater than yours. — 
 " When it pleased the Lord to bruise him, and to put 
 him to grief; how patiently did he bear all?" according to 
 that remarkable word Isa. liii. 7. " He was oppressed, 
 and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is 
 brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep be- 
 fore her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth." 
 Now, Christ suffered as an example of patience, though 
 it was not his chief end; and surely all the members 
 of the body should study to imitate the head in pa- 
 tience. Did your blessed Saviour patiently endure 
 such agonies and pressures of wrath for you; and will 
 you decline to undergo some short pains or sickness in 
 obedience to his command? 
 
 2dli/, Consider God's sovereignty over you. He is 
 the great potter, and you are his clay: and, why may 
 he not do with you what he pleaseth? If your children 
 offend you, you scourge them, and perhaps do it some- 
 
Direct. V. under sore Afflict ion. 67 
 
 times without reason; yet how ill do you take it, when 
 they refuse to submit ? How will you drive and spur 
 your horses under you, and may be sometimes unrea- 
 sonably ! Yet they bear all quietly, and make no resist- 
 ance. Shall they take blows from their master; and 
 will not; you from your Maker, that has far more power 
 over you? If any challenge you for cruelty to your 
 children or beasts, you take it not well, because you 
 think you may do what you will with your own, and no 
 man hath right to quarrel you: But, hath not God a 
 greater property in you, than you in your children or 
 cattle? And will you not patiently submit to your wise 
 and absolute Sovereign ? 
 
 3dl7/, Consider thy sin as the meritorious cause of 
 all thy afflictions, however heavy they be. If thou hast 
 right thoughts of thy sins and the aggravations there- 
 of, thy mind may be composed to a patient sub- 
 mission to God's hand : If sin be heavy on thee, 
 all thy afflictions will be light. Luther gives us 
 this as a reason why he slighted the rage of the Pope 
 and emperor, and all his outward troubles; they are all 
 little to me, because sin is so weighty on me. Hence 
 it was that Paul complained not at all of his sufferings, 
 for as great as they were; but he cried out much of his 
 sins, Rom. vii. 24. " O wretched man that I am, who 
 shall deliver me from the body of this death!" Sense of 
 sin doth swallow up the sense of affliction, as the ocean 
 doth little brooks. For, with whom shouldst thou 
 quarrel, but thyself, when thou bringest troubles on 
 thyself. This consideration should bring thee to re- 
 solve and say with the prophet, Micah vii. 9. " I will 
 bear the indignation of the Lord, because I have sinned 
 against him." 
 
 4ttkly, Consider how sharp soever the pains are you 
 are called to bear, yet they fall infinitely short of what 
 you. have justly deserved at God's hands. It is of his 
 infinite mercy that death and everlasting destruction 
 hath not been your portion long since; and that you are 
 riot now roaring under the extremity of his'indignation 
 
58 Directions to Persons Chap. IL j 
 
 in the bottomless pit, together with the devil and his an-* 
 gels. And consequently, whatsoever falls short of this, 
 is truly a great mercy ; and so far from being ground of 
 quarrelling, that the greatest sufferer on this side hell, 
 hath just cause to admire God's clemency in dealing 
 more favourably with him than he hath deserved. 
 
 5thly Compare thy case with others that have been 
 or presently are in distress. Do not say there is none 
 so hardly dealt with as thou art, for thou knowest not 
 the affliction of other?. Consider duly the trials of that 
 eminent saint Job, in all the circumstances thereof, 
 and see if you can say, that your sorrow is ever so 
 great as his sorrow was. Again, compare your case 
 with that of the damned in hell, who lie and fry in end- 
 less and ceaseless flames, so that they have no rest 
 day nor night, but the smoke of their torment ascends 
 for ever: and think what a blessing it is, that you are yet 
 in a state of salvation, and not delivered over to these 
 everlasting burnings, which were the due demerits of 
 your sins, and to which you might long ago have been 
 justly condemned, had it not been for the patience and 
 long suffering of Almighty God, waiting to be gracious 
 to guilty sinners. When you consider these things, 
 instead of being dissatisfied with the divine dispensa- 
 tions, you have cause to bless God, that matters are not 
 worse with you; and that you are kept out of hell to 
 this day, where thousands no more guilty than you, are 
 presently roaring in desperation. 
 
 Unto these considerations I shall subjoin some few 
 helps or advices in order to the attaining of patience 
 under sore troubles. 1. Labour to get pardon of sin 
 and peace with God secured to thy soul, and this will 
 enable you to bear the heaviest cross with patience. 
 Hence it was that Luther cried, * 4 Smite, Lord, as thou 
 wilt, I take all in good part, seeing my sins are par- 
 doned: O pardon of sin is the crowning blessing, there- 
 fore I will bear any thing, I will swallow up quarrel- 
 ling into admiring; I welcome the pruning knife, see- 
 
Direct. VI. under sore Affliction. 59 
 
 ing there is no fear of the bloody axe to fell me 
 down." 
 
 2. Labour to see God's hand in thy affliction. Do 
 not, like the dog, snarl at the stone, but look up to the 
 hand that throws it. And surely a view of the hand 
 of a holy Gcd may serve to calm all the boisterous 
 waves of thy corruption, so did it with David, Psalm 
 xxxix. 9. " I was dumb, I opened not my mouth, be- 
 cause thou didst it." When he looked to the instru- 
 ments and second causes of his afflictions, his heart 
 waxed hot, and the fire of his inward passion began to 
 burn and break out; but when he once espied God's 
 hand and seal to the warrant for his correction, he be- 
 came silent, and patiently submitted to the divine will. 
 
 3. Get a humble and self-denied frame of spirit, 
 that you may have low thoughts of yourself, and of ail 
 your attainments whatsoever. A proud man cannot 
 think of submitting to the divine will, but will break 
 before he bow. Hence we see a vast difference be- 
 twixt a proud Pharoah and an humble Eli, under the 
 rod: the one says, who is the Lord, that I should obey 
 him? but the other saith, it is the Lord, let him do what 
 seemeth him good. 
 
 4. Get love to Jesus Christ. Love is an enduring 
 principle, 1 Cor. xiii. 7. it endureth all things. It 
 makes the soul, like the kindly child, draw nearer to 
 Christ, the more it is beaten. 
 
 5. Interpret God's ways and dealings with you al- 
 ways in the best sense. And, Lastly, Be earnest in 
 prayer, that God may conquer your rebellious will, and 
 subdue these mutinous risings of heart within you a- 
 gainst himself. 
 
 Direct. VI. Beware of envying wicked men, when 
 you see them in health and prosperity. 
 
 THE Psalmist, when he was chastened every morn- 
 ing, and in great adversity, was liable to this, 
 
80 Directions to Persons Chap. II. 
 
 evili Psal. lxxiii. 3. (i I was envious at the foolish, when 
 I saw the prosperity of the wicked." Corrupt nature 
 doth strongly incline us to this sinful disposition, e- 
 specially in the day of sore affliction; for " the spirit 
 that dwelleth in us lusteth to envy," Jam. iv. 5. But did 
 we rightly consider the state of wicked men, we would 
 see greater ground to pity than envy them in the most 
 prosperous condition ; Why? " the prosperity of fools 
 shall destroy them." Pro v. i. 32. It makes them forget 
 God, and turn hardened and secure in sin, which hast- 
 ens their ruin. Who would envy a malefactor's go- 
 ing up a ladder and being mounted above the rest of 
 the people, when it is only for a little, and in order to 
 his being turned over and hanged? This is just the case 
 of wicked men, who are mounted up high in prosperi- 
 ty ; for it is so, only that they may be cast down deep- 
 er into destruction. Observe that word, Psal. xxxvii. 
 1, 2. " Fret not thyself because of evil doers, neither 
 be thou envious against the workers of iniquity; for 
 they shall soon be cut down like grass," &c. And that 
 word, Psalm xcii. 7. <c \Vhen the wicked spring as the 
 grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do 
 flourish, it is that they shall be destroyed for ever." 
 It would be a brutish thing to envy an ox of his high 
 and sweet pasture, when he is only thereby fitted for 
 the day of slaughter. Who would have envied the 
 beasts of old, the garlands and ribbons with which the 
 heathens adorned them, when they went to be sacri- 
 ficed ? These external ornaments of health, wealth, 
 pleasures and preferments, wherewith wicked men are 
 endowed, cannot make their bitter state happy, nor 
 change their natures to the better. Whatever appear- 
 ance these things make in the eyes of the world, they 
 are but like a noisome dunghill, covered with scarlet, 
 as vile and loathsome in God's sight as ever. How 
 quickly is the beauty of earthly things blasted ! " The 
 triumphing of the wicked is short, Job xx. 5. They 
 live in pleasures on the earth for a while; but God sets 
 them in slippery places, from whence they soon slide | 
 
Direct. VI. wider sore Affliction, 61 
 
 into perpetual pain and anguish. They have a short 
 time of mirth, but they shall have an eternity of mourn- 
 ing* The longer their prosperity is, their sins are the 
 greater, and their sufferings will be more grievous. 
 But, O believer, it is in mercy to thee, that God doth 
 hedge up the way with thorns, that thou mayest not 
 find thy paths ; whilst he turns the wicked loose, and 
 suffers them to stray and wander whither they will, to 
 their eternal ruin. God takes this method with thee 
 to make thee meet for an inheritance, and prepare you 
 for a crown of glory ; but he takes a contrary way with 
 the wicked, to fit them for destruction: therefore you 
 ought not to be fretful under his hand, but thankful. 
 We read of Queen Elizabeth, when she was in prison, 
 how she envied the poor miik maid that was passing by, 
 and would have thought herself happy to have been in 
 her condition : But, had that afflicted princess known 
 the glorious reign of forty-four years she was soon to 
 enter upon, she would not have repined at the happi- 
 ness of so mean a person. But, O afflicted believer, 
 it is not a glorious reign for a set number of years, that 
 is provided for thee; it is even a reign with glorious 
 Christ thy Redeemer, for ever and ever: And hast 
 thou any ground to be discontented or envious ? 
 
 k**^V^«.-v-W« 
 
 Direct. VII. Guard against repining complaints and 
 discontented murmur ings against the providsnce of 
 God under heavy sickness and affliction* 
 
 "V\^E see, the murmurers and complainers are class- 
 * * ed with these that walk after their own lusts, 
 Jude ver. 16. I know the people of God are liable to 
 murmuring and impatience also under affliction ; but 
 there is a great difference betwixt them and the wicked. 
 I will have occasion to speak of believers murmurings 
 afterwards, when I come to speak of their case in 
 particular; but here I shall handle the sin of murmur- 
 
 D 
 
62 Directions to Persons Chap. II. 
 
 ing in general, and as it appears mainly in the unre- 
 generate, under heavy affliction, 
 
 This sin of murmuring is the froth of impatience, 
 and scum of discontent; it is first cherished by repin- 
 ing thoughts, and then vented by unsuitable complaints 
 and expostulations, taxing the administration of provi- 
 dence, as if God dealt too hard with us. Our very 
 thoughts are audible with God, yea, as loud in his ears, 
 as words are in ours; but it is yet worse, when repining 
 thoughts are not crushed, but suffered to break out in- 
 to words tending to the dishonour of God. 
 
 Quest. But is it altogether unlawful to complain of 
 affliction whatever be our case? 
 
 Ans. Humble complaints are not murmuring9, nor 
 sinful in themselves ; otherwise there would be no 
 room for prayer, and for spreading out our distressed 
 case before the Lord. We find God's children mak- 
 ing complaints in affliction ; but then they do not 
 complain of God, but to God, with a humble inquiry 
 into the cause and meaning of his dispensations, and 
 laying all the blame upon themselves, as did Job, chap. 
 x. 1, 2. "I will leave my complaint upon myself; I 
 will speak in the bitterness of my soul, I willsay 
 unto God, do not condemn me, shew me where- 
 fore thou contendest with me." Thus the blessed 
 Son of God himself did in his distress, when he 
 cried, " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken 
 me?" But there we may observe, he complains to God, 
 not of L*od ; he hath not a hard word or thought of 
 God, but expresseth a holy confidence" in God, My 
 God, my God! he hath two words of faith for one word 
 of fear. He humbly inquires into the cause of the dis- 
 pensation, and desires to bring his will to God, not 
 that God should bring down his will to him : If it 
 be possible (says he) let this cup pass; however, glorify 
 thy name, provide for thy own glory, and do with me 
 what thou pleasest. In this matter our Lord doth set 
 himself as an example of patience to us, teaching us 
 to beware of impatient murmuring and quarrelling with 
 
Direct. VII. under sore Affliction. 6$ 
 
 God's providence in our affliction ; which many times 
 we are guilty of, either when we harbour harsh thoughts 
 of God's dealings, or break forth into rash and unadvis- 
 ed speeches; when we charge God foolishly, and com- 
 plain either of too much severity, as Ezek. xviii. 2, 25. 
 or of too long delay, as Isa. xlix. 14?. or when our com- 
 plaints are mixed with unbelief and distrust, as Psal. 
 lxxviii. 19. or when we complain more of our punish- 
 ment than we do of our sin, and nothing will satisfy us 
 but deliverance from trouble. 
 
 Now, to deter you from these murmurings and com- 
 plaints in trouble, I shall lay before you the follow- 
 ing considerations, 1st, They who deserve worst, do 
 commonly complain and murmur most, and are most 
 ready to think they are hardly dealt with. The un- 
 thankful Israelites were still murmuring. Ambitious 
 Absalom was discontented. Bloody Hainan, in midst 
 cf all his greatness, cries out, What doth all this avail 
 me? But humble Jacob saith, he was not worthy of the 
 least of all the mercies and truth which God had shew- 
 ed him. And holy Job blesses God, and patiently 
 submits, when he took from him, as well as when ha 
 gave him. 
 
 2dli/, Murmuring is a sin that God takes special no- 
 tice of, and looks on it as an injury and an affront done 
 immediately against himself, 'Numb. xiv. 27. if I have 
 heard the murmurings of the children of Israel, which 
 they murmur against me." He that gives ear to the 
 groans of his own spirit, doth also hear the grumblings 
 of thine, and will reckon with thee for them. 
 
 3dly, It can no ways benefit cr relieve us in distress. 
 I may say of sinful complaining (as Christ of sinful care) 
 which of you, by complaining, can add one cubit to his 
 stature? What ease or relief can you get by contend- 
 ing with God ? Nay, instead of easing you of your bur- 
 Iden, it will make it the heavier; as a child, the more 
 Ihe struggles with his parents, he is the more beaten. 
 iThe Israelites were once within eleven days journey 
 lof Canaan; but by their murmurings they provoked 
 
64 , Directions to Perso?is Chap. II. 
 
 God to lead them forty years march in the wilderness 
 before they could reach it. 
 
 M/ily, Whatever be your distress, there is no just 
 ground for complaints, whilst thou hast thy life for a 
 prey. Remember that word of the afflicted church, 
 Lam. iii. 39. " Wherefore doth a living man complain, 
 a man for the punishment of his sins ?' A man living, 
 a man upon the earth, a man out of hell hath no cause 
 to complain* whatever be his affliction. For let him 
 compare his sin and punishment together, he will find 
 there is no proportion ; sin is a transgression against the 
 infinite God ; punishment is but an affliction upon the 
 finite creature : sin strikes at the very being of God ; 
 but punishment only at the comfort of the creature. So 
 that whatever your punishment be^ you have more 
 cause to give thanks than to complain, and to say with 
 Ezra, thou hast punished us less than our iniquities de- 
 serve: It might have been a thousand times worse,, if 
 strict justice had been the rule: It is of the Lord's mesv 
 cics we are not consumed. 
 
 Sthly, When you murmur under sickness,- yoa 
 quarrel with the messenger of that sovereign God, who 
 gave you your lives, and can take them again when he 
 thinks fit : and we know messengers ought not to be 
 maltreated or abused, whatever be their commission, 
 and far less when they are sent upon a good design. 
 Now if you consider the design of this messenger and 
 his errand to you, instead of fretting and quarrelling 
 at his coming, you ought rather to bless God that sends 
 such a suitable harbinger and forerunner to tell you 
 that death is approaching, and that he vouchsafes to 
 take so much pains on you, to wean you from the 
 world and make you willing to be gone, by long con* 
 tinued trouble ; when he might have seized you in a 
 violent manner, and driven you away by main force, 
 without using any means to obtain your consent. Have 
 not many, who were most unwilling to die, at the be- 
 ginning of a sickness, been brought, by the increase 
 and continuance of it, to be well satisfied to leave the 
 
Direct. VII. tinder sore Affliction. 65 
 
 world, and long to be with Christ ! And was not this 
 for their advantage ? 
 
 6tkly, Consider the great evil and sinfulness of im- 
 patient murmuring, complaints, and quarrellings un- 
 der affliction. 
 
 1. Murmuring hath in it much unbelief and dis- 
 trust of God, Psal. cvi. 2*, 25. " They believed not 
 his word, but murmured in their tents/' They could 
 not believe that the wilderness was the way to Canaan, 
 that God would provide and furnish a table for them 
 there, and relieve them in all their straits. So it is 
 with us in trouble; we quarrel with God's providence, 
 because we do not believe his promises ; we do not 
 believe that this can be consistent with love, or can 
 work for good in the end. 
 
 2. It hath in it unthankfulness. While we complain 
 of one affliction, we overlook a thousand mercies. 
 The Israelites murmured so for what they had not, 
 that they unthankfully forgot all they had. Whereas 
 a thankful person is so far from fretting that God doth 
 not give him every thing, that he wonders that God 
 should give him any thing. " I am less than the least 
 of all thy mercies," said Jacob, 6i We are perplexed, 
 said Paul, but not in despair ; we have God to go to, 
 which is matter of praise." But the murmurer un- 
 thankfully overlooks all his present, and forgets all his 
 former mercies; and gives not God thanks for any 
 thing. Because God removes his comforts, his health, 
 strength, and ease for a time ; all the years he formerly 
 jenjoyed them, though most undeservedly, are quite 
 buried in oblivion* 
 
 3. It implies much pride and self-conceit. He that 
 complains of God's dealings, secretly applauds his 
 own deservings. Only by pride comes contention. 
 [When men have a conceit of themselves, they pick 
 tquarrels with God's providence, being apt to think 
 [they deserve better treatment at his hands; whereas 
 Ithe humble soul is sensible he deserves nothing but 
 
 D3 . S 
 
66 Directions to Persons Chap. It. 
 
 wrath, and therefore lays his hand on his mouth when 
 the Lord afflicts him. 
 
 &, It involves men in rebellion against God. When 
 God strikes men for sin, murrnurers fly in his face 
 and kick against his strokes, like bullocks unaccustom- | 
 ed to the yoke. They in some respect resemble that \ 
 desperate apostate Julian, of whom it is written, that ! 
 he shot up his darts against heaven, when he was in 
 distress. They fulfil that word, Prov. xix< 3. « The 
 foolishness of man perverteth his way, and his heart 
 fretteth against the Lord." The repining heart boils 
 with rage against God and his dispensations, like those 
 wicked Jews when hungry and hardly bestead, Isai 
 viii. 21. " They shall fret themselves, and curse their 
 king and their God, and look upward." 
 
 5. It imports much impenitency and unhumbleness 
 of sin ; and that we have seen little of the intrinsic 
 evil of sin | and of our ill deservings for it. Can we 
 truly believe that our sins deserve hell-fire, and yet 
 impatiently repine at sickness and lesser strokes upon 
 our bodies? 
 
 6. It includes much atheism and blasphemy against 
 God and his infinite perfections, in several respects; 
 
 (1.) By our impatient murmurings, we either virtu- 
 ally deny that things hwe below are governed by God's 
 providence $ or else, 
 
 (2-) We tax his providence with unrighteousness 
 in the management thereof; as if God did withhold 
 from us what is due, or inflict on us what we have 
 not deserved. Oh, what atheism is this! Shall not the 
 Judge of all the earth do right ? May he not upon the 
 justest ground, answer every murmur, as Mattb. xx. 
 13. " Friend, I do thee no wrong*" 
 
 (3.) We in effect grasp at the sovereignty, and usurp 
 the throne of the most high God, and would have the 
 disposal of things in our hands J yea, we presume to 
 summon God to our bar to give account of his admi- 
 nistrations, when we take upon us to quarrel any of 
 his dispensations. Alas, we little remember the woe 
 
Direct. VII. under Sore Affliction, 67 
 
 that is pronounced against so doing, Isa.xlv. 9. u Woe 
 unto him that striveth with his Maker \ shall the clay 
 say to him that fashioneth it, What makest thou? or 
 thy work, He hath no hands ?" 
 
 (4.) We on the matter take sin's part against God, 
 we either justify it, or extenuate its evil, and allege by 
 our murmurings, that God is unrighteous to punish 
 such small sins with such heavy afflictions. 
 
 (5.) We virtually question God's power to reach 
 us a greater blow, when we enter the lists with God, 
 and contend with our Maker : is it not in effect to say, 
 we know how to reduce him to our terms, or make 
 our party good against him ? 
 
 (6.) We disparage his wisdom, and take upon us 
 to be his counsellors, as if we could instruct him bet- 
 ter in the management of affairs, and teach him what 
 is fit to be done with his creatures. Hear what the 
 Lord saith, Job xi. 2. i( Shall he that contendeth with 
 the Almighty, instruct him ? He that reproveth God, 
 let him answer it." Murmuring is a reproving of 
 God, and a charging him will ill conduct, saying in 
 effect with Absalom, " There is none that takes care 
 to order men's affairs ; O that I were king of the world ! 
 then should things be better ordered than now they 
 are." So blasphemous is the language of our impa- 
 tient murmurings. Let us therefore be ashamed of 
 them, and abhor ourselves in dust and ashes for our 
 foolishness in censuring the actions- of the only wise 
 God. Shall a poor ignorant passenger, that under- 
 stands not the use of the compass, be angry that the 
 skilful pilot will not steer the vessel according to his 
 pleasure? 
 
 (7.) We hereby slight and undervalue the riches of 
 divine goodness, of which we have formerly shared, 
 and do still partake: Like foolish and peevish children, 
 if they cannot have their will, or get some thing they 
 want, do presently throw away the things which they 
 have, saying, with unthankful Haman, " All this avail- 
 eth me nothing." 
 
68 Directions to Persons Chap. IT. 
 
 Lastly, I might add that sin hath some resemblance 
 to hell itself: for there the damned do continually vex 
 and torment themselves with their fretting and impa- 
 tient thoughts, which cause them break out into fear- 
 ful rage and blasphemy against God. 
 
 Quest. But how shall we prevent such discontented 
 murmurings ? For sometimes trouble is so great, we 
 cannot bear it patiently. 
 
 Ans, God hath given you reason, to bear rule over 
 passion, and furnished you with strong arguments to 
 prevail against discontents. Why then should you be 
 so brutish as to dethrone reason, and suffer sense and 
 passion to govern you ? Are you not Christians, and 
 sworn to live according to the rules of that excellent 
 religion ? Why then do you act so contrary to your 
 profession and engagements ? 
 
 Besides what I have already said, I shall add some 
 few remedies more, for the cure of this murmuring 
 distemper. 
 
 1st, Look on thy murmurings as worse than all thy 
 pains and troubles -whatsoever ; those are but afflictions 
 from God, but these are sins grievous and provoking 
 unto God. 
 
 2dly, Remember the judgments which murmuring 
 hath brought down from heaven upon sinners. Miri- 
 am was smitten with a leprosy for it : Dathan and A- 
 biram were swallowed up alive : fiery serpents, plagues, 
 and exclusion from Canaan, were Israel's judgments 
 for this sin, 1 Cor. x. 10. « { Neither murmur ye, as 
 some of them murmured, and were destroyed of the 
 destroyer." The arrows which murmurers shoot a- 
 gainst heaven do soon return upon their own heads. 
 
 3dly> Whatever thy sufferings are for the present, 
 yet still believe thy case might be worse. The troubles 
 that light upon the body are nothing so terrible as these 
 that light on the soul, Prov. xviii. 14. "A wounded 
 spirit who can bear?" They are nothing to what thy 
 innocent Saviour suffered upon the cross, yeaj nothing 
 
Direct. VII. under sore Affliction. 69 
 
 to what some martyrs have endured for the truths of 
 the gospel. 
 
 Mhly, Get very low thoughts of yourself, and a deep 
 sense of ill deservings for sin. , O \ should a fire-brand 
 of hell murmur for temporal afflictions? 
 
 5thlj/ t Be still examining thyself, rather than cen- 
 suring God. Doth God seem to neglect thee, say, alas, 
 it is most just ! Have not I neglected him, and given 
 a deaf ear to his calls many a day? 
 
 6thli/, Bear in mind that these troubles will not last, 
 there is a great change near; either they will issue in life 
 or death. If life, you will be ashamed you had no more 
 patience when sick ; if death, then, if you belong to 
 Christ, it will give a finishing stroke to all troubles 
 and complaints, and heaven will make amends for all. 
 But if you be not in Christ, whatever your afflictions 
 be now, troubles a thousand times worse are abiding 
 you in another world, death will turn thy crosses into 
 pure unmixed curses; and then, how gladly wouldst 
 thou return to thy former afflicted state, and purchase 
 it at any rate, were there any possibility of such a re- 
 turn ? You now fly out in a passion, and sayi you are 
 not able to bear what you complain of: but consider, 
 if you will not obediently bear God's rod now: you 
 will then bear more, whether you will or not ; and 
 God will make you able to bear more, when there will 
 never be any hopes of relief. 
 
 7thly 9 Study to give vent to thy sorrows in a way of 
 prayer and praise. An oven stopped is the more hot 
 within ; but the breath of prayer or praise gives ease. 
 If we did complain more to God, we should complain 
 less of God. What a mercy is it, that you have still 
 God to go to ? Improve the privilege, confess unwor- 
 thiness, and beg the grace of patience and submission 
 out of Christ's full treasures. Be also praising God 
 for mercies received ; and however bad thy case is, 
 bless God it is not in hell 2 you are in the land of hope. 
 
70 Directions to God's Children Chap. III. 
 
 CHAP. III. 
 
 Containing special directions to the children 
 of God, when under sickness or any other 
 affliction. 
 
 Direct. I. Let Believers especially guard against faint- 
 ing or desponding under God's afflicting hand, 
 
 FTpHIS is an exhortation which God in a peculiar 
 -■• manner directs unto his children, Heb. xii. 5. 
 ** My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord 5 
 nor faint when thou art rebuked of him." There are 
 two extremes mentioned, despising and fainting ; I 
 spoke of the first before, in Chap. IT. Direct. II. It is 
 a duty to feel our affliction, but a sin to faint under it. 
 God's people may be said to faint under their trials, 
 when they sink or despond, or give way to fretting or 
 repining under them. In the preceding Direction I 
 spoke of the evil of murmuring in general : here I shall 
 speak of believers' fainting in particular. 
 
 1. I shall inquire whence their fainting under afflic- 
 tion doth proceed. 
 
 2. Bring some arguments and helps against \his 
 evil. 
 
 3. Answer some objections of fainting believers. 
 
 1. As to the Jlrst, Whence these faintings in be- 
 lievers do proceed, 1st, They proceed from the griev- 
 ousness of their affliction, and the heaviness of their 
 burden, which is ready to amaze and stagger their 
 thoughts, and sink their spirits with fear and despon- 
 dency. Hence did the Psalmist complain, Psalm lx. 
 3, "Thou hast shewed thy people hard things: thou 
 hast made us to drink the wine of astonishment.' , And 
 Psalm lxix. 2. " I sink in deep mire, where there is no 
 standing ; I am come into deep waters, where the 
 floods overflow me." 
 
 Vdly, From the smallness of their spiritual strength, 
 and particularly the weakness of their faith, Prov. 
 xxiv. 10. " If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy 
 strength is small." Whence was it that Peter fainted 
 
Direct. I. while under Affliction ^1 
 
 and began to sink in the waters, but from the weak- 
 oess of his faith, Matth. xiv. 30, 31. We know not 
 our strength till it be tried. Sometimes we have such 
 a conceit of it, that we think, like Peter, we can walk 
 upon a sea of trouble : but in a little, behold some sur- 
 prising blast assaults our confidence; and then we faint 
 and cry out with him, " Help, Lord, or else we perish." 
 Peter reckoned only upon the sea, but did not think 
 of the boisterous wind ; and he looked to his dangers, 
 more than to the power that was to carry him through 
 them. 
 
 3dly, From their impatience of delay. When de- 
 liverance is long a coming, it is not easy to wait God's 
 leisure, and to keep the heart from desperate conclu- 
 sions, Psalm xxxi. 22. " 1 said in my haste, I am cut 
 off from before thine eyes." 
 
 Aithly, From the power of Satan's temptations and 
 furious assaults. When Satan is let loose in time of 
 affliction to throw in his fiery darts, the believer is 
 ready to faint, and say, as Psalm lxxvii. 8. " Is his 
 mercy clean gone for ever ?" &c. 
 
 5thly, From their wearisome conflicts with a body 
 of death, and an ill heart. These in time of affliction 
 do add affliction to the afflicted heart. 
 
 6tkly 9 From long and great desertions. When God 
 hides his face from the believer in affliction, his soul 
 faints under it, as in Isa. xliv. 15 " Zion hath said 
 the Lord hath forsaken me, my God hath forgotten 
 me. 
 
 ithly, From the consciousness of their guilt, aud ill 
 deservings before God, upon the account of old sins, 
 abuse of mercies, and untender walking before God. 
 Affliction doth revive old sins, as with Job xiii. 26. 
 "Thou writtest bitter things against me, and makest 
 me to possess the sins of my youth." His old sins, 
 and guilt of his youthful follies, now revived upon 
 him, and sat close to his conscience; which occasioned 
 his fainting under his burden. 
 .Lastly, Great afflictions do frequently cloud the 
 
72 Directions to God's Children, Chap. III. 
 
 believer's graces and evidences for heaven, and dis- 
 cover their corruptions : whereby they are made to 
 sink under their trial. They see more unbelief, 
 impatience, distrust and enmity to God in them, than 
 they saw before; they see more of the weakness of grace, 
 and of their want of faith and love, than before; where- 
 by they are sometimes tempted to raze the foundation, 
 and say all their former attainments were but delusions, 
 and their professions but hypocrisy. These things 
 make afflictions sometimes very heavy and sinking to 
 the people of God. 
 
 II. In the next place, for preventing and helping 
 this evil of fainting under affliction ; let believers con- 
 sider, 
 
 1st. These heavy trials are all needful for you. 
 Deep waters are not more needful to carry a ship into 
 the haven, than great afflictions are to carry the vessels 
 of our souls into the port of bliss. Strong winds and 
 thunder are frightful, but they are necessary to purge 
 the air. One of the sharpest calamities that ever be- 
 fel Israel was the Babylonish captivity, yet even this 
 was in mercy to them : for the Lord saith, Jer. xxiv. 5. 
 *' I have sent them out of this place into the land of the 
 Chaldeans for their good." Strange ! of free men to be 
 made prisoners, and that in a strange land among the 
 heathen; to be removed far from their own houses, 
 vineyards, friends, nay, and from the temple of God 
 and his ordinances; and yet all this for their good ! 
 Why ? they were hereby effectually weaned and broke 
 off from their darling sin of idolatry. 
 
 2dly> Consider, that your affliction, however heavy 
 it be, will soon have an end; Isaiah lvii. 16. "For 
 1 will not contend for ever, neither will I be always 
 wroth; for the spirits should fail before me, and the souls 
 which I have made." The goldsmith will not let his 
 gold lie longer in the furnace than it is purified. The 
 wicked have a sea of wrath to drink: but, O drooping 
 believer, take comfort ; you have but a cup of afflic- 
 tion, which will soon be exhausted. The time is near 
 
Direct. I. while wider Afflictions 73 
 
 when all thy trials shall have an end: In heaven there 
 is no cross, no complaint, no tears, nor sorrows for ever. 
 
 3<%, Faint not, O child of God, for these afflic- 
 tions are all the hell which thou shall have; thou hast 
 nothing to fear hereafter. Judas had two hells, one 
 in time by terror in his conscience, another after this 
 life which endures to eternity; but all the hell that a 
 believer hath is this light affliction, which is but for 
 a moment. 
 
 4///ty, Desponding or murmuring in affliction is e- 
 vil in any, but in none is it so bad as in the children of 
 God. It doth very ill become their covenants, their 
 privileges, their hopes. Have they resigned and giv- 
 en up themselves and all they have to God by a so- 
 lemn covenant, and will they fret when he disposeth 
 of them? Did thou not say, O believer, in the day 
 when thy heart was stung with sin, and the terrors of 
 God made thee afraid, O let me have Jesus Christ for 
 my Saviour and portion, and I will be content, though 
 I should be stricken with boils like Job, or beg my bread 
 with Lazarus? Now, God tries thee if thou wilt stand 
 to thy word: O beware of retracting. Hath not that 
 soul enough, who hath an all-sufficient God for his 
 portion? If God be thine in covenant, that comprehends 
 all things. 
 
 5thly, It doth discompose and unfit the soul for any 
 duty. It is ill sailing in a storm, so it is ill praying 
 when the heart is in a storm of disquiet and despon- 
 dency. 
 
 6thly, Your fainting under affliction, and carrying 
 as if the consolations of God were s?nall, is enough to 
 stumble others at religion, and make them call the 
 truth of it in question. When they see those that 
 profess religion, and have oft declared that their re-, 
 joicing is in Christ Jesus as their portion, begin to sink 
 and despond under outward afflictions; O may not 
 they be tempted to say, ** Where is the truth of re- 
 ligion? Where are these divine supports and conso- 
 lations we often have heard of?" 
 
 E 
 
74 Directions to God's Children Chap. III. 
 
 Lastly, O then seek to get faith revived, and 
 strengthened, and resolve with Job to trust in God, 
 though he should slay you. This would be of noble 
 use to keep the heart from sinking under pressures of 
 affliction, as the Psalmist found it to his sweet experi- 
 ence, Psalm xxvii. IS. "I had fainted, unless I had 
 believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land 
 of the living." 
 
 III. I come to answer some objections or excuses 
 of fainting believers, which they do commonly allege 
 as the ground of their discouragement in their afflic- 
 tions. 
 
 Object. I. " O (saith one) my afflictions are not ordi- 
 nary; they are sore pressures I lie under, and of vari- 
 ous kinds too." 
 
 Ans. 1. O believer, God hath taken the ordering of 
 your lot in his own hand, and he knows what is fittest 
 for you. Should a man be left to carve out his own 
 portion, it would soon appear he would be his own 
 greatest enemy. We would all be for the dainties of 
 pleasure and prosperity, which would not be for our 
 souls' health ; as children think green fruit the best 
 diet, because they please their taste ; but their parents 
 are wiser to keep them from them. 
 
 2dly, God may see you have many and strong lusts 
 to be subdued, and that you need many and sore afflic- 
 tions to bring them down. Your pride and obstina^ 
 cy of heart may be strong, your distempers deeply root- 
 ed, and therefore the physic must be proportioned to 
 them; as with the Iraeiites, Psalm cvii. 11, 12. M Be- 
 cause they rebelled against the word of God, and con- 
 temned the counsel of the Most High; therefore, he 
 brought down their hearts with labour." O believer, 
 your God and Father, that hath the mixing of your 
 cup and portion, is a wise and skilful physician, who 
 knows your constitution and your need, 1 Pet. i t 6. »' If 
 need be you are in heaviness through manifold tempta- 
 tions." And as he knows your need, so he understands 
 your strength, 1 Cor. x. 13. " Faithful is he, that will 
 
Direct. I. while under Affliction, 75 
 
 not suffer you to be tempted above what you are 
 able." 
 
 3dh/, God sends great and sore troubles, that you 
 may have the more experience of God's wisdom and 
 mercy in your support and deliverance, Psalm Ixxi. 20. 
 «« Thou which hast shewed me great and sore troubles, 
 shall quicken and bring me up again from the depths 
 of the earth." 
 
 Object. II. " But (saith one) my affliction is singu- 
 lar ; there was never any in my condition." 
 
 Ans. 1st, It is very ordinary for every man in great 
 distress to reckon his case singular, because he feels 
 best what is nearest himself, but is a stranger to what 
 his neighbour feels. 
 
 2dly, This suggestion is one of Satan's devices, that 
 he might tempt a child of God to question his Father's 
 love; but he is a liar, and not to be credited in what 
 he saith ; for others of your brethren have been afflict- 
 ed in the same kind and degree, if not worse, 1 Pet. 
 v. 9. ** Knowing that the same afflictions are accom- 
 pliahed in your brethren that are in the world." 
 
 3dly i Whatever your case be, you must own your 
 sufferings are not so great as your sins. The trials of 
 God's people in Babylon were singular; yet Ezra owns, 
 Ezra ix. 13. " Thou hast punished us less than our 
 iniquities deserve." If our provoked Judge shall in his 
 clemency send us to Babylon instead of hell, we have 
 no cause to complain. 
 
 Mhlyy But O child of God, however thou complain- 
 est of the singularity of affliction now, all such com- 
 plaints will be taken out of thy mouth ere long, and 
 the time is near when thou shalt be made to wonder at 
 the wisdom of God in guiding so many sons and daugh- 
 ters to glory, through such a variety of trials, exer- 
 cises, afflictions, and temptations: and made to say as 
 these in Mark vii. 37. " He hath done all things well." 
 
 Object. III. " But (saith one) my affliction is long 
 continued, and I see no outgate ; and how can 1 but 
 faint under it." 
 
76 Directions to God's Children Chap. Ill* 
 
 Ansxv. 1st, It is not so long as your sins deserve; 
 for in justice it might be for ever, it might be " the 
 worm that never dieth, and the fire that is never 
 quenched." 
 
 2dly, Your sufferings on earth are not so long as 
 your reward in heaveiij Rom. viii. 18. '* For I reckon 
 that, the sufferings of this present time, are not wor- 
 thy to be compared with the glory which shall be re- 
 vealed in us." 
 
 Sc%, No length or continuance of affliction here 
 should hinder a believer's comfort, if we take a view 
 of our head and pattern Jesus Christ, How loirg did 
 his afflictions continue I No end was put to them, till 
 he cried with a loud voice, and gave up the ghost. 
 Though he was the Son of God, yet from the hour of 
 his birth to the moment of his death, from his manger 
 to his cross, his afflictions still increased, and he end- 
 ed his days in the midst of them. Now, Christ is the 
 head of the church, and your great representative, O 
 believers, into a conformity with whom you are pre- 
 destinated : be content then to be like your head and 
 pattern, to have no ease or rest from afflictions till you 
 lie down in the grave; it is " there the wicked cease 
 from troubling, and there the weary be at rest," Job 
 iii. 17. 
 
 Mhly, Remember that your afflictions are a part of 
 Christ's cross, which your loving Redeemer hath con- 
 trived for your good, and hath appointed you to take 
 up and bear with him. Now love to Christ should 
 keep yon from wearying to bear off a part ol Christ's 
 cross, especially when he himself bears the heaviest end 
 of it, nay, bears you and your cross both. It is said 
 of Jacob; Gen. xxix. 20. that he served seven years 
 lor Rachel, and they seemed to him but a few days, 
 for the love he had to her." And, shall not we endure 
 a few years' affliction for our Lord Jesus Christ, who 
 Jived a life of sorrows, and died a cursed death for 
 our sakes? Had we more love to Christ, his cross 
 would not be so tedious to us. 
 
Direct. I. while under Affliction. 77 
 
 5thly, Should it not be good news to thee, that there 
 is a deliverance for thee at death from ail thy troubles, 
 and that this time is hastening and very near ? Be not 
 anxious for an outgate here in time, for that savours 
 too much of unbelief and love to the world. Doth it 
 not seem to say, that you would be better content to 
 be turned back again to the stormy tumultuous sea of 
 this world, than to be safely and speedily landed at 
 your rest above? That you would be more happy in a 
 few temporal mercies on earth, than to enter upon your 
 eternal inheritance with Christ? 
 
 Object. IV. " No wonder (saith one) that I faint 
 under my affliction, for I want these consolations and 
 supports which God usetb to reserve for afflicted 
 saints." 
 
 Ans. 1st, If God be presently chastening you for 
 your sins, you must be content to feel the bitterness 
 pf sin, before you can taste the sweetness of God's con* 
 solations. 
 
 §dty\ Can you say that your afflictions have duly 
 humbled you, and fitted you for comfort? Have they 
 yet brought you to a willingness to quit and renounce 
 ail your beloved sins? and even to part with all 'your 
 earthly enjoyments and comforts at God's call, and be 
 content with God in Christ alone for your happiness 
 and portion? if this be not done, your afflictions have 
 not had their due effect, to prepare you for comfort, 
 and till then you cannot expect it. You are in the. 
 hands of a wise and skilful physician, who will not 
 too hastily heal and bind up your sores, so as to let 
 them spoil and fester at the bottom. 
 
 3c%, Though you have no sensible consolations from 
 God in your present trials, yet you must still labour 
 to keep in the way of duty, and live by faith on his 
 promises. Believe firmly that God is good to them 
 that love him, and that there is forgiveness with him 
 to the penitent sinner. And if all stars withdraw their 
 light whilst you are in God's way, then assure yourself.* 
 the sun is near the rising. 
 
7$ Directions to God's Children Chap. III. 
 
 Object. V. " But my affliction is such, that it dis- 
 ables me from duty, and makes me useless and unpro- 
 fitable; and this makes me faint under my' burden." 
 
 Ans. 1st, God sends afflictions never to unfit, but 
 to quicken you for the performance of duty ; to make 
 you repent more thoroughly, pray more fervently, flee 
 to Christ more earnestly ; and mind heaven more in- 
 tensely. 
 
 Vdly, If it be your duty to others that your affliction 
 incapacitates you for, then remember, if God in his 
 providence disables you for that, it is no longer a duty 
 incumbent on you, and you must not grudge if God 
 take you off: and put others in your room. God is a 
 free and sovereign agent, and will be tied to no mean 
 or instrument whatsoever for carrying on his work. 
 
 Direct. II. Let the Children of God be exemplary in 
 patience and submission to God under their afflictions. 
 
 Treated of patience, and gave some motives and 
 helps to it, to all afflicted persons in general, Chap. 
 II. Direct. V. But here I shall bring some special argu- 
 ments to Christian patience and submission proper for 
 believers. You that God hath done so much for be- 
 yond others, ought to shine in this grace of patience, 
 and be examples to others for it, when God chastens 
 you, though with very sore affliction. 
 
 Is/, Study patience under affliction; for it is the 
 common path and beaten road to heaven, that all the 
 saints have trod, who have gone thither before you : 
 Behold the print of the footsteps of all the cloud of 
 witnesses in this road; and, would ye be singular, and 
 chuse a way of your own? When God solemnly renew- 
 ed his covenant with Abraham, and he had prepared 
 the sacrificf, whereby it was to be ratified and confirm- 
 ed, God made a smoking furnace to pass between the 
 pieces of the sacrifice, Gen. xv, 17. to let him know 
 
Direct. II. while under Affliction. 79 
 
 that there was a furnace of affliction attending the 
 covenant of grace and peace, and all that entered there- 
 into. God has appointed that all the stones of the spi- 
 ritual and heavenly building shall be hewed and polish- 
 ed by affliction here; and we are not to think that 
 God's ordinary way will be changed for us. We must 
 not think to walk on roses, when so many worthies 
 have marched through briers and thorns to heaven. 
 
 2dly, Consider, that the greater afflictions you 
 meet with are consistent with the love of God, nay, 
 spring from his love to you. Every sanctified rod is 
 a gift and royal donation sent by the hand of God to 
 you, Phil. i. 29. '« To you it is given in behalf of 
 Christ, not only to believe on him, but also to suffer 
 far his sake." Now surely, if we look on the cross as 
 a gift, an honour, an advantage, and blessing, we 
 should bear it patiently, Psal. xciv. 12. " Blessed 
 is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord." O be- 
 liever, thy temporal cross comes from the same love 
 that thy eternal crown comes from, according to Rev. 
 iii. 19, 21. Men will not take pains to correct stub- 
 born servants, but will turn them out of doors ; but 
 love constrains them to chastise their sons. God, out 
 of hatred, lets many a sinner go unpunished in this 
 world ; for, why should he prune or dress the tree 
 which he intends for trie fire? The malefactor escapes 
 scourging that is condemned to the gallows, Job xxu 
 30. '* The wicked is reserved to the day of destruction, 
 they shall be brought forth to the day of wrath." But 
 it is far otherwise with the children of God. That is 
 a strange word which Job hath, Job vii. 17, 18. " What 
 is man that thou shouldst magnify him? and that thou 
 shouldst set thine heart upon him ? And that thou 
 shouldst visit him every morning, and try him every 
 moment?" Now, if we compare this place with others 
 in the context, we will see how he acknowledged 
 that the most overwhelming distress proceeds from 
 the love and care of God, yea, from his fixing his heart 
 on him, to magnify him, and do him good ; and that 
 
80 Directions to God's Children Chap. III. 
 
 for this end he doth chasten him every morning, and 
 try him every moment; and that with such afflictions 
 as for the present are so far from being joyous, as that 
 they give the soul no rest, but even make the man 
 weary of his life; as heexpresseth what effect his affliction 
 had on himself'. Yea, it may be observed in the pro- 
 vidence of God from the foundation of the world, 
 that those who have had most afflictions have had 
 most grace, and the most eminent testimonies of ac- 
 ceptance with God: Jesus Christ the Son of God, 
 had the most afflictions of any, and yet the Father al- 
 ways loved him, and was well pleased with him. j 
 
 Sdli/, Consider the bright examples of patience 
 which God sets before you in his word. Besides that 
 of his dear Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom, I 
 spoke before; consider the patience of Job, when he 
 was stript of all his earthly comforts, and laid under 
 the greatest afflictions, yet he calmly falls down and 
 worships God, Job i. 21. and said, " Naked came I 
 out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return: 
 The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed 
 be the name of the Lord. In all this Job sinned not, 
 nor charged God foolishly." Consider the patience of 
 David, when he was driven from his throne, from his 
 house, and from God's sanctuary, and all this by his 
 own son ; yet, how submissive is he to God? 2 Sam. 
 xv. 26. «' Behold here I am, let him do to me as seem- 
 eth good to him/' And, when Shimei cursed him,, 
 and threw stones at him, he patiently bore it, and 
 would suffer no harm to be done him for it, saying, 
 as in 2 Sam. xvi. 11. '* Let him alone, and let him 
 curse, for the Lord hath bidden him." Consider the 
 patience of holy Eli, when, though he heard such 
 news, as, like a sudden clap of thunder, made the ears of 
 such as heard it to tingle, and their hearts to tremble, 
 yet he calmly and quietly submitted to it, 1 Sam. iii. 
 18. "It is the Lord, let him do whatseemeth him good." 
 He doth not fly in God's face in a passion, but falls 
 (Jown at his feet in a humble submission. Observe 
 also the wonderful patience of Aaron, when God af- 
 
Direct. II. while under Affliction. 81 
 
 flicted him very sore, he is silent and submissive un- 
 der the Lord's hand, Lev. x. 3. " And Aaron held his 
 peace." If we consider the greatness of the punishment, 
 we will see the more cause to recommend the great- 
 ness of his patience. 1. Aaron lost his children, not 
 his estate or worldly substance, but his children; these 
 are a part of a man's bowels; other earthly losses are 
 not comparable to this; therefore it was that Satan, 
 that cunning enemy, reserved the loss of Job's chil- 
 dren to the last onset, as his great master piece and 
 sharpest attack. How sadiy did Rachel lament and 
 weep for her children! Matlh. ii. 18. yet Aaron held 
 his peace. 2. Aaron lost both his sons at once ; how 
 pathetically did .David bewail the loss of one son I 2 
 Sam. xvii. 33. " O my son Absalom, my son, my 
 son," &c. yet Aaron lost both his sons together, and 
 
 saith not one word : He held his peace. 3. Aaron 
 
 lost them by a sudden death, of which he had no warn- 
 ing: Sickness usually prepares men for the stroke that 
 is coming by death; but Aaron met with a surprising 
 
 blow, yet he held his peace. 4?. Aaron's sons were 
 
 not taken away by an ordinary stroke of God's hand, 
 but by an extraordinary supernatural rod; for it is said 
 < s There went out fire from the Lord, and devoured 
 them, and they died before the Lord," Lev. x. 2. He 
 lost them in such a manner, as might speak forth God's 
 anger: now, a religious father had rather lose all his 
 children in the favour of God, than one child in bis 
 anger; yet, whatever were the bitter ingredients of 
 this cup, Aaron was not impatient against God that 
 mjxed it for him, but held his peace, because God 
 did it. 
 
 kthly, To engage you to patience under your trials^ 
 do but compare your case with that of others. Do not 
 say, there is none afflicted as you are; for there are 
 many far deeper plunged in the waters of Marah than 
 you are; some are still upon the rack, and spend their 
 whole days and years in continual righting and strug- 
 gling: as in Psaim xxxi. 10. " My life is spent with 
 
82 Directions to God's Children Chap. Ill* 
 
 grief, and my years with sighing." Have you sore 
 distress in your bodies? others have grievous wounds 
 in their souls. Do you bear the wrath of man? others 
 bear the wrath of God. You have but one single trial, 
 others have many twisted together. Some are stript 
 of all comforts, you have comforts still remaining. 
 You have many sad things in your trial, but you have 
 not ground as yet to complain, as the Psalmist dotb, 
 Psalm xlii. 7. " All thy waves and thy billows are gone 
 over me." Take a view of what the Son of God, what 
 the apostles, and what the martyrs and other worthies 
 have endured. They had trial of "cruel mockings, 
 scourgings, bonds and imprisonments : they wandered 
 in deserts, in mountains, and in dens and caves of the 
 earth, being destitute, afflicted, tormented. They 
 were tempted, they were crucified, stoned to death, 
 sawn asunder, slain with the sword, &c. And yet 
 how well did they take with the cross? saith Paul, 
 <« We glory in tribulation," Rom. v. 3. And what 
 saith James? Jam. i. 2. " My brethren, count it all 
 joy when ye fall into divers temptatiens." As if he 
 had said, rejoice aye more and more that you are af- 
 flicted : God is magnifying you, he is visiting you; 
 doing you good, taking the more pains on you, and 
 fitting you for glory. 
 
 5thly, The consideration of God's former mercies 
 and kindnesses to you, should engage you to patience 
 in trouble, and make you blush to take any thing ill out 
 of God's hand. Thus Job taught his impatient wife, 
 Job ii. 10. " What! shall we receive good at the hand 
 of God,andshall we not receive evil?" 6 believer, let not 
 thy afflictions cause thee to bury thy mercies in oblivion. 
 Has not God brought thee from Satan's family, and 
 put you among his children ; and, will you iorget or 
 undervalue that honour? Hath he struck off thy tetters, 
 taken off thy prison garments,^and set you at liberty; 
 and will you be unthankful?' Hath he given thee 
 Christ for thy treasure and portion, and entitled you 
 to his unsearchable riches; and will you be discontent- 
 
Direct. II. while under Affliction. 83 
 
 ed? Hath be given you the graces of his Spirit, which 
 are more precious than rubies; and will you quarrel 
 when he smites in some outward things? Hath he made 
 you an heir of glory, and provided eternal mansions 
 above for you ? and will you be fretful for want of 
 gome trifles here? The view Moses had of the recom- 
 pence of reward in heaven, caused him chuse to suffer 
 affliction patiently with the people of God. 
 
 6thly t The time of affliction is usually God's graci- 
 ous trysting season with his people, the time of their 
 rarest comforts and sweetest foretastes of heaven, ac- 
 cording to 2 Cor. i. 5. Paul and Silas did never sing 
 more joyfully than when they were laid in the inner 
 prison, with their backs torn with scourges, and their 
 feet fast in the stocks, Acts xvi. 24. And, when 
 was it that Jacob saw the angels of God, ascending 
 and descending upon the ladder that reached betwixt 
 heaven and earth, but at the time when he was in a 
 destitute case, forced to lie in the open field, having 
 no canopy but the heavens, and no pillow but a 
 stone? When -was it that the three children saw 
 Christ in the likeness of the Son of man walking with 
 them, but when they were in the furnace, and that 
 when it was hotter than ordinary? When was it that 
 Ezekiel had a vision of God, but when sitting so- 
 litary by the river Chebar in the land of his captivity? 
 When was it that John got a glorious vision of Christ, 
 but when he was an exile in the Isle of Patmos? And 
 when was it that Stephen saw the heavens opened, and 
 Christ standing at the right hand of God pleading for 
 him; but when they were stoning and bruising him 
 to death ? So that the most remarkable experiences of 
 I God's kindness, that believers get in this world, have 
 | been trysted to the time of affliction : the considera- 
 tion whereof should move every Christian tq wait oti 
 the Lord and bear his cross with patience. 
 
 7^/j/, When you are helped to Christian patience 
 and submission under God's hand, it doth contribute 
 much to the credit of religion, and to the conviction^ 
 
84 Directions to God's Children Chap. III. 
 
 of the world, that there is a certain reality in the 
 truths of the gospel, and a great efficacy in the grace 
 of God, which bears yon up, and carries you through 
 beyond the strength of nature. 
 
 Lastly, O believer, bear up with patience under 
 the cross, for thou hast not long to bear it. God's 
 wrath on the church abideth but for a moment, yea, 
 a little moment; Isa. xxvi. 20. " Come, my people, en- 
 ter thou into the chambers and shut thy doors about 
 thee, hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until 
 the indignation be overpast." Surely a moment, a 
 little moment; which is the smallest part of time, will 
 soon be over: and wilt thou not have patience for a 
 moment? The Psalmist supported himself with this 
 consideration, Psalm ciii. 9. " He will not always chide, 
 neither will he keep his anger for ever." The time of 
 indignation will soon be overpast, and the time of con- 
 solation will succeed. O believer, the end of all thy 
 trials is near; think on it and look for it. Is it bodily 
 pain or. sickness that is thy affliction? then consider the 
 end of it will be either life. or death? if death, then 
 what thou sufFerest is the last brunt, bear it patiently. 
 These enemies you now see, you will see them again 
 no more. In the mansions above, there is no pain nor 
 crying: the inhabitants there shall never say that they 
 are sick; and one hour with them will make thee forget 
 all thy momentary afflictions. If the issue shall be 
 life, you will be ashamed, when well, that you had no 
 more patience whilst sick. 
 
 I shall close this direction with the words of the a- 
 postle James, James v. 10, 11, " Take, my brethren, 
 the prophets who have spoken in the name of the Lord, 
 for an example of suffering affliction and of patience. 
 Behold, we count them happy which endure. Ye 
 have heard of the patience of Job, and have seen the 
 end of the Lord; that the Lord is very pitiful, and 
 of tender mercy," 
 
A' 
 
 Direct. III. "while under Affliction. 85 
 
 Direct. III. Let believers be much employed hi the 
 praises of God, while they are under affliction by 
 sickness or otherwise. 
 S.we should bless the Lord at all times, and keep 
 up good thoughts of God on' every occasion; so 
 especially in the time of affliction. Hence we are com- 
 manded to glorify the Lord in the fires, Isa. xxiv. 15. 
 And this the three children did in the hottest furnace. 
 So Job blessed God when he had taken away his great- 
 est comforts, Job i. 21. And this is agreeable to that 
 command, 1 Thess.v. 18. "Inevery thing give thanks." 
 I grant indeed, we cannot give thanks for affliction as 
 affliction, but either as it is the means of some good 
 to us or as the gracious hand of God is some way re- 
 markable therein towards us. In this respect, there is 
 no condition on this side of hell, but we have cause to 
 praise God in, even in the greatest calamities. Hence 
 it was that David, when he speaks of his affliction, 
 Psalm cxix. 68. adds presently, " Thou art good, and 
 doest good.'' And he declares, verse 65. " Thou hast 
 dealt well with thy servant, O Lord, according unto 
 thy word." Hence Paul and Silas praised God when 
 they were scourged and imprisoned. 
 
 Well then, O believer, obey the command of thy 
 God, and imitate his worthies, by praising God under 
 thy affliction. 1. This practice would be very pleas* 
 ant and acceptable to God ; for as music is sweetest on 
 the waters, so praise is most agreeable to God from an 
 afflicted soul on the waters of trouble. It is a sign of a 
 noble and generous spirit, to sing the praises of God's 
 goodness while his hand is afflicting us. Distress and 
 danger will make the wickedest to pray ; but it is a 
 principle of love and gratitude that makes the soul to 
 praise. 2. It would bring credit to religion, to see 
 saints thankful and praising God under the cross; it 
 would make people say, surely they find sweetness in 
 God and his ways that we see not; they have meat to 
 eat the world knows not of. And this would invite 
 strangers to come and try a religious life, The joyful 
 
 F 
 
86 Directions to God's Children Chap. III. 
 
 praises of the martyrs at the stakes, and in the flames, 
 made people go home with love to religion in their 
 hearts. 3. If the issue of your affliction should be 
 death, this employment of praise would be a sweet pre- 
 parative to fit and dispose you for the work of heaven. 
 Use yourselves much to this heavenly life, and be often 
 trying to sing the song of Moses and the Lamb in time 
 of sickness and trouble, and this would sweeten the 
 thoughts of death, and make you incline to be there, 
 where praise is their constant work. 
 
 Quest What should be the subject of a believer's 
 thanksgiving and praise under affliction ? 
 
 Ans. He hath manifold grounds of praise ; as, 1st, 
 Upon the account of God's mercies to him through the 
 by-past part of his life. His mercies to thee, O believ- 
 er, cannot be numbered; compare thy mercies with 
 thy crosses, and thou wilt soon see thy receivings are 
 far greater than thy sufferings. Thou hast had many 
 days of plenty for one day of scarcity, many days of li- 
 berty for one day of straits, many days of health for one 
 day of sickness. And are not these to be remem- 
 bered with praise ? 
 
 2dly t And more particularly, in thy greatest afflic- 
 tion, thou hast ground to praise God, O believer, that 
 thou wast born in a land of light, where thou hadst 
 the means of conversion to God, and acquaintance 
 with Jesus Christ ; and especially that God of his free 
 grace made these means effectual to work a saving 
 change in you, when others were past by. Is not this 
 matter of praise, that he opened your eyes, humbled 
 your soul, and renewed your heart? that he gave you 
 Christ, forgave your sins and adopted you into his 
 family, and made you an heir of heaven ? Oh, what 
 a sad case would it be, if you were yet in your sins, 
 and in the bondage of Satan ; if you had conversion- 
 work to begin to, if you had your faith and justifica- 
 tion and interest in Christ all to seek, and all your pre- 
 parations for heaven to make ; if you had all this to do 
 with a sick and paired body, and a disordered mind, 
 
Direct III. while under Affliction, 87 
 
 that cannot command x>ne settled thought, with the 
 terrible views of death and eternity before your eyes. 
 This is the case that God in justice might have left you 
 to. Well then, ought you not to praise God, that 
 sent his Holy Spirit in time to determine your heart to 
 close with Christ, and be reconciled to that God you 
 are shortly to appear before ; and that these sins, which 
 now would have been your terror, are all forgiven and 
 washen away through the blood of Jesus Christ ? 
 
 3dli/, Is it not matter of praise in thy greatest trouWe, 
 that thou hast a great High-priest that is passed into 
 the heavens to provide a mansion with the Father for 
 thee, and to receive thy soul when separated from the 
 body, "that where he is, there you may be also?'' 
 
 Athli/i You have cause to bless God, that he sends 
 such suitable harbingers, as sickness and trouble to tell 
 you that death is approaching : and that he should take 
 such pains on you, to wean you from the world, and 
 make you willing to be gone. Many of God's people 
 that have been averse to dying at the beginning of a 
 sickness, by the increase and continuance of it, have 
 been brought to be well satisfied to depart, that they 
 may be with Christ. 
 
 5tklt/i You have ground to bless God for timing your 
 afflictions so well, that he sent them not till he saw 
 you stood in need of them; he saw a need- be for 
 them, as 1 Pet. i. 6. and he would not let you want 
 what was needful. 
 
 6t/il2/, You ought to praise God, that he mitigates 
 your trials, and proportions your burdens for your 
 back, that when he takes a rod to you, he hath not 
 made it a scorpion ; that when he deprived you of one 
 comfort and enjoyment, he did not strip you of all, and 
 leave you wholly comfortless ; that when you suffer in 
 one thing, he hath not made you to suffer in every 
 thing, in soul, body, estate, relations, and altogether ; 
 that instead of afflicting you for a few days, he hath not 
 madeyour whole life a scene of misery and affliction. 
 Bless God that he punisheth you less, unspeakably 
 
88 Directions to God's Children Chap. III. 
 
 less than your iniquities deserve; that your sick-bed is 
 not hell, your fever is not everlasting burnings, your 
 pain is not the gnawing of the worm that never dieth. 
 Ithly, You have cause to praise God, that your afflic- 
 tion is not so great as that of some others, and even of 
 some that were very dear to God, and had not grieved 
 him so much as you have done. Remember the trials 
 that some have endured of " whom the world was not 
 worthy," which I mentioned before, as recorded, Heb. 
 xi. Yours are nothing to theirs, nothing to Job's, that 
 eminent servant of God. Observe the difference with 
 thanksgiving and praise. 
 
 St/ihj, You have reason to bless God for the strength 
 and support he hath given you under affliction. Yon 
 would soon sink and succumb under a small burden, if 
 he did not support you by his grace; but when he 
 bears you up, the heaviest trial shall not sink you. 
 Have you not met with some afflictions, you have 
 thought at a distance you would never be able to bear 
 up under them ? Yet when they have come, you have 
 found them light and portable, by reason of the strength 
 God hath bestowed upon you. 
 
 Qtfily, You have ground of thanksgiving, that the 
 mercies and blessings which God hath continued with 
 you, are far greater than these he hath taken from you : 
 For though he hath taken this and that temporal bles- 
 sing from you, yet he hath not taken Christ from you, 
 nor his. Holy Spirit from you; hehath not separated you 
 from his love, nor cut you off from all hopes of hea- 
 ven. However great'your trials be, yet still there is a 
 mixture of mercy in your lot, which should be matter 
 of praise. 
 
 Lastly, You have cause, O believer, to bless God, 
 that all the afflictions he brings on you are in love, and 
 for your profit. All his ways are mercy and truth to 
 you. If he smile, it is in mercy ; and if he smite, it is 
 in mercy. God may change his dispensation towards 
 his children, but never his disposition : his heart is 
 still towards them, and the cords wherewith he 
 
Direct. IV. while under Affliction. 89 
 
 scourgeth them, are cords of love. Their profit is the 
 great thing he aims at, in all their chastisements, Heb. 
 xii. 10. He designs thereby to reclaim them from 
 their wanderings, cut off provision for their lusts, 
 "make them pant and long for a better state, and cause 
 them mend their pace toward it. Hence David saith, 
 " It is good for me that I was afflicted : for before I 
 was afflicted I went astray, but now I have learned to 
 keep thy word," Psal. cxix. 67, 71. From all which 
 it appears, you have manifold grounds of praise, even 
 in the time of affliction. 
 
 Direct. IV. Let the children of God when visited 
 with sickness, set about actual preparation for death 
 and eternity. 
 
 EVERY believer, hath his main work done, and is 
 always in a gracious state, by reason of his union 
 with Jesus Christ, his reconciliation with God through 
 the merit of his blood, and the universal change that is 
 wrought in him by regenerating and sanctifying grace: 
 upon which account every child of God hath habitual 
 preparation for meeting with death. Yet, because 
 frequently when sickness cometh, there are many things 
 out of order with them that make death frightful and 
 undesirable, they must set about actual preparation 
 for death, and seek to have their souls made ready for 
 the Bridegroom's coming. And here I shall shew 
 wherein this actual readiness of believers doth consist, 
 which should be their proper work and exercise in time 
 of sickness, especially when sickness is lingering, and 
 doth not destroy the use of reason. But beware of 
 thinking that this should be delayed till sickness come: 
 No, no; the time of health is the main working season 9 
 and all should be then put by hand as far as possible. 
 But, seeing even the best generally find much to do 
 at the very last, I shall give the following advices for 
 your actual preparation. 
 F 3 
 
90 Directions to God's Children. Chap. III. 
 
 Is/, Seeing sickness is a mean appointed of God for 
 his people's good; and particularly for fitting them for 
 a better world ; labour earnestly to reap the benefit of 
 sickness, seek God's blessing upon it, that thereby you 
 may be helped to discover more of the evil of sin, that 
 you may hate and abhor it the more, and that you may 
 see more effectually the vanity and vexation of the 
 world, and get your heart loosed from all the things of 
 time, and brought to a willingness to be dissolved, that 
 you may be with Christ. 
 
 2dly, Seeing a time of death and sickness is the time 
 of your greatest need, beg earnestly of God, for your 
 Redeemer's sake, such special assistances, influences,, 
 and operations of his Holy Spirit, as he knows needful 
 for you in your present low and weak condition, in or- 
 der to carry on and complete your actual readiness for 
 meeting with himself at death, and entering into the 
 invisible world, and being fixed unalterably in your 
 everlasting state. 
 
 Sdly, Renew the exercise of repentance, and of faith 
 in the blood of Christ, for removing all grounds of quar- 
 rel and controversy betwixt God and your sou!. And 
 in order thereto, review your bypast life, and look in- 
 to your heart also, and search out every predominant 
 sin and idol of jealousy ; for if there be any iniquity 
 regarded in your heart, and unrepented of by you, it 
 may occasion no little anguish and bitterness of spirit 
 in a dying hour. Well, when thou hast discovered 
 sin, humbly confess and bewail it before the Lord, and 
 ask forgiveness for it through the blood of Jesus Christ 
 the Son of God, which cleanseth from all sin. Yea, 
 make confession of all thy sins, and particulary reflect 
 upon the fountain and spring df them, viz. Thy origi- 
 nal sin. Know the plague of thy own heart and mourn 
 over it; mourn for the loss and mispending of much 
 precious time. Mourn for the uprofitableness of thy 
 life. Now, when the axe is laid to the root of the tree 
 by sickness, it is high time to mourn for your unfruit- 
 
Direct. IV. while under Affliction. 91 
 
 fulness under the means of grace and waterings of the 
 Holy Spirit. Mourn for your sinning against such light 
 and love as have been many days displayed to you in 
 the glorious gospel. And in a special manner mourn 
 for your sins of omission, which commonly are but lit- 
 tle minded by us. Thus mourn for all thy sins till 
 thou dost water thy couch with thy tears. It is most 
 suitable that death should find every man, even every 
 child of God, in the exercise of mourning and repent- 
 ance; for they that thus sow in tears, shall eternally 
 reap in joy. But see that your tears run much in the 
 gospel-channel, and flow from the believing views of a 
 crucified Christ, whom you have pierced by your sins* 
 And, in the midst of your mourning, be still aiming to 
 take faith's grips of the clefts of the rock, for shelter- 
 ing thy soul from the guilt of bypast sins ; say, "Lord 
 Jesus, I have no refuge but thy wounds, no fountain 
 but thy blood, no covert but thy righteousness. And 
 seeing thou freely makest offer of thy merits for my 
 protection, and invitest even the chief of sinners to 
 come unto thee, saying, Look unto me, and be ye saved; 
 Lord I embrace the offer, and flee to thee to cover 
 me." O, believer, do this, not once or twice; but do 
 it an hundred times over; do it as long as thou hast a 
 breath to draw in the world. Be still breathing, to 
 the very last, after a crucified Jesus for relief against 
 the guilt of sin, which thou art always contracting, and 
 will be, till the earthly house of this tabernacle be dis- 
 solved. 
 
 Athly, In order to your actual readiness to go forth 
 to meet the Bridegroom, when coming to you by death, 
 you must do as the wise virgins, Matth. xxv. 7. "Arise, 
 and trim your lamps." As it is not enough to have a 
 fair lamp of profession, so it is not sufficient to have on- 
 ly the oil of grace in the lamp, nay, or to have it burn- 
 ing in some degree. There is more requisite at this 
 time, that the soul may be actually ready; the lamp 
 must be trimmed, which imports, 1st, A supplying it 
 with more oil ; you must seek to have your grace in- 
 
92 Directions to God's Children Chap. III. 
 
 creased; tohave by degrees, new strength, and new sup- 
 plies of grace given you from God, to fit you for the last 
 conflict with your spiritual enemies, and especial- 
 ly the last enemy, death. — c 2dly, It imports a -stir- 
 ring up of the oil, and raising the wick some higher: 
 So there must be an excitation of grace, which may be 
 in a low declining condition ; you must endeavour 
 to stir and raise it up to a more lively exercise, and 
 more elevated acts. Stir up the gift that is in thee : 
 make the oil burn clear and shine bright. Bring faith, 
 love, repentance, and holy desires to a lively exercise. — 
 Sdly, This trimming imports the cleansing of the lamp, 
 by taking away the dead ashes that hinder the light, or 
 prevent its burning so clearly as otherwise it would. 
 So you must labour to take away the dead ashes of 
 corruption, that hinder the shining of grace ; remove 
 all unbelief, earthliness, deadness, self and formality, 
 and whatever doth suppress the exercise of faith, love, 
 and heavenly-mindedness. Let all these dead ashes 
 be snuffed away by repentance and mortification. As 
 you ought to strive earnestly against all these heart- 
 evils in time of health, so now labour to give them a 
 dead stroke when death's harbinger gives you a sum- 
 mons. 
 
 hthlij) Be diligent in gathering and summing up all 
 your evidences for heaven and eternal life, that so you 
 may not venture into the dark valley at an uncertainty. 
 The comfort of dying will much depend on the clear- 
 ness of your evidences; it is therefore your wisdom tc* 
 examine them carefully, and see if you can say, *'I 
 know in whom I have believed ; I have consented with 
 my soul to the method of salvation laid down in the 
 covenant of grace, I am desirous that the glory of it 
 should be eternally ascribed to the free grace of God, 
 and the creature be wholly abased in his sight." I have 
 chosen God for my portion, and Christ for my only 
 Saviour; and the happiness which I aim at, is to enjoy 
 God in Christ for ever. " And in order thereto, I dev 
 pend on the Holy Spirit, to apply the redemption which 
 
Direct. IV. while under Affliction. 93 
 
 Jesus Christ hath purchased to me, and to sanctify. me 
 perfectly. There is no sin but what I hate and de- 
 sire to part with. I would rather have more holiness 
 than to have health, wealth, and all the pleasures in 
 the world. I earnestly desire the flourishing of Christ's 
 kingdom : and prefer Jerusalem to my chiefest joy," 
 If these your evidences be clear, you may cheerfully 
 take death by the cold hand, and welcome its grim 
 messengers, and long to be gone, that you may be 
 with Christ. You may say as Psalm xxiii. 4. " When 
 I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I 
 will fear no evil : for thou art with me/' You may go 
 off the stage with the Psalmist's words in your mouth, 
 Psalm xxxi. 5. u Into thine hand I commit my spirit; 
 for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord God of truth." 
 
 Qthly^ Labour earnestly to overcome the love of life 
 and fears of death, so as to be content to part with all 
 things here at God's call. O believer, what is there 
 in this earth to tempt thee to hang back, when God 
 calls thee to depart? While you are here, you may 
 lay your account with many losses, crosses, disappoint- 
 ments, griefs, and calamities of all sorts. "Friends 
 will fail you, enemies will hate you, lusts will molest 
 you, Satan will tempt you, and the world will deceive 
 you. Death is the way that the dearest of God's saints 
 and all the cloud of witnesses, hath gone before you; 
 yea, the Lord Jesus, your Mead, hath trod this path, 
 and hath taken the sting out of death, and hath paved a 
 way through its dark valley, that his people may safely 
 follow him. Hath the Captain of your salvation gone 
 before you, and will any of his soldiers shrink to fol- 
 low him? Art thou content to remain always at the 
 same distance from him, and to enjoy no more of his 
 presence than now you have? Are you satisfied to live 
 for ever with no more knowledge of God, no more love 
 to Christ, nomore holiness or heavenly-mindednessthan 
 at present you have ? Do you not groan under your re- 
 maining ignorance, deadness, wanderings, pride, pas» 
 sion, unbelief, selfishness, worldliness, and other sin* 
 
94< Directions to God's Children Chap. Ill, 
 
 and lusts that here beset you? And are you not desir- 
 ous to go to the place where you will be eternally free 
 of them all, and where you will never complain of a dull, 
 dead, or senseless frame of heart, or of any heart-wea- 
 riness, nor wandering in duty any more? For the heart 
 shall then be as a fixed pillar in the temple of God, and 
 shall go no more out ; the eternal adoration and prais- 
 es of God shall be the soul's delight and element for e- 
 ver. By such considerations strive to conquer the fears 
 of death, and desires of life, which are often great clogs 
 to the people of God in their preparations for flitting. 
 7tkly, Be oft meditating upon the heavenly glory 
 which shortly all believers will see and enjoy. Be much 
 in the contemplation of the glorious company above, 
 behold Christ upon his glorious throne at the right hand 
 of God, and Abraham, David, Peter, Paul, and all 
 the rest of the faithful ones, with their crowns of right- 
 eousness, triumphing about their Redeemer. Think, 
 O believer, how happy will that day be, when thou 
 shalt meet with thy father and thy brethren, and when 
 thou shalt see thy elder brother on the throne ready 
 to pass sentence in thy favour ! What melody 
 will that sentence sound in thine ears, " Come, ye 
 blessed of my Father," &c. What frame wilt thou 
 be in, when he sets the crown of glory on thy head ? 
 O eternal free love ! wilt thou cry, " O Saviour, thou 
 didst wear a crown of thorns, that I might wear a crown 
 of glory, thou didst groan on the cross, that I might 
 now sing. Wonderful free love that chused me, when 
 thousands were past by ; that saved me from ruin, 
 when my companions in sin must burn in hell for e- 
 ver." Think, how ravishing it will be to meet with 
 your godly acquaintances in heaven, with whom you 
 prayed, and praised, and conversed here ! Will you 
 not then cry out, { « O, my brethren, what a change 
 is here ! This glorious place js not like the poor dwell- 
 ings we had on earth ; this body, this soul, this state, 
 this place, our clothes, our company, our language, 
 our thoughts, are far unlike those we had then ! The 
 
Direct. IV. while under Affliction. 95 
 
 bad hearts, the body of death, the corruptions and 
 temptations we then complained of, are all now o-one. 
 We have no more fears of death or hell, no more use 
 for repentance or prayer, faith or hope ; these are now 
 swallowed up in immediate vision, eternal love, joy, 
 and praise." And for thy help, O believer, in medi- 
 tating on these things, read some parts of the book of 
 Revelation, or cause them to be read to you; and sup- 
 pose with yourself, you had been a companion with 
 John in the Isle of Patmos, and had got such a view 
 of the glorious majesty, the bright thrones, the hea- 
 venly hosts, and shining splendour which he saw; the 
 saints in their white robes, with crowns on their 
 heads and palms in their hands, and heard them sink- 
 ing the song of Moses and the Lamb, and trumpeting, 
 forth their eternal hallelujahs : what a heavenly rapture 
 wouldst thou have been in: Well then, O believer 
 thou shalt shortly have clearer and sweeter sights than 
 all these which John or any of the saints, ever saw 
 here upon earth. Surely that heavenly glory is a sub- 
 ject worthy of thy thoughts, and most suitable for thee 
 to meditate on in time of sickness, and when in the 
 view of death. 
 
 Sthly, It would be also very suitable at this time, 
 in order to your actual readiness for death, to be fre- 
 quently looking out and longing for Christ's coming; 
 as Abraham stood in his tent-door ready to go forth to 
 meet the angels that were sent unto him, so should the 
 believer keep himself in a waiting posture at this time. 
 He should be like the loving wife, that longs and looks 
 for the coming of her absent husband, according to his 
 letters to her : by this time (thinks she) he will be at 
 such a place, and against such a time he will beat an- 
 other place, and so in a few days I shall see him. It is 
 the character of believers, they are such as love his ap- 
 pearing, 2 Tim. iv. 8. They desire his coming, Cant, 
 viii. 14. " Make haste, my beloved, even so, come, 
 Lord Jesus, come quickly." Believers should look 
 upon themselves as pilgrims here, wandering in a wil- 
 
96 Directions to God's Children Chap. III. 
 
 derness absent from home, and at a distance from their 
 Father's house; and in a time of affliction it is very pro- 
 per for them to be crying, as David doth, P*al. Iv. 6. 
 €t O that I had wings like a dove ! for then would I flee 
 away, and be at rest : I would hasten my escape from 
 the windy tempest." " O when shall the time of 
 my pilgrimage, and the days of my banishment be 
 finished, that I may get home to my country, and 
 friends above? Oh ! my Lord is gone, my Saviour 
 hath left the earth, and entered into his glory ; my 
 friends and brethren are gone to their blessed rest, 
 where they see God's face, and sing his praise for e- 
 ver: and how can I be willing to stay behind when 
 they are gone? Must 1 be sinning here when they 
 are serving God above? Must I be groaning and sigh- 
 ing, when they are triumphing and dividing the spoil ? 
 Surely I will look after them, and cry, O Lord how 
 long ? When shall I be with my Saviour and my 
 God? 
 
 Direct. V. Let believers in time of sickness endea- 
 vour all they can to glorify God and edify those that 
 are about them, by their speech and behaviour* 
 
 TF ever a child of God be active to promote the hon- 
 ■*■ our and glory of God, it should be in time of sick- 
 ness ; and when death may be approaching; and there 
 is good reason for it: for, \st> This may be the last op- 
 portunity that ever thou shalt have to do any thing for 
 God, and therefore thou shouldst study to improve it 
 to the utmost. Heaven, to which thou art going, is 
 the place where thou shalt receive thy reward; but thou 
 canst have no access there to advance God's glory, by 
 commending God and Christ and religion to sinners or 
 weak believers. Upon this account, many of God's 
 children have been content to suspend their heavenly 
 happiness for a while, and to stay upon the earth for 
 some longer time. 1 have read of a certain martyr, 
 when going to suffer, who expressed some sorrow, that 
 
Direct. V. while under Affliction. 97 
 
 he was going thither, where he should do his God no 
 more service, to wit, in the sense above explained. 
 And of another, that saith, if it were possible there 
 could be place for any grief in heaven, it would arise 
 tirom the Christian's considering, that he did so little 
 for God while he was upon the earth. Now is the 
 working season ; O believer, be busy while it lasts, 
 according to the example of thy blessed Saviour, John 
 ix. 4?. " I must work the work of him that sent me 
 while it is day, for the night cometh wherein no man 
 can work." This consideration should make thee 
 bestir thyself with the greatest activity, like Samson 
 before his death, who when he could have no more 
 opportunity to serve God and his church, he cried to 
 God and said, Judges xvi. 28. " O Lord God remem- 
 ber me, I pray thee, and strengthen me this once," 
 And then he bowed himself with all his might, to pull 
 down the pillars of Dagon's temple, being willing to 
 sacrifice his life to the ruin thereof. 
 
 Vclly, The holy speech and carriage of dying believers 
 may, through the blessing of God, make deep impres- 
 sion upon the hearts of unregenerate men that are wit- 
 nesses to them. These who have derided the people of 
 God for the strictness of their lives, and despised 
 their counsel and reproofs, as proceeding from hu- 
 mour or preciseness ; yet have begun to notice their 
 words and actions, when they have seen them on sick- 
 beds, and on the borders of eternity, and to have o- 
 ther thoughts of religion and holiness than formerly 
 they had. Now they think the man is in good earnest, 
 and speaking the thoughts of his heart; and, if ever he 
 can be believed, it must be now. It is most convin- 
 cing to carnal persons, to see believers bearing up with 
 patience under their sickness; to hear them speaking 
 good of God, commending his ways, and rejoicing in 
 God as their portion, in midst of their sharpest pains: 
 to see them behaving as those that are going to dwell 
 with Christ, smiling and praising God, when friends 
 are sighing and weeping about them. This inclines 
 
 G 
 
98 Directions to God's Children Chap. III. 
 
 them to th'nk, surely there must be a reality in reli- 
 gion, there is a difference betwixt the death of the 
 righteous and of the wicked. Hence a wicked Balaam 
 wished to die the death of the righteous and to have 
 his last end like his. It left a conviction upon that 
 young man's conscience, who said to his loose compa- 
 nion, after they had visited godly Ambrose on his death- 
 bed, and saw how cheerful he was, and triumphing 
 over approaching death; O that I might live with thee, 
 and die with Ambrose ! Nay, such sights might draw 
 not only to desire to die the death of the righteous, 
 but also to resolve to live their lives. If carnal men 
 saw believers going off the stage with such confidence 
 and joy, as becomes these that are entering into eter- 
 nal rest with Christ, and these that are going out of a 
 howling wilderness to a glorious Canaan ! it might be 
 a powerful invitation to them to go and seek after the 
 same felicity. 
 
 3dli/ 9 This likewise would be very edifying and con*- 
 firming to all that fear God, How much would it con- 
 tribute to establish them in the practice of holiness, 
 and to quicken them in their diligence in serving and 
 glorifying of God in the days of their health, to hear 
 a dying believer say, S5 of all the time which I have 
 lived, I have no comfort now in reflecting upon one 
 hour, but what I spent in the service of God. Were 
 I to begin my life, I would redeem time more careful- 
 ly than ever. One hour in communion with God is 
 far sweeter than many years spent in worldly pleasures. 
 Come here, then, all ye that fear God, and I will tell 
 you what he hath done for my soul, O taste and see 
 that God is good." 
 
 Whly % Consider the examples of God's children in 
 former ages, how useful and edifying their words have 
 been, at such a time, to all round about them. But 
 this head I intend to insist fully upon afterwards. 
 
 Quest. But, how shall I behave so as I may glorify 
 God and edify others, when I am sick or dying? I 
 would have some particular directions for it. 
 
Direct. V. while under Affliction, 99 
 
 Am. 1st, You may do this by your patience under 
 pain, and submission to God's will with respect to the 
 evert, whether life or death. It is stumbling to others, 
 to see believers fretful in trouble, and unwilling to 
 leave the world when God calls them. But it is most 
 convincing and confirming to see them frankly resign- 
 ing themselves to God's disposal, saying, Let God him- 
 self choose for me; he is wise, and knoweth best 
 what is needful and most proper for me; I have no 
 will, but God's will. For any man to desire to live 
 when God calls him to die, or to desire to die when 
 God calls him to live, is equally a sign of cowardice; 
 for he that desires to live is afraid to look death in the 
 face ; and he that desires to die, would flee from some 
 calamity, and take shelter in death. But he is the 
 most valiant man that can die willingly when God 
 would have him die, and live as willingly when God 
 would have him live: this is true Christian valour. 
 
 2dh/ 9 By pious exhortations and warnings to these 
 that are about you. It may be the last occasion you 
 may have of glorifying God this way ; O do not lose 
 the season which may be usefully improven for the 
 good of souls. For thus a believer may bring more 
 honour to God, and more advantage to precious souls 
 by his sickness and death, than ever he did by all his 
 health and life in the world ; for their speeches have 
 more weight with people at such a time, than at any 
 other. Hence the Patriarchs, knowing the prevalen- 
 cy of such words, do urge Joseph with Jacob's dying 
 charge, Gen. 1. 16, 17. "And they sent a messenger 
 unto Joseph, saying, thy father did command before 
 he died, saying, so shall ye say unto Joseph, forgive, I 
 pray thee now, the trespass of thy brethren," &c. 
 And as we ought to be ready to give good counsels to 
 all when, we lie on sick-beds, so especially we should 
 be concerned for children and near relations : they are 
 more affected than others with our sickness, and so will 
 they be with our sayings, our admonitions may do 
 them good, when we are rotting in the dust. 
 
100 Directions to God's Children Chap. II L 
 
 Quest. What ought to be the subject of our discours- 
 es and exhortations to others at such a time ? 
 
 Ans. 1st, It is very proper to be much in commend- 
 ing the Master you have served, and the excellency of 
 his service, to these that are about you. Tell them of 
 the equity and goodness of these laws which you have 
 obeyed, and of the bounty and faithfulness of that Lord 
 whom you have worshipped, loved and praised ; and of 
 the greatness and eternity of that reward you are going 
 to possess. Let the children of God extol their Father, 
 and his care of them and kindness to them. Let the 
 ransomed of the Lord magnify their Redeemer, and 
 his wonderful love and sufferings to them. Tell others 
 what sweetness and satisfaction you have found in 
 your own experience in attending God's ordinances^ 
 and in secret duties; what comfort you have found in 
 Christ and the promises of his covenant. And thus 
 let your last breath be spent in exalting and commend- 
 ing Christ and religion to others. 
 
 2dly 9 - Be warning others of the vanity of the worldj, 
 and of all its wealth and pleasures: tell them that they 
 may see by your case, that these things which people 
 are bewitched with in the days of their health., can 
 signify nothing to a sick or dying man; they cannot ease 
 us of our pains, they can afford no peace to a troub- 
 led soul, they cannot lengthen our lives one hour, and 
 far less can they save from the wrath of an angry God* 
 " Oh, may you say, what a miserable case had I been 
 in at this time, if I had no better portion than this 
 world, and nothing else to look to but its riches and 
 pleasures ? Wherefore, sirs, set not your hearts upon 
 it, but forsake it before you be forsaken by it, and 
 make choice of that which will be supporting to you 
 in the evil day." 
 
 3dly 9 Be warning them of the evil of sin, and what 
 mischief and deceitfulness you have found in it. Tell 
 them, that though the devil and the flesh would tempt 
 you to look on sin as a harmless thing, yet the plea- 
 sure will soon be gone a and a sharp sting will be left 
 
Direct. V. while under Affliction. 101 
 
 behind. Sin will appear no light matter, when the 
 soul is going hence into the awful presence of a holy 
 God. You would give a thousand worlds then for 
 Christ, and the blood of atonement to answer for 
 your sins. 
 
 Wily, Tell them of the great difference betwixt the 
 godly and the wicked man's choice. The godly man 
 chooseth the better part that cannot be taken from him; 
 he lays up his treasure in heaven where none can reach 
 it, so that it yields him rich supplies when sickness 
 and death come upon him. But O how foolish is the 
 wicked man's choice, that for a moment's fleshly plea- 
 sure, doth lose his immortal soul and everlasting hap^ 
 piness ? Warn them to mind the one thing needful in 
 time, and toot to pamper their bodies for the worms, but 
 to set themselves presently to close in with the offers of 
 Christ, and make sure an interest in his righteousness 
 to cover them in the evil day. 
 
 Sthh/, Be telling them of the evil of sloth and negli- 
 gence in the work of their salvation; and be exhort- 
 ing them to mind it, and to do*t with all their might. 
 For however some may censure and deride God's peo- 
 ple now for their strictness, diligence, and zeal in the 
 matters of religion ; jet, when they come to die, they 
 will be ready to wish that they had been more diligent 
 .in salvation-work, that they had loved God, fled to 
 Christ, and had sought and served him with all their 
 hearts and souls ; and to cry, O for a little more time, 
 O if God would recover and try us once more with 
 health, how diligent would we be ! And tell them 
 that those who have been most serious and painful in 
 salvation-work, yet, when they come to die, do much 
 lament their sloth and negligence: yea, these that have 
 been most reproached by the world for their diligence 
 and fervency, do often wish at that time, O that we 
 had been a thousand times more diligent and labori- 
 ous in God's service ! 
 
 Qthhj, Labour to persuade others of the precious- 
 sess of time, the wisdom of improving the time of 
 
 G 3 
 
102 Directions to God's Children Chap. III. 
 
 youth, and of health ; and the great folly of delaying 
 repentance and putting it off to a sick-bed. Say to 
 them, "I find now by experience, that a time of sick- 
 ness is a most unfit season to do any thing to purpose 
 for the soul; my mind is so diverted and indisposed 
 for spiritual work by sickness and pain, that I cannot 
 attain to any suitable composure for it. And, how 
 miserable were I, if I had all my work to begin at 
 this time ! O take warning, and improve precious time, 
 and especially the day of the gospel, the time of the 
 Spirit's strivings, and the time of youth, which is the 
 most usual season for the conversion of souls, and of 
 bringing sinners into acquaintance with Jesus Christ.^ 
 
 Direct. VI. Let God's Children when sick or dyings 
 he expressing a great concern for the advancement 
 of the kingdom of Christ, and of true religion in the 
 
 rising generation, 
 
 ^EAL and public-spiritedness for Christ's interest 
 4t4 are very becoming his people in all the periods 
 of their life, but more especially at this time. When 
 Christ is ready to take you into his kingdom in heaven, 
 O be not unmindful of his kingdom on earth. It 
 would be acceptable to God, and pleasant in the sight 
 of men, to see you expressing a warm concern for the 
 rising age, and for promoting the welfare of the souls 
 of your children, and others, that survive you: and 
 seeing you can be no longer useful to those who live 
 behind, by your counsels, examples, or prayers, as for- 
 merly, do your utmost for them now. And this con- 
 cern the children of God, in time of sickness, may e- 
 vidence several ways. 
 
 Is*, By earnest prayers to God, both for the pros- 
 perity of his church, and the flourishing of religion in 
 general ; and also for your children and relations in 
 particular, that they may be a holy seed, and a gene- 
 ration to serve God, and shew forth his praise in the 
 world, when you are gone off the stage. 
 
Direct. VI. while under Affliction. 103 
 
 2dly, By intrusting the care of your children's e- 
 ducation to such tutors and guardians as will be much 
 concerned for their souls, and will set before them 
 godly examples and instructions in their young and 
 tender years. 
 
 3dly, By filling your latter-wills and testaments with 
 many pious advices, and solemn charges to your chil- 
 dren and relations, with respect to their serving God 
 and worshipping him in their families, and in secret; 
 so as they can never look into your testaments, and 
 the legacies left to them, but they will hear something 
 that may be affecting, upstirring, and edifying to their 
 .souls. 
 
 stilly. By honouring the Lord with your substances 
 and leaving something of what God hath blest you 
 with, to pious uses ; particularly for the religious edu- 
 cation of the children of the poor, for buying Bibles to 
 them, and other good books, and for the propagating 
 of Christian knowledge in ignorant places, such as the 
 Highlands and Islands, by erecting and maintaining of 
 schools therein : which glorious work is happily begun ? 
 and pretty far advanced by that honourable society at 
 Edinburgh, whose treasurer is ready to receive dona- 
 tions from all such as the Lord pleaseth to move to 
 make a free-will offering for promoting that pious de- 
 sign. Many pious persons have contributed already 
 thereto ; and it were desirable that others, whom God 
 hath enabled for it, should mind it before they die: for 
 by fatal experience we may observe, that the most 
 godly parents do not know how their children will em- 
 ploy the estate they leave them, whether as fuel for 
 their lusts, or as oil to feed the lamps in God's sanc- 
 tuary. It is proper for themselves then, before they go 
 offthe stage, to dispose of some part of their substance 
 for the glory and service of that God, who gave it all 
 unto them. 
 
 5tklij, It might contribute to promote piety, and to 
 make the deeper impressions upon the minds of your 
 children and friends, if under the warnings of death.. 
 
104? Directions to God's Children Chap. III. 
 
 you should imitate the example of the prophet Elijah, 
 who in his life-time made a writing which he procur- 
 ed to be delivered to king Jehoram after his death, 2 
 Chron. xxi. 12. So, in like- manner, you might write 
 letters, and leave them in the hands of your friends 
 and executors, full of advices, charges, admonitions, 
 consolations, or threatenings, to be delivered to your 
 children or friends, upon occasion either of their good 
 Or bad conversation, after your death : which probably 
 would be more regarded by them, than the counsels 
 you gave them in the time of your life; for in some 
 respect they would be received and read by them, as 
 if they were letters from heaven. 
 
 ^^•W** V<1 ■*.-«. 
 
 Direct. VII. Let the children of God labour to for- 
 tify themselves what they can against all Satan's 
 temptations and assaidts, which they may expect to 
 meet with in time of sickness and affliction. 
 
 A Time of affliction is commonly a time for tempta- 
 tion : for the old serpent knows the fittest 
 seasons for assaulting the children of God : and he 
 will not be wanting to improve this opportunity of ad- 
 vantage for setting upon the poor soul. When Pha- 
 raoh heard that the people were entangled in the wil- 
 derness, he pursued them ; so, when Satan sees a soul 
 entangled with distresses and troubles, he thinks it high 
 time to make an attack. He seeks to winnow and 
 sift away the believer's grace, and therefore he comes 
 when the corn is a thrashing by the rod. When Job 
 was smitten in his estate, health, and all other com- 
 forts, then this coward falls upon him, and tempts 
 him to impatience, murmuring, and wrong thoughts 
 of God. 
 
 At this time, O believer ! you have special need to 
 be on your guard, and look out ; reckon always when 
 sickness or trouble cometh, the prince of this world 
 cometh also. Stand then to your defence, and put on 
 
Direct. VI T. "while under Affliction. 105 
 
 your armour, especially the shield of faith, that you 
 may be able to quench the fiery darts of the devil 
 You have need at this time to put in practice our 
 Lord's direction. " Watch and pray, that ye en- 
 ter not into temptation." Pray for wisdom and skill 
 to counteract him, and that you may not be ignorant 
 of his devices: and pray particularly for grace to make 
 you proof against all his false representations of God 
 and his providence to you ; for he that durst repre- 
 sent Job falsely to an all-seeing and all- knowing God, 
 will with much boldness represent God falsely to you, 
 who see and know so little. He will be ready to 
 tempt you to think that God is angry with you and 
 dealing with you as an enemy ; thus was Job tempted 
 Job xxxiii. 10, 11. " Behold, he findeth occasions a- 
 gainst me, he counteth me for his enemy ; he putteth 
 rny feet in the stocks, he marketh all my paths," But 
 observe what Elihu answers, "In this thou art not 
 just; God is greater than man. Why dost thou strive 
 against him; for he giveth not account of any of his 
 matters." But seeing I spoke before of the wrong 
 thoughts of God which we are apt to harbour in time 
 of affliction, Chap. II. Direct. III. I shall proceed to 
 speak of some other temptations wherewith Satan 
 doth assault God's people when in distress: and fur- 
 nish some answers thereto. 
 
 1. " Saith the tempter, Thou art nothing but a hy- 
 pocrite ; all thy religious performances have been 
 done in hypocrisy, to be seen of men ; thou never 
 hast repented nor believed sincerely in the sight of 
 God." 
 
 Ans. I acknowledge there hath been much hypo*, 
 crisy in me, but I hope it isnot allowed, and reign- 
 ing hypocrisy; I always wrestled against it; where- 
 fore I am not a hypocrite. I regarded the esteem 
 of men too much, but I hope I valued the esteem of 
 God much more. My faith and repentance are weak, 
 but I hope they are sincere. And, whatever defects 
 and shortcomings have formerly cleaved to these gra- 
 

 106 Directions to God's Children Chap, IIL 
 
 ces in me, I do now unfeignedly repent of all my sins, 
 I look to him that I have pierced and mourn ; I am 
 heartily willing to be justified by the righteousness of 
 Christ alone, and to be cleansed and sanctified by his 
 Spirit ; and here I give up myself to Christ as my on- 
 ly Saviour. And this 1 hope is, through grace, true 
 repenting and believing, which God will accept for 
 Christ's sake, whatever my former defects have been. 
 
 Tempt, 2 "But saith the tempter, Thy repentance 
 cannot be true; for thy heart is not broken, and 
 thine eyes do not shed tears for sin." 
 
 Ans. It is my very great burden, and constant 
 complaint to God, that I cannot attain to a greater 
 measure of sorrow and contrition for sin ; but yet it 
 is my comfort that repentance is not to be confined to 
 such degrees and symptoms of sorrow as some do win 
 at, I hope I can say, through grace, that my heart 
 is set against all sins great and small, and I would give 
 all I have in the world to be wholly delivered from 
 sin. 
 
 Tempt 3. " Saith the tempter, But thy day of grace 
 is past, it is too late for t§iee to think of repenting or 
 believing; God will not accept of thee now." 
 
 Ans, But I hope it is not so with me, seeing God 
 gives me a heart that pants after God and Christ in 
 the way of commanded duty. The offers of salvation 
 through Christ, are made to all who believe and re- 
 pent ; and late penitents are not excluded from the 
 benefit of these gracious offers more than others. 
 
 Tempt. 4. " But saith the tempter, Thou art none 
 of God's elect, and, if thou be not chosen to salva- 
 tion thou canst not be saved." 
 
 Ans, Secret things belong unto God, and it were 
 presumption in me to pry into his secret decrees ; but 
 one thing I am sure of, that every soul that is chosen 
 to faith and repentance, is also chosen to salvation : 
 but I trust God hath chosen me to the former, and 
 therefore to the latter. 
 
 Tempt, 5. tf But saith the temper, You overvalue 
 
Direct. VII. while under Affliction. 10? 
 
 your graces and duties, and so they cannot be true 
 and real." 
 
 Ans. But I count them all but loss and dung in 
 comparison of Christ. I desire always to be deeply 
 humbled under a sense of my sinfulness and unwor- 
 thiness, and to abhor every motion that would carry 
 me away from Christ and his righteousness, and would 
 tempt me to rely on my graces or duties, or put them 
 in the least in Christ's room. 
 
 Tempt. 6. " The issue of thy sickness may be death, 
 and thou art not ready, for thou hast ifo assurance of 
 thy salvation." 
 
 Ans. A perfect certainty is not to be expected 
 here; there will be still some questionings, some doubts, 
 and fears ; but these I resolve not to indulge now, 
 but to break through all, that I may embrace Christ 
 and be found in him. The desires of my soul are 
 to Christ and the remembrance of his name: and 
 such, I believe, he will not suffer to perish. " I be- 
 lieve, Lord help my unbelief," 
 
 Tempt. 7. " But thou art a stranger to the invisible 
 world; how wilt thou adventure into that world of 
 spirits, with which thou hast so little acquaintance ?" 
 
 Ans. But Christ, who is my Head and best friend, 
 is no stranger to it; he is the Lord of that land, and 
 provides mansions for all his people there ; and he will 
 receive every one of them home and lodge them safely. 
 " The spirits of just men made perfect" were once 
 what my spirit now is ; they were strangers to that 
 world before they came to it, as well as I : but their 
 Head being in it, encouraged them to go to it; and 
 now they rejoice in it as the kindly dwelling-place oF 
 all the saints. 
 
 Tempt. 8. " But thou art vile, and God is infinitely 
 pure and glorious; how canst thou think of approach- 
 ing so near to him ?" 
 
 Ans. Though a weak eye be not able to look np- 
 on the sun, yet I hope to be fitted and strengthened 
 for that glorious sight. Besides, God doth now ap- 
 
108 Directions to GocTs Children Chap. III. 
 
 pear to us in his Son Jesus Christ, where his infinite 
 glory is pleasantly vailed, so as saints may behold him. 
 These glorified souls above were once vile as well as 
 others; but their Saviour did cleanse them, and pre- 
 sent them to the Father without spot or wrinkle. And 
 whatever be my unworthiness, I am relieved by con- 
 sidering my union with Christ, and looking on the 
 glory and dignity of my Head. Surely God will not 
 despise the members of his dear Son, nor trample on 
 any that are his flesh and bones. 
 
 Tempt. 9. " But, what will become of thy wife and 
 children when thou art taken from them?" 
 
 Am. If I trust God so willingly with my soul, and 
 my eternal concerns, why may I not trust him with 
 my relations also? Have I not seen how wonderfully 
 he hath provided for others? Doth not every thing in 
 the world depend upon his will and pleasure? How 
 easy is it then for God to supply his own ?' 
 
 Tempt. 10. "But still death is terrible to nature, 
 even the king of terrors." 
 
 Am. But my Redeemer hath tasted death for me, 
 and taken out its fearful sting; he hath conquered 
 death, and keeps the keys of death and hell. Where-' 
 fore through him will I sing, Ci O death, where is thy 
 sting? O grave, where is thy victory ?" 
 
 Tempt. 11. " But it is terrible to think of appearing 
 before God's tribunal to be tried and judged." 
 
 Am. But my friend and intercessor will be the 
 judge there. Will Christ condemn the members of his 
 own body, and these he hath so often comforted ? 
 
 But, besides all these, a holy God may sometimes 
 suffer the tempter to assault his own people, in time of 
 their affliction, with his fiery darts and his fiercest 
 battering engines, such as temptations to atheism, blas- 
 phemy, despair, &c. whereby their souls may be ter- 
 ribly shaken and sore amazed. 
 
 Your relief, in this case, is to look up to your Head, 
 and remember how he was himself buffeted by this 
 enemy, and assaulted with the most odious temptations, 
 
Direct. VI. "while under Affliction, 109 
 
 that he might thereby get an experimental touch and 
 feeling of your condition, in order to his sympathiz- 
 ing with you, and relieving you from this enemy, 
 whom he hath already conquered in your name. But 
 «'for these things he will be inquired of by the house 
 of Israel." You must act faith on your exalted Head. 
 
 CHAP. IV. 
 
 CONTAINING SOME SPECIAL DIRECTIONS, TO UNREGENERATE PER- 
 SONS, WHEN AFFLICTED BY SICKNESS OR OTHERWISE. 
 
 Direct. I. Take a serious view of the miserable con* 
 dition of a Christless person under sickness or 
 heavy affliction, 
 
 1st, CONSIDER the vast difference betwixt your 
 ^ case, and that of a true believer: he hath 
 ground of consolation in the greatest distress, but you 
 have none. However sharp the rod of correction be 
 to him, yet it is in the hand of a father, but you have 
 to do with an angry and sin-revenging God : and who 
 may stand in his sight, if once he be angry ? For he 
 commands both the first and second death, and he can 
 send you both unto the grave and hell at -once, Rev. 
 vi. 8. " Hell followed the pale horse." Death is the 
 king of terrors, but hell is a thousand times more ter- 
 rible. When God afflicts his children, he stands to 
 them in the relation of a loving father; but he deals 
 with you as an incensed judge. Though he sees it 
 necessary for their good to chastise them, yet he doth 
 it with a relenting heart; yea, every stroke goetb, as 
 it were, to his heart, Isa. lxiii. 9. " In all their af- 
 fliction he was afflicted." But, when he ariseth to 
 punish his enemies, he strikes them with hatred and 
 detestation, as a man would do a toad or venemous 
 creature. Though they cry, he hath no pity, Prov. 
 i. 26. " I will laugh at your calamity, and mock when 
 your fear cometh." 
 
 Idly, If your sickness threaten you with death, 
 what a dark and melancholy prospect must you have 
 
 H 
 
110 Directions to God's Children Chap. IV. 
 
 of your approaching change? Why, O Christless soul, 
 it is what you are wholly unprepared for. The old 
 house falls down about your ears, before you have an- 
 other lodging provided. When death casts you to 
 the door, you have not where to lay your head, unless 
 it be on a bed of fire and brimstone. O how surprising 
 and fearful will the change be, that death will make 
 on you ! A change from earth to hell, from light to 
 darkness, from comforts to terrors, from hope to 
 despair, from the offers of grace to the revelation of 
 wrath, a change from the society of the saints on earth, 
 to the company of the damned in hell. Whatever 
 fond hopes of salvation you have now, your hope 
 shall lead you no further than to the king of terrors ; 
 and then " your hope shall be cut off, and your trust 
 like a spider's web," Job viii. 14. Though it cost you 
 much pains to weave and support this web now, it will 
 prove a weak and slender defence to your soul; when 
 death comes with his besom of destruction, and sweeps 
 both you and it away to hell. You will then be tak- 
 en from all the means of grace you have abused, and 
 be for ever deprived of an opportunity of buying oil; 
 your lamp shall go out at death, and never be lighted 
 any more. 
 
 3dly, In this extremity, you have no where to look 
 to for comfort. O Christless sinner, what will you do 
 in the day of visitation? to whom will you flee for 
 help? Your houses, your lands, your money, your ho- 
 nours, your companions, your relations, will all be mis- 
 erable comforters to you. Every thing will look black 
 and dismal round about you. If you look without you 
 for help, you may see your friends weeping and lament- 
 ing your case; but this will do nothing but increase 
 your vexation and misery. If you look within you 
 for relief, conscience, that before you would not suffer 
 to speak, will meet you with bitter stings and upbraid- 
 ings. It will bring to your view the sins you had for- 
 got, the time you have mispent, the health you have 
 misimproven, the offers of grace you have refused, the 
 
Direct. II. while under affliction. Ill 
 
 great salvation you have neglected. What folly was 
 it for thee to provoke God and slight Christ, for a lit- 
 tle worldly profit, or a little brutish pleasure? Can 
 these relieve thee, when the arrows of the Almighty 
 stick within thee, and the terrors of God do set them- 
 selves in array against thy soul? In the mean time, the 
 devil, that tempted you to your soul-ruining course, 
 will step in, and represent your sins in the blackest 
 colours and aggravations, to render you altogether 
 hopeless and desperate. O sinner, thou that refusedst 
 rest from Christ in the day of health and grace, shalt 
 find no ease from the creature in the day of sickness 
 and death. Your sickness will allow no rest to your 
 body, and your sins will permit no ease to your soul. 
 You may expect the fulfilling of that threatening, Deut. 
 xxviii. 65. " The Lord shall give thee a trembling 
 heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind. And 
 thy life shall hang in doubt before thee, and thou shalt 
 have fear day and night. In the morning thou shalt 
 say, would God it were even? and at even thou shalt 
 say, would God it were morning,' , because of the pain 
 of thy body, and anguish of thy spirit. 
 
 Direct. II. Let unregenerate persons carefully i?n- 
 prove their sickness and affliction as means to far- 
 ther their conversion; and pray that God may bless 
 it for that end. 
 "TyrANY have begun their acquaintance with God 
 -*•**■ and with themselves, in the time of affliction: 
 the furnace is frequently the Spirit's workhouse where 
 he forms his vessels of praise. There are many who, 
 while health and strength continue, mind nothing but 
 vain pleasures; one day they go to their games and 
 sports, another day to their cups and lascivious com- 
 pany, another day to visiting their friends; and thus 
 they spend the whole time of their health and prosperi- 
 ty in sin and vanity. All the warnings, counsels, and 
 exhortations of parents, friends, and ministers do them 
 no good. They cannot endure to entertain a serious 
 
112 Directions to God's Children Chap. IY. 
 
 thought of God, or Christ, of death, of heaven, of hel) y 
 or judgment to come. But, when God doth cast them 
 into sickness or some great affliction, they (through the 
 blessing of God) begin to come to themselves, like the 
 prodigal, and think of returning again to their father. 
 Several instances to this purpose might be given. The 
 Earl of Rochester is a late one, whose U^ .was notori- 
 ously lewd, profane, and atheistical; and who had wick- 
 edly employed his wit and parts to the ridicule of reli- 
 gion; yet when he was afflicted with pain and sickness, 
 and brought to the gates of death, he began to enteF- 
 tain quite other apprehensions than he had done be- 
 fore; he professed he had serious and reverend thoughts 
 of religion and holiness, which before he laughed at; he 
 most earnestly and affectionately warned others to aban- 
 don their evil courses, and to live religiously and so- 
 berly, and to look upon religion as the greatest reality 
 in the world; he retracted all his impious and profane 
 language, wherewith he used to reflect on the ways 
 of godliness, and willingly attested all this under his 
 hand. 
 
 Pray then for the divine blessing on your sickness, 
 that it may contribute to the conversion of your soul, 
 which it doth several ways; \st> By opening men's 
 eyes to get a true sight of things, to behold religion 
 in its true shape, and sin in its proper colours; hence 
 the rod is said to give wisdom, Prov. xxix. 15. They 
 who have mocked at religion, and made light of sin all 
 their days, have been taught by bodily sickness to change 
 their tune. Then they begin to have esteem of the 
 Bible, and to value and send for a pious minister, and 
 to desire the prayers of the people of God; now they 
 perceive sin to be bitter as gall and wormwood, they 
 loathe and abhor that which they liked before; now 
 the word of God makes a deep impression on them, 
 and particularly such a word as that, Jer. ii. 19. 
 " Know therefore and see that it is an evil thing and 
 bitter, that thou hast forsaken the Lord thy God." 
 
 2c%, Sickness helps to set the word preached home 
 
Direct. III. while under Affliction* 118 
 
 upon the heart. When God speaks to us in the day 
 of health and prosperity, we oft give him a deaf ear, 
 Jer. xxii. 21. but when distress comes, it brings the 
 words of God and of his ministers to our remembrance, 
 as it brought Joseph's to the remembrance of his 
 brethren, Gen, xlii. 21. 
 
 3dlj/ 9 Sickness contributes to loose a man's heart from 
 the world, and to cool his love thereto; whereby a 
 great hindrance of conversion is removed out of the 
 way, and the man is made to say, " How vain and 
 helpless are the world's comforts to me now ! these 
 things I delighted in formerly are tasteless to me at 
 this time. There is no portion can suit soul's needs, 
 but God himself." 
 
 4thly, It spurs a man on to prayer that formerly ne- 
 glected it. When the prodigal is brought to distress, 
 he says, *' I will arise, and go to my father." He for- 
 gat his father before, but now he will address him, Hos. 
 v. 15. " In their affliction they will seek me early." 
 Thus the Lord frequently begins and promotes the con- 
 version of souls to himself. And, O sinner, if this be 
 the fruit of thy sickness, it will not be unto death, but 
 the glory of God. 
 
 iWtM^WMWi** «l\\M«\\\%\M 
 
 Direct. III. Be careful to obey God's voice in the rod, 
 and beware of slighting it. 
 
 TCWERY sickness hath a message from God, and 
 
 -" his voice you ought to hearken to with reverence 
 
 and attention, Micah vi. 9. What saith he to you at 
 
 this time? O sinner, he saith, " Retire from the world, 
 
 think on death and eternity, abhor these lusts and idols 
 
 which God is smiting you for, flee speedily to the 
 
 stronghold," "repent and be converted, that your sins 
 
 may be blotted out." This is God's voice to you, and 
 
 consider how provoking it will be to him, if you slight it. 
 
 +^£st, You will provoke God to slight your voice when 
 
 p you cry to him, and stop his ear against the voice of 
 
 your supplications, Zech. vii. 13. 
 
 H 3 
 
114- Directions to God' s children Chap. IV. 
 
 2dly, You will provoke God to cease from being a 
 reprover to you, so that he will speak to you no more. 
 
 3dly, You will provoke him to bring heavier judg- 
 ments on you, yea, so to draw his sword of justice a- 
 gainst you, that he will sheathe it up no more, as he 
 threatens, Ezek. xxi. 5. 
 
 4tthly, God may break off all intercourse and corres- 
 pondence with you, as with those, Ezek. xx. 31. " As 
 I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of 
 by you." 
 
 5thly, He may seal you up for ever under your sins, 
 hardness and pollutions ; and say to yon, as to some 
 we read of, Ezek. xxii. 13. Hos. iv. 7. Rev. xxi. 11. 
 " Because I have purged thee, and thou wast not purg- 
 ed, thou shalt not be purged from thy filthiness any 
 more, till I have caused my fury to rest upon thee. 
 Ephraim is joined to his idols, let him alone. He that 
 is filthy, let him be filthy still. He that is hardened 
 against the voice of my rods, let him be hardened still." 
 Well then, O sinners, while God is in speaking terms 
 with you, hearken to his voice, and obey it; say, "Lord, 
 what wilt thou have me to do?" 
 
 kUUWVWt««MMW 
 
 Direct. IV. Cast back your eyes upon the sins of your 
 by-past life, and labour to be deeply humbled for 
 them before the Lord. 
 
 QEEING you are summoned to prepare for going to 
 *p the judgment-seat of God, where your soul is to 
 receive its final sentence, labour to prevent the terror 
 of that appearance, by your judging yourself before- 
 hand. And this you must do, by summoning yourself 
 before the bar of conscience, examining narrowly into 
 your state, accusing and condemning yourself for your 
 sins. And see that you be impartial in this work, will- 
 ing to know the truth, and discover the worst of your 
 case. You must see and be duly sensible of your dan- 
 ger, otherwise you cannot think to escape it. Take a 
 narrow view of your sins in their nature, number, ag- 
 
Direct. IV. while under Side ness. 115 
 
 gravations and deservings. And in order to this, if 
 thou hast any measure of strength for it, let the expo- 
 sition of the ten commandments in our Larger Cate- 
 chism be distinctly read over unto thee. Make a pause 
 upon every question, and say within thyself, " Have 
 I not omitted what is here required by God ? And, 
 have I not committed what is here forbidden by God? 
 How oft have I repeated these sins? How long have 
 I lived in the practice of them ? O ! do not so many 
 years' sins need a very serious repentance, a very deep 
 humiliation? O! doth not such a vile sinner as I, stand 
 greatly in need of Christ to be my cautioner and ran- 
 somer for such a vast number of sins ? Will not their 
 weight press me eternally down to the lowest hell, if 
 they remain unpardoned, and be laid upon my back?' ? 
 Wherefore view them closely, and confess them parti- 
 cularly before God, 
 
 1st, In the first place, bewail thy original sin, the 
 fountain of all thy actual transgressions, as did David, 
 Psalm li. 5. " Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and 
 in sin did my mother conceive me." 
 
 2dly, Acknowledge and mourn over the sinful out- 
 breakings of thy life, whereby thou hast dishonoured 
 God, and grieved his Holy Spirit: and especially sins 
 against light. 
 
 3dly 9 Be humbled for thy sins of omission, for ne- 
 glecting of commanded duties, particularly for the ne- 
 glect of prayer in secret, and of family- religion. 
 
 4tthly 9 Mourn for the loss of precious time. Alas ! 
 for the time of youth misspent, many Sabbath-days trif- 
 led away ! 
 
 5iJfh} 9 Lament thy long slighting of Christ, and sal- 
 vation through his righteousness, which so pressingly 
 hath been offered to thee in the gospel. 
 
 6thly, Bewail thy stifling the convictions, and quench- 
 ing the motions of the Spirit, and thereby provoking 
 him to depart from you. 
 
 lthly 9 Mourn for thy unthankfulness to God for mer- 
 cies and deliverances, which might have allured you to 
 repentance and newness of life. 
 
116 Directions to the Unregenerate Chap. IV. 
 
 Sthly, Confess thy stubbornness under former afflic- 
 tions, which hath provoked God to send new trials 
 upon you. 
 
 9thly, Be humbled for thy earthly-mindedness, in 
 that thou hast all thy days been careful and cumbered 
 about many things, and hast neglected the one thing 
 necessary. 
 
 lOthly, Mourn for the lateness of thy repentance, 
 and thy prodigious folly in delaying so long to bethink 
 thyself, and to turn to the Lord. " Oh how unwisely 
 have I acted, to misspend the time of health, and delay 
 so great a work till now that I am laid on a sick-bed ! 
 And now, if I die before I am converted, I am lost for 
 ever. O Lord, I am ashamed and confounded at my 
 madness and folly, and have no excuse to plead for 
 myself, but must stand afar off, with the poor publican, 
 and smite upon my breast, and cry, « God be merciful 
 to me a sinner." 
 
 Direct. V. Flee 'presently to Jesus Christ by a true 
 faith, and close with him as offered to you in the gos- 
 pel. 
 
 A RT thou sensible, O sinner, of thy grievous guilt 
 ■*?*" and ill-deservings before God? Then do not de- 
 spair; for Jesus Christ, who hath offered to divine jus- 
 tice, an all-sufficient sacrifice for sin, is offering himself 
 to thee, saying, O distressed sinner, " Look unto me 
 and be saved. Turn unto me, why will ye die? Come 
 unto me, heavy laden soul, and I will give you rest. 
 He that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." 
 Will not such gracious words, such moving calls, melt 
 thy heart within thee, and make thee cry to him, 
 " Lord Jesus, I flee to thee as my refuge for deliver- 
 ance from sin, and protection from the wrath to come; 
 I look to thy wounds, I trust in thy righteousness, I 
 depend on thy merit, I lie at thy feet ; and this I am 
 resolved to do as long as I have breath to draw in the 
 world." 
 
Direct. VI. while under Affliction, 117 
 
 Direct. VI. Call for the elders of the church, that they 
 may pray over you in your sickness, 
 
 THIS is the apostle James' directions to the sick, 
 James v. 14. He doth not say if any man be 
 sick, let him send for the physicians, but for the elders 
 or ministers. 
 
 It is true, physicians are to be called, but not in the 
 first place. It was Asa's fault, that, in his disease, he 
 sought not to the Lord, but to the physicians; and 
 alas, how many follow his example! ministers are only 
 called for in the last place, and very often when time 
 is past, the sick being at the point of death, and scarce 
 capable to speak or hear. But if you desire to reap beni- 
 fit by the instructions and prayers of ministers, call 
 for them timeously, and open your case unto them; 
 seek their counsel, and beg for their prayers. It is 
 their office to teach and pray for you, and they have au- 
 thority to offer salvation to you through Christ, and to 
 minister comfort to them that are cast down: where- 
 fore a blessing may be expected on their ministrations 
 and performances more than others. Hence God said 
 to Abimelech, of Abraham, Gen. xx. 7. " He is a 
 prophet, and he shall pray for thee." And to Job's 
 friends concerning Job, Job xlii. 8. " Go to my ser- 
 vant Job, and he shall pray for you, for him will I ac- 
 cept ; lest that I deal with you after your folly." 
 
 And Lastly, Remember, that as the apostle James 
 enjoins the sick to call for the elders to pray over them, 
 so at the same time he directs you, James v. 16. 
 to confess your sins one to another, Christian to 
 Christian, one friend to another, the people to their 
 ministers. Not that this gives any warrant for the Pa- 
 pists their auricular confessions, which they force up* 
 on all men, to their priests, as a satisfaction for sin, 
 and whereby they rack their consciences (when they 
 feel no distress) to confess their most secret sins, and 
 to enumerate them all under pain of damnation; and 
 which they use as a politic art to dive into the secrets of 
 
118 Directions to the Unregenerate Chap. V. 
 
 princes, states, and all private persons: but as Luther, 
 Calvin, Beza, and many other orthodox divines do 
 teach, it is very profitable and necessary for these that 
 are inwardly troubled with a sense of their sins, to ease 
 and disburden their consciences, by confessing them to 
 the faithful ministers of Christ, in order to their receiv- 
 ing suitable counsels and consolations from them, such 
 as Christ hath left in his word for contrite- hearted 
 penitents. 
 
 Thus let every man in sickness use all appointed 
 means for preparing his soul for a future state. Thy 
 preparation will by no means hasten death, but sweet- 
 en it to you. Death must surely have a most formi- 
 dable aspect to an unprepared sinner; he may salute 
 it, as Ahab did Elijah, " Hast thou found me, O mine 
 enemy?" Why? it brings heavy and doleful tidings to 
 him. But a prepared soul may salute death, Welcome, 
 O my friend! Thou bringest me tidings of great joy: 
 everlasting deliverance from sin, and all the bitter fruits 
 of it. I shall never complain of these any more. 
 
 ► "V* V» VV%VV»*«V> WV-WV"V"k"W 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 CONTAINING DIRECTIONS TO THE PEOPLE OF GOD, WHEN THE 
 LORD IS PLEASED TO RECOVER THEM FROM SICKNESS AND 
 DISTRESS. 
 
 Direct. I. It is very proper, both under sickness and- 
 after it, to examine if the affliction be sanctified to 
 you, and hath come from the love of God. 
 
 IT would be very comfortable for us to know that the 
 afflictions which God visits us with, are not the pun- 
 ishment of a judge, but the chastisement of a father; 
 that they do not proceed from wrath, but from love; 
 that they are not curses, but blessings to us. Now, 
 the best way of knowing this is by the effects which 
 they work and produce in us, through the blessing of 
 God. 
 
 1st, Canst thou say, that thy afflictions hath humbled 
 
Direct. I. 'whin recovered from Sickness. 119 
 
 thee in the sight of God, and made thee to confess and 
 bewail thy sins and strayings from God as the procur- 
 ing cause thereof? Hath it been like Moses' rod, that 
 smote the rock and fetched out much water? Did 
 you water your couch with tears, and mourn humbly 
 before God for all thy God-provoking sins? Then it 
 is a good sign sickness is sanctified. 
 
 2^%, Doth thy affliction drive thee nearer God, and 
 cause thee aim at closer communion with God in duty 
 than formerly, saying, " However careless and over- 
 ly I have been in duty in time past, it is surely good 
 for me now to draw near to God?" Then thy sickness 
 is a blessing to thee. 
 
 3dly, Affliction is sanctified, when the corruption 
 and deceitfulness of the heart is the more discovered 
 and laid open to the view of the soul; so as the man 
 is made to abhor himself in dust and ashes, and cry 
 out as the leper, Unclean, unclean, I never could 
 have thought my heart was so wicked as I now see it. 
 
 4thly 9 It is a sanctified sickness, that purgeth the 
 heart and changeth the life, and gives a dead stroke 
 to thy sins and idols, and makes thee to loath it and 
 abhor them more than ever, saying with Ephraim, 
 6i What have I to do any more with idols." 
 
 5thly, It is a blessed rod, when grace is more 
 quickened and stirred up thereby, and the man turns 
 more fruitful in holy duties and good works; when 
 it is a budding and blossoming rod like to Aaron's, 
 Numb. xvii. It is recorded there of Aaron's rod, 
 that it brought forth buds, bloomed blossoms, and 
 yielded almonds. So it is happy with us, when our 
 rods and sicknesses do produce in us, not only the 
 buds of a profession, or the blossoms or some begin- 
 nings of a reformation, but even cause us to yield al- 
 monds, fruit savoury to God. Is conscience become 
 more tender with respect to sin ? Are we more jea- 
 lous over our hearts? Are we more fervent in prayer, 
 more lively in praise, more mortified to the world, 
 more desirous of communion with God ? Then may 
 
120 Directions to God's People Chap. V. 
 
 we say with David, " It is good for us we have been 
 afflicted;" and with Hezekiah, " Thou hast, in love to 
 my soul, delivered it from the pit of destruction." 
 
 Direct. II. Make conscience of offering to God the sa- 
 crifice of thanksgiving, upon his recovering thee from 
 sickness or any distress, 
 
 THE Psalmist gives us this direction from God, 
 Psal. 1. 14, 15. and he shews us that it was his 
 own practice in such a case, Psalm cxvi. 16. Psal. ciii. 
 1, 2, 3, &c. The command is just, let us obey it; the 
 example is excellent, let us imitate it. " Praise is 
 comely for the upright." Here I shall give some mo- 
 tives and advices. 
 
 1st, God, who is the author of all thy mercies and 
 deliverances, gives you tongues for this very end, that 
 you may bless and praise him for these mercies, James 
 iii. 9. Hence man's tongue is called his glory above 
 the rest of the creatures, Psal. lvii. 8. There is none 
 in the creation so endued and qualified for praising 
 God as man is. Angels have reason and minds, 
 whereby they adore and admire God's goodness and 
 excellency, but have no tongues to praise him; beasts 
 have tongues, but without speech or reason to use them; 
 but man hath both reason and speech, that he may 
 both admire God's goodness, and with his tongue 
 sound forth God's praise. See then, O believer, that 
 you use your tongue to answer the end of your creation. 
 God'loseth his due rent of praise from the rest of the 
 world, but he expects it from his children, whom he 
 hath formed for this end, and on whom he hath be- 
 stowed many distinguishing favours. 
 
 2dly, The sacrifice of thanksgiving is most pleasing 
 and acceptable to God. He loves your tears and pray^ 
 ers, O believer, but much more your praises. How 
 well pleased was our Lord with the poor leper Sama- 
 ritan, that returned and gave him thanks for curing 
 his bodily distemper ! Luke xvii. He dismissed him 
 
Direct. II. when recovered from Sickness. 121 
 
 with a special blessing, and cured him of his soul's 
 diseases, as well as of his body's. And therefore, 
 
 Sdly, Consider that thankfulness for any mercy re- 
 ceived is a most profitable course for yourself; for h 
 is the way to get more and better blessings bestowed 
 upon you, according to Psal. Ixvii. 5, 6. * Let the peo- 
 ple praise thee, O God : then shall the earth yield her 
 increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us." 
 Thanksgiving for former mercies is a kindly way of 
 petitioning for new favours, and God will understand 
 it in this sense. 
 
 Mhly, God is so well pleased with the duty of 
 thanksgiving, that he honours it to be the eternal 
 work of heaven. Whereas other graces, such as faith, 
 nope, and repentance, will then be melted into love 
 and joy for ever; so other duties of worship, such as 
 reading, hearing, and praying, will then be changed 
 into that of praise and thanksgiving; the glorified com- 
 pany above will never be weary of this work; and 
 shall not we "delight in it now, when God is calling 
 us to it by so many new mercies? 
 
 In the next place, that thou mayest offer the sacri- 
 fice of thanksgiving to God for thy recovery, with 
 gracious acceptance, I shall lay before you the follow- 
 ing advices. 
 
 1. See that your heart be touched with a sense of 
 the greatness of the mercy, and of the goodness of 
 God manifested therein. We must put a due value 
 upon our mercies, and have our hearts affected with. 
 God's kind dealings towards us in them ; if w^would 
 be rightly thankful to God the author of them. 
 Hence it was that David called upon his heart, and all 
 within him to bless the Lord for his benefits, Psal. ciii. 
 1. and, in Psal. exxxviii. l. he saith, "I will praise 
 thee with my whole heart." As, in an. instrument of 
 music, the more the sound comes out of the belly of 
 it, it is the sweeter; so our prayer is the more accep- 
 table to God, when the heart is full of gracious aff 
 tions. 
 
 I 
 
122 Directions to God's People Chap. V. 
 
 2. Let your praise be the native result of faith and 
 love in your soul, otherwise it will be but an empty 
 sound. Faith is necessary to draw by the vail, and 
 shew us the perfections of the invisible God, who is 
 the spring and author of all our mercies ; love gives a 
 deep sense of his goodness, enlargeth the heart towards 
 God, and opens the lips to shew forth his praises. 
 
 3. Study to have a deep sense of your own un wor- 
 thiness and ill-deservings at the Lord's hand, upon the 
 account of your sins and ill improvement of former 
 deliverances, saying with Jacob, Gen. xxxii. 10. "I 
 am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies." 
 
 4. Look above instruments and second causes, and 
 do not ascribe your recovery to physicians or outward 
 means, but to the Lord, the prime author of it, whose 
 blessing alone it is that gives efficacy and success to 
 the appointed means, and by whose mercy only we are 
 spared and brought back from the gates of the grave. 
 To this the apostle attributes Epaphroditus his recov- 
 ery, Phil. ii. 27. *' Indeed he was sick nigh unto 
 death, but God had mercy on him." Hence we 
 are told, I Sam. ii. 6. " The Lord bringeth down to 
 the grave, and bringeth up." 
 
 5. Observe narrowly the remarkable circumstances 
 of the Lord's goodness, and the sweet ingredients of 
 thy mercies: as for instances, (1.) How discernible the 
 Lord's hand was in thy deliverance, which obligeth 
 thee to say, " Surely this is the finger of God ! This 
 is the Lord's doing and it is marvellous in mine eyes." 
 (2.) How thy deliverance came to thee as the return 
 of prayer, that makes thee say, surely he is a prayer- 
 hearing God. (3.) How deliverances came when 
 there was but little ground to hope for it. See how 
 Hezekiah observed this ingredient in his recovery 
 from sickness, Isa. xxxviii. 10, 11. " I said in the cut- 
 ting off of my days, I shall go to the gates of the grave: 
 I am deprived of the residue of my years. I said I 
 shall not see the Lord, even the Lord in the land of the 
 living: I shall behold man no more with the inhabitants 
 
Direct II. when recovered from Sickness. ■ 123 
 
 of the world." ver. 15. " What shall I say? He hath 
 both spoken to me, and himself hath done it." Some- 
 times God sends deliverances to his people when they 
 are most hopeless, and saying with the captives in Ba- 
 bylon, Ezek. xxxvii. 1 1. '« Behold, our bones are dried, 
 and our hopes are lost, and we are cut off for our parts." 
 (4.) Remember how the extremity of thy distress was 
 God's opportunity of sending relief. Abraham never 
 forgot the seasonableness of God's appearing for him 
 in his extreme need upon Mount Moriah, when he call- 
 ed the name of the place Jehovah-Jireh, for preserv- 
 ing the memorial of it; w In the mount of the Lord it 
 shall be seen." So doth David, Psal. x-cvi. " I was 
 brought low, and he helped me." 
 
 6. Let the present deliverance bring all former mer- 
 cies to thy remembrance, that so thou mayest praise 
 God for them all, whether they be national or person- 
 al mercies, public or private, spiritual or temporal. 
 New mercies should revive the memory of the old, 
 and all of them should come above board at such a time; 
 so doth the Psalmist direct, Psalm cv. 2. <e Sing to the 
 Lord, talk ye of all his wondrous works. And what 
 he directs others to, he practises himself In such a 
 case, Psal. cxvi. 12. " What shall I render to the 
 Lord for all his benefits towards me?" 
 
 7. Be ready to communicate to others an account 
 of the Lord's kind dealings towards you, and the sweet 
 ingredients of his mercies, and particularly of his 
 sending spiritual deliverance to your soul, as well as 
 outward deliverance to your body, when he is pleased 
 to do so; and do this in order to recommend the 
 service of God to others, and to engage and invite 
 them to assise you in blessing and praising the Lord. 
 We see how David observed his soul-deliverances, 
 Psal. cxvi. 7, 8. and declared his experience to others, 
 Psal. xxii. 22. u I will declare thy name unto my breth- 
 ren : in the midst of the congregation will I praise 
 thee." Psal. Ixvi. 10. "Come and hear, all ye that 
 fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for 
 
I H Directions to God's People Chap. V. 
 
 Lastly, Remember always to give thanks for mer- 
 cies to the Father, in the name of our Lord Je&us 
 Christ; as directed, Eph. v. 20. Your spiritual sa- 
 crifices are only acceptable to God, when you offer 
 them up by Jesus Christ, I Pet. ii. 5. As we must 
 seek all oar mercies in Christ's name, so we must 
 give thanks for them afso in his name. He fs the 
 .Mediator of our praises as weU as of our prayers. 
 Believers have not one mercy but what comes swim- 
 ming to them in Christ's blood, and is. the fruit of his 
 death and purchase to them ; and therefore he is to be 
 owned and looked to in the receiving of every mercy. 
 And as Christ is the only Mediator for conveying bless- 
 ings and mercies from God to us, so lie is the sole 
 Mediator for conveying all our services and spiritual 
 sacrifices to God. God accepts of them only as they 
 are perfumed by Christ's meritorious sacrifices, and 
 potent intercession. 
 
 Direct. III. When the Lord is -pleased to grant thee 
 any signal mercy or deliverance from trouble, beware 
 of forgetting the Lord's kindness towards thee. 
 "FORGETTING of God's remarkable kind provi- 
 - 1 - deuces, is an evil we are naturally prone unto, 
 when we are in a prosperous state. Hence it is, that 
 the Spirit of God gives so many cautions against it in 
 his word ; and the saints of God do so solemnly charge 
 their own souls to beware of it, as in Psa!. ciii. 2. 
 " Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his 
 benefits; who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth 
 thy life from destruction." Forget not his benefits: 
 but carefully preserve and treasure them up in thy 
 memory. It was usual for saints, under the Old Tes- 
 tament, to set up some visible monument to remind 
 them of God's singular favours to them ; they erected 
 stones, and built altars, to be memorials of the mer- 
 cies they received ; and put names on these places for 
 this end. Let all this teach you to guard against this 
 evil of forgetting the Lord's kind providence in recov- 
 erin*/ you from sickness. 
 
Direct. IV. when recovered from Sickness. 125 
 
 You are guilty of this evil, when you do not duly 
 value the mercy, but let it pass as a turn of common 
 providence. When you let the impression of the mer- 
 cy wear soon off your hearts; when you make a bad 
 use of it, or do not rightly improve it to God's glory, 
 and your own soul's good : when you do not put on 
 new resolutions to walk more exactly, live more fruit- 
 fully, and serve God more holily and humbly, then are 
 you guilty of forgetting his benefits. 
 
 This is an evil most grievous and provoking to a 
 good and gracious God, as is evident from the many 
 heavy complaints he makes of his people for it, as ia 
 Judges viii. 34v Psa-1. Ixxviii. 11. Psal. cvi. 13. 
 Wherefore watch and pray against it. 
 
 Direct. TV. Inquire after these fruits of righteousness, 
 which are the genuine effects of affliction in the chiU 
 dren cf God, who are duly exercised thereby. 
 
 npHE Apostle speaks of these fruits, Heb. xii. 11. 
 -*- as natively following upon sanctified afflictions, 
 and a kindly exercise of spirit under them. And 
 therefore it is your duty to inquire if they be produced 
 in you. 
 
 1st, The increase of true repentance is one of these 
 fruits which is the product of sanctified trials; Job 
 found it in himself, on the back of his afflictions, 
 Job xlii. 6. " Now I abhor myself, and repent in dust 
 and ashes." It would be happy if we could find our 
 hearts more soft and melting upon the view of sin, 
 after we have been in the furnace of affliction. 
 
 2dly 9 Another fruit is the improvement of faith. 
 The afflicted believer is taught to look to and depend 
 more upon God for help in time of need, and less 
 upon the creature. He now sees that vain is the 
 help of man in the day of calamity, and that God 
 in Christ is the only proper object of the soul's trust. 
 This was the fruit of the apostle's affliction, 2 Cor. 
 i. 8, 9, 10. ** We were pressed out of measure, above 
 
 I 3 
 
126 Directions to God's People Chap. IV. 
 
 strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. 
 We had the sentence of death in ourselves, that we 
 should not trust in ourselves, but in God that raiseth 
 the dead; who delivered us from so great a death, and 
 doth deliver; in whom we trust that he will yet de- 
 liver." 
 
 Sdly, Humility and low thoughts of ourselves is 
 one of the fruits of righteousness which sanctified 
 affliction doth yield. How proud and lofty was Ne* 
 buchadnezzar before his affliction ! Dan. iv. 29, 30* 
 But afterwards he was made to own God, and hum- 
 bly submit to him as his supreme and incontrolable 
 sovereign, and to acknowledge, that those who walk 
 in pride, he is able to abase, verse 27. This was 
 God's design in the various trials of his people Israel 
 iri the wilderness, Deut. vii. 1,6. " That he might 
 humble thee, prove thee, and do thee good at thy 
 latter end." See then, O believer, if this fruit be 
 produced in thee. 
 
 4//z///, Another fruit is the spirit of prayer and sup- 
 plication. This was visible in the Psalmist's case af- 
 ter God had delivered him from the sorrows of death, 
 and heard his voice, Psal. cxvi. 2. «• Therefore, says 
 he, will I call upon him as long as I live." O, saith the 
 true believer, God's mercy to me in trouble, and his 
 sending me relief when I cried to him, will make me 
 love prayer the better, and engage me to be more 
 diligent in it all my days; for I still see I have daily 
 need of his helping hand. 
 
 bthlij, Heavenly-mindedness is a fruit of sanctified 
 affliction. Before, the man was inclined to that lan- 
 guage, It is good for us to be here; let us build taber- 
 nacles in this lower world. But now he turns his 
 tongue, and changeth his thoughts, and saith, with 
 the Psalmist, " It is good for me to draw near to God, 
 Arise, let us depart, this is not our rest." This world 
 is nothing but the house of our pilgrimage, heaven 
 only is our home. 
 
 6tfth/ 9 Another fruit of sanctified trials is greater 
 
Direct. V. "when recovered from Sickness. IZ1 
 
 love to God than formerly. How much was David's 
 heart warmed with love and gratitude to God upon 
 the back of his affliction, so that he wants words to 
 express the affections of his soul ! Psal. cxvi. " I will 
 love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice — I 
 was brought low but he helped me. Thou hast de- 
 livered my soul from death, mine eyes from tears, and 
 my feet from falling — What shall I render to the 
 Lord for all his benefits towards me?" 
 
 Ithly, Learning and keeping of God's word is a 
 fruit of sanctified affliction, Psal. cxix. 67, 71. Let 
 us inquire if this fruit be produced in us after sick- 
 ness : do we attend to the word more closely ? Do 
 we believe it more firmly? Do we embrace its offers 
 more earnestly ? Do we rely on its promises more 
 steadfastly? And do we live more in the expectation of 
 that glory which the word doth reveal to us? " Then 
 it is good for us that we have been afflicted, we have 
 learned more of God's word." 
 
 Stfrly, Tenderness of conscience is a happy fruit 
 of sanctified trouble, when the believer after it becomes 
 exceedingly afraid of sin, and of making new wounds 
 in his conscience. He cannot think of adventuring a- 
 gain upon any known sin ; for the smart of his former 
 wounds, and the pain they occasioned in bis soul when 
 distress lay upon him, makes deep and lasting impres- 
 sion on his mind, as it did on the afflicted church, Lam. 
 iii. 19j 20. " Remembering mine affliction and my 
 misery, the wormwood and the gall, my soul hath them 
 still in remembrance, and is humbled within me." 
 Now, such fruits of righteousness are an evidence we 
 have been suitably exercised under affliction; G to find 
 them produced in us after sickness is over. 
 
 Direct. V. Be careful to perform these resolutions, 
 engagements or vows, you have come under in the 
 time of sickness, and walk suitably to them. 
 A S a time of sickness and affliction is a proper sea- 
 
 '*£h son for making vows to God, and binding our 
 
' 1 23 Directions to God's People Chap. V. 
 
 souls with resolutions to mortify sin in the heart, and 
 purge it away from the life, and "to be diligent in du- 
 ty, and walk more humbly with God, so a time of re- 
 covery from sickness is a proper season for pay inl- 
 and performing these vows. This was the royal Psal- 
 mist's practice in such a case, Psal. cxvi. 6, 16, 17, 
 18. <{ I was brought low and he helped me. Truly 
 I am thy servant, I am thy servant. I will offer to 
 thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving. I will pay my 
 vow ? s unto the Lord, now in the presence of all his 
 people." Now, for your assistance in this matter, I 
 offer you these few advices. 
 
 1st, Defer not to pay your vows, but be speedy, 
 and take the first opportunity to pay them. Delays 
 in this case are most dangerous; Solomon, that wise 
 man, was sensible of this, which made him give this 
 advice, Ecci. v. 4. <c When thou vowe&t a vow unto 
 God, defer not to pay it." 
 
 2dh/ 3 Be still jealous of thy heart, which is prone 
 to deal treacherously with God after affliction is over. 
 The Israelites practice is a sad instance of this truth, 
 Psal. Ixxviii. 34?, &c. " When he slew them, then 
 they sought him, and they returned and inquired early 
 after God, &c. Nevertheless they did flatter him with, 
 their mouths, and they lied to him with their tongues; 
 for their heart was not right with him, neither were 
 they steadfast in his covenant." The purposes of many 
 in affliction are like the vows of mariners in a storm ; 
 they are the first things which they forget and break 
 when once they get safe on shore. However penitent 
 some seem to be in sickness, yet when they recover 
 from it, they soon return to their old sins' again. They 
 are like metals in a furnace, they melt and turn li- 
 quid while in it; but, when out, they soon return 
 to their old hardness. There is good reason for that 
 caution the Lord gives us, Mai. ii. 16. " Therefore 
 take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously." 
 3dly t Cry continually for strength from above, to 
 enable you to perform your vows. The Psalmist 
 
Direct. V. xtfie?i recovered from Sickness I2§ 
 
 took this course, and found it successful, Psal. cxxxviir. 
 3. " In the day when I cried to thee, thou answeredst 
 me, and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul." 
 And forget not, O believer, that God has treasured 
 up strength for thee in thy Head and Surety, Christ 
 Jesus: wherefore be still borrowing from him, for the 
 performing of all thy engagements, 2 Tim. ii. 1. '* My 
 son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus." Put 
 thy treacherous heart in thy Surety's hand; for though 
 thou art weak, yet thy Redeemer is strong. When- 
 ever then you first perceive your heart begin to start 
 aside from God, be- sure to check it, and look up to 
 God in Christ for strength to secure it against treach- 
 ery and perfidious dealing: cry with the Psalmist, 
 " Be surety for thy servant for good." 
 
 4:thli/, Guard diligently, against thy predominant 
 sin, the sin that hath most easily beset thee, the sin 
 that was most bitter and uneasy to thee in the day of 
 distress. Keep a narrow eye upon it now; for, if once 
 that sin be got vanquished, the rest will the more 
 easily be put to flight. 
 
 5t/ili/, Be frequently meditating on thy vows, and 
 on the condition thou wast in when they were taken 
 on; and study to keep alive in thy heart the same ap- 
 prehension of things after sickness, which thou hadst 
 in the time of it. How vain and comfortless did the 
 world and its vanities then appear to thee ! How aw- 
 ful were the truths of God on thy spirit ! How far 
 preferable was the loving-kindness of God to thee, 
 than life I How precious was Christ then in thy eyes! 
 G that your judgment, thoughts, and impressions of 
 these things may continue still the same I 
 
 6t/ilj/i Keep up the impressions of the precious- 
 ness of time, that you may diligently improve it: 
 and shake oft sloth and idleness. Remember what 
 a view you got in the time of sickness of long 
 lasting eternity, and what a trouble it was to you 
 to look back and see how much time you have lost in 
 sin and vanity. When sometimes we are brought to 
 the brink of eternity, the near views we then get of its 
 
ISO Directions to the Unregener ate Chap. VI. 
 
 vastness and unchangeableness, are sometimes so aw- 
 ful and amazing to us, that we are ready to think, though 
 we had Methusalem's years to live, it would be unrea- 
 sonable wilfully to misspend one hour of them all. 
 Well then, is sickness over, our time so short, and so 
 little of it remaining behind, will we be so foolish, as 
 to be lavish of it still, and trifle it away as before ? 
 
 7thly, Set a special mark upon all these sins, 
 whether of omission or commission, that made death 
 to look grim and ghastly upon you in the time of sick- 
 ness, and against which you resolved ; and see to get 
 every one of them amended and removed. Remem- 
 ber and consider how sad it will be for you, if sick- 
 ness find you again in the very same sins which for- 
 merly stung you. What will you say to conscience, 
 when it shall challenge you? How will you look 
 death in the face, if it should find you living in the 
 very same sins you formerly mourned for, ,and pro- 
 mised against? Death would then be the king of ter- 
 rors to thy soul indeed. 
 
 O then, mind thy vows, and say with the Psalmist, 
 Psal. Ivi. 12, 13. " Thy vows are upon me, O God: 
 1 will render praises to thee. For thou hast delivered 
 my soul from death : wilt not thou deliver my feet 
 from falling, that I may walk before God in the light 
 of the living ?" 
 
 CHAP. VI. 
 
 CONTAINING DIRECTIONS TO THE UNREGENERATE, WHEN 
 THEY ARE RECOVERED FROM SICKNESS, AND RESTORED TO 
 HEALTH. 
 
 Direct. I. Seeing tlxe afflictions of the wicked are un- 
 sanctified, it is necessary to examine what sort of of 
 faction yours hath been, and what fruits it hath jjro- 
 duced in you. 
 
 Have in the preceding chapter shewed that the 
 afflictions of believers are fatherly chastisements, 
 
Direct. I. 'when recovered from Sickness. 131 
 
 proceeding from love; that they are sanctified, and 
 yield the peaceable fruits of righteousness. I have 
 given the marks of sanctified afflictions, and men- 
 tioned the happy fruits which they produce in the 
 children of God. 
 
 On the other hand, it is necessary to let Christless 
 persons know, that their afflictions are of a different 
 kind: they are even punishments from God as a judge, 
 proceeding from wrath: they are unsanctified to them, 
 and produce no fruits but what are bitter and unsa- 
 voury. 
 
 Well then, O.Christless soul, thou hast reason to 
 suspect the worst concerning thy sickness, that it hath 
 not been sanctified, and its fruits are net good. O 
 then labour to know the truth of the matter, that thou 
 mayest be humble under a sense of thy misery, and 
 flee to Jesus Christ for relief. And for thy assistance 
 in this inquiry, I shall give some marks of unsanctified 
 afflictions. 
 
 1st, If sickness hath not humbled thee under a 
 sense of thy sins, the procuring cause thereof, nor any 
 ways hath weakened sin in thee, nor reclaimed thee from 
 it, but it remaineth in thee as strong as ever, it is a 
 sign thy affliction is unsanctified. This was the case 
 of those of whom God complaineth, Jer. ii. 30. "In vain 
 have I smitten your children; they received no cor- 
 rection." As if he had said, the physic I gave them 
 did not purge out sin, nor weaken corruption in the 
 least. They have been stricken, but not grieved for 
 sin ; the fire hath burned round about them, but they 
 have not laid sin to heart, that kindled the flame. 
 
 2dly, It is a mark of unsanctified affliction, when 
 it hath no influence upon a sinner to bring him to a 
 serious communing with his own heart concerning the 
 state of his soul, and to inquire in what terms he stands 
 with God that afflicts him. God's voice by affliction 
 is that in Haggai i. 7. " Now consider your ways." 
 In the day of adversity consider where you are, what 
 you are, what you have done, what is the meaning of 
 
132 Directions to the Unregenerale Chap. VI* 
 
 the rod, what will be the issue of it through eternity, 
 in case it hath a commission to cut the thread of life. 
 Now, when a man remains stupid and careless about 
 these important matters, and never noticeth the voice 
 of affliction so as to inquire seriously about his soul's 
 condition; "Am 1 under a covenant of works, or a 
 covenant of grace? Am I a child of God, or an e- 
 nemy of God ? Have I fled to the city of refuge, or 
 am I still in a shelterless state? Am I still under a 
 cloud of wrath, or am I brought under the banner of 
 love?" I say, where there are no such inquiries the 
 affliction is unsanctified. 
 
 Sdhj, It is a' certain sign of unsanctified affliction, 
 when a person grows worse by it, and revolts the 
 more he is stricken, like these, Isa, i. 5. 
 
 Quest. When may it be said that a person grows 
 worse by affliction ? 
 
 Ans. 1. When the sinner's heart turns harder than 
 it was before, so every plague on Egypt increased 
 the plague of hardness in Pharaoh's heart. It fares 
 with many hearts as with iron that is often heated 
 in the fire, and quenched in the water, it still in- 
 creased in hardness. 2. When a person giveth way 
 to impatience and murmuring against God while he af- 
 flicts him. 3. When the lusts of the heart grow 
 more strong and impetuous, and afterwards rage the 
 more that they have been stopt in their course by af- 
 fliction. In such cases a person grows worse by the 
 rod. 
 
 Direct. II. Consider the great danger of not being 
 bettered by sichicssy and of not complying with the 
 voice of God's rod. 
 
 GOD'S voice by his rod doth loudly call sinners 
 to repentance, and fleeing to the Lord Jesus 
 Christ for refuge from wrath. Now, when this voice 
 is not hearkened to, but men goon in their secure and 
 sinful course as before, God is highly provoked, and 
 the issue will be terrible: for, 
 
Direct. II. when recovered from Sickness. 133 
 
 1st, Though sickness be removed, and the furnace 
 of affliction be cooled for the time; yet the wrath 
 that kindled it continues still to burn. And you have 
 ground to fear lest you be ranked among those who 
 are the generation of God's wrath, against whom he 
 will have indignation for ever. 
 
 2(111/, If lesser rods do not awaken you, you may 
 expect greater and sorer judgments are coming on. 
 you. Yea, God may cause them to come rolling 
 thick upon you, as waves and billows in a storm, one 
 upon the neck of another. The great depths, both 
 above and below, may be opened together; the dis- 
 pleasure of God, and wrath of men may conspire 
 and meet to pour out themselves as water spouts upon 
 you at once: and to whom then will you look for 
 help? 
 
 3dly, The Lord may give over- dealing with you. 
 or using any further means to reclaim you; he may 
 refuse to correct you any more, or bestow a rod upon 
 you for your good, and say of you, as of Ephraim, 
 Hos. iv. 17. «' Ephraim is joined to his idols, let him 
 alone." 
 
 tehly, The Lord may give you up to spiritual 
 plagues and judgments, and indeed this is commonly 
 the result of obstinacy and incorrigibleness under out- 
 ward rods. When Israel would not hearken to God's 
 voice, he gave them up to their own hearts' lusts,. 
 Psalm lxxxi. 11, 12. Now, these plagues are the 
 severest of all others. External judgments are God's 
 rods, but spiritual judgments are his swords, which 
 pierce the very soul. % \ Blindness of mind, hardness 
 of heart, searedness of conscience, vile affections, 
 and a reprobate sense, are the very forerunners of 
 hell and damnation." These who are impenitent and 
 unfruitful under outward afflictions, have cause to 
 tremble lest God be provoked to inflict these spiritual 
 judgments. 
 
 5thly, Be assured, though God spare you long, yet 
 the glass of his forbearance will at length run out, 
 
 K 
 
134? Directions to the Unregenerate Chap. VI. 
 
 God's patience towards sinners hath a term and bound 
 ever which it will not pass. The time will come, 
 when a long- suffering God will at last say, my Spirit 
 shall no longer strive, and the angels will cry, as 
 Rev. xiv. 7. " The hour of God's judgment is come." 
 You that abuse God's patience, and presume upon 
 it, his treaty of peace will end with you in a little, 
 and the master of the house will rise up and shut to 
 the door. Then patience will come down, and jus- 
 tice will ascend the stage, and trampler upon, and 
 triumph over, all that abuse divine patience. So- 
 dom was a wonder of God's patience for a long time, 
 but now it is a lasting monument of his anger. 
 
 6tkly, If you be not bettered by God's rod or spar- 
 ing mercies, then your preservation at present will be 
 nothing but a reservation for the day of God's wrath. 
 And the longer your cup of sin is a filling, the fuller 
 shall the cup of Gtfd's wrath be for you: By your im- 
 patience and abuse of God's patience, you treasure 
 up wrath for yourselves against the day of wrath, 
 Rom. ii. 4. And though you be delivered from some 
 judgments, you are reserved for worse, yea, for seven 
 times worse, according to Lev. xxvi. 23, 2<k Nay, 
 there is a ruining blow designed against you, both 
 soul and body, as soon as your cup is full; and the 
 axe is already laid to the root of the tree, Matth. iii, 
 10. One blow of God's axe will cut you off for ever. 
 
 Remember this, O sinner, though God's hand be 
 lifted off you at present, and his messenger death be 
 for a little recalled, yet he will quickly return, and 
 knock so loud at your door, as not to be refused. And, 
 what will you do in the day of visitation? How ghast- 
 ly must the pale horse be, when hell follows him at 
 his heels? And how hot and fiery must that hell be, 
 which is inflamed and blown up by so long impeni- 
 tence and abuse of patience. 
 
Direct. III. when recovered from Sickness. 135 
 
 Direct. III. Wonder at the patience of God in spar- 
 ing such hell-deserving sinners as you are, and be 
 thankful for it. 
 
 HATH a long-suffering God preserved the thread 
 of your life, when it was almost snapt asunder 
 by the violence of. sickness? Hath he freed you from 
 racking pains under which you were groaning? Nay, 
 saved you from the grave and hell into which you 
 were falling? And, have you not cause of wondering 
 and thanksgiving? To move you to it, consider these 
 few things. 
 
 1st, How miserable had you been through all eter- 
 nity, if your sickness had carried you off to another 
 world in your sins? You had been howling with damned 
 spirits, under endless and ceaseless torments, and for 
 ever cut off from these hopes and offers of mercy now 
 you have. Then the master of the house would have 
 the door so barred against you, as it could never have 
 been opened again to you, knock as you would, Luke 
 xiii. 25. 
 
 2dli/, Consider how heavily you had burdened his 
 patience with your heinous sins, and frequent relap- 
 ses thereunto; and that after convictions, calls, and 
 various rods sent to reclaim you: so that he was put 
 to say, as in Amos ii. 13. t£ Behold I am pressed tin- 
 der you, as a cart is pressed that is full of sheaves." 
 He was overburdened with your sin?, so that the axle- 
 tree of patience was ready to break, and let you fall 
 into heli ;. and yet, behold, he bears with you still. 
 
 3dly 9 Consider how soon he could have eased him- 
 self of the load, and shaken you off into the pit of de- 
 struction. In a moment could he have done it, and 
 yet he bears many years with your sins that are so 
 grievous to him. Yea, it is with a sort of reluctancy 
 that he eases himself of sinners, after he gets the ut- 
 most provocation, Isa. i. 24-. " Ah i I will ease me of 
 my adversaries." 
 
 ^tlily, How ready is he to turn away his anger 
 
136 Directions to the Unregenerate Chap. VI. 
 
 and reprieve sinners from destruction, when in their 
 distress they make but a shew of repentance and turn- 
 ing unto God ! as we see, Psalm lxxviii. 36, 38. He, 
 like a tender-hearted prince, calls back the warrant for 
 their execution after it was gone forth. 
 
 5thly, Consider how much many Christless sinners 
 are beholden to Jesus Christ for sparing mercy. He 
 is represented by the dresser, Luke xiii. interceding 
 that the fruitless fig- tree might be spared and tried 
 some time longer, after orders given to cut it down. 
 Were it not for Jesus Christ, O sinner, however much 
 you forget and slight him, you had surely been in hell 
 long ere now, How oft doth he obtain another year, 
 .and after that another, for the unfruitful sinner, and 
 unthankful abusers of divine patience! 
 
 6t/ily 9 Consider how sparing mercy hath distinguish- 
 ed you from many others, who lived not so long, nor 
 sinned so much as you have done. Cod hath wounded 
 the hairy scalp of many, and taken them away in their 
 youth; when he hath continued you to manhood, and 
 perhaps to old age: though your sins and ill-deservings 
 he greater than these of many, on whom he hath long 
 since taken vengeance, God hath left many also tossing 
 and groaning on beds of pain, when he hath eased and 
 raised you up. O then, return like the thankful leper, 
 and magnify the God of your health. Hath God dis- 
 tinguished you from others by his goodness? It be- 
 comes you to distinguish yourselves from others by 
 your thankfulness. O that men would praise the 
 Lord for his goodness; undeserved and distinguished 
 goodness ! 
 
 To move you to this, let me set the example of He- 
 zekiah before you, Isa. xxxviik and there see how 
 ihankfully and affectionately he remembered the Lord's 
 mercies, in recovering and delivering him from the 
 bitter affliction he had been under. " I said, I am de- 
 prived of the residue of my years; I shall behold man 
 no more, with the inhabitants of the world. Like a 
 crane or swallow, so did I chatter; I did mourn as a 
 
Direct. IV. xvJien recovered from Sickness. 3 37 
 
 dove. Behold, for peace I had great bitterness, but 
 thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the pit 
 of corruption. The living shall praise thee, as I do 
 this day." Yea, he was so overcome with a sense of 
 the Lord's patience and mercy towards him, that he is 
 at a loss how to express it, ver. 15. " What shall I say? 
 he hath both spoken unto me, and himself hath done it." 
 Let all who are recovered from sickness study to 
 imitate that good king in holy admiration and thank- 
 fulness to the God of their life. 
 
 Direct. IV. Study to improve the sparing mercy and 
 goodness of God to you, in a right and suitable man- 
 ner. 
 
 Sinner* - hath God brought you back from the 
 gates' of death and brink of hell, restored to 
 health, and given you a new offer of mercy and sal- 
 vation through Christ in a preached gospel, which you 
 formerly despised? Strive now to improve the Lord's 
 patient and kind dealings towards ycu with the ut- 
 most care, and abuse his patience no longer. And in 
 order thereto, take the following counsels. 
 
 I. Be deeply humbled for your former obstinacy 
 and impenitency, notwithstanding of God's gracious 
 and patient dealing. O let the sparing mercy and 
 goodness of God toward thee, lead thee to repentance, 
 which is the native design of it, according to Rom. \\. 
 4. «* Despisest thou the riches of his goodness, for- 
 bearance and long-suffering, not knowing that the 
 goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance." As if 
 he had said, "Dost thou not see, O man, the kind 
 providence of God in sparing and recovering thee 
 from sickness, taking thee by the hand, and pointing 
 out to thee to go to thy closet to mourn and weep 
 for all thy by-past sins, and particularly for thy mis- 
 spending the time of health, and abusing of the Lord's 
 patience?" The consideration of David's goodness 
 K 3 
 
1S8 directions to the Unregenef ate Chap. VI. 
 
 and forbearance towards Saul melted Saul's heart, for 
 as bard and rugged as it was; and made him to lift 
 np his voice and weep, and say to David, 1 Sam. 
 xxiv. 7» &c. " Thou art more righteous than I; for 
 thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have reward- 
 ed thee evii. And thou hast shewed this day, how 
 that thou hast dealt well with me; forasmuch as when 
 the Lord had delivered me into thine hand, thou kill- 
 edst me not. For (says he) if a man find his enemy, 
 will he let him go well away?" Oh, far more reason 
 hast thou, O man, to weep and cry, " God hath found 
 me his enemy, yea, in my enmity and sins fighting 
 against himself; he had me on a sick-bed, and on the 
 very brink of hell, and the least touch of his hand would 
 have thrust me in; but yet he hath spared his enemy, 
 and let me go well away. Oh, will not these cords 
 of love draw me, and this matchless goodness invite 
 and hire me to repent? Can any consideration in the 
 world be more powerful than this, to melt my hard 
 heart into tears of holy shame and sorrow for my 
 stiff neckedness and rebellion against a gracious and 
 long-suffering God? Away with these cursed God- 
 provoking sins of mine ! Down with these weapons 
 of rebellion ! Let me never lift them more against such 
 a merciful Sovereign !" 
 
 II. Zealously improve the time, which God in his 
 long-suffering hath lengthened out to you, in working 
 out the salvation of thy soul. Have you so long been 
 loading the patience of God with your sins? Have you 
 many a day been grieving his Holy Spirit, by trifling 
 away your time, slighting his motions, and venturing 
 on sins against light? O then, beware of burdening 
 his patience any more; but diligently hearken to 
 every motion of God's Spirit and of your own con- 
 science for the time to come. You have much work 
 to do, and but little time to do it in; therefore lay 
 hold on every opportunity for carrying it on. The 
 consideration of the much time you have already lost 
 and misspent, should make you the more diligent in 
 
Direct. IV. when recovered from Sickness. IB9 
 
 what remaineth. How much of it have you lost in 
 youth? how much in ignorance? how much in ne- 
 gligence? how much in worldliness? how much in 
 pastimes? how much in idle words? how much in 
 actual sins and provocations against God? And now 
 it may be near the evening of your day* And will 
 you not spend the evening (which God is mercifully 
 lengthening out) with extraordinary care and dili- 
 gence? If a traveller lose the beginning of the day, 
 he must travel the faster in the evening, otherwise he 
 may fall short of his journey, and have his lodging to 
 seek when night comes on, Paul had misspent much 
 in the beginning of his life; and this consideration 
 (when his eyes were opened) did stir him up to be 
 more diligent in the service of God, so that he was 
 more zealous than any of the rest of the apostles, 
 O man, follow his example, and trifle no longer in the 
 work of God. Art thou not convinced thou hast 
 squandered away enough of this precious treasure of 
 time already? and, wilt thou also misspend and throw 
 away the little that remains? Oh ! be not so foolish. 
 
 III. Be careful to raze all false foundations, and 
 build your hopes of salvation upon the only sure rock, 
 Jesus Christ. Let it not discourage thee to dig to the 
 foundation, lhat so much of thy day is lost: for it is 
 better to do it late than never. Remember how 
 miserable is the condition of that house which is built 
 upon the sand, Matth. vii. 27. li For when the flood 
 comes, and the storm ariseth and beats upon it, great 
 and dismal will the fall of that house be." Do not 
 build your hopes of heaven upon God's absolute mer- 
 cy, upon your convictions, upon your freedom from 
 gross sins, upon your prayers and tears, upon your mo- 
 rality, and just dealings with men; though these be 
 necessary and excellent in themselves, yet they are 
 false foundations for you to build the hopes of your 
 justification and salvation upon, seeing they are wholly 
 insufficient to bear such a weight. However much 
 these things have been esteemed and valued by you 
 
140 Directions to the Vnregenerate Chap. VI. 
 
 formerly, in the matter of justification; yet if you re- 
 solve to be a wise builder, you will now let them all 
 go, yea, count them all but loss and dung that you 
 may win Christ (our only hope) build on him alone, 
 and be found in him, not having on your own righte- 
 ousness, which is but filthy rags. 
 
 Well then, raze and tear up every false foundation; 
 dig- deep, till you win to the rock Christ. Dig deep 
 into the holy law and nature of God; dig till you see 
 the infinite strictness of divine justice, the unspeakable 
 evil that is in sin, the hidden vileness and abominations 
 of the heart, your own inability to do any thing for 
 your help and relief. Dig yet further, till you see 
 the infinite fulness and freeness of God's grace in Je- 
 sus Christ, that suitable remedy that answers all a - 
 poor sinner needs. Dig deep, and dig still on, till 
 you win to this rock ; let your cry be still to God, 
 Lord, lead me to the rock Christ, and his all-sufficient 
 righteousness, only. Act faith upon this rock, rely 
 on it, build all your hopes on it, and say, *} This is 
 my rest for ever, here will I dwell, for I have desired 
 it. Lord, the desire of my soul is only to Christ, and 
 to the remembrance of his name. His name is a 
 sweet ointment poured forth ; therefore do the virgins 
 love him." 
 
 IV. It' you would rightly improve the sparing mer- 
 cy and goodness of God, let it lead you to repentance 
 and reformation of life. Turn from all these sins, 
 whether of omission or commission, now in the day 
 of health, which conscience challenged you for in the 
 time of sickness. Mind Christ's caution and warning 
 to healed sinners, John v. 14. <£ Behold thou art made 
 whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing befall thee." 
 O let sin die with thy sickness; and do not relapse in- 
 to thy former security and sinful ways. Beware of 
 returning with the dog to thy vomit, and like the sow 
 that is washed to the wallowing again in the mire of 
 thy former sins and uncleanness; lest being entangled 
 and overcome again with the filthiness which thou 
 
Direct. IV. when recovered from Sickness. 141 
 
 now hast escaped, thy latter end will prove worse than 
 thy beginning. 
 
 Lastly, And to sum up all, I shall say in this chap- 
 ter, be careful to redeem time, and active in provide 
 ing for an eternal state. O prize and value the mer- 
 cy of health and strength more than ever. Sympa- 
 thize with those who are still lying on sick-beds, and 
 under languishing distempers; neglect not to pity and 
 pray for them. Remember the distressed case you 
 were in yourselves, when you had no rest in your 
 bones, when wearisome nights were appointed to you, 
 and you were full of tossings to the dawning of the day, 
 Consider how slippery is your standing. Though the 
 late storm of trouble be over, yet the clouds will return 
 after rain. 
 
 CHAP. VIT. 
 
 CONTAINING DIRECTIONS TO THESE SICK PERSONS, WHO ARE 
 APPARENTLY IN A DYING CONDITION, AND DRAWING NEAR TO 
 ANOTHER WORLD. 
 
 T Have already, in the first, third, and fourth chap- 
 ■*■-- ters, given several directions concerning our sub- 
 mission to the will of God, making preparation for 
 death, calling for ministers, edifying others by our dis- 
 course, settling our worldly affairs, &c. which are very 
 proper for dying persons; and therefore I shall not re- 
 peat them, but proceed to speak of other things. Only 
 let me add this word, if you have hitherto neglected to 
 make your wills, settle your worldly affairs, send for 
 ministers to discourse with and pray over you ; delay 
 it no longer, but do it speedily, while you have the use 
 of your reason and understanding. And what I have 
 more to say, take it in the following directions, 
 
142 Directions to Persons Chap. VII. 
 
 Direct. I. Consider when death stares you in the face, 
 that now is the time, if ever, to exert the utmost ac- 
 tivity in preparing to meet with it. 
 
 A LAS, it is to be regretted that the most part of 
 •"• men neglect their soul, misspend their life, mis- 
 improve their health, and leave undone she work for 
 which they were created, preserved, and enjoyed the 
 gospel. Surely a near prospect of death and judgment 
 cannot but be uneasy to such persons. What a mel- 
 ancholy thought must it be for a dying man ? " Oh I 
 I had all my lime given me to make preparation for 
 an endless eternity ; and alas, 1 never minded it till 
 now, that I must leave the stage of this world. Is 
 there any hope for such a careless and miserable sin- 
 ner?" I acknowledge the case is sad, but yet it is not re- 
 mediless nor desperate; seeing there is a sacrifice pro- 
 vided for your sins, and there is an all-sufficient Sa- 
 viour in your offer, who never did cast out any hum- 
 bled soul that came to him for mercy. You have 
 great reason indeed to abhor and condemn yourself 
 before God for your sin and folly; yet despair not, 
 but believe, whatever be your sins, your dangers, your 
 fears and temptations, that Jesus Christ is both able and 
 willing to save to the uttermost all that come to God 
 by him, and that his grace aboundeth more than your 
 sin aboundeth. O how glad would devils and damned 
 souls in hell be, if they were but in your case, and had 
 your offers and hopes? How diligently would they im- 
 prove the time of mercy ! O be persuaded then to 
 spend the little time that now remains with the ut- 
 most care, and making penitent confession of sin to 
 God, and applying the blood of Christ for pardon. 
 Nay, even the best of God's people have need to be 
 diligent at this time in making actual preparation for 
 dying. God is now saying to you, as Joshua did to 
 the Israelites, Josh. i. 11. "Prepare you victuals, for 
 within three days ye shall pass over this Jordan, to go 
 in to possess the land which the Lord your God giveth 
 
Direct. I. when they are Dying, 143 
 
 you." Lay in provisions for your passing over this 
 Jordan of death : you know not how rough the pas- 
 sage may be. 
 
 I shall give some motives to press this diligent and 
 active preparation; and therefore consider, 
 
 1st, The short time of your life that remains is all 
 the time you have for working out your salvation. 
 What you do for attaining heaven, or avoiding hell, 
 must be done now, or never; for there is no work nor 
 device in the grave whither thou goest, nor is there 
 any coming back to this world to amend what hath 
 been done amiss. Dying is a thing you cannot get a 
 trial of, it is what you can only do once and no more, 
 Heb. ix. 27. 
 
 2dly, Be diligent now; for as soon as death gets 
 commission to cut you off, it will execute it; it will 
 not spare you, nor allow you one minute more time to 
 prepare for eternity. The most merciless enemies 
 have sometimes been overcome by the prayers and tears 
 of such as on their knees do beg a little more time to 
 prepare for another world ; and do hearken to their 
 requests: but this enemy death will not grant one 
 moment's respite. 
 
 Sdly, Consider, that your eternal state and condi- 
 tion will be according to the state in which you die. 
 Death will open the doors either of heaven or hell to 
 you, in one of which you shall take iip your eternal 
 abode. As the tree falls at death, so will it lie 
 through eternity. 
 
 tekly. Consider what a serious and awful matter it 
 is to die, and go into another world : for then you will 
 have immediately to do with God your judge, there will 
 be no vail then betwixt him and your soul. You 
 will then enter into a world of spirits, wherewith you 
 are so little acquainted. You are frightened now to go 
 into a room alone, that is said to be haunted by a spi- 
 rit; how frightful then must the case of those be, who 
 are hurried into a world of spirits, not knowing but 
 devils must be their companions for ever. Surely 
 
1-44? Directions to Persons Chap. VII. 
 
 then it is your interest to give all diligence now, to 
 make your acquaintance with the Lord of that world, 
 before you enter it. 
 
 Bthly, Put forth thy utmost activity for thy soul 
 now; for, to be sure, Satan will put forth his utmost 
 against it. If thou be in a Christless state at this time, 
 he will use all his efforts and stratagems to keep thee 
 from Christ; either by flattering thee that thy state is 
 good, thereby to lull yon asleep in sin and security, or 
 by telling thee, it is out of time to help matters with 
 thee, thereby to drive you into despair. The devil 
 will leave no method unattempted to ruin thy soul, 
 when death is near: for he knows his time is short; 
 and, if he catch not the soul then, he will never get it: 
 and, neither can he hurt it hereafter; for, if once it 
 enter heaven, he can trouble it no more. 
 
 If thou art a believer in Christ, Satan, thy malici- 
 ous enemy will not fail to attack thee, at this time, 
 with all his might; for though he may know he can- 
 not keep thee out of heaven, yet he will labour to ren- 
 der thy passage towards it, as dark, tempestuous, and 
 uncomfortable as possibly he can. But it is the be- 
 liever's happiness, this cruel enemy is under a strong 
 chain, and cannot do all he would; for Jesus Christ is 
 the good shepherd, that hath undertaken for all his 
 sheep. Nevertheless, by his wise permission, this ad- 
 versary may sometimes give great disturbance to a dy- 
 ing saint; which calls thee to the greatest diligence 
 and watchfulness at this time. It is the observation 
 of one, that as the devil is most busy at the conclusion 
 of a duty, as of prayer, that the Christian may be 
 most disturbed and distracted, when he is to close up 
 all in the name of Christ, and so all his desires be 
 frustrated; so he is most busy in the conclusion of our 
 days, and when death is at hand, seeking by tempta* 
 tions, distractions, and false imaginations, to do us all 
 the mischief he can, and all because he knoweth his 
 time is short ; according to that word, Rev. xii. 12, 
 " The devil is come down, having great wrath, be- 
 
Direct. II. "when they arc Dying. 1 £5 
 
 cause he knoweth that he hath but a short time." 
 He may fitly be called, the wolf of the evening, men- 
 tioned in .lev. v. 6. in regard he comes forth most 
 fiercely in the^ evening of men's lives to set upon their 
 precious souls. Yea, so busy is he sometimes with 
 believers under dangerous sickness, seeking to over- 
 throw their faith and assurance, that it is the observa- 
 tion of a good man that he seldom seeth a sick saint 
 followed close with temptations, recover of that sick- 
 ness; for Satan, knowing he hath but little time, proves 
 as uneasy to him as he can. Hence that great man 
 of God, Mr. Knox, said, when he came to^die; il In 
 my lifetime, the devil tempted me to despair, casting 
 my sins in my teeth; but now, in my sickness, he tells 
 me, I have been faithful in the ministry, and so- have 
 merited heaven : but, blessed be God, who brought 
 those texts into my mind, " Not I, but the grace of 
 God in me, what, hast thou that thou hast not received?' 1 
 The children of Israel had never such hot work from 
 their enemies, as when they just came to enter into the 
 promised land. 
 
 What need then hast thou, O believer, to be dili- 
 gent in thy preparations on a dying-bed, to quicken 
 grace, put forth thy utmost strength, bring all the as- 
 sistance thou canst from the Captain of thy salvation, 
 when thou hast such a cruel enemy to encounter with! 
 Now is the time for action, though yet it will be your 
 wisdom to leave as little to be done at this time as 
 possible. 
 
 Direct. II. Continue to the last in the exercise of true 
 
 repentance and humiliation for sin. 
 "pOSSIDONIUS, who wrote the life of Augustine, 
 ■*- said that he heard him often say in his health, that 
 repentance was the fittest disposition both for dying 
 Christians and ministers; and for himself, that he died 
 with tears in his eyes weeping for sin. When death ap- 
 proacheth nearest, we should thus stir up ourselves to 
 give sin the most deadly blow of any we have given it all 
 
 .Li 
 
146 Directions to Persons Chap. VII. 
 
 our life. As it is most laudable to die forgiving sinners 
 that have wronged us, so also taking revenge upon sin 
 that hath injured a gracious God. The apostle tells 
 us } 2 Cor. vii. 11. that indignation and revenge attend 
 true repentance. Wherefore, as Samuel took ven- 
 geance on Agag a little before his death, and Moses 
 (at God's command) avenged the children of Israel of 
 the Midianites just before he was gathered to his peo- 
 ple, Numb. xxxi. 2. and dying Samson gave the most 
 fatal blow to the Philistines, of any he had given them 
 before : so a dying Christian should take the severest* 
 revenge on sin at last, which hath so oft through his 
 life dishonoured God, pierced Christ, and grieved his 
 Holy Spirit. It is the last opportunity you will have 
 to shew your indignation at it, and therefore do it 
 effectually. 
 
 Again, consider it is old sins unmourned for, that 
 many times keeps believers so much in the dark, when 
 they come to die. These do raise many thick clouds 
 about their evening sun, and hinder them from going 
 off the stage with such comfortable assurance of 
 God's love as otherwise they might attain to. These 
 did very much hinder Job's peace and settlement in the 
 day of affliction, as he complains, Job xiii. 26. " He 
 makes me to possess the iniquities of my youth." It 
 is a sad thing, when young sins and old bones meet 
 together. O that young people would mind this in 
 time ! You are doing that now, which will abide with 
 you to age, if not to eternity. Sin must be bitter 
 some time or other, for God calls it a root that bears 
 gall and wormwood, Deut. xxix. 18. Israel could 
 not have peace nor success while there was an Achan 
 in the camp: so neither can you have consolation or 
 assurance while any sin lies unreckoned for in the 
 conscience. Make a thorough search then into old 
 sins, and mourn over them. We find Paul frequent- 
 ly calling over the sins of his life, and even these he 
 was guilty of before conversion ; *' I was injurious, a 
 blasphemer," &c. whereby he obtained much inward 
 
Direct. III. t&hen they are Dying. 14-7 
 
 peace and consolation. Be oft looking back to old 
 sins, with inward sorrow and faith in Christ's blood, 
 if you would have a death-bed easy and soft to you. 
 
 Direct. III. Be mindful of all acts of justice and char- 
 ity which may be incumbent upon you at this time. 
 
 IT is great wisdom in men to settle their worldly 
 affairs in time of health, that so their minds may 
 be free for spiritual exercises, and not disturbed 
 with earthly cares and business when they come to 
 a dying-bed; but, if this have been neglected hither- 
 to it must not be omitted now. I have given direc- 
 tions about it, Chap. I. Direct. VI. so that I shall say 
 little here. Only be careful to do justice to every 
 man, as much as in you lieth ; and particularly, 1. By 
 making a just and rational provision for your wife 
 and children. 2. By ordering the payment of all your 
 just debts, without defrauding any of your lawful 
 creditors. 3. By making restitution, in <;ase you have 
 wronged any man. If justice be not done in these 
 matters, how can your souls be disburdened of guilt? 
 
 In the next place, forget not the acts of charity, 
 which God requires of all the professors of the gos- 
 pel. 
 
 1st, Seek reconciliation with your neighbours, 
 where any difference or mistakes have fallen in; that 
 so you may die in peace and charity with all about 
 you. 
 
 2dly, Be ready from the heart to forgive those that 
 have done you any wrong. If the natural sun should 
 not go down upon our wrath, much- less should the 
 sun of our lives. If you carry an unforgiving spirit 
 with you into another world, how can you expect to 
 meet with a forgiving God there? when he hath ex- 
 pressly declared, Matt. vi. 15. "If ye forgive not men 
 their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your 
 trespasses." O then imitate your glorious Saviour, 
 
14-8 Directions to Perso?is Chap. VIL 
 
 and his martyr Stephen, who at their death begged 
 mercy from God, for those that mortally hated them, 
 Luke xxiii. 34. Acts vi. GO. 
 
 2(111/, If the Lord hath given you substance, ho- 
 nour the Lord with it, by leaving some part of it to 
 the poor, and to pious uses. I have pressed this once 
 and again before; but I mention it frequently, because 
 it is much forgotten by dying persons in our age. Re- 
 member, it is not left arbitrary to you to give or not 
 as you please: no, for God doth charge it upon you 
 as a duty, yea, a debt that you owe to him, 1 Tim. 
 vi. 17, 18. " Charge them that are rich in this world, 
 &c. that they do good, be rich in good works, ready 
 to distribute." And he pronounceth them, Ct Blessed 
 who consider the poor," Psal. xli. 1. 1 grant that 
 people are not to leave all their works of charity to a 
 death- bed; these should also be minded in our life- 
 time, so as to make our own hands our executors, and 
 our own eyes our overseers of our charitable projects: 
 but surely it is a proper season for shewing charity 
 to God's poor, when we are leaving them, and cannot 
 have occasion for shewing it more. Remember what 
 is recorded of Dorcas after her death, Acts ix. 36. 
 that she was a woman full of good works and alms- 
 deeds. And her friends, ver. 39. shewed the effects 
 of her charity to Peter after her death. All which is 
 written for our example and admonition, that we may 
 be rich in such good works, that our friends may 
 have them to shew after cur death. Surely it is a 
 sign of the degeneracy of the age, and that religion is 
 on the declining hand, when people generally fall so 
 short of the zeal and piety of their lathers in these 
 matters. 
 
 bthlpi It would be a commendable work of charity 
 in dying persons, to be giving many good counsels to 
 their relations and children, and to be putting up 
 many fervent prayers to God for them. So Christ, 
 when near to death, committed his spiritual children 
 to his Father, and earnestly begged his protection and 
 
Direct. IV. when they are Dying* 149 
 
 care of them, John xvii. 11. *' I am no more in the 
 world, but these are in the world; keep them through 
 thy name, keep them from the evil," &c. In like man- 
 ner, cry to God for your children, " Lord, thou 
 hast graciously given them to me, I now restore 
 them back to thee. They were born to me once, O 
 that they may be born to thee a second time ! I am 
 leaving them in the midst of snares and temptations, 
 O that it may be their hs'ppiness to be the preserved 
 in Christ Jesus ! Keep them by thy power through 
 faith unto salvation. O take them within the bond 
 of thy covenant, and be thou their Father, to protect, 
 direct, and provide for them. Give them a name in 
 thy house better than of sons and daughters, that I may 
 meet with them at thy right hand with everlasting joy." 
 Lastly, Be suitably concerned also for the whole 
 church of Christ, and especially for these that are in 
 affliction, that God may loose their bonds, send them 
 liberty and prosperity in his due time. "Do good in 
 thy good pleasure unto Zion, build up the walls of 
 thy Jerusalem. Peace be within her wails, and pros- 
 perity within her palaces." 
 
 Direct. IV. Labour what you can to overcome the 
 love of life, and fears of death; that you may at- 
 tain to willingness to die and leave the world, when 
 God calleth you to it. 
 
 IT is no wonder that a wicked man, or one that 
 rt hath no interest in Christ, be unwilling to die: 
 Why? He is affrighted with the guilt of past sins, and 
 the fears of future torments; and it is impossible to 
 be rid of these till he become a true believer in Christ. 
 No man hath ground to welcome death but the be- 
 liever; yet it is to be regretted, that so many of them 
 should appear unwilling to leave this world, which is 
 nothing to them but a wilderness and weary land. 
 Lot's soul was vexed and troubled in Sodom, and yet 
 he was loath to leave it; so some believers, when cali- 
 L3 
 
150 Directions to Persons Chap. VII. 
 
 ed to leave a vexing world, do shew much hankering 
 towards it, and would linger behind. This proceeds 
 partly from nature, which dreads a dissolution, and 
 partly from the weakness of grace. But O let all 
 God's children labour to overcome this aversion, and 
 go forth to meet death half-way, and bid it welcome. 
 And, for their help in this matter, I shall lay before 
 them the following arguments. 
 
 1st, Consider how little reason a believer hath to 
 be much in love with this present life. 1. 'Tis a sin- 
 ful life; sin dwells in your nature, breaks out in your 
 life, and pollutes all your duties. How oft have you 
 groaned under this burden ; and should you not be 
 glad to be eternally delivered from it? 2. It is a life 
 of diseases and infirmities ; and should you not be 
 willing to be cured of them all at once? 3. It is a life 
 of temptations, Satan is still harassing thee; and 
 should you not be desirous to be out of his reach? 
 4. It is a life of persecutions from the wicked, they 
 hate, reproachj and injure you many ways. Attd, is 
 it not desirable to be, iS where the wicked cease from 
 troubling, and where the weary be at rest?" 5. It is 
 a life of clouds and darkness; your sun is often vail- 
 ed, and your evidences obscured, which occasions 
 many bitter complaints. And should you not desire 
 that time, when the day shall break, and all shadows 
 flee away? 6. It is a life of calamities and fears, it is 
 like a stormy sea, where one wave rolls upon the back 
 of another; and when one calamity is past, we many 
 times fear a greater is coming; and sometimes the 
 heavens turn so black and gloomy, that we fear a hur- 
 ricane of judgments is ready to blow. And, should 
 you not bless "God when he comes by death to house 
 your souls, and set you out of harm's way f It is in mer- 
 cy that God takes away the righteous from the evil to 
 come, Isa. Ixii. I. So dealt he with Josiah, 2 Kings 
 xxii. 20. "I will gather thee to thy fathers, and thou 
 shalt be put into thy grave in peace, and thine eyes 
 shall not see all the evil which I shall bring on this 
 
Direct. IV. when they are Dying. 151 
 
 place." So it is observable, lhat Methuselah died the 
 very year before the flood; Augustine a little before 
 the sacking of Hippo; Pareus just before the taking 
 of Heidelberg. Luther observes, that all the apostles 
 died before the destruction of Jerusalem. And Lu- 
 ther himself died before the bloody wars brake out in 
 Germany, Thus God frequently hides his people 
 from the temptations and troubles that are coming 
 on the earth.- Why? he sees many of them not in 
 case to endure them ; and therefore he in mercy takes 
 them away from a tempting and sinning world, to a 
 land of holiness and rest. While we are here, we 
 live in a world that lies in wickedness ; every sense 
 of the body betrays the soul into sin : the poor soul 
 can scarce look out at the eye and not be infected, nor 
 hear by the ear and not be distracted, nor smell at 
 the nostrils and not be tainted, nor taste by the tongue 
 and not be allured, nor touch by the hand and not be 
 defiled. 
 
 O believer, what is this life that thou art fond of? 
 It is but a living death, or a dying life. It is full 
 of grief for things past, full of labour for things 
 present, full of fears for things future. The first 
 part of our life is spent in folly, the middle part is 
 overwhelmed with cares, and the latter part of it is bur- 
 dened with infirmities and age. And, what gain we 
 by the prolonging of this life! Nothing but to do more 
 evil, see more evil, and suffer more evil. And, should 
 a Christian be unwilling to be rid of those grievances?" 
 
 c 2dly, Consider, that dying is appointed as the way, 
 and the only way, to glory ; there is no way to enter 
 the promised land,- but by crossing the Jordan of 
 death. And should not a stranger desire to be at 
 home with his friends, though he hath a rough way 
 and stormy sea to pass ? Is there any home like heav- 
 en, where your incomparable friend Christ is ? O 
 what a happiness is it to be with Christ, and to see 
 him as he is! How happy do you think Peter, James, 
 and John were in being taken up to mount Tabor, to 
 
152 Directions to Persons Chap. VII. 
 
 be eye-witnesses of their Saviour's transfiguration. 
 But, O believer, death procures a greater happiness to 
 you; it ushers you to mount Zion, where you shall 
 not only see your Saviour whiter than the snow, and 
 brighter than the sun, but yourself transfigured with 
 him, made like him, and eternally secured of his pre- 
 sence. The three apostles saw but two prophets; but 
 you shall see all the prophets, all the apostles, all the 
 patriarchs, all the martyrs, all the holy persons you 
 once conversed with on earth, and, in general, all the 
 saints in heaven, each of them shining as the sun: and, 
 how sweet will their company be? O how soon will 
 the trifles of the world evanish, and all its pleasures 
 be forgot when once the believer gets a view of that 
 captivating glory above ! When the shepherds heard 
 but some few notes of the angel's songs, who praised 
 God at the nativity of our Saviour, they presently left 
 their flocks and ran to Bethlehem to behold the child 
 Jesus lying in the manger; but much more cause hath 
 a believer to leave all the pleasures of the world, and 
 run to behold an exalted Jesus sitting on the throne 
 of his glory, with all his saints and angels singing 
 praises around him. 
 
 If Cato and Cleombrotus, two heathens, after read- 
 ing Plato's book of the immortality of the soul, did vo- 
 luntarily, the one fall on his sword, the other break 
 his neck from a precipice, that they might the sooner 
 come (as they fancied) to partake of these joys; what 
 a shame is it for Christians, who have a far surer and 
 clearer discovery of these things from God's own book, 
 to be found unwilling to enter into these heavenly 
 joys, when their blessed Redeemer calls for them 
 thither ! 
 
 3dlg f Consider how willing Christ was to come 
 from heaven to earth for you : and, should you be un- 
 willing to remove from earth to heaven for him? yea, 
 for yourselves, for the gain is yours. O did Christ 
 assume your nature, become obedient to death, and 
 purchase an inheritance for you with his blood ? and 
 
Direct. IV. when they are Dying. 153 
 
 will you be backward to go and take possession of it? 
 O for a Christ- like obedience at death. 
 
 Lastly^ Consider what a reproach is cast on Chris- 
 tianity by a believer's being unwilling to die. For 
 Christians to pray and speak much of Christ, of hea- 
 ven and "lory, and yet be unwilling to enter into that 
 glory; what is it but a misbelieving of God, and a 
 tempting of strangers to think there is no reality in re- 
 ligion ? 
 
 Quest. * Since death is not easy to grapple with, 
 how shall I attain to this blessed disposition, a willing- 
 ness to die? ; ' 
 
 Ans. \st t Be frequently putting forth the acts of 
 faith upon the righteousness of Christ; and believe 
 that Christ died to bring in a perfect righteousness for 
 believers that they all might be complete in him. Now, 
 why should a believer be afraid to appear before God 
 in Christ's righteousness, which is so pleasing and ac- 
 ceptable to him ? Rev. xiv. 4, 5. They are said to 
 be without fault before the throne of God. If a be- 
 liever were to appear before God in his own righteous- 
 ness, clothed with his own duties and performances, 
 it would be dreadful to think of dying; but to have 
 the white garment of an elder brother to put on, gives 
 another view of death. Alas, it is our neglecting 
 the daily exercise of faith in the righteousness of 
 Christ, that makes the thoughts of death so unwel- 
 come ! 
 
 2dly, When you attain to peace and reconciliation 
 with God, labour to preserve it. Be stating and clear- 
 ing counts with God every day, and watch against 
 these sins that wound conscience, waste comfort, and 
 grieve the Spirit of adoption. When we think God 
 is displeased with us, we will be afraid of going to 
 him. 
 
 3dly, Study to be more denied to the enjoyments 
 of this life, and to use them with a holy indifferency ; 
 otherwise there will be an unwillingness to leave these 
 -ihingSe 
 
154 Directions to Persons Chap. VII. 
 
 4lhly 3 Labour to be deeply sensible of the burden 
 of indwelling sin and corruption, and the 'workings 
 thereof in your hearts; and this will make the thoughts 
 of death welcome, because it eternally delivers you 
 from it. 
 
 othly, Seek further discoveries of the loveliness of 
 Christ, and the daily exercise and increase of your 
 soul's love to him; for it is the nature of love to long 
 after communion with the person we love. 
 
 6t/?ly, Make death familiar to you, by the frequent 
 forethoughts of it. Retire oft from the world to think 
 of dying, when you are in best health. 
 
 Ithty) Be much taken up in the sweet employment 
 of praising God, and exalting the worthy Lamb that 
 was slain ; and this will incline you to be there, where 
 this is the continual work. 
 
 Lastly, Be oft thinking of these warnings and fore- 
 runners of death, which God sends to wean your 
 heart from the love of life, and dispose you to a will- 
 ingness to die. For this end, God sends manifold 
 diseases, pains, infirmities, wants, straits, losses, cros- 
 ses? disappointments, &c. And in a special manner, 
 let old people view the forerunners and harbingers of 
 death, which God sends to prepare his way; such as 
 the decays and infirmities of old age, which we have 
 elegantly described in figurative expressions, Eccles. 
 xii. 2. " Then the light of the sun, moon, and stars 
 shall be darkened;" i. e. In old persons, the intellec- 
 tual powers and faculties, which are as lights in the 
 soul, shall be weakened. " And then do the clouds re- 
 turn after rain ;" i. e. Their distempers are frequent, 
 like a continual dropping in a very rainy day; and the 
 ending of one is but the beginning of another. — ver. 3. 
 9. Then the keepers of the house do tremble;" L e. 
 The head and hands which were employed for the 
 preservation of the body do shake. — " The strong men 
 bow themselves;" i. e. The legs and thighs, which 
 are the pillars of the house, become weak and feeble. 
 — " The grinders cease, because they are few;" i.e. 
 
Direct. IV. when they are Dying. 155 
 
 The teeth, which, like the upper and nether millstone, 
 do grind our meat, and prepare it for concoction, then 
 cease to do their part. — " Those that look out of the 
 windows are darkened;" i. e. The eyes wax dim, where- 
 by God calls us to turn them away from beholding 
 vanity, and to look after the things that are not seen. 
 — ver. 4. " The daughters of music are brought low:" 
 ?. e. They have neither voice nor ears; they can 
 neither sing themselves, nor take pleasure in the voice 
 of singing men or singing women. Then death pulls 
 us, as it were, by the ear to think on the music a- 
 bove.— ver. 5. "The almond tree flourisheth;" i. e. 
 The hair grows white like an almond tree in the blos- 
 som. And as the outward parts of the body do weak- 
 en and decay, so also do the inward parts: therefore 
 it is said, ver. 6. " Or ever the silver cord shall be 
 loosed, the golden bowl broken, the pitcher broken at 
 the fountain, and the wheel broken at the cistern;" 
 i. e. The silver cord of the sinews is loosed, which 
 carries the faculty of sense and motion from the head 
 through the body. The head, which, like a golden 
 bowl or box, contains the brain, that is the fountain 
 of sense and motion, through age is broken, and turns 
 crazy. The many pitchers of the veins, which carry 
 the nourishing blood from the well of the liver unto 
 each part of the body, become like broken vessels. 
 And the wheels of the arteries, which convey the vi- 
 ta! spirits from the heart to the several members for 
 quickening them, begin to turn faint and languid. 
 All these things do warn old persons to take their af- 
 fections off time's things, and set them upon things a- 
 bove, that they may be helped to say, we " desire to 
 depart, and to be with Christ." 
 
 But, after all, some believers will have objections 
 against willingness to die, some whereof I shall con« 
 sider. 
 
 Object. 1. « I am threatened to be cut off in the 
 flower of mine age." 
 
 Ans. Instead of fretting on this account, you ought 
 
156 Directions to' Persons Chap. VII. 
 
 rather to adore and praise a gracious God, that is will- 
 ing to bestow the reward of the whole day upon thee, 
 who hast only laboured some hours of it. Praise him 
 that is willing to take you so soon home; whereby you 
 will prevent much sin and sorrow in the world. 
 
 Object. II. " 1 have houses and lands, and a com- 
 fortable dwelling on the earth." 
 
 Ans. These are only needful in your passage through 
 the world ; above there is no use for these comforts. 
 There God providetlr mansions for his people, a thou- 
 sand times more comfortable, John xiv. 2. 2 Cor. v. 1. 
 Surely houses of God's building, and of Christ's fur- 
 nishing, are preferable to the cottages built by men's 
 hands. 
 
 Object. III. " But I am loath to leave God's ordi- 
 nances, and the sweet communion I have had with him 
 therein." 
 
 Ans. Above there will be no need of ordinance?, sa- 
 craments, bibles, or ministers: for the Lamb will be the 
 light of the heavenly temple, and all hid things in reli- 
 gion will be discovered in Christ's face. There you 
 will celebrate an eternal Sabbath, drink the fruit of the 
 vine new with Christ, " be ever with the Lord," with- 
 out any cloud or interruption cf your communion with 
 him. Is it any loss to be taken from the shallow 
 streams, and set by the fountain that is ever full and 
 running over? 
 
 Object. IV. " I am loath to leave the company of 
 godly friends and relations." 
 
 Ans. Death will take you to your friend Christ, 
 that is far better than them all. And for one friend 
 you lose upon earth, you shall find an hundred in 
 heaven; and these godly relations you leave here, you 
 ghall soon meet with them again there, where you 
 will have far sweeter communion than possibly you 
 can have upon earth with them or the best of men, 
 who, while here, have several infirmities and passions, 
 that many times make their converse uncomfortable. 
 Object. V. «« But I would fain see the glory of 
 
Direct. IV. when they are Dying. 1 57 
 
 Zion upon earth, when God's promises to her shall 
 be accomplished." 
 
 Ans. So Moses would fain have seen Israel's hap* 
 piness in the promised land: but his dying in the firm 
 belief of God's fulfilling all his promises to them there, 
 was more acceptable to God than his beholding the 
 performance. And the glory of the church militant 
 is a sight nothing comparable to that of the church 
 triumphant above. 
 
 Object. VI. " But I would incline to stay to do God 
 more service in his church below, whose necessities are 
 clamant." 
 
 Ans. 1st, You will not want opportunity for serving 
 and glorifying God above, and where you will be in 
 far better case for it. Here our hearts are oft out of 
 tune for God's work, and we are forced to hang our 
 harps upon the willows; but above there are no willows 
 to hang them on; no saint there will ever complain of 
 any indisposition of heart or tongue. 
 
 2dly 9 God knows the necessities of his church, and 
 is more concerned for them than thou canst be ; and 
 it is easy for him to raise up instruments to carry on 
 his work when thou art gone. 
 
 Object. VII. " I am afraid of the pain and pangs 
 of death, The thoughts of these make me shrink 
 back." 
 
 Ans. 1st, Many die without much seeming sense 
 of -pain, and it is probable have less pain at the hour 
 of death, than they have felt under several former dis- 
 eases. 
 
 2dly, If they be sharp they are soon over; and each 
 pang of death will set sin a step nearer the door, and 
 thy soul a step nearer home; and therefore it becom- 
 eth a Christian to die cheerfully, and to be glad when 
 he can find the grave. 
 
 Now, what I have said in this chapter is to the be- 
 lieving soul; for it is no wonder though the souls of 
 the ungodly, at death, shrink back into the bodv, and 
 
 M 
 
158 Directions to Persons Chap. VII. 
 
 tremble to go forth, when they can have no prospect 
 of any better lodging than utter darkness. 
 
 >■ V**^V*-V» M«^ 
 
 Direct. V. Study to imitate the ancient worthies, by 
 
 dying in faith, 
 npHIS was the character and epitaph of the Old 
 4^ Testament saints, Heb. xi. 13. " These ail died 
 in faith." As they had lived by faith, so they died in 
 faith. They not only continued true .believers to the 
 last, dying in the state of faith, but they died in the 
 exercise of faith also. Now, the exercise of faith in 
 dying includes several things, worthy to be imitated 
 by all dying believers. 
 
 1st, An open and professed adherence to the doc- 
 trine of faith, and truths of Christianity. This faith 
 ail Christians should zealously own in the view of 
 death, and persevere in to the last without wavering. 
 This would be to die like martyrs, though we die in 
 our beds. How stedfastly did old Polycarp adhere to 
 Christ and his truths to the last, and so died in faith ? 
 When he was urged by the proconsul to deny Christ, 
 he answered, " These fourscore and six years have I 
 served him, and he never once offended me; and, how 
 shall I now deny him." 
 
 2dly> Dying in faith imports an inward, hearty, and 
 firm belief of the fundamental articles of the Chris- 
 tian faith ; and improving them so, as to make them 
 the foundation of our comfort and hope at the hour 
 of death. As for instance, we must yield our depart- 
 ing souls in the firm belief of their living and existing 
 in a separate condition after this life, and of that fu- 
 ture state of blessedness and rest which God hath pre- 
 pared for all believers. Again, we must dismiss the 
 body to the grave, in a firm belief and hope of a joyful 
 resurrection at the last day. Thus that holy man Job 
 both lived and died in faith, Job xix. 25, 26. " I 
 know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall 
 stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though 
 after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my 
 
Direct. V. when they are Dying. 159 
 
 flesh shall I see God." A Christian then dies in 
 faith, when he believes these truths so, as cheerfully 
 to obey God's call, and venture into the invisible 
 world, upon the testimony which God hath given 
 concerning it; as Abraham did in going out to an un- 
 known land, Heb. xi. 8. 6i By faith, Abraham, when 
 he was called to go into a place which he. should af- 
 ter receive for an inheritance, obeyed ; and he went 
 out, not knowing whither he went." 
 
 Sdly, The believer dies in faith, when he makes 
 fresh application to Christ as his only hope and Sa- 
 viour, takes him in his arms of faith, as old Simeon 
 did before his death, saying, In the Lord Christ I 
 have righteousness and strength; though I have neither 
 righteousness nor strength in myself, yet I have both 
 in him, my blessed Surety and Redeemer. We have 
 many uses for faith in Christ at the hour of death. 
 By faith we must depend upon Christ's blood for 
 making the atonement, and washing away the guilt 
 of all our by-past sins. By faith we must put on the 
 righteousness of Christ for covering our naked souls, 
 when they are to appear and stand before God. By 
 faith we must rely on Christ for strength to suffer 
 pain, resist temptations, and conquer death and all 
 our enemies. By faith, we must look to Christ as 
 our leader, and trust him for safe conduct through 
 the dark valley of death, and for our safe landing on 
 the shore of glory. 
 
 4<thly, The believer dies in faith, when he trusts his 
 departing soul with confidence in his Redeemer's hand, 
 saying with Paul, 2 Tim. i, 12. " I know whom I have 
 believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that 
 which I have committed to him against that day." 
 This was the Psalmist's practice, Psal. xxxi. 5. " In- 
 to thy hand I commit my spirit; for thou hast redeem- 
 ed me, O Lord God of truth." So the man who 
 dies in faith, commits the jewel of his soul to his 
 Redeemer's keeping, and confides in his care of it. 
 Why? He made it, he hath redeemed it, he loves , 
 
1$0 Directions to Persons, fyc. Chap. VII. 
 
 it, it is his own, a member of his body, and he will 
 not hate his own flesh. He loves his dying saints 
 much better than we love an eye, a hand, or any other 
 member of our body, which, to be sure, we wili not 
 lose, if it be in our power to save it. 
 
 hthly, Dying in faith imports, that the dying saint 
 confides in God's faithfulness and truth for making 
 good all his promises to his church and people after 
 his death, which are not yet accomplished. We 
 should go off' the stage in the firm belief of God's 
 fulfilling all his promises concerning the prosperity of 
 his church, the calling of the Jews, the destruction of 
 antichrist, and the second coming of our Lord, and 
 likewise concerning our families, that God will be as 
 good as his word, and be a father to the fatherless, 
 and a husband to the widow. 
 
 Would we then be so happy as to die in faith, let us 
 take these advices: 
 
 1st, Let us be careful to get faith before-hand; for 
 death is a time to use faith, not to get it. They were 
 foolish virgins, who had their oil to buy when the 
 bridegroom was come. 
 
 Idly, Study to live every day in the exercise of faith, 
 and be still improving and making use of Christ in all 
 his offices, and for all these ends and uses for which 
 God hath given him to believers* 
 
 3dly, Be frequently clearing up your evidences for 
 heaven, and beware of letting sin blot them to you, 
 
 Mhly, Record and lay up the experiences of God's 
 kind dealings with you, and be often reflecting upon 
 them, that you may have them ready at hand in the 
 hour of death. 
 
 Lastly, Meditate much on these promises which 
 have been sweet and comfortable to you in the time 
 of straits ; and beg that the Lord may bring them to 
 your remembrance when you come to die. 
 
Direct. VI. Choke Sayings. 161 
 
 Directv VI. Set the Examples of other dying Saints 
 before yon, and study in like manner to shine in 
 grace, and be exemplary in piety and heavenly dis- 
 course, for the glory of God, and good of souls, when 
 you are going off the stage. 
 
 THIS is the last opportunity you have of doing ser- 
 vice to God and the interest of religion ; where- 
 fore strive to improve it diligently for the honour of 
 God, and the edification of those that survive you. 
 How pleasant is it to see God's people leaving the 
 world, commending Christ and his services, and per- 
 fuming the place where they lie in with their last 
 breath ? I have, Chap. 111. Direct. V. and VI. adduc- 
 ed several motives to press this point, and given direc- 
 tions concerning the speech and behaviour of the chil- 
 dren of God when on sick-beds, which I shall not 
 repeat. 
 
 That which I design here is, to set before you the 
 examples of some eminent saints, and their exemplary 
 pious and holy speeches and sayings, when they were 
 a-dying; and that, in order to confirm and establish 
 others in religion, and also to excite them to imitate 
 these shining worthies, when they also come to die. 
 Surely it is for this very end that God hath ordered us 
 to be compassed about with so great a cloud of wit- 
 nesses, Heb. xii. 1. Thus doth the apostle improve 
 their example, Heb. xi. 1. And how earnest is he 
 in this matter? Heb. vi. 11, 12. "And we desire 
 that every one of you do show the same diligence, to 
 the full assurance of hope unto the end; that ye be 
 not slothful, but followers of them, who, through faith 
 and patience, inherit the promises." 
 
 I shall begin with some examples from the sacred 
 history; and, in the first place, with the King of saints, 
 our Lord Jesus Christ. Q how sweet and comfort- 
 able were his discourses unto his disciples, when his 
 death drew nigh 1 and, what a heavenly prayer did he 
 make for them and all his elect ones at that time ! 
 
 M3 
 
262 Choice Say wgs Chap. VII. 
 
 These we have recorded in the xiv. xv. xvi. and xvii. 
 chapters of John ; which are most seasonable at all 
 times for us to read and meditate upon, but especially 
 when death is approaching. And, likewise, let us 
 read the history of our Lord's passion, in which we 
 may observe the wonderful expressions of his faith in 
 God, his patience under sufferings, his pity to hi& 
 enemies, his love to his enemies, his love to his mo- 
 ther and his disciples, his concern for his Father's glo- 
 ry, his obedience in his death, and his willingness to 
 be offered up. Thus the blessed Sun of Righteousness 
 did shine forth most gloriously at his setting with the 
 radiant beams of his heavenly graces and virtues: and 
 herein he hath set himself a pattern to all dying saints 
 to the end of the world. 
 
 Jacob, when he was on his deathbed, called his 
 sons together, and gave them many special charges- 
 and blessings; we have his excellent words recorded 
 in Gen. xlvii, and xlix. chapters. And in particular, 
 how sweetly doth he speak of the coming of the Mes- 
 siah to them? Gen. xlix. 10, 18. and how affection- 
 ately doth he commend God's goodness and kind pro- 
 vidence towards him through his life? Gen. xlviii. 15, 
 16. " The God which fed me all my life long unto 
 this day," &c. / 
 
 Joseph, when he was a- dying, spoke lovingly to 
 his brethren, who had dealt cruelly with him ; and 
 assured them of the Lord's faithfulness in keeping his 
 promise to their fathers, Gen. I. 20. " I die, and 
 God will surely visit you, and bring you out of this 
 land." 
 
 Moses, when he was to go up to mount Nebo, to 
 die there, left many blessings, and gave many weighty 
 charges to the children of Israel ; we have his holy 
 and ravishing words recorded, Deut* xxxii. and xxxiii. 
 chapters. And, particularly, how pleasantly doth he 
 commend God and his ways to the people ! Deut. 
 xxxii. 4. Si He is the rock, his work is perfect; for 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints. 16& 
 
 all bis ways are judgment: a God of truth, and with- 
 out iniquity, just and right is he." 
 
 Joshua, when he was near his end, gave many so- 
 lemn charges and exhortations to the people, which 
 we have narrated, Josh, xxiii. and xxiv. chapters. 
 And there we may seethe remarkable methods he takes 
 to rivet impressions and convictions upon them, now 
 when he can instruct them no longer. And particu- 
 larly he appeals to their consciences concerning the 
 faithfulness of God in keeping his word to them, that 
 so he might engage them to fidelity to him, Josh, 
 xxiii. 14. '* And behold this day I am going the way 
 of all the earth, and you know in all your hearts and 
 in all your souls, that not one thing hath failed of all 
 the good things which the Lord your God spake con- 
 cerning you.'* 
 
 David, when his end was near, assembled the peo- 
 ple, and solemnly charged them, as in the audience of 
 God, to keep his commandment?, 1 Chron. xxviii. 8* 
 9. And particularly, he charged his son and succes- 
 sor Solomon, to " know the God of his father, and 
 to serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing 
 mind." 
 
 The apostle Paul, when taking hrs last farewell of 
 the elders of Ephesus,. most solemnly charges them, 
 to take heed to themselves and the flocks over which 
 the Holy Ghost had made them overseers, Acts xx» 
 28. And how sweetly doth he sing, in the view of 
 approaching death, 2 Tim. iv. 6, 7, 8. " I am now 
 ready to be offered, the time of my departure is at 
 hand. I have fought a good fight, I have finished my 
 course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is 
 laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the 
 Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day ; 
 and not to me only, but unto all them also that love 
 his appearing." 
 
 In imitation of these scripture saints, the people of 
 God, in all ages, have studied to glorify God and e- 
 dify men at their death, by commending God and 
 
164 Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 godliness to their friends and families. These we 
 ought to teach by our example, both how to live, and 
 how to die, as others have done before us. Thus, 
 said once a dying saint to his family, " I have former- 
 ly taught you how to live, and now I teach you how 
 to die." 
 
 Now, because in all ages the speeches of dying 
 Christians have been much observed, that God hath 
 remarkably blessed them to the establishment and 
 confirmation, quickening, and exciting of others to 
 imitate them; I shall bring several examples from 
 human histories and writings, and mostly from 
 Clark's Lives, of sundry eminent saints, whose graces 
 have shone brightest, and their speeches were most 
 heavenly, when the sun of their life was at the set- 
 
 ting. 
 
 1. That old disciple, Polycarp, when he came to the 
 stake at which he was burnt, desired to stand untied, 
 saying, (i Let me alone ; for he that gave me strength 
 to come to the fire, will give me patience to endure 
 the flame without your tying." 
 
 2. So holy Cyprian triumphed over death, saying, 
 M Let him only fear death, who must pass from this 
 death to the second death." When he heard the 
 sentence of death pronounced against him, he said, 
 u I thank God for freeing me from the prison of this 
 body." 
 
 3* Basil, when the emperor Valens sent his officers 
 to tempt him with great preferments to turn from the 
 faith, he rejected them with scorn, saying, " Yon may 
 cffer these things to children." And when they threat- 
 ened him with sufferings, he said, " Threaten your 
 purple gallants with these things, that give themselves 
 to their pleasures." 
 
 When Modestus the Prefect threatened Basil to 
 confiscate his goods, to torment him, or banish him, 
 or kill him, he answered, '* He need not fear confis- 
 cation that hath nothing to lose; nor banishment to 
 whom heaven only is a country; nor torments, when 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints. 165 
 
 bis body would be daahed with one blow ; nor death, 
 which is the only way to set him at liberty." The 
 Prefect telling him he was mad, he said, Opto me in 
 aternum sic clelirare, " I wish I may for ever be thus 
 mad." 
 
 4. Ignatius being led from Syria to Rome to be torn 
 in pieces of wild beast?, he expressed his fear lest it 
 should happen to him as to some others, that the lions 
 out of a kind of reverence, would not dare to touch 
 him. And therefore he often wished, " that their 
 appetites might be whetted to despatch him. For 
 (says he) the lion's teeth are but like a mill whicb ? 
 though it bruiseth, yet wasteth not the good wheat, 
 only prepares and fits it to be made pure bread. Let 
 me be broken by them, so I may be made pure man- 
 chent for heaven." 
 
 5. The great Mr. Knox, our reformer, when he 
 lay a-dying, was much in prayer, ever crying, " Come, 
 Lord Jesus, sweet Jesus, into thy hands 1 commend 
 my spirit." Being asked by those that attended him^ 
 if his pain was great ? he answered, " That he did not 
 esteem that a pain, which would be to him the end 
 of all trouble, and the beginning of eternal joys-" Oft- 
 times, after some deep meditations, he said, " O serve 
 the Lord in fear, and death shall not be terrible to 
 you: blessed is the death of those that have part in the 
 death of Jesus." 
 
 After a sore temptation from Satan (which 1 for- 
 merly mentioned) over which he triumphed at length, 
 he said, " Now the enemy has gone away ashamed, 
 and shall no more return. I am sure now my battle 
 is at an end, and that without pain of body, or trouble 
 of spirit, I shall shortly change this mortal and miser- 
 able life, with that happy and immortal life, which 
 shall never have an end." After one had prayed for 
 him, he was asked whether he heard the prayer? He 
 answered, " Would to God you had heard it with such 
 an ear and heart as I have done!" adding «< Lord Je- 
 sus receive my spirit." With which words, without 
 
166 Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 any motion of hands or feet, as one falling asleep, ra- 
 ther than dying, he ended his life. 
 
 6. Dr. Gouge, when he was old and dying, was 
 sore afflicted with the stone, and other painful mala- 
 dies; yet though, by reason of his pains, he was of- 
 ten heard to groan, he never once grumbled against 
 the dispensations of God: he never cried out, A great 
 sufferer^ but often, A great sinner : yet still comfort- 
 ed himself that there is a great Saviour. In his 
 greatest torments he would say, *' Well, yet in all these 
 there is nothing of hell, or of God's wrath. O my soul, 
 be silent, be patient. It is thy God and Father that 
 thus orders thine estate. Thou art his clay; he may 
 tread and trample upon thee as he pleaseth, thou hast 
 deserved much more. It is enough that thou art kept 
 out of hell, though thy pains be grievous, yet they are 
 not intolerable, thy God affords some intermissions; 
 he will turn it to thy good, and at length put an end 
 to all : and none of these comforts can be expected in 
 hell." In his greatest pains, he often used holy Job's 
 words, « Shall we receive good from the hands of the 
 Lord, and not evil also ?" When any of his friends 
 would have comforted him, with telling him of his 
 eminent gifts and service in the ministry, he would 
 answer, " I dare not think of any such thing for com- 
 fort : Only Jesus Christ, and what he hath done and 
 endured, is the ground of my sure comfort." The 
 thoughts of death were pleasant to him, which he of- 
 ten termed his best friend, next unto Jesus Christ. 
 And he would bless God, that he bad nothing to do, 
 but to die. 
 
 7. I have read of another minister under the like 
 extreme pains. When he was asked how he did ? 
 His frequent answer was: " The bush always burning, 
 but not consumed; though my pains are above the 
 strength of nature, yet they are not above the supports 
 of grace. He would pray, Lord drop comforts into 
 these bitter waters of Marah. Let the blood of sprink- 
 ling, which extinguished! the fire of thine anger, al« 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints, 167 
 
 lay my burning pain. Oh, if my patience were more, 
 my pains would be less ; Lord give me patience, and 
 inflict what thou wilt. This is a fiery chariot, but it 
 will carry me to heaven. O my God, break open the 
 prison-door, and set my poor captive soul free : I de- 
 sire to be dissolved, but enable me willingly to wait 
 thy time." He would cry again, " When shall the 
 time come, that I shall neither sin more nor sorrow 
 more: Lord, keep me from dishonouring thy name by 
 impatience. Oh, who would not, even in burnings, 
 have honourable thoughts of God i Lord, thou 
 givest me no occasion to have hard thoughts of thee. 
 Blessed be God, for the peace of mine inward man, 
 when my outward man is so full of trouble. This is 
 a bitter cup, but it is of my Father's mixing ; and 
 shall I not then drink it?" 
 
 8. Mrs. Jane Askew, who was a martyr in king 
 Henry's reign, to her confession in Newgate, she thus 
 subscribed: " Written by me Jane Askew, that neither 
 wisheth death, rior feareth its might, and as merry as 
 one bound towards heaven." When the Chancellor 
 sent her letters at the stake, offering her the king's 
 pardon, if she would recant ; she, refusing to look upon 
 them, gave this answer; " that she came not thither to 
 deny her Lord and Master." 
 
 9. Mr. James Bainham, when he was at the stake, 
 in the midst of the burning fire which had half con- 
 sumed his legs and arms, spake these words : " O ye 
 Papists \ behold ye look for miracles, and here now ye 
 may see a miracle; for in this fire I feel no more pain 
 than if I were on a bed of down ; it is to me as a bed 
 of roses." 
 
 10. John Lambert, as he was burning in Smithfield, 
 and his legs were quite consumed with the fire, he lift 
 up his hands, his fingers flaming like torches, but 
 his heart abounding with comfort, crying out, None 
 but C/ir-ist, none but Christ. 
 
 11. Mr. Robert Glover, a little before his death, 
 had lost the sense of God's favour, for which he was 
 
i68 Choice Sayings . Chap. VII. 
 
 in great heaviness and sorrow; but when he came 
 within sight of the stake at which he was to suffer, 
 he was on a sudden so filled with divine comfort, that, 
 clapping his hands together, he cried out to his servant, 
 He is come, he is come ! and so died most cheer- 
 fully. 
 
 12. It was a saying of Augustine, " Boughs fall 
 off trees, and stones out of buildings; and, why should 
 it seem strange that mortal men die i" 
 
 13. Mr. John Dod had so violent a fever that there 
 was but little hope of his life; yet at length his phy- 
 sician coming to him said, " Now I have hope of 
 your recovery ." To whom Mr. Dod answered, " You 
 think to comfort me with this, hut you make my heart 
 sad. It is as if you should tell one, who had been 
 sore weatherbeaten at sea, and conceiving he was now 
 arrived at the haven where his soul longed to be, that 
 he must go back again to be tossed with new winds 
 and waves." 
 
 He would often say in his last sickness, " I am not 
 afraid to look death in the face. I can say, Death, 
 where is thy sting? death. cannot hurt me." 
 
 He used to say, M The knowledge of two things 
 would make one willing to die, viz. What heaven is, 
 and that it is mine." " Yes," said one, " if a man 
 were sure of that." To whom he answered, " Truly 
 assurance is to be had; and what have we been doing 
 all this while?" 
 
 Some others of the sayings of this holy man were so 
 pithy and remarkable, I cannot pass them here. 
 
 Once Mr. Dod coming to visit a godly minister on 
 his deathbed, who was much oppressed with melan- 
 choly, and complained to him, saying, " O Mr. Dod, 
 what will you say of him, who is going out of the 
 world, and can find no comfort ?" To whom Mr. 
 Dod answered, M What will you say of our Saviour 
 Christ, who, when he was going out of the world, 
 found no comfort, but cried out, * My God, my God, 
 why hast thou forsaken me?' He said of afflictions, 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints, 169 
 
 they are God's portions, which we may sweeten by- 
 faith and faithful prayer; but we, for the most part, 
 make them bitter, putting into God's cup the evil in- 
 gredients of our impatience and unbelief. He cal- 
 led death the friend of grace, though it be the enemy 
 of nature; for, whereas the word, sacraments, and 
 prayer do but weaken sin, death kills it. He used 
 to say, s A man is never in a hard condition, unless 
 he have a hard heart and cannot pray.' He instruct- 
 ed Christians how they should never have a great nor 
 lasting affliction, and that was, by looking upon the 
 things that are not seen, which are eternal, 2 Cor. 
 iv. 17, 18. For, what can be great to him, that 
 counts his life but a span long? — When he saw a 
 Christian look sad, he would say, as Jonadab did to 
 Amnon, " Art thou a king's son, and lookest so ill?" 
 And when such complained to him of their crosses 
 and losses, he would use the words of Eiiphaz to Job, 
 <( Do the consolations of God seem small unto you ? 
 God hath taken from you your children, your goods, 
 &c. but he hath not taken from you himself, his 
 Christ, nor his Spirit, nor heaven, nor eternal life." 
 
 To a friend of his, that rose from a mean to a great 
 estate, he sent word, * That this was but as if he 
 should go out of a boat into a barge or ship ; but he 
 ought seriously to remember, that, whilst he was in 
 this world, he was but upon the floating sea/ 
 
 He often said, that if it were lawful to envy any, 
 he would envy those that turn to God in their youth, 
 whereby they escape much sin and sorrow, and are 
 like Jacob, that stole the blessing betimes. He used 
 to compare reproofs given in passion, to scalding po- 
 tions, which the patient could not take down; in re- 
 proofs we should labour for meekness and wisdom, 
 using soft words, and hard arguments. 
 
 He was a most popular minister, but much- perse- 
 cuted. Once he took a journey to see his father-in- 
 law, Mr. Greenham, and to bemoan himself to him, 
 upon account of his crosses and hard usage* Mr. 
 
 N 
 
170 Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 Greenham, having heard all he could say, answered 
 him thus: « Son, son, when affliction lieth heavy, sin 
 lieth light.' Mr. Dod used often to bless God for 
 this speech, saying, if Mr. Greenham had bemoan- 
 ed him as he expected, he had done him much 
 hurt. He forgot not this saying in his old age, but 
 made excellent, use of it for himself and others. 
 
 14* CEcolampadius, that famous divine of Switzer- 
 land, when tying on his death- bed, and being asked, 
 Whether the light did not offend him? He answered, 
 pointing to his breast, * Hie sat lucis, Here is abun- 
 dance of light,' meaning of comfort and joy. He 
 asked one of his friends, c What news? 5 His friend 
 answered, < None.' « Then,' saith he, ' I will tell 
 you some news; I shall presently be with my Lord 
 Christ.' 
 
 15. A certain godly man, passing through his last 
 sickness with extraordinary calmness of conscience, 
 being asked by some of his friends anent it, he an- 
 swered, that he had steadfastly fixed his heart upon 
 the sweet promise, Isa. xxvi. 3. " Thou wilt keep him 
 in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, be- 
 cause he trusteth in thee." ' And my God (saith he) 
 hath graciously made it fully good unto my soul." 
 
 16. Mr. Robert Bolton, minister at Brough.ton, well 
 known by his writings, in time of his last sickness, 
 which was long and sharp, often breathed out these 
 words: * Oh, when will this good hour come? When 
 shall I be dissolved? When shall 1 be with Christ?" 
 Being told that to be dissolved was indeed better for 
 him, yet it would be better for the church, that he 
 WQuld stay here; he answered, 'If I have found fa- 
 vour in the eyes of the Lord, he will bring me again, 
 and shew me both it and his habitation; but, if other- 
 wise, lo, here I am, let him do what seemeih good in 
 his eyes.' Being asked by another; if he would not 
 be content to live, if it pleased God? He answered, 
 f I o>rant that life is a great blessing of God, neither 
 
 • 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints, 171 
 
 will I neglect any means that may preserve it} and do 
 heartily submit to God's will; but of the two, I in- 
 finitely desire more to be dissolved, and to be with 
 Christ.' He bade all that came to see him, make 
 sure of Christ before they came to die, and look upon 
 the world now as a lump of vanity. He encouraged 
 the ministers that came to him, to be diligent and cou- 
 rageous in the work of the Lord, and not to faint 
 nor droop for any affliction that should arise there- 
 upon. 
 
 When he found himself very weak, he called for his 
 wife and children. * He desired her to bear his dis- 
 solution, which was now at hand, with a Christian for- 
 titude, a thing he had been preparing her for by the 
 space of twenty years; and bade her make no doubt 
 but she should meet him again in heaven.' He exhort- 
 ed his children to remember these things he had fre- 
 quently told them before; adding, * That he hoped 
 and believed, that none of them durst think to meet 
 bim at the great tribunal in an unregenerate state.' 
 
 Some of his parish coming to watch with him, it 
 was moved, that as by his doctrine he had discover- 
 ed to them the exceeding comforts that were in Christ, 
 so he would now tell them what he .felt in his own 
 soul, * Alas (said he) do you look for that of me now, 
 that wants breath and strength to speak? I have told 
 you enough in my ministry; but yet, to satisfy you, 
 I am by the wonderful mercies of God, as full of 
 comfort as my heart can hold; and I feel nothing in 
 my soul but Christ, with whom I heartily desire to 
 be.' — And, observing some weeping, he looked to 
 them, and said, O, what a deal ado there is before one 
 can die! 
 
 When the pangs of death were upon him, being 
 told that some of his dear friends were about him to 
 take their last farewell, he caused himself to be rais- 
 ed up in his bed; and, after a few gaspings for breath, 
 he said, ' I am now drawing on apace to my dissolu- 
 tion; hold out, faith and patience, your work will 
 
1 7 1 2 Choice Sayings Chap. VI L 
 
 speedily be at an end.' And then, shaking them all 
 by the hands, prayed heartily and particularly for 
 them; and desired them to make sure of heaven, and 
 to bear in mind what he had formerly told them in his 
 ministry; protesting to them, that the doctrine he 
 had preached to them for the space of twenty years, 
 was the truth of God, as he should answer it at the 
 tribunal of Christ, before whom he should shortly ap- 
 pear. 
 
 When he was struggling with death, a very dear 
 friend taking him by the hand, asked him, if he felt 
 not much pain? « Truly no (said he) the greatest I feel 
 is your cold hand/ 
 
 17. Mr. John Holland, a godly minister, continued 
 his usual practice of expounding the scripture in bis 
 family to the last; and, the day before his death, he 
 called for the Bible, and causing another to read the 
 eighth chapter of the Romans, he discoursed upon it, 
 verse by verse; but on a sudden he said, * O stay your 
 reading; what brightness is this I see! Have you light- 
 ed up any candles?' A stander-by said, No, it is the 
 sun-shine (for it was about five o'clock in a clear sum- 
 mer's evening) « Sun shine! saith he, nay, it is my Sa- 
 viour's shine. Now farewell world, welcome heaven ; 
 the day-star from on high hath visited my heart: O 
 speak it when I am gone, and preach it at my funeral; 
 God dealeth familiarly with man, I feel his mercy. I 
 see his majesty; whether in the body or out of the bo- 
 dy," I cannot tell, God knoweth; but I see things that 
 are unutterable.' And in this rapture he continued 
 till he died. 
 
 18. I knew, not long ago, an eminently godly man, 
 G. M. that fell into several such extraordinary rap- 
 tures sometime before his death, such as his bodily r 
 strength and spirit were not able to support under, 
 though he had no sickness. Sometimes he was so 
 swallowed up and overcome by the manifestations of 
 God's love to his sou], that his words could not be 
 well understood; his natural colour, heat, and strength 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints. 173 
 
 would so go off, that all about him would conclude 
 him to be dying? but, when he was able to get words 
 uttered, they were so heavenly and ravishing concern- 
 ing the love of Christ and freedom of grace, that by- 
 standers could not hear him without weeping. Some- 
 times ministers, when they came to visit him, and 
 found him in these raptures, were forced to turn all 
 their pray.ers in his behalf into praises; except some 
 petitions they would put up to God, ' That he might 
 graciously spare and be tender of his weak body, and 
 enable him to bear that load of loving-kindness God 
 was pleased to let out to him, and which his present 
 bodily strength was not sufficient for.* Yea, they 
 would be put to cry, * Lord, if it be thy will, hold 
 thy hand, for he is but a clay-Vessel; this new wine 
 will burst the old bottle: preserve him in life, as a 
 monument of the rich grace of God, for the conviction 
 of athiests and carnal people, and for the confirmation 
 of the faith of the children of God.' — Sometimes he 
 would cry in abrupt expressions, f O angels, help me 
 to praise him! O saints, admire his love, and wonder 
 at him. — Again, O flames of love! My soul seeth 
 Christ! the heavens open! I see a throne and the 
 Lamb in the midst of the throne! O what think ye of 
 Christ! My soul breathes, breathes toward him! My 
 spirit is exhaled out of me by the manifestations of 
 God !' — He used frequently to say with a heavenly air 
 to his friends, * O what think ye of Christ?' — When 
 his ecstasy did somewhat abate, so that he attained a, 
 pleasant calmness of thought, and freedom of speech, 
 he would discourse of the mysteries of religion, the e- 
 lecting love of God, the freedom of grace, the unsearch- 
 able riches of Christ, and the glorious contrivance of 
 redemption through his death and sacrifice; I say, he 
 would talk of these things more like an angel than a 
 man. For such was his heavenly eloquence, fluency 
 of words, and facility of speaking upon these subjects 
 (which otherwise was not natural to him) that these 
 who came to see him were exceedingly surprised and 
 
 N 3 
 
174- Choice Sayings Chap. VI J. 
 
 astonished to hear him. His body gradually weakened 
 under these raptures of spirit, and he'longed much to 
 be off the world, because he thought he could be so i 
 little useful in it for advancing God's honour. He 
 reckoned himself bound to improve the short time he 
 was like to have here, in commending Christ and re- 
 ligion to all that he had access to, and also to admo- 
 nish them of any thing he knew amiss in them, which 
 he did most convincingly. And having occasion to 
 see some who vilipended the established church, and 
 the ordinances dispensed in it; he highly commended | 
 the ordinances, and told them, that, from his own 
 sweet experience, he could say that God was to be 
 found in them. — He seemed to have sin wonderfully 
 mortified : for he complained of no other heart-plague 
 but self, and it was his great exercise to get self whol- 
 ly subdued; he pursued it through many of its wind- 
 ings and lurking places, and after all he would regret 
 his little success against it; * For (saith he) when I 
 am in my most elevated frames, and admitted to the 
 nearest access to my Redeemer, that subtle enemy, 
 self, will enter in with me, and offers to pull the crown 
 off his head before my face/ 
 
 Once after hearing a sermon on Psalm Ixxx. 8. " I 
 will hear what God the Lord will speak," he broke 
 out in a rapturous discourse to one that came to see 
 him, blessing God that had spoke to him in that ser- 
 mon. « And O (said he) what am I, that the rock of 
 Israel should have spoken to me these three sermon- 
 days by gone, assuring me that all my sins are forgiv- 
 en? What am I, a vile worm, that he should be so 
 kind and condescending, as to discover Christ and 
 heaven in such a manner to me, and assure me that I 
 will shortly be with him? Oh, I thought that I had 
 sinned him away from me, but I see he will not bide 
 away! O admirable free grace! O help me to praise 
 him V 
 
 When death drew near, there was some alteration 
 in his case; yet he never questioned his interest in 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints, 175 
 
 Christ; but still asserted, * I know he is my God and 
 my Redeemer, and I shall shortly be with him.' And 
 once, when he was ready to complain for want of 
 God's wonted manifestations, he said, 6 The Lord 
 knew his body was now weak, and could not bear 
 what formerly he had met with; yet (said he) glory to 
 his name, he hath given me three blinks since my last 
 illness began.' 
 
 19. Dr. Harris, head of Trinity-college in Oxford, 
 in his last sickness used to exhort all about him to get 
 faith above all things. * It is (said he) your victory, 
 your peace, your life, your crown, and your chiefest 
 piece of spiritual armour. Howbeit, get on all other 
 pieces, and go forth in the Lord's might; stand to the 
 fight, and the issue shall be glorious. Only forget not 
 to call in the help of your general: do all from him, 
 and under him." On the Lord's day he would not 
 have any kept from the ordinances on his account; 
 and, when they returned from the sermons, he would 
 say to them, Come, what have ye for me? And, when 
 any gave him account of what they had heard, he 
 would resume the heads thereof, and say, fi O what 
 excellent truths are these! Lay them up carefully, 
 for you will have need of them.' — When friends 
 came to visit him, he would say, I cannot speak, but 
 I can hear. Being asked, where his comfort lay? 
 He answered, In Christ, and in the free grace of 
 God. 
 
 One telling him that he might take much comfort 
 in his labours and the good he had done; his answer 
 was, ' All is nothing without a Saviour, without him, 
 my best works would condemn me. Oh, I am asham- 
 ed of them, they are so mixed with sin, I have done 
 nothing for God as I ought. — Oh, loss of time sits very 
 heavy upon my spirit: work, work apace: assure your- 
 selves, nothing will more trouble you when you come 
 to die, than that you have done no more for God, who 
 has done so much for you." 
 
 Sometimes he used thus to breathe out himself, 
 
176 Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 « I never in all my life saw the worth of a Christ, nor 
 tasted the sweetness of God's love in that measure as 
 
 now I do/- Being asked by ministers, what they 
 
 should chiefly request for him? He ^iswered, * Do 
 not only pray for me, but praise God that he supports 
 me, and keeps off Satan from me in my weakness; beg 
 that I may hold out, I am now a great way home, near 
 the shore, I leave you tossing on the sea : Oh, it is a 
 good time to die in!' 
 
 In all the latter-wills which he made, he took care 
 this legacy should still be inserted: Item, I bequeath 
 to all my children, and to their children's children, to 
 each of them a Bible, with this inscription, none but 
 Christ. He used to say, It is a hard thing for a 
 saint to forgive himself some faults, when God hath 
 forgiven them. 
 
 20. David Chitrseus, when he lay a-dying, lifted 
 up his head from the pillow to hear the discourses of 
 his friends that sat by him, and said, * That he should 
 die with the greatest comfort, if he might die learning 
 something.' 
 
 21. Mr. Cooper, when a-dying, said, * I saw not 
 my children when they were in the womb, yet there 
 the Lord fed them without my care or knowledge. I 
 shall not see them when I go out of the body yet they 
 shall not want a father. — Again, death is somewhat 
 dreary, and the streams of that Jordan between us and 
 our Canaan run furiously, but they stand still when the 
 ark comes.' 
 
 22. The reverend Mr. Halyburton, that shining 
 light in St. Andrews, when a-dying, commended 
 Christ and godliness with great earnestness to all that 
 came to see him* He exhorted his brethren to diligence 
 in the ministry. ' It was the delight of my heart (said 
 he) to preach the gospel; I desired to decrease, that 
 the bridegroom might increase, and to be nothing that 
 he might be all. I repent I did not more for him. O 
 that 1 had the tongues of men and angels, to praise 
 him.' When he was advised to lie quiet, he said, 
 
.Direct. VI. of Dying Saints. 1 77 
 
 « Whereon should a man bestow his last breath, but in 
 commending the Lord Jesus Christ, God clothed in 
 our nature, dying for our sins?" 
 
 He caused to read one of Mr. Rutherford's Letters, 
 viz. that to Mr. John Mein, and thereafter said, ' That 
 is a book I would recommend to you all, there is more 
 practical religion in that letter, than in a book of a 
 larger volume. 
 
 He exhorted some ministers that came to see him 
 to faithfulness. * As for the work of the ministry 
 (said he) it was my deliberate choice; were my days 
 lengthened out much longer, and days as troublesome 
 as they are like to be, I would rather be a condemned 
 
 minister of God than the greatest prince on earth. 
 
 He said, when taking farewell of his wife, children 
 and servants, \ Here is a demonstration of the reality 
 of religion, that I, a poor, weak, timorous man, as 
 much afraid of death as any, am now enabled by the 
 power of grace composedly and with joy to look death 
 in the face, I dare look it in the face in its most ghast- 
 ly shape, and hope, within a little to have the victo- 
 ry. I cannot but commend the Lord Jesus. As far 
 as my word will go, I must proclaim it, he is the best 
 master that ever I saw.* — To his son, who was a child, 
 he said, ' If I had as many sons as there are hairs in 
 your head, I would bestow them all on God.' — To 
 some present he said, ' O sirs, I dread mightily that 
 a rational sort of religion is coming in among us; I 
 mean by it, a religion that consists in a bare attendance 
 on outward duties and ordinances, without the power 
 of godliness; and thence people shall fall into a way of 
 serving God, which is mere Deism, having no relation 
 to Christ Jesus and the Spirit of God. — He expressed 
 his fears of a storm coming on the church of Scotland; 
 but he said the day would break, and the Lord would 
 arise, and he hoped the church would be made a won- 
 der, and the Lord will say, Lo this people have I 
 formed for myself; he can make a nation to be born 
 at once.' — He cried often with the Spouse in the Song, 
 
178 Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 * When shall the day break and the shadows flee away? 
 Turn, my beloved, and be thou as a roe or a young hart 
 on the mountains of Bether.' 
 
 He said, * Shall I forget Zion? nay, let my right- 
 hand forget her cunning, if I prefer not Jerusalem 
 to my chiefest joy. O to have God returning to this 
 church, and his work going on in the world: If every 
 drop of my blood, every bit of my body, every hair of 
 my head, were all men, they should all go to the fire, 
 to have this going on. — He said, if I would say that I 
 would speak no more in the name of the Lord, it 
 would be like a fire within me. I am calling you to 
 see a miracle, God is melting me down into corrup- 
 tion and dust, and yet he is keeping me in a calm. — I 
 would not believe that I would have borne, and borne 
 cheerfully, this rod so long: this is a miracle, pain 
 without pain; and this is not a fancy of a man disor- 
 dered in his brain, but of one lying in full composure. 
 
 blest be God, that ever I was born, I have a father, 
 mother, and ten brethren and sisters in heaven, and 
 
 1 shaii be the eleventh. I shall shortly be at that 
 glory I have been long expecting; though I come not 
 near Mr. Shield's glory, nor Mr. Anderson's, yet I will 
 be well enough if I win in. Worthy is the Lamb to 
 receive glory.' 
 
 23. Mr. Hugh M'Kail in his speech before his death, 
 said, * I have esteemed the solemn engagements of 
 this nation to the Lord's pregnant performances of 
 that promise, Isa. xliv. 5. where it is evident, that 
 where church reformations come to any maturity, 
 they arrive at this degree of saying, c I am the Lord's, 
 and subscribing with the hand unto the Lord.' So 
 was it in the days of the reforming kings of Judah ; 
 and after the restoration from the captivity of Babylon 
 in the days of Nehemiah. This same promise did the 
 Lord Jesus make, yea, and amen to us, when he re- 
 deemed us from spiritual Babylon. — I glorify him that 
 he hath called me forth to suffer for his name and or- 
 dinances, and the solemn engagements of the land to 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints. J £3 
 
 him. — Hereafter I will not talk with flesh and blood, 
 nor think on the world's consolation. Farewell all my 
 friends, whose company hath been refreshing to me 
 in my pilgrimage. I have done with the light of the 
 sun and moon. Welcome, eternal life, everlasting 
 love, everlasting praise, everlasting glory. Praise to 
 him that sits upon the throne, and fll the Lamb for 
 ever.' 
 
 24s The famous Mr. Durham being visited by a 
 minister in his last sickness, which was long and ling- 
 ering, who said to him, Sir, I hope you have so set all 
 in order, and that you have nothing else to do but die. 
 * I bless God (said Mr. Durham) I have not had that 
 to do neither these many years.' 
 
 25. Mr. Rowland Nevat's dying prayer for his 
 children, was, that the Mediator's blessing might be 
 the portion of every one of them. Adding to them, 
 I charge you all, see to it, that you meet me on the 
 right hand of Christ at the great day. When he was 
 sometimes much spent with his labours, he would ap- 
 peal to God, that though he might be wearied in his 
 service, he would never be weary of it. — Being oft 
 distempered in his body, he would say he was never 
 better than in the pulpit, and that it was the best place 
 he could wish to die in. 
 
 26. Mr. Philip Henry, when a-dying, his pains 
 were very sharp, he said to his neighbours who came 
 in to see him, O make sure work for your souls, by 
 getting an interest in Christ, while you are in health; 
 for, if I had that work to do now, what would come 
 of me!' A little before his last illness he wrote to a 
 reverend brother, * Methinks it is strange, that it should 
 be your lot and mine to abide so long on earth by the 
 stuff when so many of our friends are dividing the 
 spoil above; but God will have it so; and to be 
 willing to live in obedience to his holy will, is as 
 true an act of grace, as to be willing to die when 
 he calls,' — One asking him how he did, \ he an- 
 swered he found the chips fly off apace, the tree will 
 
180 Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 be down shortly/ He was sometimes taken with 
 
 fainting fits, which when he recovered from, he would 
 say, * Dying is but a little more/ Once he said af- 
 ter a little recovery, * Well, I thought I had been put- 
 ting into the harbour, but 1 find I must yet to sea a- 
 gain/ 
 
 27. Mr. Mattlfew Henry, his death was somewhat 
 sudden, he said a little before it to some about him, 
 ' You have been used to take notice of the sayings of 
 dying men, this is mine, that a life spent in the ser- 
 vice of God, and communion with him, is the most 
 comfortable and pleasant life, that any one can live in 
 this world/ 
 
 28. Holy and learned Mr. Rutherford, a little be- 
 fore his death left a written testimony to our cove- 
 nanted work of reformation; and therein he proves 
 the warrantableness of nations entering into covenant 
 with God under the New Testament times, and shews 
 that this practice is the accomplishment of several Old 
 Testament prophecies, such as Jer. 1. 4, 5. Isa. ii. 3. 
 Zech. viii. 2. Isa. xix. 23, 24, 25. which relate to 
 gospel times. And when he was dying, he sent se- 
 veral messages to the presbytery of St. Andrews, de- 
 siring them to adhere to God's cause and covenant. 
 — In his sickness, he oft broke out in sacred raptures, 
 extolling and commending the Lord Jesus, whom he 
 often called his blessed Master, his kingly King.— — 
 When his death drew near, he said, ' I shall shine. I 
 shall see him as he is, I shall see him reign, and all his 
 fair company with him: and 1 shall have my large 
 share: my eyes shall see my Redeemer, these very 
 eyes of mine, and no other for me/ When exhorting 
 one to be diligent in seeking God, he said, * It is no 
 easy thing to be a Christian; but for me I have got- 
 ten the victory, and Christ is holding out both his 
 arms to embrace me/ — He was wonderfully strength- 
 ened against the fears of suffering and of death, for 
 says he, ' I said to the Lord, if he would slay me five 
 thousand times I would trust in him, and I spoke with 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints. 181 
 
 much trembling, fearing I should not make my put 
 good. But as really as ever he spoke to me by his 
 Spirit, he witnessed unto my heart, that his grace 
 should be sufficient for me. He said to some mini- 
 sters that came to see him, My Lord and Master is 
 the chief of ten thousand of thousands, none is compa- 
 rable to him in heaven or in earth. Dear, brethren, 
 do all for him, pray for Christ, preach for Christ, feed 
 the flock committed to your charge for Christ, visit 
 and catechise for Christ; do all for Christ, and be- 
 ware of man-pleasing. Feed the flock out of love, 
 the chief Shepherd will appear shortly.' — Once when 
 he recovered from a fainting fit, he said, { I feel, I feel, 
 I believe, I enjoy, I rejoice, 1 feed on manna.' — As he 
 took a little wine in a spoon, Mr. Robert Blair said to 
 him, you feed on the dainties of heaven, and think 
 nothing of our cordials on earth. He answered, 
 * they are all but dung, yet they are Christ's creatures, 
 and in obedience to his command I take them.' — After 
 some discourse, Mr. Blair said to him, « What think 
 you now of Christ?' To whom he replied, « I shall 
 Jive and adore him, glory, glory to my Creator, and to 
 my Redeemer for ever. Glory shines in Emmanuel's 
 
 land.' Afterwards he said, ' O that all my brethren 
 
 did know what a Master I have served, and' what peace 
 I have this day? I shall sleep in Christ, and when I 
 awake, I shall be satisfied with his likeness.' — Then 
 he said this night shall close the door, and put my 
 anchor within the veil, I shall go away in a sleep by 
 five of the clock in the morning: which exactly fell 
 out. That night, though he w T as very weak, he often 
 had this expression, * O for arms to embrace him ! O 
 for a well tuned harp !' 
 
 When some spoke to him of his former painfulness 
 and faithfulness in the work of God ; he said, « I dis- 
 claim all that, the port 1 would be in at, is redemp- 
 tion, and forgiveness of sins, through his blood.' — His, 
 
 o 
 
182 ' Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 last words were, « Glory,, glory, dwelleth in Emman- 
 uel's land.' 
 
 29. Hugh Kennedy provost of Ayr, when he was a- 
 dying a minister said to him, « You have cause, Sir, to 
 be assured that the angels of God are now waiting at 
 the stoops of this bed to convey your soul to Abra- 
 ham's bosom :' to whom his answer was, ' I am sure 
 thereof; and if the walls of this house could speak, 
 they could tell how many sweet days I have had in 
 fellowship with God, and how familiar he hath been 
 with my soul.' — He was one of the greatest wrestlers 
 with God that was in the age wherein he lived, and 
 had most remarkable returns of prayer. The great 
 Mr. Welch in a letter from France, said of him ; 
 1 Happy is that city, yea, happy is that nation, that 
 hath Hugh Kennedy in it. I have myself certainly 
 found the answers of his prayers from the Lord in my 
 behalf/ 
 
 30. The great Mr. Robert Bruce, minister of Edin- 
 burgh, when dying through weakness and old age, be- 
 ing asked by one of his friends, how matters stood 
 how betwixt God and his soul ? Answered, \ When I 
 was young I was diligent, and lived by faith in the 
 Son of God, but now I am old, and not able to do 
 so much, yet he condescends to feed me with lumps 
 of sense.' That morning before he died, he came to 
 breakfast at his table, and having eaten, as he used, 
 one single egg, he said to his daughter, * I think I am 
 yet hungry, you may bring me another.* But pre- 
 sently he fell into a deep meditation; and having mus- 
 ed a while, he said, * Hold daughter, hold, my Master 
 calls me:' with these words his sight failed him, 
 whereupon he called for the Bible ? but finding his 
 sight gone, he said, ' Cast me up the eighth chapter of 
 the epistle to the Romans, and set my finger on these 
 words, " I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, 
 nor angels, &c. shall be able to separate me from the 
 love of God, which is in Christ Jesus my Lord." 
 « Now, said he, is my finger upon them ?' they told him 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints. 183 
 
 it was. Then, without any more he said, « Now God 
 be with you, my children, I have breakfasted with you, 
 and shall sup with my Lord Jesus Christ this night.' 
 And so gave up the ghost. 
 
 31. John Stewart, provost of Ayr, was a singularly 
 pious man, yet when he lay a dying, he said to some 
 about him ; * I go the way of all flesh, and it may be 
 some of you doubt nothing of my well being: yea, I 
 testify that except when I slept, or was on business, I 
 was not these ten years without thoughts of God, so 
 long as I could be in going from my house to the 
 cross, and yet I doubt myself, and am in great, agony, 
 yea, at the brink of despair/ But a day or two belore 
 he died, he turned his face to the wall from the com- 
 pany for two hours. Then Mr. Ferguson the minister 
 coming in, asked what he was doing? upon which 
 he turned himself with these words, « I have been 
 fighting and working out my salvation with fear and 
 trembling; and now I bless God, it is perfected, seal- 
 ed^ confirmed, and all fears are gone.' 
 
 32. Luther when he fell sick, made his will, in 
 which he bequeathed his detestation of Popery to his 
 friends, and to the pastors of the church, having before 
 made this verse : 
 
 Testis eram vivus, moriens era mors tua, Papa. 
 
 In his last will, he saith, ' O Lord God, I thank 
 thee that thou wouldst have me live a poor and indi- 
 gent person upon earth. I have neither house, nor 
 lands, nor possessions, nor money to leave. Thou 
 Lord, hast given me a wife and children; them, Lord, 
 I give back unto thee. Nourish, instruct, and keep 
 them, O thou the Father of orphans and judge of the 
 widow, as thou hast done to me, so do to them.' 
 
 In his last prayer, February 18, 1546, he hath 
 these words, * I pray to God to preserve his gospel 
 among us, for the Pope and the Council of Trent have 
 grievous things in hand. O heavenly Father, I give 
 thee thanks that thou hast revealed to me thy Son 
 
184 Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 Jesus Christ, whom I believe, whom I profess, whom 
 I glorify, and whom the Pope and the root of the 
 wicked persecute and dishonour/ Mr. Fox saith of 
 Luther, « That a poor friar should be able to stand 
 against the Pope, was a great miracle; that he should 
 prevail against the Pope was a greater; and after all 
 to die in peace, having so many enemies, was the 
 greatest of all.' 
 
 33. Mr. Joseph Allen, a most painful laborious 
 minister, being deprived of the use of his arms and 
 legs before his death, was asked by a friend, how 
 he could be so well contented to lie so long in that 
 condition? He answered, * What! is God my Father, 
 Jesus Christ, my Saviour, and the Holy Spirit my 
 sanctifler and comforter ; and shall I not be content 
 without iimbs and health ? He is an unreasonable 
 wretch that cannot be content with a God, though he 
 had nothing else ?' 
 
 When his people of Taunton came to Dorchester to 
 see him, where he lay, he was much revived, and 
 would be set up in his bed, have the curtains drawn 
 by, and desired them to stand round about the bed ; 
 and caused take out his hand and hold it out to them, 
 that they might take it as he used formerly to do, 
 when he had been absent from them. And though 
 very weak, yet he spoke to them thus, * O how it 
 rejoiceth my heart to see your faces, and to hear your 
 voices, though I cannot speak as heretofore unto you. 
 Methinks, 1 am now like old Jacob, with all his sons 
 about him. Now you see my weak estate, thus I 
 have been for many weeks since I parted with you, 
 but God hath been with me. My friends, life is 
 mine, death is mine, in that covenant of which I 
 preached to you, is all my salvation and all my desire : 
 although my body do not prosper, I hope through 
 grace my soul doth. I have lived a sweet life by the 
 promises, and I hope through grace, can die by a 
 promise. It is the promises of God that will stand by 
 us. Nothing but God in them will stead us in a day 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints. I So 
 
 of affliction. My dear friends, I feel the power of 
 these doctrines I preached to you on my heart, the 
 doctrines of faith, of repentance, of self-denial, of the 
 covenant of grace, of contentment, &c. O that ye 
 would live over them, now I cannot preach them to 
 you. It is a shame for a believer to be cast down 
 under afflictions, that hath so many glorious privileges, 
 justification, adoption, sanctification, and eternal glo- 
 ry. — We shall be as the angels of. God in a little 
 while ; nay, to say the truth, believers are as it were 
 little angels already, that live in the power of faith. 
 O (my friends) live like believers, trample this dirty 
 world under your feet; be not taken with its comforts, 
 nor disquieted with its crosses, you will be gone out of 
 it shortly/ 
 
 When they came to take leave of him, he would 
 needs pray with them as his weak state did suffer him. 
 — Then he said, S Farewell, my dear friends, go home 
 and live over what I have preached to you, and the 
 Lord provide for you when I am gone. Now I 
 cannot preach to you, but let my wasted strength and 
 useless limbs be a sermon to you. I am afraid of 
 some of you, after all I have spoken to you. There 
 are many professors, who can pray well, and talk well, 
 whom ye shall find at the left hand of Christ another 
 day. You have your trades, your estates, your rela- 
 tions, be not taken with these, but with God; O live 
 on him. For the Lord's sake, go home and take heed 
 of the world, worldly cares, worldly comforts, world- 
 ly relations, &c. Oh ! let not my labours and suf- 
 ferings, let not my wasted strength and useless limbs, 
 rise up in judgment against you at the great day of 
 the Lord/— Then he said, « The Lord having given, 
 authority to his ministers to bless his people, accord- 
 ingly I bless you in his name,' (using the words he 
 always used after a sacrament,) ' The Lord bless you, 
 and keep you, the Lord cause his face to shine upon 
 you, and give you peace. And the God of peace that 
 brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that 
 
 03 
 
186 Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the 
 everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good 
 work to do his will, working in you that which is well 
 pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom 
 be glory for ever and ever. Amen, 7 
 
 In the mornings, his first speeches would be, (which 
 he also used in his health,) « Now we have one day 
 more; this is one more for God; now let us live 
 well this day, work hard for our souls; lay up much 
 treasure in heaven this day, for we have but a few to 
 live/ 
 
 Being taken to the Bath, where he met with extra- 
 ordinary kindness from strangers, for many resorted 
 to him, to see him and hear him speak, having heard 
 what a monument of mercy he was. He did delight 
 himself much in the consideration of the Lord's kind- 
 ness to him, and the tokens of strangers, their love; 
 and would often say, 'I was a stranger, and mercy 
 took me in, in prison and it came to me, sick and weak 
 and it visited me/ 
 
 JV. B. He had been much persecuted, and put in 
 prison for no other crime but preaching the gospel. 
 
 He had a most pious and affectionate wife that 
 waited closely upon him, to whom he said, * Now my 
 dear heart, my companion in all my tribulations and 
 afflictions, I thank thee for all thy pains and labours 
 for me at home and abroad, in prison and liberty, in 
 health and sickness/ And he prayed that the Lord 
 would requite her, fill her with all manner of grace and 
 consolations, and support and carry her through all 
 difficulties. 
 
 He had some conflicts with Satan a little before 
 death : once he uttered these words, ' Away thou foul 
 fiend, thou enemy of all mankind, thou subtile so- 
 phister, art thou come now to molest me ? now I am 
 just going ! now I am so weak and death upon me I 
 Trouble me not, for I am none of thine ! I am the 
 Lord's ; Christ is mine, and I am his, his by covenant; 
 I have sworn myself to be the Lord's, and his I will 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints. 1S7 
 
 be, therefore begone.' These last words he repeated 
 often, as pleading his covenanting with God, as a mean 
 to resist the devil and his temptations. When he look- 
 ed on his weak consumed hands he would say, * These 
 shall be changed ; this vile body shall be made like to 
 Christ's glorious body. O what a glorious day will the 
 day of resurrection be ! Methinks I see it by faith \ 
 how will the saints lift up their heads and rejoice? 
 And how sad will the wicked world look then S O 
 come let us make haste, our Lord will come shortly ! 
 If we long to be in heaven, let us hasten with our 
 work; for when that is done away, we shall be fetched. 
 O this vain, foolish dirty world ; I wonder how 
 reasonable creatures can so doat upon it ! What is 
 in it worth the looking after ! I care not to be in it 
 any longer than while my Master hath either doing 
 or suffering work for me ; were that done, farewell to 
 earth.' 
 
 This eminent saint had this testimony given him by 
 one; it may be said of him in as high a degree as 
 of most saints on earth, that each thought was to bim 
 a prayer, each prayer a song, each day a Sabbath, 
 each meal a sacrament, and so his life on earth a 
 foretaste of that eternal repast to which he hath now- 
 arrived. 
 
 3iu The noble Marquis of Argyle, being a zealous 
 friend of our covenanted reformation, was put to 
 death, May 27th, 1661. His friends contrived me- 
 thods for making his escape out of the castle of Edin- 
 burgh, but he thanked them, and told them, he would 
 not disown the good cause he had so publicly espous- 
 ed, but resolved to suffer the utmost. When the sen- 
 tence of death was past by the parliament, Saturday 
 May 25th, he said, ( I had the honour to set the crown 
 upon the king's head, and now he hastens me to a 
 better crown than his own ;' then he was sent to the 
 tolbcoth. His excellent lady embracing him when 
 he entered ; wept bitterly, saying several times, The 
 Lord will require it. Not any in the room could re- 
 
188 Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 frain from tears; but the Marquis himself was perfectly 
 composed, and said, ' Forbear, forbear ; truly I pity 
 them, they know not what they are doing: they may 
 shut me in where they please, but they cannot shut 
 out God from me. For my part I am as content 
 to be here as in the castle, and as content in the castle 
 as in the tower of London, (where he was first put) 
 and as content there, as when at liberty. And I hope 
 to be as content upon the scaffold as any of them all.' 
 — .He added, that he remembered a scripture cited to 
 him lately by an honest minister in the castle, and 
 endeavoured to put it in practice, when Ziklag was 
 taken and burnt, and the people spoke of stoning 
 David, " he encouraged himself in the Lord his God." 
 All his short time, till Monday, he spent with the 
 greatest serenity and cheerfulness, and in the proper 
 exercises of a dying Christian. He said to some 
 ministers allowed to be with him in the prison : that 
 shortly they would envy him who was got before 
 them. — And added, ' Mind that I tell you, my skill 
 fails me, if you who are ministers will not either 
 suffer much, or sin much : for though you go along 
 with these men in part, if you do it not in all things, 
 you are but wnere you were, and so must suffer : 
 and if you go not at all in with them, you shall but 
 suffer." 
 
 The Marquis was naturally timorous, but he desired 
 those about him to observe, as he could not but do, 
 that the Lord had heard his prayers, and removed all 
 fears from him. And indeed his friends' work was to 
 restrain and qualify his fervent longing after his dis- 
 solution, and not to support him under the near views 
 of it. The Lord was exceeding kind to him at this 
 time, for upon Monday morning, that day he suffered, 
 when he was in the midst of company, and thronged 
 in subscribing papers relating to his estate, he was so 
 overcome with a singular manifestation from God, 
 that he broke out in a rapture, and said, * I thought 
 to have concealed the Lord's goodness, bukit will not 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints. 189 
 
 do ; I am now ordering my affairs, and God is sealing 
 my charter to a better inheritance, and just now saying 
 to me, Son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven^ 
 thee.' — After he had retired some time alone, when he 
 opened the door, Mr. Hutcheson, one of the ministers 
 that attended him, said to him, What cheer, my lord? 
 He answered, good cheer, Sir, the Lord hath again 
 confirmed, and said to me from heaven, Son, be of 
 good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee, and he gushed 
 out in abundance of tears of joy, so that he retired to 
 the windows and wept there. Afterwards he said in 
 a perfect rapture, to Mr. Hutcheson ; s I think his 
 kindness overcomes me ; but God is good to me, that 
 lets not too much of it here, for he knows I could not 
 bear it : get my cloke and let us go.' But being told 
 that the town clock was kept back, so that the hour 
 was not yet come ; he answered, they are far in the 
 wrong; and presently kneeled down and prayed before 
 all present, in a most sweet and heavenly manner, to 
 the ravishment of all that were there. 
 
 When he was going out to the scaffold, he said, c I 
 could die like a Roman ; but I choose rather to die like 
 a Christian. Come away gentlemen, he that goes first, 
 
 goes cleanest.' When going down he called Mr. 
 
 James Guthrie to him, and embracing him in the 
 most endearing way, took his farewell of him. Mr. 
 Guthrie at parting, addressed the Marquis thus, «■ My 
 Lord, God hath been with you, he is with you, and 
 God will be with you ; and such is my respect for your 
 lordship, that if I were not under the sentence of death 
 myself, I would cheerfully die for your lordship.' So 
 they panted for a very short season, in two or three 
 days to meet in a better place. 
 
 The Marquis in his speech on the scaffold hath 
 these words, * God hath laid engagements upon Scot- 
 land, we are tied bv covenant to religion and reforma- 
 tion. Those that were then unborn are engaged to it, 
 and it passeth the power of any under heaven to ah^» 
 solve a man from the oath of God. 5 
 
190 Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 35. Mr. John Welch, minister of the gospel at Ayr, 
 whom Mr. Rutherford, in his preface to his Survey 
 of Antinomianism, calls that apostolic, heavenly, and 
 prophetical man of God, and there tells us that he had 
 it from those who were witnesses of his life, that of 
 every twenty-four hours he gave usually eight to prayer, 
 and that he spent many nights in prayer to God, 
 interceding for suffering Protestants abroad, as well as 
 for his mother church. This holy man, when prisoner 
 in the castle of Blackness, and in the view of death, 
 (being condemned to it for maintaining the liberties of 
 this church, though afterwards the sentence was chang- 
 ed into banishment) in his letter to a Christian lady 
 hath these words : 
 
 * I long to eat of that tree which is planted in the 
 midst of the paradise of God, and to drink of the pure 
 river, clear as crystal, that runs through the street of 
 the New Jerusalem. I long to be refreshed with the 
 souls of them that are under the altar, who are slain 
 for the word of God, and the testimony that they 
 held ; and to have these long white robes given me, 
 that I may walk in white raiment with those glorious 
 saints, who have washed their garments, and made 
 them white in the blood of the Lamb. Why should I 
 think it a strange thing to be removed from this place: 
 to that where my hope, my joy, my crown, my elder 
 brother, my head, my father, my comforter, and all 
 the glorious saints are, and where the song of Moses 
 and the Lamb is sung joyfully ; where we shall not be 
 compelled to sit by the rivers of Babylon, and hang up 
 our harps on the willow trees, but shall take them up, 
 and sing the new hallelujah, blessing, honour, glory, 
 and power, to him that sits upon the throne, and to 
 the Lamb for ever and ever? What is there under 
 the old vault of the heavens, and in this old worn 
 earth, which is groaning under the bondage of cor- 
 ruption, that should make me desire to remain here ? 
 I expect that new heaven and new earth, wherein 
 righteousness dwelleth, wherein I shall rest forever- 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints. 191 
 
 more. I lock to get entry into the new Jerusalem 
 at one of these twelve gates, whereupon are written 
 the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. I know 
 that Jesus Christ hath prepared them for me. Why 
 may I not, then, with boldness in his blood, step into 
 that glory, where my Head and Lord hath gone be- 
 fore me ? Jesus Christ is the door and the porter ; 
 who then shall hold me out ? O thou fairest among 
 the children of men, the delight of mankind, the light 
 of the Gentiles, the glory of the Jews, the life of the 
 dead, the joy of angels and saints, my soul panteth 
 to be with thee. I refuse not to die with thee, that 
 I may live with thee ; I refuse not to suffer with thee, 
 that I may rejoice with thee. O when shall I be 
 filled with his love ! Surely, if a man knew how pre- 
 cious it is, he would count all things but dross and 
 dung to gain it. I long for that scaffold, or that axe, 
 or that cord, that might be to me that last step of this 
 my wearisome journey, to go to thee, my Lord. Who 
 am I, that he should first have called me, and then 
 constituted me a minister of the glad tidings of the 
 gospel of salvation these many years, and now last 
 of all, to be a sufferer for his cause and kingdom ? 
 These two points, First t That Christ is the head of 
 his church. 2dly> That she is free in her government 
 from all other jurisdiction, except Christ; yea, as free 
 as any kingdom under heaven, not only to convocate, 
 hold, and keep her meetings and assemblies, but also 
 to judge of all her affairs amongst her members and 
 subjects : these are the cause of our sufferings. I 
 would be most glad to be offered up as a sacrifice for 
 so glorious a truth ; but alas ! I fear that my sins and 
 the abuse of so glorious a thing as I have found, de- 
 prive me of so fair a crown ; yet my Lord doth know, 
 if he would call me to it, and strengthen me in it, it 
 would be to me the most glorious day, and gladdest 
 hour I ever saw in my life ; but I am in his hands, 
 to do with me whatsoever shall please him,' &c. 
 
 This eminent saint spent much of his time in the 
 
192 Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 mount of prayer and wrestling with God, was admitted 
 to very intimate nearness with him ; and had many 
 secret things revealed to him from God. He used to 
 say, ' He wondered how a Christian could lie in bed 
 all night ; without rising to spend some of the night 
 in prayer and praise.' 
 
 In his last illness he had a great weakness in his 
 knees, caused by his continual kneeling at prayer ; 
 the flesh thereof became insensible, and hard like a 
 sort of horn ; but, when in his weakness he was 
 desired to remit somewhat of his former painfulness, 
 his answer was, he had his life of God, and therefore 
 it should be spent for him. During his sickness he 
 was so filled with the sensible enjoyment of God, that 
 he was sometimes overheard in prayer to have these 
 words, * Lord, hold thy hand, it is enough, thy servant 
 is a clay vessel, and can hold no more/ 
 
 36. Mr. Christopher Love, minister of Laurance- 
 Jury in London, who was beheaded on Towerhiil, 
 August 22d, 1651, in time of Cromwell's usurpation, 
 and for suspected plotting against his government. 
 His words on the scaffold were most pathetic and 
 weighty. 
 
 « Although (said he) there be but little between me 
 and death, yet this bears up my heart, there is little 
 between me and heaven. It comforted Dr. Taylor 
 the martyr, when he was going to execution, that 
 there were but two stiles between him and his Father's 
 house; there is a lesser way between me and my 
 Father's house, but two steps between me and glory. 
 It is but lying down upon that block, and I shall 
 ascend upon a throne. I am this day sailing towards 
 the ocean of eternity through a rough passage to my 
 haven of rest!, through a red sea to the promised land. 
 Methinks I hear God say to me, as he did to Moses, 
 " Go up to Mount Nebo, and die there ;" so to me, 
 Go up to Towerhiil, and die there. Isaac said of him- 
 self, that he was old, and yet he knew not the day of 
 his death : but I cannot say so : I am young, and yet I 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints. 193 
 
 know the day of my death, and I know the kind of 
 my death, and the place of my death also. I am put 
 to such a kind of death, as two famous preachers of 
 the gospel were put to before me; John the Baptist, 
 and Paul the apostle; they were both beheaded. I 
 read also in Rev. xx. 4. «< The saints were beheaded 
 for the word of God, and testimony of Jesus." But 
 herein is the disadvantage which I lie under in the 
 thoughts of many; they judge that I suffer not for the 
 word of God, or for conscience, but for meddling 
 with state matters. To this I shall briefly say, that it 
 is an old trick of Satan, to impute the cause of God's 
 people's sufferings to be contrivements against the 
 state; when, in truth, it is their religion and conscience 
 they are persecuted for. The rulers of Israel would 
 have put Jeremy to death upon a civil account, though, 
 indeed, it was only the truth of his prophecy that made 
 the rulers angry with him: and yet upon a civil ac- 
 count they pretend he must die, because he fell away 
 to the Chaldeans, and would have brought in foreign 
 forces to invade them. The same thing is laid to my 
 charge, of which I am as innocent as Jeremy was. 
 So Paul, though he did but preach Jesus Christ, yet 
 his enemies would have put him to death, under pre- 
 tence that he was a mover of sedition. Upon a civil 
 account my life is pretended to be taken away; where- 
 as it is, because I pursue my covenant, and will not 
 prostitute my principles and conscience to the ambi- 
 tion and lust of men. I had rather die a covenant- 
 keeper, than live a covenant-breaker. Behold I am 
 this day making a double exchange; I am changing 
 a pulpit for a scaffold, and a scaffold for a throne; 
 and I might add a third, 1 am changing* the presence 
 of this numerous multitude on Tovverhn], for the in- 
 numerable company of saints and angels in heaven, 
 the holy hill of Zion; and I am changing a guard of 
 soldiers for^ guard of angels, which will receive me, 
 and carry me to Abraham's bosom. This scaffold is 
 the best pulpit that ever I preached in; in my church^ 
 
194 ' Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 pulpit, God through his grace made me an instrument 
 to bring others to heaven; but in this pulpit, he will 
 
 bring me to heaven.' Afterwards he said, c Though 
 
 my blood be not the blood of nobles, yet it is Christian 
 blood, minister's blood, yea more, it is also innocent 
 blood. I magnify the riches of God's mercy and grace 
 towards me, that I who was born in Wales, an ob- 
 scure country, and of obscure parents, should be singled 
 out to honourable sufferings. For the first fourteen 
 years of my life, I never heard a sermon preached, yet 
 in the fifteenth year of my life, it pleased God to con- 
 vert me. Blessed be God, who not only made me a 
 Christian, but also a minister, judging me faithful, and 
 putting me into the ministry, which is my glory. I 
 had rather be a preacher in a pulpit, than a prince upon 
 a throne; I had rather be an instrument to bring souls 
 to heaven, than that all nations should bring tribute 
 to me/ — c Formerly (said he) I have been under a 
 spirit of bondage; yea, sometimes I have had more fear 
 in drawing out a tooth, than now I have for cutting off 
 my head. When fear was upon me death was not 
 near; now, when death is near to me, my fear is evan- 
 ished. — I am comforted in this, though men kill me, 
 they cannot damn me; though they thrust me out of 
 the world, yet they cannot shut me out of heaven. 
 When I have shed my blood, I expect the full declara- 
 tion of the remission of sins through the blood of Jesus 
 Christ. I am going to my long home, and ye to 
 your short homes; but I shall be at my home before ye 
 be at yours.' — He prayed, that, seeing he was called 
 to do the work which he never did, he might have the 
 strength which he never had. 
 
 Dr. Wild, in his elegy, hath these lines: 
 
 Methinks I heard beheaded saints above, 
 Call to each other, Sirs, make room for Love, 
 W r ho when he came to tread the fatal stage, 
 (Which prov'd his glory, and his en'mies' rage,) 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints. 195 
 
 His blood ne'er run to's heart; Christ's blood was there 
 
 Reviving it: his own was all to spare; 
 
 Which, rising in his cheeks, did seem to say, 
 
 Is this the blood you thirst for? tak't, I pray. 
 
 Spectators in his looks such life did see, - : 
 
 That they appear'd more like to die than he. 
 
 Lightnings, which fill'd the air with blazing light, 
 
 Did serve for torches on that dismal night ; 
 
 In which, all next day, for many hours, 
 
 Heav'n groan'd in thunder, and did weep in show'rs; 
 
 Nor do I wonder that God thunder'd so, 
 
 When Boanerges murder' d lay below. 
 
 37. Mrs. Joyce Lewis, being condemned to be 
 burnt for the Protestant religion in Queen Mary's 
 reign, when she heard that the writ for her execution 
 was come, she said to her friends: 6 As for death I 
 fear it not; for when I behold the amiable countenance 
 of Jesus Christ, my dear Saviour, the ugly face of 
 death doth not much trouble me.' 
 
 38. Bullinger of Zurich, in his sickness, said to his 
 friends, ' If the Lord will make any further use of me 
 and my ministry in his church, I will willingly obey 
 him; but if he please (as I much desire) to take me out 
 of this miserable life, I shall exceedingly rejoice, that 
 he pleaseth to take me out of this corrupt and wretched 
 age to go to ray Saviour Christ.' * For, (said he) if 
 Socrates was glad when his death approached, because 
 (as he thought) he should go to Homer, Hesiod, and 
 other learned men, whom he expected to meet with in 
 the other world ; how much more do I joy, who am 
 sure that I shall see my Saviour Jesus Christ, as also 
 the saints, patriarchs, prophets, apostles, and all the 
 holy men who have lived from the beginning of 
 the world ? Now, when I am sure to see them, and 
 to partake of their joys, why should I not wil- 
 lingly die to enjoy their perpetual society and glo- 
 ry.' 
 
 39. Mr. Theodore Bez3, a famous pastor in Geneva, 
 
196 Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 when he apprehended the approach of death, revised 
 his will, and so easing himself of all worldly thoughts, 
 wholly betook himself to expect the time of his depar- 
 ture, which he had much longed for. He oft used 
 the apostle's saying, * We are his workmanship, creat- 
 ed in Christ Jesus unto good works." And that of 
 Augustine, JDomme, quod ccepissi, perfice, ne in portu 
 naufragium accidat. * Lord, perfect that which thou 
 hast begun, that I suffer not shipwreck in the haven.' 
 And that saying of Barnard : Domine sequimur te, per 
 te, ad te, Te, quia, Veritas : Per te, quia, via. Ad 
 te, quia, vita. « Lord, we will follow thee, by thee, 
 to thee. Thee, because thou art the truth: by thee, 
 because thou art the way : to thee because thou art 
 the life.' 
 
 40. Melancthon, of Wittemberg, Luther's dear 
 companion, said, * that he much longed to be dissolv- 
 ed, and that for two reasons : First, That he might 
 enjoy the most desired presence and sight of Christ, 
 and of the heavenly church. Secondly, That he might 
 be freed from the cruel and implacable discords of di- 
 vines.' 
 
 41. Mr. John Bradford, a minister and martyr in 
 queen Mary's reign, when the keeper told him, that 
 the next day he was to be burnt in Smithfield, he put 
 off his cap, and lifting up his eyes to heaven, said, 
 « I thank God, for it comes not now to me on a sud- 
 den, but as a thing waited for every day and hour; the 
 Lord make me worthy thereof.' One Cresswell offering 
 to interpose for him, and desiring to know what his re- 
 quest was ; he said, 'I have no request to make; if 
 the queen gives me my life, I will thank her ; if she 
 will banish me, I will thank her; if she will burn me, 
 1 will thank her ; if she will condemn me to perpetual 
 imprisonment, I will thank her.' — The Chancellor 
 pressing him to do as others had done, in hopes of 
 the queen's mercy ; he said, ' My Lord, I desire mer- 
 cy with God's mercy, that is, without doing or saying 
 any thing against God and his truth. But mercy with 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints. 197 
 
 God's wrath, God keep me from. God's mercy (add- 
 ed he) I desire, and also would be glad of the queen's 
 favour to live as a subject without clog on conscience; 
 but otherwise the Lord's mercy is better to me than 
 life. Life in his displeasure is worse than death, and 
 death in his favour is true life.' 
 
 In his letter to Dr. Cranmer, Dr. Ridley, and Dr. 
 Latimer, he hath these words : ' Our dear brother 
 Rogers hath broken the ice valiantly. This day, or 
 to-morrow at the uttermost hearty Hooper, sincere 
 Saunders, and trusty Taylor, will end their course, 
 and receive their crown. The next am I, who hourly 
 look for the porter to open me the gates after them to 
 enter into the desired rest. God forgive me mine un- 
 thankfulness for his exceeding great mercy. Though 
 I suffer justly (for I have been a great hypocrite, un- 
 thankful, &c. The Lord pardon me, yea, he hath 
 done it, he hath done it indeed) yet, what evil hath he 
 done? Christ whom the prelates persecute, his truth, 
 which they hate in me, hath done no evil, nor deserved 
 death. — O what am I, Lord, that thou shouldest thus 
 magnify me ? is it thy wont, to send for such a wretch- 
 ed hypocrite in a fiery chariot, as thou didst send for 
 Elias.' 
 
 In one of his meditations, after confessing of sin, 
 he said, < O what now may we do ? Despair ! No : 
 for thou art God, and therefore good ; thou art mer- 
 ciful, and therefore thou forgivest sin ; with thee there 
 is mercy and propitiation, and therefore thou art wor- 
 shipped. When Adam sinned, thou gavest him mer- 
 cy before he desired it ; and, wilt thou deny us mercy, 
 who now desire the same ? Adam excused his fault, 
 and accused thee ; but we accuse ourselves, and excuse 
 thee; and shall we be sent empty away ? How often 
 in the wilderness didst thou spare Israel, and defer 
 thy plagues, at the request of Moses ; when the peo- 
 ple themselves made no petition to thee 1 Now we do 
 not only make our petitions to thee, but also have a 
 Mediator, far above Moses, to appear for us s even 
 
 P 3 
 
198 Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 Jesus Christ thine own Son, and shall we (dear Lord) 
 depart ashamed ? — O merciful Lord, for thine own 
 glory, suffer not the enemy of thy Son Christ, the 
 Romish antichrist, thus wretchedly to delude and 
 draw from thee our poor brethren for whom thy dear 
 Son once died, &c. Suffer him not to seduce the 
 simple sort with his fond opinion, that his false gods, 
 his blind mumbling, feigned religion, or his foolish i 
 superstition, doth give him such conquest, such vic- 
 tories and such triumphs over us. But, O Lord, this 
 is thy righteous judgment, to punish us with the ty- ' 
 rannical yoke ©f blindness, because we have cast away 
 from us the sweet yoke of the wholesome word of thy 
 Son, our Saviour/ 
 
 In his letter to Mrs. Anne Warcup, he said, * My 
 staff standeth at the door. I look continually for the 
 sheriff to come for me; and I bless God I am ready 
 for him. Now I go to practise that which I have 
 preached. Now I am climbing up the hill; it will 
 cause me puff and blow before I come to the cliff. 
 The hill is steep and high, my breath is short, and my 
 strength is feeble. Pray therefore to the Lord for me, 
 that, as I have now through his goodness even almost 
 come to the top, I may by his grace be strengthened, 
 not to rest till I come where I should be.* 
 
 He was singular for humility and self-abasement, 
 though a most eminent saint. He subscribed some 
 of his letters, 'The most miserable, hard-hearted, 
 unthankful sinner, John Bradford. A very painted 
 hypocrite, John Bradford. Misserimus peccator, John 
 Bradford. The sinful John Bradford.' 
 
 42. Mr. Edward Deering, a little before his death, 
 said to his friends, « As for my death 1 bless God 
 I feel and find so much inward joy and comfort to 
 my soul, that if it were put to my choice whether I* 
 would die or live, I would a thousand times rather 
 choose death than life, if it may stand with the holy 
 will of God.' 
 
 43. Mr. Kobert Rollock, when a-dying, prayed? 
 
Direct. VI. of Dying Saints. 199 
 
 * Lord, I have hitherto seen but darkly in the glass 
 of thy word; now grant that I may enjoy the eternal 
 fruition of thy countenance, which I have so much 
 desired and longed for. Haste, Lord, and do not 
 tarry; I am weary both of nights and days; come, 
 Lord Jesus, that I may come to thee. Break these 
 eye-strings, and give me others; I desire to be dis- 
 solved, and to be with thee; haste, Lord Jesus, and 
 defer no longer. Go forth, my weak life, and let a 
 better succeed. O Lord Jesus, thrust thy hand into 
 my body, and take my soul to thyself. O my sweet 
 Lord, set this soul of mine free, that it may enjoy 
 her husband.' 
 
 44s Galeacius Caracciolus, jnarquis of Vico, when 
 a-dying, took his leave of his wife and all his Christ- 
 ian friends, telling them that he would lead them the 
 way to heaven. And he cried to Jesus Christ, that 
 
 * as he had sought him all his life, so now he would 
 receive and acknowledge him as his own.' 
 
 45. The famous lord Du Plessis in France, when 
 a-dying, was much concerned for the church of God 
 in distress, praying earnestly for her deliverance. — 
 He particularly blessed such of his grandchildren as 
 were following the studies of learning, saying, That 
 ' he was assured they should be blessed with the 
 blessings, both of heaven above, and of the earth be- 
 neath.' When a minister spoke of the service he had 
 done the church by his writings, he said, ' Alas, 
 what was there of mine in that work? Say not that 
 it was I, but God by me.' Then lifting urJ his hands 
 above his head, he cried three times, ' Mercy, Mercy, 
 Mercy.' Adding, that he did it, to shew that it was 
 the alone mercy of God to which he had recourse. 
 And declared, that his faith was altogether founded 
 upon the goodness of God in Jesus Christ, who by 
 the Father hath been made unto him, as to all others 
 that^bejieve in him, " wisdom, righteousness, sane- 
 ti%atibtf "and redemption." ' Away (said he) away 
 with : all merit ; I call for nothing but mercy, free 
 
200 Choice Sayings Chap. VII. 
 
 mercy.' When one was blessing God for giving him 
 such peace and comfort at his end, he said, c I feel, 
 I feel, what I speak.' As to his faith of the truths 
 of God, he said, * He was entirely persuaded there- 
 of, by the demonstration of God's Holy Spirit, which 
 was more powerful, more clear, and more certain 
 than all the demonstrations of Euclid.' When se- 
 cretly praying, he was overheard saying in broken sen- 
 tences, ' I fly, I fly to heaven. Let the angels car- 
 ry me to the bosom of my Saviour.' Afterwards, he 
 said, ( I know that my Redeemer liveth, and I shall 
 see him with these eyes;' hisce occulus; which words 
 he repeated four or five times. 
 
 46. Jerome of Prague, when he was fastened to the 
 stake, and the executioner began to kindle the fire be- 
 hind him, he bade him kindle it before his face; * For 
 (said he) if I had been afraid of it, I had not come to 
 this place, having had so many opportunities offered 
 me to escape it.' 
 
 47. Mr. Hooker, a minister in New England, when 
 one that stood weeping at his bed-side, when he lay a- 
 dying, said to him, * Sir, you are going to receive the 
 reward of all your labours;' he replied, * Brother, I 
 am going to receive mercy.' 
 
 48. Mr. Heron, another minister there, when dying 
 and leaving a family of many small children; his poor 
 wife fell a-weeping, and said, alas, what will become 
 of all these children ? He presently and pleasantly re- 
 plied, ' Never fear ; he that feeds the young ravens, 
 will not starve the young Herons.' And indeed it 
 came to pass accordingly. It was an ancient observa- 
 tion concerning the English martyrs under the bloody 
 Marian persecution, ' That none of them went more 
 joyfully to the stake, than those who had the greatest 
 families to commit unto the Lord.' 
 
 49. Chrysostom, when the empress Eudoxa (an A- 
 rian,) sent a threatening message to him, he said, 
 ' Go tell her, Nil nisi peccatim timeo, I fear nothing 
 but sin,' When he was sentenced to banishment, he 
 
Direct. VII. of Dying Saints. 201 
 
 said, ' None of these things trouble me ; for I said 
 before within myself, if the empress will, let her ba- 
 nish me ; * The earth is the Lord's and the fulness 
 thereof:' if she will, let her saw me asunder; Isaiah 
 was so used : if she will, let her cast me into the sea; 
 I will remember Jonah : if she will, let her cast me 
 into a burning fiery furnace, or to the wild beasts ; 
 the three children and Daniel were so served : if she 
 will, let her stone me, or cut off my head ; I have St. 
 Stephen and the Baptist for my companions: if she 
 will, let her take away all my substance; Naked came 
 I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return 
 thither again.' 
 
 But I must break off, for time would fail me to e- 
 numerate the many instances of the faith, love, pa- 
 tience, hope, courage, and constancy of the saints and 
 martyrs of Jesus, when In the view of death. Some 
 have told their persecutors, < That they might pull 
 their hearts out of their bodies, but they could never 
 pluck the truth out of their hearts.' — Others have 
 said, * That, if every hair of their heads were men, 
 they should all suffer death for Christ and his truths.' 
 — * Oh (said one of them) can I die but once for 
 Christ?' 
 
 To conclude ; let these examples prompt us to seek 
 grace from God, and make it our earnest study to im- 
 itate and follow such a cloud of witnesses, that we may 
 die martyrs in resolution, our graces may be most live- 
 ly at the last, our evening sun may shine brightest, 
 and we may go off the stage glorifying God and leav- 
 ing a sweet savour behind us, as these famous wor- 
 thies, whose praise is in the churches, have done be- 
 fore us. 
 
 Direct. VII. Let dying -persons be much in prayer 
 
 and ejaculations to God, 
 T3RAYER is the native breath of renewed souls; it 
 •*■ is as necessary to their spiritual life, as breath is 
 to the naturaMife, Lam. iii. 56. " Hide not thine ear 
 
202 Choice Sayings, SfC. Chap. VII. 
 
 at my breathing." The first thing a child of God doth, 
 when he is new born, is to breathe by prayer, Acts 
 ix. 11. " Behold he prayeth." And, it is also his last 
 work in the world, to pray, Acts vii. 59, 60. " And 
 they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, 
 Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, 
 and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to 
 their charge. And when he had said this, he fell a- 
 sleep." A dying Christian hath many to pray for ; he 
 is to pray for the church of God, for his friends, and 
 relations, and also for his enemies, as Stephen did ; of 
 whom I spake before. But especially he must pray 
 for himself, that sin may be forgiven, and that he may 
 have safe conduct through the dark valley. I have 
 heard of some that have been found dead upon their 
 knees ; a noble posture to die in ! How agreeable is it 
 to enter praying into the land of praise ? So did Ste- 
 phen, yea, so did our blessed Saviour himself; « Fa- 
 ther, forgive them, for they know not what they do. 
 Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.' The 
 last words that holy Usher uttered, were, « But, Lord, 
 in special forgive my sins of omission.' , * Lord (said 
 dying Beza) perfect that which thou hast begun, that 
 I suffer not shipwreck in the haven.' I remember to 
 have read of an old minister, when he found death 
 approaching, he said, ' I desire to die like the poor 
 thief crying to the crucified Jesus for mercy. I am 
 nothing, I have nothing, I can do nothing, except 
 what is unworthy. My eye, my hope, and faith is to 
 Christ on the cross. I bring an unworthiness *like 
 that of the poor dying thief unto him, and have no 
 more to plead than he. Like the poor thief crucified 
 with him, I am waiting to be received, by the infinite 
 grace of my Lord into his kingdom.' Let us, 
 in like manner, die crying to a crucified Jesus for 
 mercy. Lord, remember me, now thou art in thy 
 kingdom. 
 
 O, dying Christian, remember the time of prayer is 
 near an end; after death there will be no more occa- 
 
Direct. VII. Meditations. 203 
 
 sion for prayer. O then beg that the spirit of prayer 
 may be so poured down upon you at this time, that 
 you may be enabled to pour out your heart before God 
 both for yourself and others. O how earnestly should 
 you pray then, when you are taking your leave of 
 prayer ! Mind the example which your Redeemer gave 
 you; it was before his death that he offered up prayers 
 and supplications, with strong crying and tears unto 
 God. I acknowledge, sick and dying persons are fre- 
 quently out of case for making prayers of any great 
 length or continuance (which consideration should 
 excite us to the greater diligence in prayer in the time 
 of our health) and therefore they ought to be the 
 more frequent and fervent in short and suitable ejacu- 
 lations and petitions to God, as their exigencies do 
 require. 
 
 Some Meditations and Ejaculations proper for sick and 
 dying persons, and especially for a dying believer. 
 
 OLORD, thou art the God of my life, and hast 
 the keys of death in thy hand. Thou hast 
 measured the length of my life, and appointed the 
 hour of my death. The number of my months and 
 days is with thee, and thou hast appointed the bounds 
 over which I cannot pass. 
 
 What is my life but a vapour that appeareth for a 
 little time, and then vanisheth away ! At the longest, 
 how short is it? and at the strongest, how weak? 
 
 \Vhat man is it that liveth here, and shall not see 
 death? When a few days are come, I shall go the way 
 whence I shall not return. God hath decreed it, sin 
 hath deserved it, my frailty demonstrates it, death's 
 harbingers proclaim it, and I must expect it. 
 
 There is no discharge in this war, no exemption 
 from death's stroke. Death's messengers are come 
 to warn me, that my last day and last hour draweth 
 nigh. The sound of their master's feet is behind 
 
204; Meditations Chap. VII. 
 
 them. This clay house must be dissolved, my soul 
 dislodged, and my place here shall know me no more. 
 I will be quickly as water spilt on the ground, that 
 cannot be gathered up again. 
 
 O that I may be suitably exercised in my present 
 weak and dying condition ! When my flesh faileth, 
 and my heart fainteth within me, O that God may 
 be the strength of my heart and portion for ever ! 
 When the keepers of the house do tremble, let God 
 watch over it, and be the keeper of my soul. When 
 the grinders do cease, because they are few, let my 
 soul be fed with manna from heaven. When the 
 daughters of music are brought low, let my soul be 
 disposed for hearing the song of Moses and the Lamb 
 in the temple above. When those that look out at 
 the windows are darkened, let the eyes of my soul be 
 enlightened to behold, with the dying martyr Stephen, 
 the heavens opened, and the glorious Jesus standing 
 on the right hand of God, making intercession for me, 
 and ready to receive me. Let my hope and desire 
 look out at the windows, and say, " Why is his cha- 
 riot so long a coming? and why tarry the wheels of 
 his chariot? Make haste, my beloved, and be thou 
 like a roe or a young hart on the mountains of Bether." 
 O that I may observe the afflicting hand of God 
 in my present sickness! Surely affliction cometh not 
 out of the dust, nor doth trouble spring out of the 
 ground. O Lord, rebuke me not in thine indigna- 
 tion, nor chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have 
 mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; and heal me, 
 for my bones are vexed. When thou with rebukes 
 doth correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty 
 to consume away like a moth: surely every man is 
 vanity. The sorrows of my heart are enlarged, O 
 bring me out of my distresses. Look upon my af- 
 fliction and my pain, and forgive all my sin. I look 
 for sympathy to my great high priest, who is touched 
 with the feelings of my infirmities. My help and 
 strength is in him. 
 
Direct. VII. for Dying Saints. 205 
 
 O that, when I am afflicted, I may not despise the 
 chastening of the Lord, nor faint when I am rebuked 
 of him ! Let me hear the rod, and him that hath 
 appointed it. Let me kiss the rod, and accept of the 
 punishment of mine iniquity. O that in my affliction 
 I may be helped to humble myself greatly before the 
 God of my fathers, and make a true and penitent 
 confession of my sins ! 
 
 O ! what shall I say to thee, O thou preserver of 
 men? I will say, Lord, be merciful to me; heal my 
 soul, for I have sinned against thee. I acknowledge, 
 that through an evil heart of unbelief, I have many a 
 time departed away from the living God. O how 
 vainly and foolishly have I lived in the world ! How 
 lavish of my precious time ! How unmindful of my 
 latter end ! How careless of my immortal soul 1 How 
 little in preparation^ for eternity ! Oh ! my own heart 
 condemns me, my 'sins testify against me ; and thou 
 who knowest them better than I do myself, together 
 with their several aggravations, mightest justly con- 
 demn me too. But my comfort is, that with thee the 
 Lord there is mercy, that thou mayest be feared, and 
 with thy Son there is plenteous redemption: where- 
 fore, for his sake, be pleased to forgive me all my 
 bypast transgressions, whether in thought, word, or 
 deed, those I remember, and those I have forgotten, 
 and let them neither be charged on me to my shame 
 and confusion in this world, nor to my everlasting ruin 
 in that which is to come. Lord, forgive the follies of 
 my childhood, the extravagancies of my youth, and all 
 the iniquities of riper years. 
 
 Oh ! I am polluted with sin, and dare not appear 
 before God with my own filthy rags upon me. 
 When Adam lost the garment of original righteous- 
 ness, he fled from God, and dreaded the summons of 
 offended justice. Now, there is no appearing before 
 God with acceptance, but in the garment of his Son, 
 my elder brother. None can have boldness to enter 
 into the holiest of all, but by the blood of Jesus. Q 
 
 Q 
 
206 Meditations Cnapv Til. 
 
 enable me to disclaim whatsoever duties I have per- 
 formed, or graces I have exercised, and to rely on a 
 crucified Christ alone for pardon and life ! Though 
 thou slayest me, let me die trusting in, and cleaving to 
 a crucified Jesus. 
 
 Now the powers of darkness will seek to raise 
 tempests to shipwreck the vessel of my soul when it 
 would enter into the eternal haven ; O that like the 
 wise mariner, when the storm approacheth, I may 
 endeavour to secure the vessel with the anchors of faith 
 and hope fastened on the rock Christ ! 
 
 O that, when the time of combat with my last 
 enemy cometh, I may above all take the shield of 
 faith, whereby I may be sheltered from the sting of 
 death, and may quench the fiery darts of the wicked 
 one. 
 
 O that the Lord of* hosts, the Captain of my sal- 
 vation, may be with me in my last conflict, and may 
 help me to put on the whole armour of God, and give 
 me skill to use it, that I may be able to stand in the 
 evil day ! '* Teach my hands to war, and my finger* 
 to fight, that through thee I may do valiantly, and 
 tread down all mine enemies." O that now I may so- 
 finish my course, and fight the good fight of faith, that 
 at death I may receive the crown of righteousness, 
 which the righteous Judge will give to all that love 
 his appearing. O that my faith may ripen into a full 
 "assurance, that I may go off the stage with joy, and 
 an abundant entrance may be administered unto me 
 into the kingdom of my Lord and Saviour Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 O that the night of my death may shine bright with 
 the sparkling stars of heavenly grace. Lord, increase 
 my feith ; let the pilgrim's staff of faith be never out 
 of my hand till I come to my journey's end. O let 
 me get Christ hi my arms, like old Simeon before his 
 death; that I may say, like him, " Now let thy servant 
 depart in peace, for mine eyes have seen thy salva- 
 tion." Kindle the fire of heavenly love in my soul, 
 
Direct. VII. for Dying Saints. 207 
 
 and give me a taste of heavenly joys. O for one beam 
 of thy light, to banish away all my doubts and fears i 
 Lord, let in something of heaven to my soul, before 
 itself go into heaven. 
 
 Lord, take me not out of this life till thou hast 
 fitted me for a better. May I be fitted for heaven 
 before I leave the earth, and finish my work before I 
 finish my course ! Make me ready to meet thee at thy 
 coming, that so thy coming may not be the matter of 
 my terror, but the matter of my hope, desires, and joy- 
 ful expectations. O that: I may be in a longing frame 
 for that blessed time, when he will come and put a 
 period to ail my sins, sorrows, troubles, and temptations 
 here; and when I shall exchange my present being 
 in the body, for an everlasting being with the Lord I 
 Lord, strengthen my faith and hope that so neither the 
 sweetness of life, the pain of death, nor apprehensions 
 about my future state, may make me unwilling to die. 
 Is my Redeemer ascended and gone before to prepare 
 a place for me; why then should I be slothful to go 
 in and possess the good land? 
 
 Mercy hath filled up all my life, and brought me 
 near to the end of it ; O let it not leave me now, when 
 all the enjoyments of the world are as nothing to me, 
 and I am to take an everlasting farewell of thera all. 
 Mow one smile of thy face, one taste of thy love, would 
 be strength and joy to my departing soul. O remem- 
 ber thy word to thy servant, upon which thou hast 
 caused me to hope ; hast thou not said, * { I will ne- 
 ver leave thee nor forsake thee ?" O fulfil this word 
 to me in the time of my need. O let me never go oft' 
 the stage with a heavy heart, or a guilty conscience: 
 but may I depart in peace, and sleep in Jesus. Let 
 me breathe out my departing soul to thee, and trust it 
 in thy hand- and safe keeping: and let my flesh rest in 
 hope of rising gloriously at the last day, through him 
 who is the resurrection and the life, the Lord Jesos 
 Christ. 
 
 Love and praise is the exercise of saints for ever^ 
 
£GS Meditations Chap. VI L 
 
 may I be acquainted with it here ! O shall I not love 
 and praise him, who hath forgiven all my iniquities, 
 healed all my diseases^ redeemed my life from de- 
 struction, and crowned me with loving-kindness and 
 tender mercies? He hath caused goodness and mercy 
 follow me all the days of my life ; and shall I not fol* 
 low him vvith praises at the end of it? 
 
 Now the time of my departure is at hand, and the 
 lamp of life is ready to be extinguished. O that I 
 may die in faith, that whether the lamp go out of its 
 own accord, or by some sudden blast, it may be lighted 
 again by the immortal beams of the Sun of Righte- 
 ousness ! And though I be overtaken with the sleep 
 of death, and lie down in the bed of the grave, yet I 
 shall awake again in the morning of the resurrection, 
 that morning which shall never be succeeded by an 
 evening; when I shall behold thy face in righteousness, 
 and be eternally satisfied with thy likeness. 
 
 Now I am going the way of all the earth, ready 
 to launch forth into eternity, where I shall be fixed 
 in my everlasting condition. Grant me, Lord, the 
 perfect use of my senses, of my reason and under- 
 standing, that I may glorify thy name, and edify my 
 neighbours to the last moment of my departure. And 
 now, when I am to conflict with the king of terrors, 
 O support and assist me in my sorest extremities and 
 last agonies. O mercifully mitigate death's pangs, 
 and let my passage be easy, and my landing safe. 
 Stand by me in my dying moments, and secure my 
 soul in thy hands from all its deadly enemies. And 
 when I am numbered among the dead, let me also 
 be numbered among the redeemed and blessed of the 
 Lord for ever. 
 
 O Lord, thou determinest both the bounds of man's 
 life, and the bounds of his habitation. If a hair of 
 my head cannot fall to the ground without thy provi- 
 dence, far less can my whole body fall into the grave 
 without it. Thou hast told me plainly that I must die, 
 but mercifully li-ast thou concealed the time, place, 
 
Direct. VII. for Dying Saints. 209 
 
 and manner, that 1 might always stand upon my 
 guard, every hour expect thy coming, and have my 
 accounts in my hand, always prepared to give them 
 up to thee my Judge. Justly mightest thou have 
 snatched me away by a surprising call and sudden 
 stroke : but in thy goodness thou givest me warning, 
 and time to set my house and soul in order. O gra- 
 ciously finish now what is wanting of the work of thy 
 grace in my heart and soul, and thoroughly accom- 
 plish and furnish me to appear in thy blessed presence.; 
 May I now die to sin every hour, that I may not die 
 for sin hereafter, Cause sin wholly to die before me^ 
 that it may not rise in judgment against me after 
 death. 
 
 O God, be thou my refuge and strength, and a very 
 present help in trouble; and then I will not fear 
 though the waters of affliction rage and be troubled., 
 and though all the mountains of earthly comforts shake 
 with the swelling thereof. There is a river, the 
 streams whereof shall make glad the city of God. 
 O let my soul dwell beside these living streams, and 
 drink of them for ever. In the valley of the shadow 
 of death, Lord, be thou present, as the good shep- 
 herd, with thy guiding rod, and supporting staff; and 
 make my departure easy, and full of peace and hope* 
 Lord, carry me safe through the dark passage upon 
 which I am entering, and let me find it a gate to g!ory ? 
 a door opened into the. everlasting kingdom and joy of 
 the Lord. Lord Jesu* ? receive my spirit, and let it.be 
 presented justified and spotless to the Father, that it 
 may come to the spirits of just men made perfect, and 
 join with them in singing the new song, u Worthy is 
 the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God 
 by his blood, to receive power, honour, glory, ,&&£- 
 blessing, for ever." Amen, 
 Q 3 
 
2 1 Meditations Chap. V IT. 
 
 Some Meditations for drooping Believers xvhen death 
 is near. 
 
 npRAVELLERS, who have met with many storms, 
 -*- troubles, and dangers in their journies, rejoice 
 when they come near their own country ; and shall 
 not I, a stranger and pilgrim, that hath been long wan* 
 dering in a wilderness, be glad when I come near my 
 blessed home, my dear friends, and eternal habitation? 
 
 With what cheerfulness do some women endure 
 the pains of childbearing, 'being supported with the 
 hope of a child's being born into the world ? And 
 what is the joy of a man-child being brought into this 
 sinful and miserable world, to the. joy of a sanctified 
 soul's being brought out of it into heaven for ever. It 
 is pleasant when the hard winter goeth over, the mes- 
 sengers of the spring, the singing of birds doth come -i 
 and shall not I rejoice when sickness and forerunners of 
 death do tell me, that the winter of my darkness and 
 trouble is past, and the summer of my eternal light 
 and joy is at hand? 
 
 What though death be the king of terrors ? Is not 
 glorious Christ the king of comforts? Have not I met 
 already with this blessed king; and why should I fear 
 to meet with the other ? O let my strength and sup- 
 port at this time come from Christ my covenanted 
 Redeemer. 
 
 O Lord, deliver my soul from death, mine eyes from 
 tears, and my feet from falling ! O bring me out of 
 the miry clay, set my feet upon a rock, and establish 
 my goings, and put a new song in my mouth, even 
 praises to our God ! 
 
 If Jacob went down so cheerfully into Egypt, when 
 God had said unto him, " Fear not to go down, for 
 I will go down with thee, and I will bring thee up 
 again ;" why should a believer fear to go down to the 
 grave, when God hath undertaken to go down with 
 him thither, and to bring him up again ? His body 
 may be turned into dust, but God is in covenant with 
 
Direct. VII. .for Dying Saints* 211 
 
 his dust, and will not suffer the least particle of it to 
 be lost. 
 
 Are not the righteous taken away from the evil to 
 come ? Do they not rest on their beds, and enter into 
 peace ? Why then should I grudge at dying ? When 
 the Lord is to bring heavy wrath and judgments on 
 a land, he frequently houseth many of his people in 
 heaven before-hand ; and how happy are these that 
 get into the house before the sweeping hail-shower 
 doth fall. A believer needeth not to look for any set- 
 tled fair weather in this world : it will be nothing but 
 one shower up and another down, till he be housed 
 in heaven. O why then should I linger in this wil- 
 derness ! 
 
 How highly dignified is the believer, in being made 
 an heir of God, and a joint-heir with his own Son 
 Jesus Christ ! so that Christ and the believer do, as it 
 were divide heaven betwixt them; they have the same 
 Father, dwell in the same house, sit at the same table, 
 reign on the same throne, and partake of the same 
 glory. O^what honour is this which is put upon a 
 worm of the earth ! It is, indeed, but little that the 
 young heir. enjoys of the inheritance while in this 
 world ; no more than will serve to bear his charges to 
 heaven, where he shall get all, forget his present 
 straits, and remember his poverty no more. O why 
 then should not I, like a young heir, be looking and 
 longing for the expiring of my minority, when I shall 
 arrive at ripe age, and enter upon the full possession 
 of the inheritance 1 O that I could send out faith and 
 hope, these two faithful spies, to survey the promised 
 land, or at least to visit the borders of my elder bro- 
 ther's country ! What an encouraging report would 
 they bring back ! My glorious Lord is gone, he hath 
 left the earth, and entered into his glory; my breth» 
 ren and friends have many of them arrived there al- 
 so. How great is the difference betwixt my state and 
 theirs ! I am groaning out my complaints, but they 
 are singing God's praise; I am in darkness, and can- 
 
£I£ Meditations Chap. VII, 
 
 not see God; but they are in light, and see him face 
 to face. O my Lord, shall I stay behind, when they 
 are gone ? Should I be satisfied to wander in the 
 wilderness, far distant from my Father and my God, 
 when they are triumphing above, dividing the spoil? 
 No; I will look still after them with a stedfast eye, 
 and cry, O Lord, how long ? I will wai; now in hope, 
 yea, rejoice in the forethoughts of the day, when my 
 minority shall be expired, my pilgrimage finished, my 
 banishment over, that I may get home to my country 
 and friends above. 
 
 What though my days be dark and gloomy now, 
 my winter be sharp and stormy ? Why, it is but short, 
 and near over; the eternal summer approacheth. The 
 long day, the high sun, and the fair garden of my 
 well-beloved, above these visible heavens, will quickly 
 make amends for all. Let me get up by faith, and 
 visit the new land, view the fair city, and behold the 
 white throne, and the Lamb that sits thereon, that I 
 may rejoice in the hope of the glory of -God. 
 
 Shall many of the heirs of wrath go singing and 
 rejoicing to hell, and will an heir of God go drooping 
 and sorrowing to heaven ! Oh, let me not by my 
 behaviour on a deathbed bring up a bad report upon 
 Christ's good way, and the land which he hath pur- 
 chased. 
 
 Have I such great and precious promises left me, 
 and -shall I not live and feed upon them in the time 
 of my need ? Shall I not trust the word of him that is 
 faithful and true ? Hath he not said to me," When 
 thou passeth through the 'waters, I will be with thee; 
 and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee; 
 when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be 
 burnt, neither shall the flames kindle upon thee !* - 
 When thy disciples were sore tossed with winds and 
 waves, thou earnest to them in the fourth watch of the 
 night, walking on the waters ; and when their fears 
 were increased, thou saidst, " It -is I, be not afraid.* 1 
 'Fhou rebukedst the winds, and there presently fol~ 
 
Direct. .VIL for Dying Saints. 213 
 
 lowed a great calm. My Redeemer's compassions 
 continue: his bowels are not shut up this day, more 
 than in the days of his flesh. <« Jesus Christ is the 
 same to-day, yesterday, and for ever." 
 
 Ah ! I have too little improven my acquaintance with 
 precious Christ in the day of my lite! How ready am 
 I to misken and mistake him, when he changeth his 
 dispensations towards me] Though I have been long 
 at Christ's school, what small proficiency have I made 
 in the work and mystery of faith ! How little have I 
 learned to believe in the dark, and to drop an anchor 
 at midnight upon the rock of ages, and to look out for 
 the dawning of the day ! 
 
 Surely the dzy shall break, and the shadows flee 
 away: my King cometh, my Well- beloved is on his 
 way ; he hath sent his letter before him to warn me of 
 it, saying, " Behold I come quickly." O that, like the 
 cold and wearied night-watch, I may be looking out 
 for the appearing of the morning- star, and the breaking 
 of the eastern sky; and may be still crying, " Even so, 
 come, Lord Jesus; come quickly !" 
 
 Thou hast said, " Light is sown for the righteous, 
 and gladness for all the upright in heart." Surely God's 
 seed shall not lie always beneath the clods; the time is 
 at hand, when it shall spring; and joyful will the crop 
 -be at last. O that, like David in affliction, I could 
 encourage myself in the Lord my God, and say, " The 
 Lord liveth, blessed be my rock !" Why should I 
 droop, while my Lord liveth, and my rock standeth ? 
 My hopes may die, my comforts may die, my gifts 
 <die, my riches die, my relations die, and my body die 5 - 
 but, good new?, " The Lord liveth, blessed be my 
 <rock." The disciples had a melancholy time while 
 Christ was dead, and lying in the grave: but that 
 sad time is over ; he is now risen, and will die no 
 more. Nay, he hath proclaimed it, for my comfort, 
 saying, " Fear not, I am the first and the last; I 
 SLm he that liveth, and was dead; and behold I am 
 
2U Meditations Chap. VII. 
 
 alive for evermore, Amen, and have the keys of hell j 
 and death." 
 
 When my soul is cast down within me, let me 
 remember God from the land of Jordan and the hill 
 Mizar ; that I may reason myself out of all my fears 
 and discouragements ; for yet the Lord will command 
 his loving-kindness in the day-time; and in the night, 
 his song shall be with me; and my prayer to the God 
 »Qf my life. 
 
 " Why then art thou cast down, O my soul, and 
 why art thou disquieted within me? Hope thou in 
 God; for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of 
 my countenance, and my God." 
 
 Now, when death is at hand, let not my Saviour 
 be far off. He who remembered the dying thief, and 
 spoke comfortably to him, let him now remember 
 me when he is seated in his kingdom, and say to my 
 soul, " This day thou shalt be with me in paradise." 
 When it is absent from the body, let it be present 
 with the Lord. Let the angels now be ready to do 
 their office, to carry my departing soul into Abra- 
 ham's bosom. Let me now depart, that J may be 
 with Christ; yea, be for ever with the Lord, that I 
 may see his face. Let me dwell there, where they 
 have no light, need no candle, nor light of the sun for 
 ever ! where God shall wipe away all tears from their 
 eyes, and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow 
 nor crying. 
 
 Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit. By 
 the hands of him who hath redeemed it, let it be pre- 
 sented to thee without spot or wrinkle or any such 
 thing. 
 
 An Addition of some further Meditations proper for 
 any' sick .person in the mew of death. 
 
 rpHE Lord is pleased sometimes to ccast men down 
 -*- on beds of sickness, and draw ithe ^curtain be- 
 twixt the world and them, that they may take a view 
 
Direct. VII, for Dying Saints. 215 
 
 of their bypast life and future state. Now it is time 
 for me to look into my soul, and examime my state. 
 Oh, how many do miss salvation, when they think 
 themselves sure of it ? They mistake a form of god- 
 liness for the power of it, and thereby deceive them* 
 selves, thinking themselves something when they are 
 nothing. 
 
 Some come the length as to shed tears, as Esau did r 
 profess fair, yea, fight for the Lord, as Saul and Jehu 
 did ; wish for the end of the righteous, as Baalam did; 
 desire God's people to pray for them, as Pharaoh and 
 Simon Magus did ; walk softly, and mourn for fear of 
 judgments, as Ahab did; joy in gospel ordinances, 
 and reform in many things, as Herod did ; prophesy 
 and speak well of Christ, as Caiapbas and Judas did | 
 be convinced and tremble at hearing a sermon, as Fe- 
 lix did ; yea, taste the good word of God, and the 
 powers of the world to come as apostates have done; 
 and yet, for all these attainments, remain strangers to- 
 the saving work of the Spirit on the heart. 
 
 O that the consideration of hypocrites' attainments 
 might alarm me out of my security, and make me 
 restless till I find the distinguishing marks of true grace 
 and sincere faith in my soul? O that I could say, there 
 is a principle in me that will not suffer me to build on 
 any foundation in the world but Christ and his righte- 
 ousness ; that makes me content with Christ, with all 
 his offices, with all his precepts, and with his very 
 cross for his sake? Doth the love of Christ keep me 
 back from sin, more than the law or fear of hell? Have 
 I aimed at God's honour in all my actions, civil, 
 natural, and religious? Am I humble, and denied to 
 my own will, wit, credit, ease, and honour, and to all 
 the enjoyments of the world ? Am 1 acquainted with 
 the throne of grace, and desirous to keep up a constant 
 correspondence with it? O let me not rest till I 
 perceive these things in my soul which accompany 
 salvation. 
 
 O how comfortable would it be to me now if I could 
 
216 Meditations Chap. VII. 
 
 say, with good Hezekiah in his sickness, " Remem- 
 ber now, O Lord, how I have walked before thee in 
 truth, and with a perfect heart, and have done that 
 which is good in thy sight ?" O that I could pray, and 
 say, with Jesus my Saviour when in the view of death, 
 ■• Father, I have glorified thee on earth; I have finish- 
 ed the work which thoti gavest me to do : And now, 
 
 Father, glorify thou me with thine own self, with 
 the glory which thou hast ordained for me before the 
 world was." 
 
 Alas, Lord, I must confess, my iniquities have gone 
 up above mine head; my misspent time, my unfruitful- 
 ness under the means of grace, and waterings of ordi- 
 nances, may cause me to cry out, Wo is me for 
 the leanness of my soul, and barrenness of my heart ! 
 
 1 have been an empty vine, bringing forth fruit only 
 for myself. I have hid my Lord's money, and there- 
 fore deserve the doom of the wicked and slothful ser- 
 vant. But my relief is in my Surety's righteousness. 
 Blessed be the Lord, who hath sent his Son to bless 
 those who by nature lie under the curse, and to inter- 
 cede for those who cannot speak for themselves. O 
 how suitable is he to my soul's case \ I have indeed 
 a multitude of sins, but he hath a multitude of 
 tender mercies; I have deep and heinous guilt, but he 
 hath a deep fountain for washing it out; I am sold 
 under sin, but he hath a ransom to buy me back again; 
 my sore is broad, but his plaster is answerable; my 
 wound is great, but his balm is excellent. Surely 
 it is my wisdom to go to Christ with all my griev- 
 ances, and always to lie and cry at my Redeemer's 
 door. 
 
 O that now, when the sun of my life is setting, that 
 blessed Sun of Righteousness may arise and shine 
 upon my soul! Goodness and mercy hath followed me 
 while I lived; O that Christ and glory may meet me 
 when I die ! I must acknowledge thy goodness; were 
 this the last hour I had to live, and this the last word 
 I had to speak in the world, I behoved to say, Lord, 
 
Direct. VII. for Dying Saints, 217 
 
 thou hast been a merciful and gracious God to me. My 
 whole life hath been a continued tract of mercy; Lord, 
 crown the end of it with mercy also. — Surely the sea 
 is not so full of water, nor the sun so full of light, as 
 thou art full of grace and mercy. O let not my sins 
 stop the current of thy tender mercies at this time. 
 Lord, drown all my sins in the sea of Christ's blood, 
 that my soul may not be sunk by them in the ocean of 
 divine wrath. Lord Jesus, embrace my perishing 
 soul in thy arms; let thy cross be my security, and thy 
 wounds my refuge. 
 
 O thou that nearest the young ravens which cry, be 
 not silent to me at this time^ lest, if thou be silent to 
 me, I be like them that go down to the pit. 
 
 Lord, I am now called to the work I never did ; 
 give me the strength I never had. Surely it is an im- 
 portant matter to die, and my eternal state dependeth. 
 upon dying aright. What I do amiss in my life one 
 day, I may amend it in the next; but not so here; I 
 can die but once; if I mar in this piece of work, I 
 cannot come back to mend it again ; if I forget any 
 thing necessary for my journey, I cannot return to 
 fetch it. Oh 1 a wrong step in going out of this life 
 is highly dangerous; in one respect, it is like the sin 
 against tlie Holy Ghost, and can never be forgiven ; 
 for I cannot come back to mourn for it. Of all the 
 business I ever undertook, I have most need to take 
 care of my dying. 
 
 Oh 1 is death coming to take down this earthly ta- 
 bernacle, and to put the one half of me in the dark 
 grave, and the other half of me in heaven or in hell; 
 and shall I give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine 
 eyelids, till I find myself in that case, that I dare lock 
 death in the face, and dare hazard my soul upon eter- 
 nity? 
 
 O to have right impressions of the certainty of death, 
 and the uncertainty of life! What is my life but a va- 
 pour, a sand-glass of sixty or seventy years, which will 
 soon run out? Eternity and a judgment-seat are now 
 
 R 
 
218 Meditations Chap. VII. 
 
 hard upon me! The blast of the last trumpet is at 
 hand ! There will shortly be a proclamation by one 
 standing in the clouds, 6i that time shall be no more !'* 
 The world looks big in men's eyes in the time of 
 health; but when the eye-strings break, the breath 
 runs cold, and the imprisoned soul looks out at the 
 windows of the clay house, ready to leap out into e- 
 ternity, can the world give any satisfaction ? No, 
 no ; a lamp full of oil will be valued then more than 
 a house full of gold. The finest things oh earth 
 will then appear nothing but a piece of painted dust 
 and gilded clay. How gladly would the greatest 
 worldling, then give all his gold and silver, riches 
 and honours, for one sight of Christ's fair face, one 
 smile of his countenance ! O wherefore should men 
 in health neglect the market of grace, and slight the 
 pearl of great price ! Why should they spend their 
 money for that which is not bread, and their labour 
 for that which satisfieth not ! 
 
 Lord, save me from the hypocrite's case at death, 
 whose candle of profession and of hope burns and bla- 
 zes fair all the way with him, but goeth out in the 
 dark trance of death; and there he stumbles and falls, 
 and shall rise no more. O that my profession and 
 hope may be of God's creating? If God light my can- 
 dle, then shall my feet be enlightened through the dark 
 valley, and neither death nor hell shall be able to put 
 it out. 
 
 Lord, subdue sin in me, and let it be continually 
 dying now, that it may certainly be dead before me. 
 God forbid that my sins should survive me ! 
 
 O that, when the stroke of death dissolves my bod)', 
 my soul may escape as a bird out of the snare of the 
 fowler, and may ascend to the heavenly regions to en- 
 joy God himself. 
 
 O let me look through the gates of mortality, and 
 long for the jailor's coming to set me at liberty. God 
 help me to overcome the love of life, and fears of death. 
 If my neighbour lend me any thing, I pay it again 
 
Direct. VII. for Dying Saints. 219 
 
 with thanks, and shall I not restore my life to God 
 with thanks, who hath been pleased to lend me it so 
 long? Arise, and let me depart, for this is not my rest; 
 heaven is my home, Lord bring me to it : the joys of 
 it are too great to enter into me, O make me fit to en- 
 ter into them. 
 
 While I lie on a sick-bed, Lord help me to patience 
 in my sickness without murmuring. 
 
 How willingly would the damned in hell endure my 
 pains a thousand years, if they had any hopes of being 
 saved at last ! Blessed be God, that my sickness is not 
 in hell, that my pains are not eternal. 
 
 O that I may look on my affliction as coming from 
 the hand of him that is the Lord of health and of sick- 
 ness, of life and of death; who killeth and maketh alive T 
 bringeth down to the grave, and raiseth up again ! 
 That sovereign and wise Lord hath determined the 
 time when my affliction shall end, as well as the time 
 when it began. Thirty-eight years were appointed 
 the sick man at Bethesda pool; eighteen years the wo- 
 man that Satan kept bound; twelve years to the wo* 
 man with the bloody issue; ten days' tribulation tq 
 those of Smyrna: three days' plague to David. The 
 number of the godly man's tears is registered in God's 
 book; yea, the hairs of his head are numbered. 
 
 When David got his choice of his own chastise- 
 ments, he chose rather to be corrected by the hand of 
 God, than by any other means saying, «* Let me fall 
 into the hands of the Lord for his mercies are great." 
 I was dumb, and opened not my mouth, because thou 
 didst it. Glory to God, that I am fallen into his mer- 
 ciful hand. Hath God appointed that man's coming 
 into the world shall be attended with pain and crying, 
 and his going out of it with grief and trouble; and 
 shall I quarrel at it? No, I desire humbly to underlie 
 the correction of mine iniquity, and to bear the indig- 
 nation of the Lord, because I have sinned against 
 him. O that the sickness of my body may be a 
 means of health to my soul ! May I be chastened of 
 
220 Meditations Chap. VII. 
 
 the Lord, so that I may not be condemned with the 
 world? 
 
 It is good for the believer that he is afflicted. Why? 
 It springs from divine love, and it works for his soul's 
 good. Affliction is a seal of his adoption, and no sign 
 of reprobation. The purest gold is oftest tried, the 
 sweetest grape is hardest pressed, and the truest Christ- 
 ian is heaviest crossed. But O how soon will the 
 Christian forget all his groans when he comes to hea- 
 ven? As soon as Stephen saw Christ, though at a dis- 
 tance, he forgot ail his wor.nds and bruises; he mind- 
 ed no more the terror of the siones about his ears, but 
 sweetly yielded his soul into his Redeemer's hands. 
 
 I read of many in the gospel, that by sicknesses and 
 diseases were driven unto Christ, who, if they had 
 enjoyed health and prosperity, would have neglected, 
 like many others, to come to him. O blessed is that 
 cross, that draweth a sinner to Christy to lay open his 
 own misery, and implore Christ's mercy. And bless- 
 ed be that Christ, who never refuseth the sinner that 
 cometh to him, though driven by affliction and mise- 
 ry. To whom shall such a distressed creature as I go, 
 but to him who is the only physician, that can both 
 cure my soul from sin, and my body from sickness ? 
 
 Lord, thou never denied thy mercy to any sinner 
 that asked it with a penitent heart. There were many 
 sorts of sick sinners that came to thee in the days of 
 thy flesh ; the blind, the deaf, the lame, the lepers ; 
 these that were sick of palsies, dropsies, fevers, fluxes, 
 and were possessed with devils ; and yet never one 
 of them came crying for mercy, that went away with- 
 out their errand, were his sin ever so great, his dis- 
 ease ever so grievous. Nay, so merciful is my Re- 
 deemer, that he offered and gave his mercy to many 
 that never asked it, being moved with the bowels of 
 his own compassion, and the sight of their misery; so 
 dealt he with the woman of Samaria, the widow of 
 Nain, and the man that lay thirty-eight years at the 
 pool of Bethesda: Ob, if he gave his mercy so will- 
 
Direct. VII. for Dying Saints. 221 
 
 ingly to them that did not ask it, and was found of 
 them that sought him not, will he deny mercy to my 
 soul that is crying for it? 
 
 There is but a step betwixt me and death: Lord 
 seal my pardon to me, before I go hence and be no 
 more. O draw nigh to me, and save me; for my soul 
 is full of trouble, and my life draweth nigh unto the 
 grave. Thy loving-kindness is better than life. O 
 make me sure of that, and I will willingly part wit^i 
 this mortal life, 
 
 O thou who wiliest not that any should perish, but 
 that all should come to repentance, be pleased to make 
 use of the chastisement of my body, as a medicine to 
 cure my soul, and bring me to a true and sincere re- 
 pentance. One day is with thee as a thousand years; 
 O work in me in this, which may be my last day, what- 
 soever thou seest wanting in me. Enable me to pre- 
 sent unto thee the sacrifice of a broken and a contrite 
 heart, which thou hast promised not to despise. Give 
 a true and lively faith in the blessed Jesus, who is 
 the propitiation for our sins! Fie was wounded for 
 our transgression, he was bruised for our iniquities, 
 the chastisement of our peace was upon him ; O heal 
 me by his stripes! Let the cry of his blood drown 
 the clamour of my sins. I am indeed a child of wrath, 
 but Christ is the Son of thy love; O pity me for his 
 sake, and let my soul find sanctuary in his wounds! 
 
 O Lord, the waters of affliction are come in even 
 unto my soul ! O let the Spirit of God move on these 
 waters, that, like the pool of Bethesda, they may cure 
 whatever spiritual diseases thou seest in me! O Lord, 
 consider my affliction, accept my tears, assuage my 
 pain, increase my patience, and finish my troubles! 
 Correct me with the chastisement of a father, and 
 not with the wounds of an enemy, and though thou 
 take not off thy rod, Lord, take away thine anger. 
 
 Lord, the prince of this world cometh, O let him 
 have nothing in me; but as he accuseth, do thou ab- 
 solve. I have nothing to sav for myself, but be thou 
 R 3 
 
222 Directions to the Friends Chap. VIII. 
 
 my advocate, Lord ; and do thou answer for me. I 
 am clothed with filthy garments, and Satan stands at 
 my right hand to resist me, O Lord, rebuke him, and 
 pluck me as a brand out of the fire. Cause mine ini- 
 quities to pass from me, and clothe me with the 
 righteousness of thy dear Son. I know, O Lord, that 
 no unclean thing can enter into thy kingdom, and thou 
 seest I am nothing but pollution, yea, my very right- 
 eousness is filthy rags. O wash me, and make me 
 white in the blood of the Lamb, that I may be fit to 
 stand before thy throne. O take me from the tents 
 of Kedar to the mansions of light and purity. When 
 my earthly house of this tabernacle is dissolved, O let 
 me have a building of God, an house not made with 
 hands, eternal in the heavens. O bring my soul out 
 of prison, that I may eternally give thanks unto thy 
 name. Amen. 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 CONTAINING DIRECTIONS TO THE FRIENDS AND NEIGHBOURS OF 
 THE SICK, WHO ARE THEMSELVES IN HEALTH FOR THE TIME. 
 
 "T^THEN the Lord sends sickness and affliction to 
 *^ our neighbours, we ought not to be idle and 
 unconcerned spectators of his dispensation ; but we 
 should hearken to the voice of God's rod upon others, 
 and consider what it is that the Lord is calling for at 
 our hands. The following directions may be useful to 
 those that are in health. 
 
 Direct. I. Be very thankful to God for the great 
 mercy of health and strength, and improve it to his 
 glory. 
 
 ^URELY a healthful person hath still great cause 
 ^ to be a thankful person. Health is a mercy that 
 
Direct. L and Neighbours of the Sick. 223 
 
 doth season and sweeten every other temporal mercy ; 
 without it the greatest wealth and honour, nay, a 
 king's throne can give no satisfaction, It is far more 
 eligible to be a healthy beggar than a sickly king. 
 "What comfort could it afford us under tossing sick- 
 ness and torturing pains, to have the greatest heaps of 
 money to look to, or thousands coming to pay us hom- 
 age? Alas for our unthankfulness to him who is the 
 God of our health! How little do we prize his good- 
 ness, in continuing with us such a long tract of health 
 and strength, together with the use of our reason and 
 senses, when many others are deprived of them. 
 Surely God were righteous, should be teach us to va- 
 lue the worth of these mercies by the want of them. 
 
 Let us consider how many miserable persons there 
 are in the world, and who it is that maketh us to dif- 
 fer from them; how many diseased, distracted, deform- 
 ed, lame, blind, deaf, and dumb people there are; 
 and how easy it had been for God to have put us in 
 their condition, and them in ours. The difference is 
 not owing. to any thing in us; their sins are not great- 
 er than ours. Had we a due sense of our siris and 
 ill-deservings, we would acknowledge ourselves un- 
 worthy of the Least of all God's mercies, we would 
 reckon every common mercy a special blessing, and 
 an unmerited favour to us. — Again, let us take a view 
 of the fainting sickness, racking pains, and restless 
 nights of others. Let us lock upon our sick friends, 
 sweating and burning under fevers, let us hear them 
 groaning and moaning under strong pain. Their 
 soul abhors all manner of meat, and they draw near 
 unto the gates of death. Sometimes we see them 
 panting and fainting, and not able to speak a word to 
 us. And what is the language of all this to us? Is 
 it not that we should thankfully adore our gracious 
 God, and bless and magnify him, for his distinguish- 
 ing goodness to us? Oh, how much are we bound 
 to the Lord, that it is not so with us as with others ! 
 While wearisome nights are appointed to them, and 
 
224 Directions to the Friends Chap. VIII. 
 
 their bones are full of tossing; all the comforts of this 
 life are tasteless to them, their friends are weeping 
 about them, but cannot help them: e It is far other- 
 wise with me, (may you say) my mercies and rela- 
 tions are comfortable and helpful to me, I relish my 
 food, my bed gives me ease, my sleep is refreshing: 
 I have freedom to read and pray, meditate, and at- 
 tend the public ordinances. Praise the Lord, O my 
 soul, and all that is within me; bless his holy name. 
 Forget not this benefit of health, that is the chief of 
 all my outward blessings. Some would part with all 
 their worldly wealth, to have so much bodily health 
 as I have. Long have I undervalued and abused this 
 choice mercy of health: O that I could mourn for my 
 neglect, and resolve in God's strength to improve my 
 remaining health, for the praise and service of that 
 merciful God, who is the author and preserver of it ! 
 Let me spend and be spent for God, that gives me 
 all my health and strength for his glory. Let me ab- 
 hor the ingratitude of those who employ the health 
 which God giveth, in the service of his enemies; and 
 make a sacrifice of it to the devil, the world, and the 
 flesh. O what a prodigious folly are these guilty of, 
 who, for satisfying their sensual appetite, do often 
 deprive themselves of health, which is in itself a thou- 
 sand times of more value than all their brutish plea- 
 sures ! God help me to prize this mercy, that can ne- 
 ver be prized enough.' 
 
 Direct. II. Malce conscience of visiting your Sick 
 Friends and Neighbours, believing that it is your 
 duty and interest so to do. 
 
 "ff ISITING of the sick is not only the duty of the 
 y ministers of Christ, but likewise of all the mem- 
 bers of Christ; for we are all enjoined to remember 
 them that are in adversity, and to sympathize with 
 the afflicted, as being ourselves also in the body. 
 
Direct. II. and Neighbours of the Sick. 225 
 
 ** To him that is afflicted, pity should be shewn by 
 his friends," saith Job. And our Lord gives it as a 
 character of those whom he will own and acquit at 
 the great day, Matt. xxv. 36. " I was sick, and ye 
 visited me." This is the way to be like him, who is 
 the Father of mercies, and whose " soul was grieved 
 for the miseries of Israel," Judges x. 16. We read 
 how tenderly David sympathized with his enemies 
 when they were sick, Psalm xxxv. 13, 14. and much 
 more ought we to visit and sympathize with our sick 
 friends. To visit the prosperous and healthy, is an 
 act of courtesy and civility, but to visit the afflicted 
 and sickly is an act of charity and Christianity. 
 
 And as it is your duty, so it is your interest and 
 advantage to visit the sick. The wise man tells you, 
 Eccles. vii. 2. « It is better to go to the house of 
 mourning, than to the house of feasting." King Jo- 
 ash went to see Elisha in his sickness, and wept over 
 him: and he lost nothing by so doing, 2 Kings xiii. 
 14. for he obtained thereby three famous victories 
 over the Syrians. Though it be not warrantable to 
 inquire at the dead, Deut. xviii. 11. yet we may learn 
 some wholesome lessons from the dying, and even 
 though they be speechless. As for instance, we may 
 hereby be instructed how to prize health, mind our 
 own frailty, and provide for the time of sickness. 
 When we behold their strength languishing, their 
 tongue faultering, their eyes failing, their countenance 
 pale; we should think with ourselves, * This will be 
 my case ere long ; the next arrow that death shoots, 
 may be levelled at me: how much is it my concern to 
 prepare for it?' Also we may think, what a bitter 
 thing sin is, that it is the cause of all these pains and 
 distresses; and how mad they are who love sin, and 
 take pleasure in it. — We may see likewise the great 
 folly of courting and trusting the world, which leaves 
 the sick and dying man in the time of his greatest 
 extremity. — And we may observe, how happy the 
 man is, that hath an interest in Christ, the peace of 
 
226 Directions to the Friends Chap. VIII. 
 
 a good conscience, and a well-grounded hope of hea- 
 ven, to yield support and confidence to hiiii under 
 his strugglings with sickness and death.— When we 
 hear the dying man's complaints of his sins, and his 
 lamenting his neglect of duty, and misspending of 
 precious time, we may learn repentance and reforma- 
 tion. When we observe their professions of love to 
 Christ, and their hopes in him to the last, it doth 
 contribute to the quickening and strengthening of our 
 faith. A right sight of dying persons, is a good 
 mean to increase the spirit of grace and supplication 
 in us. We may fitly allude here to the answer which 
 Elijah gave to Elisha, when he sought a double por- 
 tion of his spirit, 2 Kings ii. 10. "If thou seest me 
 when I am taken from thee, it shall be so unto thee." 
 A double portion of the Spirit shall be the allowance 
 of those who make conscience of duty. 
 
 WW*/»^V< 
 
 Direct. III. Let the Friends of the Sick, and these 
 who visit them deal faithfultys&ith them about their 
 so?ds. 
 
 CONSIDER, this may be the last opportunity you 
 may have of doing any thing for your friend's 
 soul. If he die, he is fixed in his everlasting state, so 
 that all advices and counsels will then be fruitless. It 
 is now, or never, you must exert yourself for your 
 friend's advantage: there is no knowledge nor wisdom 
 in the grave, to which he is going: " God's loving- 
 kindness cannot be declared in the grave, nor his faiths- 
 fulness in destruction," Psal lxxxviii. 11. Now is the 
 proper time for doing good^io your neighbour's soul, 
 When affliction opens the ear to discipline, be careful 
 to drop in wholesome instructions into it; and, when 
 the heart is made tender by sickness, it is a fit sea- 
 son for good counsel to make impressions on it. Let 
 the opportunity then be improven with faithfulness and 
 prudence. And, in order thereto, observe the follow- 
 ing advices. 
 
Direct. III. and Neighbours of the SicJc. 227 
 
 I. Labour to know the sick man's spiritual condi- 
 tion, that your applications may be suitable thereunto. 
 The knowledge of the disease is previously requisite 
 unto the cure; as the mistake of a physician about a 
 man's disease may be as dangerous as the disease it- 
 self, so here it is highly dangerous to mistake the 
 case of the sick man's soul; for then lenitives may 
 be applied, when corrosives are needful, promises 
 may be administered, when threatenings are more 
 proper. 
 
 II. Beware of flattering the sick with vain hopes 
 of life, when he is more likely to die; lest he be 
 thereby tempted to delay or slacken his preparation for 
 another world. It is fit that plainness be used with 
 respect to his danger, that he may be quickened to 
 his work. 
 
 III. The sick person is to be admonished and told, 
 that sickness comes not by chance, nor by second 
 causes merely; but by. the wise direction and special 
 providence of God; that sometimes God smites out 
 of displeasure for sin, and for the sinner's correction 
 and amendment; and sometimes for the trial and exer- 
 cise of his people's graces; that the sharpest afflic- 
 tions shall work together for good to them that love 
 God, and are rightly exercised under God's hand; 
 that it is a great mercy to a sinner, when God by his 
 rod gives him warning and space to repent, and flee 
 to the blood of sprinklings and to cry to God for 
 pardon; and doth not snatch him out of the world by 
 a sudden death. Upon which account the voice of 
 the rod should be carefully hearkened to, and thank- 
 fully obeyed. 
 
 IV. If the sick person be ignorant, he is to be ca- 
 techised and instructed in the principles of religion, 
 especially concerning his faith and repentance, and 
 his uptaking of the covenant of grace, and the me- 
 thod of pardon and salvation through the righteousness 
 of Christ apprehended by faith, And it may be pro- 
 per to demand his assent to some of the fundamental 
 
228 Directions io the Friends Chap. VII L 
 
 truths of Christianity, or bis answer to such questions 
 as these; 1st, Do you believe in God the Father, Son, 
 and Holy Ghost, one God in three persons, the maker 
 
 and governor of the world? 2dly, Do you believe 
 
 that Jesus Christ, who assumed our nature, obeyed 
 the law, died on the cross, rose from the dead, and 
 ascended to heaven, is the eternal Son of God, and 
 the only Saviour of sinners? 3dly 9 Are you sensi- 
 ble that you are a lost sinner by Adam's fall, and be- 
 sides that guilty of innumerable actual sins; and that 
 you have broken God's holy commandments in thoughts, 
 words, and deeds, and for so doing, do deserve God's 
 wrath, both in this life, and that which is to come? 
 kthly> Are you truly grieved and sorry for break- 
 ing God's law, neglecting his worship, mispending 
 your time, and pursuing the vanities of the world? 
 And would you do as you have done, or live other- 
 wise if you were to begin your life again? 5thly 9 
 
 How do you think to get your guilt removed, your 
 sins pardoned, and your peace made up with God ? 
 Are you desirous from your heart to be reconciled to 
 God through Jesus Christ, the blessed peace- maker? 
 ■ ■ 6thli/, Do you heartily approve of the gospel me- 
 thod of reconciliation, by the righteousness and sacri- 
 fice offered by the Lord Jesus Christ, as your Surety 
 in your name and stead ? And is your soul desirous to 
 choose and accept of Christ for your Mediator and Sa- 
 viour in all his offices of Prophet, Priest, and King ? 
 
 -7thly 9 Do you renounce all confidence in any 
 
 other, all dependance on your own duties and righte- 
 ousness, and put your whole trust and confidence in 
 Christ, and the merits of his death and blood, saying, 
 '* Whom have I in heaven but thee; and there is none 
 on earth that I desire besides thee?" Do you believe 
 that there is no salvation in any other; and that there 
 is no name under heaven whereby you can be saved, 
 
 but Jesus Christ only ? 8M/3/, Do you desire to be 
 
 wholly renewed and sanctified by virtue of Christ's 
 blood, and to shew forth the reality of your faith by 
 
Direct. III. and Neighbours of the Sick. 229 
 
 good works, and a holy life, for the time you have to 
 live in the world ? And, as an evidence thereof, are 
 you willing to restore what you have taken wrongfully 
 from any, and to forgive all wrongs done to you by any, 
 and to cast out all malice or hatred you have borne to 
 
 .any, and ask forgiveness of any you have injured. 
 
 Sthty, Do you believe that Christ is coming at the last 
 day to judge all the world, both the quick and the dead, 
 whom he shall then raise from the grave, and that 
 
 your dead body shall rise with the resi ? lOthly, 
 
 Do you believe the immortality of the soul, and its 
 living in a separate state after death ; and that the souls 
 of believers do immediately pass into glory, where they 
 shall be ever with the Lord ? 
 
 V. In dealing with the sick, you are to separate 
 betwixt the precious and the vile, and make a diffe- 
 rence betwixt the converted and the unconverted. 
 And, seeing different applications are requisite, you 
 are according to your knowledge, to study to suit your 
 counsels, admonitions, and prayers, to their state and 
 condition ; not using the same words to the ungodly 
 as you use to the godly, lest you flatter them with ill- 
 grounded hopes that their state is safe, while they are 
 strangers to a work of regeneration. That great truth 
 is to be declared to all, that unless a man be born 
 again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. O it is 
 dangerous to speak peace, where God speaks war. 
 
 VI. If the sick person seems to be secure, or have 
 not a due sense of his sins, endeavours must be used 
 to convince him of the guilt, pollution, and danger of 
 them, in order to his humiliation. Presumptuous sin- 
 ners are not to be flattered, lest ye betray their souls 
 into eternal ruin, and so their blood be required at our 
 hand. No fond love, no slavish fear, must keep us 
 from telling them the hazard of their present state. 
 Their secure conscience must be awakened to see the 
 demerit of sin, and the terribleness of the justice of a 
 sin- revenging God, before whom no Christless impe- 
 nitent sinner can stand : This is necessary in order 
 
 S 
 
230 Directions to the Friends Chap. VIII. 
 
 to a sinner's discovering his lost case in himself, and 
 his fleeing to Christ for refuge. It is God's method, 
 first to cast down the soul, before he lift it up; to plow 
 the heart by conviction, before he cast in the seed of 
 consolation. 
 
 VII. If the sick person hath studied to walk up- 
 rightly, but is at present discouraged upon account of 
 the sharpness of the rods, Satan's temptation, the guilt 
 of sin, fear of death, or the like; then suitable counsels, 
 resolutions, and comforts, are to be tendered in order 
 to his settlement and support. Particularly, he may 
 be told, that sharp rods are nowise inconsistent with 
 divine love; nay, frequently, they are a sign of it: for, 
 as standing waters turn corrupt because they have no 
 current: and these who are not poured from vessel to 
 vessel, their taste remains, and their scent is not 
 changed ; therefore God, in order to take away the 
 scent of the corrupt nature from us, is pleased to 
 change us from state to state, by crosses and sickness, to 
 salvation. And as Noah's ark, the higher it was tossed 
 with the flood, the nearer it mounted towards heaven'; 
 so the sanctified soul, the more it is exercised with 
 affliction, the nearer it is lifted towards God. — Again, 
 it is proper to set before him the freeness and fulness 
 of God's grace, the sufficiency of righteousness in 
 Christ, and his rich and gracious offers in the gospel, 
 by which we are assured, that all who repent and be- 
 . ieve with all their heart in God's mercy through Christ, 
 renouncing their own righteousness, shall not^erish 
 in their sin?, but have life and salvation in him; and 
 that believers in Christ are assured of victory over 
 Satan, death, and all their enemies, because Christ, 
 their Head, hath, by his cross, conquered the devil, 
 unstinged death, triumphed over the grave, and obtain- 
 ed victory for all his members: so that neither life nor 
 death, principalities nor powers, shall be able to sepa- 
 rate them from God's love in Christ. 
 
 VIII. If a sick man be so tempted and troubled in 
 conscience, that he is in hazard of despairing of God's 
 
Direct. III. and Neighbours of the Sick. 231 
 
 mercy ; it is necessary to inform him of the greatness 
 and infiniteness of God's mercy, that the most notori- 
 ous sinners have been pardoned and saved by it, and 
 it is still offered in the gospel to the vilest of sinners. 
 Though God foresaw all the sins which the world 
 would commit, yet these did not hinder him from 
 loving the world so, that he gave his only begotten 
 Son to death, to save as many as would believe and 
 repent ; so that the sins of one man can never hinder 
 God from loving his soul, and forgiving his sins, wheflP* 
 he sincerely desires to repent and believe. The cry 
 of the most grievous sins that are recorded (such as 
 these of Sodom) could never reach higher than unto 
 heaven, Gen. xix. 13. But David assures us, Psal. 
 cviii. 4?. that the mercy of God is great, and reaches 
 up higher than the heavens, so that it overtoppeth 
 the greatest of all our sins. If the mercy of God be 
 greater than all his works, it must surely be greater 
 than all our sins. 
 
 Again, lay before him the infinite virtue of Christ's 
 blood. Why? It is not the blood of a mere man, but 
 the blood of God, Acts xx. 28. And are there any 
 sins so great, or guilt so heinous, but the blood of 
 God can wash away ? This was godly Cranmer's sup- 
 port that day he suffered martyrdom, when his sin of 
 renouncing the Protestant doctrine stared him in the 
 face. « Surely (said he) God was made flesh, and shed 
 his blood, not for lesser sins only, but for great sins* 
 also.'c* He was sadly discouraged, and wept abundant- 
 ly, till he eyed this meritorious blood ; and then he 
 took heart, and died with courage. O this price was 
 so great, that it could have merited pardon for the sins 
 of all the devils in hell, as well as of all the men on 
 earth, though every one of them had been red as crim- 
 son. Yea, the least drop of this blood is of more me- 
 rit to procure the mercy of God for our salvation, than 
 all our sins can be of force to provoke the wrath of God 
 for our damnation. Why ? The greatest of our sins 
 
232 Directions to the Friends Chap. VIII. 
 
 are but the sins of a man, but the least drop of Christ's 
 blood is the blood of God. 
 
 Moreover, let him be put in mind of the willingness 
 and readiness ^of our Redeemer to receive all sinners 
 that came to him in the days of his flesh, though 
 driven to him by sickness and affliction : so that he 
 never put any of them away without their errand, that 
 came crying for mercy. Nay, he many times sought 
 out objects of his mercy, that were not thinking of 
 coming to him, as shewed before. Observe the gen- 
 tleness of our Lord's carriage to Judas himself, in 
 calling him friend, after his most treacherous dealing, 
 Matth. xxvi. 50. " Friend, (said he) wherefore art 
 thou come ?" Had wretched Judas laid hold on the 
 word friend, out of the mouth of Christ, as Benhadad 
 did the word brother from the mouth of Ahab, doubt- 
 less Judas should have found Uje God of Israel more 
 merciful than Behadad found thiking of Israel. 
 
 LasMy, Let him consider, that to despair of God's 
 mercy, casts the greatest dishonour upon the divine 
 Majesty, and is a sin more heinous than all the sins 
 which we have before committed. Why ? It doth 
 charge the great God as guilty of perjury, who hath 
 solemnly sworn, that he desires not the death of a 
 sinner, but rather that he should repent and live, 
 Ezek. xxxiii. 11. God iwas more displeased with 
 Cain for despairing of his mercy, than for murder- 
 ing his brother ; and with Judas for hanging himself, 
 than for betraying his Master. Why? Because that by 
 their despair they would make the sins of mortal men 
 greater than the infinite mercy of the eternal God. 
 
 Direct. IV. Be earnest in prayer to God for your 
 Friends when Sick or Dying, Pray with them and 
 for them. 
 
 T^REQUENTLY sick persons are so disquieted 
 *- with pain and trouble, that they are out of case 
 
Direct. IV. and Neighbours of the Sick. 233 
 
 to pray for themselves, and therefore they have the 
 more need of the prayers of others. David fasted and 
 prayed for his enemies when they were sick, Psalm 
 xxx. 13. much more ought we to pray for our friends 
 in that case. Never did they need our prayers so much, 
 as when they are called to enter upon an unchangeable 
 condition, to go to their long home, even that place 
 wherein they must abide for ever. Now they are in 
 the land of prayer, and it is now or never that you 
 must pray and beg for mercy for them. When their 
 life is gone, they go from the land of prayer, and are 
 fixed in that place, whence they shall never remove ; 
 then all your prayers and cries for them will be vain. 
 
 If your friend be a stranger to Christ, he is on the 
 
 brink of hell, and knows it not, and will you not cry to 
 God to open his eyes, and save him from falling into 
 that devouring pit out of which there is no redemp- 
 tion? You would be willing to sit up a whole night for 
 the relief of his body; and will you not spend a part 
 of a night for the good of his soul, that is a thousand 
 times more valuable ? Now the question is, whether 
 this precious soul should be Christ's or the devil's for 
 ever ? And when will you wrestle for your friend, if 
 you do it not now ? — If the sick person be a child of 
 God, you may pray for him with the more comfort, and 
 expectation to be heard. You may, in that case, send 
 the same message by prayer to Christ, that the sister 
 of sick Lazarus did, John xi. 3. " Lord, behold he 
 whom thou lovest is sick." Lord, pity him, comfort 
 him, abate his distemper, and relieve him from it, if 
 it be thy will ; if not, grant him thy gracious presence 
 and safe conduct through the Jordan of death, and a 
 happy landing in the Canaan of glory. 
 
 We are told that the prayers of the righteous in 
 such cases, do avail much, James v. 16. and this to 
 encourage us to pray one for another. Whatever be 
 the sick person's condition, such confessions and petw 
 tions, as these following may be made use of in prayer 
 for him. 
 
 S3 
 
234 Directions to the Friends Chap. VIII. 
 
 Petitions for the Sick. 
 
 Lord, thou first breathedst into man the breath of 
 life; and when thou takest away that breath, he dies 
 and returns again to his dust. May we be duly sen- 
 sible of our dependance on thee for all that we enjoy. 
 We acknowledge, that our great abuse of the many 
 days of health and welfare thou affordest us, do justly 
 deserve the visitation of sickness and diseases. Wo's us, 
 we lie under a burden of sin, both original and actual; 
 we are all children of wrath by nature, and under the 
 curse of a broken law; and all other miseries, tempo- 
 ral and spiritual, distempers, pains, death, and hell 
 itself, are the issues thereof. Be merciful to the sick 
 person under thy hand ; discover to him his sins, and 
 the cause why thou contendest with him. Make him 
 see that he is lost in himself, and wholly unable to 
 satisfy the demands of offended justice; and do thou 
 reveal Christ to his soul for righteousness and life. O 
 give him the Holy Spirit, to create and strengthen faith, 
 that he may lay hold on Christ as offered in the gospel, 
 work in him the grace of true repentance. Enable him 
 to search his heart, and try his ways, so as he may 
 discover every accursed thing, every Achan in the 
 camp, that hath provoked the Lord against him. When 
 thou puttest him in the furnace, be pleased to stand 
 by it, and oversee the metal whilst it is melting in it. 
 Try him as silver is tried, and bring him out purified, 
 and let him lose nothing in this furnace but his dross. 
 Remove his sins from thy presence as far as east is 
 from the west, that they may never trouble his con- 
 science, nor rise in judgment against his soul. How- 
 ever bitter the eup may be, let it be medicinal to cure 
 all the diseases of his soul. O that these afflictions, 
 which are but for a moment, may work for bim a far 
 more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, through 
 Jesus Christ the purchaser. 
 
 Look down from heaven, the habitation of thy 
 holiness, behold his affliction and his pain,* and forgive 
 
Direct. IV. and Neighbours of the Sick, 235 
 
 all his sin. Shew such pity to him as a father doth 
 to his child, and lay no more upon him than he is 
 able to bear. Lord, give patience and strength 
 answerable to the burden of trouble thou hast laid on 
 him. In time of his weakness uphold him by thy 
 strength. Relieve his wants out of thy infinite fulness. 
 Lord, thou knowest his frame, and rememberest that 
 he is dust ; save him from extremity of trouble, either 
 abate his pain, or increase his patience to endure 
 what thou measurest out to him. Give him the evi- 
 dences of all the graces of thy Spirit. Arm and de- 
 fend him against all the suggestions and temptations 
 of Satan. Take his heart wholly off the world, and 
 set his affections on things above. Lord, make use 
 of this chastisement of his body as a medicine to cure 
 his soul, by drawing his soul, that is sick of sin, to 
 thyself. O enable him in a penitent believing man- 
 ner, to come by repentance to Christ his soul-physi- 
 cian, to get it healed of all its maladies. Sanctify his 
 sickness, and let the fruit of it be to purge away his 
 sin. 
 
 If God shall be pleased to add to his days, bless all 
 means of his recovery. Remove the disease; renew his 
 strength both outward and inward ; heal his soul as 
 well as his body. And enable him to walk tenderly 
 before God, and carefully to remember and perform 
 such vows and promises of obedience as men are apt 
 to make in time of sickness. 
 
 If God hath determined to finish his days by the 
 present visitation, let him find such evidence of the 
 pardon of his sins, of his interest in Christ, and eternal 
 life, as may cause his inward man to be renewed, while 
 his outward man decayeth ,* that he may meet death 
 without fear, cast himself wholly on Christ, without 
 doubting, and desire to be dissolved, that he may for 
 ever be with Jesus Christ — Lord, make his last works 
 better than his first, and the day of his death better 
 than the day of his birth. Make his last words his 
 best words, "his last thoughts his best thoughts, and 
 
236 Directions to the Friends Chap. VIII. 
 
 his last hour his best hour. O let him die the death 
 of the righteous, and let his last end be like his.— 
 Let the eyes of his soul be opened to see his sins and 
 his Saviour, before the eyes of his body be shut by 
 death. Take away the sting of death, and the guilt of 
 sin, that he may walk through the valley of the sha- 
 dow of death, and fear no evil.— Open thou his lips, 
 that his mouth may shew forth thy praise, before he 
 go to the place of silence. And when his strength 
 doth fail, and his tongue is not able to utter words, 
 let the blood of Christ speak for him in heaven. And 
 let thy Holy Spirit within him, make requests for 
 him with sighs and groans that cannot be uttered.— 
 When the sight of his eyes doth fail him, let the eyes 
 of his faith be strengthened, that his soul (with Stephen 
 at his death) may behold Jesus Christ in heaven 
 ready to receive him. — Lord, stand by him in his last 
 conflict with his enemies, Satan and death, that he may 
 overcome both, and be more than a conqueror, 
 through Christ that hath loved him. Into thy hands 
 we commend his spirit. 
 
 Lord, teach us who do survive, by this and other 
 like daily spectacles of our mortality, to see how frail 
 and uncertain our condition is, and so to number our 
 days, that we may seriously apply our hearts to hea- 
 venly wisdom, through Jesus Christ. Amen. 
 
 «%^%%^%>. 
 
 Direct. V. Be careful to furnish your friends with 
 suitable company and spiritual converse, when they 
 are sick or dying. 
 
 A S worldly company and converse are great hin- 
 ■**- derances, 50 spiritual company and converse are 
 special helps to the sick and dying. Now that the 
 friends of the sick may prevent the one, and provide 
 for the other, let the following advices be remem- 
 bered. 
 
 1st, Mind your friends timeously to make their wills, 
 
Direct. V. and Neighbours of the Sic7c. 237 
 
 and despatch the settlement of their worldly affairs, 
 that so they may not be disturbed at the last, nor any 
 wise diverted from their main work, by thoughts or 
 discourses about the world. A mind abstracted from 
 the world is a most suitable disposition for a dying 
 man. You cannot carry the things of this world with 
 you when you go hence; and it is not fit you should 
 carry the thoughts of them. 
 
 2dly, Keep carnal company from them as much as 
 possible, and all those that would divert them by idle 
 or worldly discourse. It is both impertinent and cruel 
 to throw in such impediments in the way of those that 
 are going speedily to their endless state. 
 
 3dlj/, Do what you can to get faithful ministers and 
 godly Christians to be much about them, who are fit 
 to instruct and counsel them about their soul's matters, 
 and also to pray with them and for them. 
 
 kihly % Be often minding your sick friends of their 
 chief work, and these things which belong unto their 
 peace. Whatever be their state, whether gracious or 
 graceless, it is proper to be minding them, I. Of the 
 vanity and emptiness of the world, that can neither 
 give ease to the body nor comfort to the soul, when 
 either of them is in trouble. — 2. Of the sinfulness of 
 sin, which is the spring of all diseases and miseries 
 whatsoever. — 3. Of the preciousness and usefulness of 
 Christ to a sinner in all cases, and especially at a dying 
 hour. 4. Of the inexpressible felicity of believers in 
 Christ after death, &c. 
 
 Lastly, If you think yourselves not able to instruct * 
 or advise your sick friends as they stand in need, then 
 read some good book to them, that may be suitable to 
 the condition of their souls; and if you have not a 
 fitter at hand, read some chapters or directions of this 
 book to them, as you may see most proper for them. 
 But above all books, read to the sick the Holy Scrip- 
 tures, and some particular chapters and Psalms there, 
 such as the last three chapters of Genesis; the last 
 chapter of Deuteronomy; — the 17th chapter of the 
 
238 Directions to the Friends Chap. VIII. 
 
 first book of Kings ; — the 2d chapter of the 2d book 
 of Kings; the 14th and 19th chapters of Job;— the 
 Psalms of David, and particularly the 6th, the 23d, 
 25th, 30th, 38th, 41st, 42d, 49th, 51st, 71st, 73d, 
 77th, 88th, 89th, 90th, 103d, 116th, 118th, 130th, 
 142d, 144th, and several other Psalms. — The 12th 
 chapter of Ecclesiastes ; — the 30th, 53d, 54th, and 
 55th chapters of Isaiah ; — the last three chapters of 
 Luke;— the 14th, 15th, 16th, 17th, and 20th chapters 
 of John; — the 8th chapter of the Romans; — the 15th 
 chapter of 1st Corinthians; — the 5th of the 2d Corin- 
 thians; the 4th of 1st Thessalonians ; — the 11th and 
 1 2th of the Hebrews ; the last three chapters of the 
 Revelation, and the like. 
 
 Direct. VI. Be likewise suitably concerned for the 
 bodies of your friends^ when they are side. 
 
 TF you would evidence a suitable concern for them, 
 ■*• then you must deal tenderly and compassionately 
 with them in their sickness, bear with their impatience 
 and fretting, weary not of them, nor grudge at the 
 trouble they put you to: for shortly you yourselves 
 may be in the like case ; when you shall be as great a 
 trouble to others, as your friends are now to you. 
 
 Again, it is necessary to employ physicians, and use 
 the best means for the recovery of your friend's health. 
 The means, indeed, must not be trusted to, instead of 
 God, but used in subserviency to him, who hath 
 appointed them, and can only give success to them. 
 We must beware of Asa's sin, that sought to the 
 physicians, and not to the Lord. Let us neither take 
 food nor physic without prayers to God for his blessing 
 thereupon. 
 
Direct. VII. and Neighbours of the Sick, 239 
 
 W 
 
 Direct. VII. When the sickness of your relations or 
 neighbours doth issue in death, study a Christian 
 and suitable behaviour under such a dispensation, 
 
 HEN a parent loseth a promising child, or a 
 child loseth a loving parent, when death de- 
 prives us of any near relation, it is a speaking and try- 
 ing providence; and we have much need of grace and 
 counsel from God to carry aright under it. Let us 
 observe these advices. 
 
 L It is necessary in such a case that we have a 
 tender sense and feeling of God's afflicting hand. 
 There are two extremes which we must equally avoid, 
 viz. to make light of the death of relations, and to 
 be excessively grieved on that account. God will have 
 us neither to despise his rod nor to faint under it, 
 Heb. xii. 5. God is displeased with those that are 
 stupid and insensible under such afflictions. Why? 
 They despise his rod, and make light of his correc- 
 tion. Hence he complains of these, Jer. v. 3. " I 
 have smitten them but they have not grieved." God 
 will have us feel his hand, to inquire into the mean- 
 ing of the rod, and search for these sins that have 
 provoked God to smite us. It is a sign of a naughty, 
 selfish, and unchristian spirit, to be unconcerned for 
 the death of friends, and much more is it so in these 
 children, who have a secret satisfaction in the death 
 of parents, because of the worldly riches or liberty 
 which they get thereby. God useth to follow this 
 wicked temper with his heavy judgments even in this 
 life. 
 
 II. Consider, that God is calling you, by the death 
 of others, to keep up lively and lasting impressions of 
 death and eternity upon your spirits. God knoweth 
 how advantageous it would be for men so to do; and 
 therefore he sets frequent spectacles of mortality be- 
 fore their eyes for this end. But such is the corrup- 
 tion and earthliness of our minds, that we soon for- 
 get the thoughts of death. When we see our friends 
 
240 Directions to the Friends Chap. VI I L 
 
 in the pangs of death, or laid in the grave, it strikes 
 us with some fear and concern to think, that one day 
 this will be our own case: but no sooner is the dead 
 interred, and the grave filled up again, than all those 
 serious thoughts begin to vanish, and men return to 
 their sins and pleasures as before. Ah, what folly 
 is this ! Should not men always keep alive the serious 
 thoughts of death and a future state ? Are we not 
 always alike mortal ? Are we not as liable to death's 
 arrest at other times, as when examples are before 
 our eyes ? 
 
 III. When God takes away your children or rela- 
 tions, let it draw your hearts and affections more to- 
 wards God and things above. As, when a shepherd 
 taketh up in his arms a lamb of the flock, the ewe 
 followeth him of her own accord, and will not leave 
 him : so, when the great Shepherd of the sheep taketh 
 a child or friend from you, it should cause you to fol- 
 low after him, and desire to be with him. But one 
 may say, that is not the case with me; I fear the wolf 
 hath got the straying sheep and devoured it. Then 
 even the suspicion should make you run to the 
 good Shepherd, abide with him, and keep close by the 
 footsteps of the flock, and beware of straying in these 
 paths wherein destroyers go. — When God taketh from 
 you these relations whom you dearly loved, he calls 
 you to take your love off the fading creature, and set 
 it on the eternal Creator ; when the weak branch is 
 lopt off, then clasp to the body of the tree, which will 
 not fail you. 
 
 IV. In such trials, study a humble and patient sub- 
 mission to the will of God, who, in his sovereign 
 wisdom and pleasure, hath taken your child or friend 
 from you. Remember who hath done it, even he, 
 who gave all men their lives, and hath the absolute 
 power and right to dispose of men's lives as he thinks 
 best. If your fellow-creature ^o any thing that dis- 
 pleaseth you, you may both ask who did it, and why 
 he did so? But when God dolh any thing to you, you 
 
I>'rrect. VII. and Neighbours of the Sick. ?Al 
 
 must remember he is the Potter, and you are the clay; 
 and that he may make or mar his clay vessels, yea, 
 break them in pieces at his pleasure, and " there is 
 none can stay his hand, or say to him, What doest 
 thou ? Be still and know that I am God,' Psal. xlvi. 
 10.— The master of a family gathers at his pleasure 
 the flowers and fruits of his garden : sometimes he 
 cuts off the buds, sometimes he suffers them to blos- 
 som ; sometimes he gathers the green fruit, some- 
 times he stays till they be ripe; and ?very body thinks 
 he may do with his own what he pleaseth : and shall 
 not the Almighty God have liberty much more to 
 dispose of all that grows in his own territories at his 
 pleasure? The master of the family hath not created 
 the trees and plants of his garden; but God hath made 
 and fashioned all the children of men with his Al- 
 mighty hand. 
 
 It is the sense of this sovereign right and dominion 
 of God over his creatures, that hath made his people 
 to be silent under the greatest losses. Hence Aaron, 
 when he lost his two sons by a sudden and extraor- 
 dinary stroke, it is said of him, Lev. x. 3. " And 
 Aaron held his peace." He opened not his mouth, 
 because it was a sovereign God that did it. So holy 
 Job, when he lost all his children by one blow, pa- 
 tiently submits to his absolute Lord, Job i. 12. " The 
 Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away ; blessed 
 be the name of the Lord." Job knew that God's rela- 
 tion to them was far nearer than his, and his right to 
 dispose of them was indisputable. It was a holy and 
 excellent speech of that honourable person, Lord Du- 
 plessis, at the death of his only son: * I could not have 
 borne this from a man, but I can from God.' 
 
 V. Guard against immoderate grief and excessive 
 sorrow for the death of children or near relations; for 
 this is sinful and offensive to God. Now, grief is 
 sinful and immoderate, when it makes you grudge at 
 God's dispensations, murmur at his will, turn unthank- 
 ful to him for the mercies you enjoy, overlook all by- 
 
242 Directions to the Friends Chap. VIIL 
 
 past favours, and lament a temporal, more than a 
 spiritual loss. Alas ! there are many who can bewail 
 a dead friend far -more than a dead heart, and the loss 
 of a child more than the loss of God's countenance. 
 Now, for preventing this excessive sorrow, consider 
 these things. 
 
 1st, If you be Christless and impenitent, you have 
 reason to bless God that the stroke was not at your 
 own life, for then you had been eternally miserable 
 and without hopr*. What is the temporal loss of a 
 child, to the eternal loss of thine own soul? O it is far 
 better to be childless and friendless on earth, than to 
 be hopeless and remediless in hell. 
 
 Idly, Consider how little ground you have to com- 
 plain of any loss or stroke you meet with on earth. 
 1. If you eye God's sovereignty and power over you, 
 you have cause to be thankful that he hath not anni- 
 hilated you and your relations both, long ere now ; 
 seeing he hath as full a dominion to reduce you to 
 nothing, as to bring you from nothing. Though God 
 should dash us against the walls, as a potter doth his 
 vessel, no man could have reason to say, What dost 
 thou? or, Why dost thou use me so? Jer. xviii. 6. 
 " O house of Israel, cannot I do with you as this 
 potter? saith the Lord." Nay, he hath a greater right 
 to deal so with us, than a potter with his vessel, for 
 God hath contributed all to his creature that it hath, 
 but the potter never made the clay which is the sub- 
 stance of the vessel, nor the water that is needful to 
 make it tractable. All that the potter doth, is only 
 to mould the clay into such a shape; besides the 
 potter's body is no better than the clay he makes his 
 vessel of; nay, perhaps that very clay might once have 
 been some part of the body of a man as good as the 
 potter himself. Now, shall the potter have such 
 absolute power over that which is so near and like to 
 him, and shall not God have it over that which is 
 infinitely distant from him? That word, Dan. iv. 34, 
 35. " The Most High doth according to his will,"- is* 
 
Direct. VII. and Neighbours of the Sick, 243 
 
 enough to silence the murmurings of all men under 
 strokes and losses. 
 
 2. If you eye the hand of God, as most just and 
 righteous in what you have met with, you have no 
 ground to complain. " Have you not procured all this 
 to yourself?" Is not God most just in all that hath 
 come upon you ? Nay, if you consider your sins, and 
 God's absolute dominion over you, you must own he 
 might have dealt with you in a smarter way than he 
 hath done ; instead of one affliction, you might have 
 had a thousand. 
 
 3. Look to the mercy that is mixed with the rod. 
 It is a wonder that this great Sovereign, who is so 
 provoked by us, should allow us any mercy at all; 
 and yet we receive innumerable benefits from him. 
 Whatever be our afflictions, surely they are far less 
 than our iniquities deserve. Hath he cast your child 
 into the grave ? He might justly have thrown your soul 
 into hell. It is of the Lord's mercies you are not 
 consumed. Why should a living man complain ? A 
 man out of the grave, and out of hell too, hath surely 
 no reason. 
 
 4. If you compare your affliction with the trials of 
 others of God's people, yea, and these saints who-ha^e 
 been most eminent, you have no reason to grudge at 
 your loss. You have one child dead, but Aaron (who 
 is called the saint of the Lord, Psalm cvi. 19.) had 
 two at one stroke; nay, Job, whom God commends 
 above all the saints in his day, had all his children 
 slain by one blow ; and both these eminent saints had 
 these losses by an immediate and extraordinary stroke 
 from God. Some godly parents have seen their child- 
 dren live to prove scandals to religion, and a grief 
 of mind to themselves, and would have thought it 
 a mercy if God had taken them away when young. 
 Say not then, that there is no sorrow like your sorrow ; 
 for the cup which many others have drunk, hath had 
 more bitter ingredients in it than yours. 
 
 3dly, Consider that excessive grief, cannot better 
 
214 Directions to the Friends Chap. VIII. 
 
 your case, it may well make it worse. If you struggle 
 and contend under God's hand, you act a foolish part; 
 as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke, that by his 
 struggling galls his neck, and makes the yoke the 
 more uneasy, or like a bird fluttering in a net, that 
 instead of freeing doth the more entangle itself. Thus, 
 by immoderate sorrow and fretting under the stroke, 
 you sin the more against God, and make your burden 
 the more heavy. 
 
 4/%» Remember the transactions of thy soul with 
 God in the day thou enteredst into covenant with 
 him. When thou sawest thyself on the brink of hell, 
 and a burden of sin pressing thee down, and no hope 
 for thee but in Christ; then your cry was, " None but 
 Christ: take children, take relations, riches, and all 
 things in a world from me, and give me Christ. I give 
 up myself, and all I have to be disposed at thy 
 pleasure ; thy will, Lord, shall be my will," &c. 
 Now God is taking thee at thy word, and trying thy 
 sincerity in what thou saidst #nd professed to him so 
 solemnly. He hath disposed of thy dear relation as 
 pleated him : O believer, dost thou rue the bargain ? 
 Wouldst thou take thy word again ? Where is thy 
 covenanted submission to the will of God, and thy 
 promised contentment with all disposals? 
 
 5thly, Dost thou not believe that a covenanted God 
 is better to thee than all the friends in the world? 
 Cannot God soon make up the greatest loss to thee, 
 if thou turn to him by prayer, and pour out thy 
 heart and sorrows in his bosom? What are the world's 
 comforts to God's comforts? A smile of God's face, 
 in prayer, can soon sweeten thy bitter cup, and make 
 thee forget all thy sorrows, Psalm xciv. J 9. " In 
 the multitude of my thoughts within me, thy com- 
 forts delight my soul." The author of the Fulfilling 
 of the Scriptures tells of one Patrick Mackilwrae, an 
 eminent saint in the west of Scotland, who having lost 
 his dear and only son, got to his closet, and there 
 poured out his soul freely to the Lord. When he 
 
Direct. VII. and Neighbours of the Sick, 245 
 
 came out to his friends at length, who were waiting to 
 comfort him, and fearing how he would take such a 
 heavy stroke, he returned from prayer with a cheerful 
 countenance, and told some of his friends, who asked 
 him the reason of his cheerfulness, that * he had got 
 that in his retirement with the Lord, that to have it 
 afterwards renewed, he would be content to lose a son 
 every day.' 
 
 QtJdi/i Seriously consider, that you are but a few days 
 journey behind him for whom you mourn; and that 
 you will quickly overtake him and be with him again. 
 This allayed David's sorrow for his child, 2 Sam. vii. 
 23. " I shall go to him," It is our expecting to live 
 long herp, to enjoy the comfort of relations, that com- 
 monly makes us grieve so much for their death ; for, 
 if we looked on ourselves as men that were to die in a 
 few days, we would not be so troubled for our friends, 
 that are gone but a little space before us. 
 
 lihly, If your friends are gone to heaven, you have 
 more reason to rejoice with them, than to mourn for 
 them : seeing they are unspeakably happier, where 
 they now are, than they could have been with you. 
 It is the most fervent desire and wish of every true 
 Christian to be in heaven ; and, will you grieve, be- 
 cause God hath taken your relation thither, where 
 you desire to be yourself above all things? As Christ 
 said to his disciples before his death, John xiv. 28. 
 " If ye loved me, ye would rejoice, because I go unto 
 the Father." So, if your departing friend could speak 
 to you from heaven, he would say, * If you loved me 
 with a pure spiritual love, you would rejoice that I am 
 gone to my Father, where I am more happy than you 
 can possibly conceive of me.' 
 
 Object. Had I ground to think that my friend is 
 gone to heaven, it would ease me; but alas, I Fear it is 
 otherwise. 
 
 Ans. 1. It doth not belong to us to dive into the 
 eternal state and condition of these that are gone off 
 the stage. These secret things belong to God, who 
 
 T3 
 
246 Directions to the Friends Chap. Vl 1 1 , 
 
 exercised his mercy or justice towards sinners, accord* 
 ing to his sovereign will 
 
 2. Supposing the worst, you ought to submit to the 
 incpntrollable sovereignty of God, who hath mercy 
 on whom he will have mercy, and whom he will he 
 hardeneth. He is of one mind, and who can turn 
 him ? The Lord cut off Aaron's two sons in the very 
 act of sin and rebellion against him, and yet Aaron 
 held his peace, and so ought you. 
 
 3. Whatever be the lot of others hereafter, you 
 have reason to be thankful to God for his distinguish- 
 ing mercy, in saving you from these flames that others 
 fall into, and giving you good hope through grace of 
 glorifying God above for ever. 
 
 Direct. VIII. Let the sickness and death of others be 
 a warning to you hi time of healthy to make due pre- 
 paration for the time of sickness and of dyings which 
 is before your hand. 
 
 HEN you see your friends and neighbours in a 
 sickly, weak or dying condition, the language 
 of the dispensation to you that are in health % " Pre- 
 pare for sickness also." Nay, the feeble voice of the 
 sick doth proclaim this warning as loudly, as if they 
 should lift up their voice like a trumpet, and say to 
 you, " Remember that thou must lie in the same case 
 ere long, you must also groan under pain, lose your 
 strength and beauty, leave your mirth and company, 
 bid adieu to all the world, and look out for the grim 
 messenger death, that is a-coming to dissolve the 
 earthly tabernacle, send the body to lie in a putrifying 
 grave, and the soul to stand before God's tribunal, to 
 be sentenced to an endless state. This will be thy case, 
 O young man, strong man, healthy man, as really in 
 a little, as it is now of those before your eyes. O 
 how soon will it come! What thought will you then 
 have of the world, of sin, and vain company? Will 
 
Direct. VIII. and Neighbours of the Sick, 24-7 
 
 any thing comfort you then but the favour of God, the 
 love of Christ, and the review of a holy well spent life? 
 Wherefore do^with all thy might now what thy hand 
 finds to do ; employ the time of health well in prepar- 
 ing for sickness, and leave nothing to do in time of 
 sickness, which is a most unfit season for a man to do 
 soul- work and salvation- work in. 
 
 I. I shall begin with those of the family where the 
 harbingers of death do presently reside. Surely the 
 warning of sickness and death ought to be louder in 
 your ears than others, and most diligently hearkened 
 unto by you, that lodges under the same roof with the 
 messengers of the king of terrors. 1st, Remember 
 that word* 1 Peter v. 6. " Humble yourselves there- 
 fore under the mighty hand of God." It well becomes 
 guilty sinners, all the members of the family, to be 
 humble before a holy God, when he is smiting any 
 of the number. Humbly acknowledge his sovereign- 
 ty and absolute dominion over you, saying, M Lord, 
 thou art the author and founder of families, and thou 
 mayest afflict and punish them as thou thinkest fit. 
 Thou settest the solitary in families, and multipliest 
 their number; and thou mayest diminish them, 
 yea, lay them desolate according to thy pleasure. 
 Thou mightest have made all the members of the 
 family sick, as well as one, thou mightest have 
 given a deadly blow to parents, children, and ser- 
 vants at once, yea, have made the house in which we 
 live a common grave, and buried us altogether in 
 its ruins." Humbly acknowledge the justice and 
 mercy of God in the present visitation, " Lord, in- 
 stead of one, we all deserved to have been thrown 
 on sick-beds, and all of us to have been smitten by 
 death. Thou punishest us less than our iniquities 
 deserve." — Acknowledge also God's wisdom and love 
 in the present affliction, and humbly submit to take 
 the cup which he hath mingled for you. H The 
 cup which our heavenly Father hath ordered for this 
 family, shall we not drink it ? It is a gracious and 
 wise God that doth what is done in the family,* there- 
 
248 Directions to the Friends Chap. VII L 
 
 fore it is our part to be dumb, and not to open our 
 mouths to quarrel." 
 
 2dlg, The command which the king of Nineveh 
 gave all his subjects, when threatened with ruin, 
 Jonah iii. 8. is very proper for a master of a family 
 to give to all under his charge, when sickness doth 
 rage among them ; fast, and cry mightily to God, and 
 
 turn every one from his evil way. Who can tell if 
 
 God will turn away from his fierce anger, that we 
 perish not : When the destroying angel gets a com- 
 mission to smite families with mortal and infectious 
 diseases, which sometimes go from house to house like 
 a plague, sweeping many old and young < fF the stage: 
 then especially it should be a time of mighty crying 
 and pleading with God for mercy. And since our 
 pleading is wholly ineffectual without an atoning 
 sacrifice to incensed justice, let us not forget to bring 
 the all-sufficient sacrifice of Christ's blood alongst 
 with us, and plead this with God for averting his 
 wrath from our houses and families. As Moses said 
 to Aaron in a time of common calamity, Numb. xiv. 
 46. so may I say to you that are heads of families, 
 take a censer and incense, and go quickly and make 
 an atonement for them T for there is wrath gone out 
 from the Lord, the plague is begun. Bring the in- 
 cense of Christ's satisfaction, that great atonement to 
 divine justice, which was typified by the legal sacri- 
 fices and oblation?. Humbly and earnestly plead that 
 great sacrifice with God, for turning away the fierce- 
 ness of his wrath. Get the bunch of hyssop, faith, 
 in order to the sprinkling of your houses with that 
 atoning blood, that so you and your families may be 
 among the preserved in Christ Jesus. 
 
 Lastly, Let all in the family where sickness is, and 
 especially the head of it, remember that word, Job 
 xxii. 23. " Thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy 
 tabernacles." God hath sent sickness with this mes- 
 sage to you, " Search out family sins, whether of 
 omission or commission : mourn over them, turn from 
 
Direct. VIII. and Neighbours of the Sick. 249 
 
 them, banish them far away. Let no vice lodge 
 under your roof. Let family worship be no more 
 neglected, nor slightly performed. Let God have both 
 the morning and evening sacrifice." Now, if the 
 members of these families visited with sickness, who 
 are in health for the present, would thus humble 
 themselves, cry to God, plead the blood of Christ, 
 and reform what is amiss among them, the present 
 affliction would be sanctified, and they in some 
 measure prepared for the like trial, when God shall 
 be pleased to put the cup in their hand?. 
 
 II. In the next place, let me warn all the friends 
 and neighbours of the sick, whether they be in the 
 family or not, to improve the day of health, in mak- 
 ing ready for the time of sickness. Be much in the 
 exercise of self-examination, humiliation for sin, be- 
 lieving in Christ, renewing covenant with God, morti- 
 fying of sin, trimming the lamp, meditating of heaven, 
 living by faith, deniedness to the world, studying 
 to overcome the love of life, and fears of death ; 
 concerning all which, I have given directions in the 
 foregoing chapters of this book, when speaking to the 
 sick and distressed. These exercises are not only 
 proper for the sick, but also for those in health ; and 
 are suitable preparations for sickness and death, to be 
 studied by all men in every condition. But there are 
 some things further most necessary to be minded by 
 people in time of their health, in order to prepare 
 them for the time of sickness and of dying, before 
 it come. 
 
 Is/, Make your latter will, keep it by you, that you 
 may not be incumbered with your worldly affairs, in 
 time of sickness, or at a dying hour. Surely, it is 
 great wisdcm to put this work by hand in time of 
 health. But I have spoken largely of this, Chap. I. 
 Direct. VI. 
 
 2dly> Take heed in time of health, that you lay 
 not up sad provision against the day of sickness, by 
 your careless and untender walk. As it is sin that 
 
250 Directions to the Friends Chap. VIII. 
 
 brings on sickness upon us, so it is sin that imbitters 
 it unto us. O beware of all known sin, and particu- 
 larly the sins of earthly-mindedness, unthankfulness 
 for mercies, lukewarmness in religion, neglecting to 
 improve Christ, neglect of prayer, and formality in it, 
 quenching of the Spirit, falling from your first love, 
 breach of vows, miscarrying under signal mercies, 
 sinning after afflictions, returning to old sins. Guard 
 against these evils now, in time of health, otherwise 
 they will put thorns in your pillow when sickness 
 cometh. Dare not to live in such a course as you 
 would not adventure to die in. How do you know 
 but your next step may be into the grave ? And 
 would you be willing to lie down there in your sins, 
 with earthly, dead, formal, wandering, and unbeliev- 
 ing hearts? 
 
 3dly t Sit loose from the world, and live as strangers 
 in it, that you may be able to pack up and begone 
 from it upon short warning. Let death find you 
 dead before-hand, dead to the world. If your affec- 
 tions be glued to the world, it will be a violent rend- 
 ing, and sad parting you will have with it when 
 the dying hour cometh. You will be ready, like 
 Lot's wife, to linger, hanker, and look greedily back 
 again. 
 
 Mlily, Keep short reckonings with God and con- 
 science, that you may not have old scores to reckon 
 upon when you come to the deathbed. O what stinging 
 pain and torment may one sin unmourned for cost you 
 at that time ! Let conscience then bring in the accounts 
 of every day before you sleep, and speedily take up 
 every controversy that may fall out betwixt God and 
 thy soul. 
 
 Stilly^ Dwell much upon the thoughts of death, 
 that you may learn to be acquainted and familiar with 
 it, as Job was, who said before-hand, " to corruption, 
 thou art my father, and to the worm, thou art my mo- 
 ther and my sister," Job xvii. 14. For this cause the 
 Egyptians used to place a dead man's scull in some con- 
 
Direct. VIII. and Neighbours of the Sick. 251 
 
 spicuous place of their rooms; likewise the Jews had 
 their sepulchres in their gardens of pleasure, that so 
 in midst of their delights they might think on their 
 dying time. We read of Philip king of Macedon, that 
 ordered a page every morning to rouse him from sleep 
 with these words, * O King, remember thou art a mor- 
 tal man.' By this oft repeated lesson, he laboured to 
 humble his lofty mind, and make his acquaintance 
 with death, that it might not seem strange or surpris- 
 ing to him, when it should actually come and snatch 
 him away. 
 
 Gthly, Study to spend every day as it were to be 
 your last, and perform every duty as it were the last, 
 still looking on sickness and death as very near. That 
 which makes most men so unconcerned about sickness, 
 death, and eternity, is, they view them as things afar 
 off, at thirty or forty years' distance. s They think 
 their time will be long here : Why? They are healthy, 
 of a strong constitution, and their fathers lived so 
 long ;' which surely are false rules to judge by. It 
 was the expectation of many years, that helped on the 
 ruin of that rich fool in the gospel. It were far better 
 for every man to look on himself as standing every day 
 and night at the very door of eternity, and hundreds 
 of diseases ready to open the door to let him in. When 
 you lie down at night, leave your heart with Christ, 
 and compose your spirit so, as if you were not to awake 
 till the heavens are no more : for certainly that night 
 cometh, of which you will never see the morning; or 
 that morning, of which you will never see the night. 
 But which of your mornings or nights these will be, 
 you know not, seeing your times are not in your own 
 hands. 
 
 Ithly, Set apart some time daily for thinking in a 
 retired way on your time that is past, and upon eternity 
 that is to come. The neglect of this duty of medita- 
 tion and retired thinking is very prejudicial both to 
 the godly and ungodly. It was David's practice to 
 think, and to think upon hts ways; which engaged him 
 
252 Directions to the Friends Chap. VII I. 
 
 to reform whatever he found amiss in them, Psalm 
 cxix. 59. Oh! it is the ruin of many a soul, that they 
 are utter strangers to this way of thinking. I have read 
 of a father, who on his deathbed left it as a solemn 
 charge upon his only son, who was a prodigal, that he 
 should spend a quarter of an hour every day in retired 
 thinking, and let him choose any subject he pleased. 
 The son thinks this an easy task, undertakes it, and 
 after his father's death sets himself to perform his pro- 
 mise ; one day he thinks upon his bypast pleasures ; 
 another day he contrives his future delights ; after a 
 while, he begins to think seriously what might be his 
 father's design in laying this task upon him; at length 
 he thinks, his father was a wise and good man, and 
 therefore surely he intended and hoped that among the 
 rest of his meditations, he would some time or other 
 think of religion. When this had truly possest his 
 thoughts, one thought and question comes upon the 
 back of another, about his bypast life and future state, 
 that he could not contain himself in so short a con- 
 finement, but was that night without sleep ; yea, and 
 afterwards could have no rest till he became seriously 
 religious, O that I could persuade all careless and 
 unthinking souls to go and do likewise ! Ah, how 
 many spend their days in a hurry about worldly 
 affairs, and perish for want of thinking? 
 
 Sthly, Among other subjects of your retired thoughts, 
 spend some time in thinking how awful and terrible a 
 thing it must be for a poor Christless soul to make its 
 appearance before an angry God after death ; for who 
 (saith the prophet) can dwell with devouring fire? Who 
 can abide with everlasting burnings? I have read of a 
 certain king of Hungary, who being on a time marvel- 
 lously sad and heavy, his brother who was a brisk and 
 gallant man, would needs know the reason : * Oh 
 brother (said he) I have been a great sinner against 
 God, and I know not how, I shall appear before his 
 judgment-seat.' His brother answered, * These are 
 but melancholy thoughts;' and so made light of them, 
 
Direct. VIII. and Neighbours of the Sick. 253 
 
 as most courtiers use to do. The king replied nothing 
 at that time ; but the custom of that country was (the 
 government being absolute,) if the executioner sounded 
 a trumpet at a man's door, he was presently to be led 
 _ to execution. The king sent the executioner, in the 
 dead time of the night, and caused him sound his trum- 
 pet before his brother's door, who, hearing and seeing 
 the messenger of death, sprang in trembling into his 
 brother's presence, falls down upon his knees, and be- 
 seeches the king to let him know wherein he had offend- 
 ed him. * O brother, (said the king,) you never of- 
 fended me, but loved me; but is the sight of an earth- 
 ly executioner so terrible to thee; and shall not I, who 
 am so great a sinner, fear much more to be brought to 
 the judgment- seat of an angry God.' 
 
 9tftly, Think often how religious men use to wish, 
 they had lived, when they come to the sick and dying 
 time. These who have spent their time most carelessly 
 begin to have other notions of religion when they see 
 the grim messenger approaching. Go to their bed- 
 sides, and ask them, whether sloth or diligence, for- 
 mality or fervency, drinking or praying, loving the 
 world, or loving Christ, be the best; would they not 
 tell you, that there are none so wise as they that 
 are most religious? — Think, O man in health, with 
 thyself, if thou wast just now upon thy death-bed, and 
 sawest thy friends standing mourning round about thee, 
 hut unable to help thee, what would be thy thoughts 
 and discourse at that time? O then let some of the same 
 thoughts and discourse fill up every day and hour of 
 thy life now. Why? thou knowest not but this mo- 
 ment thou mayest be as near death, as if thy friends 
 and physicians too were despairing of thy life, and had 
 given you over for dead. 
 
 lOt /ill/, Be employed now in fighting the good fight 
 of faith. You have many enemies to deal with, and 
 death is the last of them. Would you obtain the vic- 
 tory over them ? Then get on the Christian armour, 
 and make much use of the shield of faith. We read 
 
 U 
 
254> Directions to the Friends Chap. VIII. 
 
 in the book of Esther, that king Ahasuerus would not 
 recal the proclamation he had emitted against the 
 Jews; but he gave them full liberty to take up arms 
 to defend themselves, and attack "their enemies: So 
 here, God will not recal the sentence of death he hath 
 past on all men in the garden; but nevertheless he al- 
 lows, yea, commissionates all true Israelites to take up 
 arms against death, to conquer and trample it under 
 foot by faith. 
 
 Lastly, Be busy now in health, providing and laying 
 up a stock against the time of sickness and affliction; 
 which may contribute to your comfortable living then, 
 when the world's good things will be tasteless and com- 
 fortless to you. As those who have a voyage to go, do 
 victual the ship; and these who have a siege to hold 
 out, take in provisions; even so do ye. 
 
 1. Get a stock of graces against that time, especially 
 a stock of faith, of patience, of humility, self-denial, 
 &c. There will be use for all these then. A little grace, 
 or a little faith, is not enough; for this will faint under 
 great afflictions. We read, Mat. xiv. that, when the 
 winds began to blow fiercely, Peter's little faith began 
 to fail. You have need of a great measure of patience 
 against that time, that you may wait patiently on God 
 till he come to your relief. You know not but he may 
 lengthen out your trials, and tarry till the fourth 
 watch of the night before he come with deliverance. 
 
 2. Provide a stock of evidences or marks of grace 
 and of the love of God, that you may be able to assert 
 your interest in him as your portion in Christ, and may 
 be persuaded that neither death nor life will ever se- 
 parate you from him. 
 
 3. Get a stock of divine experiences. Lay up all the 
 experiences you have had of God's loving kindness, 
 and these will give great relief and encouragement to 
 the soul in the day of distress. 
 
 4. Lay up a stock of sermons. Treasure up the 
 counsels and cordials which they bring you from God's 
 word, that so you may, according to Isa. xlii. 23. 
 
Direct. IX. and Neighbours of the Sick. 255 
 
 " Hear for the time to come ;" and especially for sick- 
 beds, when you cannot get sermons to hear. Then 
 it is that you ought to live and feed upon the sermons 
 you have heard. 
 
 5. Lay up a stock of prayers. Be much in wrest- 
 ling with God for help and through-bearing in the day 
 of affliction ; and so you may expect the gracious re- 
 turns thereof in the day of calamity. 
 
 6. Provide a stock of promises. Be. now gathering 
 these sweet cordials from God's word, lay them up 
 in your heart and memory, and they will be very re- 
 freshing and supporting to you in the day of affliction. 
 
 Direct. IX. Let those who are in health set about the 
 work of repentance^ and turning to God in Christ, 
 limeously and, quickly ,• and beware of delaying this 
 work until the time of sickness and of dying. 
 .OD'S command to you is, to set about the work 
 presently without any delay, Heb. iii. 15. " To- 
 day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts." 
 Matth. xxi. 28. " Go, work to-day in my vineyard." 
 Eccles. xii. 1. " Remember now thy Creator in the 
 days of thy youth." Well, God's voice to you, Q man, 
 in health, is to-day. But the devil's v#ice is to- 
 morrow. And which of the two will you hearken to? 
 Surely it is your wisdom to obey the voice of your 
 Creator and friend, and not of your enemy and de- 
 stroyer. Why? to day thou art in health, to-morrow 
 thou mayest be in sickness; to day thou art on earth, 
 to-morrow thou mayest be in hell; to day Christ is in- 
 viting you to come to him, to-morrow he may be sen- 
 tencing you to depart from him. And consider, that 
 the devil, who tempts you to delay this day, will be as 
 ready to tempt yon the same to-morrow; and so the 
 devil's to morrow will never come. It will still be to-mor- 
 row with him to the last hour, so that he may get you 
 cheated out of your whole time and salvation together* 
 Here I shall endeavour two things; 1. Bring argu- 
 ments to persuade you to repent ami close with the of- 
 
256 Directions to the Friends Chap. VIII. 
 
 fers of Christ patiently, without any delay, as God re- 
 quires. 2. Shew the evil and danger of delaying 
 till the time of sickness and of dying. As to the 
 first, viz. Arguments for present repentance, and a- 
 gainst delaying the work: 
 
 1st, Consider the uncertainty of your life, and time 
 to repent. Your life is but a vapour, a little warm 
 breath that is going out and in at your nostrils, which 
 may be stopt by death ere you be aware; thou know- 
 est not what will be to-morrow, Prov. xxvii. 1. It 
 was the saying of a godly man, when invited to a feast 
 upon the morrow, " I have not had a morrow for 
 these many years." It was a bad use these Epicu- 
 reans made of this uncertainty, Isa. xxiL 13. " Let us 
 eat and drink, for to-morrow we shall die." It is 
 much wiser to say, t( Let us pray, and turn to the 
 Lord, for to-morrow we shall die." Nay, you have 
 no security ior one hour to repent in; for God hath & 
 thousand diseases and accidents ready to stop your 
 breath, and end your days, whenever he pleaseth to 
 give them orders. There are many secure sinners, 
 who presume on long life, but there are none nearer 
 destruction than such ; for God loves to disappoint 
 these that promise themselves a long life in sin and 
 impenitency, as he did that rich man who was laying 
 up for many years, Luke xii. 19. " This night shall 
 thy soul be required of thee." And O what a dark 
 and dismal night will it be, if death come before thy 
 repentance? O man, thou never didst lie down one 
 night with assurance of rising again; thou never heardst 
 one sermon with assurance of hearing another; thou 
 never didst draw one breath with assurance of draw- 
 ing another! What madness is it then to delay salva- 
 tion work one day or hour longer, and so to leave the 
 weightiest matter in the world at the greatest uncer- 
 
 taintv r 
 
 2dlg> Consider that though God in his wonderful 
 mercy and patience should prolong your days, yet the 
 longest life is short enough for the work you have to 
 do, suppose you begin it presently. Nay, had you Me- 
 
Direct. IX. and Neighbours of the Sick 257 
 
 thusalem's years to spend, they would be no more 
 than sufficient to repent and mourn for the sins and 
 guilt which you have been so long contracting; to per- 
 form and amend the many things that have been a- 
 miss; to perform all the duties incumbent on you; to 
 make sure your calling and election, and put your soul 
 in a good posture and preparation for an eternal state, 
 and get them made meet to be partakers of the inhe- 
 ritance of the saints in light. Now, do you think that 
 all this work can be done in an instant, or in time of 
 sickness, or old age, when you are hardly fit to do any 
 thing? When a man's spirit is unable to bear the in- 
 firmities of nature, how will he be able to bear the 
 lashes of a guilty conscience or a wounded spirit? 
 When the understanding is weak, the memory frail, the 
 will obstinately bent the wrong way, by a long custom 
 of sinning, and neglecting of duty; will that be a fit 
 time to begin the work of repentance and conver- 
 sion to God? When nature is decayed, and the candle 
 of life just sinking in the socket, will you begin then to 
 act for God, and make your light shine before men to , 
 his glory? O remember, your work is long, your time 
 is short, and though you begin this very hour, you 
 will have no time to spare. 
 
 3dly, Delay not this work, because it is not in your 
 power to do it when you please. It is a delusion of 
 the devil, to imagine you may repent when you will. 
 No, no; it is God only that giveth repentance, and he 
 gives it when, and to whom he pleaseth, Acts v. 31. 
 And it is a mere peradventure, if ever he gives it to a 
 delaying sinner, 2 Tim. ii. 25. When is it that you 
 may have hopes he will give repentance, but when he 
 calls you to it, and prescribes means to be used for 
 that end ? Now, that is, " To-day, to-day, if ye will 
 hear his voice ; Now is the accepted time, now is the 
 day of salvation." To-day, when God is calling, and 
 the Spirit striving, is the time of finding the Lord, and 
 getting repentance from him. To-morrow, it may be 
 too late ; the Lord's hand may be closed, and the door 
 of mercy shut. If you refuse the Spirit when t 
 
 U 3 
 
2SS Directions to the Friends Chap. Vlll. 
 
 strives with you, he may leave you, and never put an- 
 other serious thought in your heart of turning to the 
 Lord. O defer not seeking repentance till it be too late, 
 for there is a time when the Lord will not be found, 
 and then repentance will not be found, though you 
 seek it with tears. Indeed, God hath promised mercy 
 to penitent sinners; but he hath no where promised the 
 aids of his grace and Spirit to them that put off their 
 °pentance ; and he hath no where promised accept- 
 at >e to mere grief and sorrow for sin, without faith 
 and fruits meet for repentance: he hath no where pro- 
 mised to pardon these, who at last promise to leave 
 their sins, when they can keep them no longer. 
 
 At/i/Uj The longer repentance and closing with Christ 
 is delayed, the difficulty thereof is every day increased. 
 Why? 1. Because of the deceitful nature of sin, which 
 doth daily bewitch and harden the heart the more in 
 the practice of it. — 2. Custom in any thing hath a strange 
 influence on us, and becomes a kind of second nature, 
 and breeds an almost invincible inclination to whatso- 
 ever we have long addicted ourselves unto, whether 
 it be in actions natural or moral. Hence Ovid gives 
 that good advice: 
 
 " Sed proper a t nee te venturas differ in horas : 
 Qui non est liodie, eras, minas aptns erit" 
 Be speedy, put not off till another time; 
 He who is not prepared to-day, will be more un- 
 prepared to-morrow. 
 He that goes on from day to day in sin, will find 
 his indisposition to repent daily increased, the habits 
 of sin strengthened, and himself brought at length un- 
 der the power of an inveterate custom. And, if it 
 be hard to break any custom, much- more a custom of 
 sinning, which is so agreeable to depraved nature. 
 Hence saith the Spirit of God, Jer. xiii. 23. " Can 
 the Ethopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? 
 then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do 
 evil." 3. The longer Satan keeps possession, the more 
 difficult will his ejection prove. The devils that pos- 
 sessed the man from the womb up, could not be cast 
 
Direct. IX. and Neighbours of the Sid. 259 
 
 out but by some extraordinary way. 4. Delays bring 
 on spiritual judgments from God, such as judicial 
 hardness on the heart, which will make repentance im- 
 possible, according to that terrible place, Isa. vi. 9, 10. 
 6i Make the heart of this people fat," &c. which is 
 quoted no less than six times in the New Testament, 
 as if it belonged only to them that linger and sit impe- 
 nitent under gospel-calls. 
 
 Lastly, We would reckon such delays madness in 
 earthly affairs, which are but trifles when compared 
 to salvation-work. If a man's house were on fire, 
 we would count him mad, if he would say, it is time 
 enough to quench it to-morrow; or if he were stung 
 with a venomous serpent, he would be mad that ne- 
 glected to seek a present cure; or if he had got poison 
 in his stomach, he would never think he could soon 
 enough vomit it up. If a malefactor were condemn- 
 ed to a cruel death to-morrow, but had a promise of 
 remission if he should look after it to-day: would he 
 be so foolish as delay it till next morning ? But how 
 much greater madness is it, to delay repenting and 
 fleeing to Christ, when God's calls and promises relate 
 to the present time, and our danger in delaying is in- 
 finitely greater than in any of the foresaid cases? Sure- 
 ly there is no sting so dangerous, no poison so deadly 
 as sin, and can we too soon seek after the balm of 
 Gilead, the blood of Christ for its cure? There is no 
 death like the second death, no fire so dreadful as the 
 eternal fire of God's wrath? Now, this fire is already 
 kindled against your souls? and, if it be not timeously 
 quenched, it will burn to the lowest hell. Lose no time 
 to get it extinguished, by fleeing to the blood of Jesus. 
 
 II. The next thing is to shew the evil and danger 
 of delaying this work until the time of sickness and 
 of dying. Alas, it is the common practice of the 
 most part! But consider, Is/, What wretched ingrati- 
 tude and baseness there is in it! Whether is it fit ye 
 should give the best of your time to God that made 
 you, or to the devil that seeks your destruction? Is it 
 reasonable that the devil should feast on the flower 
 and prime of your youth and strength, and your Cre- 
 
260 Directions to the Friends Chap. VIII. 
 
 ator have no other but the fragments of the devil's 
 table? When the dregs of your time are come, your 
 strength gone, your senses failed, your understanding 
 and memory weak, your affections spent upon the 
 creature, yea, when you are good for nothing else, 
 will you be so base as think you are then good enough 
 for God, and for salvation-work, which requires all 
 your strength and might? But remember, if you be 
 so base as reserve the dregs of your time for God, 
 you may expect he will be so just as reserve the dregs 
 of his wrath for you, according to that word, Mai. i. 
 14. " Cursed be the deceiver which hath in his flock 
 a male, and sacrificeth unto the Lord a corrupt thing," 
 Your youth, strength, health, gifts, and talents are the 
 males of the flock: if you give these to the devil, and 
 reserve the weakness of sickness and old age for God, 
 you draw down his curse upon your heads ; and, how 
 long will you be able to bear up under the weight of 
 God's curse ? Now, O delaying sinners, why should 
 you be so ungrateful to God, and injurious to your- 
 selves? God had early thoughts of mercy to you; and, 
 will you have nothing but late thoughts of duty to 
 him? Christ did not defer his dying for us till he 
 was old ; and shall we defer living to him till we be 
 old ? Oh ! we do not deal with God, as we would have 
 him to deal with us. When we need help in trouble, 
 we cry, as Psal. cii. 2. M Lord, hear me; in the day 
 when I call, answer me speedily." To-day we still 
 make the season of mercy, but to-morrow the season for 
 duty. When mercy is delayed, we impatiently cry, 
 how long? how long? We will not wait God's holy 
 leisure ; but, alas ! we would have God to wait our 
 sinful leisure. Oh, let us be ashamed of such disin- 
 genuous dealing with our Creator ! 
 
 2<%, Death may get a commission to take you off 
 suddenly, without giving you any time to repent. 
 You are not sure to see the evening star of sickness 
 before the night of death overtake you ; or that you will 
 have any warning given you before the fatal stroke. 
 For, how many are there who project long Jives, and 
 look for time before death to repent, that get a sur- 
 
Direct. IX. and Neighbours of the Sic/c. 261 
 
 prising call to flit from the earthly tabernacle, and 
 have not one minute to provide another lodging? How 
 many are drowned by a sudden storm at sea? and 
 how many killed by outward accidents at land ? Some 
 drop down suddenly in the streets; some die sitting 
 in their chairs; some go well to bed at night, and 
 never see the morning ; some die as quickly by a fit 
 of an epilepsy, or apoplexy, as if shot with a gun. 
 Thus thousands are hurried into eternity, and present- 
 ed before a tribunal, without being allowed so much 
 time as to think one serious thought, or speak one 
 word; not one moment to consider where they are 
 going, or cry to God for mercy. And, how know 
 you but this may be your case at death ? Must it not 
 be the greatest folly then, to delay your repentance 
 to a dying time, when your life may not be one mi- 
 nute longer ? 
 
 3dlj/, Though you may have some time to lie on 
 sick* beds, how know ye but your sickness may be such 
 as shall incapacitate you for spiritual work? Some, we 
 see, are so oppressed with continual slumbering and 
 sleeping, even when death is nearest, that they are 
 in no case to think or speak of these things that be- 
 long to their everlasting state. Others, in high fe- 
 vers, are troubled with ravings, and have no use of 
 their reason, so that they are not capable to settle 
 their worldly affairs; and how much less are they to 
 secure their soul's eternal concerns at that time? — 
 Sv)me again, are so racked with extreme pains and 
 agonies, impatient fretings, and bitter uneasiness, that 
 they cannot get one settled thought about their souPs 
 present or future state. Others are so filled with ter^ 
 ror and amazement, at the view of approaching death 
 and eternity that they cannot compose their thoughts 
 to examine themselves, confess their sins, act faith in 
 a Saviour, or follow any direction that is given them; 
 but go off the stage in a confusion, being incapable 
 to do any thing to purpose for their souls. Some, 
 their distempers are such, that they are brought to 
 $ great strait betwixt the word of God and the phy* 
 
262 Directions to the Friends Chap. VI IT. 
 
 sician. The word of God and his ministers tell them, 
 if they do not mourn for their sins, and wrestle for 
 mercy, they cannot be saved; but saith the physician, 
 if you trouble yourself with sad and melancholy 
 thoughts, you prejudice your body, and hazard your 
 life. Oh ! is this a fit time then to begin your pre- 
 paration for another world? 
 
 Mhtyi The Spirit of God, being long resisted and 
 vexed by many in the day of health; he is provoked to 
 leave them on death-beds to the hardness of their own 
 hearts; and so they remain like stocks and stones, dead 
 and stupid to the last. 
 
 5thlg, The devil, that was busy all your lives to 
 keep you from repentance, will not be idle at this 
 time; yea, he will be more active then than ever, to 
 ruin you, either by causing you to split on the rock 
 of presumption or of despair. Sometimes, he will 
 tell sinners then, «« You need not trouble yourselves 
 about your souls; God is more merciful than to damn 
 you: the repentance you have already will serve the 
 turn." But if this will not quiet them, he will study 
 to drive them to despair, by telling them, " They have 
 lost the season of repentance and closing with Christ; 
 and now there is no remedy, no hope for them, and 
 it is in vain to use any further means." O then, do 
 not hearken to Satan now, when he tempts you to de- 
 lay your repentance. 
 
 6t/ilij, Whatever appearance of repentance some 
 dying persons may have, let that be no encouragement 
 to put off till that time. Why ? there lieth a just sus- 
 picion upon a late repentance, that it is seldom sound 
 and sincere. It is no sound work that ariseth more 
 from fears of hell, than from any real hatred of sin ; 
 more from love to self, than love to God. And it is 
 to be feared that death-bed repentance is mostly of this 
 eort, seeing ordinarily it consisteth more in grief and 
 fear, prayers and promises, than in a hearty loathing 
 of sin, love to holiness, or willingness to accept of 
 Jesus Christ; for we have not seen many of these pe- 
 nitents, who, in the view of death, have professed 
 
Direct. IX. and Neighbours of the Sick. 263 
 
 great sorrow for their wicked lives, and made solemn 
 promises of amendment; yet, when they have happen- 
 ed to recover, all their righteousness ha vanished, 
 and they have returned to their former sins as greedily 
 as ever? And, O delaying sinner, what ground have 
 you to think that your death- bed repentance will be 
 any better than theirs? Be wise then in time, set hearti- 
 ly about salvation work in the day of your health; 
 and do not leave the weightiest work to the weakest 
 time. 
 
 Object. I. But hath not God promised mercy to 
 them that repent of their sins at any time? 
 
 Ans. Yes, to them that repent truly and sincerely. 
 But do not think that it is in your power to repent so 
 at any time you please; no, it is impossible you can 
 do it without the influence and assistance of the Spirit 
 of God. And God hath no where promised this to 
 these who put off their repentance to a death-bed. 
 There is a great difference betwixt a sick man's howl- 
 ing upon his bed, and sincere gospel- repenting. I 
 grant, true repentance is never too late; but, oh! late 
 repentance is seldom true. True repentance is that 
 which hath a care to walk holily, or hath works meet 
 for repentance joined with it. Hence repentance is 
 not only called metanoia, a change of mind; but also 
 metameleia, an after care. Now, for a death-bed re- 
 pentance, that hath no such holy care, or good works, 
 I know no promise in the Bible that annexeth salva- 
 tion unto it. 
 
 Object. II. Do we not read in Christ's parable of the 
 labourers, Matth. xx. that some were hired and brought 
 into the vineyards at the eleventh hour, and got the 
 same reward with those that were hired at the third 
 and sixth hour? 
 
 Ans. 1. These that were brought in so late, could 
 say for themselves, ver. 6. ki That no man had hired 
 them," or had offered to hire them before: they did 
 no sooner hear the gospel call, and offers of salvation 
 through Christ tendered to them. But, oh ! this will 
 stand you in no stead, who have had many a call and 
 
264? Directions to the Friends Chap. VIII. 
 
 offer made you at the third, sixth and ninth hour, and 
 have resisted and refused them : you will not have it 
 to say at the eleventh hour, as these had, No man 
 hath hired us. 
 
 2dly^ These men, though they came in but at the 
 eleventh hour, not being sooner hired, yet they were 
 labourers in the vineyard, and wrought one hour 
 therein faithfully, in obedience to their Lord's com- 
 mand; and so brought forth some fruits meet for re- 
 pentance, and were accepted. But this is no encou- 
 ragement to any to expect to be brought in at the 
 twelfth hour, when there is no time to work, nor bring 
 forth any fruits to testify the sincerity of their repent- a 
 ance; we have no promise of acceptance made to™ 
 such. 
 
 Object. III. The penitent thief on the cross sought 
 mercy from Christ at the last hour, and got it. 
 
 Ans. This is a singular instance, and gives no en- 
 couragement to delaying sinners. The Scriptures con- 
 tain a history of more than four thousand years, ^nd 
 yet during all that time, we have but one example of 
 a man that truly and sincerely repented when he came 
 to die. And in this man's case there was such an 
 extraordinaay conjunction of circumstances, as never 
 happened before, and can never fall out again to the 
 end of the world. This man had the happiness to 
 die close by the newly pierced and bleeding wounds 
 of a crucified Jesus, when he was lifted up from the 
 earth in the height of his love, drawing sinners to 
 salvation; which was a juncture that can never have 
 a parallel. — Again, the man never had any offer of 
 Christ, nor day of grace before now; he surrendered 
 himself upon the very first call; and his faith in Christ 
 at this time was truly singular and miraculous. He 
 was designed by heaven to be made a rare monument 
 of the power of Christ's grace, and a special trophy 
 of his victory over the devils and wicked men, at a 
 time when they seemed to triumph over him, as one 
 crucified through weakness. 
 
 From all which we may see, that this example was, 
 
Mr. Willison's Dying Words \ 265 
 
 extraordinary, and affords no ground for the presump- 
 tion of delaying sinners. You may as we'll cast your- 
 selves into the sea, in hopes of preservation by a whale, 
 from the example of Jonah, as defer repentance now, 
 in hopes of repenting on a deathbed, from the exam- 
 pie of the thief on the cross. Besides, your way of 
 
 sinning differs vastly from his : he was not guilty of 
 presumption as you are: he did not slight Christ's calls 
 and offers in the days of his health, and delay his re- 
 penting and closing with Christ, in hopes of an oppor- 
 tunity for them at the hour of death as you do. Do you 
 know what God determines concerning presumptuous 
 sinning? You may see it, Numb. xv. 28, 30, 31. 
 tc And the priests shall make an atonement for the soul 
 that sinneth ignorantly, &c. But the soul that doeth 
 ought presumptuously (whether he be born in the land, 
 or a stranger) the same reproacheth the Lord; and 
 that soul shall be cut off from among his people, be- 
 cause he hath despised the word of the Lord." O pre- 
 sumptuous delaying sinner, let this word of the Lord 
 awaken you to a speedy and present resolution to obey 
 his voice. M Return ye now every one from his evil 
 way, and make your ways and your doings good," Jer. 
 xviii. 11. Now is the acccepted time; if ye will hear 
 his voice, it must be to-day. Lord save us from hard- 
 ening our hearts. Amen. 
 
 Some Dying Words of the late Rev. Mr. John Willi son f 
 to his Wife and Children, found among his pajiers 
 after his death, dated the 10th of November, 1749. 
 
 TO MY WIFE. 
 
 MY DEAR, 
 
 MY distress calls me to think of parting with you, 
 the will of the Lord be done. I thank you for 
 your tender care of me; may the Lord bless and 
 reward you for it, and sanctify your own tenderness 
 
Z66 Mn Wittkorh fiijing WoYds. 
 
 and support you under it. As you have studied (o 
 live a life of faith and prayer all your days, so I hope 
 and believe you will continue to the end. In all 
 your difficulties and fears encourage yourself in the 
 Lord your God. Commit your way to him ; trust 
 him that is faithful arid true. I resign you, my dear, 
 to the. Husband of husbands, our dearest Lord Jesus 
 Christ. 
 
 TO MY CHILDREN. 
 
 TTkEAR children, your earthly father must leave 
 ~*> you ; your heavenly Father is immortal. O ! d 
 cleave fast to him.' Trifle not about your souls' con- * 
 cerns in time of health; mind these things as the 
 one thing needful; this you will not repent of when 
 you come within a near view of death, and end- 
 less eternity. Sirs ! press for clear views of your 
 interest in Christ, the only Surety and Saviour of sin- 
 ners. Among other evidences of it, live by faith on 
 him, and study holiness in heart and life. Dear Sirs, 
 think how you will be able to stand before Christ 
 your Judge at the last day, unless you have Christ's 
 image on you, and be made new creatures. The Lord 
 make you all such, and bless you with his best blessing ! 
 My blessing be upon you all. — What means God gave 
 me, I have bestowed them on you, or left them to you. 
 Be kind and careful of your mother while you have hen 
 And let none of you forget, that though I go before 
 you to the dust, you must all quickly follow me. O I 
 that we may all meet together at the right hand of 
 our blessed Redeemer, to see his face* and sing his 
 praise. — The time is near, be ye therefore also ready. 
 
 Now my dear wife and children, remember what is 
 above as the words of your affectionate husband and 
 loving father, who being dead, yet hereby speaketh to 
 you for your eternal good and happiness; may they 
 sink into your heart ! So prayeth 
 
 Jolin Willi son. 
 
Mr. Wiilison's Dying Words. 2Q1 
 
 Some of his "Dying Ejaculations^ as they were written by 
 himself a few days before he died t and left with his Bible 
 lying on his Pillow, the day of May 1750. 
 
 \3 LET me sleep in Jesus ! 
 
 I would not live always in this evil world, that has little 
 in it tempting, and seems still to grow worse, and where 
 the torrent of sin and backsliding seems to grow stronger. 
 
 I would desire to depart, and to be with Christ, 
 which is far better than to be here. | am willing 
 rather to be absent from the body, and present with 
 the, Lord. Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and 
 there is none upon earth I desire besides thee : for 
 though my heart, strength, and flesh fail; yet the Lord 
 will be the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. 
 
 Now, Lord, what wait I for ? my hope is in thee; I 
 have waited for thy salvation, O Lord. 
 
 for Simeon's frame, to be saying, iS Lord, now 
 lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes 
 have seen thy salvation," 
 
 When Christ says, " Surely, I come quickly," may 
 my soul answer, " Even so, come, Lord Jesus." 
 
 1 am living on the righteousness of Christ, yea, dy- 
 ing in the Lord. Even so come. I am detained here 
 upon the shore, waiting for- a fair wind to carry me 
 over this Jordan. I have waited, and will wait for 
 thy. salvation, G Lord. The Lord is a Rock, and his 
 work is perfect : Lord, perfect what concerneth me. 
 
 that I could say with Paul, "The time of my depar- 
 ture is at hand. I have kept the faith, I have fought the 
 good fight, I have run my race, I have finished my course; 
 henceforth thereis laid upformeacrown of righteousness, 
 which the righteous Lord will give me at his coming." 
 
 1 am vile and polluted, O how shall I be cleansed I 
 But that is a comfortable promise, " The blood of 
 Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth from all sin." And so 
 is that, « 6 Though ye have lien among the pots, ye 
 shall be as doves, whose wings are covered with silver, 
 and their feathers with yellow gold." 
 
268 Mr. WillisorCs Dying Words. 
 
 I resolve to obey, to submit to the Lord's will, to 
 die like Moses and Aaron, the one at mount Hor, the 
 other at mount Abarim. They went up, and died 
 there at the command of the Lord. 
 
 G that when my flesh and strength fail, God may 
 be the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever ! 
 When now the keepers of the house do tremble, O that 
 God may be the keeper ! When the grinders cease, 
 because they are few, O that God would feed my soul 
 with manna, that will need none of these implements ! 
 When the daughters of music are brought low, O to be 
 fitted for tl\e heavenly music above ! When the lookers 
 out at the windows are darkened, O that my soul may 
 be enlightened to see Jesus my Redeemer ! 
 
 Lord, help the unbelief and infidelity of my heart; 
 and help to more of the faith of a risen Jesus, and as- 
 cended Redeemer. O let me believe and feel the sweet- 
 ness of that word of Christ, * s I ascend to my Father, 
 and your Father ; and to my God, and your God." 
 
 O how shall such an unholy creature as I, presume 
 to enter into such a pure and holy place ! But the 
 Apostle hath taught us, we may have boldness to enter 
 into the holiest of all by the blood of Jesus. 
 
 O that when the time of my last combat comes with 
 my last enemy, death, I may be helped above all, to 
 take the shield of faith, whereby I may be relieved 
 from the sting of death, and may quench the fiery darts 
 of the wicked one. 
 
 O that I may be helped to adore the sovereignty of 
 God, kiss his rod, and humbly submit to it. Save me 
 from both extremes ; let me never despise the chasten- 
 ing of the Lord, or faint when I am rebuked of him. 
 
 Now the prince of darkness will study to raise tem- 
 pests of temptations to shipwreck the poor weather- 
 beaten vessel of my soul, when it would enter into 
 the harbour of rest above ; may Christ come to be 
 pilot, steer the helm, and it shall be safe. 
 
 O for more faith! May my faith ripen to a full 
 assurance, that I may go off the stage rejoicing, and that 
 
Mr. WiUisorCs Dying Words. 269 
 
 an abundant entrance may be ministered to me into 
 the kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. 
 
 O for more faith, that I may die like Simeon when he 
 bad Christ in his arms, saying, « € Now let thy servant 
 depart in peace, mine eyes have seen thy salvation." 
 
 Lord, one smile of thy countenance would banish a- 
 way all my doubts and fears, and make me sing in pains. 
 
 Is my Redeemer gone to prepare a place for me ? 
 Why should I be slothful to follow his steps, when he 
 is saying, " Come up hither ; come up, dwell here ; 
 eome up, reign here; come up, sing here?" 
 
 O Lord, deliver my soul from death, mine eyes 
 from tears, and my feet from falling. O save me 
 from the horrible pit, draw me out of the miry clay* 
 set my feet upon a rock, and establish my goings, and 
 put a new song in my mouth. 
 
 O give grace to strive by faith and prayer to enter in 
 at the strait gate. Lord, thou hast bid me knock, and it 
 shall be opened; ask, and ye shall receive; seek, and ye 
 shall find. Lord, I knock, open unto me; Lord, I would 
 be in, I must be in; let me but in over the threshold; let 
 me within sight of my Redeemer's face, within sight of 
 the smiles of his countenance; let me within hearing of 
 the songs of the redeemed; let me get to the outside of 
 that praising company; I will be well enough if I get in. 
 
 Lord, in I must be, out I cannot stay: Oshutmenotout 
 with the swearers, sabbathbreakers, and profane persons. 
 Lord, I never chose their company while in this world; 
 Lord, do not gather my soul with sinners hereafter. 
 
 The redeemed are gathering, and the wicked are gath> 
 ering. Lord, gather me with thy flock; they are fast a 
 gathering ; the church's Head is gone; he has left the 
 earth, and entered in to his glory ; my brethren and friends, 
 many of them have arrived where he is; I am yet behind. 
 
 how great is the difference betwixt my state atfd theirs. 
 
 1 am groaning out my complaint, they are singing God's 
 praise: I am in darkness, and cannot see thy face, but 
 they behold thee face to face. Q should I be satisfied to 
 stay behind, when my friends are gone ! Shall I wander 
 
270 Mr, Willisorts Dying Words. 
 
 here in a hungry desart, when they are triumphing 
 above, and dividing the spoil? O help me to look after 
 them with a stedfast eye, and cry, O Lord, how long! 
 
 O heavenly Father, draw me after Jesus ; for none 
 can come to him without thy aid. O Father, draw 
 me up there where he is, and I will mount up as on 
 eagles' wings. O draw me; and when thou seemest to 
 fly from me, Lord enable me to follow hard after thee. 
 
 Lord, give me the staff of a promise in my hand, that 
 I may go over Jordan with it. O give me such a promise 
 asthat, "When thoupassest through thewaters, I will be 
 with thee, and through the rivers they shall not overflow 
 thee. When thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt 
 not be burnt, neither shall the flame kindle upon thee." 
 
 Lord, my experiences are small, my manifestations 
 few; these I will not lean to: yet I will remember thee 
 from the land of Jordan, from the Hermonites, and 
 from the hill Mizar. Why art thou cast down, O my 
 soul, and why disquieted within me? hope thou in God, 
 for I shall praise him, who is the health of my counte- 
 nance, and my God. 
 
 O thou who rememberedst the dying thief, when on 
 the way to thy kingdom, O remember me when now 
 seated in thy kingdom, and say to my soul, when I am 
 dying, " This day shalt thou be with me in paradise." 
 
 Lord, I am called to the work I never did, O give 
 me the strength I never had. O strengthen me like 
 Samson for this once, when at death, to pull down 
 the strong-holds of sin in me. Lord wash away my sins 
 in the blood of Christ, and then my soul shall not sink 
 in the ocean of thy wrath. 
 
 O what is toy life but a vapour! a sandglass of sixty or 
 seventy years! O how fast does it run down ! how soon it 
 runsout! Vain, vain is the love of life! Ogivemegrace 
 to overcome the love of life, and the fear of death. Ofor 
 more patience and less fretting. If the damned had hope 
 of being saved from hell after a thousand years of my 
 pain, how willingly would they endure it? Blessed be 
 God, my pains are not hell, their state is not mine. 
 
Mr. JVillison's Dying Words. 271 
 
 Lord*, draw near to me, and save me; my body is 
 full of trouble, and my life draws near to the grave. 
 But, Lord, thy loving-kindness is better than life; O 
 make thy loving kindness sure to me, and I will will* 
 lingiy part with this dying life. 
 
 O that I could make all the world see the beauty of 
 my precious and adorable Saviour. 
 
 Nothing but an interest in Christ can give peace in 
 life, or comfort in death* He is the chief among ten 
 thousand, and altogether lovely.— My body is in part 
 dead, but I know I cannot die eternally while Jesus lives. 
 I nlust go down to the grave; but what is the grave; 
 ,it is but a refining pot since my Saviour lay in it; it is 
 but a bed of roses. " He is the Rose of Sharon, and 
 the Lily of the Valley*" 
 
 It was his free grace that drew me, and made me 
 willing in the day of his power; no desert, no merit 
 in me, it was all free and undeserved. 
 
 O let the chastisement of my body be the medicine 
 of my soul to cure me of sin, and bring me to sincere 
 repentance for it : for Christ was wounded for our 
 transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities ; the 
 chastisement of our peace was upon him. 
 
 Lord, remember the chastisement of Christ for sin, 
 and let my pains be the chastisement of a father, and 
 not the wounds of an enemy. Let Christ's sufferings 
 
 mitigate mine 
 
 I rejoice in the prospect of that glorious inheritance 
 reserved safe.— I could not comfortably enter eternity 
 any other way but in and through this God-man Me- 
 diator : if he was not God as well as man, I could not 
 be supported, but he is God. 
 
 Oh, this precious Saviour, he is my all in all ; he is 
 my all-sufficient good, my portion, and my choice; in 
 him my vast desires are fulfilled, and all my powers 
 rejoice; I am travelling through a wilderness to a city 
 of habitation, whose builder and maker is God* 
 
 Oh, delightful thought! that I who was going on in 
 sin, should be plucked as a brand out of the burning. 
 
272 Mr. Willisonh Dying Words. 
 
 — Oh, how will they lie on a deathbed that have noth- 
 ing but their own works to fly to ! With only this to 
 depend on, I should be the most miserable of all crea- 
 tures : but the long white robes of my Redeemer's 
 righteousness are all my desire. They are truly blessed, 
 they alone are happy, who are enabled to exult in the 
 garment of celestial glory, which never waxeth old. 
 in the illustrious robes of a Saviour's consummate 
 righteousness, which are incorruptible and immortal. 
 This is a robe which hides every sin, of thought, word, 
 or deed, that I have committed. O how unspeakably 
 happy are they, who are justified by this all-perfect 
 righteousness of the Lord Jesus Christ, and who 
 therein can constantly triumph and glory !" 
 
 Lord, I live upon Christ, I live upon his righteous?- 
 ness, I live upon his blood and merits; yea, I die also, 
 leaning wholly upon this bottom. It is not past expe- 
 riences or manifestations I depend upon : it is Christ, 
 a present all-sufficient Saviour, and perfect righteous- 
 ness in him, I look to. All my attainments are but 
 loss and dung besides him. 
 
 When I find myself polluted, I go to this fountain 
 for cleansing. Lord, give me delight in approaching 
 to thee; delight to be at a throne of grace. O that I 
 could make my bed there, lie and die there. 
 
 The kingdom of heaven suffers violence, r and the 
 violent take it by force. O for strength to offer a 
 holy violence by faith and prayer ! 
 
 Thus the Author died as he lived, testifying the power of religion 
 upon himself; and that at a time when men have most need of its 
 comforts. The foregoing words are transcribed from his own manu- 
 script now lying in the hands of Mr. Bell, minister at Aberbrothock. 
 
 WILLIAM BELL. 
 
 FINIS. 
 
 Khull, Diackie, # Co. Printers, Glasgow. 
 
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