ftantly implore to enable us, in this Time of Trial, to difcharge the Duty of good Chriftians.

Q. Wherein confifts the Exercife of Patience upon a Sick-bed?

A. In carefully reftraining all Murmurings against God, or any Difcontent, by reafon of what he lays upon us. In watching against all the Temptations to Anger, as the Miftakes and Inadvertencies of our Attendants, the unfeasonable Kindness of our Friends, the Difagreeableness of our Medicines, and the Preparation of our Food. In curbing anxious Fears of worse that may happen: And in being content to wait God's Time for our Deliverance.

Q. Wherein confifts the Exercife of Trust in God upon a Sick-bed?

A. In quieting our Minds under the Apprehenfion of future Evils, by confidering that we are in the Hands of a good God, who will lay no more upon us than we are able to bear; and who will in his due Time either remove what afflicts us, or give us Strength to endure it in such a Manner that it may contribute to the Improvement of our Virtue, and the Increase of our Happiness. And that, however deftitute we leave our nearest Relations, as Wife and Children, yet that they are under the Protection of his Providence, whofe Bleffing is the richest Portion, and without which the best human Provifion is no Security.

Q. Wherein confifts the Exercife of Refignation upon a Sick-bed?

A. In refting fully affured, that what God chufes for us is much better than what we could wish for ourfelves. In embracing our Sickness and our Pains as Correctives of our past Follies, and as proper Methods for our Growth in Grace. In being contented to refer the Continuance and Event of our Sickness to God's good Pleasure, because his

infinite

infinite Wisdom knows the best Season for our Deliverance; and as he first put us into this World, fo he is fitteft to judge when we fhould go out of it. Q. How may we exercife Thankfulness upon a Sick-bed?

A. By acknowledging that we fuffer less than we deserve, and that our Sufferings are needful to recover us to a right Mind, being defigned by God to do us that Good, and to bring us to that Senfe of him and ourselves, which perhaps nothing else would have done. By owning thofe frequent Allays God gives to our Sorrows, and those great Helps and Supports we receive under them, from the Advantage of our Friends, good Attendance, fitting Medicines, and all other Conveniencies of Life. For in the worst Condition, if we turn our Profpect upon the best Part of it, we fhall find Reason to own God's Mercy; and in the beft Eftate, if we always dwell upon what is grievous, we fhall be. too apt to make Complaints.

Q. How ought we to exercife our Devotion on a Sick-Bed?

A. By defiring the Affiftance of a spiritual Guide, to offer up our Prayers and to fupport our Weaknefs with the most comfortable Viaticum of the bleffed Sacrament. By fpiritualizing all the Accidents of our Sickness, making them a Rife for pious and devout Thoughts, which may be fent up in frequent Ejaculations to God, who alone can be our Comfort under all our Diftrefs. By imploring his Bleffing upon all the Means we use for our Recovery, and by offering to him all the Pains we endure, as what we are more willing to fuffer than to offend him.

Q. Wherein confifts the Happiness of the Death of the Righteous?

A. Not in any Freedom from painful and noisome Difeafes; nor in any Exemption from fudden and unforeseen

19. 20.

unforeseen Accidents and Dangers, which often bring the Righteous as well as the Wicked to their Luke xvi. Graves. For we fee Lazarus, for whom was prepared a Retreat in Abraham's Bofom, had his Body full of Sores, and ended his Life in a miferable and forlorn Condition; while the Rich Man, whose Luxury had kindled for him inextinguishable Flames, only grows fick and dies. Thus the bleffed Martyrs expired in Flames and upon Racks while their cruel Perfecutors died in their Beds. So that this Happiness of the good Man's Death must be diftinguished by the Temper and Difpofition of his Mind, and is founded on a well-grounded Hope and comfortable Expectation of a bleffed Immortality, through the Merits of Christ's Death, promifed to his fincere though imperfect Obedience. This makes him contented to quit that Body which he hath always mortified, and to leave this World as a ftrange Land, where he hath been detained a Captive.

Q. What Method may be taken to make ourselves expert in all the devout Acts of a pious Soul upon the Approach of Death?

A. To fet apart fome Time in our Retirements to fit and prepare ourselves for Death, by a folemn Exercife of all fuch Virtues as we shall then ftand moft in need of; that we may not be at a Lofs to perform them when we fhall be in a weak and languishing Condition. I think the Evenings of Such Sundays and Festivals whereon we receive the bleffed Sacrament, may properly be dedicated to this Purpose. So that when we really come into the Confines of Death, our Minds may be ftored with devout Thoughts, and may readily exprefs themselves in thofe pious Acts which we frequently exercised upon such a Prospect.

GR

The PRAYERS.

I.

nity.

Eter

RANT, O Lord, that as I am baptized into For a hap the Death of thy bleffed Son our Saviour Py Jefus Chrift, fo by continual mortifying my corrupt Affections, I may be buried with him, and that through the Gate and Grave of Death, I may pass to a joyful Refurrection, for his Merits, who died and was buried, and rofe again for us, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

、 II.

ELP me, O God, fo to order my Converfa- Door

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For a hap

Hon in the World, fo to govern my Spirit, Hotsp tion and to lead fuch a Life, upon which I may fafely py Death. die. And fuperadd this to all the Grace and Favour thou haft fhewn me all along in Life, not to remove me hence, but with all Advantage for Eternity; when I fhall be in a due Preparation of Mind, in a holy Difpofition of Soul, in a perfect Renunciation of the Guife of this mad and finful World, when I fhall be entirely refigned up to thee my God; when I fhall have clear Acts of Faith in God by Jefus Chrift, high and reverential Thoughts of thee in my Mind, inlarged and inflamed Affections towards thee; and when I come to leave the World, afford me fuch a mighty Power and Prefence of thy own good Spirit, that I may have folid Confolation in believing, and depart in the Faith of God's Elect. That I may chearfully follow thee into the State on the other Side of Death, of which thou haft given fo great an Affurance by the Refurrection of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Christ ; who hath brought Life and Immortality to Light by the Gospel, and who hath promised to change thefe our vile Bodies, that they may be fashioned like unto

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tlewel.

For Prepa

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End.

his glorious Body, according to the Working of his mighty Power, by which he is able to fubdue all Things unto himfelf; to whom with thee, O Father and Holy Ghost, be all Honour and Glory, World without End. Amen.

III.

RANT, O Lord, that I may end my Life in thy Fear and Favour, and receive my Death, ration for, whenever it fhall approach, not as my Curfe, but as my Deliverance; as a Reft from my Labours, and an Entrance upon a Life without Trouble, and without Sin. Remember not against me my manifold Follies, but let them all be done away by thy Mercies, and my bleffed Saviour's Merits, and my own true Repentance; that I may come to my laft Change without Guilt, and foresee its near Approach without Fear or Impatience. And enable my foul to ftrip itself of all fleshly Affections before it leaves my Body, and to be of like Mind and Difpofition with the holy Angels, and beatified Spirits, before it goes to keep them Company. And in my laft Trial bless my Sick-bed with the Benefit of a fpiritual Guide, and with an Opportunity of receiv ing the Sacrament of the Body and Blood of Chrift; that the Strength of that heavenly Food may chear my fainting Spirits, and carry me with Joy to my. Journey's End: Make me then to watch all Opportunities of renouncing my own Will, and refigning myself to thine, and of fhewing forth Devotion of Spirit, holy Obedience, Patience, Faith, and humble Confidence in thee; and exercife the fame diligently, as my laft Labours for Immortality, and for fecuring thy everlasting Mercy, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

3

STRENGTHEN