⚫iffues and effects thereof; imploring God's mercy for the fick person, through the blood of Christ; beseeching that "God would open his eyes, difcover unto him his fins, cause him to fee himself, loft in himself, make known to him the caufe why God fmiteth him, reveal Jefus Chrift to his foul for righteousness and life, give unto him his holy fpirit to create and strengthen faith,to lay hold upon Christ, to work in him comfortable evidences of his love,to arm him against remptations, to take off his heart from the world, to sancti"fy his prefent vifitation, to furnish him with patience and ftrength to bear it, and to give him perfeverance in faith to the end. اء That, if God fhall please to add to his days, he would vouchsafe to blefs and fanctify all means of his recovery, to remove the disease, renew his ftrength, and enable him to walk worthy of God, by a faithful remembrance, and diligent obferving of fuch vows and promises of holiness and obedience, as men are apt to make in times of fickness that he may glorify God in the remaining part of his life. 6 And, if God have determined to finish his days by the prefent visitation,he may find fuch evidence of the pardon of all his fins, of his intereft in Chrift, and eternal life by Chrift, as may cause his inward man to be renewed, while his outward man decayeth; that he may behold death without fear, caft, himfelf wholly upon Chrift without doubting defire to be diffolved and to be with Chrift, and fo receive the end of his faith, the falvation of his foul, through the only merits and interceffion of the Lord Jefus Christ, our alone Saviour and all-fufficient Redeemer.' The minifter fhall admonish him alfo, (as there fhall be caufe) to fet his houfe in order, thereby to prevent inconveniencies; to take care for payment of his debts, and to make reftitution or fatisfaction where he hath done any wrong, to be reconciled to thofe with whom he hath been at variance, and fully to forgive all men their trefpaffes against him, as he expects forgiveness at the hand of God, Laftly, the minifter, may improve the prefent occafion to exhort thofe about the fick perfon,to confider their own morality, to return to the Lord, and make peace with him; in health health to prepare for ficknefs, death, and judgment; and all the days of their appointed time fo to wait until their change come, that when Chrift, who is our life fhall appear, they may appear with him in glory. Concerning burial of the dead. WHEN 7HEN any perfon departeth this life, let the dead body upon the day of burial, be decently attended from the houfe to the place appointed for public burial, and there immediately interred, without any ceremony. And because the customs of kneeling down, and praying by, or towards the dead corps, and other fuch ufages, in the place where it lies, before it be carried to burial, are fuperftitious; and for that, praying, reading, and finging, both in going to, and at the grave, and have grofly abused, are no way beneficial to the dead, and have proved many ways hurtful to the living; therefore let all fuch things be laid afide. F Howbeit, we judge it very convenient, that the Chriftian friends, which accompany the dead body to the place appointed for public burial, do apply themselves to meditations, and conferences fuitable to the occafion; And that the minifter, as upon other occafions, fo at this time, if he be prefent, may put them in remembrance of their duty, That this fhall not extend to deny any civil respects or de-ferences at the burial, fuitable to the rank and condition of the party deceased, whiles he was living. Concerning public folemn fafting WHEN HEN fome great and notable judgments are either inflicted upon a people, or apparently imminent, or by fome extraordinary provocations notoriously deferved; as alfo when fome fpecial bleffing is to be fought and obtained, public folemn fafting (which is to continue the whole day), is a duty that God expecteth from that nation, or people. A religious faft requires total abftinence, not only from all food (unless bodily weaknefs do manifeftly difable from I i3 holding feafonably,before their strength and understanding fail them. Times of fickness and affliction are fpecial opportunities put into his hand by God, to minifter a word in feason to weary fouls: Because then the confciences of men are, or fhould be,more awakned to bethink themfelves of their fpiritual eftate for eternity; and Satan alfo takes advantage then, to load them more with fore and heavy temptations: There fore the minister, being fent for, and repairing to the fick, is to apply himself with all tenderness and love, to adminifter fome fpiritual good to his foul, to this effect. He may, from the confideration of the prefent fickness, inftruct him out of Scripture, that difeafes come not by chance, or by diftempers of body only, but by the wife and orderly guidance of the good hand of God, to every particular perfon fmitten by them. And that, whether it be laid upon him out of displeasure for fin, for his correction and amendment, or for trial and exercife of his graces, or for o ther fpecial and excellent ends, all his fufferings fhall turn to his profit, and work together for his good, if he fincerely la bour to make a fanctified use of God's vifitation, neither defpifing his chaftning, nor waxing weary of his correction.> If he fufpect him of ignorance, he fhall examine him in the principles of religion,efpecially touching repentance and faith; and, as he feeth caufe, inftruct him in the nature, ufe, excellency and neceffity of thofe graces; as alfo touching thecovenant of grace, and Chrift the Son of God, the Mediator of it, and, concerning remiffion of fins by faith in him. He fhall exhort the fick perfon to examine himself to fearch and try his former ways, and his eftate towards God. And if the fick perfon fhall declare any ferouple, doubt or temptation that are upon him, inftructions and refolutions fhall be given to fatisfy and fettle him. If it appear that he hath not a due fenfe of his fins, endeavours ought to be used to convince him of his fins, of the guilt and defert of them of the filth and pollution, which the foul contracts by them; and of the curfe of the law, and wrath of God, due to them; that he may be truly affected with, and humbled for them: And withal make known the danger of deferring repentance, and of neglecting salvation at any time offered; to awaken his confcience, and rouze rouze him up out of a stupid & fecure condition, to apprehend the justice and wrath of God, before whom none can ftand, but he that, loft in himself,layeth hold upon Chrift by faith. If he have endeavoured to walk in the ways of holiness, and to serve God in uprightness, altho', not without many Failings and infirmities; or if his fpirit be broken with the fenfe of fin, or caft down through want of the fenfe of God's favour; Then it will be fit to rife him up, by fetting before him the freeness and fulness of God's grace, the fufficiency of righteoufnefs in Chrift, the gracious offers in the gospel, that all who repent, and believe with all their heart in God's mercy through Chrift, renouncing their own righteousness shall have life and falvation in him: It may be alfo useful to fhew him, that death hath in it no fpiritual evil to be feared by thofe that are in Chrift,because fin the fting of death is taken away by Christ, who hath delivered all that are his, from the bondage of the fear of death, triumphed over the grave, given us victory, is himself entred into glory, to prepare a place for his people, fo that neither life nor death fhall be able to feperate them from God's love in Christ in whom fuch are fure, though now they must be laid in the duft, to obtain a joyful and glorious refurrection to eternal life. Advice alfo may be given, as to beware of an ill-grounded perfwafion on mercy, or on the goodness of his condition for heaven, fo to disclaim all merit in himfelf, and to caft himself wholly upon God for mercy, in the fole merits and mediation of Jefus Chrift, who hath engaged himself never to caft of them, who in truth and fincerity come unto him. Care alfo must be taken, that the fick perfon be not caft down into difpair, by fuch a fevere reprefentation of the wrath of God due to him for his fins, as is not mollified by a fenfible propounding of Chrift and his merit for a door of hope to every penitent believer. When the fick perfon is beft compofed, may be leaft difturbed, and other neceffary offices about him left hindred the minister, if desired, shall pray with him, and for him, to this effect. "Confeffing and bewailing of fin original and actual, the miferable condition of all by nature, as being children of wrath, and under the curfe acknowledging that all difeafes, ficknefs, death, and hell itfelf, are the Ii2 proper Iffues' iffues and effects thereof; imploring God's mercy for the fick perfon, through the blood of Chrift; befeeching that "God would open his eyes, difcover unto him his fins, caufe him to fee himself, loft in himself, make known to him the caufe why God fmiteth him, reveal Jefus Chrift to his foul for righteousness and life, give unto him his holy fpirit to create and strengthen faith,to lay hold upon Christ, to work in him comfortable evidences of his love,to arm him against temptations, to take off his heart from the world, to fanctify his prefent vifitation, to furnish him with patience and ftrength to bear it, and to give him perfeverance in faith to the end. That, if God fhall please to add to his days, he would vouchsafe to blefs and fanctify all means of his recovery, to remove the disease, renew his strength, and enable him to walk worthy of God, by a faithful remembrance, and diligent obferving of fuch vows and promifes of holiness and obedience, as men are apt to make in times of fickness that he may glorify God in the remaining part of his life. And, if God have determined to finish his days by the prefent vifitation,he may find fuch evidence of the pardon of all his fins, of his interest in Chrift, and eternal life by Chrift, as may caufe his inward man to be renewed, while his outward man decayeth; that he may behold death without fear, caft, himfelf wholly upon Chrift without doubt. ing defire to be diffolved and to be with Chrift, and fo receive the end of his faith, the falvation of his foul, through the only merits and interceffion of the Lord Jefus Christ, our alone Saviour and all-fufficient Redeemer.' The minifter fhall admonish him alfo, (as there fhall be caufe) to fet his houfe in order, thereby to prevent inconveniencies; to take care for payment of his debts, and to make reftitution or fatisfaction where he hath done any wrong, to be reconciled to thofe with whom he hath been at variance, and fully to forgive all men their trefpaffes against him, as he expects forgiveness at the hand of God, Laftly, the minifter, may improve the prefent occafion to exhort thofe about the fick perfon,to confider their own mor tality, to return to the Lord, and make peace with him; in health |