and tell the tempter, I am sure that once I gave up myself unfeignedly to my Lord; and those that come to him he will in no wise cast out; and if now I be disabled from a composed exercise of grace, he will not impute my sickness to me as my sin.'

Tempt. III. Another ordinary temptation is, that 'It is now too late; God will not now accept repentance; the day of grace is past and gone; or at least, a deathbed repentance is not sincere.' To this the tempted soul must reply, 1. That if faith and repentance were not accepted at any time in this life, then God's promise were not true, which saith, that "whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life "." There is a time in this life, in which some resisters of the truth are given up to their own lusts, to the love of sin, and hatred of holiness, so that they will not repent; but there was never a time in this life, in which God refused to justify a true repenting sinner, upon his belief in Christ. 2. That if a deathbed repentance do truly turn the heart from the world to God, and from sin to holiness, so that the penitent person, if he should recover, would lead a new and holy life, then that repentance hath as sure a promise of pardon and salvation, as if it had been sooner; and yet delay must be confessed to be dangerous to all, and casteth men under very great difficulties, and their loss is exceeding great, though at last they repent and are forgiven.

Tempt. IV. Sometimes the tempter saith, Thou art not elected to salvation; and God saveth none but his elect,' and so puzzleth the ignorant by setting them on doubting of their election. To this we must answer, that every soul that is chosen to faith, and repentance, and perseverance, is certainly chosen to salvation: and I know that God hath chosen me to faith and repentance, because he hath given them me and I have reason enough to trust on him for that upholding grace, which will cause me to persevere.

Tempt. v. But, saith the tempter, Christ did not die for thee; and no one can be saved that Christ did not die for. To this it must be answered, That Christ died for all men, so far as to be a sufficient sacrifice for their sins, and xi. 18. xx. 21.

b John iii. 16. So Luke xxiv. 47. Acts v. 31. 2 Tim. ii. 25. 2 Pet. iii. 9.

to make a promise of pardon and salvation to all that will accept him and his gift; and he entreateth all that hear the Gospel to accept it; and accordingly he will save all that consent unto his covenant.' I am a sinful child of Adam, and therefore am one that Christ became a sacrifice for ; and I consent unto his covenant, and therefore I am one that Christ by that covenant doth justify and will save.

Tempt. vi. Sometimes the tempter troubleth the soul with temptations to blasphemy and infidelity: and asketh him, How knowest thou that there is a God, or a life te come, or that souls are immortal, or that the Scripture is true?' of this I spake before. To this we must then answer, I abhor thy suggestions: these things I have seen proved long ago; and I will not so far gratify thee in my weakness and extremity, as to question and dispute these sealed fundamental truths, no more than I will dispute whether there be a sun or earth.

Tempt. VII. Sometimes the tempter will say, ' At best thou hast no assurance of salvation, and how canst thou choose but tremble to think of dying, when thou knowest not whether thou shalt go to heaven or hell?" To this, the soul that hath not assurance must answer, 'It is my own mistake or weakness that keepeth me unassured' and I will neither take part with my infirmities, nor increase them by their effects. My hopes are such as should draw up my desires, though I want full assurance. The child delighteth in the company of the mother, and every man of his friend; though he is not certain that the mother or friend will not hurt him, or take away his life. Why should I trouble myself with improbabilities? or fear that which I have no sound reason to fear? Rather I should be glad to die, that death may perfect my assurance, and put an end to all my doubts and fears.

Tempt. VIII. But, saith the tempter, how strange art thou to God and the life to come? Thou never sawest it : is it not dreadful to enter upon an unchangeable life, in a world which thou art so great a stranger to?' Answ. But Christ is not a stranger to it; he seeth it for me, and I will implicitly trust him. Where should my eyes be, but in my head? I shall never see it till I come thither. When I have been there a while, this darkness, and fear, and strangeness

will be gone: I was as strange to this world before I came into it, and more: and all those holy souls in heaven were strange to it once, as well as I: I should therefore long to be with Christ, that I may be strange to him no more.

Tempt. 1x. But, saith the tempter, thy fear and unwillingness is a sign that thou hast no love to God, nor heavenly mind; and how then canst thou hope to come to heaven.' Answ. My fears come from strangeness, and weakness of faith, and a natural enmity to death. If I could come to Christ in joy and glory, and be perfected in holiness without dying, I should not be unwilling of it. God looketh not that my nature should be willing to die; but that grace make me willing to be with Christ, and patiently submit to so dark a passage. Even Christ himself prayed, “That if it were possible, that cup might pass from him."

Tempt. x. But what will thy wife and children do, when thou art gone?' Answ. God hath more interest in them than I have; he will look to his own without my care: doth all the world depend upon him, and is he not to be trusted with my wife and children?

Tempt, XI. But thou wilt never more be serviceable to the church: all thy work will for ever be at an end; and there are many things which thou mightest have done before thou diest, which will all be lost.' Answ. 1. I shall have higher, and holier, and sweeter work: whether it will any thing conduce to the good of those on earth, I know not; but I know it will more conduce to the highest, most desirable ends. 2. As my work will be done, so my trouble, and weariness, and fears, and sufferings from a malignant, unthankful world will all be done. 3. And when my work is done, my reward and everlasting rest begin. 4. And God needeth not such a worm as I! the work is his, and it is reason that he should choose his workmen.

Tempt. XII. But when thou hast said all, death will be death, the king of terrors.' Answ. And when thou hast said all, God will be God, and heaven will be heaven, and Christ will be Christ, that hath conquered death, and hath the keys or power of death and hell: and the promise will be sure and those that trust on him shall never be ashamed or confounded. And therefore "the Spirit is willing, though the flesh be weak."

Tit. 4. Directions for doing good to others in our Sickness.

The whole life of a Christian should be a serving of his God; and though his body in sickness seem to be unserviceable, yet it is not the least or lowest of his services, which he is then at last to do: partly by his holy example, and partly by his speeches; which are both more observed in dying men, than in any others. For now all suppose, that if there were before any mask of hypocrisy, it is laid aside, and the soul that is going to the bar of God will deal sincerely. And now it is supposed, that we are delivered much from all the befooling delusions of prosperity, and therefore fitter to be counsellors to others. And every Christian should be very desirous to do good to the last, and be found so doing.

Direct. 1. Shew not a distempered, impatient mind." Though pain will be pain, and flesh will be flesh, yet shew men that you have also reason and spirit: and that it calmeth your soul, though it ease not your body. Speak good of God, as beseemeth one that indeed believeth that it is good for us when we are afflicted by him, and that all shall work together for good to us. Speak not a repining word against him. "In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly c.?' And speak not too peevishly and impatiently to those about you; though weakness incline you to it, yet let the power of grace appear.

с

Direct. II. Let those that are about you see, that you take the life to come for a reality, and that you verily expect to live with Christ in joys for ever. Let them see this in your holy joy and confidence, and your thankfulness to God for the grace and hopes which he hath given through Christ.' I know that a pained, languishing body, is undisposed to express the comforts of the soul: but yet as long as the soul is the commander, they may be expressed in some good measure, though not with such vivacity and alacrity as in health. Behave yourselves before all, as those that are going to dwell with Christ. If you shew them that you take heaven for a real felicity, it will do much to draw them to do so too; shew them the difference between the

c Job i. 22.

death of the righteous, and of the wicked; and that may so draw them to desire to die the death of the righteous, that it may draw them also to resolve to live their lives. How many souls might it win to God, if they saw in his dying servants, such confidence and joy as beseemeth men that are entering into a world of joy, and peace, and blessedness! If we went out of the body, as from a prison into liberty; and from a tedious journey, to our desired home, it would invite sinners to seek after the same felicity, and be a powerful sermon to convert the inconsiderate.

Direct. 111. Now tell poor sinners of the vanity of the world, and of all its glory, wealth, and pleasure; and of the mischief and deceitfulness of sin.' Say to them, O sirs, you may see in me what the world is worth : if you had all the wealth and pleasure that you desire, thus it would turn you off, and forsake you in the end: it will ease no pain: it will bring no peace to a troubled soul: it will not lengthen your lives an hour: it will not save you from the wrath of God it maketh your death the sadder, because you must be taken from it: your account will be the more dreadful. O love not such a vain, deceitful world! sell not your souls for so poor a price! Forsake it before you are forsaken by it! O make not light of any sin! Though the wanton flesh would have you take it for a harmless thing, you cannot imagine, when the pleasure is gone, how sharp a sting is left behind. Sin will be then no jesting matter, when your souls are going hence, into the dreadful presence of the most Holy God.'

Direct. Iv. Now tell those about you of the excellency and necessity of the love of God, of heaven, of Christ, and of a holy life.' Though these may be made light of at a distance, yet a soul that is drawing near them, will be more awakened to understand their worth. Say to them, 'O friends, I find now more than ever I did before, that it is only God, that is the end and happiness of souls: nothing but his favour through Jesus Christ, can comfort and content a dying man; and none but Christ can reconcile us to God, and answer for our sins, and make us acceptable; and no way but that of faith and holiness will end in happiness. Opinions and customary forms in religion will not serve the turn; to be of this or that party, or church, or communion,