not before you, but outlive the dying body, they will live eternally to fting and torment the never-dying foul.

DIRECT. IV. Be not anxious for recovery to health;

but leave the iffue of the prefent fickness to the will and pleasure of the infinitely wife God.

REMEMBER, O man, that thou art the clay, and God is the Potter; he is abfolute Lord of thy life and times, therefore learn to adore his fovereignty over thee and all thy enjoyments. David doth fo, when he says, "Lord, my times are in thy hand," Pf. xxxi. 15. And indeed they are only beft in his hand, for he best knows how to difpofe of them. The prophet faith, Ifa. xxx. 18. "The Lord is a God of judgment, bleffed are all they that wait for him." Judgment there fignifies 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, faying, "the will of the Lord be done :" It is taken notice of, as a great fin in the Ifraelites, that they waited not for his counsel, but limited the Holy One of Ifrael, Pfal. lxxviii. 14. What unaccountable folly and prefumption is it for worms of the earth to feek to stint and limit the Sovereign of heaven to their measures! It becomes us at all times, and efpecially in fickness and affliction, to have low fubmiflive thoughts of ourselves, and high exalted thoughts of God's fovereignty, fuch 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 army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or fay unto him, what doft thou." We should therefore refer all to his wife determination, and be willing to die or live, as he fhall be pleased to appoint. I remember I have read of a godly woman, who in her fickness being afked by one, Whether fhe was moft defirous to die or live? She answered, I have no choice in that matter, but refer myfelf unto the will of God. But, faid the other, fuppofe God fhould refer it unto you, whether to die or live, which of them would

would you chafe? If God (replied the) fhould refer it to me, I would even refer it back again to him. It be comes thee, O man, to be entirely refigned to the will of thy Mafter, and to ftand like a centinel in thy ftation, ready to move as thy great general and commander shall give orders concerning thee. It would be pleasant and acceptable to God, to fee thee more defirous to be delivered from fin than from sickness. O, but fin is a far worse disease than any fickness in the world! Beg importunately, that the great Phyfician may cure this woful foul-disease, and let him do with the body what he pleafeth. This was David's practice in his affliction, Pfal: xxv. 18. "Look upon my affliction, and my pain, and forgive all my fins." 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 fins, no less will fatisfy him than a pardon, and blotting them entirely out, fo as they might be remembered no more.

DIRECT. V. Bind yourfelf with holy purposes and refolutions in Chrift's ftrength, to be more watchful against fin, more diligent in duty, and to improve the time of health better, if God fhall be pleased to restore it again to you.

WHEN God is vifiting your iniquities with rods, and pleading a controverfy with you for your omiffions and flacknefs in duty, he expects that you will return from your backflidings, and fet about a ferious reformation and change of life, Hof. v. 15. "I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and feek my face; in their affliction they will feek me early." See then that you open your ear to difcipline; ftudy to anfwer God's call and expectation, and in his ftrength refolve to enter upon a new life. "Surely now it is meet to be faid unto God, I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more. That which I fee not, teach thou me: If I have done iniquity, I will do fo no more.' VOL. I.

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Job

Job xxxiv. 31, 32. Now is the feason, you should fay with Ephraim, Hof. xiv. 8. " What have I to do any more with idols ?"

Having duly examined yourselves, and fearched out your fins, you ought to put a bill of divorce into each of their hands. Deliberately refolve against all your fins, whether secret or open; and efpecially refolve against your darling and beloved fins, thofe fins which do moft eafily befet you. Refolve alfo against all temptations to fin; and, particularly, against the fnares of bad company, whereby you have been formerly enticed; now fay with David, Pf. cxix. 115. "Depart from me, ye evil-doers; for I will keep the commandments of my God." You must not only purpose to forfake all fin, but also mind every known duty; that you will make religion your one thing needful; the pleafing of God, the chief business of your life; that you will fet the Lord alway before you, give him your heart in all duties, aim at nearnefs and communion with God in every one of them; and still press forward to the full enjoyment of God in heaven through eternity.

Refolve also, through grace, that you will, in afpecial manner, mind secret duties, which the eyes of men do not observe, and thofe duties which confcience doth most challenge you for neglecting. And you that are heads of families, refolve to make more confcience of familyreligion, of worshipping God with your families, both morning and evening; inftructing your children and fervants in the knowledge of Chrift; and recommending religion and godlinefs to all round about you, whether relations or strangers.

And, if you would have your refolutions effectual, fee that they be accompanied with a deep fenfe of your infufficiency to perform them in your own ftrength. Bear always in mind the corruption and deceitfulness of your own heart; and make all your refolutions in a humble dependence on the fufficiency of Jefus Chrift your furety. Obferve the apostle Paul's advice to his fon Timothy, 2 Tim. ii. 1. "Be strong in the grace that is in Jus Chrift." All your stock, O believer, is in his hand, fo that without him you can do nothing;

but

but, through Christ strengthening you, thou art able to do all things.

DIRECT. VI. Set your house in order, by making your latter-wills, and fettling your domeftic and fecular affairs, while you have freedom and capacity for doing it.

AFTER the heart is fet in order, the next work is to fet your houfe in order, according to God's counfel to Hezekiah, Ifa. xxxviii. 1. It is recorded of the Patriarch Abraham, that he was careful to fettle the affairs of his family before his death, Gen. xxv. 5, 6. He difpofed of his eftate to Ifaac, and legacies to the fons of his concubines. It is too general a fault, that men delay and put off making their wills, as they do their repentance, to the very laft, and fo too frequently never make them at all. Confider the evil of deferring or neglecting this neceffary affair; for if you, upon whom God hath bestowed means, fhould die inteftate, your estate may defcend otherwife than you intended; much of it may be spent in tedious and expenfive law-fuits; fuch differences may fall out among relations, that should live in friendship and mutual affection, as cannot be healed; fome of them may be reduced to extreme want, when a fmall legacy might have put them in a way of living; and many fuch inconveniences may follow. Well, then, if your neglect should bring on these evils, and involve pofterity into endless ftrifes and contentions, may you not justly fear that the guilt thereof will purfue you into another world, whose wretched carelessnefs was the occafion of all that mischief?

Pray, what is the reason that men put off this affair? Is it not because they do not incline to think fo feriously on death, as this will occafion them to do? Doth not

this fmell of abominable earthly-mindednefs, fpeak as if a man defired all his portion in this life, and cared not for a better? and that he is fo far from preparing for death, that he cannot endure to think of it? Alas, that

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this

this worldly difpofition fhould fo far prevail among us! But furely there is no wife man will fay, that the putting off the thoughts of death, will keep death at the greater diftance; or, that preparing for death, and making our wills, will bring on death the fooner.

It were furely beft to order our affairs timeously; yea, do it in time of health, rather than to delay unto a fickbed, or a death-bed; for either you may be fnatched off fuddenly, and have no time for it; or you may be taken with fuch a diftemper as fhall feize your tongue, fo as you cannot exprefs your mind; or feize your underftanding, fo as you cannot rationally difpofe of your effects. And though none of those should happen, yet, certainly it proves a great disturbance to a dying man, to be cafting up, ordering, and fettling the affairs of his family, when he should be fecuring a heavenly manfion for his foul, and clearing up his evidences thereunto. It is great wisdom to put this affair by hand, that you may have as little to do with the world as may be, and all occafions of distraction to your immortal foul may be prevented, when it is near to its flitting into an eternal and unchangeable state.

Moreover, in fettling your fecular affairs, obferve thefe following advices: 1. Make your wills cheerfully, and freely lay down whatever you enjoy, when God calls you to do it. Praife God that you had thofe things while you needed them, and, when you have no longer ufe for them, leave them without repining to those that come after you. Look not back to Egypt when you are upon your march to Canaan.

2. See that you deal justly, in providing your fami ly, paying all your juft debts, and making reftitution, if you have wronged any. Abhor all defigns of defrauding any of your lawful creditors; for, if your laft act fhould be unjuft, you leave a blot upon your name here; and fince you cannot repent of this wickednefs, it being among your laft deeds, you expose yourself to a fearful doom in the world whither you are going.

3. In fettling your eftates, fee that God and good ufes be not forgot nor left out. When you are leaving the world, and can glorify God no longer here by your

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