ferving and fupporting life so long as nature permits it to last: and we must not be impatient with heaven, if that be longer than we wish; but meekly suffer on, and faithfully maintain our post, until the appointed hour, when our great Command er fhall call us off to reft. But befides refignation in ficknefs, we owe to God thankfulness also, for the numerous other bleffings, which we ftill enjoy; for the bleffing of health, all the time that we did enjoy it; for every interval and alleviation, every comfort and fupport, which he hath given us fince: for we are not worthy of the leaft of all his mercies *. Nor have we caufe to be thankful under fickness only, but thankful for it also. Very poffibly this may seem affectation to fome, and a hard faying † to others. But confider: are we not often highly thankful, and with great cause, for what produces only pain to us at the time; as in the cafe of any rough medicine adminiftred, or painful operation performed upon us, neceflity fo requiring? Now God is the phyfician of our fouls; and fickness is one of his principal methods of cure. By this he deadens our immoderate fondness for amufements and pleafures; and removes us out of the way of temptations to vanity and folly. By this he lowers the fwelling vehemence of haughty spirits; and teaches hard hearts by experience, that misery deserves pity. By this he fhews us the emptiness of the prefent world, the nearness and importance of the next reminds us of felf-inquiry and penitence, meditation and prayer: tries and exercises our faith, our truft, our patience: gives us the opportunity of offering to bim what cofts us fomething t; and by employing us in more laborious work, fecures to us a more ample reward. The · harshest discipline, that is requifite to procure fuch benefits as these to us, (and it is only if need be §, that we are afflicted) furely deferves our utmost gratitude. The more and more constantly our hearts are filled with it, the better and happier we shall be but if we can arrive no farther, than to be fenfible that we have reafon for thankfulness; and to exert accordingly fome acts of it from time to time upon recollection; let it excite no terror in us, but only endeavours to improve. Nor fhould we imagine, that there is the leaft inconfiftence between thankfulness * Gen. xxxii. 10. a Sam. xxiv. 24. M m 2 SER. XXIV. thankfulness for the good intended us by fickness, and earnest defires to feel as little of it, and be treated as gently, as cur cafe will admit. God indeed knows what inward ftrength we fhall have but we only know what our weakness is; and ought therefore to pray, that if it be his good pleasure, our trial may be moderate. But whatever it be, we must join our own care with his appointments: elfe all that we go through may be thrown away upon us; and even, in direct contradiction to his defign, hurt us in the future life, as well as the prefent. This whole matter is beautifully defcribed in the book of fob. If they be bound in fetters, and bolden in cords of affliction; then be fheweth them their work, and their tranfgreffions that they have exceeded. He openeth alfo their ear to difcipline, and commandeth that they return from iniquity. If they obey and ferve him, they shall spend their days in profperity, and their years in pleasures.—But the hypocrites (or impure) in heart heap up wrath: they cry not, when he bindeth them *. Let us therefore humble ourselves under his hand t, whenever he lays it upon us; confider the great end of all his corrections, and apply our whole fouls to attain it. Perhaps we ought to have practifed retirement and felfinspection during our health, and would not; but diffipated and loft ourselves in purfuits and cares, or diverfions and trifles. To cure us of this, he confines us to a fick room, where we muft be alone and think. Let us then at length do it to good purpose; look back to our conduct in this world, look forward to our portion in the next; remember God on our bed, and meditate on bim in the night-watches t. Stand in awe, and fin no more; commune with our own heart in our chamber, and be flill; offer the facrifice of righteoufnefs, and put our trust in the Lord §. For the better performance of these and all the duties of ficknefs, and obtaining fuch a conclufion of it, as may be moft expedient for us, religious prudence will direct us to join with our own prayers thofe of our fellow-chriftians. To unite us more clofely in good will and affection, our Saviour hath appointed, that our prayers fhall be common and hath declared, that where we are gathered together for this purpofe, he is in the midst of us ¶. Accordingly, when St. Peter was in danger, prayer 1 • Job xxxvi. 8, 9, 10, 11, 13. § Pfal. iv. 4, 5. John v. 14. † Pet. v. 6. Pfal. lxiii, 6. prayer was made without ceafing of the church unto God for him. And St. James's injunction concerning the fick is, pray for one another, that ye may be healed t. Nor certainly ought we to intercede less fervently for the fouls of our brethren, than their bodies. Therefore in the ancient liturgies, perfons dangerously ill were recommended by name to the throne of grace for fuch mercies as they needed. And our own hath provided, on behalf of those especially, for whom our prayers are defired, a most comprehenfive request, for comfort and relief according to their feveral neceffities, for patience under their fufferings, for a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And we shall both confult our duty and our intereft, by intreating a particular share, when our case requires it, in the general fupplications of the church of Christ. But then, if it pleases God to restore us, we muft, as we have taken every method of procuring his mercy, take every method of acknowledging it. And one is by fuitable acts of devotion. Sincere and fervent thanksgivings at the time are indispensably neceffary: and ftated returns of them, for more remarkable deliverances, are very becoming and beneficial. But expreffions of gratitude in words alone, however warm, are nothing. We must fhew it in our whole behaviour: zealously keep alive the good purposes, that we formed in the time of our danger; freely own them; facredly execute them; always remembering, that the most perfect recovery is but a fhort reprieve: else our former fins, and more, will enter into our fouls, and dwell there; and our laft ftate be worse than our firft, like that of innumerable poor wretches, who are gone into eternity before us: whereas, if we pay our vows, which we promised with our lips, and Spake with our mouths, when we were in trouble §; our chaftening fhall yield us here the peaceable fruit of righteoufness ; and our light affliction, which is but for a moment, work for us an eternal weight of glory**, Thus I have gone through a large number of directions to the fick. But there is no fmall danger, that when you are called to the practice of them, fome may be forgotten, some mifapplied, and others found so short and imperfect, that perplex ing difficulties how you are to act, or melancholy doubts what you are too think of your condition, may remain. Now in thefe cafes it is natural to afk the opinion of ferious and prudent friends. The more fuch you have, and the more good ufe you make of them, the better. But at least the ministers of the gospel are bound to be fuch to you, as far as they are able, whenever you apply to them. Not only the general nature of our office demands it; but we have all made a particular folemn promise, to use both public and private monitions and exhortations, as well to the fick as to the whole, within our cures, as need shall require, and occafion fhall be given *. Still we would obtrude ourselves on no one: but we must fignify to you our readiness to perform this promife; and indeed our apprehenfions, that you are often lofers, by not claiming it. What we fay to you here, paffes with too many for words of course, to entertain you for the present half hour, and be thought of no more. At your own homes, when you are well, you expect to fee us only on the fame footing with other vifitors: and when you are fick, you are unwilling to fee us at all. Surely we might be of more service to you, if you would admit us; and particularly we might be fo in your more confiderable, efpecially in your more lafting, illneffes; when for a long time together you are fout up, and cannot go into the boufe of the Lord †. We hope you have no reafon to fear, that we fhall either artfully make a gain of you, or otherwise intermeddle in your worldly affairs; or indifcreetly augment your danger by tiring or terrifying you. But if we can preferve you from either vainly terrifying, or fatally deceiving yourselves; can inform, or but remind you, of any part of your duty; or merely affift your patience, and enliven your hope: both you and we shall have cause to rejoice. Doubtless not a few of you can think of every thing that is proper on fuch occafions, both in your own cafe and that of others, better than we can fuggeft it to you. And would God, that all the Lord's people were prophets §; able to officiate thus to themselves, and thofe around them. But many are not : and fuch as are, would furely do well, at fitting times, were it nly for example's fake, to observe St. James's rule, which he delivers in general terms: Is any fick among you, let him call for the elders of the church, and let them pray over him* which prayers were doubtless preceded, or followed, by fuitable exhortations. It is true, he directs them particularly in order to a miraculous cure of the fick; and prescribes at the fame time, anointing with oil in the name of the Lord, which was used in performing fuch cures. We will not therefore fay, that his injunction is exactly fuited throughout to the prefent state of things. But ftill, though gifts of healing † are ceased, and the ceremony belonging to them is become totally fuperfluous; it remains notwithstanding a Christian duty, iz every thing, by prayer and fupplication, with thanksgiving, to let our requests be made known unto God ‡: and petitions for the fick, both public in the congregation, and private in their prefence, may be of great efficacy, not only to their spiritual, but their bodily health. For the fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much §. Therefore in all ages the elders of the church have attended them: and our own church hath both given directions, and provided an office for that purpose. Poffibly one part of the office may seem to have ascribed fo high a power to the minifter, of abfolving the fick from their fins, as may lead them into great mistakes. And it is indeed more liable to be fo mifunderfood, than the earlier forms, which were expreffed in the manner of a prayer. But still all writers on the subject have agreed, that this abfolution either was intended (which indeed is moft probable) only to fet perfons free from any ecclefiaftical cenfures, which they might have incurred: (an indulgence granted in every age of the church to fuch as were dangerously ill, on their humble requeft; but which is no more pretended to make a change in their eternal ftate, than a pardon from the king is) or, if it means alfo to declare them restored to the favour of God, means it only on fuppofition of a fincere and thorough repentance; which being profeffed by them, it may be charitably prefumed, though not certainly known that it is real; and without which, I beg you all to obferve, no abfolution here, granted by whomfoever, or in what words foever, will do you the leaft good hereafter. Accordingly this form is not ap pointed. |