How to 'Dye fafelj. CHAP. XXX. VirefJions for the Sick.. THough the chief part of our prtparation for Dearb be in the time of Health, and it is a work for which the longell life is not too long ; yet becaufc the folly of unconverrcd finn~rs is fo great as to forget what they were born for till they fee Death at hand, and becaufe there is afpccial prtpararion necdfary for the bell, I !hall here lay down fome Direl/ions {Of' tbeficl<_: ·And 1 !hall reduce rhem to thefe four heads: r. What mull be done to ma"-' Dearb (afe to U<, that it may be our pa!fage to Heaven and not to Hell. •· What mu£\ be done to m•"-' ficl<_nefs profitable to"' ? 3· What m)lll be done to make Death comfortable to us, that we mayDye in p,.., and Joy l +· what mull be done to make our Sicl<_•efi Profirablt to others about"' l Tit. t. VirefJions for a [afe :Veatl, ; to fecure our Sal1>atio11. THe Dire6\:ions of this fort are efpecia11y necetTary to the unconverted impenitent finner ; yet ncedfulalfo to theGodly themfelves : and therefore I fhdl dift)nC<ly fpeak to both. I. Direllions fo;· an uncovertcd jinner in hi< jick,.nefs. It is a very dreadful cafe to be found by Jick./rt{s in an unconverrtd jlatt. There is fo Great a work to be done, and fo littltrimt to do it in, and foul and body fo unfit and undifpofed for it, and the mi[try fo great ( even evcrlafting torment ) that will follow fo cerrainly and fo quickly if it be und•ne, that one would think it fhould overwhelm the Hnderjlanding and hem of any man with aflo– nilhment and honour, ta {1rt[ee foch a condition in the time ot his health; mucb more to find himfelf in it in his fickneiS. And though one would think that the near approac/J of Dtath, and the nearnefs of another w~rld, Chould be unrefiftibly powerful to convert a finner ; fo that few or none (held Die unconverted, however they lived; yet Scripture and fad experience declare the contrary, that moll rn<n Dieas well as live, in an unfandified and miferable flare. For,r.A life of fin doth ufually fettle a man in Ignoranct or Vnbelief or both : .fo that ficknefs findcth him in fuch a dungeon of Dark..ne/f, that he is but lofi and confounded in his fearJ, and knoweth not wiJither he is going, nor what he bath to do. 2. And alfo fin wofully Hao·dentrh the Heart, and tbe long refilled fpitit of God forfaketh them, and giveth them over to themfelvcs in fick_nefs, who would not be ruled and fanCl:ified by him in their health : And fuch remain like blocks or beafls even to the !all. 3• And the Nature of fick,_nijJ and approaching death doth tend more to Djfright, than to renew the foul ; and rather to breed fear and rro•hltthan Love. And though Grief and fear be good preparativesand helps, yet it is the Love of God and HJlinefs in which the fouls Regeneration and Renovation doth coniift; and there is no more Holinefi than there is Love and WiDingnefi. And many a one that is atfrighted into firong Repentings and cryes and prayers and promifes, and feem to themfdves and others to be Con~ Yerted, do yet either Die in their fins and rnifery, or return to their unholy lives when they re– cover, being utter {bangers to that true Repentance which reneweth the heart, as fad experience doth too often tefiitie. 4• And many p.oor tinncrs finding that they have fo fbort a time, do end it in meeramazement and terrour, not knowing how to compofe their thoughts, to eximine their hearts and lives, nor to exercife faith in Chrift, nor to follow any Direaions that are given them; but lye in trembling and afionifhrnent, wholly taken up with the fears of Death, much worfe than a beall that is going to be butchmd. 5· And the very pains of the body, do fo divert or hinder the thoughts of many, that they Cin fcarce mind any fpiritua1 things, with fuch a compofednefs as is necelfary t? fo great a work. 6. And the greatcft number being panly confounded in ignoraltct, and partly withheld by bacl<_wardn•{s and undifpofcdnefs, and partly di!beartned by thinking it im– poffible to hlecomc new-creamres, and get a regenerate heavenly heart on fuch a fudden, do force thcrnfelves to hope that th~y !ball be fav,d without it, and that though they are finners, yet that kmd of Repenta~ce wh1ch tney have, wtll fcrvc th'? turn and be acceptCd, and God will be more -m~rciful than to damq them. And this falfe Hope they think they are necef!itated to take up : for there 1s but two other wayes to be taken _: The one ts, utterly to De[pftir; and both Scripture and Reafon and Nat1ere it [elf are againfi that : The other way is to be truly converted and won t~ the Love of God and Heaven by a lively faith in Je[UJ Cbrift : And fhey have no fuch faith: and to this · they -~, .........
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=