A Jorm ·oj-!E:x:horlatwn to·the ,Sick. A Form of Exhortation to . the Ungodly in their Sicknefs (or thofe that we fear are fuch. ) DEar Friend; <{htGod that mujl difpofe of ut a11d aD tbingt, doth thrweit by thll fick..mfr, to c:zU away your foul, and put an end to the time_of your pilgrimage; and_theref~re your friends that Love aHd pityyou, m1ql not now be filent, if they can [peal(_ any thmg for your prep:1ra• tion and falvation, b'uaufe it muft be Now er Ntver ; When tJ few day1 are paft, they muft mvtr have any [uch opportunity more : If now we prtv.lil not with y(lte, yuu are lik_.ely to be q~tick,Jy out of bearing, a1td paft our advioe and belp for ever. And becaufe I k,.now )tJUr Wt.J~nefi bids me bt but jhort, and your memory it not to he hHrdwed with too much, and yet )'our Neceffity muft ~ot he negldJed I jhaU reduce aU that I havt to fay to you, to tbtfe four headt : 1. Of the ·ch•n~t "'h"b you feem 11e~r to. and tbe world wbic!J y ou are going to. 2· Of. the Preparation that mujt be. matk by aU that wiU be [avtd, and who theybe that the G_'fPel dot!J JuJizfe or Condemn. 3· I wo':ldfam hdp you ta underlla1:d which of the[e condttzons you are m, and what wzU becomt of your foul if tt thiH goetb hence: And 4· If your cafe be b:~d, I would dirtCJ yore bow you may come out of it, and what H yet to be dune while thtre remaineth any time and hcpe. And I pray you [et your heart to what I (ay ; for I wiU fi"ak.. nothing but the certain truthof God, revealed to the world by {,;. [on andfpirit, expreffed in the Scripture, and believed by_a~ the Cilurch,nf Chrift. 1. God k..,nowet!J, tiJc change Is great, which yott are near. You are leaving lhii world, where yoU IJave JPent tbed~~.yu of )!JUT prepar.t~tion for eternity, and leaving thU fldh to corrupt and turn to com– mon tarth, a1rd muft here conver{e with maH no more : You are going noTP to fee that world, 1r'hicb tbt Gofpel told you of, a~d you b~ve often heard,of, but 1teit~er !ou 1f()~ we did ever fee. Before your_ friends ·have laid your body m the grave, your foul mu(t enter mto zts-rnd!efl ftate, and at the Re{urreliJtmyour Body be joyned witb it. Either Heaven or ~Hell mu]l be your lot for tver. If it be Heaven, you wiU there find a worlda[ Lightand Luvt and Peace; A world •f Angtlt and glorifitd ]oult, wboare aUmade perfeli in Knowledge and Holinefs_; living in the fwfetJ flame_sof Love to their Gloriflus Cre~tor, Re– deemer and Regenerater : And wzth them you wzU bt thU< perftf1td your ftlf: your f oul ,.,Q fee the Glory of God, and be rapt up i» biJ Love, and fiUed with hi1 Joyes, and tmployuJ triumphantly in hi< praifet, and thi< for ever. If Hell jhi!Uid be your portion, you wiU there be thrujl •zi>ay ar a bawl M•~ ?· thing, from the face of God; and there yore wiU find a worlil of Devils and unholy damned mi{trahle ~ T 9 e,. 1 ' ;, 7 , fouls; among whom yoH muft dweU, in the flames Qf tbe wrath of God, and thi horrours ofyour·own , , o, h Con{cience, remembring with anguijh the mercy which you onee rejeUed, and the warnings a11d time which once you loft: and at the RejUrrtfiionyOur Soul and Body muft be reunited, tmd.liv~ there i1t torment and defpair for ever. I ftnow tbefe thi~tgs ate but half believed, hy thetmgodly world, while they profefs to believe thrm : And therefore th~y mujl feel that whicb they rcfu[ed tobelieve : But GJd bath revealed it to us; and we wiU believe our Mak.fr. Tou are now going to fce the great difference between the end of Halint{s and of fin ; between the Godly and the tmgcdly ; a11d to k,.now by }'OUr orvn experience thofl Joyes or Tormcn!S, which t[•e wickfd wiU not ~(.now by faith. A11d 0 what a preparation doth focb a change require! • 1I. Tou are next to k.:now what perfmr tbey are, and horv they differ, 'R'hiJ mujl aLide fur ever iit the[e different ftdtes. ilr we are the Children of Adam, we art aU corrupted; our mi;,ds are carnal, and Jet upon thi>l r::orld, and favour nothing hut tbe things of the Jlefo ; And the f"rtiJfr we go in fin, the JJVor[e we 11re; being ftrangerrtothe Life of faith, and tothe Loz,e of God and the Life to comt, takJng tbt profptrity and pleafurt of tht fi<Jh, for the felicity which wt mojl defire and [etk..! The name of tbi< ftate in Scripture if, Carnal, and ungodly and unholy; hcca~t{e fuch men live iu a meer fldhly nature er di(pnfirion for flefbly ends, in a fldhly manner; and are not at •U Devoted to God, snd carrye~ up to Heavenly Deftres and Ddights; but live chitjly for this life, and not for the life to come: And thM<gh they may tak! up Jome kind of Religion, in a fecond place and upon the by, for fear of bei11g damned when they can ~ep the world nolon,ger.; yet is it this world which they principab'y va– lue, love and feek, and their Religion il [ubjell tq their worldly and fiejhly imere_ll and deli'ghtr: And though God bath provided and iiffered them a Saviotfr, to teach them better, 1md reclaim and fanfrijie them by hU word and {pirit, a11d forgive them if they will believe in him and return, yet do tiJey {ol• tijhly negleCt tbis mercy, or objli~ately rrfufe it, and continue their worldly flefh.ly lives, tiU time be paft; and mercy hatb done, and there JtJ no remuiy. 1he[e are the men tbt God wiU condemn , and thi.r i 1 the true defcripti•n of tbem. And it wiU not}laudwith tbe Governing-Jufiice, and Holinefs Jnd truth of God to f•vt them. pp pp 2
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=