and if this be your disposition, the sickness, which, through divine mercy, has not been unto death, will be to the glory of God.

Helps for a short conversation with one just recovered from sickness.

You are now recovered from your late alarming sickness; some serious conversation with you may therefore be necessary. The best advice I can give you is to remind yourself of the treachery of your heart; how prone men are to forget their promises and resolutions made in time of sickness, and the near views of death. Remind yourself farther how soon you may be in the same circumstances again; how certain death is, and how awful the consequences of it! Urge on yourself constant watchfulness and prayer, and the faithful discharge of those duties which you may have neglected, especially an attendance on the Lord's supper.

I would moreover recommend to you an attentive consideration of what Dr. Gibson (late Bishop of London) has said in his Serious Advice to persons who have been sick which little tract is given by the governors of most of the infirmaries to the patients on their recovery.

Helps for a fuller conversation with the same.

You are now recovered, through the mercy of God, from a dangerous distemper. You had "re"ceived within yourself the sentence of death," but God has raised you as from the dead, and caused the light of life again to shine upon you, and brought you, as it were, anew into the land of the living. What now becomes you to do on such an occasion? You should most thankfully acknowledge this at the throne of grace, and endeavour to affect your mind with a clear and lively sense of the concern which God has in the affairs of your sickness or health, or your life or death, and that

distempers come upon you or leave you only by his permission and command: he checks their power, and says, Hitherto and no further. You see, therefore, nothing comes by chance, but by the all-wise permission and power of God alone.

Now an all-wise and good God would never have sent this affliction on you, had it not been for some gracious and kind design, intending your good. "He never afflicts willingly," but when it is needful. And when the blessed Father of our spirits lays any correction on us, it is not "for his own pleasure, "but only for our profit, that we may be made par"takers of his holiness." Ask yourself what might probably be the wise and kind design of God's providence in your late visitation by sickness.

1. Was it for the trial of your virtues, to prove your faith in God, your hope in Christ, your patience, and Christian fortitude, your deadness to the present world, and your victory over death? Was it to give you an opportunity of exercising and shewing forth these worthy dispositions, and this right temper of soul, by which God is glorified, and your Christian profession honoured? If this were the design of heaven, how is it answered in you? How did you behave? meek and resigned, or fretful and impatient? Did you cling to this present world, or did this sickness find you in some measure dead to the things of this mortal state? and were you willing to quit this present world, that, being "absent from these things, you might "be present with the Lord?"

2. This sickness perhaps was sent to awaken you from some dangerous and sinful security into which you had fallen; to rouse you to a due concern about the state of your soul; to make you turn your eyes inward, and seriously to enquire on what terms you stand with regard to God, to Christ, and the future world?

3. Was it sent as a chastisement for some sin?

or to admonish and correct you for some particular misconduct with which you stand chargeable before heaven?

Another thing which is necessary for you to do is carefully to call to mind, and always endeavour to persevere in the same serious and right sense of things which you had on your sick bed.

In what light did you then see the grandeur and riches of this world, which are wont so deeply to engross men's attention and zeal, and which perhaps in time past too much dazzled your weak eyes, and captivated your foolish heart? What vain and empty things did they all then appear! You then clearly saw the wisdom of religion, the inestimable value of piety and virtue; of a life spent in the fear of God; of a conscience bearing witness to your sincerity, and purged by faith in the blood of Christ from all guilt.

Having been thus graciously redeemed from the power of the grave, (perhaps from the horrors of eternal darkness and death,) it now also behoves you, with the deepest and most grateful resignation, to ask yourself, "What shall I render to my "almighty Deliverer ?" This great favour on God's part surely demands some answerable return on yours. What tribute can you render on this occasion, which he will be pleased to accept? You should make your most thankful acknowledgments for his mercy; and principally,

1. By rendering your most hearty praises and thanksgivings to God; acknowledging this great blessing to have come to you from his hand; and by adoring Christ Jesus, the kind Intercessor, who looked upon you from heaven with a pitying eye; who pleaded your cause before the eternal throne; and procured for you a reprieve from the sentence of death. "Your soul therefore should magnify "the Lord, and your spirit rejoice in God your "Saviour."

2. By giving on this occasion (according to your ability) some extraordinary alms to the poor. Your alms, like those of Cornelius, should come up together with your praises before God. You cannot expect that any sacrifice of your lips, any praises or acknowledgments which you make with your tongue, will be regarded by God, if not accompanied with a sincere compassion to your brethren in distress. Your goodness, or benevolence, cannot extend to him; but it may to his children and servants on earth; many of whom you see under great sufferings, and in want. Now these he has appointed to be his deputies, (or representatives,) to receive your thank-offering and benevolence in his stead; and Christ has expressly assured us, that whatever kindness we shew to them, he will accept as if done to himself.

3. By a surrender of yourself to God. You will now I hope make an humble and unfeigned surrender of your body and soul into his hands; and lay yourself under the most inviolable and sacred obligations to be henceforwards the Lord's. To his mercy you owe it, that you are not now numbered among the dead. The life therefore which he has so graciously redeemed from destruction, you will in the most solemn manner possible (especially at the sacramental table) consecrate and devote to his service and fear. You are under infinite obligations to live unto God: you cannot but acknowledge, that you are not your own: you are most truly and justly Christ's, bought with his blood, and redeemed by his intercession from the deserved sentence of death.

Though of yourself you cannot maintain these religious resolutions, but would soon fall before temptations, if left to your own strength; yet, through Christ strengthening you, you can do all things. It is of infinite concern to you then that you offer up your constant and earnest prayers to

heaven. If you continue instant in this duty, and ask help from God, he has assured you that you shall receive it: but if you fall into a neglect, or disuse of daily prayer, you shall certainly soon fall by renewed temptations, turn back into a worldly and sensual course of life, and forget the solemn vows and purposes you have lately made.

Remember, that, though you are now raised from a sick bed, you must very soon lie down upon it again; lie down to rise no more till the resurrection of the dead.

Helps for conversing with the relations of one who has been lately recovered from sickness.

1. As it has pleased God to recover your sick and dying relation, [be it husband or wife, brother or sister,] it is a great mercy to you; and by this he has honoured your earnest intercession for him, [or her.]

2. It is a mercy to you, as by this you may reap further pleasure and benefit by your desirable intercourses with him, and by his friendly offices for

you.

3. When such an one is restored to us, we are "to receive him with all gladness in the Lord." (Phil. ii. 29.) that is, temper our joy with devotion, and receive him as the gift of God.

4. Should you find that he is improved by this visitation of sickness in his Christian course, it would sweeten the mercy, and increase your gratitude.

5. You should frequently recollect such an interposition of Providence with thankfulness.

6. Such a recollection of his goodness may promote your own spiritual health and welfare.

7. You may frequently and usefully reflect, that if it be such a mercy to be recovered from sickness and death, what a mercy it is to be recovered from sin and everlasting condemnation; to have our