lations, which you may do frequently and devoutly from your own memory, or from what your own wants and feelings will naturally suggest to you; particularly for a blessing on the medicines you are taking.

8. Besides your own prayers for yourself, you should desire the prayers of others for you. You should send to the minister, and request the public prayers of the congregation to which you belong. And if you can afford to give alms at the same time to the poor, the prayers of the church will be more likely to prevail for you. Cornelius's For alms accompanied his prayers. Acts x. 31. ur 9. When you can receive any friendly visitors without inconvenience, desire the favour of such of them as are religiously disposed to remember you in their prayers; thus shewing on all occasions your eye is looking to God for help in your sickness more than to man; and that you expect to reap your chief benefit from fervent prayer, especially from the prayers of those who are the most faithful servants of that God, who has declared, for our consolation, that he heareth prayer. See the Consolations from Prayer, p. 57.

10. By such ways and thoughts as these you may bear your pain and weakness with patience, thankfulness, resignation, and trust in God. You may likewise make such reflections on them as are fitting for a sick bed.

Helps for the attendants on the sick, in regard to their behaviour.

1. You may give some assistance in promoting the salvation of the sick, and should therefore add to your care of his body that of his soul; for by this you will best testify your love, and do him the most signal service.

2. You should prevent, as much as possible, his mind from being diverted from serious things,

either by the impertinent discourses or improper behaviour of those who visit him.

3. You should cherish in him, as much as you well can, the pious thoughts which the minister has excited; read to him, when convenient, plainly and distinctly, one of the seven penitential Psalms, [namely, vi. xxxii. xxxviii. li. cii. cxxx. cxliii.] some passages relating to the sufferings of Christ, or such other parts of Scripture, as may be most beneficial to him in his present circumstances.

4. As the minister (though he may visit him often) cannot always be with him, you should endeavour to supply his place by advising and comforting the sick on whom you attend.

5. You will naturally expect the same kindness from others, if you yourself should ever be seized with any dangerous illness: you should therefore put in practice that admirable rule of our Lord, "All things whatsoever ye would that men should "do unto you, do ye even so to them." Matthew

vii. 12.

6. If you are much grieved to see the sick person dangerously ill, you should endeavour to check and moderate your grief, especially before him, since it is vain, useless, and contrary to right reason, because it does no real good; and if it be indulged too far, it will be displeasing to God; who may indeed forgive it; yet excessive grief can never be indulged without opposing his authority. You should use therefore your best endeavours and prayers, in order to submit your will to God's will.

7. If the sick be likely to die, you who are about him will probably be reminded by the minister of the uncertainty of life, that death is the common lot of all; that you should not be either averse to your own death, or too greatly lament that of others; since we were all born on this condition, that we should leave the world when God commands; and we must all soon follow the de

ceased to the grave. "Your fathers, where are "they? And the prophets, do they live for ever?" Zech. i. 5.

8. You who are the attendants should do all in your respective stations diligently and tenderly. You should join in prayer with the minister; you should put up ejaculations to heaven, that it may please God to give the dying person rest and pardon, and to yourself grace to live well, and to die holily and happily. You should make no outcries on the departure of the soul from the body; nor give any positive judgment afterwards on the state of the deceased, because he died quietly, or violently; with great fears, or a cheerful confidence; in his senses, or out of them; with convulsions and terrible agonies, or in silence, like an expiring lamp; for these may happen severally according to the constitution of the person, and the nature of his distemper; or as God pleases to dispense the grace, or the punishment, for reasons only known to himself.

Further helps for the attendants on the sick, in regard to their behaviour.

тел 1. You should read to the sick person, if he be not able to read himself, some suitable portions of Scripture, or discourse with him profitably on repentance, redemption, patience, thankfulness, trust in God, death, judgment, heaven, and hell.

2. You should endeavour occasionally to suggest serious thoughts fit for the comfort or admonition of one who is looking on himself as taking leave of the world, and going to meet his eternal doom.

3. You should endeavour to spiritualize accidents, and take occasion from all that happens to excite the sick person to make profitable reflections, so that he may not want the hint of a good thought, as often as he is ready to receive it. A most comfortable and important text for his me

ditation and your prayer for him is, "that the "God of hope may fill him with all joy and peace "in believing, that he may abound in hope through "the power of the Holy Ghost." Rom. xv. 13.

4. If he awake more easy, you may tell him he should bless God for that ease, and observe to him how tenderly God proportions trials to our weakness, considering as a tender father what we can bear.

5. Or, if he awake under more pain, you might suggest to him, that if it be great it is likely to be shorter; that God knows best how much and how long we can bear; that he is in good and merciful hands whilst he is in God's, and that he should be quiet under them; that he should wait on God, who expects to be waited on; and often tries the faith and trust of his servants, before he recompenses them with the desired blessing.

6. On all occasions, when any benefit has been received by the sick person, either by food, or medicine, or sleep, and likewise on any want of them, or any occurrence, or discourse, which he has noticed, you will be acceptable and useful friends indeed if you have judgment sufficient to raise up his mind to pious thoughts, or desires about those things, and to make him reflect on the power, the patience, the mercy, the fidelity of God, or on the wickedness and folly of men, the vanity of worldly things, the usefulness of religion and heavenly af fections, the temptations and dangers of health and ease, the benefit of sickness, the blessed fruits of patience, and the recompence which crowns it at last.

7. And if at any time the sick person do not receive your discourse, or other services, with that willingness which you might expect from him, you should wait another opportunity, and not slacken your good offices; but endeavour to time them better, or make them more agreeable to him on the

next occasion; not taking any thing ill of him in this condition, but pitying what would provoke you at another time.

8. Or if he seem concerned that his disease renders him troublesome to his friends, you may suggest to him, that friends are born for adversity, and to bear a part of each other's troubles; and that the same all-wise God, who sends him the trouble of his pains and sickness, sends you also the trouble of your attendance, and equally expects a willing and cheerful reception of these respective troubles from both.

9. You should make allowances for the infirmi b ties of the sick, which you yourself may soon feel; and be as unwilling to take, as to give just cause for exception. By this means you may alleviate and lighten those sorrows which you cannot pre

vent.

SECTION V.

HELPS FOR CONVERSING WITH THE SICK, IN ORDER TO GIVE THEM PROPER NOTIONS OF SIN AND REPENTANCE; ESPECIALLY OF A DEATHBED REPENTANCE,

Helps for conversing with the sick on the nature of sin. THERE are several kinds of sins, and various ways of prevaricating with God's commandments. I shall endeavour to make you sensible, that every sin is more or less aggravated according to the different circumstances of it, as by the great or small degree of the temptation; the scandal it gives to others; the dishonour it does to religion; the injury it does to those whom it may more immediately concern; the degree of boldness and impudence attending it; the continuance in it; the expence, desires, and habit of it. Some sins are