When thou art laid upon a Bed of Sickness, and art fretful and uneasy at fuch Confinement; and art much out of humour, that thou hast not the Liberty to range abroad into the World, to follow thy Business and thy Pleafures, as in time of Health; Then confider, that this restraint is intended for thy Good. It is to fecure thy Innocence, and keep thee from Sin.

For, if now thou wert abroad in the World, and didst enjoy thy former health and vigour, possibly the Devil hath provided such a Temptation for thee, at this very time, as would certainly prevail, and might occafion thy Eternal Ruin.

4

But God in his great Mercy, by this Sickness, withdraws thee from the Temptation; and as it were, hides thee out of the way, till the occasion is removed.

:

And

And thus the Sickness of thy Body, may be the Saving of thy Soul. Bear it therefore Patient

ly and Thankfully.

4. The Fourth Benefit of

T

Sickness.

1

His Sickness and Pain, doth wean you from this World.

We are exprefly commanded; Not to love the World, neither the things that are in the World.r John 2. 15. Not to fet our affeEtions on things on the Earth. Col. 3.2. Not to lay up for our felves treasures on the Earth. Matth. 6..19. But are plainly Admonished, that it is our Duty, To be crucified to the World. Gal. 6. 14. And to converse as Strangers and Pilgrims on the earth. Heb. 11. 13.

But this we find to be a diffi

cult Task. For we think this

lower World, this Globe of Earth which we now inhabit, to be a very fine delightful Place. (Not that it is really so in it felf, for it is but a dark Prison, if compared with those vast Regions of Light and Splendor which are above;) but I say, we do fancy it is a very pleasant Place, because as yet we have never feen a better: And I must pertinently add, we are not yet qualified for a better.

The truth is, we are so paffionately fond of this World, that we have flender inclination to provide for the next.

Though we are as fure, That there are Things Eternal, as that there are Things Temporal; That there are Spiritual Joys in the

other World, as that there are

Senfual Satisfactions in this; yet

these Spiritual Joys, because future and at a distance, do but

Ettle affect us..

2

But

But the Things of this World, and the Objects of Senfe, are so agreeable to our fleshly Natures; they are so suited to the Frame and Temper of our Earthly Bodies, that they make great Impression upon us.

For, God having designed us to Sojourn for a while in this lower World, hath not only made us capable to relish its Enjoyments, but hath alfo made them necessary for the support and continuance of our frail decaying Natures.

Whilft we are in this World, there must be Eating and Drinking, Marrying, and giving in Marriage. But in the other World, into which we must shortly remove, there will be no occafion for any of these Things.

Since therefore in the other World, we must live to all Etermity without these sensual Satiffactions, let us learn to mode

:

rate our Defires of them; and in fome sense whilft we are rinsthe Body, to live withoutt.

But this, I say, whilst in Health and Vigor, we find to be a very difficult Work. And therefore to assist us in our Duty, and to enable us to despise the Charms and Dalliance of this flattering World, God is pleased (as an instance of his tender Care over us) to take us into his School, the School of Affliction; there by gentle Difcipline to teach us this great Lesson, Of being mortified to the World.

And in order to our improvement, he usually proceeds in this Method.

If he doth not take this World from us, (by depriving us of our greatest Comforts) he then takes us from this World, even whilft we are in it: By embit tering it to us; and by making us uncapable to relish its Enjoy

ments,

We