The Explication. Almighty God hath given Power and Commandment to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his People, being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their Sins. The Creed. The Returretion of the Flew. The Explication. All Men shall rise again with their Bodies; and shall give Account for their own Works. The Creed. And Everlasting Life af ter Death. The From BP. Cofins. The Explication. They that have done Good, shall go into Life Everlasting: and they that have done Evil, into Everlasting Fire. A A Protestation after the private 'N this Faith, which I do un I feignedly and wholly Believe, as a true Member of Christ's Catholick Church, do I purpose to finish my Life. And if ought shall happen, by the Violence of my Sickness, or the Suggestions of my Ghostly Enemies; whereby I shall come to Think, Say, or Do any thing contrary to this holy Faith; I do here revoke it before-hand. And protest from my Soul, even before Christ and his holy An gels, gels, that I give no consent there unto. Giving most humble and hearty Thanks unto my loving Creator and Redeemer; that by the wonderful Goodness of his Bounty, he hath vouchsafed to bring me to the Knowledge of this Faith in him. Which with my Soul and Bo-dy, I commend into his most holy and merciful Hands; now, and at the Hour of my Death. Amen. Thus the Sick Man may examine his Faith, as it denotes the Object of his Belief. And fince he believes the Creed, he may comfortably be assured, that his Faith is Sound and Orthodox; and that he believes all those Truths and Doctrines that are necessary to Salvation. But the Sick Man is further to examine and exercise his Faith, as it denotes Trust and Confidence in God. Whereby he doth chearfully rely and depend upon God, under all the Difficulties both of Soul and Body. The Sick Bed is a State of Tryal and Temptation; of Labour and Sorrow. Of Tryal and and Temptation to the Soul: Of Labour and Sorrow to the Body. And in both these Respects, the Sick Man is to exercise Faith and Trust in God. Of the Sick Man's Trust and Confidence in God, with Respect to bis Soul. T IS a known Method of Satan, the great Enemy of Mankind, to perplex and disturb those pious Souls, whom he is not able to ruin. When he cannot lull them into Security, and thereby prevent their Repentance, he then endeavours so to fright them with the Heinoufness of their Sins, as to drive them to Despair. And fuch Assaults are most frequent, when the Body is weakned, and the Mind disordered, by the Pains and Diversions of a Sick Bed. If therefore the Tempter shall suggest to the Sick Man; That his Sins are so many, or fo great as not to be forgiven; let him first humbly acknowledge the Justice of God, and his own Demerits; and say; My confufion is continually before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me. Pfal. 44. 15. Thou hast fet mine iniquities before thee, my Secret Sins in the light of thy Countenance. Pfal. 90. 8. My flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy Fudgments. Pfal. 119. 20. Enter not into Judgment with thy Servant, O Lord, for in thy fight shall no man living be justified. Pfal. 143. 2. If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss; O Lord, who may abide it: Pfal. 130.3. But |