Of the Sick Man's Faith and Trust in God, with Refpect to his Family; his Relations, and Dependants.

T

HE Sick Man, who hath truly Repented of his Sins; and hath a lively Senfe and Apprehenfion of the Merits of his Bleffed Saviour, he may Die in a full Trust in God's Mercy, and a quiet Conscience.

The Sick Man may likewife have a gentle and eafy Death. He may Die, as we fay, like a Lamb, by a gradual and leisurely Diffolution. He may neither be rack'd to Death, by the intolerable Pains of the Gout or Stone; nor hurried out of the World in the fiery Chariot of a violent Fever, nor stabbed by an Apoplexy; but may mildly and gently be fummoned by a linM

gring

寫

gring Sicknefs; fo that infenfibly he feels himself Dying.

And yet, tho' thus eafy in Himfelf, the Sick Man may have great Trouble and Concern for Others.

He may have Wife and Children very flenderly provided for: And it grieves him to leave them Poor and Indigent.

Now to deal faithfully with the Sick Man, and not to flatter him into a falfe and deceitful Comfort; let him examine the Occafion of his Poverty.

In plain Terms. Was it God's Poverty, or his Own?

More Particularly.

Was it

brought upon him by the Providence of God, or his own Imprudence ?

Was it the effect of his Luxury, or his Sloth, (for the Drankard and the Glutton fhall come to Poverty and Drowsiness fhall cloathe

eloathe a man with Rags. Prov. 23. 21.) Or, was it his ill Ma-. nagement, in any inftance, by Living beyond or above his Eftate?

If his Poverty was thus brought upon him, by his own fault; let him firft humbly fubmit to it, as the just Punishment of his Sin; and then let him Repent of those Sins which were the Causes of his Poverty: But let him not be too much Dejected as to his Relatives, his Wife and Children, but leave them to God, to Provide for them as he thinks fit.

A

But if his Poverty was the Effect of God's Providence, and was brought upon him by Fire, Robbery, or fome unexpected Accident, which he could not foresee or prevent: If, I fay, his Poverty was thus his Calamity, but not his Crime; he may then Comfortably refign his Relations into M 2

the

the hands of God; Who will be a Father to the Fatherless, and a Husband to the Widow.

Let him then chearfully Truft God with his Friends and Family, and fay,

ALL my Gares for

my Wife, and Family, and Friends, I caft on thee, for thou careft for us. i Pet. 5. 7.

For in thee, O Lord, the Fatherless findeth Mercy. Hof. 14.

3.

And thou haft faid, Leave thy Fatherless Children, I will preferve them alive and let thy Widows truft in me. Jer. 49. ii.

And I never faw the Righteous forfaken, but bis Seed is bleffed. Pfal. 37. 25, 26.

The Generation of the upright fhall be bleffed.

Riches fhall be in his houfe, and his Righteoufnefs endureth for ever.

Surely

ever,

Surely be fhall not be moved for but fhall be in everlasting remembrance. Pfal. 112. 2, 3, 6. For when their Father and Mother forfake them, then doft thou take them up. Pfal. 27. 10.

Even thou, who art the Father of the Fatherlefs, and the Judge of the Widows. Pfal. 68. 5.

And as a mighty Redeemer, wilt plead their caufe. Prov. 23. 10,

II.

A Prayer,

Of Sick or Dying Perfons, for Trufting God with their Friends or Kindred.

lewell.

me home to thy felf by this Mr. KetSickness; When I am taken from my Wife and Children, and from those who under thee have Dependance on me; give them Grace, I beseech thee, to betake themselves to Thee.