better difcharging of his Confcience, and the Quietnefs of Executors; withal acknowledging, that Men fhould often be put in Remembrance to take Order for the fettling their temporal Estates whilst they are in Health.

Q. What is still farther neceffary to make us die with Comfort and Satisfaction?

A. To wean our Affections from the Things of this World; for our Sorrow and Concern to part with them will bear a Proportion to the Love and Efteem wherewith we have enjoyed them; and to be feparated from Objects, upon which we have fixed our Hearts, muft be attended with great Uneafinefs. We fhould therefore accuftom ourselves to refign freely to God, what Death will fnatch from us by Force; and gently to untie thofe Knots which faften us to the World, that we may have less Pain when they are entirely broken. The Practice whereof confifts in being lefs concerned for the Things of the Body, and all bodily Enjoyments; to expect, with Refignation to the Will of God, the Succefs of our Temporal Affairs; to fupprefs all ambitious and covetous Defires; to retrench fometimes the Ufe of lawful Pleafures; to abound in Works of Charity; to be ready to part with what we love moft, when God thinks fit, and to bear all Loffes and Afflictions without murmuring. That with St. Paul we may be able to fay we die daily; not only because the Time of our Death is every Moment ap-31. proaching, but also because we find daily lefs. Fondnefs of Life, lefs Earneftnefs for Trifles, lefs Defire for Glory, lefs Eagernefs for Profit, and lefs Concern for whatever the World moft efteems.

Q. What

I Cor. 15.

Q. What farther Care fhould we exercife about Preparation for Death?

A. We fhould ufe great Circumfpection about the fpending our Time, which is the precious Talent entrusted to us by God to fit and prepare our Souls for a happy Eternity; and ought not to be confumed in impertinent Vifits, nor to be fquandered in vain Diverfions, nor to be loitered away in unaccountable Sloth, as if Mirth and doing nothing were the Bufinefs of Life. Wherefore, if we are fettled in a Calling, let us manage it with Juftice and Diligence, always remembring we have a Chriftian Calling of greater Importance; if we are not engaged in the World, let us chufe fuch Circumstances as we shall most approve in a dying Hour; if we have great Estates and the Advantages of Power and Understanding, let us look upon ourselves as under greater Obligations to fpend our Time well because in fuch Circumftances there is greater Capacity and Leifure to attend the Good of others, as well as the Salvation of our own Souls. In order to this, we fhould frequently reflect upon the great Bufinefs we have to do in this World, and the uncertain Time that is allotted to the Performance of it; fo that if we neglect what is in our Hands, we may never be trusted with another Opportunity; and let our Zeal be never fo great, when we come to die, we shall wish we had done more.

Q. What will give us particular Comfort upon a Death-bed?

A. Works of Mercy and Charity; because fuch Actions are the beft Proof of our Sincerity in Religion, and are an Evidence that we can part with what is generally eftcemed deareft in

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this World for the Sake of that God whom we worship. Shewing Mercy to the Poor, perfects our Repentance, and entitles us to the Mercy of God, when we fhall ftand moft in need of it. The Scrutiny at the Day of Judg-Mat. 25. ment will be, Whether we have fed the Hun-35, &c. gry, clothed the Naked, relieved the Stranger, and miniftred to the Sick, and thofe that are in Prifon; and what we in this Kind do to the poor Members of Chrift, is reckoned as done to himfelf.

Q. Wherein confifts our immediate Preparation for Death?

A. In bearing our Sickness, that precedes it, with a true Chriftian Frame and Temper of Mind; with great Patience under our Sufferings, and Refignation of Mind to the Will of God; with a firm Truft and Dependance upon his infinite Wifdom and Goodnefs, and with thankful Acknowledgments of thofe Mercies with which he allays the Sorrows of our Diftemper, and lightens the Burden we labour under. Which Acts of our Mind fhould be frequently expreffed in our Addreffes to God, whofe Grace and Affiftance we should conftantly implore to enable us, in this Time of Tryal, to discharge the Duty of good Chriftians.

Q. Wherein confists the Exercife of Patience upon a Sick-bed?

A. In carefully restraining all Murmurings against God, or any Difcontent, by Reafon of what he lays upon us. In watching against all the Temptations to Anger, as the Miftakes and Inadvertencies of our Attendants, the unfeafonable Kindnefs of our Friends, the Difagreeablenefs of our Medicines, and the Preparation of

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Qur

our Food. In curbing anxious Fears of worse that may happen: And in being content to wait God's Time for our Deliverance.

Q. Wherein confifts the Exercife of Truft in God upon a Sick-bed?

A. In quieting our Minds under the Apprehenfion of future Evils, by confidering that we are in the Hands of a good God, who will lay no more upon us than we are able to bear; and who will in his due Time either remove what afflicts us, or give us Strength to endure it in fuch a Manner that it may contribute to the Improvement of our Virtue, and the Increase of our Happiness. And that, however deftitute we leave our nearest Relations, as Wife and Children, yet that they are under the Protection of his Providence, whofe Bleffing is the richest Portion, and without which the beft human Provifion is no Security.

Q. Wherein confifts the Exercife of Refignation upon a Sick-bed?

A. In refting fully affured that what God chufes for us is much better than what we could wish for ourselves. In embracing our Sickness and our Pains as Correctives of our paft Follies, and as proper Methods for our Growth in Grace. In being contented to refer the Continuance and Event of our Sickness to God's good Pleafure, because his infinite Wifdom knows the best Seafon for our Deliverance; and as he first put us into this World, fo he is fitteft to judge when we should go out of it.

Q. How may we exercife Thankfulness upon a Sick-bed?

A. By acknowledging that we fuffer lefs than we deserve, and that our Sufferings are needful

to

to recover us to a right Mind, being defigned by God to do us that Good, and to bring us to that Senfe of him and ourselves, which perhaps nothing elfe would have done. By owning those frequent Allays God gives to our Sorrows, and thofe great Helps and Supports we receive under them, from the Advantage of our Friends good Attendance, fitting Medicines, and all other Conveniencies of Life. For in the worst Condition, if we turn our Profpect upon the best Part of it, we fhall find Reafon to own God's Mercy; and in the best Estate, if we always dwell upon what is grievous, we shall be too apt to make Complaints.

Q. How ought we to exercife our Devotion on a Sick-bed?

A. By defiring the Affiftance of a spiritual Guide, to offer up our Prayers and to fupport our Weakness with the most comfortable Viaticum of the bleffed Sacrament. By fpiritualifing all the Accidents of our Sickness, making them a Rife for pious and devout Thoughts, which may be fent up in frequent Ejaculations to God, who alone can be our Comfort under all our Diftrefs. By imploring his Bleffing upon all the Means we ufe for our Recovery, and by offering to him all the Pains we endure, as what we are more willing to fuffer than to offend him.

Q. Wherein confists the Happiness of the Death of the Righteous?

A. Not in any Freedom from painful and noifome Difeafes; nor in any Exemption from fudden and unforeseen Accidents and Dangers, which often bring the Righteous as well as the Wicked to their Graves. For we fee Lazarus, for whom

was