thee Vers 19. And give unto Solomon my son a perfect heart to keep thy commandements thy testimonies and thy statutes 2 Pet. 1.12 c. I think it meet as long as I am in this Tabernacle to stir you up by putting you in remembrance knowing that shortly I must put off this my Tabernacle Moreover I will endeavour that you may be able after my decease to have these things always in remembrance Seventhly If the sick Person seem willing to dye the Minister may prudently endeavour to discover whether his willingness to dye doth proceed from some good and laudable motive or no for it may arise out of either As 1. From a desire to be freed from the troubles and persecutions Men undergo in this life Numb 11.13 14 15. Whence should I have flesh to give unto all this People for they weep unto me saying give us flesh that we may eat I am not able to bear all this People alone because it is too heavy for me And if thou deal thus with me kill me I pray thee out of hand if I have found favor in thy sight and let me not see my wretchedness 1 King 19.4 But he Elijah himself went a days journey into the wilderness and came and sate down under a Juniper-tree and he requested for himself that he might dye and said it is enough now O Lord take away my life for I am not better than my Fathers Or 2. To be freed from pain Job 3.11 c. Why dyed I not from the womb why did I not give up the ghost when I came out of the belly Vers 13. For now should I have lien still and been at quiet I should have slept then should I have been at rest Vers 17 18. There the wicked cease from troubling there the weary be at rest There the Prisoners rest together they hear not the voice of the oppressor Vers 20 21. Wherefore is light given to him that is in misery and life unto the bitter in soul which long for death but it cometh not and dig for it more than for hid treasures Chap. 6.8 9. O that I might have my request and that God would grant me the thing that I long for Even that it would please God to destroy me that he would let loose his hand and cut me off Jon. 4.8 It came to pass when the sun did rise that God prepared a vehement eastwind and the sun beat upon the head of Jonah that he fainted and wished in himself to dye and said it is better for me to dye than to live Or. 3. Out of ignorance of man's estate after death in respect of rewards and punishments Eccl. 12.7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it Heb. 9.27 It is appointed unto men once to dye but after this the judgment 2 Cor. 5.10 11. We must all appear before the judgment-seat of Christ that every one may receive the things done in his body according to that he hath done whether it be good or bad Knowing therefore the terrours of the Lord we perswade men Mat. 25.31 32 33 46. When the son of man shall come in his glory and all the holy Angels with him then shall he be set upon the Throne of his glory And before him shall be gathered all Nations and he shall separate them one from the other as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats Then shall he say unto them on his right hand come ye blessed Children of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the World Then shall he say to them on his left hand depart from me ye cursed into everlasting fire prepared for the Devil and his Angels And these shall go away into everlasting punishment but the righteous into life eternal Luke 16.22 c. And it came to pass that the beggar dyed and was carried by the Angels into Abrahams bosom the rich man dyed also and was buried And in Hell he lift up his eyes being in torments and seeth Abraham afar off and Lazarus in his bosom And he cryed and said Father Abraham have mercy on me and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue for I am tormented in this flame Or 4. Patient submission to Gods will 1 Sam. 3.18 And Eli said it is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good Luke 22.42 Father if thou be willing remove this cup from me nevertheless not my will but thine be done Acts 21.14 And when he Paul would not be perswaded we ceased saying the will of the Lord be done Phil. 4.11 I have learned in what estate soever I am therewith to be content Or 5. Well-grounded hopes of Salvation Job 8.20 God will not cast away a perfect man Psal 37.38 Keep innocency and take heed to the thing that is right for that shall bring a man peace at the last Rom. 5.1 2. Being justified by faith we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand and rejoyce in hope of the glory of God 2 Cor. 4.13 14. We having the same spirit of faith according as it is written I believed and therefore have I spoken we also believe and therefore speak knowing that he which raised up the Lord Jesus shall raise up us also by Jesus and shall present us with you 2 Tim. 7.8 I have fought a good fight I have finished my course I have kept the faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous Judg shall give me at that day and not to me only but unto them also which love his appearing Heb. 3.14 We are made partakers of Christ if we hold the beginning of our confidence stedfast unto the end To each of these fit applications of these or such-like passages of Scripture are to be made For neither willingness nor unwillingness to dye simply considered are tokens of good or bad estate but in relation tâ— the ground or cause from whencâ— they proceed Eighthly When the sick Person complains of the want of sensible joy and inward comfort of the Spirit such passages of Scripture are to be set before him as describe 1. The state of our spiritual warfare Mat. 10.35 38. I am come to set a man at variance against his father and the daughter against her mother and the daughter in law against her mother in law And a mans foes shall be they of his own houshold And he that taketh not his cross and followeth after me is not worthy of me Joh. 16.33 In the world ye shall have tribulation Gal. 5.17 The flesh lusteth against the spirit and the spirit against the flesh and these are contrary the one to the other so that ye cannot do the things that ye would Eph. 5.11 12 13. Put on the whole armour of God
the God of your Father spake unto me yesternight saying take thou heed that thou speak not to Jacob either good or bad Chap. 50.20 Joseph said unto them ye thought evil against me but God meant it unto good to bring to pass as it is this day to save much People alive Exod. 1.12 The more they afflicted them the more they grew and they were grieved because of the Children of Israel 1 King 17.3 4 6. Hide thy self by the brook Cherith that is before Jordan and I have commanded the Ravens to feed thee there And the Ravens brought him bread and flesh in the morning and bread and flesh in the evening and he drunk of the brook Vers 13.14 15. Elijah said unto her Thus saith the Lord God of Israel the barrel of meal shall not wast neither shall the cruse of oyl fail until the day that the Lord sendeth rain upon the earth And she and he and her house did eat many days 2 King 4.1 to 8. Now there cryed a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the Prophets unto Elisha saying Thy servant my husband is dead and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the Lord And the Creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen And Elisha said unto her what shall I do for thee tell me what hast thou in the house and she said thy handmaid hath not any thing in the house but a pot of oyl Then he said go borrow thee vessels abroad of all thy neighbours even empty vessels borrow not a few And when thou art come in thou shalt shut the door upon thee and upon thy sons and shalt pour out into all those vessels and thou shalt set aside that which is full So she went from him and did shut the door upon her and upon her sons who brought the vessels to her and she poured out And it came to pass when the vessels were full that she said unto her son bring me yet a vessel And he said unto her there is not a vessel more And the oyl staid And she came and told the man of God and he said go sell the oyl and pay thy debt and live thou and thy children of the rest So Dan. 3.17 Chap. 6.21 22. Joh. 6.5 7 c. When Jesus saw a great company come unto him he saith unto Philip whence shall we buy bread that these may eat Philip answered him Two hundred peny-worth of bread is not sufficient for them that every one of them may take a little Andrew saith unto him There is a lad here that hath five barley loaves and two small fishes but what are they among so many Jesus said make the men sit down So the men sate down in number about five thousand And when Jesus had given thanks he distributed to the Disciples and the Disciples to them that were set down and likewise of the fishes as much as they would See Acts 5.19 20. Ch. 12.6 7 8. Chap. 16.25 26. Deut. 8.4 Psal 78.14 to 30. 4. The danger of such solicitude Mat. 13.22 He that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word of God and the care of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word and he becometh unfruitful Luke 12.20 God said unto him Thou fool this night shall thy soul be required of thee then whose shall these things be which thou hast provided Chap. 21.34 Take heed to your selves lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfetting and drunkenness and cares of this life and so that day come upon you unawares 1 Cor. 7.35 This I speak for your own profit that you may attend upon the Lord without distraction And the unprositableness of it Psal 127.1 2 3. Except the Lord build the house their labour is but lost that build it Except the Lord keep the city the watchman waketh but in vain It is but lost labour that ye hap to rise up early and so late take rest and eat the bread of carefulness Mat. 6.27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature Luke 10.39 c. Martha had a sister called Mary which also sate at Jesus feet and heard his word But Martha was cumbred about much serving and came to him and said Lord dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone bid her therefore that she help me And Jesus answered and said unto her Martha Martha thou art careful and troubled about many things But one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that one good part which shall not be taken away from her 6. Weakness of Faith discovered thereby Mat. 6.30 If God so cloth the grass of the field which to day is and to morrow is cast into the Oven shall he not much more cloath you O ye of little faith Chap. 8.26 Why are ye fearful O ye of little faith Chap. 14.31 Immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand and caught him and said unto him O thou of little faith wherefore didst thou doubt Phil. 4.6 Be careful for nothing but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God 1 Pet. 5. Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you 7. The duty of commanding them we leave behind to serve God faithfully that they may be blessed Gen. 18.19 I know Abraham that he will command his children and his houshold after him and they shall keep the way of the Lord to do Justice and judgment that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him Jos 23.14 This day I am going the way of all the earth and ye know in all your hearts and in all your souls that not one thing hath failed of all the good things which the Lord your God spake concerning you all are come to pass unto you and not one thing hath failed thereof Chap. 24. And if it seem evil to you to serve the Lord chuse you this day whom you will serve but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord. 1 Chron. 29.10 David blessed the Lord before all the congregation and David said blessed be the Lord God of Israel our Fathers for ever and ever Vers 11. Thine O Lord is the greatness and the power and the glory and the victory and the majesty for all that is in the Heaven and the earth is thine thine is the Kingdom O Lord and thou art exalted as a head above all Vers 12. Both riches and honour come of thee and thou reignest over all and in thine hand is power and might and in thine hand it is to make great and to give strength unto all Vers 17. I know also my God that thou triest the heart and hast pleasure in uprightness Vers 18. O Lord God of Abraham Isaac and Israel our Fathers keep this for ever in the imaginations of the thoughts of the heart of thy People and prepare their heart unto
it came to pass on the third day in the Morning that there were Thunderings and Lightnings and a thick Cloud upon the Mount and the voice of the Trumpet exceeding loud so that all the people that was in the Camp trembled Vers 18. And Mount Sinai was altogether on a smoak because the Lord descended upon it in fire And the smoak thereof ascended as the smoak of a furnace and the whole Mount quaked greatly Chapt 20.18 And all the People saw the Thunderings and the Lightnings and the noise of the Trumpet and the Mountain smoaking And when the peope saw it they remov'd and stood afar off And so terrible was the sight that Moses said I exceedingly fear and quake Heb. 12.21 Chap. 33.20 Thou Moses canst not see my face for there shall no Man see me and live Vers 21. Behold there is a place by me and thou shalt stand upon a Rock Vers 22. And it shall come to pass whil'st my glory passeth by that I will put thee in a clift of the Rock and will cover thee with my hand whil'st I pass by Vers 23. And I will take away mine hand and thou shalt see my back parts but my face shall not be seen Isa 40.22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the Earth and the Inhabitants thereof are as Grashoppers That stretcheth out the Heavens as a Curtain and spreadeth them out as a Tent to dwell in Vers 23. That bringeth the Princes to nothing and maketh the Judges of the Earth as vanity Heb. 12.28 Let us have grace whereby we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly ear Vers 29. For our God is a consuming fire Secondly The Divine Attributes especially of his 1. Holiness 2. Justice 3. Power Holiness Gen. 28.16 17. And Jacob awaked out of his sleep and he said surely the Lord is in this place and I knew it not And he was afraid and said how dreadful is this place This is none other but the House of God and this is the Gate of Heaven Exod. 3.5 Draw not nigh hither put off thy Shoes from off thy feet for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground Chap. 19.12 Take heed to your solves that ye go not up into the Mount or touch the border of it Whosoever toucheth the Mount shall be surely put to death 13. There shall not a hand touch it but he shall surely be stoned or shot through whether it be beast or man it shall not live 1 Sam. 6.19 And he the Lord smote the men of Bethshemesh because they had looked into the Ark of the Lord even he smote of the People Fifty thousand and threescore and ten men vers 20. And the men of Bethshemesh said Who is able to stand before this holy Lord God 2 Sam. 6.6 Uzzah put forth his hand to the Ark of God and took hold of it for the Oxen shook it Vers 7. And God smote him there for his errour and there he dyed by the Ark of God vers 9. And David was afraid of the Lord that day and said how shall the Ark of the Lord come to me 1 Pet. 1.15 As he who hath called you is Holy so be ye Holy in all manner of conversation 16. Because it is written be ye holy for I am holy Heb. 12.14 Follow peace with all men and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord. 2. Justice Gen. 18.25 Shall not the Judg of all the Earth do right Exod. 20.5 I the Lord thy God am a jealous God visiting the iniquity of the Fathers upon the Children unto the third and fourth Generation of them that hate me vers 26. And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my Commandments Psal 89.15 Righteousness and equity are the habitation of thy seat And 119.137 Righteous art thou O Lord and true are thy judgments Rom. 2.2 We are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them which commit such things vers 6. Who will render to every man according to his deeds vers 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing seek for glory and honour and immortality eternal life vers 8. But unto them that are contentious and do not obey the truth but obey unrighteousness indignation and wrath vers 9. Tribulation and anguish upon every soul of man that doth evil vers 10. But glory honour and peace to every man that worketh good Rev. 22.12 Behold I come quickly and my reward is with me to give every man according as his work shall be 3. Power Gen. 18.14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord Jer. 5.22 Fear ye not me saith the Lord will ye not tremble at my presence which have placed the sand for a bound of the sea by a perpetual decree that it cannot pass and though the waves thereof toss themselves yet can they not prevail though they roar yet can they not pass over it And Chap. 10.7 Who would not fear thee O King of Nations For to thee doth it appertain Dan. 2.20 Blessed be the Name of God for ever and ever for wisdom and might are his vers 21. He changeth the times and the seasons he removeth Kings and setteth up Kings Rev. 15.4 Who shall not fear thee O Lord and glorisie thy Name for thou only art holy for all Nations shall come and worship before thee for thy judgments are made manifest Acknowledged and fear'd by the enemies of Religion themselves Exod. 9.27 The Lord is righteous and I and my people are wicked Dan. 3.29 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake and said Blessed be the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego who hath sent his Angel and delivered his Servants that trusted in him and have chang'd the Kings word and yielded their bodies that they might not serve nor worship any God except their own God vers 29. Therefore I make a Decree that every People Nation and Language which speak any thing amiss against the God of Shadrach Meshach and Abednego shall be cut in pieces and their houses shall be made a dunghil because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort Chap. 6.25 Then Darius wrote unto all People Nations and Languages that dwelt in all the earth vers 26. I make a decree that in every Dominion of my Kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel for he is the living God and stedfast for ever and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed and his Dominion shall be even unto the end Vers 27. He delivereth and rescueth and he worketh signs and wonders in Heaven and in Earth Who hath delivered Daniel from the Power of the Lions Acts 24.25 And as Paul reasoned of Righteousness Temperance and Judgment to come Felix trembled Rev. 6.15 And the Kings of the Earth and the great men and the Rich men and the chief Captains and the mighty men and every bondman and every freeman hid themselves in the Dens and in the Rocks of the
Mountains Verse 16. And said to the Mountains and Rocks fall on us and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the Throne and from the wrath of the Lamb. Verse 17. For the great day of his wrath is come and who shall be able to stand Thirdly The State of an Impenitent Sinner 1. In respect of original corruption Job 14.4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean Not one Chap. 15.14 What is man that he should be clean and he that is born of a Woman that he should be righteous Verse 15. The Heavens are not clean in his sight verse 16. How much more abominable and filthy is Man that drinketh iniquity like water Chap. 25.4 How then can Man be justified with God Or how can he be clean that is born of a Woman Psal 51.5 Behold I was shapen in wickedness and in sin hath my Mother conceived me John 3.5 Except a Man be born of Water and of the Spirit he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God Verse 6. That which is born of the Flesh is Flesh and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit Rom. 5.18 By the offence of one judgment came upon all men unto condemnation 2. In respect of actual sin Exod. 32.33 Whosoever hath sinn'd against me him will I blot out of my Book 2 Kings 17.18 Therefore the Lord was very angry with Israel and removed them out of his sight there was none left but the Tribe of Judah only Verse 19 Also Judah kept not the Commandments of the Lord their God but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made Verse 20. And the Lord rejected all the seed of Israel and afflicted them and delivered them into the hand of spoilers till he had cast them out of his sight Job 4.8 They that plow iniquity and sow wickedness reap the same Verse 9. By the blast of God they perish and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed Chap. 8.11 Can the Rush grow up without mire can the Flag grow without water Verse 12. Whilst it is yet in its greenness and not cut down it withereth before any other herb Verse 13. So are the paths of all that forget God and the hypocrites hope shall perish Jer. 22.24 As I live saith the Lord though Coniah the Son of Jehoiakim King of Judah were the signet upon my right hand yet would I pluck thee thence Verse 25. And I will give thee into the hand of them who seek thy life Verse 26. And I will cast thee out and thy Mother that bare thee into another Country where ye were not born and there shall ye dye Mat. 7.26 Every one that heareth these sayings of mine and doth them not shall be likened unto a foolish Man which built his house upon the sand Verse 27. And the rain descended and the floods came and the winds blew and beat upon that house and it fell and great was the fall of it Gal. 5.19 The works of the flesh are manifest which are these adultery fornication uncleanness lasciviousness idolatry witcheraft hatred variance emulations wrath strife seditions heresies envyings murders drunkenness revellings and such like they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God 2 Thes 1.7 The Lord Jesus Christ shall be revealed from Heaven with his mighty Angels in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his power Rev. 14.9 10 11. If any man worship the Beast and his image and receive his mark in his forehead or in his hand the same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy Angels and in the presence of the Lamb and the smoak of their torment ascended up for ever and ever Secondly When the Minister finds not in the sick person a total hardness and impenitency he must wisely mingle Threatnings and Comforts together To which purpose such-like passages of Scripture will be useful Deut. 7.9 10. Know therefore that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandements to a Thousand generations And repayeth them that hate him to their face to destroy them He will not be slack to him that hateth him he will repay him to his face Jer. 32.18 19. Thou shewest loving kindness unto thousands and recompensest the iniquity of the Fathers into the bosom of their Children after them the great the mighty God the Lord of Hosts is his Name Great in Counsel and mighty in works for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men to give every one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings Psal 89.31 32 33. If his Children forsake my Law and walk not in my judgments If they break my statutes and keep not my Commandements I will visit their offence with rods and their sin with scourges Nevertheless my loving kindness will I not utterly take from him nor suffer my truth to fail Rev. 2.4 5. I have somewhat against thee because thou hast left thy first love Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works or else I will come against thee quickly and will remove thy Candlestick out of his place except thou repent Thirdly When the Sick Person is fallen into the other extream and is sensible of little or no comfort the passages of Scripture relating to such a condition are those which set forth 1. The excellency and goodness of the Divine Nature Exod. 34.6 7. The Lord passed by before him and proclaimed The LORD the LORD GOD merciful and gracious longsuffering and abundant in goodness and truth Keeping mercy for thousands forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin Psalm 86.15 16. Thou O Lord God art full of compassion and mercy longsuffering plenteous in goodness and truth O turn thee then unto me and have mercy upon me Give thy strength unto thy servant and help the son of thine handmaid Psalm 103.8 9 c. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy Longsuffering and of great goodness He will not alway be chiding neither keepeth he his anger for ever He hath not dealt with us after our sins nor rewarded us according to our wickedness For look how high the Heaven is in comparison of the Earth So great is his mercy also toward them that fear him Look how wide also the East is from the West So far hath he set our sins from us Yea like as a Father pittieth his own Children Even so is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him For he knoweth whereof we are made he remembreth that we are but dust Hos 11.3 4. I taught
Ephraim to go taking them by the Arms but they knew not that I heal'd them I drew them with cords of a man with bands of love Jonah 4. Therefore I fled before unto Tarshish for I knew that thou art a gracious God and merciful slow to anger and of great kindness and repentest thee of the evil Mic. 7.18 19. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage He retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy He will turn again he will have compassion upon us he will subdue our iniquities and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depth of the Sea Malac. 3.6 I am the Lord I change not therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed Eph. 2.4 5. God who is rich in mercy for his great love wherewith he loved us even when we were dead in sins and trespasses hath quickned us together with Christ by grace ye are saved And hath raised us up together and made us sit together in Heavenly places in Christ Jesus Secondly His incomprehensible love declared in giving his Son to dye for the sin of the World Isa 52.9 10. Break forth into joy sing together ye wast places of Jerusalem for the Lord hath comforted his People he hath redeemed Jerusalem The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all Nations and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God Chap. 53.4 5 6. Surely he hath born our griefs and carried our sorrows yet we did esteem him stricken smitten of God and afflicted But he was wounded for our transgressions he was bruised for our iniquities the chastisement of our peace was upon him and with his stripes we are healed All we like sheep have gone astray we have turned every one to his own way and the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity of us all Chap. 55.1 3. Ho every one that thirsteth come ye to the waters and he that hath no money come ye buy and eat yea come buy wine and milk without money and without price Incline your ear and come unto me hear and your soul shall live and I will make an everlasting covenant with you even the sure mercies of David Chap. 61.1 2 3. The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them that are bound To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God to comfort all that mourn To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give unto them beauty for ashes the oyl of joy for mourning the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness that they might be called trees of righteousness the planting of the Lord that he might be glorified Ezek. 34.22 23 24 25. I will save my flock and they shall be no more a prey And I will set up one shepherd over them and he shall feed them even my servant David he shall feed them and he shall be their shepherd And I the Lord will be their God and my servant David a Prince amongst them I the Lord have spoken it And I will make with them a covenant of peace Malac. 4.2 Unto you that fear my Name shall the Son of righteousness arise with healing in his wings and ye shall go forth and grow up as Calves of the stall Luke 1.76 77 78 79. Thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways To give knowledg of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins through the tender mercy of our God whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death to guide our feet into the way of peace Chap. 4.17 18 19 21 And when he Jesus had opened the Book he found the place where i◠was written The Spirit of the Lord 〈◊〉 upon me And he began to sa◠unto them this day is this Scripture fulfilled in your ears Joh 1.29 John seeth Jesus comin◠unto him and saith Behold th◠Lamb of God which taketh awa◠the sin of the World Chap. 3.16 17. God so loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in him should not perish but have everlasting life Chap. 15.13 Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his Friends Act 10.43 To him give all the Prophets witness that through his Name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins Rom. 3.23 24 25. All have sinned and come short of the glory of God being justified freely by his grace through the Redemption that is in Jesus Christ whom God hath set forth to be a Propitiation through faith in his blood Rom. 5.8 9. God commendeth his love towards us in that whilest we were yet sinners Christ dyed for us Much more then being now justified by his blood we shall be saved from wrath through him 1 Joh. 2.1 2. If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the righteous And he is the propitiation for our sins Rev. 5.9 And the Elders sung a new song saying Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wast slain and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and people and tongue and Nation Thirdly His faithfulness in keeping his promise Isa 49.15 16. Can a woman forget her sucking Child that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb yea they may forget yet will I not forget thee Behold I have graven thee on the palms of my hands thy walls are before me continually Jer. 33.20 21. Thus saith the Lord if you can break my covenant of the day and my covenant of the night and that there should not be day and night in their season Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne Joh. 10.28 29. I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand My Father which gave them me is greater than all And no man is able to pluck them out of my Fathers hand 1 Cor. 1.9 God is faithful by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his son Jesus Christ our Lord. 2 Cor. 1.21 22. He which stablisheth us with you in Christ and hath anointed is God Who hath also sealed us and given us the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts 2 Tim. 2.19 The foundation of God standeth sure having this seal the Lord knoweth them that are his Heb. 6.17 18. God willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel confirmed it by an Oath That by
two immutable things in which it was impossible for God to lye we might have a strong consolation who have fled for refuge to lay hold on the hope set before us 1 Joh 1.9 If we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness Fourthly His encouragements and promises to the penitent 1. In the Law Levit. 26.40 41 42. If they shall confess their iniquity and the iniquity of their Fathers with their trespass which they trespassed against me and that also they have walked contrary to me And that I also have walked contrary to them and have brought them into the land of their enemies if then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob and also my covenant with Isaac and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember and will remember the land Deut. 4.27 29 30 31. The Lord thy God shall scatter you among the Nations But if from thence thou shalt seek the Lord thy God thou shalt find him if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul When thou art in Tribulation and all these things are come upon thee even in the latter days if thou come to the Lord thy God and shalt be obedient unto his voice for the Lord thy God is a merciful God he will not forsake thee neither destroy thee nor forget the Covenant of thy Fathers which he sware unto them Chap. 30.3 The Lord thy God will turn thy captivity and have compassion upon thee and will return and gather thee from all the Nations whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee In 2. The Prophets 1 Sam. 12.20 22. Samuel said unto the People fear not ye have done all this wickedness yet turn not aside from following the Lord but serve the Lord with all your heart For the Lord will not forsake his people for his great Names sake because it hath pleased the Lord to make you his People Isa 1.18 19. Though your sins be as red as scarlet they shall be as white as snow though they be red as crimson they shall be as wooll If ye be willing and obedient ye shall eat the good of the land Cha. 44.22 I have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgressions and as a cloud thy sins return unto me for I have redeemed thee Chap. 57.16 17 18. I will not contend for ever neither will I be always wroth for the spirit should fail before me and the souls which I have made For the iniquity of his covetousness was I wroth and smote him I hid me and was wroth and he went on frowardly in the way of his heart I have seen his ways and will heal him I will lead him also and restore comforts unto him and to his mourners Jer. 3.1 13 14. Thou hast played the harlot with many lovers yet return again unto me saith the Lord. Only acknowledg thine iniquity that thou hast transgrest against the Lord thy God Turn O backsliding children saith the Lord for I am married unto you Chap. 31.19 20. Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my thigh I was ashamed yea even consounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Is Ephraim my dear Son Is he a pleasant child for since I spake against him I do earnestly remember him still therefore my bowels are troubled for him I will surely have mercy upon him saith the Lord. Chap. 33.8 I will cleanse them from all their iniquity whereby they have sinned against me and I will pardon aâ—l their iniquities whereby they have sinned and whereby they have transgressed against me Ezek. 33.11 As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil ways for why will ye dye O house of Israel In 3. The Gospel Mat. 1. 21. Thou shalt call his Name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins Chap. 18.11 The son of man is come to save that which was lost Luke 15.10 There is joy in the presence of the Angels of God over one sinner that repenteth John 6.37 Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out Heb. 4.15 16. We have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need Chap. 7.24 25. This man Christ Jesus because he continueth for ever hath an unchangeable Priesthood Wherefore he is also able to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them Chap. 8.12 I will be merciful unto their unrighteousness and their sins and iniquities will I remember no more Fifthly The performance of those promises in several Instances of mercy Judg. 2.18 When the Lord raised them up Judges then the Lord was with the Judg and delivered them out of the hand of their enemies all the days of the Judg for it repented the Lord because of their groanings by reason of them that oppressed them and vexed them Chap. 10.15 16. The children of Israel said unto the Lord we have sinned do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee deliver us only we pray thee this day And they put away the strange Gods from among them and served the Lord and his soul was grieved for the misery of Israel 2 Sam. 12.13 David said unto Nathan I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David the Lord also hath put away thy sin thou shalt not dye 1 King 21.29 Seest thou how Ahab humbleth himself before me because he humbleth himself before me I will not bring the evil in his days but in his sons days will I bring the evil upon his house 2 Chron. 33.12 13. And when he Manasseh was in affliction he besought the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly before the God of his Fathers And prayed unto him and he was intreated of him and heard his supplication and brought him again to Jerusalem into his kingdom Nehem. 9.31 Nevertheless for thy great mercies sake thou didst not utterly consume them nor forsake them for thou art a gracious and merciful God Jonah 3.10 And God saw their works that they turned from their evil way and God repented of the evil that he had said he would do unto them and he did it not Mat. 18.26 27. The servant therefore fell down and worshipped him saying Lord have patience with me and I will pay thee all Then the Lord of that servant came moved with compassion and loosed him and forgave him the debt Luke 7.47 Her sins which are many are forgiven for
thoughts and intents of the heart Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do James 1.25 Whoso looketh into the perfect Law of liberty and continueth therein he being not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work this man shall be blessed in his deed Rev. 3.1 2. I know thy works that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead Be watchful and strengthen the things that remain that are ready to dye for I have not found thy works perfect before God Verse 17. Thou sayest I am rich and encreased with goods and have need of nothing and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked Fourthly Calling upon God for assistance 1 Sam. 16.7 The Lord seeth not as man seeth for man looketh on the outward appearance but the Lord looketh on the heart Psal 139.23 24. Try me O God and seek the ground of my heart prove me and examine my thoughts Look well if there be any way of wickedness in me and lead me in the way everlasting Jer. 10.23 O Lord I know that the way of man is not in himself it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps Chap. 17.10 I the Lord search the heart I try the reins even to give every man according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings James 1.5 If any of you lack wisdom let him ask of God that giveth to all men liberally and upbraideth not and it shall be given him The examination and Trial of his State must be governed by such rules of Scripture as relate to the consideration First Of his life past with respect First To the Law of God as it is opened and expounded by our Blessed Saviour in the 5th 6th and 7th Chap. of St. Matthew Secondly The duty of furnishing his soul with Divine graces and habits of virtue Psal 45.14 The Kings daughter is all glorious within her clothing is of wrought Gold Jer. 31.33 34. I will put my Law in their inward parts and write it in their hearts For they shall all know me from the least of them to the greatest of them Ezek. 36.27 I will put my spirit within you and cause you to walk in my statutes and ye shall keep my judgments and do them Mat. 5.3 to 13. Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven Blessed are they that mourn for they shall be comforted Blessed are the meek for they shall inherit the Earth Blessed are they which hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the children of God Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the kingdom of Heaven Blessed are you when men shall revile you and persecute you and shall say all manner of evil against you falsly for my sake Chap. 13.12 Whosoever hath to him shall be given and he shall have more abundance but whosoever hath not from him shall be taken away even that he hath Chap. 18.3 Verily I say unto you except ye be converted and become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of Heaven 2 Pet. 1.5 to 11. Besides this giving all diligence add to your faith vertue and to vertue knowledg And to knowledg temperance and to temperance patience and to patience godliness And to godliness brotherly kindness and to brotherly kindness charity For if these things be in you and abound they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledg of our Lord Jesus Christ But he that lacketh these things is blind and cannot see afar off and hath forgotten that he was purged from his old sins Wherefore the rather Brethren give diligence to make your calling and election sure for if ye do these things ye shall never fall Thirdly The Performance of particular duties in his several Relations and Profession Acts 13.36 David after he had served his own generation by the will of God fell on sleep and was laid unto his fathers Rom. 12.4 5 6 7. As we have many members in one body and all members have not the same office so we being many are one body in Christ and every one members one of another Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us whether prophesie let us prophesie according to the proportion of faith Or ministry let us wait on our ministring Or he that teacheth on teaching Ephes 6.1 4 5 6. Children obey your Parents in the Lord. Fathers provoke not your children to wrath but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. Servants be obedient to them that are your Masters Not with eye-service as menpleasures but as the servants of Christ Masters do the same things to them 1 Pet. 2.13 Submit your selves to every ordinance of man for the Lords sake Chap. 3.1 7. Wives be in subjection unto your Husbands Likewise Husbands dwell with their Wives according to knowledg giving them honour as unto the weaker vessel and as being heirs together of the grace of life Secondly His present condition in reference to their duties 1. Of Restitution and Satisfaction Gen. 43.12 Take double money in your hand and the money that was brought again in the mouth of your sacks peradventure it was an oversight Exod. 22.5 If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten and shall put in his beast and shall feed in another mans field of the best of his own field and the best of his own vineyard shall he make restitution Levit. 24.18 And he that killeth a Beast shall make it good Beast for Beast Nehem. 5.9 10 11. It is not good that ye do I likewise and my brethren and my servants might exact of them money and corn I pray you let us leave off this usury Restore I pray you to them even this day their lands their vineyards their oliveyards and their houses also the hundred part of the money and of the corn the wine the oyl that you exact of them Then said they we will restore it Isa 61.8 I the Lord love judgment I hate robbery for burntoffering Mich. 2.1 2. Wo unto them that devise iniquity They covet fields and take them by violence and houses and take them away So they oppress a man and his house even a man and his heritage Hab. 2.6 Wo unto him that increaseth that which is not his Zech. 5.1 3 4. I looked and behold a flying Roll. This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth and it shall enter into the house of the thief and into the house of him that sweareth falsly by my Name and it shall remain in the middest of his house
and shall consume it with the timber thereof and the stones thereof 1 Thes 4.3 6. This is the will of God That no man go beyond and defraud his brother in any matter because the Lord is the avenger of all such 2. Remission of injuries suffered by him and hearty reconciliation Mat. 5.23 24. If thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy brother hath ought against thee Leave there thy gift before the Altar and go thy way first be reconciled to thy brother and then come and offer thy gift Chap. 18.33 Shouldst thou not also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant even as I had pity on thee Mark 11. When ye stand praying forgive if ye have ought against any that your Father also which is in Heaven may forgive you your trespasses But if you do not forgive neither will your Father which is in Heaven forgive your trespasses Joh. 13.35 By this shall all men know that ye are my Disciples that ye love one another Acts 4.32 The multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul 1 Cor. 12.27 Ye are the body of Christ and members in particular Col. 3.12 13. Put on therefore as the elect of God holy and beloved bowels of mercy kindness humbleness of mind meekness longsuffering forbearing one another and forgiving one another if any man have a quarrel against any Even as Christ forgave you so also do ye 3 Almesgiving if of ability Deut. 15.7 8 10 11. If there be among you a poor man of one of thy Brethren thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother But thou shalt open thy hand wide unto him and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth Thou shalt surely give him and thy heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto For the poor shall never cease out of the land therefore I command thee saying thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy Brother to thy poor and to thy needy in the land Psal 41. Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble The Lord preserve him and keep him alive that he may be blessed upon earth and deliver thou not him into the will of his enemies The Lord comfort him when he lyeth sick upon his bed make thou all his bed in his sickness Prov. 3.27 Withold not good from them to whom it is due when it is in the power of thine hand to do it Chap. 11.24 There is that scattereth and yet increaseth and there is that withholdeth more then is meet and it tendeth to poverty Eccl. 11.1 Cast thy bread upon the waters for thou shalt find it after many days Mat. 25.37 to 41. Then shall the righteous answer him saying Lord when saw we thee an hungred and fed thee or thirsty and gave thee drink When saw we thee a stranger and took thee in or naked and cloathed thee Or when saw we thee sick or in prison and came unto thee And the King shall answer and say unto them verily I say unto you in as much as ye have done it to one of the least of these my Brethren ye have done it unto me Acts 10.4 Thy prayers and thine almes are come up for a memorial before God 1 Tim. 6.17 18 19. Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high-minded nor trust in uncertain riches but in the living God who giveth us all things richly to enjoy That they do good that they be rich in good works ready to stribute willing to communicate Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on eternal life 4. Vnfeigned Repentance for the Errours of his life past Psal 51.1 c. Have mercy upon me O God after thy great goodness according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Wash me throughly from my wickedness and cleanse me from my sin For I acknowledg my faults and my sin is ever before me Turn thy face from my sins and put out all my misdeeds Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit within me Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy holy spirit from me Fourthly If the sick person be troubled from the occasion or by reason of some circumstances relating to his sickness the Scriptures proper for that condition are such as set forth 1. The duty of reflecting on his former course of life 2 Chron. 21.12 to the 16. And there came a writing to Jehoram from Elijah the Prophet saying thus saith the Lord God of David thy Father Because thou hast not walked in the ways of Jehoshaphat thy Father nor in the ways of Asa King of Judah But hast walked in the ways of the Kings of Israel and hast made Judah and the Inhabitants of Jerusalem to go a whoring like to the whoredoms of the house of Ahab and also hast slain thy brethren of thy fathers house which were better than thy self Behold with a great plague will the Lord smite thy People and thy Children and thy Wives and all thy Goods And thou shalt have great sickness by disease of thy Bowels until thy Bowels fall out by reason of thy sickness day by day And it came to pass that in process of time after the end of two years his bowels fell out by reason of his sickness so he died of sore diseases Chap. 26.19 And whil'st Vzziah was wroth with the Priests the Leprosy even rose up in his forehead before the Priests in the house of the Lord from besides the incense-Altar Psal 25.6 O remember not the sins and offences of my youth But according to thy mercy think thou upon me O Lord for thy goodness Psal 25.6 O remember not our old sins but have mercy upon us and that soon for we are come to great misery Help us O God of our salvation for the glory of thy Name O deliver us and be merciful to our sins for thy Names sake Job 13.26 Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth 2. The promiscuous dispensing out these things both to good and bad in this life Gen. 35.16 18 19. And Rachel travelled and she had hard labour And the midwife said unto her fear not thou shalt have thy son also And as her soul was in departing she called his name Benoni and Rachel died Lev. 10.1 2. And Nadab and Abihu the sons of Aaron offered strange fire before the Lord which he commanded not And there went out a fire from the Lord and devoured them Numb 20.12 And the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron because ye believe me not to sanctify me in the eyes of the children of Israel
grave in peace neither shall thine eyes see all the evil that I will bring upon this place and upon the inhabitants of the same Isa 26.20 Come my People enter thou into thy Chambers and shut thy doors about thee hide thy self as it were for a little moment until the indignation be overpast Chap. 57.1 2. The righteous perisheth and no man layeth it to heart and merciful men are taken away none considering that the righteous is taken away from the evil to come He shall enter into peace they shall rest in their beds each one walking in his uprightness Rom. 14.8 Whether we live we live unto the Lord or whether we dye we dye unto the Lord whether we live therefore or dye we are the Lords Rev. 14.13 I heard a voice from Heaven saying unto me write blessed are the dead which dye in the Lord from henceforth yea saith the spirit that they may rest from their labours and their works follow them 4. The Joys to be revealed hereafter Psal 16.9 12. I have set God always before me for he is on my right hand therefore I shall not fall Thou shalt shew me the path of life in thy presence is the fulness of joy and at thy right hand there is pleasure for evermore Psal 36.8 9. They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house and thou shalt give them drink of thy pleasures as out of the river For with thee is the well of life and in thy light shall we see light Isa 51.11 The redeemed of the Lord shall return and come with singing unto Zion and everlasting joy shall be upon their heads they shall obtain gladness and joy and sorrow and mourning shall flee away Chap. 64.4 Since the beginning of the World men have not heard nor perceived by the ear neither hath the eye seen O God besides thee what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him Dan. 12.1 3. At that time thy people shall be delivered every one that shall be found written in the book And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament and they that turn many to righteousness as the stars for ever and ever Mat. 25.23 His Lord said unto him well done good and faithful servant thou hast been faithful over a few things I will make thee Ruler over many things enter thou into the joy of thy Lord. Luke 16.25 Abraham said son remember that thou in thy life-time receivedst thy good things and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted and thou art tormented Joh. 17.24 Father I will that they also whom thou hast given me be with me where I am that they may behold my glory which thou hast given me Phil. 1.21 23. To me to live is Christ and to dye is gain I am in a strait betwixt two having a desire to depart and to be with Christ which is far better Rev. 7.9 After this I beheld and lo a great multitude which no man could number of all nations and kindreds and people and tongues stood before the Throne and before the Lamb clothed with white robes and palmes in their hands And cryed with a loud voice saying salvation to our God which sitteth upon the Throne and unto the Lamb. 5. The presence of God with his hildren in all conditions Psal 41.3 The Lord comfort him when he lieth sick upon his bed make thou all his bed in his sickness Isa 41.10 Fear thou not for I am with thee be not dismayed for I am thy God I will strengthen thee yea I will help thee yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness Chap. 43.1 2 3. Fear not I have redeemed thee I have called thee by thy name thou art mine When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee when thou walkest through the fire thou shalt not be burnt neither shall the flame kindle upon thee For I am the Lord thy God the holy one of Israel thy Saviour Rev. 3.10 Because thou hast kept the word of my patience I will also keep thee from the hour of temptation Sixthly That such spiritual remedies may do good the Minister must endeavour to understand and consider from whence that unwillingness to die proceeds and to the several causes thereof his applications of Scripture must be suitable If 1. It be from that aversation which every Creature naturally hath to dissolution the best men have not been altogether free from that fear Joh. 21.18 19. When thou wast young thou girdest thy self and walkest whither thou wouldest but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee and carry thee whither thou wouldest not This spake he signifying by what death he should glorify God To this must be opposed 1. The conquest of Death by Christ Heb 2.14 15. Forasmuch as the Children are partakers of flesh and blood he also himself likewise took part of the same that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death that is the Devil And deliver them who through fear of death were all their life-time subject to bondage 1 Cor. 15.56 57. The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the Law But thanks be to God which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ Vers 58. Therefore my beloved brethren be ye stedfast unmoveable always abounding in the work of the Lord forasmuch as you know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. 2. The pattern of a true Christian temper of mind 2 Cor. 5.1 c. We know that if our earthly house of this Tabernacle were dissolved we have a building with God an house not made with hands eternal in the Heavens For in this we groan earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from Heaven For we that are in this Tabernacle do groan being burdened not for that we would be unclothed but clothed upon that mortality might be swallowed up of life Now he that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is God who hath also given unto us the earnest of the spirit Therefore we are always confident knowing that whil'st we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord For we walk by faith not by sight we are confident I say and willing rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Secondly If from love of this World The vanity of all earthly things and the danger of such love of the World must be considered Eccl. 2.4 c. I made me great works I builded me houses I planted me vineyards I made me gardens and orchards and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits I made me pools of water to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees I got me servants and maidens and had servants born in my house also I had great possessions of great
and small cattel above all that were in Jerusalem before me I gathered me also silver and gold and the peculiar treasure of Kings and of the Provinces I got me men-singers and women-singers and the delights of the sons of men as musical instruments and that of all sorts And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them I withheld not my heart from any joy for my heart rejoyced in all my labours and this was my portion of all my labour Then I looked on all the works that my hand had wrought and on the labour that I had laboured to do and behold all was vanity and vexation of spirit and there was no profit under the sun 1 Cor. 7.29 30 31. This I say Brethren the time is short It remaineth that both they that have Wives be as though they had none And they that weep as though they wept not and they that rejoyce as though they rejoyced not and they that buy as though they possessed not and they that use this World as not abusing it for the fashion of this World passeth away Rev. 18.16 17. Alas Alas that great City that was clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet and deckt with gold and precious stones and pearls For in one hour so great riches is come to naught 2. The danger of it Mat. 19.23 24. Jesus said unto his Disciples verily verily I say unto you that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven And again I say unto you It is easier for a Camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of God 1 Tim. 6.9 10. They that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare and into many foolish and hurtful lusts which drown men in destruction and perdition For the love of money is the root of all evil 1 Joh. 2.15 16 17. Love not the world neither the things that are in the world If any man love thâ— world the love of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the Father but is of the world And the world passeth away and the lust thereof but he that doth the will of God abideth for ever Luke 12.16 c. Jesus spake this Parable The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully And he thought within himself saying what shall I do because I have no room where to bestow my fruits And he said this will I do I will pull down my Barnes and build greater and there will I bestow my fruits and my goods And I will say to my soul soul thou hast much goods layd up for many years take thine ease eat drink and be merry But God said unto him Thou fool this night thy soul shall be required of thee then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided 1 Tim. 6.9 10. Thirdly If from a Conscience burdened with the guilt of sin to the former Applications p. 22 23. may be added the tender regard of our Blessed Saviour for penitent sinners foretold by the Prophets Isa 40.11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd he shall gather the Lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young And proclaimed by himself Mat. 11.28 29. Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and and ye shall find rest unto your souls Vers 30. For my yoke is easie and my burden is light Joh. 7.37 Jesus stood and cryed saying If any man thirst let him come unto me and drink Chap. 11.25 26. Jesus said unto Martha I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never dye Fourthly If from solicitude and over-great care for Wife and Children the Scriptures pertinent are such as set forth 1. The All-sufficiency of God Gen. 17.1 And when Abraham was ninety years old and nine the Lord appeared to Abraham and said unto him I am the Almighty God walk before me and be thou perfect And I will make my Covenant between me and thee and will multiply thee exceedingly Chap. 18.14 Is any thing too hard for the Lord At the time appointed will I return unto thee and Sarah shall have a son 2 Chron. 25.9 Amaziah said to the man of God but what shall we do for the hundred Talents which I have given to the army of Israel And the man of God answered the Lord is able to give thee much more than this Isa 59.1 Behold the Lord's hand is not shortned that it cannot save neither his ear heavy that it cannot hear 2. His promises to his Children and to their seed Gen. 17.19 Sarah thy Wife shall bear a son indeed and thou shalt call his name Isaac and I will establish my Covenant with him for an everlasting Covenant and with his seed after him Vers 7. I will establish my Covenant between me and thee and thy seed after thee in their generations for an everlasting Covenant to be a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee Exod. 2.24 25. God heard their groaning and God remembred his Covenant with Abraham with Isaac and with Jacob. And God looked upon the Children of Israel and God had respect unto them Jos 21.25 There failed not ought of any good thing which the Lord had spoken unto the house of Israel all came to pass 2 Sam. 7.24 Thou hast confirmed to thy self thy People Israel to be a People unto thee for ever and thou Lord art become their God Psal 68.5 He is a Father of the fatherless and defendeth the cause of the Widows even God in his holy habitation Psal 112.1 2. Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord he hath great delight in his commandments His seed shall be mighty upon earth the generation of the faithful shall be blessed Rom 8.32 38 39. He that spared not his own son but delivered him up for us all how shall he not with him also freely give us all things I am perswaded that neither death nor life nor Angels nor principalities nor powers nor things present nor things to come nor height nor depth nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Heb. 13.5 6. Let your conversation be without covetousness and be content with such things as ye have for he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say The Lord is my helper and I will not fear what man shall do unto me 3. His performance of them even by the mighty working of his Power Gen. 31.29 It is in the power of my hand to do you hurt but
that plague 2 Tim. 1.12 For which cause I also suffer these things nevertheless I am not ashamed for I know whom I have believed and am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day Heb. 12.11 12. No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous but grievous Nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down and the feeble knees Ninthly When the sick person doubteth of the Truth or seasonableness of his Repentance these Scriptures are proper that set forth 1. The Nature of true Repentance 2 Sam. 24.10 Davids heart smote him after that he had numbered the People and David said unto the Lord I have sinned greatly in that I have done and now I beseech thee O Lord take away the iniquity of thy servant for I have done very foolishly Ezek. 18.21 22. If the wicked man will turn from all his sins that he hath committed and keep all my statutes and do that which is lawful and right he shall surely live he shall not dye All his transgressions that he hath committed they shall not be mentioned unto him in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live Joh. 5.14 Sin no more lest a worse thing come unto thee 2. Fruits of it Hos 14.1 2. O Israel return unto the Lord thy God for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity Take with you words and turn to the Lord say unto him take away all iniquity and receive us graciously so will we offer unto thee the calves of our lips Luke 3.7 c. O generation of Vipers who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance And now also the Axe is laid unto the root of the trees Every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire And the People asked him saying what shall we do then He answered and saith unto them He that hath two coats let him impart to him that hath none and he that hath meat let him do likewise Acts 3.26 God having raised up his son Jesus sent him to bless you in turning away every one of you from his iniquities Rom. 6.4 Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father even so we also should walk in newness of life Chap. 7.4 Wherefore my Brethren ye also are become dead to the Law by the body of Christ that ye should be married to another even to him who is raised from the dead that we should bring forth fruit unto God 3. Gods acceptance and reward of them 2 Chron. 12.7 When the Lord saw they had humbled themselves the word of the Lord came unto Shemajah saying they have humbled themselves therefore I will not destroy them but I will grant them some deliverance and my wrath shall not be poured out upon Jernsalem by the hand of Shishak Psal 32.6 I said I will confess my sin unto the Lord and so thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin Neh. 1.9 If ye turn unto me and keep my commandements and do them though there were of you cast out unto the uttermost part of the Heaven yet will I gather them from thence and will bring them unto the place that I have chosen to set my Name there Ezek. 33.14 15 16. When I say unto the wicked thou shalt surely dye if he turn from his sin and do that which is lawful and right If the wicked restore the pledg give again that he had robbed walk in the statutes of life without committing iniquity he shall surely live he shall not dye None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him he hath done that which is lawful and right he shall surely live Mat. 16.27 The son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his Angels and then he shall reward every man according to his works Rom. 6.22 Being made free from sin and become servants to God ye have your fruit unto holiness and the end everlasting life Heb. 6.10 God is not unrighteous to forget your labour and work of love Rev. 14.13 Their works follow them Chap. 20.13 Death and the grave delivered up the dead which were in them and they were judged every man according to his works 4. Diligent search into our state and the truth and sincerity of our repentance then especially when but a short time is likely to be afforded for the trial thereof 2 Chron. 25.2 Amaziah did that which was right in the sight of the Lord but not with a perfect heart Job 27.3 to 7. All the while my breath is in me and the spirit of God is in my nostrils My lips shall not speak wickedness nor shall my tongue utter deceit till I dye I will not remove my integrity from me My righteousness I hold fast and will not let it go my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live Psal 26.2 Examine me O Lord and prove me try out my reins and my heart Psal 78.34 c. When he slew them they sought him and turned them early and enquired after God And they remembred that God was their strength and the High God was their Redeemer Nevertheless they did but flatter him with their mouth and dissembled with him in their tongues For their heart was not whole with him neither continued they stedfast in his covenant Isa 58.1 2. Cry aloud spare not lift up thy voice like a trumpet and shew my people their transgression and the house of Jacob their sins Yet they seek me dayly and delight to know my ways as a Nation that did righteousness and forsook not the Ordinance of their God they ask of me the Ordinances of Justice and take delight in approaching to God Ezek. 14.3 These men have set up their Idols in their heart and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face should I be enquired of at all by them Mat. 7.21 c. Not every one that saith unto me Lord Lord shall enter into the Kingdom of Heaven but he that doth the will of my Father which is in Heaven Many will say unto me in that day Lord Lord have we not prophesied in thy Name and in thy Name have cast out Devils and in thy Name done many wonderful works And then will I profess unto them I never knew you depart from me ye that work iniquity Luke 13.24 Strive to enter in at the strait gate for many I say unto you will seek to enter in and shall not be able 2 Cor. 7.9 10 11. I rejoyce not that ye were made sorry but that ye sorrowed to repentance for ye were made sorry after a godly manner that ye might receive dammage by us in nothing For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented
the multitude of thy mercies And hide not thy face from thy servant for I am in trouble Oh haste thee and hear me Draw nigh unto my soul and save it Oh deliver me because of mine enemies Psal 86.1 to 8. Bow down thine ear O Lord and hear me for I am poor and in misery Preserve thou my soul for I am holy save thy servant that putteth his trust in thee Be merciful to me O Lord for I will call dayly upon thee Comfort the soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul For thou Lord art good and gracious and of great mercy unto all them that call upon thee Give ear Lord unto my prayer and ponder the voice of my humble desires In the time of my trouble I will call upon thee for thou hearest me Jer. 17.13 14. O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord the fountain of living waters Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved for thou art my praise Luke 18.1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint Joh. 16.24 Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my Name ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full 1 Thes 5.17 Pray without ceasing 5. Meditation upon spiritual and heavenly things Deut. 22.29 O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Psal 15.1 2 c. Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle or who shall rest upon thy holy Hill Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life and doth the thing which is right and speaketh the truth from his heart He that hath used c. Whoso doth these things shall never fall So Psal 24.3 4 5 6. Psal 90.12 So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Psal 143.4 5. My spirit is vexed within me and my heart within me is desolate Yet do I remember the time past I muse upon all thy works yea I exercise my self in the works of thy hands 2 Cor. 4.16 17 18. For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory While we look not at the things that are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Col. 3.1 2 3 4. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Set your affections on things above not on things on earth For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Rev. 20.11 12. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it from whose face the earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no place for them And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works 6. Choice of company fit for that time 1 Sam. 21.14 15. Achish said unto his servants Lo you see the man is mad wherefore then have you brought him to me Have I need of madmen that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence shall this fellow come into my house Job 13.4 5. Ye are all Physicians of no value O that you would altogether hold your peace and it should be your wisdom Chap. 15.2 Should he a wise man reason with unprofitable talk or with speeches where with he can do no good Chap. 16.5 I would strengthen you with my mouth and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief Chap. 33.23 24. If there be a messenger with him one of a thousand to shew unto men his uprightness Then he is gracious unto him and saith deliver him from going down into the pit I have found a Ransome Psal 26.4 5. I have not dwelt with vain persons neither have I had fellowship with the deceitful I have hated the Congregation of the wicked neither will I sit amongst the ungodly Psal 101.8 c. Mine eyes look unto such as be faithful in the Land that they may dwell with me Whoso leadeth a godly life he shall be my servant There shall no deceitful person dwell in my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols for ye are the Temple of the Living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and will be their God and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you And will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and my daughters saith the Lord God Almighty Eph. 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers Jam. 5.14 Is any sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church Vers 16. Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much 7. Hearing and Reading the Scriptures Psal 119.92 93. If my delight had not been in thy Law I should have perished in my trouble I will never forget thy commandements for with them hast thou quickned me Trouble and heaviness have taken hold upon me yet is my delight in thy Commandements Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life Acts 8.28 Who the Eunuch returning and sitting in his Chariot read Esaias the Prophet Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 2 Tim. 3.15 From a Child thou hast known the Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus Rev. 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophesie and keep those things that are written therein The Portion of Holy Scripture that may be seasonably read to the sick are the penitential Psalms as they have been commonly called that is to say the 6th 32 38 51 102 130 143. The 15 39 90 103. Job 14. Mit. 26 and 27. Mark 14 and 15. Luke 22 and 23. Joh. from chap. 13 to 20.1 Cor.
gathered unto his People Job 5.26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season Luke 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Chap. 23.46 When Jesus had cried with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit And having thus said he gave up the ghost Acts 7.59 They stoned Steven calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit Vers 60. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice Lord lay not this sin to their charge And when he had said this he fell asleep Rev. 22.20 He that testifieth these things saith surely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Jesus THe Minister must not fail to press the sick person to receive the Holy Eucharist and to open to him the comfortable Doctrine the Scripture holds forth in that blessed Ordinance this being the fittest close for the life of him whose constant business it hath been as of all good Christians to labour for pardon and grace the Benefits sealed to Believers in that Sacrament by Him who purchased them for us with his most precious blood as in that Commemorative Sacrifice is most lively represented to us The Institution whereof so nearly preceding the Passion of our Blessed Redeemer doth recommend the use of these Holy Mysteries unto Christians as very seasonable at that time when they are upon putting off their earthly Tabernacles their corruptible Bodies in expectation of a joyful Resurection and Exaltation unto life Eternal whereof this Holy Sacrament was by the Primitive Fathers of the Church esteemed a sure and sacred Pledg A most comfortable Preparative whereunto if heartily desired and cantiously and reverently administred is the Benefit of Absolution Which deserves not to be the less esteemed or the more neglected for whatsoever abuses it hath heretofore been liable unto when both Priest and People believed more of the Sacerdotal Power than was consistent with so great a Trust committed to the one and so strict a disquisition required from the other lest the Minister might be Partaker of other mens sins 1 Tim. 5.22 and the People delude themselves with unsincere and fruitless Repentance 2 Cor. 7.10 11. A Prayer to be used in a state of Health O Father of lights from whom cometh every good and perfect gift Thou art he who tookest me out of my Mothers womb and by thee have I been holden up ever since I was born The blessings of health and strength that I enjoy are from thy goodness and bounty And for them and all thy other mercies I bless and praise thy ever-great and glorious Name Most humbly beseeching thee to add to these that blessing of blessings the right use of all thy blessings That through the comfort and assistance of that health and strength thou hast given me I may become the more diligent and faithful in the practice of those several duties of piety justice and charity which thou requirest at my hands And suffer me not O Lord to deceive my self by a false account of the time of my Pilgrimage but so teach me to number my days that I may apply my heart unto wisdom that I may readily discern the vast difference between this span of life and the infinite spaces of eternity between the pleasures of sin for a season and the everlasting fulness of joy in thy presence And for this end remove far away from me all those vices to which health and ease are apt to betray me especially all carnal security lust pride anger want of compassion misspending my time forgetfulness of thee and of thy ways and works And implant in my mind the daily remembrance of death and judgment the necessity of working out my salvation with fear and trembling and the misery of being surpriz'd by the coming of our Lord in my sins or fruitless repentance So that the health of my body may through thy blessing promote the health of my Soul and thy augmenting the number of my Talents increase both my labour and reward That passing the time of my sojourning here in fear I may treasure up for my self such spiritual strength and consolation as may stand me in stead when I shall lye down on my bed of sickness and death administring comfort to my soul in the conscience of well doing which thou hast promised us to accept and reward through thy mercies in Jesus Christ our only Saviour and Redeemer Amen A Prayer when one perceives himself to be sick O Lord my God I have learn'd from thy Holy Word and by daily experience in this vale of misery that dust I am and unto dust I shall return that I must put off this earthly Tabernacle and that thou wilt bring me to death and the house appointed for all living And now Lord I feel in my self the usual summons thy good providence doth give us to review our accounts and to sit our selves for death and judgment Blessed be thy Name for this thy mercy that thou hast not taken advantage of me whil'st I was thine enemy to cut me off suddenly in my sins and hurry me hence in mine iniquity but hast given me the time means and I trust grace for repentance and amendment of life And though I have not improved such hath been my negligence and sloth these rich favours to that great advantage I might and should have done yet I beseech thee O Lord for thine infinite mercies in thy son Christ Jesus that thou wilt not be extream to mark what I have done amiss and to lay my sins to my charge but that thou wilt deal mercifully with me thy most unworthy servant blotting out all my sins and transgressions that none of mine iniquities may be mentioned unto me in that great and terrible day of Recompences And forasmuch as thou alone in whose hands our times are dost know what will be the issue of this my present distemper and sickness cause me to reflect on it as proceeding from thy Will and Wisdom and cheerfully and thankfully to submit to this chastisement as a means appointed by thee for the benefit and comfort of my Soul and vouchsafe unto me that grace which may enable me to receive profit thereby and from experience of thy goodness towards me to gain hope and confidence of thy love And if thou hast reserv'd for me the blessing of restoring me to my former health which I beseech thee to do direct me to the use of such means as thou wilt make effectual for that end But if the days of my warfare are accomplished prepare me O Lord for a safe quiet and comfortable departure out of this life and fit me for thy prefence and glory O Lord strengthen me against all the malicious practices and devices of my subtil and implacable enemy against all errours and delusions of my understanding the allurements of this World inordinate love of this miserable Life and