13.11.

their abominable Covetousness and Dishonesty, in keeping back part of the Price of the Poffeffion which was fold to be laid at the Apoftle's Feet. And St. Paul fmote Elymas the Sorcerer with Blindnefs, for his open and malicious Oppofition of the Gofpel. And in the Church at Corinth, those who had prophaned the Holy Supper, by their rude and irreverent Behaviour, making it an ungodly Riot, were vifited by God's immediate Hand, 1 Cor.11. for that Impiety and Scandal. For this Caufe, many among you are weak, and fickly, and many fleep, i. e. many are dead.

30.

This, I fuppofe, may be fufficient to clear the Senfe of thefe Words: That the Reafon of this Practice of anointing the Sick with Oil, was particular and Temporary; peculiar to the Apoftolical Ages, or to thofe adjoining next unto them: That the Effects produced by it were extraordinary and miraculous; and by confequence, far from eftablishing a standing Cuftom, much lefs a perpetual Sacrament in the Church.

Well, but if this be the Senfe of the Place, of what ufe is this Text of Scripture to us? If it must be understood of Bodily Diftempers, and the Gift of Supernatural Healing, the Church, in its prefent State, will receive no Benefit by it. For faith Eftius, The PerSon here Spoken of was a Believer; but Miracles were chiefly for the Converfion of Infidels and Unbelievers. And faith Bellarmine, According to that Interpretation, the Text_belongs not at all to us.

Fair

Fair and foftly! Doubtlefs all thofe Things belong to us, and to our Pofterity for ever, which are for the Advantage and Confirmation of the Chriftian Faith. The Gift of Healing in the early Times of Chriftianity, is one of thofe noble Teftimonies which God hath left upon Record, for the Conviction of Jews, Infidels, and Atheists, to the End of the World. But left this Answer fhould feem too general and Evafive, I proceed to what I propofed in the 2d place, viz.

II. To fhew how far the Reafon and Ufefulness of the Practice, do yet continue in the Christian Church: What it is therein, that is beneficial and available to the dying Penitent. This I fhall do as plainly as I can, in the Particulars which follow.

1. The Text fpeaks full and plain to all fick Perfons; and calls upon them to feek to God, then especially. Sicknefs and Difeases are that to private Men, which Plagues and Judgments are to Kingdoms and Nations: They are fent to awaken them out of their Security; to teach them Righteousness, and to call them to Repentance. For as certain as it is, that the Iffues of Life and Death are in the Hands of God; fo certain it is, that eve-. ry Sickness which befals any of us, is from him ; and comes with fome Commiffion or other ; whether it be to remove us out of the World; or to exercife our Faith and Pa

tience;

tience; or to mortify our Sin, or to put us upon amendment of Life.

For this Reason, our Church directs her Ministers thus to admonish the Sick Perfon. Vifit. of Dearly Beloved! Know this, that Almighty the Sick. God is the Lord of Life and Death; wherefore, whatfoever your Sickness is, Know you certainly, that it is God's Vifitation, either for the Trial of your Patience and the Example of others: Or that your Faith may be found in the Day of the Lord Laudable and Glorious or to correct and amend in you, whatsoever doth offend the Eyes of your Heavenly Father.

So that Men ought to look upon Sickness as one of the folemn Meffages and Calls of God; and therefore it fhould put them upon a serious Examination and Review of their Lives; whether it be not for fome remarkable Neglect or Tranfgreffion of the Duty; for fome latent Corruption, cherished and delighted in; for fome old Sin, not fufficiently mortify'd; and make their Sickness the Occafion of a very fearching Repentance.

Now because they may not be fo able, nor fo fit to judge of themselves; to understand the Nature, and to discern the Danger of their Guilt; they fhould call for the Elders of the Church, to ftate their Accompts, to give them Comfort and Settlement; and therefore,

2dly, The Sick Perfon fhould fend for the Elders and Ministers of the Church to receive the Benefit of their Ghoftly Councels and Advice:

:

Advice For truly it is a Seafon which stands in great need of thefe: In our Health we are apt to forget; nay, we can hardly. conceive the Horrors, and the Deftitution of the Sick-bed.

Then it is, that God writes bitter Things against us, and make us to poffefs the Iniquities of our Youth. Then it is, that the Errors, and Omiffions, and Guilts of our former Lives return upon us, look us full in the Face, and lie as a dead-weight upon our Confciences. Then it is, that we begin the dreadful Conflict with our laft Enemy; that wę feel the fenfible Decays and Confumptions of Nature, the Indifpofitions of our Bodies, and Disorders of our Thoughts, the Faintings, and Languishments of our Spirits. In a Word, Then it is, that the Tempter is moft bufy with us, to perplex or to enfnare us; to caft us into Doubts and Scruples; and to remove us from our Stedfaftness and truft in God.

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Here then, if ever, we have need of fome Able and Wife Affiftant, to ftand by us, and to deal faithfully with us. If ever the Offices of Religion be comfortable; if ever the Services of Chrift's Minifters be neceffary; certainly they are fo in thisExtremity. In the Words of Elibu to Job, When bis Soul draweth nigh Job 33. unto the Grave, and his Life to the Deftroyers. If there be a Messenger with him, an Interpreter, one among a Thousand, to fhew unto Man his Uprightness: He shall pray unto God, and be will be favourable unto him, and he shall fee bis Face with foy.

And

22. &c.

And that thefe Chriftian Ministries may be the more fuccessful, we muft be careful to act therein fincerely and impartially, to confefs our Sins without Concealment or Defalcation; to open the Grief of our Soul with much Freedom and Ingenuity. For by this Means, the Minister will be better able to pass a right Judgment upon our State, and to make fuitable Application to our Cafe. By this Means alfo, we our felves fhall be delivered from the Danger of Self-flattery, and falfe Hopes on the one Hand and of being fwallowed up of too much Difpair and Sorrow on the other.

3dly, The Sick Perfon fhould fend for the Elders of the Church, in order to the Recovery of Bodily Health. I do not fay for this folely, nor principally; nor that the prefent Paftors of the Church may pretend to the Prayer of Faith, mentioned in the next Verfe; which, as I believe, was founded on the miraculous Gift of Healing; and was a certain Perfuafion, that by virtue of it, the fick Perfon fhould be raised up.

But the ceafing of Miracles has not fuperfeded the ordinary Means of Grace, nor render'd the Inftitutions of Religion unneceffary. Still we ought to pray in this Faith, that God heareth his Servants, when they cry unto him in their Adverfity: That he is pleas'd with thofe Prayers which expreffes our fole Dependance upon him, which acknowledge him

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