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to be the Author of our Being, and the God of our Health; that it is he alone, who holdeth our Life from Deftruction, and giveth Medicine to heal our Sickness.

Confidering therefore, that Health and Sicknefs depend upon the Will and Pleafure of God; that he over-rules the Powers of Nature, co-operates with fecond Caufes, bleffeth to us the Methods and Prefcriptions of Art, and Checks the raging and malignity of a Disease; there is the fame Reason to pray unto him, that he would raife up the Sick, by bleffing the ordinary Means, as there was, when it was done by a supernatural Gift.

But then

4thly, This ought to be done early and betimes; whilft the Patient is capable of the Miniftries and Inftructions of Religion: Not deferr'd (as the common cuftom is) till the Violence of the Diftemper hath got Head; till like a mighty Flood, it bears down all before it defies the Power of Druggs, and is become incurable: When indeed, nothing but a Miracle can save the Sick.

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However, as the World goes, at last the Minifter is fent for. And (God knows) he has a difficult Task, and a very uncomfortable Work to go about: He is to teach a Mant how to live, when he is going to die, to make him fenfible of his Errors, and penitent for his Sins, who has obftinately perfifted in the one, and long delighted in the other. But what must be done in this Cafe? Muft we

leave them to themselves; to be worry'd by the Guilts, and under all the Horrors of Difpair? Muft we difmifs them into their eternal State, without any Advice or Hope? Truly no; the Compaffions of Human Nature, the Charity of Chriftian Religion will not admit of that: Something must be done; and all that can be done by us, is, to put them upon fhewing all the Fruits of Faith, and Charity, and true Repentance, their prefent Conditions is capable of: And then, with the greatest Humility of Mind, with the moft ardent Supplications, to implore the Mercy of God to their Souls.

This is the great Fault of the Christian World; to remit the Care of their Souls to the laft part of their Lives; tho' it is certain, their Religion, of all others, gives the leaft Encouragement to it: The whole Tenor of the Gospel is wholly againft it: It hath been reproved a Thoufand times: The Folly of it expos'd, and the Danger of it evinc'd by invincible Reasons and Demonftrations. And I cannot hope to be more fuccessful in this Argument than others, who have done it much better before. Only may I be allowed to be a plain and well-meaning Monitor, to advise all those, who intend to live and die Well, to take thofe Books into their Hands; to read those incomparable Difcourfes, which (efpecially of late) have been preached and writ upon this Subject, with fuch Plainness and Strength; fuch Clearnefs and Demonstration,

that

that if they have not a very good Effect, they will certainly have a very bad One, i. e. they will leave this Generation without Excufe.

But I would gladly hope better Things, and Things which accompany Salvation, That as God (in his good Providence) hath bleffed this Church and Nation with excellent Men and excellent Labours; fo (that as the Fruits of them are in fome good meafure feen, by the thriving of fincere Devotion, and an early Piety amongst us) in the next Generation they will come to their full Accomplishment and Perfection.

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This may be fufficient for the Second Thing propos'd, viz. to fhew what ufeful Instructi ons may be yet gathered from this Text of Scripture: How neceffary and beneficial it is to call for the Elders of the Church, to pray over the Sick. Tho' we neither advance the Practice into a Sacrament; having no Warrant from Scripture fo to do; nor anoint with Oil as the Apoftles did, having not the Gift of miraculous Healing, which prevail'd in those bleffed Days. I proceed now in the 3d and laft Place.

III. To fubjoin an Inference or two from what hath been difcourfed, and fo conclude. And,

1. Hence I infer, That the great Power of Religion, and the Hopes of Salvation are to be laid upon a Chriftian and Pious Courfe of Life.

Y

Life. For tho' I readily grant, and do verify believe, that there is a real Benefit, a fecret and ineffable Comfort in all the Holy Inftitutions of Chrift's Church: In Prayers and Sacraments: In Sacerdotal Benediction and Abfolution: In Ghoftly Advice and Affiftance from the Minifters of Religion; efpecially in the Moments of Death: Yet the Efficacy of thefe does not depend upon the meer opus operatum; but upon the Capableness of the Subject; and the Qualifications of the Perfon they are applied unto: If there be not a Principle of Grace and Religion in the Heart; If there be not a Thread of Sanctity and Holiness in the Life; vain are our Hopes from thefe external Miniftrations!

God does not fave Men by naked Forms and Myfteries, but by the plain and fubftantial Duties of Religion; fuch are unfeigned Faith; daily Devotion; a good Confcience; and an approved Repentance.

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Believe it, my Brethren, the beft Preparation for Death is to live every Day well under a devout and awful Senfe in the Faith, 元 and Fear, and Worship of God. This when ever it fhall please him to visit us with Sickhefs, or to call us out of this World, will be our ftrongeft Hold and our fafeft Retreat.

Ah! we fhall then feel the ravishing Confolations of our former Piety: Our Prayers, our Alms, and our juft Dealing will return into our Bofom big with the Meffages and Reports of Joy. We hall reflect with

infinite

infinite Satisfaction how often we have devoutly worfhipp'd God: How often we have thankfully commemorated the Death of our Saviour in the holy Supper: We fhall then have little more to do, but to make a decent Recefs, and bid a Chriftian Adieu to this World: To call for the Elders of the Church; to fend for the Minifter of God to take an Account of our Lives and Confciences, and to let us depart under his folemn Prayers and Benedictions.

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2dly, Hence I infer, The great Wisdom and Safety of then calling in the Affiftance of God's Servants and Minifters. Our Chriftian State in this World, in ftrictnefs of Speech, and without a Metaphor, is a Warfare: And there fore always ftands in need of Help and Relief. But then efpecially, when we are ftrugling with thofe two potent Enemies, Death and the Devil. In this Conflict, if there be a Messenger with us; an Interpreter: one among a Thousand, then (as it is in Job) we have found a Ranfom, he will deliver us from going down to the Pit.

First, He will deliver us from the Scruples and Defpondencies we may then labour under. For generally, our natural Fears (augmented doubtlefs by the Vigilance and Malice of the Tempter) I fay, our natural Fears are then apt to fuggeft Doubts and Scruples to our Minds, and to drive us into Difpair: Y 2 But

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