¶ After which if the Sick Person be not too weak to attend to it, the Minister may read the following, or such like, Exhortation.

Besides the belief of the articles of your faith, you engaged by your sureties, that is, by your godfathers and godmothers at your baptism, to renounce the world, the flesh and the devil, and to keep God's holy will and commandments: Supposing therefore that God was to deal with you after the manner of men, you forfeit all your claim to the benefits of your baptism, and to the Almighty's favour, if you neglect to perform either of these conditions.

But, blessed be our most merciful Father, He is not so extreme, as to mark every thing that is done amiss: He requires not a perfect, but a sincere obedience at the hands of his children: And, because through the frailty of the flesh they cannot always stand upright, he is graciously pleased to hold out to all such as have strayed from his ways, a method of restoring themselves to his favour. He hath promised in his gospel, that, if they will repent of, and confess their sins, he will be faithful and just to forgive their

sins, and to cleanse them from all unrigh

teousness.

Now the repentance to which this forgiveness of sins is thus promised, consists in a godly sorrow for past faults—a sorrow which proceeds not so much from a fear of punishment, as from a sense of having offended a good and gracious God. And to this sorrow for past sins must be added a fixt resolution of mind to forsake them for the time to come, in order to make the repentance complete.

Remember therefore, dear Brother, that no repentance will now avail you, m this your sickness, unless it be sincere and hearty, and such as will excite you utterly to forsake sin, and to lead the residue of your life, in the fear and to the glory of God, in case it should be his good pleasure to restore you to your former health.

Let me therefore earnestly entreat you, to pray to God to grant you this true repentance and his Holy Spirit: let me exhort you to search and examine your conscience, and that not lightly, and after the manner of a dissembler with God, but seriously and carefully: imagine yourself now in the presence of the great judge of heaven and earth, before whose dreadful tribunal you must one day

certainly

certainly appear at the day of judgment, to give an account of all your actions, and of every idle word, of every evil thought; and your own conscience will then be your accuser.

Think-think, if you can, what horrors will seize an impenitent sinner, when the last trump shall call him out of his grave, and he shall be summoned to appear before God's judgment seat! What would such a wretch give to purchase one such an opportunity of repentance, as God now in great mercy gives you? If ever you hope to escape these horrors, make your peace with God-judge yourself here, that you may not be condemned hereafter.

The way and means therefore to judge yourself, is, according to the directions of our church, first, to examine your life and conversation by the rule of God's commandments; and whereinsoever you shall perceive yourself to have offended, either by will, word or deed, there to bewail your own sinfulness, and to confess your self to Almighty God with full purpose of amendment of life. And if you should perceive your offences to be such, as are not only against God, but also against your neighbour, then you shall reconcile yourself unto him, being ready to make

restitution

restitution and satisfaction to the uttermost of your power, for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other; and being likewise ready to forgive others, who have offended you, as you would have forgiveness of your offences at God's hands*

† Consider then, dearly beloved, that you are, it may be, in a very short time, to appear before God. I must, therefore, put you in mind, that your salvation depends upon the truth of your repentance. Now forasmuch as you became a sinner by breaking the laws of God, you have no way of being restored to God's favour, but by seeing the number and greatness of your sins that you may hate them heartily, lament them sorely, and cry mightily to God for pardon.

I will therefore set before you the laws of God, by which God will judge you, and I will ask you such questions, as

may

Some years ago I copied the above exhortation from a book or manuscript of my friend Dr. Taunton, but I cannot now recollect which, nor is it material.

+ What follows, to Page 44, is copied chiefly from Bp. Wilson's Parochialia. Page 176. to P. 184.

To make inquiry into the faith and repentance of a Sick Man by questions, is neither contrary to

7

the

may be proper to call your sins to your remembrance; and you will do well, whenever you shall have reason to say, with the publican, God be merciful unto me, for I have offended in this or that thing.

And be not too tender of yourself; but remember, that the more severe you are in accusing and condemning yourself, the more favour you may expect of

God.

Your duty to God, you know, is to fear him, to love him, to trust in him, to honour, and to obey him.

Consider, therefore, seriously;-Have you not lived, as if there were no God to call you to an account?

Has the knowledge of God's almighty power, and his severe justice, made you fearful of offending him?

the prescribed rules of our church, for she requires the Minister to interrogate the Sick Man, as to every article of faith, and to examine strictly con cerning his repentance; nor is it repugnant to the practice of former times: for according to that the Sick Man who is dangerously ill, ought to be questioned on various points.

Dr. Stearne's Tract. de Visit. Infirm." P. 23.

Are