the generality of mankind have for these things; how intent they are upon getting them; how they torment themselves with the fear of lofing them; and again, how forrowful they are at the lofs of any part of them; what an occafion they are of many forts of wickedness; and how people will venture to be damned for them. And where he fees any thus enflaved to them, it is a great mercy in him, to allow them a little time of refpite, wherein to reflect upon their vanity and emptinefs, to repent of the fins whereinto they have at any time been drawn by them, and to fet themselves free from them. And it is highly unreasonable for fuch an one, not to comply, with all the willingness that may be, with this fo gracious a defign, fo proper and seasonable in itself, and which may turn fo highly to his own advantage. And I must therefore beg leave to recommend to every one the apoftle St. Paul's advice, which he gave the Corinthians, fo to get themselves affected with a fense of the fhortnefs and uncertainty of our abode in this world, as not to be brought into fubjection to any thing in it. (n) Now, this I fay, brethren, the time is fhort. It remaineth that both they that have wives, be as tho' they bad none; and they that weep, as though they wept not; and they that rejoice as though they rejoiced not; and they that buy, as though they poffeffed not; and they that use this world, as not abufing it: for the fashion of this world paffeth away. (0) Wherefore, feeing we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out, what unaccountable folly is it to fet our hearts upon what we must be sure to leave, in a little time; and the leaving whereof will, by this means, become a fore vexation to us! Eufeb. Nothing feems more naturally ferviceable, to take our minds off from these things, than a fickbed; both because it fhews the man, that he is not like to be allowed any longer enjoyment of them; and because he now finds, by fad experience, not (0) 1 Tim. vi. 7. (#) 1 Cor. vii, 29, 30, 31. only, only, that they cannot prolong his declining life, but likewife, how little they can contribute towards giving him any cafe from his pains, or recovery from his fickness. Theoph. It may be a trouble to him to caft his eyes back, and fee how much more agreeably he had lived formerly, than he does at prefent; though, as yet, poffeffed of as much of this world, as ever he had in his whole life. But it is a demonftration of the abfurdity of fuffering his affections to be ftill fixed upon what he is now fully convinced, to his coft, will (P) not profit in the day of wrath, (q) will never fave the owner from death, nor give him eafe whilft he draws towards it; and preffes him hard to recal his thoughts, and place them upon those more amiable objects, which will be fure never to fail or disappoint him, if he can but once attain to them. However he might formerly have been deceived with appearance, inftead of reality, and take these gaudy vanities for folid and fubftantial treasures, it is full time for him to change his opinion of them, now that he finds them all to be but a feeble fupport; and that they will leave him in a difconfolate condition, when he has most need of their help. Wherefore, fince he can obtain no relief by their means, now that he is in unusual want of it, common prudence would direct him, not to put a higher value upon them than they deferve; not ever to trouble himself more, for what he fees is thus vile and worthlefs.. Eufeb. A late learned prelate (r) gives a very diminutive character of them, from the wife man; who, he tell us, fums up their whole value in these two words, vanity and vexation. And then he afks a very rational queftion; At what price you would rate vanity, (p) Prov. xi. 4. (9) Quæ nec felicitatem, nec quietem præftare poffunt, quæ cæcis fuis amatoribus pollicentur. Lud. Berus de præparat ad mortem, cap. I. (r) Bishop Hopkins's Vanity of the World, Pag. 105, 106. which is nothing; or vexation, which is worse than nothing? Theoph. And well he might. For what man, not intirely bereaved of his fenfes, would be perfuaded to love, and difquiet himself for, what he is fatisfied beforehand, he can never put any trust in? Anchith. And fo I remember (s) another devout and affecting author, though, I confels, not of our communion, tell us, God fows gall and wormwood in the goods of this life, that the foul, being afflicted, may repent and turn to him. Theoph. And who would be enamoured of gall and wormwood? Are thefe fuch irrefiftible temptations, that the profpect of heaven and eternal happiness is not to be preferred before them? Away with fuch fottishness and stupidity, and let us begin at length to grow wife, and truly confider our laiter end. Let us remember, we know not how fpeedily. we may be called hence, and then what plenty foever of these enjoyments had fallen to our fhare, they will all be fure to forfake us at the grave, if they had not done it much fooner. And let us fhew ourselves men, by a flight regard for them, that tho' we use them as we have occafion, we never dare to abuse them, or ourfelves, upon their account. Let us efteem of them, according to their intrinfick worth, not our own vain imaginations. And let us be fure to employ them to the end for which they are committed to our management, the fupply of our own and others neceffit es. Let us alfo fit fo loofe to them all, that we may as eafily lay them afide when we come to have no longer need of them, as the traveller does his thick and heavy clothes in a hot fun-fhine day, or his dirty ones at the end of his journey. This is a duty that all are obliged, as Chriftians, to be continually exercifed in, nothing being more plainly required in (s) Eufeb. Nierembergh of the difference between the Temporal and the Eternal. 1. 3. C. 9. Scripture, than (t) not to love the world, nor the things of it. But the fick are to be particularly careful of it, upon a twofold account: First, Because they know affuredly, if they do it not before they leave the world, they can never hope to do it to any advantage hereafter; and again, because, if they depart hence, enslaved to these vain delufions, the love and friendship of the world is fuch enmity to God, that they fhall never obtain an admission into his glory. So that this is one neceffary branch of that more immediate preparation for death, which every one is to take care of, namely, to wean ourselves more and more from the world, and fee that the lefs time we apprehend ourselves like to continue in it, the lefs regard we have for it; that fo we may be able to leave it with the greater indifferency for any thing in it. A Prayer for Victory over the World, and the Attainment of God's gracious Promifes. L I. ORD God Almighty, infinite and eternal, all the whole Heavens are thine, and the earth haft thou given to the children of men. Blessed be thy boly Name, for that portion of the good things thereof, which thou haft bestowed upon me thy most unworthy fervant, that thou haft not expofed me to thofe wants and difficulties, that many others, better than me, are forced to ftruggle with, but baft made my life eafy and comfortable to me. I am ashamed, and do fincerely bumble myself before thee, for all mine abuses of this thine abundant goodness to me; befeeching thee, of the great mercy, to pardon these my miscarriages, and to give me grace to make a right improvement of all thy gifts for the future, if it fhall be thy good pleasure to allow me time for it. Or if thou haft determined to remove me bence immediately, yet do not refuse to wean my heart first from thefe tranfitory enjoyments, that they may no longer bave any dominion over me: vouchsafe me a right notion of them, (t) 1 John ii. 15. that that I may value them according to their true worth; fo as neither to be unthankful to thee, my God, for them, nor unwilling to refign them, whenfoever thou shalt pleafe to demand them, or to take me away from them. Work up my foul to fuch an indifferency towards them, as that they may be no hindrance to me, in the profecution of what is infinitely more defirable. And raise up alfo my affections to the things above, where Chrift fitteth at the right-hand of God, that my beart may be fully fet upon them; and I may be able to defpife all that this lower world contains, in comparison of them. This I beg for thy dearly beloved Son's fake, Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. II. Neline my foul, O Lord, to labour, above all things, after a perpetual enjoyment of thee my greatest good, and an attainment of thofe everlasting rewards, which thou bast prepared for thy faithful difciples, in the kingdom of Heaven. And fuffer not any fublunary advantages whatsoever, to press down my defires to the earth, and earthly things. Remind me of my most boly profession, and the hope that is fet before me, and what admirable encouragement I have, not to lay up to myself treasures bere below, where rust and moth do corrupt, and thieves break through and steal; but readily to overlook all things of this nature, in respect to the infinite glories of the other life, whither my Saviour is gone before: To whom with thee, O Father, and the Holy Gboft, be all honour and glory world without end. Amen. III. O GOD, who declareft thy almighty power most chiefly in fhewing mercy and pity, mercifully grant to me fuch a measure of thy grace, that I, running the way of thy commandments, may obtain thy gracious promifes, and be made partaker of thy heavenly treasure, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. Theoph. III. Another duty particularly incumbent the fick man is, to renew and perfe&t his repentance ; upon X 2 το |