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states; the sincerity of his own faith and repentance; he is then to be comforted with such truths as these :

That God delighteth in mercym.

That he is gracious and merciful, abundant in goodness and truth, forgiving iniquity, and transgression, and sin". That the Devil, knowing this, uses all his arts and endeavours to tempt sinners to despair.

That therefore God himself bids us to call upon him in time of trouble, and he will hear us.

Nay, he calls himself a father, on purpose that sinners may consider how a father would deal with his own child, when he saw him truly sensible of his errors.

That Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinnerso, éven such as were lost P: That he ever liveth to make intercession for us¶.

And we have his own promise for it; He that cometh. unto me, I will in no wise cast out; and, He that believeth in him shall receive remission of sinss.

That the gospel is a most gracious dispensation, requiring only such an obedience as a poor frail creature can pay. That that faith is not to be questioned which purifieth the heart; which worketh by love"; that is, makes us do what we can to please God; and which resisteth temptations, and enables us to overcome them.

That wherever amendment of life followeth such a faith as this, there is true repentance: and that where there is sincerity, there our obedience will be accepted, though it is not perfect as the law requires.

In short, no man will have reason to despair, if he considers, that God doeth nothing in vain: and that if he visits a sinner; if he exhorts him by his ministers; if he touches his heart; if he gives him time to consider his ways, when he might have taken him away without warning; why, it is because he designs to be gracious, if the sinner is not wanting to himself.

I will therefore set before you the law of God, not to affright you, but that you may know, and confess, and forsake your sin, and find mercy, as God hath promised. 4. To such as are hardened in wickedness, and must be awakened.

This is indeed a melancholy case; but a good pastor,

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while God continues life, will continue his endeavours, for he does not know but this is God's time.

He will therefore try what the sword of the Spirit will do, that word which, the same Spirit tells us, is profitable for correction as well as for instruction Y.

He will therefore put him in mind, that if he dies in his sins unrepented of, he will go out of the world a professed enemy to that God who can destroy both body and soul in hell; who will, as the holy Scriptures assure us, take vengeance on all them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and who shall be punished with everlasting destruction 2.

He will let him know, that this may be his condition in a few days; for our Lord assures us, that as soon as ever the wicked man died, he was carried to hell a.

That this is the last time, perhaps, that ever God will afford you to beg his pardon; and you will be desperately mad to neglect it.

It is true, God is not willing that any should perish, and he can conquer the stubbornest heart, but he will not do it by force.

He has shewn his mercy in afflicting your body, and in taking from you the power to do evil.

What is this for, but that you may open your eyes, and see your danger, and ask his pardon, and beg his assistance, and be delivered from the severity of his wrath, which you must certainly feel, without a speedy repentance?

It may be, you do not know the charge that is against you; I will therefore repeat to you the substance of those laws which you have broken, and by which you must be judged.

If you have any concern for your soul, if you have any fear of God in your heart, you will hear, and judge, and condemn yourself, that you may escape in the dreadful judgment of the last day.

5. To such as, in hopes of recovery, put off their repentance. Such should be made sensible, that sickness is not only the punishment, but the remedy of sin b.

That it is the chiefest of those ways, by which God shews men their sin,-by which he discovers to them the vanity of the world that bewitches them,-by which he takes down the pride of the heart, and the stubbornness of the will which has hindered their conversion.

y 2 Tim. iii. 16. * 2 Thess. i. 8, 9.

* Luke xvi. 23.

b Micah vi. 9,

In short, it is God's time: so that not to repent in sickness is in effect to resolve never to repent.

For what shall incline a man to repent when he recovers, which does not move him now?

His hopes of heaven, and his fears of hell, will not be greater then than now.

And it would be the highest presumption to expect that God will give that man an extraordinary degree of grace, who despises the most usual means of conversion.

A pastor, therefore, will set before him the law of God, which he has transgressed, that he may see the need he has of repenting, and that he may not provoke God to cut him off before his time, because there is no hopes of amendment.

Examination of the sick person's repentance.

DEARLY beloved, 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 the 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 be proper to call your sins to your remembrance; and you will do well, wherever 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 from 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?

Are you convinced that you have not loved God so much as his goodness and care of you deserved?

Has the love of God made you desirous to please him? Have you so put your trust in God as to be contented

with what he has appointed, without murmuring, and without questioning the wisdom of his choices?.

Have you not been unthankful for God's mercies ?

Have you never, as you know of, taken any false oath ? Have you never been accustomed to swear, to curse, or to take God's name in vain?

Have you not very often spent the Lord's day idly? Have you not been careless and irreverent in God's house?

Have you been careful to pray to God daily for his pardon, his grace, and his protection?

Have you constantly received the Lord's supper when you have had an opportunity?

Have you never gone profanely to the sacrament without examining yourself, and without purposing to lead a new life?

Have you not despised God's word, his ministers, or his house?

Your duty to your neighbour is, to love him as yourself. Have you so loved all men, as to wish and pray sincerely for their welfare?

Have you not hated your enemies?

Have you paid due reverence in heart, in word, in behaviour, to your parents, and to all such as were over you in place and authority?

Have you not been subject to sinful, unadvised anger? Have you never done any thing to shorten the life of your neighbour?

Have you not lived in malice or envy, or wished any man's death?

Have you not been accustomed to sow strife and dissention amongst your neighbours?

Have you not fallen into the sins of drunkenness, gluttony, tippling, or an idle life?

Have you kept yourself free from the sins of whoredom, impurity, or uncleanness?

Have you none of the sins of injustice, extortion, or of any way wronging your neighbour, to answer for?

Have you not been unfaithful in any matters of trust committed to you?

Have you not been subject to the evil habits of lying, slandering, or talebearing?

Have you never given false evidence, outfaced the truth, or countenanced an evil cause?

Have you not been pleased with evil reports; and have you not been too forward to propagate them?

Have you not been vexatious to your neighbour, and grieved him without cause?

Have you not been dissatisfied with the condition which God allotted you?

Have you not coveted your neighbour's goods, envied his prosperity, or been pleased with his misfortunes?

Have you done to others as you wish they should have done to you ?

Can you call to mind any injury or injustice, for which you ought to ask pardon, or make restitution ?

And remember you are told the truth, that the unrighteous and unjust shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. Is there any body that has grievously wronged you, to whom you ought to be reconciled?

Remember, that if you forgive not, you will not be forgiven; and that he will receive judgment without mercy, who hath shewed no mercy.

Are you therefore in charity with all the world?

Have you been kind to the poor according to your ability?

And remember that the moment Zaccheus resolved to do right to every body, and to be kind to the poor, our Lord tells him, that salvation was then come to his house.

You would do well therefore, as a proof of your thankfulness to God, to be liberal to the poor, according to your ability.

And if you have not already settled your worldly concerns, and declared what you owe, and what is owing to you; it is fit you do so now, for the discharging a good conscience, and for preventing mischief after your death.

And be very careful that in making your will, you do no wrong, discover no resentment, that the last act of your life may be free from sin.

And now I will leave you for a while to God, and to your own conscience; beseeching him to discover to you the charge that is against you; that you may know, and confess, and bewail, and abhor the errors of your life past; that your sins may be done away by his mercy, and your pardon sealed in heaven, before you go hence and be no

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