enable his Patience; thofe upon the hopes of which he did the Duties of his Life, and for which he is not unwilling to die; fuch as the Interceffion and Advocation of Chrift, Remiffion of Sins, the Refurrection, the myfterious Arts and Mercies of Man's Redemption, Chrift's Triumph over Death and all the Powers of Hell, the Covenant of Grace, or the bleffed Iffues of Repentance; and above all, the Article of eternal Life, upon the Strength of which 11000 Virgins went chearfully together to their Martyrdom, and 20000 Chriftians were burnt by Dioclefian on a Christmas-Day, and whole Armies of Afian Chriftians Tertul. ad offered themselves to the Tribunals of Arius Anto- Scapul. nius, and whole Colleges of fevere Perfons were inftituted, who lived upon Religion, whofe Dinner was the Eucharift, whofe Supper was Praife, and their Nights were Watches, and their Days were Labour; for the hope of which then Men counted it gain to lose their Eftates, and gloried in their Sufferings, and rejoiced in their Perfecutions, and were glad at their Difgraces. This is the Article that hath made all the Martyrs of Christ confident and glorious; and if it does not more than fufficiently ftrengthen our Spirits to the prefent Suffering, it is because we understand it not, but have the Appetites of Beafts and Fools. But if the fick Man fixes his Thoughts, and fets his Habitation to dwell here, he fwells his Hope and mafters his Fears, and eafes his Sorrows, and overcomes his Tem ptations.

4. Let the fick Man endeavour to turn his Faith of the Articles into the Love of them: And that will be an excellent Inftrument, not only to refresh his Sorrows, but to confirm his Faith, in defiance of all Temptations. For a fick Man and a disturbed Understanding are not competent and fit Inftruments to judge concerning the reasonableness of a Propofition. But therefore let him confider and love it, because it is ufeful and neceffary, profitable and gracious: And when he is once in love with it, and then alfo renews his love to it, when he feels the need of it, he is an interested Perfon, and for his own fake will never let it go, and pass into the fhadows

Shadows of Doubting, or the utter Darkness of Infidelity. An Act of Love will make him have a Mind to it; and we easily believe what we love, but very uneafily part with our Belief, which we for fo great an Intereft have chofen, and entertained with a great Affection.

5. Let the Sick Perfon be infinitely careful that his Faith be not tempted by any Man, or any Thing; and when it is in any Degree weakened, let him lay faft hold upon the Conclufion, upon the Article itself, and by earneft Prayer beg of God to Guide him in Certainty and Safety. For let him confider, that the Article is better than all its contrary or contradictory, and he is concerned that it be true, and concerned alfo that he do believe it: But he can receive no Good at all, if Chrift did not die, if there be no Refurrection, if his Creed hath deceived him: Therefore all that he is to do, is to fecure his Hold, which he can do no way but by Prayer and by his Intereft. And by this Argument or Inftrument it was that Socrates refreshed the Evil of In Phadon. his Condition, when he was to drink his Aconite: "If "the Soul be Immortal, and perpetual Rewards be laid "up for wife Souls, then I lofe nothing by my Death: "But if there be not, then I lofe nothing by my Opinion; for it fupports my Spirit in my Paffage, and "the Evil of being deceived cannot overtake me when I have no Being." So it is with all that are tempted in their Faith. If those Articles be not true, then the Men are nothing; if they be true, then they are happy: And if the Articles fail, there can be no Punishment for believing; but if they be true, my not believing deftroys all my Portion in them, and Poffibility to receive the excellent Things which they contain. By Faith we quench the fiery Darts of the Devil: But if our Faith be quenched, wherewithal fhall we be able to endure the Affault? Therefore feize upon the Article, and fecure the great Object and the great Inftrument; that is, the hopes of Pardon and Eternal Life, through Jefus Chrift: And do this by all Means, and by any Inftrument Artificial or Inartificial, by Argument or by Stratagem, by

perfect

perfect Refolution or by Difcourfe, by the hand and ears of Premises or the foot of the Conclufion, by right or by wrong, because we understand it, or becaufe we love it, fuper totam materiam, because I will and because I ought, because it is fafe to do fo, and because it is not fafe to do otherwife; becaufe if I do, I may receive a good; and because if I do not, I am miferable: Either for that I fhall have a portion of Sorrows, or that I can have no portion of good Things without it.

Alts of Faith, by way of Prayer and Ejaculation, to be faid by Sick Men in the Days of their Temptation.

LORD, whither shall I go? Thon haft the words of John 6.

Leternal Life.

I believe in God the Father Almighty, and in Jefus
Chrift his only Son our Lord, &c.

And I believe in the Holy Ghoft, &c.
Lord, I believe: Help thou my unbelief.

I know and am perfuaded by the Lord Jefus, that none of us liveth to himself, and no Man dieth to himself: For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord; whether we live therefore or die, we are the Lord's.

If God be for us, who can be against us?

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all; how fhall he not with him give us all Things?

Who shall lay any thing to the charge of God's Elect? It is God that justifietb. Who is he that condemneth? It is Chrift that died; yea rather, that is rifen again, who is even at the Right hand of God, who also maketh interceffion for us.

68.

Mar. 9.

24. Rom.14.

14,

7,

8.

Ro.8.31.

32,

33,

34.

If any Man Sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, 1 John 2. Jefus Christ the Righteous: And he is the propitiation for our Sins.

T, 2.

This is a faithful faying, and worthy of all acceptation, Tim. 1. That Jefus Chrift came into the World to fave Sinners. 15.

Q grant

2Thef. 2.

13,

14,

16,

17,

2 Thef. 3.

5.

2 Thef. I.

II,

O grant that I may obtain Mercy; that in me Jesus Chrift may fhew forth all Long-fuffering, that I may believe in him to Life everlasting.

I am bound to give Thanks unto God always, because God hath from the Beginning chofen me to Salvation, through Sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the Truth: Whereunto be called me by the Gospel, to the obtaining of the Glory of the Lord Jefus Chrift.

Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself, and God even our Father which bath loved us, and bath given us everlasting Confolation, and good Hope through Grace, comfort my Heart, and ftablifh me in every good Word and Work.

The Lord direct my Heart into the Love of God, and into the patient waiting for Christ..

O that our God would count me worthy of this Calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his Goodness, and the 12. Work of Faith with Power. That the Name of our Lord Jefus Chrift may be glorified in me, and I in him, according to the Grace of our God and the Lord Jesus Chrift

1Thef 5.

Let us who are of the Day be Sober, putting on the 8, Breaft-Plate of Faith and Love; and for an Helmet, the 9, Hope of Salvation. For God hath not appointed us to Wrath, but to obtain Salvation by our Lord Jefus Chrift, Who died for us, that whether we wake or fleep we should 11. live together with him. Wherefore, comfort yourselves together, and edifie one another.

10,

A&t.4.12. There is no Name under Heaven whereby we can be A&.3.23. faved, but only the Name of the Lord Jefus. And every Soul which will not hear that Prophet, fhall be destroyed

Gal.6.14. from among the People.

1

1 Cor. 2. God forbid that I fhou'd glory, fave in the Cross of 2. Jefus Chrift. I defire to know nothing but Jefus Christ, Phi.1.21. and him crucified. For to me to live is Chrift, and to Ifa. 2. 22. die is Gain.

Hab. 2.4. Ceafe ye from Man, whofe Breath is in bis Noftrils: Joh. 11. for wherein is he to be accounted of? But the Just shall live 27. by Faith.

Joh.4.42. Lord, I believe that thou art the Chrift, the Son of God, Joh. 11. the Saviour of the World, the Refurrection and the Life; 25.

and

and he that believeth in thee, though he were dead, yet fhall be live.

Jefus faid unto her, faid I not to thee, that if thou Jo.11.40. would't believe, thou should'ft fee the glory of God?

55, 56.

57,

0 Death, where is thy fling? O Grave, where is thy 1Cor.15. victory? The fting of Death is Sin, and the strength of Sin is the Law. But thanks be to God, who giveth us the vitory, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. Lord, make me ftedfaft and unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord; for I know that my labour is not in vain in the Lord.

The Prayer for the Grace and Strengths of Faith.

Holy and Eternal Jefus, who did't die for me and for all Mankind, abolishing our Sin, reconciling us to God, adopting us into the portion of thine heritage, and establishing with us a Covenant of Faith and Obedience, making our Souls to rely upon fpiritual Strengths, by the fupports of a holy Belief, and the expectation of rare Promifes, and the infallible Truths of God: O let me for ever dwell upon the Rock, leaning upon thy Arm, believing thy Word, trufting in thy Promifes, waiting for thy Mercies, and doing thy Commandments; that the Devil may not prevail upon me, and my own Weakneffes may not abufe or unfettle my Perfuafions, nor my Sins difcompofe my juft Confidence in thee and thy eternal Mercies. Let me always be thy Servant and thy Difciple, and die in the Communion of thy Church, of all faithful People. Lord, I renounce whatfoever is against thy Truth; and if fecretly I have or do believe any falfe Propofition, I do it in the fimplicity of my Heart, and great weak nefs; and if I could difcover it, wou'd dafh it in pieces by a folemn difclaiming it: For thou art the Way, the Truth, and the Life. And I know that whatfoever thou haft declared, that is the truth of God: And I do firmly adhere to the Religion thou haft taught, and glory in nothing fo much as that I am a Chriftian, that thy Name is called

upon

C

$8.