'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 thofe 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 destroys 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 shall we be able to endure the affault? Therefore seize upon the Article, and fecure the great object, and the great instrument, 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 ftratagem, by perfect resolution or by discourse, by the hand and ears of Premises, or the foot of the Conclufion, by right or by wrong, because we understand it or because we love it, fuper totam materiam, because I will and because I ought, because it is safe to do so, and because it is not safe to do otherwise; because if I do, I may receive a good, and because if I do not, I am miferable; either for that I shall have a portion of forrows, or that I can have no portion of good things, without it.

SECT. IV.

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

ORD, whither fhall I go? thou

haft the words of eternal life.

John 6. 68.

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.

Mark ix. 24. Lord, I believe: help thou mine unbelief.

Rom.xiv. 14.7. I know and am perfuaded by the Lord Jefus, that none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself: 8. 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. Rom. viii. 31. If God be for us, who can be against

us ?

32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him give us all things?

33. Who fhall lay any thing to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. 34. 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.

1 John ii. 1. If any man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous : 2. And

he is the propitiation for our fins.

1 Tim. i. 15. This is a faithful faying, and worthy

of all acceptation, that Jefus Christ came into the world to fave finners.

O grant that I may obtain mercy, that in me Jesus Christ may show forth all long-suffering, that I may believe in him to life everlasting.

2 Thef. ii. 13. I am bound to give thanks unto God always, becaufe God hath from the beginning chofen me to falvation, through fanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the truth, 14. Whereunto he called me by the Gospel, to the obtaining of the glory of the Lord Jefus Chrift.

16. Now our Lord Jefus Chrift himself, and God even our Father which hath loved us, and hath given us everlasting confolation, and good hope through grace, 17. Comfort my heart, and stablish me in every good

word and work.

2 Thes. iii. 5. The Lord direct my heart into the love of God, and into the patient waiting for Chrift.

2 Thef. i. II. O that our God would count me worthy of this calling, and fulfil all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of Faith with power. 12. 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 Jefus Chrift.

I Thef. v. 8. Let us who are of the day be fober, putting on the breastplate of faith and love, and for an helmet, the hope of falvation. 9. For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain falvation by our Lord Jefus Chrift, 10. Who died for us, that whether we wake or fleep, we should live together with him. 11. Wherefore comfort yourselves together, and edify one another.

Acts iv. 12. There is no name under heaven whereby we can be faved but only the name of the Lord Jefus.

Acts iii. 23. And every foul which will not hear that Prophet Shall be destroyed from among the people.

Gal. vi. 14. God forbid that I should glory fave in the Cross of Jefus Chrift. I Cor. ii. 2. I defire to know nothing but Jefus Chrift and him crucified. Phil. i. 21. For to me to live is Chrift, and to die is gain.

Isaiah ii. 22. Ceafe ye from man, whofe breath is in his noftrils: for wherein is he to be accounted of? Hab. ii. 4. But the just shall live by Faith.

John xi. 27. Lord, I believe that thou art the Chrift, the Son of God, John iv. 42. the Saviour of the world, John xi. 25. the refurrection and the life; and he that believeth in thee, though he were dead, yet fhall he live?

40. Jefus faid unto her, Said I not to thee, that if thou wouldeft believe, thou shouldeft fee the glory of God?

I Cor. xv. 55. O death, where is thy fting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56. The fting of death is fin, and the strength of fin is the Law. 57. But thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jefus Chrift. 58. Lord, make me stedfaft and unmovable, 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 didft die for me and all mankind, abolishing our fin, reconciling us to God, adopting us into the portion of thine heritage, and establishing with us a covenant of Faith and Obedience, making our fouls to rely upon fpiritual strengths, by the supports of a holy belief, and the expectation of rare promises, 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 abuse or unfettle my perfuafions, nor my fins discompose my just confidence in thee and thy eternal mercies. Let me always be thy fervant and thy disciple, and die in the communion of thy Church, of all faithful people. Lord, I renounce whatsoever is against thy truth; and if fecretly I have or do believe any false propofition, I do it in the fimplicity of my heart and great weakness; and if I could difcover it, would dafh it in pieces by a folemn difclaiming it: For thou art the Way, the Truth and the Life. And I know that whatsoever 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 me. yet will I put my trust in thee. In thee, O Lord, have I trusted; let me never be confounded. Amen.

O my God, though I die,

SECT. V.

Of the Practice of the Grace of Repentance in the Time of Sickness.

EN generally do very much dread fudden death, and pray against it paffionately; and certainly it hath in it g great inconveniences accidentally to men's eftates, to the fettlement of fa

milies, to the culture and trimming of fouls, and it