Πρὸς τὸν τελευτήσανθ ̓ ἕκαστ

τις γένεται φίλος τότε.

poor may pray in private, and give God thanks many days together. This is matter of prudence, and yet in this we are to observe the same regards which we had in the Charity and Alms of our lives; with this only difference. That in the Funeral Alms also of rich and able perfons the public cuftoms of the Church are to be observed, and decency and folemnity, and the expectations of the poor, and matter of public opinion, and the reputation of Religion; in all other cafes let thy Charity confult with Humility and Prudence, that it never minister at all to vanity, but be as full of advantage and usefulness as it may. 7. Every man will forgive a dying perfon; and therefore let τος, κἂν σφόδρα ἂν ἐχθρὸς ᾖ the fick man be ready and fure, if he can, to fend to fuch perfons whom he hath injured, and beg their pardon, and do them right: For in this cafe he cannot stay for an opportunity of convenient and advantageous reconcilement; he cannot then spin out a treaty, nor beat down the price of compofition, nor lay a fnare to be quit from the obligation and coercion of laws; but he must ask forgiveness downright, and make him amends as he can, being greedy of making use of this opportunity of doing a duty that must be done, but cannot any more, if not now, until time returns again, and tells the minutes backwards, fo that yesterday fhall be reckoned in the portions of the future.

8. In the intervals of sharper pains, when the fick man amaffes together all the arguments of comfort and teftimonies of God's love to him and care of him, he must needs find infinite matter of thankf giving and glorification of God: and it is a proper

*

act of Charity and love to God, and Justice too, that he do honour to God on his death-bed for all the bleffings of his life, not only in general communications, but those by which he hath seen separate and discerned from others, or supported and blessed in his own perfon: Such as are, [In all my life-time I never broke a bone, I never fell into the hands of robbers, never into public shame, or into noisome difeafes: I have not begged my bread, nor been tempted by great and unequal fortunes; God gave me a good understanding, good friends, or delivered me in fuch a danger; and heard my prayers in fuch particular preffures of my Spirit.] This or the like enumeration and consequent acts of thanksgiving are apt to produce love to God, and confidence in the day of trial; for he that gave me bleffings in proportion to the state and capacities of my life, I hope alfo will do fo in proportion to the needs of my fickness and my deathbed. This we find practised as a moft reasonable piece of piety by the wisest of the Heathens. So Antipater Tarfenfis gave God thanks for his profperous voyage into Greece; and Cyrus made a handfome prayer upon the tops of the mountains, when by a phantafm he was warned of his approaching death. Receive [O God] my Father thefe holy rites by which I put an end to many and great affairs: and I give thee thanks for thy celeftial figns and prophetic notices, whereby thou haft fignified to me what I ought to do and what I ought not. I prefent also very great thanks that I have perceived and acknowledged your care of me, and have never exalted myself above my condition for any profperous accident. And I pray that that you will grant felicity to my wife, my children, and friends, and

to me a death fuch as my life hath been. But that of Philagrius in Gregory Nazianzen is eucharistical, but it relates more especially to the bleffings and advantages which are accidentally confequent to sickness. I thank thee, O Father, and maker of all thy children, that thou art pleafed to blefs and to fanctify us even againft our wills, and by the outward man purgeft the inward, and leadeft us through cross ways to a blessed ending, for reafons best known unto thee. However, when we go from our hospital and place of little intermedial rest in our journey to Heaven, it is fit that we give thanks to the Majordomo for our entertainment. When these parts of Religion are finished, according to each man's neceffity, there is nothing remaining of perfonal duty to be done alone, but that the fick man act over these virtues by the renewings of Devotion, and in the way of Prayer; and that is to be continued as long as life, and voice, and reafon dwell with us.

SECT. X.

Acts of Charity, by way of Prayer and Ejaculation; which may also be used for Thanksgiving, in cafe of Recovery.

MY Soul, thou haft faid unto

the Lord, Thou art my Lord;

Pfal. 16. 2.

my goodness extendeth not to thee: 3. But

to the Saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent in whom is all my delight. 5. The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and of my cup; thou maintaineft my lot.

Pfal. xviii. 30. As for God, his way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: he is a buckler to all thofe that trust in him. 31. For who is God, except the Lord? or who is a rock, fave our God?

32. It

is God that girdeth me with strength, and maketh my way perfect.

Pfal. xxii. 19. Be not thou far from me, O Lord: O my strength, hafte thee to help me.

20. Deliver my foul from the fword, my darling from the power of the dog. 21. Save me from the lion's mouth: and thou hast heard me alfo from among the horns of the Unicorns.

22. I will declare thy Name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

ye

23. Ye that fear the Lord, praise the Lord: fons [of God,] glorify him, and fear before him all ye fons [of men,] 24. For he hath not defpifed nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, neither hath he hid his face from him; but when he cried unto him he heard.

Pfal. xlii. 1. As the hart panteth after the waterbrooks, fo longeth my Soul after thee, O God.

10. As

2. My Soul thirfteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before the Lord? 6. O my God, my Soul is caft down within me. 7. All thy waves and billows are gone over me. with a fword in my bones I am reproached. 8. Yet the Lord will command his loving-kindness in the daytime: and in the night his fong shall be with me, and my prayer unto the God of my life.

Pfal. lxviii. 26. Blefs ye the Lord in the congregations; even the Lord from the fountains of Ifrael.

Pfal. lxxi. 15. My mouth shall shew forth thy righteousness and thy falvation all the day: for I know not the numbers thereof.

16. I will go in the ftrength of the Lord God: I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only. 17. O God, thou haft taught me from my youth; and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works. But I will hope continually, and will yet praise thee more and more.

14.

19. Thy righteousness, O God, is very high, who haft done great things. O God, who is like unto thee? 20. Thou which haft fhewed me great and fore troubles, fhalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

21. Thou shalt increase thy goodness towards me, and comfort me on every fide.

23. My lips fhall greatly rejoice when I fing unto thee; and my foul, which thou haft redeemed. Pfalm lxxii. 18. Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Ifrael, who only doth wondrous things. 19. And blessed be his glorious name for ever; and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, Amen.

Pfal. cxvi. 1. I love the Lord, because he hath heard my voice and my fupplication. 3. The forrows of death compaffed me; I found trouble and forrow. 4. Then called I upon the name of the Lord: O Lord, I befeech thee, deliver my foul. 5. Gracious is the Lord and righteous; yea, our God is merciful.

6. The Lord preferveth the fimple; I was brought low, and he helped me. 7. Return to thy reft, O my foul; the Lord hath dealt bountifully with me. 8. For thou haft delivered my foul from death, mine eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

15. Precious in the fight of the Lord is the death of his faints. 16. O Lord, truly I am thy fervant, I am thy fervant, and the fon of thine handmaid; thou shalt bonds.

loofe my