and with whom we formerly did converfe, either by choice or by law, by private election or public conftitution. It concerns us then to make severe and profitable judgments, and not to conspire against ourselves, or procure such affistances which may handle us foftly or comply with our weaknesses more than relieve our neceffities. 5. When the Ministers of Religion are come, first let them do their ordinary offices, that is, pray for Grace to the fick man, for Patience, for Resignation, for Health, (if it seems good to God in order to his great ends.) For that is one of the ends of the advice of the Apostle. And therefore the Minifter is to be sent for, not while the cafe is defperate, but before the fickness is come to its crifis or period. Let him discourse concerning the causes of sickness, and by a general instrument move him to confider concerning his condition. Let him call upon him to fet his Soul in order, to trim his lamp, to dress his Soul, to renew acts of grace by way of Prayer, to make amends in all the evils he hath done, and to supply all the defects of duty, as much as his past condition requires and his present can admit. 6. According as the condition of the sickness or the weakness of the man is observed, so the exhortation is to be less, and the prayers more, because the life of the man was his main preparatory; and therefore if his condition be full of pain and infirmity, the fhortness and fmall number of his own acts is to be supplied by the act of the Ministers and standers by, who are in such case to speak more to God for him than to talk to him. For the prayer of the righteous when it is fervent hath James 5. 16. a promise to prevail much in behalf of the fick perfon. But Exhortations must prevail with their own proper weight, not by the paffion of the Speaker. But yet this affistance by way of Prayers is not to be done by long offices, but by frequent, and fervent, and holy : in which offices if the fick man joins, let them be short, and apt to comply with his little strength and great infirmities: if they be faid in his behalf without his conjunction, they that pray may prudently use their own liberty, and take no measures, but their own devotions and opportunities, and the fick man's neceffities. When he hath made this General address and preparatory entrance to the work of many days and periods, he may defcend to particulars by the following inftruments and discourses. SECT. III. Of miniftering in the fick Man's Confession of Sins and Repentance. HE firft neceffity that is to be ferved is that of Repentance, in which the Minifters can in no way serve him but by first exhorting him to Confeffion of his fins, and declaration of the state of his Soul. For unless they know the manner of his life, and the degrees of his reftitution, either they can do nothing at all, or nothing of advantage and certainty. His difcourfes, like Jonathan's arrows, may shoot short, or shoot over, but not wound where they should, nor open those humours that need a lancet or a cautery. To this purpose the fick man may be reminded. and with whom we formerly did converse, either by choice or by law, by private election or public conftitution. It concerns us then to make severe and profitable judgments, and not to confpire against ourselves, or procure fuch affiftances which may handle us foftly or comply with our weaknesses more than relieve our neceffities. 5. When the Ministers of Religion are come, first let them do their ordinary offices, that is, pray for Grace to the fick man, for Patience, for Refignation, for Health, (if it feems good to God in order to his great ends.) For that is one of the ends of the advice of the Apostle. And therefore the Minister is to be sent for, not while the cafe is defperate, but before the fickness is come to its crifis or period. Let him discourse concerning the causes of sickness, and by a general inftrument move him to confider concerning his condition. Let him call upon him to set his Soul in order, to trim his lamp, to dress his Soul, to renew acts of grace by way of Prayer, to make amends in all the evils he hath done, and to supply all the defects of duty, as much as his past condition requires and his present can admit. 6. According as the condition of the sickness or the weakness of the man is observed, so the exhortation is to be less, and the prayers more, because the life of the man was his main preparatory; and therefore if his condition be full of pain and infirmity, the shortness and small number of his own acts is to be supplied by the act of the Ministers and standers by, who are in such case to speak more to God for him than to talk to him. For the prayer of the righteous when it is fervent hath James 5. 16. a promise to prevail much in behalf of the fick perfon. But Exhortations must prevail with their own proper weight, not by the paffion of the Speaker. But yet this affiftance by way of Prayers is not to be done by long offices, but by frequent, and fervent, and holy : in which offices if the fick man joins, let them be short, and apt to comply with his little strength and great infirmities: if they be faid in his behalf without his conjunction, they that pray may prudently use their own liberty, and take no measures, but their own devotions and opportunities, and the fick man's neceffities. When he hath made this General address and preparatory entrance to the work of many days and periods, he may defcend to particulars by the following inftruments and difcourfes. SECT. III. Of miniftering in the fick Man's Confession of Sins and Repentance. HE first neceffity that is to be ferved is that of Repentance, in which the Minif ters can in no way ferve him but by first exhorting him to Confeffion of his fins, and declaration of the state of his Soul. For unless they know the manner of his life, and the degrees of his reftitution, either they can do nothing at all, or nothing of advantage and certainty. His difcourfes, like Jonathan's arrows, may shoot short, or fhoot over, but not wound where they should, nor open those humours that need a lancet or a cautery. To this purpose the fick man may be reminded. Arguments and Exhortations to move the fick Man to Confeffion of Sins. Pro. 28. 13. Matt. 3. 6. 1. That God hath made a special promise to Confeffion of fins. He that confeffeth his fins and forfaketh them shall have mercy : and, If we confess our fins, God is righteous to forgive us our fins, and to cleanfe us from all unrighteousness. 2. That Confeffion of fins is a proper act and introduction to Repentance. 3. That when the Jews being warned by the Sermons of the Baptist repented of their fins they confeffed their fins to John in the susception of Baptism. 4. That the Converts in the days of the Apostles returning to Chriftianity instantly declared their Faith and their Repentance, by Confeffion and declaration of their deeds which they then renounced, abjured, and confeffed to the Apostles. 5. That Confeffion is an act of many virtues together. 6. It is the gate of Repentance; 7. An inftrument of shame and condemnation of our fins; 8. A glorification of God, fo called by Joshua particularly in the case of Achan; 9. An acknowledgment that God is just in punishing; for by confeffing of our fins we also confess his Justice, and are affeffors with God in this condemnation of ourselves. 10. That by fuch an act of judging ourselves we escape the more angry judgment of God: S. Paul exprefly exhorting us to it upon that very induce Acts 19. 18. 1 Cor. 11. 13. ment. 11. That Confeffion of fins is so necessary a duty, that in all Scriptures it is the immediate preface to pardon, and the certain confequent of godly forrow, and an integral or constituent part of that |