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thofe that have lived under a Senfe of Re ligion, and with fome Thought and Care; or, in the Language of the Apostle, fuch as by Reason of Use, have had their Senfes ex-Heb.v. 14. ercifed to difcern both Good and Evil, fuch 1 Tim. iv. as have been Exercised unto Godliness, and 7. fo are in fome Degree of Habitual Preparation for Death. Such would be glad to be pro viding for Death, as well as they can, before it comes, and to know how to employ their Laft Moments to the Beft Advantage.

Now if thou beeft of that Number, the First Thing I would advise thee is, that when Diseases, or Inward Decays, or any Other Meffengers or Forerunners of Death, give thee Notice that the Time of thy Diffolution draweth nigh, Remember God's Meffage to Hezekiah (Isaiah xxxviii. 1.) Set thine Houfe in order, for thou shalt Dye. The Difpofal of that Worldly Eftate which God has given thee, be it more or less, ought to have been the Work of thy Healthful Days; but if thou haft not done it before, or not fully to thy Mind, do it Now in the First Place, with all convenient Speed. give out thy Directions, and take all Neceffary Care for the Good and Settlement of thy Family, providing as well as thou canst for their future Welfare, both of Body and Soul, that their Souls may bless thee; and that they may Live with Comfort, in Peace and Godliness, when Thou art Dead and gone.

Then

If thou haft wronged or defrauded ́any, Restore it with good Advantage to the Owner. If Thou haft injured any in Word or Deed, acknowledge it, and obtain his Pardon: If any have injured Thee, Forgive it, and be in Charity with all Men.

In the next Place, adjust and settle, as foon as thou canft, all thy Worldly Affairs and Accounts with Others; that Strangers may not fuffer by thee, nor any Troubles or Embroilments be entail'd on thy furviving Friends.

Thefe Things I propofe to be first difpatch'd, to the End that having made even with the World, thou mayeft take thy Leave of it: And looking upon thyfelf Now as no longer a Man for this World, mayeft turn thy Thoughts over to another, and wholly fet thy Heart and Affections on Things Above; and mayeft Live the Refidue of thy Life to God only. For having fet thy Houfe in order, thou art now at full Liberty for thy Great Work, the putting thy Soul in order; and presently fet about it.

For This thou must endeavour to compose thyfelf, and poffefs thy Soul in Patience, intirely giving thyself up to the Will of God, however he shall please to dispose of thee: that whether thou Liveft, thou mayeft Live unto the Lord; or whether thou Dyeft, thou mayeft Dye unto the Lord; that whether

Living or Dying thou mayeft be the Lord's, as the Apostle speaks, Rom. xiv.

But ftill, as in Expectation of Death, Run over in thy Thoughts thy whole Past Life, Recollecting the Many Mercies and Deliverances that God has vouchfafed thee, acknowledging his Goodness with Praise and Thanksgiving. Then reflect on the great Miscarriages of thy Life; Once more Weep over thy Old Sins, and again Repent of them with the uttermoft Abhorrence and Godly Sorrow that thou canft poffibly affect thy Soul withal, to make up all thy former Defects.

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Then inceffantly Pray to God that he would be with thee and Support thee,That he would increase and ftrengthen all thy Christian Graces, thy Faith and Patience, and Hope, and Truft in him,—and that he would fill thee with all Joy and Peace in Rom.x Believing, through the Power of the Holy 13. Ghoft; That as thy Bodily Strength decays, thou mayeft be Strong in the Lord, and in the Power of his Might.

Utterly renounce thine own Righteoufness, and place all thy Hopes in the Mercy of God, through the Merits and Mediation of our Redeemer. Truft to the Merits of his Paffion only, for thy Salvation; for in Him only is thy Help found: Therefore by Faith look up unto Jefus, the great Propitiatory Sacrifice, the Lamb of God, that taketh

away the Sins of the World. Then adore the Divine Goodness, that has with fuch infinite Mercy to us, given him to be the Propitiation for our Sins: And earnestly from the Bottom of thy Heart beg God's Pardon for all thy Sins from thy Youth up until Now, in his Name, and for his Sake; humbly beseeching the God of all Grace and Goodness, that he who is in Chrift Reconciling the World unto himself, would for Christ Jefus Sake be Reconciled unto Thee, and receive thee to his Mercy.

If thou haft any Doubts that disturb thee, or any heavy Burden lying on thy Mind, disbofom thyself to thy Spiritual Guide, or fome other Faithful Guide of Souls; Take his Ghostly Counsel and Advice: And when he has fettled thy Confcience, Prepare thyfelf to Receive, with all Humility and Thankfulness, from the Ministry of Reconciliation, the Abfolution of the Church for the Comforting, and the Holy Sacrament of Chrift's Body and Blood, for the Strengthening and Refreshing of thy Soul. Take it as thy Viaticum, the Provifion for thy Journey from Earth to Heaven. After That, Look no more back to the World, nor to the Things of the World: Unless it be to receive thy Neceffary Suftenance from it, have nothing more to Do with it; Do not fo much as Think of it, or Ask any more after it: But let thy Eyes and Heart

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Heart be fet wholly Heavenward, whither thy Heaven-born Soul is now returning. Thou haft taken into thy Mortal Body the Sacred Pledges of Immortality; Thou haft eaten the Bread of Life, and drank the Cup Pf. cxvi. of Salvation; Be thenceforth Calling upon the Name of the Lord, O Lord, I befeech Pf. xxv. 7. thee Deliver my Soul, O Remember not the Sins and Offences of my Youth; but according to thy Mercy, think thou upon me, O Lord, for thy Goodness Sake; and for Chrift Fefus Sake who Dyed for Sinners, have thou Mercy upon me, O thou Father of Mercies, and God of all Comforts.

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ever Pains I fuffer in my Body, Lord, caft not out my Soul." But fpare me, O "Lord, moft Holy, O God, moft Mighty, "O Holy and Merciful Saviour, thou most

worthy Judge Eternal, fuffer me not Now "at my last Hour for any Pains of Death "to fall from thee.

Some fuch fhort Ejaculations as thefe may be very Proper for thy Departing Soul. But if God fhall ftill any farther prolong thy Life, and shall be pleased to continue to thee the Use of thy Reason, that thou canft at all Employ thy Thoughts to any good Purpofe, Spend the fmall Remainder of thy Days in hearing fome good Difcourfes, or fome good Books of Spiritual Confolation and Devotion; to help and aflift thee in fuch Meditations and Prayers as are suitable to thy Condition.

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