THO' I am infi­nitely distant from that excellent perfection which made the Primi­tive Christians glory in their tribulations, and St. Paul rejoice in that sting in the flesh which God had given him as a pecu­liar Blessing from above; yet is it really some satis­faction [Page 31] to me, that I am not now wholly liable to that Censure, which is so usually made on these occasions, that 'tis easie for any Man when he is well to give advice to them that are not. It hath pleased God, for the rashness per­haps of my usual dis­course, to make it at pre­sent very uneasy for me to speak at all. I can­not but acknowledge his Mercy in the Admoni­tion, and if it please him altogether to silence me, so, That I shall not only, as now, speak with diffi­culty, [Page 32] but wholly▪ be disabled to open my mouth, to any articulate utterance, yet I hope he will give me grace even in my thoughts to praise him; To consider the justice of his proceeding with me, and to implore his pardon of what my sins have justly deser­ved.

2. IT cannot be de­ny'd but that this is an exercise of the most diffi­cult Nature, and the Apostle himself confesses even where he most ex­horts [Page 33] us to an acquies­cence in it,Heb. 12. v. 11. That no cha­stening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; Yet considerations there are that are able to alleviate our greatest miseries, and make us, if not come up to the character of those who rejoyce in Tribula­tions, yet at least satisfy the duty I am now re­commending, of being patient and contented un­der our sufferings.

[Page 34] 3. AND the first of these both in our pra­ctice and this Discourse ought to be, To look up to that Hand that in­flicts them.

IT is our great unhap­piness when any calami­ties fall upon us, that we are uneasie and dissatisfi­ed; and our whole bu­siness and project is, how to remove them, not to consider from whence they come. Sometimes indeed, if the cause be visible, we dis­course [Page 35] of it as of a chance or a misfortune, but we stop at the instrument, and never pass on to him that directed it; the second cause we know, but trouble our selves no further to re­cur to the first: where­as, would we seriously consider, * that the Pro­vidence of God orders all the affairs of the World; * that without his assi­stance we can no more get quit of our Affliction, than but by his permis­sion we first fell into it; * that this unquietness [Page 36] therefore is a murmuring against his justice, a re­bellion against his Provi­dence, upon whom alone we ought to rely; and whose mercy we should by all imaginable submission implore; We should then acquiesce in his dispen­sation, till it pleased his goodness to remove our evils; cry out with old Eli, 1 Sam. 3. 18. It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good: and as we dayly pray that his will may be done in Earth, so by our submis­sion shew that we truly desire it.

[Page 37] 4. LET us to this add, Secondly; That God delights not to afflict, nor ever willingly grieves the Children of Men.

* IT may be we suf­fer in our calamity the punishment of our sins, and then let us not mur­mur at that which is the just reward of our de­servings. * Perhaps God proves us in this life, that he may the more plen­teously reward us in the next; and how then [Page 38] shall we repine against his mercy, which makes these light af­flictions that are but for a moment, 2 Cor. 4. 17. work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glo­ry; To be sure if we make that use of them which he intends, if we repent seriously, submit contentedly, and serve him faithfully, they shall turn to our advantage: tho' the passage be trou­blesome, yet is it secure, and shall in a little time bring us ease and quiet, and peace at the last.

[Page 39] 5. FOR let us not mis­take the goodness of God, nor imagine that because he smites us, therefore we are forsaken by him, but let us consider rather,

Thirdly;

We have a full account of this, Heb. 12. A place so satisfactory, that I will transcribe only one passage, to engage you to recur your self to the rest; My son despise not thou the chastning of the Lord,v. 5. 6. nor faint when thou art rebuked of him; for whom the Lord loveth he chastneth, and scourg­eth every son whom he re­ceiveth. But, Fourthly;

6. ‘Let us look into the Ages that have gone before us;’

[Page 41] LET us consult our own experience in the present; we shall find the observation of our Apostle ever to have been verified, that the best men generally fall under the severest pressures, Our Saviour Christ was our forerunner in this trial, as well as in the reward that accompanies it: He began as we ought to follow after, and for the joy which was set before him endured the cross, Heb. 12. 2. despising the shame. Which of his holy Apo­stles [Page 42] escaped this trial; What numbers of the Pri­mitive Saints were under the perpetual persecution of the most malicious ene­mies that Hell could raise against them, for many hundred Years. ‘They were stoned, they were sawn as under, were slain with the sword, they wandred up and down in sheeps skins and Goats skins, Heb. 11. 37. being de­stitute, afflicted, tormen­ted, and yet were these the Men, of whom the world was not worthy, —38. whom [Page 43] we ought with comfort to look up unto, and run with pati­ence the race that is set before us. Heb. 12. 1.’

7. THESE considera­tions, though I have (as I ought) proposed in general terms, yet I am sure, Madam, you will not fail by a particular ap­plication to bring them home to your own concerns; and for your easier performance I will go on if you please to make yet a reflection or two that may fortifie you in it.

[Page 44] 8. IN enquiring into the goods that you have lost, or the evils, you ei­ther fear or suffer; I shall not trouble you with an Enumeration of that which I know you despise, the flatteries, the courtship, the other va­nities of the World; The very loss of these is a happiness almost e­qual to what you un­dergo for it. And though that Beauty, which yet others, I perswade my self, valued too more highly than your self, [Page 45] was a Blessing which you owed much to Hea­ven for; yet the additi­onal ornaments you have hereby the oppor­tunity of making to your Soul, will in the end give you a more solid satisfaction, and as much chain to you the affecti­ons of the good and wise, as the other at­tracted the eyes of the rest.

9. FOR your present distemper; it is, God be thanked, neither so trou­blesome for the present, [Page 46] as to take you off from all satisfaction; nor, I am willing to perswade my self, shall it prove so dangerous in its conse­quence, as to deprive you of all hope of see­ing your self again in your former health, on­ly disciplined and in­structed, not utterly cut off by sickness.

10. HOWEVER, let us suppose now, as well as fear the worst; Is there any thing parti­cular in dying young? Do not thousands every [Page 47] day do it? And have you known none in health and vigour, who have pitied your con­dition, and behold they are themselves gone be­fore you, even since you fell into this Di­stemper: And what is the harm then of this? that you have fairer warning than others, who are unexpectedly cut off, and so have a better opportunity, as well as greater engage­ments, to cultivate your Soul, and provide for your latter end? To [Page 48] dye is no pain, to leave this World is only to get quit of a trouble­some place, where you could never find any ease or quiet, any solid satisfaction and comfort. To go to Heaven is to be transferr'd to that Kingdom you have e­ver long'd for; to enjoy all the glories of eter­nity, to become compa­ny for Saints and Angels, and behold the Blessed presence of God, in whose presence there is fulness of joy, and at whose right hand there [Page 49] are pleasures for ever­more.

11. THE truth is, the greatest part of your misfortune is founded on the opinion of the World: we fools esteem these things evils, and this makes others be­lieve they really are so. But the good Christian who considers them on­ly as necessary passages to a glorious immortality; that through this dark scene of fansied horror sees a Crown and a Throne, and everlasting blessings [Page 50] prepared for him; joy­fully receives his Sum­mons as he has long impatiently expected it: goes off out of the World as contentedly as the Actor when the Play is ended leaves the Stage. His only con­cern is, whilst he ap­pears upon it, so to de­mean himself, that he may have a Plaudite at last; and then 'tis all one whether his part ended in the Third Act, or continues on to the very last Scene.

[Page 51] 12. SUCH, Madam, are your Obligations to this first Duty, and the per­formance of them will e­specially engage you to these three things;

1. Never despair ei­ther of Gods blessings here, or of his reward hereaf­ter; but go on as you have begun; fulfil your duty as he has com­manded; embrace his promises with Faith and assurance; and for the rest, leave it in his hands; as in the hands of a most [Page 52] merciful Saviour, who himself became Man, and suffer'd Death upon the Cross for our sakes, and by that stupendious act of Mercy, has taught us ever to rely in all things upon his Good­ness.

2. Murmur not at your sickness, for thereby you will sin against God's Providence and Go­vernment; but submit with peace to what you suffer, and pray for your deliverance. I do not say you should af­fect [Page 53] a rude insensibili­ty: Sighs and Groans and mournful expressi­ons, this is the sick Mans proper language; David roared for the disquietness of his soul; Ps. 38. 8. our blessed Lord himself in his last and sharpest pang of sorrow, cryed out with a loud voice, Matthew xxvii 46. before he gave up the ghost. There is no­thing in this but what is innocent; and though too much of it may be­tray your weakness, yet whilst you keep still a [Page 54] resignation to God's dis­posal, it cannot be im­puted to you for any sin.

3. TAKE heed of that, which is the ge­neral fault of sick per­sons, and which a long disorder almost unavoid­ably brings with it, and that is Peevishness. This will but render you uneasie to your self, and to those about you; it troubles your repose, without doing you a­ny good; and is equal­ly to be avoided both [Page 55] for the folly, and for the sin.

13. I SHALL close this reflection with one neces­sary remark, which I de­sire you to apply to all the following; That in speaking thus to you, I am so far from charg­ing you as guilty in this matter, that I can sincerely say, I believe the exhortation wholly needless, only it was my duty in so impor­tant a concern to omit nothing that might any way be thought neces­sary; [Page 46] and it will be your satisfaction to see how far you are advanced in your duty; and your engagement to pursue that very little, which you may perhaps find to be still wanting.

THERE is nothing in the world more generally dreaded, and yet less to be feared than Death. Indeed for those unhappy Men, whose hopes terminate in this life, no wonder if the prospect of another seems terrible and amazing. [Page 58] Hell is a place which the most resolute Soul cannot but tremble to think of, how much more to enter into? But for him who has lived well, and who there­fore relies on God's mercies for an eternal Salvation, to shew this concern, it betrays ei­ther much weakness or great doubt, and either his faith, or his hopes, or both, are less firm than they ought to be, [Page 59] ‘HE therefore that will not fear to dye, must first be careful to live well.’

2. THE stroak of death is nothing; Children en­dure it, and the greatest Cowards find it no pain: But when to this we shall add the certain ap­prehension of its being the gate to an eternal life, then may we pre­sume to say, we have wholly conquer'd this King of terrours, and sing the Epinikion of St. [Page 60] Paul, 1 Cor. 15. O death where is thy sting! —v. 55. O grave where is thy victory! —v. 57. Thanks be to God who gi­veth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Secondly; He must take off his Affections from this world.

3. IT was the reflection of the Son of Sirach Ecclus 4. 1. O death, how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a Man that liveth at rest in his possessi­ons, to the Man that hath [Page 61] nothing to vex him, but hath prosperity in all things. Whilst we please our selves with the vani­ties we enjoy here, we cannot expect but that it must needs be a trouble to us to be divorced from them: But let us only change the scene; instead of these earthly, tran­sient goods; let us raise our Souls to the Heavenly and Eternal: then shall we begin to think the time long, that we are divorced from them, and wish for that end, we before feared. Tully tells [Page 62] us that Cleombrotus was so taken with this spe­culation, that having on­ly read in Plato the con­jectures of that great Man concerning the state of the Soul after death, he had not patience to tarry the tedious course of nature, but by a vio­lent death cut the thread himself, that he might immediately enjoy what he so infinitely desired.

4. NOR may we forti­fy our selves much less a­gainst the fear of death, Thirdly,

[Page 63] ‘From the Considera­tion of those evils it frees us from, than of that happiness it transfers us to.’

When the Great Em­peror of Persia wept over his Army upon this Con­sideration, that within the revolution of a single Age, not a Man of all that innumerable conflu­ence would be left alive; Artabanus standing by, improved his meditation; by adding, that yet all of them should meet [Page 64] with so many and great evils, that every one should wish himself dead long before that. It is the true character of our lives which Job once gave.Job 14. 1. Man that is born of a Woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of trouble. It is the great blessing of Heaven that as our lives are very miserable, so are they ve­ry short too, and what we usually complain of as our misfortune, we ought rather to congra­tulate as our happiness. [Page 65] Had David died a little sooner, How much trou­ble had he escaped which now he endured, in the rebellion and death of his own Son, and all the mi­series of a Civil War that was raised against him. Let any Man consult his own experience, and say, how many sorrows he had miss'd, had God called him to his rest but a few years before; and there­fore whether the promise he has made to deliver the just from the evils to come, ought not to be made our dayly prayer for its ac­complishment, [Page 66] rather than fill our Souls with terror at the apprehen­sion.

But fourthly: ‘Death do's not only free us from misery, but sin too.’

5. THE life of a Chri­stian is a continual war­fare, full of dangerous conflicts and doubtful consequences: Our lusts sollicit us, the World encourages, the Devil tempts us; we fall often, and are never secure. [Page 67] But Death frees us from all danger, sets us safely on Shore in our long-ex­pected Canaan, where there are no temptations, no dangers, no possibility of falling; but eternal purity, and immortal joys secure our happiness for evermore.

6. THERE is yet an advice which may use­fully be added here, and it is this,

‘That since the time of our dying is uncertain, we should every day ex­pect [Page 68] what every hour may bring to us:’

IT is our great un­happiness in this matter that though we live ne­ver so many years, we are still surprized. We put the evil day far from us, and then it catches us at unawares, and we tremble at the prospect. But let us stand on our guard, let us live like those who expect to dye, and then we shall find these ter­rors very much lessen, and that we fear'd [Page 69] Death only because we were unacquainted with it. Philip King of Ma­cedon had a Page con­stantly attending in his Chamber to tell him e­very morning as soon as he awaked, ‘Remem­ber, O King, that thou art mortal.’

7. BUT to quit you wholly of this fear, and that▪ I may close this point too with something particular, give me leave, Madam, to desire you, instead of a thousand arguments, to recur only [Page 70] to your own experience; you have already lookt death in the face, you are acquainted with it, what have you found so terrible in it as to disturb the repose of a good Christian, i.e. of such a one as your self. I cannot without satis­faction remember the calm, the quiet, the peace you were then in; when every hour seem­ed to tell you 'twas your last. Death is an enemy you have already met, and already con­quer'd; you have pull'd [Page 71] out his sting, by the preparation you have made for it, and you know he has nothing now remaining that can injure or affright you. Only maintain your con­quest, by securing your innocence; and working out your Salvation, and then you may with con­fidence undervalue that which so much terrifies the world, and which yet all, even those who the most dread it, must in a little time meet whether they will or no.

THIS is the great duty of our lives, and ought to be the chief business of us all every day of them. No Man knows what the next hour may bring forth, and to put our Salvation, and the hopes of eternity to so dange­rous [Page 73] a hazard as we do, when we procrastinate (though never so lit­tle) our working of it out with fear and trem­bling, is to shew either a very unwarrantable presumption upon God's goodness, or a very light esteem of our own Souls.

2. OUR lives depend on so many curious parts and organs, so many dis­eases assail them every moment, so many ac­cidents may take them from us, that we can [Page 74] never say the next mi­nute is our own; and that he therefore who neglects his salvati­on to day, may with­out danger put it off to to morrows conside­ration. God has told us that his Spirit shall not alway strive with Man, but as he offers to every one a space to repent, so there is a time too (if we omit that op­portunity) when there shall be no longer any space for it.

[Page 75] AND how can any of us tell that this hour is not the last wherein God will give us his grace for so great a work; so that though we should live to see the next, yet that then our sentence shall not be found already pro­nounced, and we shall not be able to repent, though we never so much desire it.

3. SUCH obligations therefore have we all immediately to consider [Page 76] our ways, Psal. 119. 55. and turn our feet to God's testimonies: But, Madam, it has pleased his great goodness to lay more than ordinary ties upon you, to do this: He has taken you off, by a peculiar instance of his Mercy, from the vani­ties and tempations of the World: He has disabled you from falling into many sins; and calls up­on you to watch against the rest; He has brought you to an early know­ledge of your self, and of him, at an age when [Page 77] most others are the ser­vants of sin, and creatures of vanity. He has given you op­portunity from the wri­tings and conversation of the best Men, to un­derstand your duty, your danger, and your interest: And, Madam, what you ought above all things to bless him for, he has given you a heart too, to receive in­struction, and that is desirous of his glory; and though after so ma­ny better means as you have had of informing [Page 78] your self how to pro­ceed in this important business; after the know­ledge you have attain'd, and the progress you have made, there is lit­tle need for me to add any thing on this sub­ject; yet I know I can­not better satisfie your piety, or discharge my own duty, than by lay­ing before you, in a short view, a prospect of your labours, through which you have so long been travelling, and are now so nearly come, to ever­lasting life.

[Page 79] 4. AT the first Cre­ation, when God crea­ted Man upon the Earth, he planted in him a Law teaching him his whole Duty, he gave him besides, a positive Law not to eat of the fruit of the tree of Knowledge; Gen. 2. 17. and to perform this, he added a perfect strength and ability whereby he might for ever have lived without the least sin; had Adam done this, his perfecti­on (the Knowledge and [Page 80] Ability God created in him) had still conti­nued, and after a cer­tain period of years, which God should have determined, he had been rewarded with an as­sumption to eternal fe­licity.

5. THIS is that which is usually called THE FIRST COVE­NANT, which A­dam fatally breaking by his disobedience, soon forfeited; and came short of that Glory which God had prepared for [Page 81] him: yet it pleased the Lord to enter into a SECOND with him, the tenour of which was, That the Seed of the Woman should bruise the Ser­pent's head: Gen. 3. 15. i. e. That Christ taking our nature upon him, and so becom­ing the seed of the Woman, should perform that Co­venant of unsinning obedi­ence which Adam broke, and yet being fault­less, undergo a shame­ful, and ignominious death for him and his Posterity; and so bruise [Page 82] the Serpent's head; i. e. de­liver us from the power of the Devil, who by this transgression had got the dominion over us.

6. AND this is that Co­venant we now live un­der, the Promises of which are * pardon of sins through the blood of Christ; * strength and grace to perform the con­ditions, * and eternal glory to reward our la­bours; This is what God on his part has de­clared to us; for the re­quisites on ours, what [Page 83] we must do to obtain these blessings, that is the great business of us all to know, and the peculiar design of this place briefly to consider.

7. WHERE, first, I must lay down this for your encouragement, that we are no longer now tied to the heavy yoke of a perfect, unsinning Obe­dience; not to have com­mitted any deliberate sin, nay or even to have per­sisted in a habit and course of it; but it is, * a sincere endeavour to perform [Page 84] whatsoever God enables us; * an unfeigned Obedi­ence to the whole Gospel of Christ: and * a hearty bewailing of our own in­firmities, as often as we come short of it; with * a real▪ desire, and * true endeavour of doing better for the future.

8. To enter on a mi­nute consideration of this would engage me to lay before you a Summary of the whole Gospel of Christ: But, Madam, this were to exceed the limits of my design, & you have [Page 85] abundant assistances for this Knowledge, in those excellent books which you have chosen for the companions of your Tra­vels. Only because cer­tain it is that the very best of us come short of our duty, and stand in need of God's pardon, and forgiveness; I will briefly lay before you the method you are to take to obtain this, in the particular consideration of those two great duties of Faith and Repentance.

I THOUGHT, Madam, here to have en­ded your trouble, and referr'd my self [...] what may concern your far­ther practice, to those excellent and useful [Page 116] Treatises you have so wisely provided for that purpose; But they speak in general, and though I know the care you take to apply them to your self, yet I cannot but beg leave to add two or three considera­tions that may more im­mediately be accommo­dated to your particu­lar circumstances.

First, That you duely implore the blessings of Heaven by your constant Prayers to God Almighty

[Page 117] I NEED not tell you that you have * many wants to be supplied, * many blessings to re­ceive, * many sins to be forgiven, and that there is nothing can obtain all these for you but your prayers▪ or were you so all-sufficient as not to need the influences of Providence to support you, yet would sure every day bring to your remembrance slips and infirmities to be con­fess'd to him, to be sure blessings and mercies to [Page 118] be gratefully acknow­ledged, in a perpetual return of praises and thanksgivings to the great Donor. Upon all which accounts there can never be any pretence for your neglect of that duty, which so many continual engage­ments oblige you to.

2. LET me to this, add the great assistance it will afford you in the performance of all the rest of your duty; whilst thus you have your conversation in [Page 119] Heaven, all the little goods here below will seem poor and inconsiderable in your sight;Phil. 3. 20. this will strengthen your patience in bearing your calami­ties, whilst with faith you contemplate the glo­rious end to which they lead; It will raise in your Soul the greatest care of fulfilling the divine will, lest you lose so excellent a re­ward; in a word; this exercise will call down the favour of Heaven upon you, either to re­move [Page 120] those afflictions you now labour under, from you, or you from them; will bring you peace, and comfort, and satisfaction in this life, and an everlasting peace and repose in the next.

3. IT has been the great discouragement of some Christians in the exercise of this duty, that they do not find these great Benefits of their devotion: That they are told indeed of the mighty influences of prayer: and have read [Page 121] how that by it Joshua changed the order of nature, and made the Sun stand still in the midst of the Firmament; Elias tied up the Windows of Hea­ven that it rai­ned not for three whole years in Is­rael; Josh. 10. 12. 1 Kings 17. Hezekias added fifteen years to his life; 2 Kings 20. 6. The Apo­stles gave feet to the Lame, Eyes to the Blind; and even life to the Dead; But themselves are so far from working such miracles, that they [Page 122] cannot so much as ob­tain the supply of those ordinary wants they very often labour un­der.

4. BUT, Madam, we must not for all this think either that the Arm of the Lord is shortned, that he can­not, or his will alter'd that he should not hear us, as well as he did them; indeed for such miraculous effects, we have now no longer need of them, and it would therefore be a [Page 123] fond presumption in us to expect them; But for the rest there are two considerations which Men would do well to reflect on before they charge God foolishly.

1. WHETHER we do not very often receive the benefit of our pray­ers, when yet ungrate­fully we charge Heaven with denying our Peti­tions.

2. IF our Requests are really deny'd, whe­ther the fault do's not [Page 124] ly at our own doors that they are so.

5. FOR the former of these we may very easily be mistaken, and I doubt very often are so: Did we indeed per­fectly know the state of our own condition, and what was most pro­per and convenient for us, we might then have some reason to conclude our Prayers were not heard, if our desires were not answered: But now that such is our igno­rance that though we [Page 125] are sensible enough of the evils that lie upon us, yet we cannot say either whether they are fit to be removed at all; or when, or by what means; or for what state; we ought to be very wary in our thoughts of God's Pro­vidence, and not rashly pronounce what we can never be sure of▪

6. SHOULD you now, for instance, your self, Madam, pray to God for a recovery from this sickness; how rash [Page 126] would it be to accuse God of not hearing your Prayers, because you found your Disease to continue still? * It may be he sees it has not yet perfectly wrought in you all those good effects he intends; That if you should at this time recover your health, it might occasion your return to the sins and follies of your age. * It may be he intends yet longer to prove your vertue, that so he may afterwards more plente­ously reward it; * Per­haps [Page 127] he punishes your sins by it in this Life, that he may spare you in the next. Now if these or the like are the causes of your af­fliction, certainly you could not have a great­er injury done you, than the removing of your distemper: and those Prayers you make for a recovery are to be lookt upon as best heard by God, and best answer'd for you, if they move him to a longer conti­nuance of your sickness. Again: * Though God [Page 128] does not answer your requests in the very re­moval of your distem­per; it may be yet he shews their efficacy in supporting you with strength and patience to bear it; Infinite are the methods of his Provi­dence, and impossible it is for us to trace them all, and though we are not able to point out the very mer­cy which our devotion has obtained, yet this God has promised, and we must therefore firm­ly believe and rely up­on [Page 129] it, That if we ask, we shall, we do, receive.

7. BUT here my o­ther consideration must come in, St. James, speak­ing of the ineffectualness of some mens Devotion, tells them, Ye ask, and re­ceive not, because ye ask amiss; James 4. 3. and that I fear is too often our condition; And there­fore that you may be able both to know and avoid this, I will beg leave, Madam, to give you only a short Catalogue of what qualifications seem to [Page 130] me more immediately re­quisite to render your Devotion prevalent.

1. TAKE heed that the things you desire be such as are fit for God to give, and you to receive; Let not any instances of sin defile your requests; and even in the most in­nocent matters, rather beg in general the bles­sings of God which he knows requisite, whe­ther for your Soul or Bo­dy, than descend too much to the particulars your self, and prescribe [Page 131] to him, who so little understand your own wants.

Secondly BEFORE you pray, clear your Soul from all those sins which you know displeasing to God Almighty; for till that be done he regards you as his Enemy; and you can­not therefore expect that he should reward you as his servant.

Thirdly PREPARE your Soul with all those necessary Graces that are more immediately requi­site [Page 132] to this performance: with Humility and Resig­nation; with Faith in his power and Hope of his mercy, with Love and Charity towards God and towards your Neigh­bour; All which will infinitely dispose him to give, and prepare you to receive.

Fourthly, WHEN you pray, let it be with at­tention, with fervency, with perseverance; To which end I should think it better that your pray­ers were short and fre­quent, [Page 133] than over long; which only make them tedious and uneasie to you in your present state, but never the more ac­ceptable to God; who delights not in mens words, but requires their hearts; and hears the shortest ejaculation, as certainly as the longest prayer.

Fifthly, IN a word: Having pray'd, leave the issue contentedly in his hands: Let it satisfy you that you have his promise for your security, and [Page 134] that if thus you make your requests to him, you shall sooner or later most cer­tainly find that your labour has not been in vain, 1 Cor. 15. 58. in the Lord.

A SECOND duty, that I must more particu­larly recommend to you is Charity:

A GRACE That has more promises annext to it than any other moral or theological vertue, St. Paul prefers it even to Faith it self, 1 Cor. 13. [Page 135] And could we have every other vertue which the Gospel enjoyns in the highest perfection, yet he plainly assures us that without this, they would all avail us nothing.

2. CHARITY taken in its largest extent is no­thing else but, The sincere Love of God and our Neighbour: The former of these requires not only your highest esteem of him, your desires of go­ing to him, and filling your self with his good­ness; but also a sincere [Page 136] endeavour to please and obey him, to fulfill his commands, and hate all those things that he dis­likes, and may any way set you at enmity with him.

3. THE latter enga­ges you to a universal love of all Men, even your very Enemies; to retain no malice nor ha­tred against any; to be ready to do them all the kindness you are able, by reproving the Vicious, instructing the ignorant, relieving the poor; for [Page 137] all which, you have the peculiar promise of God for your engagement; and shall receive the par­don of your sins, and everlasting glory for your Reward.

I MUST now hasten to a conclusion, and there­fore will presume to add only this one caution more,

I THIRDLY, that you would take an especial care how you employ your time.

[Page 138] IT is not, Madam, for me to divine what op­portunities you may have for this, nor can I there­fore advise you any thing in particular: Only let me beg you to lose no occasion of doing all the good you can; which whatever the issue of your present sickness be, is to be sure your duty, and shall prove your bles­sing either in this World or another.

[Page 139] 2. I NEED not desire you to spend the hours you may have for your friends and your diversion innocently, but if I may presume to speak my thoughts in a matter of no great importance, I should perswade you not only to do this, but even to deny your self somewhat of that full liberty which others do usually allow themselves; the Wise man has told us, that Mirth is not proper in the time of sorrow; since it has pleased God to lay his [Page 140] inflictions upon you, You ought so far (I had al­most said in civility to him) to comply with your circumstances, as to be a little more reser­ved than otherwise were needful, and though not to fly▪ to the other extreme (which, I rather ought to disswade you from) yet to keep in such a tem­per, as may both speak you sensible, as you ought, of your condition, and yet not discontented at God's dispensations.

[Page 141] 3. BUT, Madam, what­ever your employs be, let no day pass without some time to retire into your self, and either by reading, meditating, or some other pious exercise to feed your zeal, and confirm your devotion.

4. LASTLY, in your most busy occupations, when you are never so much taken up with o­ther affairs, yet steal now and then a minute to the thoughts of Heaven, send up an Ejaculation to the [Page 142] God of your Salvation; This is a piece of thrift that by frequent exercise will do you much good, and yet never injure any other business. Augustus Caesar is highly commen­ded by the ancient Poet, that in the midst of his most troublesome occu­pations he could still find time to look up to Hea­ven, and consider the frame, and contemplate the parts and motions of it. How much more should we always be at leisure to reflect on him that framed both [Page 143] that and us; to whose Providence we owe every minute of our lives, and whom therefore we ought, above all other things, incessantly to praise for his unspeaka­ble Mercies.