[from the calumnies and aggravation of sins by devils.]

I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes nevertheless, thou heardst the voice of my supplication when I cried unto thee.

O love the Lord, all ye his saints, for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plenteously rewardeth the proud doer.

Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

I WILL praise thee, O Lord, that thou hast considered my low estate, and hast not shut me up in the hands of mine enemies, nor made my foes to rejoice over me: and now let thy right hand protect me, and let thy mercy come upon me; for my soul is in trouble and anguish because of the apprehension of its departure from the body. O let not the assemblies of its wicked and cruel enemies meet it in the passing forth, nor condemn me by reason of the sins of my passed life. O Lord, be favourable unto me, that my soul may not behold the hellish countenance of the spirits of darkness, but let thy bright and joyful angels entertain it. Give glory to thy holy Name and to thy Majesty: place me, by thy merciful arm, before thy seat of Judgment, and let not the hand of the prince of this world snatch me from thy presence, or bear me into hell. Mercy, gracious Redeemer. Amen.

POL

POLLUTED with sins and devoid of good deeds, I that am the food of worms cry, vehemently, in spirit: Cast not me wretch away from thy face; place me not on the left hand, who with thy hands didst fashion me; but give rest unto my soul, for thy great mercies sake, O Lord.

Supplicate with tears unto Christ, who is to judge my poor soul, that he will deliver me from the fire that is unquenchable. May my friends and acquaintance make mention of me in their prayers, that, in the day of Judgment, I may find mercy at that dreadful Tribunal.

When, in unspeakable glory, thou dost come, dreadfully, to judge the whole world, vouchsafe, O gracious Redeemer, that I, thy unworthy servant, may in the clouds meet thee cheerfully. They who have been dead from the beginning, with terrible and fearful trembling, stand at thy Tribunal, waiting thy just sentence, O blessed Saviour Jesus. None shall there avoid thy formidable and most righteous Judgment. All kings and princes, with servants, stand together, and hear the dreadful voice of the Judge condemning the people which have sinned into hell from which sad sentence, blessed Redeemer, deliver thy servant. Amen,

Lord,

Lord, lay no more upon thy servant afflicted with thine hand, than Thou wilt enable me to bear. Give me patience in my sorrows, and comfort`in this my sickness: Thou knowest all my necessities, and all mine infirmities; fortify my spirit with spiritual joys, and perfect resignation. Let thy Grace draw from my soul every root of bitterness; and take from me all inordinate affections to this world. Enlarge my heart with faith, and hope, and trust in Thee. For the merits of my Saviour pardon my sins, and bury them in the grave of Jesus, that they may never rise up in judgment against me, nor bring me to shame and confusion of face. Let thy mercy, O God, descend upon my body and ny soul. Restore me to health, if it seem good to Thee. But if Thou hast otherwise determined, Oh! let my soul, when Thou shalt call it from the prison of the body, be presented unto Thee blameless and entirely pardoned, washed, sanctified, justified, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Support against Despair in Sickness.

MANY good men, especially such who have tender consciences, many times over-act their tenderness, and turn their caution into scruple, and care of their duty into enquiries after the event, and askings after the counsels of God, and the sentences of the day of Judgment.

He

He that asks of the standers-by, or of the minister, whether they think he shall be saved or damned, is to be answered with the words of pity and reproof. Seek not after new light for the searching into the privatest records of God: look as much as you list into the pages of Revelation, for they concern your duty; but the event is registered in Heaven; pardon of sins in the Old Testament was nothing but removing the punishment, which then was temporal; and therefore many times they could tell if their sins were pardoned. But, in the Gospel, pardon of sin is another thing; pardon of sins is a sanctification; Christ came to take away our sins by turning every one of us from our iniquities; and there is not in the nature of the thing any expectation of pardon, or sign or signification of it, but so far as the thing itself discovers itself. As we hate sin, and grow in Grace; in the same degree we are to judge concerning the forgiveness of sins. Forgiveness of sins is not a secret sentence, a word or a record; but it is a state of change, and effected upon us; and upon ourselves we are to look for it, to read it and understand it. There are very many reasons why men ought not to despair; and there are not very many men that ever go beyond a hope, till they pass into possession. If our fears have any mixture of hope, that is enough to enable and excite us to our duty; and if we have a strong hope, when we reflect, we shall find reason enough to have many fears. The fearing man is the safest, and if he fears on his death-bed, it is but what happens to most considering men, and

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and what was to be looked for all his life-time: he talked of the terrors of death, and death is the king of terrors; and, therefore, it is no strange thing if then he be, indeed, afraid; if he be not, it is either a great felicity, or a great presumption. But if he wants some degree of comfort, or a greater degree of hope, let him be refreshed by considering,

That Christ came into the world to save sinners. -That God delights not in the confusion and death of sinners. That in Heaven there is great joy at the conversion of a sinner.-That Christ is a perpetual advocate, daily interceding with his Father for our pardon.-That God prays us to be in charity with him, and to, be forgiven.-That he sends Angels to keep us from violence and evil company, from temptations and surprises, and his holy Spirit to guide us in holy ways, and his servants to warn us and remind us perpetually; and therefore, since certainly he is so desirous to save us, it is not likely that he will condemn us without great provocations of his Majesty.-That the Covenant of the Gospel is a Covenant of Grace and of repentance, and being established with so many great solemnities and miracles from Heaven, must signify a wonderful favor, and a mighty change of things; and therefore, that repentance hath a great latitude of signification and large extension of parts, under the protection of all which, persons are safe, even when they fear exceedingly.-That there are great degrees and differences of glory in Heaven; and therefore, if we estimate our piety by proportions

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