A MANUAL FOR THE SICK. BY EDWARD BURBIDGE, M.A. Author of "The Parish Priest's Book," PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE TRACT COMMITTEE. LONDON: LIBLIOTHECA JUL 1881 GODLEIANAY SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE. 43 QUEEN VICTORIA STREET; AND 48 PICCADILLY. PREFACE. WE are all subject to sickness, and we all need to prepare for our departure. دو What we want is to gain such "Peace with God as will give us confidence to meet the unknown future. And this Peace is within our reach, because our Saviour Jesus Christ came to make Peace for us. And He left His Peace as His legacy with His Church. Now Sickness comes as a great opportunity for gaining definite teaching about our Lord's work, because of the enforced leisure which it brings to people, whose lives are generally too fully occupied with the affairs of this world for them to find time for careful study of holy things. And experience proves that at no time is the value of such teaching more apparent than in sickness, because it is found to be the true antidote to religious depression, as well as to spiritual pride and undue assurance. By the old paths of Repentance and Faith the Saints of every age have found this Peace. And we may follow them if we set ourselves, by God's help, to make our Repentance real, and to gain that simple Faith which rests on the Words of God as being literally and exactly true. We cannot do these things by ourselves. But God works if we work. God gives grace if we seek it. Wherefore S. Paul says, "Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure." May God bless the words of this little book to all those who are seeking Peace with Him; and help them to avoid the self-deception which cries "Peace, peace," when there is no peace; and lead them to that true Peace "which passeth all understanding." BACKWELL, 1880. |