A short PRAYER and MEDITATION for a Christian, who prepares himself for Death, by relying on the Mercy of God the Father.

God and Creator, I perceive by the Symptoms of

M Death, that my Departure is at hand, and I am

Summoned to appear before thy dreadful Tribunal. The Remembrance of my former heinous Sins, cannot but terrify me, when I view myself, Dust and Afbes, and thine infinite Being and divine Perfections : When I compare my Weakness and Guilt with thy superlative Excellency and Holiness; how can I, who am but as Straw and Stubble, Stand before a consuming Fire. If I should see thee, O my God! upon thy glorious Throne Surrounded with Millions of immortal Spirits, armed with Thunderbolts, and encompassed with Flames of Fire, like to those of Mount Sinai, I should not only tremble for Fear, but fall into Despair, and fly from thee, as my first Parent, or as Mofes and Ifaiah, be dismayed and deplore my unclean Nature, not fit to draw near so holy a God. But O merciful Father! thy glorious Presence is not without fome Tokens of Mercy. I see a Rainbow round about thy Throne, an Assurance of my Peace and Reconciliation. I dare therefore draw near the Throne of thy Grace, from whence thou reachest to me the Sceptre of thine infinite Goodness, and speakest to me in a Language full of Love and Compassion to comfort me, to revive my drooping Spirits, and fill me full of Hope, and Confidence of my future Happiness and Salvation. Since therefore I see about thee, O my God! no such terrible Mark of thy Wrath, I will no longer yield to the Spirit of Bondage, that inclines to Fear; but will be persuaded by the Spirit of Adoption, to cry unto thee, Abba, Father. For I am thy Child and Co-heir with thy blessed Son, who hath reconciled me to thee by the Blood of his Cross, when I Stood ftood as an Enemy at a Distance. But now that I am so nearly related to thee, wilt thou refuse me mine Inheritance, purchased for me by my Christ? O heavenly Father! I know my Offences are heinous; and if thou didst treat me with Severity and Justice, I should expect nothing but the eternal Flames. But I am afsured thou dost not delight in the Death of Sinners, and haft promised to accept of my penitent Tears and Amendment. And the my Sins be many and grievous; O let thy Grace and Mercy be magnified in the Pardon of them. I am perSuaded, that thy Compassion will receive and embrace me, as a Father his afflicted Child, and put far from thee mine Offences. Return then unto thy Rest, O my Soul! for the Lord is gracious unto thee, and is ready to admit thee into his eternal Kingdom. I understand therefore Death's Summons to be the Voice of my Lord and Father, who calls and commands me to come unto him. I will follow the Example of the prodigal Son, and Speak in his Language; Father, I have finned againft Heaven, and against thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son. I confess, O my God! that thou hast not been Sparing of thy manifold Blessings to me, but I have not employed them as I ought to thy Honour and Glory. The Temptations of the World have too much prevailed upon me, and my wicked Inclinations have drawn me away from thy Service, to gratify the Corruption of my Nature. In this finful State that I am in, I fly to thee for Mercy and Pardon. Have Compassion on me, my heavenly Father, whose Tenderness for me, far exceeds that of the most tender-hearted Parents. I am fully persuaded, that thou wilt not reject me, but art ready to embrace and meet me on the Way, as the Father of the prodigal Son. O unparallell'd Love! O infinite Goodness and Condescenfion! I am confident to find in thee, my God, and to be a Partaker of it! I doubt not but that thou wilt quiet my troubled Spirit with a gracious Reception, cloathe me with the Robe of thy Righteousness, and entertain me in thy glorious Palace, where I shall be admitted to folemnize the Marriage of the Lamb, designed as an Offering from

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the Foundation of the World, in the happy Society of Angels and immortal Spirits, where we shall glorify thee, and be everlasting Monuments of thine infinite Goodness and Mercy. O admirable Wisdom in disposing of thine Elect! We were loft Creatures, but we shall be all found in God. We were dead in our Sins; but by Death, which we had drawn upon ourselves, we shall return to Life. We are cast into the most miserable State, but thereby we shall attain and be advanced to the highest Felicity. O my God! I recommend unto thee my Soul as to a faithful Creator. Heavenly Father, unto thy Hands I remit my Spirit. Amen.

CHAP. XV.

The Third Consolation against the Fears of Death, is to meditate continually on the Death and Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to trust upon the Merits of his Cross.

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F we defire to die with a peaceable and quiet Mind, we must always meditate on the Death and Sufferings of our Lord Jesus Chrift, and reft upon the Merits of his Crofs. For the Death of this Prince of Life is the Model of ours, and the Fountain of Comforts and Joys of a believing Soul.

1. By loooking upon this perfect Example, the Wonder of Men and Angels, we learn to endure, with an holy Resolution and Patience, all the Evils and Pains that attend upon Death, Luke 22. For tho' our Saviour's Torments were excessive, so that his Soul was forrowful unto Death, tho' there issued out of his innocent Body a bloody Sweat, from the Violence of his Grief; yet out of his Mouth came not forth the least Sign of Repining or Impatience, Ifa. 53. He was led to the Slaughter as a Lamb, and as a Sheep before the Shearers is dumb.

2. From hence we learn, that the last Hours of our

Life, must be employed in fervent and continual Prayers to God, fince this beloved of the Father offers to him at such a Time his Prayers and Supplications, with strong Crying, and a Flood of Tears, as to him who was able to deliver him from Death, Heb. 5. In the Bosom of this heavenly Father he poureth out all his Grief, and three Times he presents this Request, Father, if this Cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it, &c.

3. We learn alfo to present ourselves before God's Divine Majefty with Humility, and to resign ourselves wholly to his adorable Providence; he who thought it no Robbery to be equal with God, he whom the Millions of Angels and Seraphims worship continually, judg'd it no Disgrace to himself to fall upon his Knees three Times to the Ground, and submit his Will to that of his heavenly Father. For after that he had faid, Father, if it be possible, let this Cup pass away from me, he adds these Words, Nevertheless, O Father, not as I will, but as thou wilt, Matth. 26.

4. If at the Time of our Death, an excessive Sorrow, or a malignant Humour seize upon our Minds, and hinder us from seeing the Heavens open, or God who stretcheth out his Arms to receive us into his Reft; let us remember, that this merciful Lord speaks to us, as he did to his three Apostles, who slept when he was in his Agony, Cannot you watch one Hour with me? Matth. 26. My dear Children, 'tis no Time to fall afleep with the foolish Virgins, trim your Lamps, put on the Garments of Light, to meet your Celeftial Bridegroom, and to enter with him into the Marriage-Chamber, Matth. 25.

5. God requires that we should do as much Good at all Times to our Friends as we are able, and to express the Sincerity of our Affections to those to whom Nature and Religion have caused us to be related. But chiefly at the Hour of Death we are more bound to this Religious Duty. Therefore Jesus Chrift hath

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shewn us an Excellent Example; for when he was nailed to the Cross, and ready to breathe forth his Soul into the Hands of his Heavenly Father, he took Care of his Holy and Blessed Mother, saying to his beloved Difciple, My Son, behold thy Mother, and to her, Woman, behold thy Son.

6. We ought to do Good, and shew Kindness not only to our Friends, but also forgive our greatest Enemies, such as are the most enraged against us. For by this means we shall follow the blessed Footsteps of our gracious Saviour; for he had Compaffion upon them that crucified him and mocked him. Father, faid he, forgive them, for they know not what they do.

7. By the Cross of Jesus Chrift, we learn to put our Trust in the Goodness of God in our sharpeft Pains, and to embrace him as our most loving Father and Redeemer, at that Instant when he seems to discover to us a fevere Countenance, full of Wrath. For this eternal Son of God, in his most violent Tortures, when his Heavenly Father withdrew from him his Aid and Assistance, and with-held the Effects of his Grace, the Expressions of his Love, and the Comforts of his Divine Spirit; yet he looked upon him as his God, and prays to him with an holy Afsurance, repeating these Words, My God! My God!

8. If we will die willingly, and leave these infirm Bodies with a joyful Mind, when the Time is come, that we must go to the Father of Spirits, we ought to remember with what Resolution our Lord and Saviour Jesus Chrift prepar'd himself for Death, and how willingly he commended his innocent Soul into the Hands of God his Father, when he required it. No Man taketh my Life away from me, but I lay it down of my self; I have Power to lay it down, and I have Power to take it again; this Commandment have I received of my Father, John 10. Heb. 10. This caused him to speak in this manner, Here I am, O God, to do thy Will, Luk.23.Therefore, when he gave up the Ghost, he cried with a loud Voice, to shew that his precious Soul was not taken from