too great Love of this Life SOME there are who afflict themselves too much at the approach of Death through an over-great fondness of this Life the grief they conceive of parting with it being such that they cannot submit themselves to the Pleasure of God but die much against their Wills Which ill disposition produces in the Heart of a Sick Person these three dismal Effects I. That by how much the greater his reluctance is so much the more he is troubled and confounded with the apprehension of Death according to the Son of Sirach's Saying O Death how bitter is the remembrance of thee to a man that liveth at rest in his possessions II. That by this Reluctance of his he not only deprives himself of the Comfort he would receive from his voluntary Resignation to Death but runs a great risque of offending God III. That he does not prepare himself as he ought for Death nor can resolve to think of his Eternal State And the Condition of such a One is so much the more deplorable in regard no body dares speak to him of Dying But on the contrary they are apt to turn their Discourse upon the hopes of his Recovery for the sake of entertaining him in an agreeable idea though in the end most pernicious to him by reason of its diverting him from the thoughts of his Salvation As therefore they tender his Eternal Welfare let both the Minister and his Friends take heed that he be not thus dallied with when his Condition is become dangerous but that he be in a prudent manner apprised of the same to the end he may examine the State of his Soul making him sensible that his Preparation for Death will be no impediment to his Recovery if it pleases God to spare him longer in this Life But if he cannot resolve to die let the Minister endeavour to bring his mind over by Arguments Examples and Words in Form of Ejuculatory Prayers First By Arguments which the Minister is to ground as much as he can on the Holy Scripture to the end they may be not only in themselves the stronger but of more Authority and Force with the Patient For Example he shall with St. Paul tell him That it is appointed for all Men once to die That on this condition it is we are born and wherein no distinction is made between Princes and Subjects That we all die soon or late and flow like the Waters into the Bowels of the Earth yea we are like Water that is spilt on the ground from whence it cannot be gathered up He shall also represent to him that though he should recover his Health he may in a little time relapse again and not have the means he now has for his Preparation That he ought to look upon himself as a Pilgrim travelling through this World as through strange Regions in his Way to Heaven which is his Native Country That he should consider the many Tokens God has given him of his Love and that which he at present gives him in assisting him with his Grace That God now calls him to Himself in order to the making him happy and that a longer Life here might be ruinous to him by the snares and inticements of this Sinful World That Death is not terrible to the Righteous but meerly a Passage to Eternal Glory And better is the day of our Death than that of our Birth forasmuch as we are born to die and do only die to live forever In short That Christ assures us in his Gospel that whosoever believes in him shall have Everlasting Life and that his Death shall be but the beginning of his Eternal Happiness Moreover let the Patient be induced to reflect on the Miseries of this present Life Let him as much as he is able call to mind the whole Course of his Life from his Infancy to this very moment and consider before God whether he has pass'd one day of it without affliction That we are to expect here nothing but Sufferrings God having set us in this World as in a Valley of Tears to live in a constant State of Penitence That therefore we ought not to be grieved when God is pleased to remove us from the Place of our Exile into our own Country and far from wishing our selves Citizens of this World we should with St. Paul remember that here we have no continuing City but are to look for one that is to come which will abide for ever Let him further consider that being now under the Gospel we should be so much the more desirous to die because Jesus Christ has by his Merits open'd Heaven to us That Death is both the End of a false and perishable Life and the Entrance into a Happy and Eternal State That God is not the God of the Dead but of the Living That a Christian ought to raise himself above the things of this World and solely to fix his Thoughts and Hopes upon his Saviour That this Life is a continual Warfare with our Lusts and Passions and Death the welcome End of this War and Beginning of our Rest That the Spirit of God declares those and those only to be happy that die in his Grace because they are going to enjoy an Everlasting Peace In a word let the Minister omit nothing that may conduce to the perswading him to receive his Death with Submission making him sensible that how averse soever he be to it yet die he must and that since neither Life nor Death are within his power or disposal he can never be at rest till he submits himself with all humility and resignation to the Will and Pleasure of Almighty God Secondly The Minister may perswade the Sick Person to a willingness to die by laying before him several Examples of this kind carrying force and authority with them and in the first place that of Christ himself who in the Garden of Olives foreseeing the Torments that were waiting for Him at Jerusalem was seized with fear and pray'd to the Father to deliver Him therefrom but immediately after submitting himself to Him added these Words Not as I will but as Thou wilt That he ought to imitate this Sacred Model of Self-resignation by a free Offering of his Life to God notwithstanding the terror he has of Death and all the reluctances of Nature thereto Let him also be put in mind of David who finding himself over-whelm'd with the Miseries of this present Life us'd frequently to cry out to God in terms like these Wo is me that I am constrained to dwell with Mesech and to have my Habitation among the Tents of Kedar My soul has long dwelt with them that hate peace Many are my Persecutors and mine Enemies Consider my affliction and deliver me I long for thy Salvation O Lord Whereto he may add the words of St. Paul O wretched Man that I am Who shall delive me from this body of Death I ardently desire to be dissolved that I may
forever live with Christ who is my Life And these of the Wise Son of Sirach Fear not the Sentence of Death Remember them that have been before thee and that come after For this is the Sentence of the Lord over all flesh And why art thou against the pleasure of the most High There is no inquisition in the grave whether thou hast liv'd ten or an hundred or a thousand years Let him represent to him St. Hilarion surpris'd by Thieves who with Sword in Hand are just going to murther him when astonish'd to see him so unconcern'd and asking him why he fear'd not Death 'T is answered he because I have been a long time preparing my self for it He may also observe to him the Words of St. Cyprian who says that such only ought to fear Death as lack Faith and have no Hope of reigning with Christ To all which the Minister may superad divers Examples and Sayings of other Saints and Martyrs who have wish'd and long'd for their Dissolution whereby to pacifie and calm the trouble with which the Sick Person 's mind is disturbed Thirdly The last means we propos'd for removing the Patient's Fear of Death is by Ejaculatory Prayers the Minister teaching and assisting him to say after this manner O my God! I feel the horrors of Death upon me but as much as in me lies I sacrifice them to Thee and am ready to die if it be thy Pleasure I humbly submit my will to Thine O Lord who hast created me preserved me and by a special Grace caused me to be born within thy Church to the end I might be saved What reward shall I give unto Thee for all these Benefits I will receive at Thy Hand this Cup of my Death which Thou presentest to me I take it O my God with all my heart in testimony of my Love and Submission to Thee If Thou O Lord hast so decreed it notwithstanding my natural reluctance thereto I am most ready and willing to die hoping my Death will through thine infinite Goodness be follow'd by Eternal Rest O Father of Mercy and God of all Comfort I thank Thee that I am now come to my last hour which will put an end to all my Sins I thank Thee especially that Thou hast been pleas'd to afford me time to prepare my self for Death O help Thou me in my troubles and anguishes Strengthen my Soul that stands surrounded with the dangers of Hell Support my weakness and be my strong Defence against Satan that so I may die in Thy Favour and Love I know that my Redeemer lives and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the Earth And though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my flesh will I see God Whom I shall see for my self and mine Eyes shall behold and not another Lord I beseech Thee encrease my Faith and Confidence in Thee and comfort thou me in all my Afflictions Thus may the Minister entertain the Sick Person in devout Meditations and Prayers making use also of such other Words and Sentences as he shall judge proper for the raising his Soul and fixing his Thoughts and Desires upon God CHAP. X. What is to be said to a Sick Person whose unwillingness to die proceeds from an excessive Love for the Things of this World OThers there are who are very loath to think of Death not so much like those mentioned in the preceding Chapter from an over-fondness of Life it self as a difficulty of quitting some particular Things and Circumstances attending it such as Riches and Honours and Pleasures and above all the Persons they most dearly love their Wives and Children c. On which last account the Poor Man's Case claims our greatest pity and attention For whilst his heart is fill'd with grief and anxious thoughts what will become of his distressed Family the Devil ne're fails to lay hold on this Occasion to divert his Mind from the Business of his Salvation If therefore the Minister find this to be the Condition of the Patient having first exhorted those that are present humbly to implore Almighty God to allay his Disquiets and render his Mind free and composed to the end he may think of nothing but Eternity let him make use of the following Means for comforting him And in the First place let him cause all such Persons to withdraw whether Wife or Children or others whose presence may attract the Patient's Affection to this World and keep up those melancholy thoughts he is in taking care to prevent as much as possible his being spoken to about them further than he shall think of absolute necessity with regard to their future Settlement After which he may proceed to inform him that this Disquiet of his is not only useless both to himself and Family but most prejudicial to his Soul in that it obstructs its due Preparation for Death That the Poverty under which he leaves his Family is an Evil that soon or late will have an end but the Torments of the other World have none and that therefore in these last moments of his Life he ought to entertain no other thoughts but how to avoid his own Eternal Misery That his Family is under the Conduct of the Divine Providence that loves them and will watch over them and bestow on them Temporal Goods sufficient perhaps too great a measure thereof so that instead of afflicting himself with the Consideration of the sad Condition he leaves them in he ought on the contrary to rejoyce in God and to lift up his Heart and Mind to Him and to beg his Grace to forget and reject whatever respects not his Everlasting Salvation with full perswasion that God to whom he is to recommend his Wife and Children as Christ when ready to die did his Disciples will be their Protector and Helper and Defender who being also more their Father than he himself is of his own Children and governing all things both in Heaven and on Earth by his Almighty Providence will supply them with whatsoever is necessary as well for their Bodies as their Souls This Trust and Confidence the Minister shall say to him will be more available to the good of your Family then all the disquieting thoughts you can entertain about them For God is Merciful and will grant us every thing we ask according to his Will Moreover remember that he who undertakes a long Journey should not carry ought about him that is combersom You are setting-out upon your Journey to Eternity and may within a little time appear before the Tribunal of God Take upon you therefore no such unnecessary Burden as that of the care of your Wife and Children Peradventure they have been the cause of your committing many Sins in the course of your Life Beware they be not that of your undoing now Disburthen your heart of this heavy Load that so it may be able to raise it self up to God and savour nothing but things Eternal Consider
dies in impenitence though formerly he may have led a Righteous Life must expect to be adjudg'd to Everlasting Flames Yet let the Minister as is said before take care not to affright the Patient especially if he be naturally timorous but rather increase and support his Contrition by laying before him God's Mercies and Goodness in the order both of Nature and Grace shewing him what great Love He had for him in not sparing his only begotten Son but delivering him up to the Death of the Cross for the Redemption of him and all penitent Sinners What Glory He has prepar'd for him in Heaven How good and gracious He is and worthy of our Love and Praise who has both made him out of nothing and adopted him in his Son and our Redeemer Christ Jesus And so the Minister shall continue with an affectionate tenderness to represent to him that this is that Good God he has offended by his manifold Sins and for which therefore he ought sensibly to be afflicted and heartily repent Which having said the Minister may here make a pause and give the Sick Person time to reflect upon what he has now spoken so as he may be excited to Contrition And then he shall raise his Hope again and animate his Love by telling him that the same God forgives him all his Sins who in his infinite Mercy waited for his Repentance and has promised by his Prophet that at what time soever the Sinner shall return to Him He will pardon his iniquities and remember them no more That his Saviour has his Arms stretched out upon the Cross ready to embrace him and put him into the possession of Heaven which He has purchased for him with his Precious Blood After this let the Minister exhort him to say both with Heart and Mouth as the Publican in the Gospel Lord have mercy upon me a poor Sinner And with David Lord forgive me all my Sins Have mercy upon me O Lord according to thy great Goodness according to the multitude of thy Mercies do away mine Offences Wash me throughly from my Wickedness and cleanse me from my Sin O turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me for I am desolate and in misery Against Thee O my God! have I sinn'd and done evil in thy sight And if thou Lord wilt be extream to mark what I have done amiss I cannot abide it O enter not into Judgment with thy Servant for in thy sight shall no man living be justified My soul cleaves unto the dust O quicken thou me according to thy Word I am full of heaviness because I have offended thee My Soul also is sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou punish me O be thou merciful unto me and help me for I put my trust in Thee Remember not O Lord the Sins and Offences of my Youth but according to thy mercy think thou upon me Turn thy face from my Sins and put out all my misdeeds O let me hear of joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Make me a clean heart O God and renew a right spirit withinme Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me O give me the comfort of thy help again and stablish me with thy free Spirit Lord I am thine O save me and deliver me Shew the light of thy countenance upon me Make hast to help me O Lord Thou art my Helper and my Redeemer O Lord make no long tarrying Cast me not away in this time of distress forsake me not now my strength fails me but draw nigh unto my soul and save it for thy mercies sake Bow down thine Ear O Lord and hear me for I am poor and in misery Be merciful unto me O Lord for my spirit waxeth faint Comfort the soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul For thou Lord art good and gracious and of great mercy unto all them that call upon thee Give ear Lord unto my Prayer and ponder the voice of my humble desires In the time of my trouble I will call upon Thee for Thou hearest me Teach me thy way O Lord and I will walk in thy Truth O knit my heart unto Thee that I may fear thy Name Lord Thou knowest all my desire and my groaning is not hid from Thee My heart panteth my strength has failed me and the sight of my Eyes is gone from me There is no health in my flâ—sh because of thy displeasure neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my Sin Take thy plague away from me I am even consumed by the means of thy heavy hand O hide not thou thy face from me nor cast thy Servant away in displeasure Thou hast been my succour leave me not neither forsake me O God of my Salvation Hear my prayer O Lord and with thine ears consider my calling Hold not thy peace at my tears For thy hand is heavy upon me day and night and my moisture is like the drought in summer O spare me a little that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more seen These Divine Sentences or some of them or the like with which the Book of Psalms is abounding the Minister may use according as he shall judge most proper and suitable to the Capacity of the Sick Person and the Condition he shall find him in to the end he may still keep him in a state of Contrition and remove from his heart all inclinations to Sin But as we have intimated before let him take great care that this Contrition of his be not imperfect and grounded only upon fear of Punishment but be excited and supported by a true Love of God and perfect Charity towards all Men. And when the Minister shall perceive the Patient to be thus throughly affected with the sense of his Sins and to express a hearty Sorrow for them and fervent Love towards his offended Creator let him for his Comfort declare to him In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost that upon his sincere Repentance all his Sins are done away and will never more be remembred That the Gracious and Merciful God has passed by and forgiven his Iniquities and Transgressions has now received him into his Favour and will shortly admit him into the Company of his Holy Angels and Blessed Saints That He will make him sit at Table with him in the Kingdom of Glory and replenish him with Joy and Felicity for ever more But before this Declaration be made 't is necessary that the Minister exhort him to take his Sickness and if it should so please God his Death too with patience and submission it being a Tribute we are all obliged to and acceptable to God when freely paid He must also admonish him that if he has any Goods in his possession that belong to his Neighbour he should if possible make immediate Restitution
by repeated acts to root it in his heart it being the best Disposition he can die in in order to his perfect enjoyment of God after his Dissolution And First For the bringing him duly to consider how much God deserves our Love let him make use of such Words as these Thou knowest Dear Brother that the Sum of all the Evangelical Law is That we should love God with all our Hearts with all our Souls with all our Minds and with all our Strength and this not only with regard to our selves because it is necessary and profitable for us and without which we cannot be happy but also with respect to Him and his Divine Attributes who being transcendently Good and Wise and Almighty and Gracious and Merciful and possessing all Perfections above utterance or Conception it ought to be our great desire that all Men should acknowledge Him for such and pay Him the Honour Obedience and Love due to so Supream a Being Who by his Own Nature and as the Fountain of all Goodness possesses the Virtues of the Saints and Angels and of all other Creatures Visible and Invisible their greatest Perfections how admirable soever they may appear to us being at the best but faint glimpses and reflections of his immense Light and Glory And thus you see how much we are bound to love God for his own sake whom to behold is alone sufficient to make both Angels and Men happy Let the Minister also observe to him that God has even prevented us by his Love and a greater Love than ever Father bore towards Son than ever Friend bore towards Friend than ever Husband bore towards Wife And that upon this account it is He has given Himself the three Titles of Father Friend and Husband to the end that by these endearing Appellations which express the greatest tenderness among Men He might make us sensible how great the Love is He bears towards us If a King that loves his Subjects deserves from them a reciprocal Love 't is surely very fit and just that though we were even vile enough not to love God for his own sake yet at least out of common gratitude we should love Him because He has first loved us Moreover let him be admonished to love God for the Benefits he has receiv'd at his Hand and this under a double Consideration I. With regard to the Order of Nature For his Creation and Being for his Immortal Soul capable of Eternal Happiness for the use and preservation of his Senses for the Rank assign'd all other Creatures in subservience to his Aid Pleasure and Convenience And then let him be put in mind that 't was not for any need He had of him that God had heaped all these Benefits upon him but purely out of an abundant Love and Goodness and for which He expects no return of Profit or Reward but only a mutual and reciprocal Love II. With regard to the Order of Grace That the Father Everlasting forbore not to give his own Son to redeem him from the Slavery of the Devil and perpetual Torments That this beloved Son humbled himself even to the Death of the Cross to purchase Eternal Glory for him That the Holy Ghost has many times been pleas'd to descend into his Soul to purifie it from its Spots and Blemishes and replenish it with his Divine Inspirations That He it is that comforts him in his Sickness that allows him time to prepare himself to die as behoves a pious Christian and has preserv'd him from being snatch'd away suddenly In short let the Minister present to his Consideration the Pleasures which God has provided for him Pleasures so great and ravishing as exceed the power of Mortal Man with Tongue to express or Thought to conceive And from all this leave him to judge with what fervency and faithfulness he ought to love Him Again The Minister may encline his heart to the Divine Love by way of Prayer causing him to repeat after him some Words of the Holy Scripture like these Lord Thou hast said that we ought to love Thee with all our Hearts and with all our Souls Oh! if it be thy blessed Will encrease in me this Divine Charity I feel a great desire of loving Thee and if in this Life I cannot do it to the degree I wish Lord grant I may in the Eternal State For whom have I in Heaven but Thee and whom upon Earth can I desire in Comparison of Thee Thou art the God of my Life and my Portion for ever Grant that I may not only love Thee above all the Creatures in the World but that I may love nothing but Thee and for Thy sake that so I may look upon Thee as my only Good both in this Life and in that which is to come O infinite Goodness Who shall give me power and strength to love Thee infinitely When will that blessed State come that Thou alone shalt have the sole possession of my Heart When shall I be wholly Thine who am by so many ties and on so many accounts bound to be so O let it come that blessed Time when God shall possess me fully and entirely and when I shall be able to offer my self to Him without reserve Lord who hast loved me with an Eternal Love Who createdst me of nothing who savedst me when I was worse than nothing and hast so often restored to me Thy Heavenly Grace when I had lost it by my Sins If I owe my Soul to Thee so many ways what do I not owe Thee for Thy Self who art so Holy and Merciful To the rest of Thy transcendent Favours be pleas'd to add that of inflaming my Heart so as I may love Thee without bounds or measure O Blessed Spirit who art that immense Love proceeding from the Father and the Son Who vouchsafest to fill us with Thy Divine Gifts Encrease I beseech Thee every moment the Love I have and shall ever continue to have for Thee Lastly The Minister shall engage him to a Love of God by some eminent Instances of the Great Love of the Saints towards Him whether from the Lives of the Holy Apostles or other Blessed Martyrs and Confessors of Jesus Christ raising there-from an Occasion of exciting him to Acts of Contrition and the acknowledging himself a miserable Sinner who contrary to the Example of those Holy Men had so often abandoned his God and Creator for the sake of the World and vilest of its Creatures directing him at the same time to lift up his heart to the Eternal Father in these Words Lord who hast prevented me by thy manifold Blessings I own my self to be that miserable Sinner that ungrateful Slave that Wicked Wretch who have despised Thee even Thee my Creator and my Father In the Name and for the sake of Thy dear Son Christ Jesus my Redeemer I implore Thy Pardon O Father of Mercy Wash away all my Iniquities and have mercy upon me Thy poor Creature who am the Work
of thy own Hands Assist me in this last Period of my Life Comfort thou my sad and afflicted Soul and preserve it from being taken out of Thy Arms by the infernal Spirits O Blessed JESU who gavest Thy most precious Blood for my Sanctification and Salvation be Thou pleased to render it efficacious to me in this my last Hour I acknowledge I have many and many times forfeited the Grace Thou bestowedst on me in my Baptism when I was first consecrated to Thee But Thy Mercy is far above my Transgressions Apply to my Soul the Merits of Thy Death and let me at this moment of my Departure feel the gracious Effects of Thy infinite Goodness and Power Me O Lord the unworthiest of Thy Creatures who with an humble and contrite Heart and a Soul full of Love to Thee and confidence in Thy Mercy do in a ready expectation of my sudden Dissolution cry unto Thee Lord JESU receive my Spirit Amen CHAP. VIII What the Minister is to do when coming to a Sick Person he finds every thing already done necessary for the disposing him to die as a good Christian HItherto we have spoken of what the Minister is to do for the disposing the Sick Person to die well But if he finds him to be already well prepar'd to have receiv'd the Holy Sacrament and to require only some Body with him to entertain him in those Godly Dispositions the Minister having first satisfied himself that he has still the use of his Understanding and is in a condition to hear what he shall say may read to him something out of the Gospel and repeat over him the usual Prayers of the Church And then proced 1. To the supplying what if ought that is necessary may have been omitted in his Preparation 2. To the exciting him to further Acts of Faith Hope and Charity and comforting him in his Afflictions and Pains 3. To the recommending his Soul to God 4. and Lastly To the saying something for the Edification of such as are present To the First Having desired those that shall be about the Patient's Bed to withdraw a little he shall ask him as we have said at the latter end of the Fourth Chapter whether he feels a calm in his Conscience or whether he be doubtful and desirous of further information in any thing concerning his Salvation And if he be the Minister ought diligently to attend both to the hearing him and giving him satisfaction therein Or if he says no and yet the Minister suspects the Case to be otherwise with him let him advise him to bethink himself whether he has not forgot to repent of some secret Sin or whether he has not been too reserv'd in some certain Particulars such as the Restitution of the Honour or Goods he may have taken away from his Neighbour Which Restitution if he be really convinc'd he ought to make let him forthwith do it himself if possible or at least order it to be done as soon as may be And in case he has not sufficient for it let him be brought faithfully to promise that if it should please God to restore him to his health again he would omit nothing for the giving satisfaction to all he is indebted to In like manner the Minister is to inform himself whether he has Children or had the discharging of any Publick Offices or the like that so he may ask him proper Questions concerning the same respectively and avoid what else would be less useful As to the Second Head namely the Exciting the Patient to Acts of Faith c. The Minister is to consider the bent of his Mind For if he be one that is Pious and accustom'd to Divine Meditation and able to pray and meditate by himself 't will be convenient that he be let alone for sometime without interruption But because his Sickness may have brought him low and there may be cause to fear that by reason of the weakness of his Mind as well as that of his Body he may not be able to support himself in his holy Cogitations the Minister may gently ask him whether he is not willing to be assisted therein To which if he replyes that he is devoutly entertaining himself the Minister shall desire him to communicate his Meditations to him that he may be also profited thereby This is a very useful Caution For by it the Minister will discover whether there be no delusion or temptation mixt in his thoughts And if he finds him as it often happens to need a Subject to be given him to meditate upon he shall propose to him some comfortable Words of our Saviour as these recorded in St. Mathew's Gospel Come unto me all ye that travail and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest Or some others relating to the Mystery of his Passion and especially such as he may be thought to like best and be most edified by remembring him of Christ's Sufferings upon the Cross and the excessive Torments and reproachful Death He underwent for our Sins whose heinousness required so severe a Punishment in his Sacred Person By which means he may at once be excited to Contrition and a necessary Confidence of obtaining Heaven which the Redeemer of the World has thus purchas'd for him with his most precious Blood If the Patient has not strength sufficient to meditate by himself and yet has enough of his Senses remaining to be able both to hear and to be affected with the Words of Exhortation then the Minister will do well to continue him in the Exercise of his Contrition Faith Hope and Charity as we have said in the 2d 5th 6th and 7th Chapters and having represented to him how great and ignominious those Torments were which our Blessed Saviour endur'd he shall add that our Sins must certainly have been very enormous to have stood in need of so extraordinary a Remedy Let him if he be able say Lord Have mercy upon me Christ Have mercy upon me a poor wretched Sinner I am sorry from my heart that ever I have offended Thee O forgive me all my iniquities Encrease my repentance and support it and supply its defects with the Merits of Thy Blood O Merciful Saviour be favourable unto my Soul that longeth after Thee and nothing but Thee And for the exciting his Faith let him call to mind that Jesus Christ though of one and the same Substance with the Father Co-eternal and Coequal with Him in all his Perfections yet has been willing so far to humble himself as even to take our Flesh upon Him and die on the Cross for our Salvation and then let him adore Him as the Saviour and Redeemer of the World It will be also very proper for the Comfort and Edification of his Relations and other Persons present that he openly declare the Profession of Faith he dies in saying I protest before Heaven and Earth that I die in the Catholick and Apostolick Faith hoping to be saved through the sole