conjunction with him and giving him an Explanation of its Contents From which if the Patient shall think himself in some measure inlightened but not yet sufficiently acquainted with some certain Articles thereof the Minister may prudently and dexterously instruct him concerning the same without any shew of catechising of him but by way of Prayer exhorting him to say after him Lord I commend my Soul to Thee O most Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity Father Son and Holy Spirit One only God in Three Persons and Unity of Substance have mercy upon me I commit my self to Thee O Father Almighty who hast created Heaven and Earth and all things visible and invisible I commend my self to Thee O Blessed JESU Saviour of my Soul who wast sent from Heaven by the Father Eternal Who wast conceived by the Operation of the Holy Ghost in the Womb of the Virgin MARY Who Suffer'dst Dyedst and wast Buried Who didst descend into Hell and rosest again on the Third Day Who ascendedst into Heaven and art sitting on the right Hand of God the Father Almighty From whence Thou shalt come to Judge all Men who are to rise again in their own Bodies giving Life to such of them as shall have dyed in Grace and adjudging the Reprobates to Eternal Fire I commend my self to Thee Holy Spirit who proceedest both from the Father and the Son and whom together with these Two Divine Persons I adore with one and the same Adoration who inlivenest and sanctifiest One Catholick and Apostolick Church on Earth in which Thou hast ordain'd Two Sacraments for the Remission of Sins and Communion with Thy Self I beseech Thee I humbly intreat Thee through Thine Own Merits O sweet JESU my Redeemer by Thy tender Love and Mercy and by all that Thou hast done and suffered for me to lead me to those Mansions of Eternal Bliss and Glory which Thou hast prepar'd for those that love Thee Amen The same thing may be done also by way of Oblation as I Offer up my Heart and my Soul to Thee O Lord who c. Or by way of Supplication as Have mercy upon me O Lord c. Or Lastly by way of Thansgiving as I thank Thee O most Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost One only God in Three Persons who hast created c. as before The Minister may also instruct the Patient by raising his Hope towards God and shewing him what Father he has by Creation and at the same time explaining to him those Articles of Faith that respect the Divinity Then by shewing him who his Redeemer is and acquainting him with the Mystery of the Incarnation And lastly by telling him who is his Comforter discoursing to him of the Holy Spirit and of the Graces which he communicates to us In like manner may he teach him the Articles of his Belief by causing him to ponder the Benefits and Favours God has done him by representing to him that the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost have created all Things for him and that Jesus Christ who is the Word equal to his Father has been willing to put on Human Flesh in order to his Redemption from Sin and Death and the purchasing for him a Crown of Everlasting Glory All these different Ways of explaining the Articles of the Christian Faith to One that is not throughly acquainted with them may also be very useful to those that are the most perfect therein not for instructing but inciting them to Acts of Faith especially when drawing near to Death it being very necessary at that juncture to fix in the Patient a Belief of those Blessings he hopes to enjoy to all Eternity CHAP. VI. How the Minister is to raise and exercise the Hope of the Sick Person FIRST of all he must examine how his Soul is affected there being three sorts of Dispositions to be found in Sick Persons Some have little Hope with much Fear whether proceeding from a Natural Timorousness and the remembrance of their Sins that perhaps are very many and heinous or from the Craft and Malice of the Devil who having propos'd to them while they were in health God's Mercy alone abstracted from his Justice for the more easie inducing them to a Security in Sinning does now they are approaching Death and Judgment present to their Eyes the Severity of God's Justice unattended with his Mercy to the end he may cast them into Despair concerning their Salvation and so harden them to a thorough impenitence Others there are who on the contrary exceed in Hope even to Presumption as thinking of nothing but the Virtuous Actions and good Works they fancy to have done and regarding only the Divine Mercy and infinite Merits of Christ without reflecting at all upon their Sins or the Judgments denounced by God against them The third and last sort are such as have neither Hope nor Despair in whom it is therefore expedient to excite the former by the Means we shall next endeavour to shew referring it to another place to speak of raising the Hope of the Timerous and moderating that of the Presumptuous As the principal Object of Hope is God He being the Author of that Felicity we look for so there are two Things which the Minister is chiefly to attend to with regard to this Head The one is the raising and fixing the Sick Person 's Hope upon the Glory Eternal The other is the exciting him to a Christian Confidence that he shall attain to it He may raise his Hope and strengthen his Courage by telling him that within a little time the Torments and Afflictions which always accompany this present Life will be at an end He may comfort him also with that which made the Prophet rejoyce namely The glad Tidings of his being now going to the House of God Wherein he shall feel no more Pains nor Cares nor Grief the same Prophet assuring us that no Harms no Sufferings no Torments no Fears shall ever come nigh the Everlasting Mansions Where also as St. John says God shall wipe away all Tears from our Eyes The Minister shall endeavour to lift up his Heart and Mind to the Heavenly Jerusalem that Divine City and sure Refuge from all our Enemies where the World the Flesh and the Devil shall no longer be able to pursue after us and where we shall reap the Eternal Fruits of our Victories over them and be Crowned with immortal Life and Glory It may inspire the Sick Person with some sort of Joy too to put him in mind that he will shortly return his acceptable Thanks to Almighty God for his having led him as it were through Fire and Water into a Place of true Refreshment and Delight Let him repeat sometimes the Words which God spake by his Prophet Isaiah Behold I will extend Peace to them like a River and Glory like a flowing stream that is I will cause their hearts to overflow with joy and tranquility Let him remember with St.
Paul that God's Children have no abiding and continuing City upon Earth but ought to long for the New Jerusalem which is above Let him cry out with David O how amiable are thy Tabernacles Thou Lord of Hosts My Soul longeth yea even fainteth for Thy Courts O Lord For there to dwell but one day or be a Door-keeper in Thy House is far better and more pleasant to me than were I to live Thousands and ten Thousands of Years in the Palaces of Worldly Men. Let him possess his mind with the unspeakable Joy he will feel in the Company of so many Saints and Blessed Spirits that do and shall ever love each other with a most perfect Love that resemble so many glorious Kings who reign not as the Kings of the Earth for a little while and that too in continual troubles and disquiets but in the Kingdom of the Living where there are none but the Children of God and where Sorrow and Death shall never come Let care be used to remove from his Soul all sort of reluctance or difficulty he may conceive of parting with his Body by making him sensible that at present 't is nothing but Filth and Corruption and Weakness and Infirmity and in lieu thereof will rise again all Glorious Spiritual and Immortal Let him be put in mind of what is intimated to us in Exodus That Man shall never see God so long as he lives in the Flesh For as the Apostle saith God inhabits an inaccessible Light That therefore out of this World we must get before we can enjoy that Glory so sull of Beauty and Sweetness the sole fruition whereof makes up the Felicity of the Blessed For which reason it is that Life Eternal is said in the Gospel to consist only in the full Knowledg and Love of God A Bliss so great as no Eye ever saw no Ear ever heard nor has it enter'd into the heart of Man to conceive Such is to be the Felicity of the Elect Who as David saith shall be satisfied and refreshed with those Rivers of Pleasure that continually flow from God as the Well of Life Let him be exhorted to say with the same Royal Prophet Like as the Hart desires the Water-brooks so longeth my Soul after Thee O God! My Soul is a-thirst for God yea even for the Living God O when shall I come to appear before the presence of God Must my Confinement continue yet longer And shall my Soul never be dissolv'd from this Body that she may for ever abide with Christ my Saviour These or the like Sentences according to his discretion the Minister shall make use of uttering them in such a manner as the Patient may distinctly hear them and if he can repeat them after him in order to their making the greater impression upon his mind Thus far of the Means for raising his Hope Now for the exciting his Confidence and Assurance of obtaining the Happiness he is labouring after the Minister may use these three several ways First By moving him to the Exercise and Performance of those good Works and Virtues his Condition shall leave him capable of such as Alms and pious Legacies Wherein he must yet be very cautious how he prompts his Zeal so far as to give any just occasion of murmur or dissatisfaction to his Friends and Relations But let him not spare exercising him in all the inward Acts of Faith Hope Charity and Contrition which no Doubt will give him great Confidence especially if he be fervent and continue in the practice thereof Secondly By Consideration that is fixing his Thoughts upon those things he shall say to him in order to his obtaining this Confidence And here he may entertain him after this manner Though the Glory of God infinitely exceeds your poor Merits yet fear you not God in his Mercy will supply your Defects and support your Weakness and comfort your Heart Be fully perswaded that he to whom Grace and Glory belong will bestow them on you inasmuch as he is infinitely Good and is pleased to make you and all sincere Believers happy You are his Son and He your Father and a Father full of Love and Tenderness who is far more desirous to receive you into Heaven than your self can be to obtain it Why should you therefore at all doubt of your being now going to possess Eternal Joy and Felicity For that alone it was He created you Nor came Jesus Christ to die upon the Cross for any other End than to open to us the Gates of Heaven which the Disobedience of our First Parents had shut upon us He has also wash'd in his Precious Blood the Sins you have committed He has given you his Sacraments and preventing Grace that hath wrought Contrition in your heart so as to make you Heir of his Kingdom Consider that He who so often sought for you during the whole Course of your Life even whilst you despised and highly provoked him will shew so much the more Mercy and Favour to you now that you humbly prostrate your self before Him with a truly broken and contrite heart Again The Minister may comfort the Sick Person and more and more establish his Trust and Confidence in God's Mercy by continuing to speak to him in this sort Dear Brother look-up chearfully towards Jesus Christ and never grow weary of thinking of what he did and suffer'd for your sake for the space of Three and Thirty Years He lived here upon Earth Who though very God and King of Glory was willing to subject himself to pains and contempt and at last to a shameful Death upon the Cross for your Salvation Be you perswaded that so many Sufferings will not be lost but will certainly procure you Everlasting Rest and Glory This All-merciful God who for your sake was pleas'd to take Human Flesh upon Him and hath left a sensible Memomorial of that his infinite Love to you in the Blessed Eucharist In a word who has adopted you to be Partaker of his Kingdom How can he now deny or reject you seeing you so well dispos'd to receive the Impressions of his Holy Spirit and so patiently submitting to all the Afflictions wherewith He thinks fit to try your Fidelity Consider that He is your Advocate and Intercessor with the Father and is prevailing with Him at this very time I am speaking to you for the Pardon of your Sins Apply your self to Him and say O Holy JESU my Redeemer accept I beseech Thee my Love and my Repentance Wash all my Sins in thy most precious Blood Cover my Unrighteousnesses and Imperfections with thy Merits and Righteousness and thus adorned present me unto God the Father that so I may be acceptable to Him for Thy sake and through Thy Dear Self O my Sweet Saviour All these things may be useful likewise to raise a true Christian Confidence in them who are afraid of Death Of whom we have promised to speak by and by Another Means to excite Hope in
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