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.
THE Dying Man's Assistant OR Short Instructions For those who are concern'd in the Preparing of Sick Persons FOR DEATH Being also No less Worthy the Consideration of all Good Christians in time of Health As shewing the Importance of an Early Preparation for their Latter End with regard as well to their Temporal as Eternal State O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Deut. 32. 29. LONDON Printed for John Lawrence at the Angel in the Poultry 1697. THE PREFACE JVdging the SUBJECT of this TREATISE above the needing any Arguments to perswade the World of its Importance I shall trouble the READER with no other PREFACE than may just suffice for the facilitating his Application of it to Practice Nor to this purpose do I think any thing more necessary than the imprinting in his mind a clear and succinct Idea of its Design Which in short is this The whole being intended for A Compleat Set of Instructions shewing how to assist and dispose a Sick Person in order to his making a Happy End is divided into XVIII Chapters In the First of which I have represented to the MINISTER the Zeal and Charity the Humility and Sincerity the Patience and Attention the Prudence and Conduct requir'd on his part towards the due Performance of this SACRED OFFICE Tâ—â—â—â—gh the Body of the Work I have consider'd the SICK PERSON under all the various Circumstances of Virtue or Frailty incident to Mankind in that Condition and have attempted to lay down the most proper and effectual Means for improving the One and removing the Other whether by force of Argument or manner of Application and Address Wherein great distinction is to be made according to the different Quality Capacity and Temper of the PATIENT In a Word the MINISTER has here ready digested and ia Terms for the most part taken out of the SCRIPTURE or FATHERS Forms of Prayer and Ejaculations both for his own Vse and the SICK PERSON 's with whatever else I judged conducive to the stating a good Christian in a perfect Readiness for his Dissolution having therein had so much regard to his Temporal Affairs in conjunction with his Spiritual as concerns the providing by a prudent just and timely Disposal of his Estate for his doing Right to All Good to as Many as may be and preserving Peace and Amity in his Family And Lastly As the PATIENT's Illness shall terminate in his Death or Recovery I have made it the Subject of the XVIII Chapter to shew the MINISTER how to improve both Events to Edification the former with respect to the Standers by the latter to the Person Recover'd WHICH Instructions tho' I have all along directed to the MINISTER as falling within his proper Province yet would I by no means be understood to restrain them to his use alone there being God knows too many Accidents in the way of obstructing his Assistance to put the Patient 's Everlasting Salvation upon that Issue Thus far only I would urge it that when by any reasonable Endeavours the Minister's Aid may be procured 't is without Dispute to be preferr'd But that failing it is not barely allow'd to but incumbent on every good Christian whether Relation Friend or other best qualified for it to put in Practice any such Part of this Treatise as he shall think may most avail the SICK PERSON in his Last Minutes with Exception only to the Administration of the Holy Sacrament of the LORD's SUPPER which the Church has thought fit from a due regard to the Sacredness thereof to reserve to herself not doubting but through the Mercy of GOD the Person desiring it will in such Case reap equal Benefit from his good Intentions as if he actually received the same And this being said methinks there should need nothing more to perswade any one that professeth Christianity of the necessity of his endeavouring to render himself capable of discharging this Duty were it meerly in Charity to his Neighbour without other Motive thereto But when to that shall be added the yet further Considerations of his being also taught hereby not only how to regulate his own Life whilst in Health so as to leave little to be done when it shall please God to visit him with the like Summons but even of this Little to know how then more readily to acquit himself by being prepared to make the best Advantage of the MINISTER's Assistance Or Lastly under the want of that to be able to make his own Peace with GOD before he go hence and be no more seen I say when all these Considerations shall be duly weigh'd I cannot suppose it possible for him to doubt its being a Concern of the Last Importance What remains is Christian Reader that with the same sincerity wherewith I have thus endeavour'd to represent to you the Design and Use of this little Tract I also own the many Defects and Frailties of its Author Diverse Repetitions may appear therein less grateful to you and which I will not presume to say were impossible to be avoided But I doubt not of your thinking more favourably of them when you shall consider that the Whole is not to be us'd at once but such Part only as shall be found most applicable to the Condition of the Patient not to mention how little unmindful I have been on this Account of making References from one Chapter to another where the Discourse would admit it without interruption The rest you are desired by your Charity to excuse and supply carrying it all along in your Thoughts that the Chief Intent of this Work was the GLORY of GOD and SALVATION of MEN's SOULS For which therefore as I am not much in pain about your Censure so neither do I ask your Thanks but only to be remember'd in your Prayers as you shall always be in mine Who am your Fellow-Christian and Faithful Servant in the LORD THE CONTENTS OF THE CHAPTERS Chap. I. THE Duty of a Minister in assisting Persons who are in danger of Death Pag. 1 Chap. II. What things are requisite for the disposing a Sick Person to die well p. 8. Chap. III. Advice to be given to a Sick Person concerning his Relations his Body and his Estate p. 20. Chap. IV. What the Minister ' s Duty is when he finds the Sick Person has not done all that is necessary for him in order to his dying as a good Christian p. 26. Chap. V. How Sick Persons especially such as are not very perfect in their Belief ought to be exercis'd in the Faith p. 30. Chap. VI. How the Minister is to raise and exercise the Hope of the Sick Person p. 34. Chap. VII The Means for exciting Charity in a Sick Person p. 49. 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 Christain p. 57. Chap. IX What means are to
said before of God Himself who being Omniscient cannot be mistaken in his knowledge and being the very Truth cannot deceive or impose upon Us by false Revelation CHAP. XIII How to comfort a Sick Person that is mistrustful of God's Mercy and troubled with Desparing Thoughts 1. THE Minister is to examine the chief Motive of his Distrust whether it be that he is still linked to some beloved Sin that he cannot easily part with such as Hatred or Covetousness or Carnal Lust or the like Of which we shall treat in the Seventeenth Chapter Or whether there lies something hid in his Heart which he ought to repent of the Minister exhorting him at the same time to make a sincere Confession of his Sins to God and throughly bewail them whereby to remove his diffidence and set his Soul entirely at peace 2. If the Patient has no Cause to mistrust God's Goodness to him but is terrified only with the remembrance of his past Sins or the Temptations he is now disturbed with then let the Minister excite his Hope First towards God whom he has offended by telling him that God is always ready to forgive him That he is a Merciful Father That his Graces are infinite That He is full of Tenderness and Compassion and that His Love far surpasses the Sins of Men That He prevents and assists us by the inspirations of his Holy Spirit and pardons our Iniquities when we are truly sorrowful for them Secondly towards Christ with these Words Our Sins we must confess are many and great but God has laid them all upon Jesus Christ by whose Sufferings we are redeemed from them And forasmuch as we were not able to make Satisfaction for them by reason of our own unworthiness his Love for us has extended so far as to give his only Son to be a Saviour to us His Humility has brought down and destroy'd our Pride His Patience our Passions His Charity our Hatred His Cross our Luxury and His Obedience even to die for us has blotted out all our Transgressions And as the least of his Torments was sufficient to satisfie the Justice of God so through these infinite Merits of his may we ask of Him both the Remission of our Sins and Inheritance of His Kingdom Let the Patient for his Comfort remember that he is to have for his Judge this same Jesus who is now at the right Hand of God making Intercession for him and call to mind how gracious He was to St. Peter whom He pardoned almost the same moment he denied Him Let him think of the Charitable Words He pronounced upon the Cross on behalf of his very Enemies Father forgive them for they know not what they do and those he spake to the Penitent Thief That the self-same day he should be with him in Paradise In short let him be perswaded that God has a greater desire to save him than he himself can have to be saved and therefore he has not the least cause to be diffident of his Mercy 3. The Minister may sustain his Hope and Confidence in God's Goodness and Mercy by the Example of divers Holy Persons that remitted the injuries done to them as Joseph David St. Stephen and others teaching him therefrom that if these who were but Men had so much Meekness and Charity as to forgive their very Persecutors what ought not we to expect from God the Fountain of Mercy Whose Goodness will appear still the greater by how much more numerous the Sins are which He pardons to us That therefore provided he has a broken and contrite Heart he needs not in the least apprehend his being rejected or abandoned for though his Transgressions were more heinous than those of the Devils themselves the Cross of Christ is sufficient for the abolishing of them We do not mean that the Minister should say all these things at once and in the Order here prescribed as if he made a set Discourse to him but that he use his Discretion in speaking them by little and little and at several times according as he shall find the Patient in a Condition of hearing him and of receiving Comfort therefrom He may also introduce and relate in few words the History of the Prodigal Son of Mary Magdalen of the Samaritan and of the Cananitish Woman mention'd in the Gospel with that of the whole People of the Jews whom God conducted into the Land of Promise notwithstanding their continual Rebellions and Unfaithfulnesses Let him likewise put the Patient in mind of the Passage in Ezekiel where God says He will forget the iniquities of a Sinner at what hour soever he shall turn and repent That Pardon is in the Gospel it self secured to us upon Condition of our forgiving our Enemies and therefore we ought not to doubt of Forgiveness at God's hand if we for his sake freely and entirely forgive them that have offended us Thus shall the Minister support his Hope by continually saying before him God's Mercies and Promises of Pardon to us for the sake of Christ's Blood that was shed for all Sinners and assuring him that God will not fail to assist him by his Grace nor will suffer him to fall away and miscarry in what concerns his Eternal Salvation Which having said and added thereto what else he may think fit for the same purpose he shall admonish the Patient to apply himself to God in this manner Lord I am an ungrateful Son yet still thy Son Thou having both created me and adopted me in Jesus Christ Thy very Son Co-substantial with Thee O Lord in Thee I have put my trust let me never be confounded I am a prodigal Child I acknowledg that I have sinned against Heaven and before Thee and am no more worthy to be called Thy Son But O my God! are not Thy Mercies greater than my Transgressions Let him say with St. Anselm Lord though I have kindled lust in my Heart can I have quenched Mercy in Thine Though I have commited Sins for which Thou mayst justly condemn me hast thou departed from that Goodness and Clemency by which Thou wast wont to pardon and indulge me Have mercy upon me O my Father For thine own sake and for thy dear Son Jesus Christ ' s sake forgive me all that is past I do earnestly repent I am heartily sorry for all my Misdoings Abolish them in the death and wash them away in the Blood of my Blessed Redeemer Let him also say with Job Though thou should'st kill me yet will I hope in Thee And with David Why art Thou so vexed O my Soul and why art thou disquieted within me O put thy trust in God and remember that He is Thy Comfort and Defence Lord enter not into judgment with thy Servant I fly to thy Clemency I implore thy Mercy not thy Justice Judge me not O Lord according to my Deserts Deal not with me after my sins neither reward me after mine iniquities All which let the Patient be advis'd
the Days of Salvation pass away apace and when once gone it being for ever out of our power to recall them again we ought to employ them with the Care and Circumspection becoming good Christians by weaning our selves without delay from the Things of this World and dispossessing our Hearts of all other Thoughts but what relate to God alone Nor need we any other Arguments than the sight of this very Dead Body to convince us how vain and transistory how deceitful and perishable all those false Enjoyments are which the Devil makes use of to dazzle our Eyes and allure us to Sin Neither Riches nor Honours are able to procure one Minute's Respit from the Stroke of Death When she summons we must immediately obey and quit them all nay and our very Bodies too as straightly as we are ty'd to them and resign them to unavoidable Corruption In a word That the Goods of this World are so far only to be desired as may serve for the necessary support of our selves and enable us to be assisting to others From whence he may take occasion of saying something to them about the Settlement of their Temporal Concerns advising them to make their Wills and Testaments whilst in a state of perfect Health and Understanding that so they may be able to deliberate the more maturely thereon and dispose of their Estates with the greater satisfaction to themselves as well as Justice and Equality to others by a due regard to Relation Friendship and Deserts it often happening where this Caution is not us'd that a Feaver or some other violent Distemper surprises a Man and puts it out of his power to do the Good he intended to have done Or some of his greedy Friends and Relations finding him in a helpless condition do by their tiresome importunities oblige him to make an unequal Testament Or lastly not to mention more of the many inconveniencies arising from this neglect he dies Intestate and leaves his Estate for a Prey to the Lawyers and a standing occasion of Discord in his Family But when by a prudent timely and just disposal of his Earthly Possessions he has convey'd the Blessings of Peace Plenty and Prosperity to his Family When by an upright and unspotted Life he has preserved himself fit to enter into the Holy of Holies the Sacred Mansions of the Most High And last of all when by his Merciful Deeds he has secur'd to himself Mercy from his Blessed Saviour Oh! with what unspeakable Comfort may he end his days and with what Confidence and Alacrity appear before the Tribunal of God to receive his Everlasting Reward applying to himself the Words of the Revelation I heard a Voice from Heaven saying to me Write From henceforth blessed are the Dead which die in the Lord even so saith the Spirit for they rest from their Labours and their Works follow them Thus much in case the Patient shall die IF it shall please God to restore him to his health again The Minister is to visit and congratulate him thereon and with so much the more fervency by how much the more dangerous his Sickness has been Which will give him the fairer Opportunity of inlarging upon and rendring him sensible of God's transcendent Mercies to him and the Gratitude on his part due for the same A Debt he may tell him no other ways to be discharg'd than by his making such good use of this Visitation as may tend to the Glory of God the Edification of his Neighbour and the Amendment of his own Life for the future In order whereto the Minister shall remind him of what pass'd between them during his Illness upon the Subject of his Spiritual Welfare Of the Difficulties met with in his Preparation for Death for want of a timely regard thereto Of the Defects in his Repentance still remaining to be supply'd Of the particular Frailties against which he is chiefly to arm himself for the time to come And Lastly Of his Pious Vows and Resolutions concerning these or any other Points founded upon the Condition of his Recovery and requiring to be now confirm'd and made good Adding thereto to conclude all That as when Sick he desired and had the Publick Prayers of the Church as well as those of his Private Friends so is it meet and his bounden Duty that having received the Benefit of them in his Redemption from the Grave and the Gates of Death he should now Give Thanks unto the Lord with his whole heart not only secretly but among the Faithful and in the Congregation Where he ought also with the first Opportunity to Offer his Vows unto the Most High by receiving the Cup of Salvation and calling upon the Name of the Lord with humblest Supplications for the Assistance of his Holy Spirit towards enabling him duely to perform the same In the mean time and ever continuing fervent in his Private Devotions and sering himself in some measure therein with the Prayer and Thanksgiving hereto annext Which God of his Infinite Mercy accept Amen A PRAYER and THANKSGIVING to be offer'd to GOD by One newly Recover'd from a dangerous SICKNESS O MOST GRACIOUS GOD and MERCIFUL FATHER Who art a Physician to the Sick Strength to the Weak Comfort to the Afflicted Relief to the Needy and Succour to the Helpless I Thy poor Wretched Creature having so deeply tasted of Thy Mercies do with a profound sense of Thine Infinite Goodness and of my own unworthiness yeild Thee most humble and hearty Thanks and Praise for Thy manifold Benefits and Favours towards me and particularly for that Thou hast been pleased in so fatherly a manner to visit me and to bring me back from the Grave and from the Gates of Death restoring me to my former Health and Strength LORD What shall I render unto Thee as for all other so more especially for this tender Mercy of thine in thus sparing me longer in the Land of the Living and affording me still a larger space for my Repentance Thou hast chasten'd and corrected me but hast not given me over unto Death Thou hiddest not Thy Face from me when I was in trouble Thou hast not made my Life like them that go down into the pit nor cast Thy Servant away in Displeasure O sanctifie this Thy Fatherly Correction to me that it may prove an effectual Means for my Thorough-amendment And grant I humbly beseech Thee that through the Assistance of Thy Divine Spirit I may be enabled hereafter to make such good use of the Time which Thy unspeakable Goodness hath now inlarged to me and so husband and improve the same to Thy Service as that it may not repent Thee to have lent it me Grant that I may seriously ponder and admire Thy transcendent Favours to me and my just Obligations of Gratitude to Thee as well as Encouragement continually to depend upon Thee and may without further delay set about the Business Thou hast appointed for me here even the 〈◊〉 Business of my Eternal Salvation 〈◊〉 I may spend the precious Remainder of my â—ife in a constant practice of my Duty towards Thee O MY GOD and towards my Neighbour and my self That I may redeem the time which alas I have so unworthily mispent by living in ignorance and after the Corruptions and Vanities of the World And that considering how short this my time is which is but a Vapour that vanishes away I may never imploy it in making provision for the Flesh to fulfil the lusts thereof but live in Righteousness Purity and Holiness all my days That I may apply my Heart to that true Wisdom which is to know and serve Thee That I may begin even here on Earth that blessed Work I shall continue in Heaven to all Eternity namely to love and adore Thee and to walk before Thee with all humility and uprightness to Praise Laud and Magnifie Thy Holy Name for Thy great Glory and for Thy Goodness-sake Inlighten my mind that I may have a more perfect Knowledge of Thee and inflame my heart with a greater Love towards Thee Teach me to do the thing that pleases Thee for Thou art my God Let Thy loving Spirit lead me forth into the Land of Righteousness O give me grace to do Thy Will in all Things and to delight in nothing more than in obeying Thy Laws and Commandments wherein there is Great Pleasure and Great Reward And to all the Favours I have already received at Thy Merciful Hand LORD Vouchsafe to add this one more That I may never depart from Thee or be abandoned by Thee but that I may in my whole Life please Thee and in my Death praise Thee That when ever Thou shalt see fit to call me out of this World I may be ready to obey Thy Heavenly Summons and to follow Thee and be admitted into Thine Everlasting Kingdom of Bliss and Glory with this most sweet and comfortable Invitation of my BLESSED SAVIOUR's Well done Good and Faithful Servant Enter thou into the Joy of thy Master Grant this O MERCIFUL FATHER for Thine own sake and for the sake of this Dear Son of Thy Love for whom I and all that is within me give Praise and Adoration to Thee and in whose most prevailing Name I further implore Thy Divine Majesty humbly and earnestly praying as He Himself has taught me in his Holy Gospel Our Father c. FINIS