himself hath said: I the Lord love judgment: I hate robbery for burnt offering *. Nor must we rob our own families, more than strangers, of what they are intitled to. But then they are not intitled to all, that we can poffibly leave them: but an equitable share of it is due to religious and charitable ufes. If indeed we have given a competent proportion before, and know that they, whom we fhall leave to represent us, if we die, have the fame difpofition, that may fuffice. For different circumstances require different methods to be taken. And therefore the scripture obferves, that a good man will guide his affairs with difcretion t. But one part of that discretion it hath expressly declared to be dispersing abroad, and giving to the poor which whoever doth in a right manner, will be likely to obtain a return of God's bounties, to his family, as well as himself; in their temporal concerns, as well as their spiritual, if that be really beft for them. His feed fhall be mighty upon earth: the generation of the faithful shall be bleffed. Riches and plenteousness shall be in his house: his righteoufnefs endureth for ever §.

* Ifa. lxi. 8.

Ver. 9.

+ Pfal. cxii. 5.

SPfal. cxii. 2, 30

SER

SERMON XXIII.

THE DUTIES OF THE SICK.

ISAIAH XXXviii. 1, 2.

In those days was Hezekiah fick unto death: and Ifaiah the prophet, the Son of Amos, came unto him, and faid unto him, Thus faith the Lord, fet thine house in order: for thou fbalt die, and not live. Then Hezekiah turned his face towards the wall, and prayed unto the Lord.

IN difcourfing lately on these words, after reminding you of the uncertainty of life and health, and the need of preparing for fickness and death before either of them appears to be at hand, I proposed to affift you in this good work, by laying before you the duties of the fick,

I. Refpecting their fellow-creatures.

II. Refpecting more immediately God and their own fouls. 1. The former, I observed to you, are expressed in the text by the words, Set thine houfe in order, or, tranflating more literally, Give command concerning, or, to thine houfe. And this direction may well be enlarged to comprehend, both due regulations of all affairs in which the fick are interested; and proper advice to all perfons with whom they are connected. In the firft of thefe views I have already treated of it.

And proceed now to the next point, that of needful advice to thofe of our own family, our relations and domestics, with whom may well be joined at leaft our friends, and thofe with whom we have lived in familiarity.

It is a character, which God gives of Abraham with marks of great approbation, I know him, that he will command his children, and his houfhold after him, and they shall keep the way.

of

of the Lord to do justice and judgment *. Undoubtedly both he and the other good patriarchs performed this duty through their whole lives, as we should also; but we find it recorded of feveral of them, and therefore may prefume it of the rest, that they gave more folemn admonitions to their families at their deaths, in which too our imitation of them is highly requifite. For the dying words, and thofe which probably may be fuch, of parents and mafters to their children and fervants, of friends to their friends, and of worthy perfons to fuch as respect them, naturally make an uncommon impreffion. The occafion is awful; the minds of the hearers are usually tender and affectionate; apt to condemn their former difregards, and to receive what is now faid, as carrying in it a peculiar obligation and facrednefs: befides that it may often render forfaking bad cuftoms and acting right much the easier to them, if they can fay, (what the world will regard more than a better reason) that such was the dying injunction of such a friend.

You will therefore furely improve fuch an opportunity, as their prospect of being deprived of you, though not a certain one, affords you for this excellent purpose. If you have always, or for a confiderable time, led a pious life, you will teftify to all about you, that you have found it the fure way to inward peace, and that you feel the faith and love of God a ftrong support in your present hour of fuffering and trial. If you have been remifs and negligent, you will excite them, by speaking of the remorse which it gives you, to more care and zeal. If you have fallen into grofs and public fins, you will exprefs to them fully a deep fenfe of your guilt. For be af fured, that taking fhame to yourself thus will be true honour, both in the eyes of God and man. Warn others therefore against the rocks on which you have split, and beseech them to learn, by your fad experience, without wanting to add their If they are well difpofed and good, give them the pleafure of knowing that you rejoice in it; and exhort them to perfevere, with tokens of a chearful confidence that they will. If you difcern faults or weak fides in them, or dangers to which they will be liable, caution them, not harshly, but in the kindest and most perfuafive manner, to avoid, for your fake as well as their own, what forefee will elfe prove hurtful, if not fatal to them and beg of them, that, if they fhould VOL. I. notwithstanding

own.

you

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Gen. xvi. 19.

notwithstanding go wrong, the remembrance of your words may at leaft, when they find they have, prevail on them to retreat in time. If you have neglected inftructing them in effential points, acknowledge it to them with forrow, and be earnest with them to make themselves amends. If you have instilled into them, by difcourfe or example, any false notions, whether fpeculative or practical, labour to set them right as completely as you can. But, throughout the whole of your endeavours, exact no promifes from them that may be fnares; lay no burthen upon them that may prove too heavy; let nothing fuperftitious, or any way unreafonable, nothing that can be imputed only to the weaknefs of your condition, enter into the charge that you leave with them. Surely I need not add, (if you have fense of religion) that you are yet lefs to enjoin them what may gratify refentment, perpetuate variance, or engage them in tranfgreffing the leaft of God's laws. For it would be the vileft abufe of a death-bed influence to extort from them, by means of it, affurances which it must be a fin to give, and a ftill greater to fulfil.

any

It frequently happens, that when men approach very near to their end, they are ill able to exhort even thofe, who are about them, diftinctly and properly. But therefore you should be always doing it in a fufficient degree, that you may have lefs need to fay much to them at last. And when a threatening fickness comes, you should take occafions of speaking, before it is gone too far; but rather force yourself to say a little, though late, than omit it intirely. And be not in the leaft afraid that then you may happen to exprefs convictions and good refolutions that will not laft, and urge upon others better advice than you fhall follow yourselves, if you recover; but confider it as one very weighty reafon more for these admonitions, that fuch a declaration of your fentiments will affift in tying you down to them; and directing their future behaviour will greatly contribute to fecure your own. Some indeed are at no time capable of ufing many words to advantage. But perhaps you can ufe a few that shall have the effect of many; at least, you can recommend a valuable acquaintance, an instructive awakening book, attendance on public worship, ferious recollection from time to time, humble prayer to God in private. If therefore it be poffible, fail not to make fome ad- vantage of what may prove your last opportunity. Think how dreadful it will be, if your children, your fervants, your friends,

friends, fhould have ground to fay to you in the day of judgement, "Had you in your life taught me any thing but fin, and folly, or trifles; had you at your death warned me of my duty and my danger, my condition might have becn intirely the reverse of what now it must be for ever." And, on the contrary, what delight will it bring you, not only to fee them happy along with you, but to hear them acknowledge, that you were the cause of it; and to enjoy their gratitude, as part of your reward, to all eternity!

I now proceed to lay before you,

If. The duties of the fick, respecting more immediately God and their own fouls; to which our thoughts are naturally turned by the words, Then Hezekiah prayed unto the Lord: for every fentiment of piety may be expreffed in prayer.

His prayer indeed, if the whole of it be recorded in fcripture, was only that he might recover; a request, which for the public good he had urgent reasons to make in the first place. And that being inftantly granted, he had no need to apply further to God, in relation to his fickness, otherwife than by thanksgiving, which he did. But they who have more extenfive wants at that time, are both authorized and bound to enlarge in proportion the subject of their addreffes to the throne of grace; and therefore I fhall endeavour to comprehend under this head all the religious duties of the fick.

Great multitudes, in this nation as well as others, have formerly thought, and too many think ftill, that they can be acceptable to God by acts of devotion, without equitable and kind behaviour to men, or virtuous government of themselves; which perfuafion hath produced an absurd, useless, nay, mischievous kind of religion in fome, and contempt and even hatred of all religion in others. But amongst us, at present, much the largest number build their hopes of future happiness, if they have any, on their performance, fuch as it is, of moral obligations; with little or no regard, either in their lives or at their deaths, to dictates of piety, fcriptural or natural: at least, beyond a few formalities, negligently practifed now and then, juft as they please. Indeed very many feem to fancy, that the time of fickness is the unfitteft of all others for attending to such subjects; that then perfons ought to think as little as poffible, and of the moft infignificant things they can. Now, if they are but able to keep God out of their minds when they

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are