mercy.' When one was blessing God for giving him such peace and comfort at his end, he said, I feel, I feel, what I speak.' As to his faith of the truths of God, he said, He was entirely persuaded thereof, by the demonstration of God's Holy Spirit, which was more powerful, more clear, and more certain than all the demonstrations of Euclid.' When secretly praying, he was overheard saying in broken sentences, I fly, I fly to heaven. Let the angels carry me to the bosom of my Saviour.' Afterwards, he said, I know that my Redeemer liveth, and I shall see him with these eyes;' hisce occulus; which words he repeated four or five times.

46. Jerome of Prague, when he was fastened to the stake, and the executioner began to kindle the fire behind him, he bade him kindle it before his face; For (said he) if I had been afraid of it, I had not come to this place, having had so many opportunities offered me to escape it.'

47. Mr. Hooker, a minister in New England, when one that stood weeping at his bed-side, when he lay adying, said to him, Sir, you are going to receive the reward of all your labours;' he replied, Brother, I am going to receive mercy.'

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48. Mr. Heron, another minister there, when dying and leaving a family of many small children; his poor wife fell a-weeping, and said, alas, what will become of all these children? He presently and pleasantly replied, Never fear; he that feeds the young ravens, will not starve the young Herons.' And indeed it came to pass accordingly. It was an ancient observation concerning the English martyrs under the bloody Marian persecution, That none of them went more joyfully to the stake, than those who had the greatest families to commit unto the Lord.'

49. Chrysostom, when the empress Eudoxa (an Arian,) sent a threatening message to him, he said, Go tell her, Nil nisi peccatum timeo, I fear nothing but sin.' When he was sentenced to banishment, he

said, None of these things trouble me; for I said before within myself, if the empress will, let her ba nish me; The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof:' if she will, let her saw me asunder; Isaiah was so used if she will, let her cast me into the sea; I will remember Jonah: if she will, let her cast me into a burning fiery furnace, or to the wild beasts; the three children and Daniel were so served: if she will, let her stone me, or cut off my head; I have St. Stephen and the Baptist for my companions: if she will, let her take away all my substance; Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither again.'

But I must break off, for time would fail me to enumerate the many instances of the faith, love, patience, hope, courage, and constancy of the saints and martyrs of Jesus, when in the view of death. Some have told their persecutors, That they might pull their hearts out of their bodies, but they could never pluck the truth out of their hearts. Others have said, That, if every hair of their heads were men, they should all suffer death for Christ and his truths. Oh (said one of them) can I die but once for Christ?'

To conclude; let these examples prompt us to seek grace from God, and make it our earnest study to im itate and follow such a cloud of witnesses, that we may die martyrs in resolution, our graces may be most lively at the last, our evening sun may shine brightest, and we may go off the stage glorifying God and leaving a sweet savour behind us, as these famous worthies, whose praise is in the churches, have done be fore us.

DIRECT. VII. Let dying persons be much in prayer and ejaculations to God.

PRAYER is the native breath of renewed souls; it is as necessary to their spiritual life, as breath is to the natural life, Lam. iii, 56. "Hide not thine ear

at my breathing." The first thing a child of God doth, when he is new born, is to breathe by prayer, Acts ix. 11. "Behold he prayeth." And, it is also his last work in the world, to pray, Acts vii. 59, 60. "And they stoned Stephen, calling upon God, and saying, Lord Jesus, receive my spirit. And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep." A dying Christian hath many to pray for; he is to pray for the church of God, for his friends, and relations, and also for his enemies, as Stephen did; of whom I spake before. But especially he must pray for himself, that sin may be forgiven, and that he may have safe conduct through the dark valley. I have heard of some that have been found dead upon their knees; a noble posture to die in! How agreeable is it to enter praying into the land of praise? So did Stephen, yea, so did our blessed Saviour himself; Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit.' The last words that holy Usher uttered, were, But, Lord, in special forgive my sins of omission.' Lord (said dying Beza) perfect that which thou hast begun, that I suffer not shipwreck in the haven.' I remember to have read of an old minister, when he found death approaching, he said, 'I desire to die like the poor thief crying to the crucified Jesus for mercy. I am nothing, I have nothing, I can do nothing, except what is unworthy. My eye, my hope, and faith is to Christ on the cross. I bring an unworthiness like that of the poor dying thief unto him, and have no more to plead than he. Like the poor thief crucified with him, I am waiting to be received, by the infinite grace of my Lord into his kingdom." Let us, in like manner, die crying to a crucified Jesus for mercy. Lord, remember me, now thou art in thy kingdom.

O, dying Christian, remember the time of prayer is near an end; after death there will be no more occa

sion for prayer. O then beg that the spirit of prayer may be so poured down upon you at this time, that you may be enabled to pour out your heart before God both for yourself and others. O how earnestly should you pray then, when you are taking your leave of prayer! Mind the example which your Redeemer gave you; it was before his death that he offered up prayers and supplications, with strong crying and tears unto God. I acknowledge, sick and dying persons are frequently out of case for making prayers of any great length or continuance (which consideration should excite us to the greater diligence in prayer in the time of our health) and therefore they ought to be the more frequent and fervent in short and suitable ejaculations and petitions to God, as their exigencies do require.

Some Meditations and Ejaculations proper for sick and dying persons, and especially for a dying believer.

LORD, thou art the God of my life, and hast the keys of death in thy hand. Thou hast measured the length of my life, and appointed the hour of my death. The number of my months and days is with thee, and thou hast appointed the bounds over which I cannot pass.

What is my life but a vapour that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away! At the longest, how short is it? and at the strongest, how weak?

What man is it that liveth here, and shall not see death? When a few days are come, I shall go the way whence I shall not return. God hath decreed it, sin hath deserved it, my frailty demonstrates it, death's harbingers proclaim it, and I must expect it.

There is no discharge in this war, no exemption from death's stroke. Death's messengers are come to warn me, that my last day and last hour draweth nigh. The sound of their master's feet is behind

them. This clay house must be dissolved, my soul dislodged, and my place here shall know me no more. I will be quickly as water spilt on the ground, that cannot be gathered up again.

O that I may be suitably exercised in my present weak and dying condition! When my flesh faileth, and my heart fainteth within me, O that God may be the strength of my heart and portion for ever! When the keepers of the house do tremble, let God watch over it, and be the keeper of my soul. When the grinders do cease, because they are few, let my soul be fed with manna from heaven. When the daughters of music are brought low, let my soul be disposed for hearing the song of Moses and the Lamb in the temple above. When those that look out at the windows are darkened, let the eyes of my soul be enlightened to behold, with the dying martyr Stephen, the heavens opened, and the glorious Jesus standing on the right hand of God, making intercession for me, and ready to receive me. Let my hope and desire look out at the windows, and say, "Why is his chariot so long a coming? and why tarry the wheels of his chariot? Make haste, my beloved, and be thou like a roe or a young hart on the mountains of Bether."

O that I may observe the afflicting hand of God in my present sickness! Surely affliction cometh not out of the dust, nor doth trouble spring out of the ground. O Lord, rebuke me not in thine indignation, nor chasten me in thy hot displeasure. Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I am weak; and heal me, for my bones are vexed. When thou with rebukes doth correct man for iniquity, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth: surely every man is vanity. The sorrows of my heart are enlarged, O bring me out of my distresses.. Look upon my affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sin. I look for sympathy to my great high priest, who is touched with the feelings of my infirmities. My help and strength is in him.

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