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to be employed; and it may be observed, none have fo quiet a mind, nor are so intent upon heavenly things, as those who have made their wills in time of health. It is, therefore, a grievous folly, • and shameful neglect, at best, to defer this; but if C we put it off, because we have no mind to think fo seriously of death, as this will occafion us to do, the omiffion then proceeds from atheism and abominable impiety, and declares, that the man defires his only portion here; and that he is fo far from preparing for death, that he cannot endure to think of it, Ecclus xli. 1. And as this fault is like that wretched mifer's in the gospel, (who, till the very moment of his death, perfuaded himfelf he should live and enjoy all himself) fo will his fate, in all probability, be like his alfo; even to be snatch'd away, unready, to a fad eternity, for which he hath made no provifion, Luke xii. 19, 20. Secondly, • Another part of our duty is, that when we do dif pofe of our eftate, we do it impartially, and by rules of equity; not difinheriting any of those whom God hath made our heirs, without neceffity force • us thereunto: neither preferring one child before another, unless fome extraordinary acts of duty require it; nor leaving our wives unprovided for, when we have confumed, or difpofed, of their fortunes; neither defigning to defraud our creditors of their juft demands. For, if our last act be unjust, we leave a blot upon our name here; and fince we can never repent of this wickedness, we can expect nothing but a fad doom in the world whither we are going. Leftly, We must make our will with a chearful mind, and freely lay down whatever we have in our hands, when God calls us. We must praise him, that we had these things while we needed them; and, now that we have no longer ufe for them, let us leave them (without repining) to those that come after us. We must not look back to Egypt, now we are upon our march to Canaan;

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nor is there any thing in thefe worldly goods to deferve it: they were vanity and vexation while we had them, and now we can have them no more; but if we part with them freely, we shall have a better inheritance by far in exchange for them.'

Anchith. This is very good advice; and what I wish every one, that has any thing to difpofe of, would be fure to put in practice. As I hope I have now done.

Theoph. Bleffed be God, that you have liv'd to do it! But I must not forget, that it is high time for me to withdraw. I thank God, that you have been able to hold out fo well under this day's long work. Now I fhall leave you, that you may try to recover your fpirits, which muft needs be much spent by fo long an exercise of them. Wherefore I heartily bid you good night; and I pray God you may find yourfelf refreshed to-morrow, and that I may find you a hopeful way of recovery on Thursday, when I hope to fee you again, with your other friends, that have appointed then to vifit you.

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Anchith. Dear Theophilus, I am exceedingly obliged to you for all your kindneffes, and particularly for the long trouble I have given you to-day. And I fhall be ftill farther in your debt, for any time you will please to spend with me, whilft I am on this fide of the grave. For, you fee, I am in a weak condition, and need the comfort and affiftance of all my friends; and I hope shall be the better for it to all eternity.

Theoph. I wish I were capable of being more truly ferviceable to you than I am. But, affure yourself, my beft endeavours fhall not be wanting. At prefent I take my leave of you, but fhall not fail to pray for you when I am gone.

Anchith. I befeech you not to omit that chriftian office for me, for I have great need of the hearty prayers of all good people.

The End of the Third VISIT.

The

The Fourth VISIT.

How a Man may judge of his Interest in God. Favour, either here, or hereafter.

Eufeb.

RAY how is Anchithanes to-day?

PR

Servant. Much as when you faw him laft. Eufeb. Is any company with him?

Serv. Only Theodorus, who has just been at prayer with him. Will you not please to walk in, Sir?

Eufeb. I am glad to hear, Anchithanes, that you are not worse than when I faw you laft; and to find fo worthy a perfon as Theodorus with you. And I wifhl had come a little fooner, that I might have joined with him in praying for you. However, with Theodorus's leave I would put you upon intreating a favour of him, before he leaves you, that may be of advantage to me as well as you.

Anchith. Pray what is that?

Theod. I am fure I fhall be very ready, to do any fervice in my power to either of you.

Eufeb. You were always very kind, which makes me take this freedom, in hope you will not be dif pleased at it.

Anchith. Pray what is it you would have me intreat of Theodorus?

Eufeb. When Theophilus, and the reft of us, were here fome days fince, you defired our refolution of a doubt, much fitter for Theodorus's opinion than ours; and which I heartily with to hear refolved by him.

Anchith. I very well remember it; and if this occafion will permit, I will trefpafs fo far upon his goodnefs as to beg his information concerning it, it being a matter of great importance to all; but more especially to thofe in my prefent circumstances.

Theod. Be pleafed to propofe your question; and I will give you the best fatisfaction I can concerning it.

Anchith.

Anchith. It is this: How I may make a right judgment of my intereft in God's favour, either at prefent, or in relation to a future ftate.

Theod. A weighty queftion indeed; and which I fhould be glad to have oftener proposed to me by those in your condition. But it is the miferable unhappiness and folly of the generality of mankind, that they are not fo fenfible, either of their duty, or their intereft, as you appear to be.

Anchith. I am fure it highly concerns me to be fo. And I beg therefore, that you will add to all your other kindnesses, this which Eufebius has put me upon asking of you; as I had before afked it of himself, and fome other good friends, that promised to come and fee me.

Theod. Your queftion confifts of two different parts; I the one relating to this prefent, and the other to a future life. And I fuppofe you defire I should speak to both of them.

Anchith. If it will not be too great a trouble to you: as I hope it will not, after the experience I have had, of the delight you take in doing good.

Theod. Affure yourself, Anchithanes, any fervice I can do you, will be no trouble to me. But this ought by no means to be fo, because it is only a part of my minifterial office, and what I am obliged to do for any of my parishioners, that fhall defire it of me. I begin with the former part of your inquiry. Anchith. If you please.

Theod. Then I must tell you, you are not to imagine, that God is at enmity with you, because he thinks fit, for what wife reafons you know not, to lay his hand thus heavy upon you. It is rather a fign of his affection to you, or any of us, and his paternal care over us, that he condefcends to correct us in this world, to the end we may repent, may acknowledge our faults, and amend our lives, and fue for mercy and forgiveness, and grace to help in time of need'; that fo, by means of our temporal afflictions and ca

lamities,

lamities, we may die to the fins for which we are thus punished, and rife again to newness of life; and fo may escape the everlafting plagues of the other world, and may never come into (a) the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, but may have (b) an entrance ministred unto us abundantly, into the everlafting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. We have the authority of St. Paul for it, that when we are punished in like manner as the Corinthians were, for their grofs abuse of the Lord's Supper, of whom he profeffes, that divers were feized with fickness, and others with death; when we are thus punished, God does it, not out of an irreconcileable difpleasure, and for our deftruction; but in way of kindness, and in order to our eternal falvation. For (c) when we are judged, we are chaftened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world. When God fuffers the finner to flourish in his wickedness, faying, concerning him, as he did of Ephraim, after he was joined with idols, Let him alone; when he gives him up to follow his own heart's ways, and to add iniquity to iniquity, till the measure of his fins be filled up; it is a terrible evidence, that such an one is reserved for the pains of the world to come, and that weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth, will be his everlasting portion. Our bleffed Saviour denounces a miferable end to fuch as abounded in the good things of this world, but took not care to do good with them, or to ferve and please God, the giver of them, and fo to prepare themselves for a better ftate: (d) Woe unto you that are rich; for ye have received your confolation. Woe unto you that are full; for ye shall mourn and weep. And, no doubt, a wretched portion muft await all fuch in the other life, as are suffered to proceed licentiously, and without controul in their fins, in this.

Anchith. How comes it then to pafs, that this truth is fo little taken notice of? the generality of men. (b) 2 Pet. i. 11. (c) 1 Cor. xi. 32.

(a) Rev. xxi. 8. (d) Luke vi. 24, 25.

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