yet how patiently did he suffer Nathan to tell him, Thou art the man,' because he looked not so much at the messenger, as at his great Master, GOD ALMIGHTY, by Whom he was sent. Great men are

nursed up in flattery from their cradle, and the mercenary tongues of those that depend upon them, will never permit them to know the truth; a sincere and impartial friend being the only thing which they want, who have abundance of all other earthly satisfactions. And now they are going to leave all, and to be judged by Him who hath no respect of persons, it is their greatest happiness and certain interest to have a holy man that may and dare let them know their estate, before it be unalterable. And for meaner persons, they must beware that their pride and peevishness do not discourage their spiritual physician from doing this necessary, though seemingly unpleasing office to them, because no man can judge his own case so well as an impartial and faithful bystander may do, since most men are apt to think too favourably of themselves."

There are also some directions that you will do well to profit by, which aim at rendering the repentance as perfect as may be.

It is obvious, that if your sickness have fallen upon you as a consequence of sin, there can be no true repentance, so long as the sin is retained. All incentives, therefore, to the sin which has occasioned this punishment sent by God to you in His mercy, must be without hesitation laid aside. Here that golden rule must be allowed its operation in full force, "If thine eye offend thee, pluck it out."

In order that you may deepen and render more intense this, which may be your last repentance, closely inquire into the degrees of imperfection which have attended your former acts of penitence, that so this last act may prove indeed "a repentance not to be repented of." Mark well whether your former exertions to please GOD, and cause angelic rejoicings over the "sinner that repenteth," have been so earnestly engaged in, as to make you resolve to live holily, and whether your actions have since corres

ponded with the fervency of your resolutions. Consider how much or how little time has been spent in retirement, in humiliations, in fastings, in prayers. Think with yourself how much or how little you have judged yourself, that you might not be judged. Think in what respects you have taken revenge upon yourself, and in what respects you have missed so doing, whether by almsgiving, or by other acts of self-denial. Such thoughts as these will quicken your remorse, and cause you to seek from the all-merciful God, with an earnestness and vehemence proportioned to your necessity, "pardon for the imperfections of your repentance, acceptance of your weaker sorrows, supplies out of the treasures of grace and mercy.' 1

You are doubtless well aware that there is such a thing as repenting through fear. You must beware of reposing any trust in such a repentance, for GOD requires of us that penitence which springs from a principle of love. Now fear is a very effective principle to move us at the first beginnings of repentance, but must have no place at a death-bed where repentance has to be completed. At least here" perfect love must in the end and before death has sealed our eyes cast out fear." We must endeavour to cherish in our souls the affection of a son, and not of a slave, crying, Abba FATHER.

There are some sins which admit of no satisfaction being made, in which restitution is not possible, and no contrary acts can be exercised. For these, penitential prayers and almsgiving (if indeed the latter is in your power) are advised; since they are the only acts of repentance that can be performed. As for instance, the sin of intemperance can only be repaired in a dying man by prayer and alms. What reparation too can be given to a dead person who has been seduced by you into sin? Prayer and alms would seem to be the great means in such cases whereby reconciliation with GOD may be obtained.

The words of Bishop Taylor on the subject of an effective repentance are of great importance, and must be full of profit to the sick man. "Let the sick man, 1 Taylor's Holy Dying.

in the scrutiny of his conscience and confession of his sins, consider those sins which are only condemned in the court of conscience, and no where else. For there are certain secresies and retirements, places of darkness and artificial veils, with which the devil uses to hide our sins from us, and to incorporate them into our affections by a constant uninterrupted practice, before they be prejudiced or discovered. 1. There are many sins which have reputation, and are accounted honour; as fighting a duel, answering a blow with a blow, carrying armies into a neighbouring country, robbing with a navy, violently seizing upon a kingdom. 2. Others are permitted by law; as usury in all countries : and because every excess of it is a certain sin, the permission of so suspected a matter makes it ready for us, and instructs the temptation. 3. Some things are not forbidden by laws; as lying in ordinary discourse, jeering, scoffing, intemperate eating, ingratitude, selling too dear, circumventing another in contracts, importunate intreaties, and temptation of persons to many instances of sin, pride, and ambition. 4. Some others do not reckon they sin against GOD, if the laws have seized upon the person; and many that are imprisoned for debt think themselves disobliged from payment; and when they pay the penalty, think they owe nothing for the scandal and disobedience. 5. Some sins are thought not considerable, but go under the title of sins of infirmity, or inseparable accidents of mortality; such as idle thoughts, foolish talking, looser revellings, impatience, anger, and all the events of evil company. 6. Lastly, many things are thought to be no sins; such as mispending of their time, whole days or months of useless and impertinent employment, long gaming, winning men's money in greater portions, censuring men's actions, curiosity, equivocating in the prices and secrets of buying and selling, rudeness, speaking truths enviously, doing good to evil purposes, and the like. Under the dark shadow of these unhappy and fruitless yew-trees, the enemy of mankind makes very many to lie hid from themselves, sewing before their nakedness the fig-leaves of popular and idol reputation, and impunity, public permission, a temporal penalty,

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infirmity, prejudice, and direct error in judgment, and ignorance. You should in all these cases be observant, lest the fallacy prevail upon you to evil purposes of death or diminution of your good; and that those things which in your life passed without observation, may now be brought forth and pass under saws and harrows, that is, the severity and censure of sorrow and condemnation. To which I add, for the likeness of the thing, that the matter of omission be considered; for in them lies the bigger half of our failings; and yet in many instances they are undiscerned, because they very often sit down by the conscience, but never upon it and they are usually looked upon as poor men do upon their not having coach and horses, or as that knowledge is missed by boys and hinds which they never had it will be hard to make them understand their ignorance; it requires knowledge to perceive it; and therefore he that can perceive it, hath it not. That which is to be confessed and repented of is omission of duty in direct instances and matters of commandment, or collateral and personal obligations, and is especially to be considered by kings and prelates, by governors and rich persons, by guides of souls and presidents of learning in public charge, and by all other in their proportions. You must take care that your confession be as minute and particular as it can, and that as few sins as may be, be intrusted to the general prayer of pardon for all sins; for by being particular and enumerative of the variety of evils which have disordered your life, your repentance is disposed to be more pungent and afflictive, and therefore more salutary and medicinal; it hath in it more sincerity, and makes a better judgment of the final condition of the man; and from thence it is certain, the hopes of the sick man can be more confident and reasonable."

"Then shall the minister examine whether he be in charity with all the world; exhorting him to forgive from the bottom of his heart, all persons that have offended him; and if he hath offended any other to ask them forgiveness; and where he hath done wrong

or injury to any man, that he make amends to the uttermost of his power."

In this rubric we find the Church pointing out the necessity of two acts of charity, namely, forgiveness and restitution; or in other words, the forgiving those who have injured us, and the obtaining forgiveness from those whom we have injured. There is yet another act of charity which the Church has incorporated in the following rubric:

"The minister should not omit earnestly to move such sick persons as are of ability to be liberal to the poor."

The Church thus brings before us the obligations of charity in all its branches. And of what great importance is this Divine grace in the settlement of the affairs of the soul when taking its last farewell of the body, she, as the keeper of Holy Writ most fully declares, at this critical period calling solemnly to our minds the truth that our forgiveness by GoD is proportioned to the degree and manner of our forgiveness of our brethren. "If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly FATHER will also forgive you; but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your FATHER forgive your trespasses.' These were the words of our Blessed SAVIOUR Who hath taught us by a wonderful example to forgive our enemies, and to seek to be filled with love even towards those who most bitterly persecute us. And since that man cannot be deemed truly penitent for the injuries he has done his neighbour, who refuses to ask forgiveness of him, or will not make restitution to him for losses he has sustained through him, or satisfaction for wrong done him, but would most assuredly repeat his injuries, whenever the temptation again occurred of so doing; the Church has in her wisdom declared the necessity of this part of charity to the safe conduct of the sick man in his dying hour, by which monition she would seem to bring before us the words of our SAVIOUR," Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the