and exchanges, the proper temptations and accustomed evils of his calling and condition, of the actions of scandal; – and in all those actions, which are public, or of which any = notice is come abroad, let care be taken, that the right side of the case of conscience be turned toward him, and the error truly represented to him by which he was abused; as the injustice of his contracts, his oppressive bargains, his rapine and violence; and if he hath persuaded himself to think well of a scandalous action, let him be instructed and advertised of his folly and his danger.

7. And this advice concerns the minister of religion to follow without partiality, or fear or interest, in much simplicity, and prudence, and hearty sincerity; having no other consideration, but that the interest of the man's soul be preserved, and no caution used, but that the matter be represented with just circumstances, and civilities fitted to the person with prefaces of honour and regard; but so that nothing of the duty be diminished by it, that the introduction do not spoil the sermon, and both together ruin two souls, of the speaker and the hearer. For it may soon be considered, if the sick man be a poor or an indifferent person in secular account, yet his soul is equally dear to God and was redeemed with the same highest price, and is therefore to be highly regarded; and there is no temptation but that the spiritual man may speak freely without the allays of interest, or fear, or mistaken civilities. But if the sick man be a prince or a person of eminence or wealth, let it be remembered, it is an ill expression of reverence to his authority, or of regard to his person, to let him perish for the want of an honest, and just, and a free homily.

8. Let the sick man, in the scrutiny of his conscience and confession of his sins, be carefully reminded to consider those sins, which are only condemned in the court of conscience, and no where else. For there are certain secrecies 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 neighbourcountry, 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 entreaties, 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 talk. ing, 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, infirmity, prejudice, and direct error in judgment, and ignorance. Now, in all these cases the ministers are to be inquisitive and observant, lest the fallacy prevail upon the penitent to evil purposes of death or diminution of his good; and that those things which in his 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.

9. 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. But by this pressing the conscience with omissions, I do I not mean recession, or distances from states of eminency or perfection: for although they may be used by the ministers as an instrument of humility, and a chastiser of too big a confidence; yet 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 others in their proportions.

10. The ministers of religion must take care, that the sick man's confession be as minute and particular as it can, and that as few sins as may be, be intrusted to the general prayer for pardon for all sins; for by being particular and enumerative of the variety of evils, which have disordered his life, his 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.

11. The spiritual man, that assists at the repentance of the sick, must not be inquisitive into all the circumstances of the particular sins, but be content with those that are direct paths of the crime, and aggravations of the sorrow; such as frequency, long abode, and earnest choice in acting them; violent desires, great expense, scandal of others; dishonour to the religion, days of devotion, religious solemnities and holy places; and the degrees of boldness and impudence, perfect resolution, and the habit. If the sick person be reminded or inquired into concerning these, it may prove a good instrument to increase his contrition, and perfect his penitential sorrows, and facilitate his absolution, and the means of his amendment. But the other circumstances, as of the relative person in the participation of the crime, the measures or circumstances of the impure action, the name of the injured man or woman, the quality or accidental condition: these and all the like are but questions springing from curiosity, and producing scruple, and apt to turn into many inconveniences.

12. The minister, in this duty of repentance, must be diligent to observe concerning the person that repents, that he be not imposed upon by some one excellent thing, that was remarkable in the sick man's former life. For there are some people of one good thing. Some are charitable to the poor out of kind-heartedness, and the same good nature makes them easy and compliant with drinking per sons, and they die with drink, but cannot live with charity: and their alms, it may be, shall deck their monument, or give them the reward of loving persons, and the poor man's thanks for alms, and procure many temporal blessings; but it is very sad, that the reward should be all spent in this world. Some are rarely just persons, and punctual observers of their word with men, but break their promises with God, and make no scruple of that. In these and all the like cases, the spiritual man must be careful to remark, that good proceeds from an entire and integral cause, and evil from every part: that one sickness can make a man die; but he cannot live and be called a sound man, with. out an entire health; and therefore, if any confidence arises upon that stock, so as that it hinders the strictness of the repentance, it must be allayed with the representment of this sad truth, "that he who reserves one evil in his choice, hath chosen an evil portion, and coloquintida and death is in the pot :" and he that worships the God of Israel with a frequent sacrifice, and yet upon the anni versary will bow in the house of Venus, and loves to see the follies and the nakedness of Rimmon, may eat part of the flesh of the sacrifice, and fill his belly, but shall not be refreshed by the holy cloud arising from the altar, or the dew of heaven descending upon the mysteries.

13. And yet the minister is to estimate, that one, or more good things, is to be an ingredient into his judgment concerning the state of his soul, and the capacities of his restitution, and admission to the peace of the church: and according as the excellency and usefulness of the grace hath been, and according to the degrees and the reasons of its prosecution, so abatements are to be made in the injunc tions and impositions upon the penitent. For every virtue is one degree of approach to God; and though, in respect of the acceptation, it is equally none at all, that is, it is as certain a death if a man dies with one mortal wound, as if he had twenty; yet in such persons, who have some one

or more excellencies, though not an entire piety, there is naturally a nearer approach to the state of grace, than in persons, who have done evils, and are eminent for nothing that is good. But in making judgment of such persons, it is to be inquired into, and noted accordingly, why the sick person was so eminent in that one good thing; whether by choice and apprehension of his duty, or whether it was a virtue from which his state of life ministered nothing to dehort or discourage him, or whether it was only a consequent of his natural temper and constitution. If the first, then it supposes him in the neigbourhood of the state of grace, and that in other things he was strongly tempted. The second is a felicity of his education, and an effect of Providence. The third is a felicity of his nature, and a gift of God in order to spiritual purposes. But yet of every one of these, advantage is to be made. If the conscience of his duty was the principal, then he is ready formed to entertain all other graces upon the same reason, and his repentance must be made more sharp and penal; because he is convinced to have done against his conscience in all the other parts of his life; but the judgment concerning his final state ought to be more gentle, because it was a huge temptation that hindered the man, and abused his infirmity. But if either his calling or his nature were the parents of the grace, he is in the state of a moral man (in the just and proper meaning of the word,) and to be handled accordingly: that virtue disposed him rarely well to many other good things, but was no part of the grace of sanctification; and therefore the man's repentance is to begin anew, for all that, and is to be finished in the returns of health, if God grants it; but if he denies it, it is much, very much the worse for all that sweet-natured virtue.

14. When the confession is made, the spiritual man is to execute the office of a restorer and a judge, in the following particulars and manner.

SECTION IV.

Of the ministering to the Restitution and Pardon, or Reconciliation of the Sick Person, by administering the holy Sacrament.

"If any man be overtaken in a fault, ye, which are spiritual, restore such a one in the spirit of meekness ;"* that

* Gal. vi. 1.