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Helps for forming a true judgment of a deathbed repentance.

As repentance is a change of heart from an evil to a good disposition, no man can justly be called a true penitent till his heart be thus changed; and whenever that change is made, repentance is certainly complete.

Now there is reason to conclude God will consider that life as amended, which would have been amended if he had spared it. Repentance in the sight of man cannot be known but by its fruits. The only way man can judge is by the rule Christ himself has given us; "By their "fruits ye shall know them." (Matt. vii. 20.)

But God, our great Creator, sees the fruit in the blossom or in the seed. He, and he only, knows those resolutions, which are fixed; those conversions, which would be lasting; and will receive such as are qualified by holy desires for works of righteousness, without exacting from them these outward duties, which the shortness of their lives hindered them from performing.

All therefore a minister can do is to recommend a death-bed penitent to the mercy of God: but it is impossible for him to pronounce what will be his state in another world.

knows the secrets of all hearts, can be a judge,) there is reason to hope he will find mercy.

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body.

It must be left in the grave, a prey to corruption and worms.

It will be raised in incorruption.

It has been the instrument of sin.
It has been the subject of diseases.
It is the prison of the soul.

2.

Death is a departure from this world.

A real Christian will not value the world overmuch.

He considers himself as a pilgrim here, and the world as an inn. "Your fathers, where are "they?"

He leaves his wife and children in the hands of a good and gracious God; and in the hope of meeting them again to part no more.

3.

Death is an entrance into another world.

A real Christian dies in the faith, fear, and love of God, and his Son Jesus Christ, and in submission to his will.

He leaves mortal for immortal friends.

He dies in the Lord, because he has lived in the Lord; he dies happy, because he has lived holy.

He shall rest from his labour, sin, sorrow, and death.

He shall be admitted into the joy of his Lord.

Death is certain; life very uncertain. How little then is to be expected from life; and how much is it our duty and wisdom to set our affections above, where only is true and lasting happiness! Here our friends die; our comforts fail; our hopes vanish; our promises to ourselves remain unsatisfied. There is nothing durable and fit for our portion on earth. "Arise, "therefore, and depart, for this is not your rest: "it is polluted." Micah ii. 10.

Helps for conversing with the sick on the fears of death.

To talk of death, and really to die, are two very different things: to view death as an awful messenger from God, actually approaching with his open commission in one hand, and his uplifted dart to execute it in the other, (an expecting grave and eternal judgment in his immediate train,) is as different, as to view a lion painted on the sign at an inn, and really to hear his tremendous roar, and to see his rolling eyes as he fiercely advances to devour us.

He who is not prepared for death, has just cause to fear it: but he who is reconciled to it by faith, repentance, and renewed obedience, and so qualified for the enjoyment of heaven, has no just cause to fear death.

The fear of death proceeds either from the pangs or the consequences of it.

1. If from the pangs of it, consider, that many suffer greater pains in some part of their lives. We submit to present pain in hope of future ease; as in the amputation of a limb, or cutting for the stone, &c. A few mortal pangs will cure us of all diseases, and recover us to everlasting happiness.

2. If our fear of death proceed from the con

sequences of it, they are dreadful indeed to the impenitent.

Daily meditate on mortality and immortality, and earnestly pray and strive to have your follies and weaknesses die before you. Consider, that the natural heat necessary for the preservation of the body daily consumes it.

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Death though terrible to nature, seen with an eye of faith, is disrobed of its terrors, and clothed with its comforts. "Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. xv. 57. "Blessed are the "dead which die in the Lord, that they may "rest from their labours." Rev. xiv. 13.” “There "remaineth a rest to the people of God." Heb. iv. 9.

O blessed time! when "mortality shall be "swallowed up of life;" (2 Cor. v. 4.) and death and sorrow shall be no more! when we shall be eased of all our pains; resolved of all our doubts; be purged from all our sins; be freed from all our fears; be happy beyond our hopes; and have all this happiness secured to us beyond the power of time and change. (See Archbishop Tillotson's Sermon on an heavenly Conversation, from Phil. iii. 20.)

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The consideration of having endeavoured to imitate Christ, and of being " purified through "faith in him," (Acts xv. 9.) may exclude all reasonable doubts and disquieting fears of death, though it may not all transient suspicions and jealousies and such an assurance as this, bad as the world is, many have actually obtained. Perhaps there is not a greater or more important truth than "that in proportion as our faith in "the Redeemer increases, so our fear of death "proportionably decreases." They, who are endowed with such dispositions, are capable of relishing heaven after death, and are consequently in a fit state to die.

Helps for conversing with the sick on a comfortable view of death.

By death you will be freed from many infir mities, diseases, and pains, to which your frail body is now exposed.

By death you will get rid of misfortunes and treachery, (sometimes too under the mask of friendship,) and you will no more see innocence sacrificed to iniquity, nor the poor, as they too often are, most grievously oppressed by hardhearted wretches, who have the power over

them.

At death all your doubts will vanish: "You "shall know as you are known," (1 Cor. xiii. 12.) "and put off this body of sin." (Rom. vi. 6.) You will leave a world, in which you cannot live without in some degree offending God.

By death you will leave the untoward company of men; too many of whom seem "to have taken counsel against the Lord and his "Anointed," (Ps. ii. 2.) to subvert his throne, and not to have him to rule over them.

By death you will be enabled to form intimate connections with happy spirits*, to behold the patriarchs and the prophets, and to have com munion with the blessed God himself, and the great Redeemer. (Heb. xii. 22.) If the conversation of a wise and experienced Christian here below is so pleasing and comfortable to one who loves our Lord Jesus Christ in sincerity, how delightful will heaven be to him, which is full of the spirits of just men made perfect, over whom Christ himself condescends graciously to

The Chevalier Ramsay says, "that souls only make acquaintance here below: it is above that their union is "consummated." May we spend our few remaining days in such a manner, that our death may be our passage to a joyful resurrection, to a blessed and eternal life.

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