Anchith. I cannot let you go. I have nothing to or der, but what you may very fafely be privy to; and befides, I may ftand in need of your advice; and therefore, pray let me beg your stay, if it be no inconvenience to yourself.

Theoph. You fhall command me.

Nomicus. Sir, I am very forry to find fo worthy a gentleman, and whom we all most defervedly honour and esteem, in fo weak a condition. I heard, Sir, you was pleased to fend for me, and am come accordingly to receive your commands.

Anchith. I thank you, Sir. Bleffed be God, I am fomewhat better than I was, but however, ftill, as you fee, fick and weak, and know not how foon I may leave the world; and, being defirous, in the mean time, to make a disposition of what it has pleased Almighty God to give me in it, I fent to beg the favour of you of making my will. And I thank my God, I am as ready to leave thefe tranfitory enjoyments, as ever I was to receive them : and I cannot but be pleased in myself, to think, that ever fince I came to the inheritance of them, I have always made them to serve, not to rule and govern me; and at all times could be content to part with them, whenever God's glory, or my neighbour's wants, required it of me.

Theoph. So St. John advises, (k) not to love the world, neither the things of the world; affuring us, moreover, that, if any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. In like manner, as our blessed Saviour declares, itis (1) impoffible to ferve God and Mammon; and commands to (m) make to ourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness, that when we fail, they may receive us into everlafting babitations. And that you have taken this course, appears from your indifferency as to thefe temporal good things, according to the doctrine of our bleffed Lord; (n) Where your treasure is, there will your bears be also.

(k) 1 John ii. 15. () Matth. vi. 24. (n) Matth. vi. 21.

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(m) Luke xvi. 9.

Anchith.

Anchith. I must own I have, in some measure, made this my ftudy, tho' with a great many faults and failings but I heartily wifh I had done it more, and to better purposes.

But, if you pleafe, we will begin.

Nom. It is great pity, Sir, this work is now to do. However, it is not yet too late; and therefore, if you will please to give me your inftructions, I will take care faithfully to purfue them.

be

Anchith. Begin. In the name of God, Amen. I Anchithanes, of the parish of A. in the county of B. an unworthy member of the church of Chrift, as fettled and reformed here in England, being through the abundant mercy and goodness of God, tho' weak in body, yet of a found and perfect understanding and memory, do conftitute this my laft Will and Teftament, and defire it may received by all as fuch. Imprimis, I mcft humbly bequeath my foul to God my Maker, beseeching his most gracious acceptance of it, through the all-fufficient merits and mediation of my most compaffionate Redeemer Jefus Chrift, who gave himself to be an atonement for my fins, and is able to fave to the utmoft, all that come unto God by him, feeing he ever liveth to make interceffion for them; and who, I truft, will not reject me a returning penitent finner, when I come to him for mercy. In this hope and confidence I render up my foul with comfort, humbly beseeching the most blessed and glorious Trinity, one God most holy, most merciful and gracious, to prepare me for the time of my diffolution, and then to take me to himself, into that peace and reft, and incomparable felicity, which he has prepar'd for all that love and fear his holy name. Amen, bleffed God, Amen.

Theoph. I am glad to hear you speak fo ftrongly, and hope you will be able to hold out, till you fhall have finished this neceffary and ufeful work. But I am much more glad to fee you begin it so devoutly and religiously, as thereby to teftify the good dispofition of foul you are in, and the fitnels you have brought yourself to, for quitting this tranfiory

trouble

troublesome wicked world, whenfoever your time shall

come.

Anchith. If I were not very ferious and devout, now that I have a near view of eternity, and know not how foon, how very foon, I may be in it, when should I be fo? I am fure the greatest concern I can poffibly have, is to make my peace with God, and fo to perfect my repentance for all my fins, and my reliance upon his mercy through Chrift, as that I may have a well-grounded hope in him, whenfoever my foul fhall· hake off this earthly body, and take its flight into another world.

Theoph. This, it is true, is each one's great concern; and there is none, how young, how healthful, how active, how lively, how ftrong foever, but ought to make it his continual care thus to prepare himfelf for a better state: much more are thofe, who lie upon a fick bed, called upon, to apply themselves to it with the utmost diligence, before it be too late.

Anchith. I thank God, I am not now to begin my repentance it has been indeed the bufinefs of molt part of my life, tho' with forrow and fhame I fay it, too fadly defective in many refpects. For which reafon I am now defirous to complete it, and make it as perfect as I can, that fo I may depart hence to the better advantage. But I believe he has written all I had directed: Have you not?

Nom. Yes, Sir; and am ready to proceed whenever you please.

Anchith. So I will then. I earnestly beg pardon of any I have offended, and am ready to make full reflitution, if I have ignorantly wronged any one; for I am fure I have not knowingly. And, if any have abufed or injured me, I freely forgive it.

Theoph. This is fo neceffary a part of Chriflianity, that there is no hope for any one to be faved without it. It is our bleffed Saviour's own command, (0) If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembereft, that thy (4) Matth. v. 23, 24. M 3

brother

brother bath aught against thee; leave there thy gift befors the altar, and go thy way; firft be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Tho' the gift were already with the priest, to be offer'd up by way of atonement for him that brought it, yet was no atonement to be expected by it, if he were guilty of any affront or wrong done to his neighbour, and had not fome way made up the breach. And it is therefore our Saviour's direction, not to pretend to any fuch oblation, or to hope for any benefit by it, till the injured perfon have a due satisfaction given him. And if this be neceffary at a man's coming with his gift to the altar, it muft questionless be more fo, when he's going out of the world, and will never more have it in his power to offer at a reparation. The leaft therefore a true penitent can do in that nice juncture, is to exprefs his forrow, and intreat forgiveness of any provocation or affront given to whomloever. But if my neighbour be otherwife injured, by cheating, extortion, theft, or whatever fort of injuftice, I must not only beg his pardon, but, if able, muft make him full reparation for the wrong itfelf, and all the ill confequences that have accrued to him by it; as might be eafily fhewn from divers places of Scripture. (p) And as these are neceffary parts of justice to fuch as I have offended or wronged; fo, on the other hand, (q) I am no less required to be ready to forgive any that has offended me, and to come to eafy terms with such as have any way defrauded or injured me, and are defirous of forgiveness. St. Paul inftances in it as one evident means of our walking worthy of the vacation wherewith we are called, that (r) with lowlinefs, meekness, and long-fuffering, we forbear one another in love; and at another time requires to (s) put on, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humblenefs of mind, meekness, and long fuffering, forbearing one

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another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any, even as Chrift forgave you, fays the Apostle: fo alfo do ye. And it is our bleffed Saviour's pofitive determination in the cafe, that whofoever defires forgiveness from God Almighty, of his fins and tranfgreffions against him, must be fure to clear the way to it, by forgiving his brethren their leffer offences against himself. (t) For, if ye forgive men their trefpaffes, your Heavenly Father will also forgive your trefpaffes: but, if ye forgive not men their trefpaffes, neither will your Heavenly Father forgive your trefpaffes.

Anchith. And I profefs myfelf to die in the faith and communion of the church of England; the fame faith that is taught in the Holy Scripture, that was profefs'd and maintained in the first and pureft ages of the church, and feal'd with the blood of vaft multitudes of martyrs, and is contain'd in the three creeds now in ufe amongst us; and the moft primitive and beft communion now in the whole world.

Theoph. Hereby you will not only ftand upon record as an orthodox chriftian, but do alfo bear a laudable teftimony against the hereticks and infidels of our time, who are lo indefatigably fet upon undermining our common Chriftianity, and all revealed religion.

Anchith. You take it then to be a piece of juftice I owe to myself, and to the religion I profefs, and refolve, by God's grace, to die in, to make my profeffion of it at this time.

Theoph. I do fo, and commend you for it. But will you please to go on?

Anchith. Now for my earthly part: be pleased to write; Next I give my body to the earth, from whence it was taken, in full affurance of its refurrection from thence at the last day, (u) when this mortal fhall put on immortality, and this corruptible, incorruption; (x) when the Lord Jefus Chrift fhall change it, that it may be fashion'd like to his glorious body, by the mighty power whereby he is able to fubduc all things to himelf, that I fhall then receive it again wonderfully improv'd (4) Matth, vi. 14, 15. () 1 Cor. xv. 53. (x) Phil. iii. 20, 21. and

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