1. Labour to be acquainted with the state of the sick persons soul. Its dangerous to give either Purges or Cordials ignorantly, or at peradventure. The souls of men are of unconceivable value, and therefore not to be tampered or trifled with. Its a good step to the cure, to understand fully the disease, and the constitution of the Patient; therefore Physicians feel the pulse, view the urine, enquire of the sick person, or his friends, concerning his former course of life, diet, present digestion of his food, place of his trouble or pain, &c. that they may proceed upon good grounds, and give suitable and effectual advice. So shouldst thou Reader, in visiting the sick, inform thy self either by conference with some serious Christians of their acquaintance beforehand, or by some searching prudent questions to the sick, concerning the condition of their souls. ⟨p. 569⟩The ignorance of a Physician, may occasion the death of the Patient. Some practitioners in Physic, who intend much good, do much hurt, for want of judgement to find out the tempers and distempers of the sick. A mistake in soul-cases, is of more hazard then in body-sickness. If I undertake to humble a person who is already cast down sufficiently, and wants a Cordial, or to comfort one who is full of presumption already, and needs a Corrosive, how good soever my meaning may be, my acting is evil, and instead of relieving, I may destroy my Brother. The Eastern Churches did not without cause enjoin the Minister, or such as were appointed to visit the sick, to continue with them seven days together, that in that space they might discover the man, before they applied themselves to him, either in a way of Admonition, or Counsel, or Consolation. Jobs friends when they came to visit him, spake not a word, either reproving or advising him, till they heard him open his mouth and curse the tongue that told the news of his birth. The knowledge of the sick mans spiritual condition, is as it were, the foundation upon which we must build all our discourse with him, and prayers to God for him; or at least it is the rule by which we must build, and therefore its very dangerous to mistake in it. If the Foundation be laid ill, the superstructure will never stand well; If the rule be crooked, the building cannot be strait. A blind Archer may as soon hit the Mark, as one ignorant of his Neighbours state, advantage his soul.
1. Labour to be acquainted with the state of the sick persons soul. Its dangerous to give either Purges or Cordials ignorantly, or at peradventure. The souls of men are of unconceivable value, and therefore not to be tampered or trifled with. Its a good step to the cure, to understand fully the disease, and the constitution of the Patient; therefore Physitians feel the pulse, view the urine, enquire of the sick person, or his friends, concerning his former course of life, diet, present digestion of his food, place of his trouble or pain, &c. that they may proceed upon good grounds, and give sutable and effectual advice. So shouldst thou Reader, in visiting the sick, inform thy self either by conference with some serious Christians of their acquaintance beforehand, or by some searching prudent questions to the sick, concerning the condition of their souls. ⟨p. 569⟩The ignorance of a Physitian, may occasion the death of the Patient. Some practitioners in Physick, who intend much good, do much hurt, for want of judgement to find out the tempers and distempers of the sick. A mistake in soul-cases, is of more hazard then in body-sickness. If I undertake to humble a person who is already cast down sufficiently, and wants a Cordial, or to comfort one who is full of presumption already, and needs a Corrosive, how good soever my meaning may be, my acting is evil, and instead of releiving, I may destroy my Brother. The Eastern Churches did not without cause enjoyn the Minister, or such as were appointed to visit the sick, to continue with them seven days together, that in that space they might discover the man, before they applied themselves to him, either in a way of Admonition, or Counsel, or Consolation. Iobs friends when they came to visit him, spake not a word, either reproving or advising him, till they heard him open his mouth and curse the tongue that told the news of his birth. The knowledge of the sick mans spiritual condition, is as it were, the foundation upon which we must build all our discourse with him, and prayers to God for him; or at least it is the rule by which we must build, and therefore its very dangerous to mistake in it. If the Foundation be laid ill, the superstructure will never stand well; If the rule be crooked, the building cannot be strait. A blind Archer may as soon hit the Mark, as one ignorant of his Neighbours state, advantage his soul.
