Before Sickness (1)

Seeing then we cannot avoid sickness nor death, let us consider briefly how to fit ourselves for it beforehand.
(1) Before sickness labour to make God your friend, who is Lord of life and death. Is there any hope for pardon for a prisoner who abuses the judge continually? How can he imagine that a man who all his lifetime followed his own wilful courses of sin, and persecuted, by scandalizing and slandering good men; who continually blasphemed God and abused him by his words; how can this man think to demand comfort in sickness? How can he think God will be pleased with him? No. All such repentance in sickness may justly be suspected to be hypocritical, that it is made rather for fear of punishment than loathing of sin. God often leaves such men to despair. See what he said in Proverbs 1:25, 26, 'Because I have called, and you refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded; I will laugh at your calamity, and mock when your fear comes.' It is just with God, seeing when he called you would not answer, that when you call, he should not answer. Be wise therefore to foresee the time to come.
(2) If you would find comfort in your sickness, disease not your soul beforehand. Those that will avoid sickness, they will abstain from such meats and other things as may increase their malady. Let it be thus in our soul sickness; find what you are sick from and take heed of hunting after such temptations and occasions as may inflame your soul. Take away the strength and power of sickness.
(3) Wean your affections from the earth or else when any cross comes, we will not be able to endure. In what proportion a man loves this world too much, in that proportion he grieves too much at his departure from it. It is an easy matter for one to die who has died in heart and affection already. Consider the uncertainty and vanity of these things, and how unable they will be to help you when you will stand most in need of help.

Devotional Readings taken from Puritan Richard Sibbes 'Refreshment for the Soul.'
Of the Providence of God, Works, vol. 5, pp. 42
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