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ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE ·

READER.

T

HE Publishers of this Edition, being defirous to render this little Book as generally useful as it was poffible; and confidering that the two great Occafions of Extraordinary Devotion, are the Seafons of Receiving the Blessed Sacrament of the Lord's Supper, and that of Sickness; they thought the former reaSonably well provided for, in the Fourth Book of the foregoing Tranflation, and engaged Me to make fome Supplementary Provifion for the Latter. This I was the rather difpofed to do, in regard a great part of that which follows lay by me, fome time fince compofed at the Request of a Lady, (now I hope with God) who defired my Affiftance in Preparing fome Meditations, that might be proper for her then very weak and languishing Condition. The manner in which they were drawn feemed not ill to fuit with the Temper of the Author to which they are fixed; and the Defign of cafting them into this Form, is to promote in feme measure those Reasonings with a Man's own Mind, which at all times indeed, but especially in fuch Circumstances, would prove of excellent Advantage, if frequent Use did but render them more familiar.

I am far from thinking, that thefe few Sheets have any thing in them of equal Perfection with thofe many Pious and well weighed Treatifes, written by others upon this Subject. Much lefs would I have the Reader imagine, that either This or Thofe can fuperfede the Neceffity and Benefit of the Prayers of the Church, and the Advice of our Spiritual Phyficians.

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Thefe ought always to be confulted in the first Place, before Matters come to Extremity: And a confcientious Perfon,after all his own Care, will find Bufinefs enough for them. the Exercife of Piety prescribed in fuch Tracts will be good Helps, and fill up thofe Intervals very well, which the Languishings of a Sick Bed many times allow, when it cannot be expected that the Ordinary Guides of our Souls fhould be ready with their Attendance, whofe Directions in the Measures Mens Repentance, while under the afflicting Hand of God, and the proper Methods of Expreffing their Thankfulness when delivered from it, as well as their prudent Comforts, adminiftred to wounded and contrite Hearts, will notwithStanding be always feafonable and neceffary.

The Devout Chriftian, who converfes much with the Word of God, and the Offices of the Church, will find himself able to make large Additions to the following Devotions. In which it was much more difficult to reftrain my Pen, than to expatiate a great deal further. But I confidered the condition of the Perfons they were intended for; and therefore contented my Self with fuch Short Hints under each Head, as the Weakness of that would bear. If what I have offered here may tend to the promoting of Piety, and the fanctifying fuch Difpenfations of Providence to any one of my Chriftian Brethren, by kindling in them a boly Zeal, and infpiring good Purpcles, I have my End. And this, with God's Bleffing, I hope it will; and beartily pray that it may, in fome Degree be capable of.

GEO STANHO PE.

Medita

Meditations and Prayers

FOR

Sick Perlons:

I.

MEDITATION I

Upon Sickness in general, the Author, Caufes and

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End of it.

OME, my Soul, and let us reafon together, concerning the Things that have befallen us. This Body, to which thou art united, flags and droops; the Vigor of it is abated, its Beauty withered and wafted; The well-knit Limbs are grown feeble, and with great difficulty fuftain their Weight, or obey thy Commands. They fcarce perform thy Offices aright; and when they do, it is with Pantings and Tremblings, with Weariness and Faintnefs: They feem to groam and fink under their Burthen ; and each Member which was formerly wont to ferve Thee, with wonderful Cheerfulness and Activity, now calls for Succours from abroad, and is no longer able to fupport it felf. This is fuch a Change, as ought not to be felt only, but well confidered too; Be not thou wo therefore like to Horfe and Mule, which Pfal. xxxii. to barse no Understanding, but lofe all Impreffions, as foon as the Senfe of the Stroke ceafes: It is Thy

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Privilege and Duty both, to reflect and ruminate; to call back things, already paft, and anticipate those which are to come; and as for fuch as are actually prefent, to acquaint thy felf with the Caufes and Reafons, the End and Uses of them, as well as with the Nature and Quality of the Things themselves. All these are Operations proper to a reafoning Soul, and the prefent Occafion calls upon thee for the Exercife of them all. For thou canst not be fick as becomes a Man, and a Chriftian, without enquiring, whence, and wherefore it is, that thou art fo: The first and moft neceffary Step, both toward the patient enduring of the Anguish, and the fuccessful Application of the Remedies, is to learn the true Original of our Disease.

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II. Know therefore most affuredly, That what the Holy Ghoft hath spoken concerning Affliction in general, is in an especial manner true concerning this particular Branch of it, It cometh not forth out of Job v. 6. the Duft, neither doth Trouble Spring out of Ground. Our felves indeed were taken thence, and moulded into Man: But this was not the Effect of a any Natural Caufe: The God of Nature by his Almighty Power, commanded Earth and Afhes into this beauteous and wonderful Structure of Human Body. And He alone, who created and formed it, commands it back into its Native Duft again. Every Difeafe and Decay, whether it be the Effect of Accident or Time, whether what we ufually call violent and fhortning our Days; or whether according to the Courfe of Nature, and the flower Declinings of Age, All are but fo many Shocks, by which this flefhly Tabernacle is fhaken, or moulders by degrees, and by growing more ruinous and uninhabitable, gives the Soul warning to feek another Dwelling. And thefe are all difpofed by a moft fteady and particular Providence and, if traced up to their firt Original, have

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