PRAYER.

Vifitation of "Mof merciful God, who according to the the Sick. Multitude of thy Mercies, doft fo put away the Sins of thofe who truly repent,that thou remembreft them no more; Grant me, I beseech thee, true Repentance and thy holy Spirit ; and then open thine Eye of Mercy upon my languishing Condition, and give me the Comfort of Pardon and Forgiveness. Renew in me, moft loving Father, whatfoever bath been decayed by the Fraud and Malice of the Devil, or by my own carnal Will and Frailnefs. Preferve and continue me in the Unity of thy Church; guard me by thy Power from all the Affaults of the Tempter, and fuffer him not to take Advantage of my Weakness. Confider, I beseech thee,my Contrition, accept my Tears, hear my own and others Prayers on my Behalf,and affiage my Pains, as fhall feem to thee moft expedient for me. In thy Mercy, O Lord, I put my full Trust in thy Mercy alone, and in the Merits and Sufferings of my crucified Saviour; Impute not, O Lord, unto me my former Sins, but ftrengthen me with thy Bleffed Spirit; and whenever thou art pleafed to take me hence, take me unto thy Favour, through the Merits of thy dearly beloved Son, Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

1.

ME D. IV.

Of the Wisdom and Goodness of God.

W

Ere there no other Confideration to compose the Mind,but that alone of our Sufferings being Juft, fhould in Reafon perfwade Meeknefs, and Patience, and Contentedness under them. For as the Prophet urges very well; Wherefore doth a mortal Man complain, even a Man for

Lam. iii.

the

the Punishment of his Sin? And the Thief upon the Cross, notwithstanding all the Hardening of his former profligate Life,yet pacified himself under his Pains, and reproved his reviling Companion, with this Reflection, That they were under that Condemnation justly, and received but the due Reward Luke xxiii.41.

of their Evil Deeds. But we have yet abundantly more to quiet our Repining Thoughts, and filence all Complaints; when the sharpness of an Affliction, or the Sufferings of a Sick Bed would provoke us to Impatience. Our Sins have been many and great enough to make God our Enemy; and do cry but too loud for the utmoft Rigors of his Vengeance; yet are not these Adverfities the Wounds and Bruises of an Enemy, but the Chastisements of a Father; One that fmites us indeed, but it is in Righteousness and Friendfhip; and only with a Defign to reprove and reform us. Obferve what Heavenly Comforts the Apoftle hath left behind, and how God himself hath explained the Nature and Intent of his own Difpen- Hebr. xii. fations. My Son, defpife not thou the Cha

ftening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For, whom the Lord loveth he chafteneth, and Scourgeth every Son whom he receiveth. If ye endure Chaftening, God dealeth with you, as with Sons, for what Son is he, whom the Father chafteneth not? Furthermore, we have had Fathers of our Flesh which corrected us, and we gave them Reverence; fhall we not much rather be in fubjection to the Father of Spirits, and Live? For they verily for a few Days chaftened us after their own Pleafure, but He for our Profit, that we might be Partakers of his Holiness. Now no Chaftening for the prefent feemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable Fruit of Righteousness, unto them that are exercised thereby.

II. What now can more illuftrate the Wisdom of Providence, than the converting our bittereft Calamities into Occafions of our Virtue and Happiness? And which of all our Calamities is more likely to contribute to our Reformation,than those of Sickness and Pain?For these, by touching our own Perfons are moft fenfible and grievous to be born; and by punishing the Body, for the fake and service of which, moft if not all our Wickedneffes are committed, they meet with the very Cause, and go to the Root of the Disease, and fo are beft fitted to perfect the Cure. Our Phyfician of Souls is both skilful and kind; he will not give us over out of a cruel Indulgence to our own Eafe. Our Father answers his Character, and gives seasonable Correction to prevent our utter Undoing. But in all this there is the Prudence of the Physician mixt with the Tenderness of the Parent. The one would not prefcribe the bitter Cup, unless he knew it neceffary and beft for us; and if our Circumstances call for Correction, it is with Gentleness and Reluctancy, with Pain and Yearning of Bowels, that the other fcourges.

III. Do thou therefore, O my Soul, confider who chufes for thee, and learn to refign thy felf to his Difpofals; for they are the Appointments of one who is wifer than thou, and who loves thee better than the tenderest Mother could. Do thou likewife confider, why he chufes thus, and learn to improve under the feeming harshness of fuch Difpenfations. Take gladly the wholesome Phyfick, and fecure a good Operation to thy felf; Have no Defires or Wifhes of thy own, but, with a conftant Referve to the good Pleafure of God, think and be affured that what he does is beft; Best in it felf, and beft for thee too, if thy own Fault obftruct it not. Alas! we know not what to pray for as we ought, and fhould therefore beg nothing pofitively, but that God would do what he fees moft expedient. Ask therefore, my Soul, that he would

make

make thee an Inftrument of his own Glory; that he would fupport thee in thefe Tryals, and not fuffer thee to be tempted above that thou art able; that he would command all things to work together for thy Good ; and for the reft, take thy Saviour for thy Pattern, and as oft as thou prayeft that the Cup may pass from thee, be fure forget not to add, from the very Bottom of thy Soul, Nevertheless, O Father, not my Will, but Thine be done.

IV. And, to render the Cup thou art now drinking as little unpalatable as may be, forget not alfo to fustain thy self with the Comforts even of thy weakest Condition; and seriously to obferve how gracious the Lord is; how he hath not only spared when thou haft deferved Punishment, but in the very midft of his Wrath hath thought upon Mercy. If thy Pains be not perpetual, thank him for thy Intervals of Eafe and Refreshment: If they be not acute and extreme, thank him for the Abatement and Moderation of them. If thou canst récruit thy feeble Spirits with Sleep, thank him for clofing up thy Eyes, in gentle reviving Slumbers; If he hold thy Eyes waking, thank him for the Opportunities of Meditating and Praying to him in the Night-feafon. Yea, thank him efpecially for continuing to thee thy Understanding and thy Senfes; and that he hath given thee the Power and the Grace to make a good and holy Ufe of thefe; that the length of thy Sickness hath been so much a larger Opportu nity of Preparing for that important Change, which, not this languishing Body of thine only, but also all those thou leaveft behind in full Health, and Beauty, and Vigor, muft fhortly undergo. If thou endureft much; confider this is a good Method of weaning thy Affections from the World, and making Thee thirst and Pant more earneftly after the lafting Joys of a better Place. If the tedious lingring Diftemper affault, and almost weary out thy Patience, think how much

rather This is to be chofen, than the raging Phrenfies of a Fever, or the fudden Stroke of an Appoplexy. Reflect upon the Condition of thofe Wretches, who are fnatched out of the World, it may be in an act of damning Sin; but however in an Inftant; without fo much as the Power, or the Leisure, to seek Pardon or Peace, to commit their Souls to God, or fo much as once implore his Mercy at the laft Gafp. Oh! what would they have given! how much more would they gladly have endured, to purchase this long warning, the flow and folemn Approaches of Death, the happy Advantages thou now enjoyeft, of trimming thy Lamp, and putting thy Soul in readinefs to meet the Bridegroom at his coming! For tho' we ought indeed to expect him every Hour, even in our moft confirmed Health; yet well is it for that Servant, who receives exprefs notice of his Master's approach, and takes care fo to provide for it, as in zealous Prayers and eager Wishes to go out to meet him; and having on the Wedding Garment, waits only for his laft Call to enter with him to the Marriage.

Pfal. xliii. 5, 6

xviii. 18.

cxix. 75.

Lam. iii.

22.

24.

EJACULATIONS,

W

Hy art thou fo heavy, O my Soul, and why art thou fo difquieted within me? Still put thy Trust in God, for i will yet give him thanks, who is the help of my Countenance, and my God. The Lord hath chaftened and corrected me, but he hath not given me over unto Deftruction.

I know, O Lord, that my Judgments are right, and that Thou of very Faithfulness baft caufed me

to be troubled.

It is of the Lord's Mercies, that I am not long ago confumed, because his Compaffions fail not.

The Lord is my Portion, faith my Soul, therefore will I hope in him.