a Caufe as fublime as the Body it felf: Nature indeed goes on in a smooth and fettled Course; and fo the Hand that guides this Engine is far diftant, and feldom obferved; but even Nature it felf is God's Inftrument, tho the Procefs and the long Chain of Caufes be fo intricate, and withal fo familiar, and frequently alike, that the Events refulting from thence cease to be marvellous in our Eyes; a Cold, or a Surfeit; a weak Conftitution, or a foul Blood; unwholsome Diet and ill Hours; Neglect of Means, and Carelefnefs of our Health; Advice taken too late, or a Medicine improper, or out of Seafon; These are what we commonly charge our Indifpofitions and our Mifcarriages upon. And thus far we may fay true, but if we go no higher, we ftop a great deal too foon. For it is eafy to defcern a Hand above that directs and limits all thefe; that fimites the Strong, and preferves the Tender; flays by the flighteft Accidents, and recovers from the moft difperate and this in a manner moft furprizing, fuch as no Human Art or Skill had any expectation, or can give any account of.

III. If then thou haft convinced thy felf, that the Finger of God is in all these things; Purfue this Thought (my Soul) a little farther; and fee what a fair and wide Scene of Knowledge and Heavenly Wisdom it will foon open to thee. For what is God? Is not He that very Being infinitely Powerful, and Wife, and Juft, and Good? Is it not he who made thee, and fuftains thee, the fame who governs and difpofes this whole World, and all the Creatures in it, after the Counsel of his own Will? He, with whom the Lives of his Servants are exceeding Precious? In whofe Sight the Hairs of our Head are all numbred.? without whofe Permiffion not a Sparrow can fall to the Ground, and in whofe Estimation the meaneft of thofe that are made after his own Image, are of infi

Z3

nitely

nitely more value than many Sparrows? Remember that fuch is the Author of thy Difeafe, and that fingle Remembrance will lead thee to fuch Confequences, fuch holy and feasonable Reflections, as cannot, if duly attended, and carefully improved, but work in thee that frame of Mind, which beft fuits thy present Circumstances, and muft needs difpofe thee to reap large and lafting Advantages from them. For how canft thou confider his Power, and not dread the dire Effects of an Angry, or reft fecure under the Favour and Protection of a Reconciled God? Or how his Wisdom, and not be contented with his Choices for thee? Or how his Juftice, and not be more zealoufly/ concerned, to feek a Pardon for those Sins, which have provoked, and made thee an Object of it? Or how his Goodness, and not be even thankful under thy Sufferings, fince what is grievous to Flesh and Blood, is yet ordained to excellent and heavenly Pur pofes, and it is out of very kindness that thou art thus Afflicted? Or how upon his Right of Creation, without acknowledgment of his Bounty in giving and continuing thy Being, and all the Comforts of it? Or how, laftly, upon his Preference of Mankind above the reft of the Creatures here below, without obferving the peculiar Prerogative, which renders Men more valuable, That of a Noble and Reasonable Soul, which the others want; without cherishing the Hope of Immortality, whereunto Man only, of all here below, is appointed? A Hope, which affures us, we fhall not perish, but only be changed; and in the midft of Languifhing and departing Struggles, can bear up under, nay can triumph over, Agonies and Death it felf. Here then will fix my Thoughts, I will come before the Almighty with a Song, and make my Prayer unto the God of my Life.

HYMN.

G

HYMN M

NOD is the Lord, even God alone; He Deuter. xxxi. 39. killeth, and he maketh alive, bewoundeth, and he healeth.

i Sam. ii. 6. Thou, Lord, baft Power of Life, and Death; Wifd. xvi. 13. Thou fcourgeft, and fheweft Mercy; Thou leadeft

to the Gates of the Grave, and bringeft up again. Job. xiii. 2. It is he that holdeth our Soul in Life, and Pfal. Ixti. 8. Suffereth not our Feet to flip.

And again, when we are minifhed and brought cvii. 39, 40, low thro' Sickness, thro'any Affliction or Sorrow;

Tho be fuffer us to be evil intreated, yet

helpeth be the Meek out of Mifery, or maketh

all his Bed in his Sickness.

xli. 3.
3

For it is neither Herb, nor mollifying Plai- Wifd. xvi. fter, that reftoreth Men to Health, but thy Word, O Lord, which bealeth all things.

My Time is always in thy Hand; unto God Pfal. xxxi. 17. the Lord belong the Illues of Life and Death. xviii. 20. All Creatures wait pon thee, when thou civ. 27. openest thy Hand they are filled with Good. When thou fendeft forth thy Spirit, they are created; when thou bideft thy Face, they are troubled; when thou takeft away their Breath, 30. they Die, and are turned again to their Duft.

I will Sing to the Lord as long as I live, I will Praife my God, while I have my Being.

My Meditation of him fhall be fweet; and my Joy fhall be in the Lord.

28%

29.

33.

341

Whenthou faidft, Seek ye my Face; my Heart xxvii. 8. faid unto me, Thy Face, Lord, will I feek.

O bide not thou thy Face from me, nor caft

away thy Servant in Difpleasure.

Thou hast been my Helper, leave me not, neither forfake me, O God of my Salvation. Z 4

Some

Pfal. xx. 7.

cxlvi. 2,

XX. 9.

O

Some put their trust in Strength of Nature and fome in Medicines, but I will remember the Name of the Lord our God.

O put not your Truft (in Physicians nor) in any Child of Man, for there is no help in them. But bleed is be that hath the God of Facob for his Help, and whofe Hope is in the Lord bis

God.

Save, Lord, and hear me, O King of Heaven, when I call upon Thee.

Glory be to the Father,and to theSon,&c.
As it was in the Beginning, &c.

PRAYER.

Almighty God, the Father of the Spirits of all Flesh, whofe never-failing Providence ordereth all things both in Heaven and Earth: I defire with the profoundest Humility and Reverence, to proftrate both Soul and Body before thee, begging that thou would't give me Grace, to behold and admire thy Doings, in all thy Difpenfations towards my felf and all Mankind. I acknowledge it thy Bounty, that lever was at all; and adore thy Merey and Long-fuffering for preferving me thus long in the Land of the Living. My many Days and Years of Health and Comfort were thy Gift; and the Recoveries from former Sicknesses, as well as the Prevention of thefe Dangers and Difeafes I never felt, are owing to thee alone. Man doth not live by Bread and Care, nor is relieved by Medicines only, but by the Word and Bleffing, which proceedeth out of the Mouth of God. Grant me, I beseech thee, a strong and due Senfe of my entire Dependance upon thee, and Grace to improve under, and behave my felf in conformity to, that Perfwafion. That whether the Means ufed for my Eafe and Relief Succeed, I may afcribe all the Glory and Thanks to thee alone; or whether thou thinkeft fit to deny them their intended Effects, I may bumble my felf under thy mighty Hand, and remember that thou, Lord, haft done it. Inspire me, I beseech thee, with that

true

true and heavenly Wisdom, which may help me to discern aright the Reafons, and enable me to answer the Ends, of this Correction, and all other thy Dealings with me. That

I may bear the Rod, and who hath appointed it; and, in all Conditions, fubmit my felf entirely to thy good Pleafure! and glorifie God in the Day of Vifitation. That fo this IVeakness of my Body may tend to the strengthning of my Virtues, and the Health of my Soul; through the Merits of Him who redeemed them both at the Price of his own Blood, even thy Son and our ever Bleffed Saviour, Jefus Christ our Lord, Amen.

ME D. II.

Of the Power of God, and the Affections arifing from thence, Dread of his Anger, and Trust in his Protection.

Which way foever we turn our Eyes, ten thou

'W

fand Objects meet us, which all Prove and Preach to us the Almighty Power of God. The glorious Fabrick of the Univerfe, and every thing contained therein, nay even the meaneft, and, in human Efteem, moft defpicable Creature, proclaims aloud the Omnipotence of its Maker. And the good Order in which thefe are contained, does as much magnifie his Preferving, as their Exittence does his Creating Power. But Man needs not look abroad; Himfelf is ten thousand Arguments to demonftrate this to himfelf. The curious Structure of his Body, the Excellencies of its Divine Inhabitant, the Soul; and the marvellous amazing Union, and mutual Correfpondence of both thefe, could be the Workmanship of nothing lefs than Omnipotence. This Mixture of Spirit and Matter, of Perifhing and Immortal; the

Saga