haft done it. Infpire me, I beseech thee, with that true and beavenly Wisdom, which may help me to difcern 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 bath appointed it; and, in all Conditions, fubmit my felf entirely to thy good Pleafure, and glorify God in the Day of Vifitation. So fall this Weakness of my Body 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 my ever Blessed Saviour, Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

MED. II.

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

"W

I. Hich way foever we turn our Eyes, ten thoufand Objects meet us, which all prove and preach to us the Almighty Power of God. The glorious Fabrick of the Universe, and every Thing contained therein, nay even the meanest, and, in human Efteem, most despicable Creature, proclaims aloud the Omnipotence of its Maker. And the good Order, in which these are contained, does as much magnify his Preferving, as their Existence does his Creating, Power. But Man needs not look Abroad: Himfelf is ten thousand Arguments to demonftrate this to himself. 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 less than Omnipotence. This Mixture of Spirit and Matter, of Perishing and Immortal; The

Saga

Sagacity of the one to influence and govern, the Readinefs of the other to obey, and be actuated; The Sprightlinefs and Vigor, or elfe the Heaviness and Diforder, and reciprocal Difabilities, which each of these convey to the other, are moft certainly the Lord's doing, and ought to be marvellous in our Eyes. Alas! how fhould Man fubfift one Moment, even in the State of his greatest Perfection, did not this great Artificer watch over his own Work, and conftantly fuftain it; did not he check and moderate that Conflict, which the warring Elements of our Body are continually engaging in? But especially, now that the Corruption of our Nature, and the Tranfgreffion of our fit Parent, hath let Death and Difeafes loofe upon us; there needs no fresh Infliction. For, if God be but paffive, and withdraw his Restraint, the Enemy is always ready to devour us, and we carry the Seeds of or Torment and Ruin about our own Perfons. And God hath fo decreed, that every Man fhall once fall by the Stroke of Death. A Decree, which, in our greateft Strength, in the very Bloom and Beauty of Youth, contrary to our own Expectations, or the Fears of our tendereft Friends, he fometimes executes : To teach us, that our Being is wholly precarious, that we have nothing ftable here, no Title even to Life it felf; but are all concluded by a Sentence already pafs'd. For all our Days are in the Nature of a Reprive; The prolonging whereof is an Act of mere Mercy, as the cutting it fhort is free from the leaft Shadow of Injuftice. God then cannot want Means and Opportunities for this. All Nature is His; The Malice of wicked Men, the Spight of our Foes, the miftaken Kindness of our Friends, the Errors of our Phyficians, and the Mifapplication of their Medicines, are all directed and over-ruled to this End. The Humours of our Bodies, the Temper of the Air, and every Element indeed when he gives the Word,

turn

turn Executioners; or, in Truth, if He but pleafe to permit, the Thing will do it felf. He burns us up by Fevers, or drowns us in Dropfies; ftrikes us dead in a Moment by Apoplexies, buries us alive by Palfies, or waftes us, by flow and imperceptible Degrees, with lingering Confumptions. Thou feeft, my Soul, how eafily God can do these Things, by a thoufa nd Inftances of Friends and Acquaintance gone before thee, and by thy own yet more fenfible Experience, in this worn. and languishing Body of thine. Thou feeleft now, that no Flesh is able to ftand before God, and how quickly weare blafted by the Breath of his Difpleafure. That, to him alone belongs Power and Strength, and to poor mortal Man, nothing but Wretchednefs, and Weakness, and Vanity.

II. Surely (my Soul) had these Impreffions been fresh and deep upon me heretofore, they would have checkt my wild Career in Sin, and prevented many grievous and bold Tranfgreffions, which I have reafon to fear might provoke the Divine Majefty, to caft me upon this Bed of Languifhing. For do we provoke the Lord to Jealoufy? Are we ftronger than He? Alas! my own Condition hath taught me, how vain and fool-hardy it is, not only to fight against God, but not to fear and ftand in perpetual Awe of him: How fatal to play with this confuming Fire: And I cannot but wifh from the bottom of my Soul, that I had better confider'd this Point long ago. For he is a terrible and a mighty God; and, when he enters into Controversy with Mankind, no Flesh can abide it. At least, my Soul, let us make that good ufe of this Reflection now, to be unfeignedly forry for what is paft; and more cautious and obfervant for the time to come. The Flower is wither'd indeed, and hangs its feeble head; but it is not quite cut down. O let us yet humble our felves in his Fear, and confider, what a yet more dreadful Vengeance God hath in ftore, for hardened and unperfuadable Wretches.

If the Decays and Pains of the Body alone are fo grievous, how fhall we bear the Lofs of Body and Soul both? How shall we dwell with Everlasting Burnings.? If the Rod of God, these comparatively light Punishments, represent to us the Terrors of his angry Juftice; Who can bear the Approach of that Difmal Day, when he fhall come in Thunder and Flames, to make an abfolute End of this whole World, and deliver wicked Sinners over to irrecoverable Destruction? An Eternity of Torments! Jefus defend us! Who can entertain even the moft diftant Thought of it, without Trembling and Aftonishment? Fall down then, my Soul, and humble thy felf under the mighty Hand of God; that thou may'ft not perifh with this frail Body. Lofe no Time in making thy Peace, but work with all thy might; efpecially now, that the Day of Life feems to decline, and the Night comes on, wherein no Man can work. III. For remember, my Soul, for thy Encouragement, 8 that, if thou abound in the Work of the 1 Car.xx.5 Lord, thy Labour fhall not be in vain in the Lord. He is no lefs mighty to fave than to destroy; With Him no Word is impoffible; and, if he will, he can even yet raise this feeble Body, and restore it to perfect Health and Soundnefs. Nay, he will certainly do it, if that be beft for me; and if it be not, he will do yet more. For there will come a Day, in which this vile earthly Part fhall be enlivened again; and, if it crumble into Duft, and fcatter in the mean while; tho' it pafs thro' infinite different Forms, yet will he purfue this Body through all its Changes, collect its di1 Cor. xv. fperfed Particles, command the little Heaps of Duft to awake, and tranflate it into a Glorious and a Spiritual Body. A Body fit for a State of Incorruption, and the Inheritance of that Kingdom, where this Flesh and Blood, which we now fet fo falfe, fo extravagant a Value upon, is not worthy to enter. I will therefore confirm my felf in the Power and Promises of my God;

and,

Job xiii. 15.

and, with holy Job, tho' be flay me, yet will I trust in him. For even then I will lay me down, in hope of a Refurrection to Eternal Life; and commit my Body like Seed, to the Ground; not to be loft, but improved, by corrupting there. For Thou, O God, art unchangeable, and thy Promifes without Repentance; and promised thou haft, that our vile Body fhall be fashion'd like unto Chrift's glorious Body, according to the mighty working, whereby thou art able to fubdue all Things to thy felf.

IN

:

E

Phil. iii. 21.

JACULATIONS.

but

N thee therefore, O Lord, will I put my trust let me never be put to Confusion, deliver me in thy Righteousness, and fave me. Be thou my Strong-hold whereunto I may alway refort: thou hast promised to help me, for thou art my House of Defence, and my Castle. Deliver me, Omy God, from the Adverfary's Hand: Preferve me from the Hunter of Souls; He layeth Snares, and is mighty to destroy:but yet the Lord, who dwelleth on high is mightier. Thou, O Lord God, art the Thing that I long for: thou hast been my Hope even from my

Youth.

Through thee have I been holden up ever Lince I was born: Thou art he that took me out of my Mother's Womb, my Praife shall be always of thee.

O caft me not away in the Time of my Diftrefs: forfake me not, when my Strength faileth me.

Let them be confounded and perish that are against my Soul: let the wicked Spirits be cover'd with fhame and dishonour, that seek to do me evil.

Pfal. lxxi

As for me, I will patiently tarry the Lord's Pf.xxvii. 163 Leifure: and will put my Trust in the Lord.

For