II. Know therefore moft affuredly, That what the

Holy Ghoft hath fpoken concerning AfRidion in gene- ral, is in an efpecial manner true concerning this par- ticular Branch of it, It cometh not forth out of 7flc7 V, 6. ^^^ Duft^ neither doth Trouble fpring out of the Grot4nd. Our felves indeed were taken thence , and moulded into Man : But this was not the EfFed of any Natural Caufe : The God of Nature, by his Almighty Power, commanded Earth and Afhes into this beau- teous and wonderful Strudure of Human Body. And He alone, who created and formed it, com- mands it back into its Native Duft again. Every Difeafe and Decay, whether it be the Effect of Acci- dent or Time, whether what we ufually call violent and fhortning our Days, or whether according to the Courfe of Nature, and the (lower Declinings of Age ; All are but fo many Shocks , by which this flefhly Tabernacle is fhaken, or moulders by degrees, andjby growing more ruinous and uninhabitable^gives the Soul vv^arning to feek another Dwelling. And thefe are all difpofed by a moflfleady and particular Provi- dence 5 zn^^ if traced up to tteir ftrft Original, have
a Caufe
f02 ^tcTi ?&erfon0.
a Caufe as fublime as the Body ic ielf hath. Nature in- deed goes on in a fmooth and fettled Courfe ; and fo the Hand that guides this Engine is far dilVant, and feldom obferved ; but even Nature it felf is God's In- ftrument, rho' the Procefs and the long Chain of Caufes be fo intricate, and withal fo familiar, and fre- quently alike, that the Events refulting from thence ceafe to be marvellous in our Eyes. A Cold, or a Sur- feit ; a weak Constitution, or a foul Blood ; unvvhol- fome Diet and ill Hours; Negledof Means,and Care- lefnefs of our Health ; Advice taken too late, or a Medicine improper, or out of Seafon ,• Thefe are what we commonly charge our Indifpollcions and our Mifcarriages upon. And thus far we may fay true, butj if we go no higher, we flop a great deal too foon. For it is eafy to difcern a Hand above, that direds and limits all thefe ; that fmites the Strong, and pre- ferves the Tender ; flays by the (lightelt Accidents, and recovers from the moft defperate : 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 thefe things ,* Purfue this Thought (my Soul) a little farther; and fee what a fair and wide Scene' of Knowledge and Heavenly VVifdom 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 Counfel of his own Will ? He, with whom the Lives of his Servants are exceeding Precious ? In v/hofe Sight the Hairs of our Head are all numbred ? Without whofe Permidion not a Sparrow can fall to the Ground, and in whofe Eftimation the meaneft of thofe that are made after his own Image, are of in-
^5 _ . finitely
^eDitattongi auD \pia^tt&
nitely more value than many Sparrows ? Remember, rbat fuch is the Author of thy Difeafe, and this fmgle Remembrance vAW lead thee to fuch Confequences, fuch holy and feafonablc Reflections^ as cannot, if duly attended, and carefully improved, but work in thee that frame of Mind, which beft fuits thy prefent Circumftances, and mult needs difpofe thee to reap large and lafting Advantages from them. For how c?,n{\. thou confider his Power, and not dread the dire EiTec5ts of an Angry, or reft fecure under the Favour and Procedion of a Reconciled, God ? Or how his Wifdom, and not be contented with his Choices for thee ? Or how hisjuftice, and not be morezealoufly concerned, to feek a Pardon for thofe Sins, which have provoked, and made thee an Objed: of it ? Or how his Goodnefs, and not be even thankful under thy Sufferings, fmce what is grievous to Flefh and Blood, is yet ordained to excellent and heavenly Pur- pofes, and it is out of very kindnefs that thou art thus Affiided ? Or how think uponhisRight of Cre- ation, without acknowledgment of his Bounty, in giving and continuing thy Being, and all the Comforts of it ? Or how, laftly, upon his Preference of Man- kind above the reft of the Creatures here below ; wi th- out obferving the peculiar Prerogative, which renders Men more valuable, That of aNoble andReafcnable Soul, which the others want ; without cherifliing the Hope of Immortality, whereunto Man only, of all here below, is appointed ? A Hope, which affures 05, we fhali not perifh, but only be changed ; and in the midft of Languifiiings and departing Struggles, can bear up under , nay can triumph over, Agonies ^nd Dearh it fclf. i^ere then will I fix my Thoughts, J wiij ccmc before the Almighty with a Song, and make my Prayer unto the God of my Life.
H Y M N.
fo? ^icft i&erfons.
H Y M N.
Go D is the Lord, evm God alone : He X>^«^^r.. xxxii.. kihth^ and he maketh alive, ht VJcund- \'^^^^^ •• ^ ethy and he heakth.
Thou, Lord, haft Tower cf Life, and Death :w:fU.x\'i. 13. Thou fcvurgeft, andJJjfweft Mercy ', Thou lea deft ^.. . ^^ to the Gates of the Grave, and bringeft up again.
It ts he that holdeth our Scul in Life : and ^f^l- i^^i* S- fuffareth not cur Feet toftif.
And again, -when we are minified and brought cvii. 39, 40. low : thro Sicknefs, thro' anyAfflitlion orSorrow;
Tho he fiiffer us to be evil intreated : j/tt xli. 3. helpeth he the Meek mt of Miftrj^ or maketh all his Bed in his Sicknefs.
For it is neither Herb, nor mollifying Flat- ^ifd. xvi. ji. ft^r, that reftoretb Men to Health : but thy JVord, O Lordy which healeth all things.
My Time is always in thy Hand : unto God ^/''/; xxxi. 17. the Lord belong the IJJues of Life a7id Death.
All Creatures wait upon thee : when thou ^^^* ^^* cpeneft thy Hand they are filled with Good,
When thou fendeft forth thy Spirit, they are ^^•
created', when thou hi deft thy Face, they are 29.
troubled I when thou takeft away their Breath, 30.
they Die, and are turned again to their Duff,
I will Sing to the Lord as long as I live : I 33*
will praife my God, while I have any Being,
My Meditation of him ^) all be fweet : and 34.
my Joy flmll be jn the Lord,
When th ou f aide ft , Seek ye myFace : my Heart ^xvii. 8. faid unto me. Thy Face, Lord, will I feek.
O hide not thou thy Face from me : nor caft ^'
away thy Servant in Difpleafure.
Thou haft been my Helper : leave me noty 10.
neither forfake me^ 0 God of my Salvation.
Z 4 Some
!g|5c5itatton0 atT¥p?arerg
pfal. XX. 7. Some fut their trufi in Strength of Nature^ a7id fome in Medicines : but I -will remtm^ her the Name of the Lord our God. cxlvi. J. O fut not your Trufi (in Phy ficians nor) in
anj Child of Alan : for there is no help in them^ 4. But hlejfed is he that hath the God of Jacob
for his help : and wh^fe Hope is in the Lord his . Gud,