V. And fure (my Soul) we fhall take care to make

this good ufe of them j For thefe are the Difcipline of the Lord ^ and ^ if after all that is come upon me for my evil Deeds, and for my great Trefpafs, feeing that thou, my God, haft punifhed me lefs than my Iniqui- ties defervcj if Ifliould again break thy Ezraix. 13. Commandments, thou vvould'd certainly be angry,tili thou hadft utterly confumedme^ and tor- ment me lb much the more, for negleding i^o great Salvation. Ltake therefore this Chaftifement with all poffible Submiffion ; and do with unfeigned Sorrow confefs my manifold Offences. I implore thy Mercy, who art juftly difpleafed with me,- and, fince in the midft of Life we are in Death. I cry parneflly to Thee for Succour • and beg, that howfoever thou thinkefl (it to difpofe of this Corruptible Body*,- thou wouldft look gracioufly upon me in thy dear Son, and not de- liver my poorSoul into the bitterPains of Eternal Death; but pity and fave me for Chrift Jefus his fake. Amen^
Here may he repeated the xxxvili and li. Pfalms. Then the ConfeJJion in the Ccm'*nu?iio?i-Scrt>:'ce. Almighty God, the Father of cur Lord Jefus Chrifr, JVfaker ci ill things, &c.
Or elfe the Three Prayers f,t the end of the CovifninatSen, O Lord, we befeech thee, C^^. ■• :
O moft mighty God, .&c. Turn thou me, O good Lord, &c.
After either of which j fay as follovcs ;
iS^zhitatiom ami^}$ints
Prayer.
Vifitatlon ^^ /^^ Mofl merciful God^ who according to the
the Sick. \J Multittsde of thy Mercks^dofi fo fut away
the Sins of thofe who truly repent ^ that thourememhreji them
no more , Grant me^ I befeech thee, true Repejitance and thy
holy Sprit ; and then of en thine Eye of Mercy upon ??jy lan^
^iiijJnng Condition, and give ?ne the Comfort of Pardon and
Furgrotnefs, Renew in me, mofi loving Father^ whatfoe-
ver hath been decayed by the Fraud and Malice of the Devil y
or by my own carnal Will andFrailnefs. Prefen/e and conti^
nite me in the Unity of thy Church : guard me by thy Po^mr
fro7n all the jiffauits of the Tempter, and fufftr him not to
take Advantage of my Weakness, Conpder, I befeech thee, my
Contrition, accept my learsy hear my own and others Pray^
crs on my Behalf ,ani afj'w age myPainsy as jlmll feemtothee
moft expedient for me. In thy Mercy, O Lord, I put my full
Truft 3 in thy Mercy alone, and in the Merits and Sufferings
of my crucified Saviour, Impute not, O Lord, unto me my
farmer Sins, but (irengthen me "with thy Blefed Spirit ^ andy
whenever thou art pleafed to take me hence, take me unto
thy Favour, through the Merits of thy dearly bdoved Sc^y
Jejus Chrifi our Lord, Amen.
M E D. IV.
Of the Wtfdom andGoodnefs of God.
I.TXTEre there no other Confideration to compofe V V ^^ Mindjbut that alone of oar Sufferings be- ing Juft^this fliould in Reafon perfwade Meeknefs^and Patience, and Contentedneis under them. For, as the Prophet urges very well,- Wherefore doth Lam, 111. ^ mortal Man complain , ^ven a Man for
the
fo? ^tcli ?9erfon0. 1 9
the Timillinjent of his Sin} The Thief upon the Crofs^ notwithftanding all the Hardening of his former profligate Life, yet pacihed himfelf under his Pains, and reproved his reviling Comp^^nion, vi^ith this Re- flection,-That they were under that Condnmyiatlon jtifdy, and recei'ved but the due Rtward ^^^j^^ ^^--j j of their E-vil Deeds. But we have yet a- bundandy more to quiet our Repining Thoughts, and i^lence all Complaints ; when the fliarpnefs of an Af- fiidion, or the SuiFerings of a Sick Bed, would provoke us to Impatience. Our iins 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 thefe Adverfities the Wounds and Bruifes of an Enemy, but the Chaftifements of a Father. One,thac fmires us indeed,but it is in Righteoufnefs and Friend- ihip ; and only with a Defign to reprove and reform us. Obferve what heavenly Comforts the ApolHe hath left behind, and how God himfelf hath explained the Nature and Intent of his own Difpen- fations, Mj fcn^ defpife not thou the Cha- ^^^^' ^ ^^ flenjiig of the Lord^ nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For, whom the Lord lo^eth he ch.ifleneth^and fcourgeth euc- ry Son whom he receiveth. ^f Jf^ endure Chaftening^ God dealeth withyou^ as with Sons^ for what Son is he^ whorn the Father chafieneth not ? Furthermore^ we have had Fa- thers of our FlcfiJ which correBed hi, and we gaue them Re- verence ;jJiall we not much rather beinfubjection to the Fa- ther of Spirits and Live ? For they verily for a few Days chafiened us after their own V lea fur e, but He for our Profit^ that we might be Partakers of his Holinefs, Now no Cha- fiening for the prefent feemeth to be joyous, but grievous ; neverthelefs afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable Fruit of Righteoujnefs^ u?ito them that are exercifcd thereby.
A a 2 II. What
^o ^eDttattons ant^ ]pianv&