IV. And, to render the Cup th.ou art now drinking

as little unpalatable as may be, forget not alfo to fu- ftain thy felf vv'ith the Comforts even of thy weakeft Condition. Serioufly obferve , hov/ gracious the Lord is ,• how he hath not onlyfparcd when thou haft deferved Punifliment, but in the very midft of iiis Wrath hath thought upon Mercy. If thy Pains be not perpetual, thank him for thy Intervals of EafeandRc- frefiiment : If they be not acute and extreme, thank him for the Abatement and Moderation of them, l^ thou canft recruit thy feeble Spirits v*^ith Sleep, thank him for clofing up thy Eyes, in gentle reviving Slum- bers • If he hold thy Eyes waking, thank him for the Opportunities of Meditaringand Praying to him in the Night-feafon. Yea, thank him efpecially for continu- ing to thee thy Underftanding ?.nd thy Senfes j and, that he hath given thee the Power and the Grace -to make a good and holy Ufe of thcfe ; that the length of thy Sicknefs hath been fo much a larger Opportu- nity of Preparing for that important Change, which, not this languifliing Body of thine. only, but alfo all thofe thou leaveft behind in full Health, and Beauty, ^^^and Vigour, muft fhortly undergo. If thou endureil much ^ confider, this is a good Method of weaning thy AfFedions from the World, and making Thee thirft and pant more earneftly after the lafting Joys of a better Place. If the tedious lingring Diftemper affauk, and almoft weary out thy Patience/ think^liow much
Aa 4 rather
rather This is to be chofen^ than the raging Phren- fiesof a Fever^ or the fudden Stroke of an Apoplexy. Refled upon the Condition of thofe Wretches/ who are fnatched out of the World.it may be in an Ad: of damning Sin : but however in an Inftant ; without fo much as the Power^or theLeifure, to feek Pardon or Peace^ to commit their Souls to God, or fo much as once implore his Mercy at the lafl: Gafp. OI what would thev have given, how much more would they gladly have endured, to purchafe this long Warning, thefe flow and folemnApproaches 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 exped him every Hour, even in our moft con- firmed Health ; yet well is it for that Servant, who receives exprefs notice of his Mailer's approach, and takes care fo to provide for it, as in zealous Prayers, and eager Wifhes to go out to meet him -and, having on the Wedding Garment, waits only for his latt Call to enter vv'kh him to the Marriage.
Ejaculations.
fM xVni.T-WJ HT art thou fo hea'vj, O mySoul,and why ^' ^- V V ^rt tbcufo djfcfukted jvithiv met Still fut
thy Truli in God, fur 1 7vill yet gi^e him thanks ^
who is the help of my Countenance, and my God. xviii. ig. Jle i^Qy^ ]^aih cbaflened and corretied me :■ but
he hath not given me over unto Dejirutiion. cxix. 75. / knoiv, O Lord, that thy Judgments are right :
and that Thou of very Fait hfulnefs haft caufcd me ta
be troubled. Lam, jii. // ^ cf the Lord's Mercies, that I am not long ^^' ^^^ confumed : becaufe his CompaJJions fail not.
3 The Lord is iny Fortion^ faith my Seul: therefore
will J hope in him.
It
It IS good for a Man that be jhotdd conflantly ^^^ hope, end cjuietly wa^ far the Salvation of the Lord : for the Lord ivlll not cafi off for ever. 3 i.
But tho he caufe Grief y yet will be have Com- 3 2. jf^llfiony according to the Multitude of bis Mercies,
Teajike as aFather fitieth his ownChildren,e'ven Pful. ciii. fo is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him, 1 3-
7w the Multitude of the Sorrows which I have xciv. 19. in my Hearty thy Comforts have refreflied my Soul.
Fur ylknoWyTh it with Thee there ts Mercy : and cxxx, 7. with my God is plenteous Redemption.
O remember not my oldSinSyhtit haveMercy upon ^^^^" me, and that foon, for J am come to great Mifery.
Healmy Soul, which hath finned a gain (I thee: xli. 4. _^^ ^nd then let the Lord do what feemeth him good. * ^^"'- "*• Glory be to the Father^ and to the Son^dS-c, As it was in the Beginnings 6^c.
Prayer.
HEar me^Almighty and moff merciful God and Saviour ^ extend thy acculhmedGocdneJs to me thy poor Servant, 710W cnfl upon this Bed of Languiflnng^and griev' d with Sick- nejs. Santlify, I heftech thee, this thy Fatherly Corretlion to me, and grant that I may receive it with all the Patience and" Sitbmijfi'jn of a Dutiful Child. 1 defire to acknowledge and adore thy Divine IVijdom andGoodnefs in every Difpcnfati^ on of Providence towards me', and only heg,that thouwould- ejl keep me fafe under all, and then ufe what Methods thou pleafeH of bringing' me to thy f elf. Manifeft thy Strength in my JVeaknefs. Make even my feeble Condition an Injlru- ment of thy Glory ; and the more my outward Man dec ay - eth, ftrengthen me,I befeech thee, fo much the more continue allyy with thy Grace andHolySpirit in the Inner Man. Let theSenfe of myWeaknefs add Strength to myFaith,and Seri- oufnefs to my Repentance. That if it he thy good Vleafure to rejiore me to my former Health^ I may lead the Refidue of
my
my Life in thy Fear, and to thy Glory^ or el fe grant me fo to take thyVifitationy that after this gainful Ltfe ended ^ I may dwell Tvhh thee in Life E'verlafting, For thlsy O Lord, is the chief the ntofi earnejt Defire of my Soul ; that 7vhether I livcy I may li%^e unto the Lord ,• or whether I die, I may Die unto the Lord ; fo that Having and dying I may he thine ^ through Jefus Cbrift^ my dear and only Saviour, Amen.
Med. V.
Upon Recovery from Skknefs,
I.TF Dangers and DiftreiTes awaken our Confidera- X tion, the Deliverance from them ought not to pafs unobierved. The Judgm.ents of God extortCom- plaints from us ; and fliall his Mercies be received in filence ? When he afflicts and wounds, we feek him early ,- and fhall we forget him^when he refreflies and heals us ? That fure were moll unworthy, moft re- proachful. The rather fo , becaufe we are able to give our felves a very plain and rational Account, how it comes ro pafs that we receive Evil at the Hand of God 'y But the Good hevouchfafes us^ furnifhes juft Matter, no lefs of Wonder, than of Thankfulnefs. Death is the Punifhmeht of Sin j The Difeafes and Decays of our Bodies are fomanyDegrees of and Ad- vances tovyards thatDeath : And our Confciences can find no difficulty in juftifying thefepainfulDifpenfati- ons. For none of us can defcend into his own Brealt, without .difcoverihg infinite perfonal Offences, vv'hich might provoke God to take this forfeit Life, and to cut us oifin the midft of our Days. But, when he ■forbears to do (oy when he checks his Wrath, and fufpends the Execution of that fatal Sentence gone
out
fo? ^Tcfe ^erfong. i^
out againfl us ; We can difcern no ReafonforThis in our Selves, but muit refolve it all into the fole, the undeferved Goodnefs of our compaffionate and long- lufFering Lord.
And fuch, my Soul^ is now thy Cafe. Thouwert hailening apace to the Regions of the Dead, and in fear that thou fhould'ft be depriv'd of the ReHdue of thy Years. But, when thou waft almoft cut off with fin'mg Slcknefs^ and thine Eyes ^J"^-'^^^^^^^- e-ven failed with lockino;^ upward ; when thou reckoned^fi each Night and Morning , that there would be an End of thee upon Earth ; then did the Lord f!:and by thee and fa^e thee, even becaufe he had a fa^Jcur unto thee. ■^^' ^^^^^' ^9-