A Prayer and Meditation for a Sick Perfon, who defires to prepare for Death.

Almighty and gracious God! the Author of Light and Darkness, and the wife Difpofer of Good and Evil, I acknowledge and adore thy Hand, that thou hast laid me upon this fick Bed, to punish me for my Sins. I cannot complain of thy Justice, but rather I reverence thy Wisdom and Goodness. For I have deferved a feverer Treatment at thine Hands, having abused thy Mercies, and mifemployed my Strength and Health in pursuing after worldly Vanities and carnal Pleafures, more earnestly than after thy Glory or mine own Salvation. For which Neglett I am beartily forry, and repent, and could willingly water this Couch with my Tears. O my God! that knoweft that this my Grief proceeds from a fincere Displeasure for having offended fo gracious a Lord, who now in this Correction difcovereft to me thy tender Compassion, in that thou rebukeft me not in thy Wrath. I take this Diftemper of Body, as a Teftimony of thy paternal Love and Care, fince this is thine ordinary Method of dealing with thy dearest Children. I doubt not but it will prove to mine eternal Advantage, in Regard thou haft promised that all Things fhall work together for Good to them that love thee. I am willing to fuffer thefe Pains and Aches, fo that they may advance thy Glory and my Salvation. I refer myfelf to thy wife Difpofal; thou knoweft what is most expedient for me, and I am fenfible of thy Power to restore me to Life, and rescue me out of the Grave. Thy Bleffing alone is able to give a healing Virtue to all thefe Potions, Medicines, and Receipts adminiftred to me; but if it be thy Pleasure to continue this Difeafe, continue to me, I beseech thee, O my Redeemer! the inward Comforts and Affiftances of thine Holy Spirit. Increase my Patience, Faith, and Humility, that I may fubmit to thy facred Will. Remove from me all the Grief and Difpleafure that renders me uneafy, and fill my

Soul

Soul with thy Peace, Joy, and Love; that now being feparated from the Society of Men, I may lift up my Heart and Mind unto thee, my God! and withdraw them from thefe lower Vanities. Grant that I may employ these few Moments that thou affordeft me, to prepare for my Departure, to take a Review of my former finful Life, to beg Pardon, and repent, and to trust upon thine eternal Mercy by a lively Faith, that I may lay bold on thy Salvation, and be able to say with David, My Soul fhall be fatisfied as with Marrow and Fatnefs, and my Mouth fhall praise thee with joyful Lips, when I remember thee upon my Bed, and meditate on thee in the NightWatch. My Sickness feems tedious, but my Sins have continued longer, and all this bodily Pain and Grief is nothing in comparison of the Happiness that I expect inHeaven. For what are thofe momentary Sufferings in Refpect of the everlasting Joys? Grant, I beseech thee, that this Distemper of Body may turn to the Health and Safety of my Soul, and may oblige me to confecrate the Refidue of my Life to thy Service and to thy Glory; that I may be weaned from the World, and refign myself into thine Hands; that Chrift may be Gain unto me both in Life and in Death. But if it be thy Will to put a Period to my Sorrows and Sufferings by Death; here I am, O God! ready to obey thy Motion, and Will, without the leaft Refiftance or Difpleasure. For my troublesome Abode, undermined by Sickness, caufeth me to wish for my Departure. My Soul is willing to forfake this infirm Body; for thou haft prepared for it a more lafting and a glorious Dwelling above. This Couch where I am now ftretched, minds me of the cold Grave where I must shortly reft, and this Death that draws nearer and nearer to me, will free me from this Chain of Mifery, put an End to all my Grievances, and lead me out of this rotten Lodge, to introduce me into the glorious Palace of Immortality; where thy divine Majefty dwells, and where I shall for ever glorify thee in the Company of the holy Angels and fanttified Souls. Amen.

A Prayer

A Prayer and Meditation for a fick Perfon tormented with violent Pains.

Father of Mercies, and God of all Comfort! Look with an Eye of Pity upon my dreadful and sharp Sufferings. Thou pierceft me through with thine Arrows, filleft my Soul with Bitterness; thy Wrath is kindled against me, and thou increaseft my Sorrows and Pains, both by Night and by Day. Sure, my Sins must be extraordinary and beinous, fince they have provoked Thee to deal fo feverely with me, who art Mercy itself, art not willing to afflict the Sons of Men. O my God, confider my Weaknefs and Frailty, and let not thine Almighty Power, and the Fierceness of thy Wrath be difplayed against fuch an infirm Creature as I am, a Worm of the Earth, Duft and Afbes, nothing in comparifon of thee, O infinite Being! Remember that I am related to thee in thy bleffed Son, and am thine adopted Child, vouchsafe me therefore thy favourable Affiftance, to put an End to my Sorrows and Sufferings, that are fo exceffive and extraordinary, that I could willingly Speak as Jonas, Death is better to me than Life. For I am withered as parched Ground in Summer, and a violent Heat confumes and tortures me. O when wilt thou my God, who haft redeemed me from the Torments of Hell, refcue me out of thefe violent and bodily Pains? I will give a Check to these indecent Groanings and Complaints, that become not such a finful Creature as I am. Thou art in this most juft and righteous, but I must cover my Face with Shame and Confufion. For were thy Punishments far more grievous, were I caft into everlasting Flames, I could have no Caufe to complain of thy Severity, by Reason of my finful Life. O my God! my Sufferings are great, but not to be compared with my Saviour's, when the cold Sweat and Drops of Blood fell down from his precious Body. My Grief is violent, but not to be paralleled with the Glory that thou hast promised to thy chofen Servants. O merciful Saviour! thine heavy Hand fhall never

binder me from trusting and hoping in thee. I am perfuaded, that this fevere Dealing is defigned for my Good and Salvation, and, in thine own Time, thou wilt take away from me this bitter Cup, that I may not drink up the Dregs. Nevertheless, not my Will, but thine be done. With this Affliction, grant me Grace and Strength to bear it patiently, and let thy Punishments be proportionable to my Weakness; and grant me a happy End and Iffue, that neither Death nor Life, nor Pain, nor Torment, may ever Separate me from thy Love, or pluck me out of thine Hand. My good God! forfake me not in my Diftrefs, but comfort and affift me, and put an End to this bitter Affliction. I am fainting, and my Soul is weary within me, vouchsafe to me thy divine Confolations, the Cordials of thy Holy Spirit. My Friends and Kindred grieve and weep for mine Affliction, but can give me no Affiftance; Thou only art my Hope, thine Hand alone can relieve and deliver me from mine exceffive Grief and Sufferings. Quench thefe violent Pains that confume me, and remove me out of the Reach of Mifery. I cannot but long for Death, that will put a Period to my Torments; releafe me from mine Affliction, and wipe away all Tears from mine Eyes. O my God! when shall my Cryings and Groans be changed into Songs of Praife and Thanksgiving? When fhall I be admitted to the Society of the Bleffed, who are efcaped out of all Tribulations, and have washed their Garments in the Blood of the Lamb? Draw me, and I fball run after thee, and glorify thee for ever in thine Heavenly Temple. Amen.

CHA P.

CHA P. XIV.

The Second Confolation against the Fears of Death, is to look upon GOD as a merciful Father and to trust upon his infinite Goodness.

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T

HERE is no Child well defcended, but defires earnestly to fee his Father's Face, and efpecially, the Face of a good and gracious Father. A great Prince's Son, who hath been brought up in a foreign Country, rejoyceth when his Father fends for him, to make him partake of the Glory and Dignity of his Empire. He is not then grieved nor troubled, he seeks not to delay his Departure, but rather embraceth, with Tranfports of Joy, the Meffenger of fuch good News. He thinks of nothing but haftening his Journey: If he could borrow Wings, he would fly with an unspeakable Swiftnefs to his Father's Palace. Now we are the Children of the great God, whose Throne is Heaven, and whose Footstool is the Earth. For our Faith, that looks upon Jefus Chrift as our Saviour and Redeemer, confiders God as our God and Parent. For to them, who have received this only Son of the Father, hath been granted the Privilege of being the Sons of God, to them who believe in his Name, 1 John i. So that we have juft Cause to be transported in an holy Excefs of Joy, with the Apoftle St. John, Behold, what Manner of Love the Father bath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the Sons of God, 1 John iii.

We are by Nature Children of Wrath, as others; but God, who is rich in Mercy, hath predeftinated us unto the Adoption of Children by Jefus Chrift to himfelf, according to the good Pleasure of his Will, Eph. ii. He gives us the gracious Affurances of this free Adoption in this Life. For as we are Children, he hath fent the Spirit of his Son into our Hearts, to cry,

Abba,