fort, that every one fhall vifibly perceive, that God himself is thy Help, and that his Virtue fuftains thee, O how fweet and pleafant is God's Affiftance to a Chriftian Soul! It brings along with it fo much Pleasure and admirable Delight; it caufeth fuch undeniable Teftimonies of our Predeftination to appear; it gives us fo many rare Fore-Taftes of our Celestial Inheritance, that St. Paul prefers it not only to all the Pleasures and Honours of the World, but also to his being ravish'd into the third Heaven, and to his feeing unfpeakable Things, which cannot be uttered,

2 Cor. 12.

If Afflictions are increased with Chrift, Joy and Comfort increase alfo with him. For as God commands Wine to be given to a Man whofe Heart is oppreffed with Sorrow, to drive away his Sadness, and bury his troubled Thoughts in Oblivion; fo in the greatest Evils he fupplies us with the strongest and moft cordial Confolations. "Tis on this Occafion that he declares his greatest Power, and pours out most plentifully his Divine Graces, Ifa. 4. When thou fhould't walk through the Flames, the Fire fhall not burn, nor touch thee. For as the Son of God was in the Furnace with Daniel's three Companions in Babylon; Thus in thy moft violent Fits of the Fever, in the midft of thy moft grievous Aches, he will fatiate thy Soul, and thou shalt be like a water'd Garden, Dan. 5. Or, as a living Spring of Comfort, that can never be ftopp'd nor dry'd up. Let the Storms and Floods beat againft thee, let the Defluctions endeavour to choak thee, Ifa. 58. Thou mayeft fay with King David, I have fet the Lord always before me; because he is at my Right Hand, I shall not be moved, Pfal. 19. When I fhould walk in the Valley of the Shadow of Death, when I fhould have no other Help, nor Affiftance in the World, when no more Strength remains in my Body, I would not fear; for, O God, thy Staff and thy Rod will comfort me, Pfal. 23. God will not only draw near to thy

I.

fick Bed, but he will embrace and receive thee into his Protection, he will kifs thee with the Kiffes of his Mouth, and make thee tafte of the Sweetness of his Divine Comfort, Cant. 1. He will cherish thee as a Mother doth her Child, to pacify it, and make thee fo fenfible of his Love, that thou may'ft fay with the Spoufe, His Left-Hand is under my Head, and his RightHand doth embrace me. With his gracious Hand he will wipe off thy cold Sweat, and into his Bofom he will receive thy Sighs, and thy Groans; and thy Tears he will gather up into his moft precious Bottles. And as when Drops of Blood fell from him, the Holy Angels appeared to comfort him, Luke 22, So in thy greateft and moft difficult Encounters, when thou fhalt be at Handy-Blows with Death itself, his faithful Minifters, his Meffengers, the Angels of his Right-Hand fhall vifit thee, to fupply thee with Spiritual Comfort, 2 Cor. 5. Rev. 5. And when thefe earthly Comforters fhall fail, he fhall fend to thee fome of those powerful Spirits that wait before his Glorious Throne, Dan. 7. O Good God, if we could but perceive the Things that are of themselves invifible, and if thou didft but give us Eyes, like to thofe of the Holy Prophet, we should perceive Legions of immortal Spirits flying about in the Houfes of Sorrow, with an Intent to affift the Chriftian Soul, Ifa. 6. 2 Kings 6. Finally, as the Sun with its Light, and the Strength of its Beams, drives away the thickeft Clouds, and comforts with its delightful Countenance the Face of the whole Earth; fo Jefus Chrift the Sun of Righteoufnefs, who carries Healing under his Wings, banisheth all Sadness with the Light of his Divine Graces, Mal. and with the Prefence of his Holy Spirit expells away the moft fenfible Griefs, and fills us with unfpeakable Joy, and with the Peace of God which passeth all Understanding.

蔔

3.

A

A PRAYER and MEDITATION for a Sick Perfon, who defires to prepare for Death.

I

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 haft caft. me upon this fick Bed, to punish me for my Sins. cannot complain of thy Justice, but rather I reverence thy Wfdom 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 Neglect I am heartily forry, and repent, and could willingly water this Couch with my Tears. O my God! thou knoweft that this my Grief proceeds from a fincere Displeasure for having offended fo gracious a Lord, who now in this Correction difcoverest to me thy tender Compassion, in that thou rebukest 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 hast promised that all Things fhall work together for Good to them that love thee. I am willing to fuffer these Pains and Aches, fo that they may advance thy Glory and my Salvation. I refer myself to thy wife Difpofil; 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 Recipe's 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 submit to thy facred Will. Remove from me all the Grief and Difpleasure, 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 Hold on thy Salvation, and be able to fay 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 in Heaven. For what are thofe momentary Sufferings in Respect 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 wean'd from the World, and refign my felf 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 Sarrows and Sufferings by Death; here I am, O God! ready to obey thy Motion, and Will, without the leaft Refiftance or Displeasure. For my troublesome Abode, undermin'd 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 ftretch'd, minds me of the cold Grave where I must shortly rest, 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 Santified Souls. Amen.

A PRAYER

A PRAYER and MEDITATION for a Sick 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. Thon pierceft me thro' 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 heinous, fince they have provoked thee to deal fo feverely with me, who art Mercy itself, and art not willing to afflict the Sons of Men. O my God, confider my Weakness and Frailty, and let not thine Almighty Power, and the Fierceness of thy Wrath be display'd against such an infirm Creature as I am, a Worm of the Earth, Duft and Afbes, nothing in comparison of thee, O infinite Being! Remember that I am related to thee in thy blessed Son, and am thine adopted Child, vouchsafe me, therefore, thy favourable Af fiftance, 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 wither'd 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 these violent and bodily Pains, I will give a Check to these indecent Groanings and Complaints, that become not fuch a finful Creature as I am. Thou art in this most just 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 Canfe to complain of thy Severity, by Reafon 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 parallelled with the Glory that thou haft promised to thy chofen SerO merciful Saviour! thine heavy Hand fhall never

vants.