foon. Grant it may be my daily ftudy, to be in fuch readiness for my latter end, that it may never find me unprovided for it. At this time fanctify, I beseech thee, my prefent condition to me; and give me grace to make a right ufe of this, and all other thy difpenfations; that, if it fhall be thy good pleafure to restore me to my former health, I may lead the refidue of my life in thy fear, and to thy glory; or elfe give me grace fo to take thy vifitation, that, after this painful life ended, I may dwell with thee in life everlasting, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

II.

LORD, I pray thee, that thy grace may always prevent and follow me, and make me continually to be given to all good works, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Upon a Recovery from Sickness,

I.

Holy and most gracious Lord God, who art infinitely good to them that put their truft in thee; I have not only learned by the hearing of the ear, but my own late, befides former experience, has taught me, that thou art abundant in goodness and mercy. It is in thee I live, move, and have my being. And thou haft in a particular manner expreffed thy love to me, in lifting me up from the gates of death. Thou haft brought my foul from the grave; and haft kept me alive, that I fhould not go down into the pit. For this, and all other thy undeserved favours, for ever bleffed be thy holy Name. I earnestly defire, that my heart may be duly affected with a sense of them, and that I may never dare to abuse fuch tranfcendent loving-kindnefs; but whatever length thou addeft to my days, may be faithfully

fully spent in obferving thy laws, and exalting thy praife. I am made whole; make me also strictly watchful over myself, that I fin no more, left a worfe thing come unto me. Let the confideration of the weak condition I have been in, have fuch influence upon my mind, as that I may not dare to neglect, or defer, any part of my duty, left I be fnatched away before it be finifhed. I know not how foon I may be reduced to the fame, or a worfe eftate, when I fhall be able to do very little for myself. Caufe me therefore to take care in time, to make my calling and election fure, that such a visitation may be no furprize to me, nor may be able to terrify me with the dread of an unhappy death. As thou haft given me a space for amendment, give me moreover a heart carefully to amend whatsoever is amifs in me. Make me always mindful how frail I am, and how unable to stand the fhock of another fickness, whenfoever thou shalt fend it, and to apply myfelf in the mean time to do what it may be then too late to wish I had done. Let no one fin ever have dominion over me, nor any temptation prevail against me, or render me in any wife regardless of the indifpenfable obligations I ftand in to thee, my most loving Saviour and Deliverer. Work in me both to will, and to do, of thy good pleasure. And, whilft thou feeft fit to continue me here, let every day thou addeft to my life, bring me a ftep nearer to the fruition of thine everlafting glory. Grant this, O Father, for Jefus Chrift's fake, our only Mediator and Redeemer. Amen.

1

II.

BLESS the Lord, O my foul, and forget not all his benefits; who redeemeth thy life from deftruction, and crowneth thee with mercy and lovingkindness. I called upon the Lord in my diftrefs, and thou heardest me, and answeredft my request. Thou haft inclined thine ear to me, and art become my falvation. May my mouth be always filled with thy

praise!

praife! and may my gratitude farther fhew forth itfelf, by an univerfal obedience to thy precepts, thro' Jefus Christ our Lord! Amen.

To

III.

the bleffed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords, who only hath immortality, dwelling in that light which no man can approach unto, whom no man hath feen, nor can fee, be honour and power everlasting. Amen.

Upon fending for the Phyfician.

Moft gracious Lord God, on whom is all my dependence, and of whofe abundant mercy it is that I am now in the land of the living, though at present in a weak and languifhing condition [or, though at prefent feized with fickness]; fuccour and relieve me for thy mercies fake. I am defirous to make use of such means as thou hast appointed, in order to a recovery, that I may not feem any way to flight that life thou haft condefcended to bestow upon me, and hitherto to continue to me. And, forafmuch as thou haft ordained the phyfician for the benefit of those who languish under any bodily diftemper, I have refolv'd to try his fkill in order to a cure. But my chief hope is in thee: O be thou my helper; for, without thee, vain is the help of man. Direct thy fervant to what may be proper for my cafe; and let thy bleffing accompany his prefcriptions, and give fuccefs to them. All the most efficacious methods of cure are nothing of themselves, nor can work farther than thou impowereft them. To thee therefore I address myself for thy concurrence with them. It is but with thee to fpeak the word, and thy fervant fhall be healed. Oh may it please thee to iffue out thy command, and it fhall not be in vain, that I am about to use the means that shall be directed. never permit me to put my truft in whatsoever medicine, but only in thy bleffing; without which, all

But

inferior

inferior affiftance will be found of no advantage. Thou art the great Phyfician, that alone can'ft effectually remove all my maladies: and all other helps are but inftruments in thy hand, that work according to thy good pleasure. Be thou with me, to guide and affift, to blefs and profper them, to thine own glory, and the welfare of thine unworthy fervant, who here moft humbly fues to thee for pity, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

Upon taking of Phyfick.

Lord, the Father of mercies, and God of all confolation, our only help in time of need; I moft humbly fupplicate thy favour to thy faithful fervant labouring under thy correction. Lay no more upon me, than thou wilt enable me to bear. Confider my feeble mortal conftitution, and proportion my diftemper to my ftrength, that I may know how to bear it with a true Chriftian patience, and refignation to thy Divine Will. Hear my complaints, and remove the cause of them, as fhall feem to thee moft expedient for me. Give a bleffing to what I now take, in order to a recovery of my loft health. Be thou my chief Phyfician; for thy direction cannot fail me. And, feeing I put my whole truft in thee, Vouchfafe, of thy great mercy, to adminifter to me in my neceffity, and to grant me eafe, and comfort, and health here in this world, and to fit me for everlasting life with thee, and thy holy angels and faints, in the world to come, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. Amen.

When given over by the Phyfician.

I.

Almighty and everlafting God, whose I am, and

whofe laws I ought to have faithfully obeyed, but have most vilely tranfgreffed them, throughout my whole life; for thefe my abominations, of what

ever fort, I defire to humble myself before thee in the most fubmiffive manner [or, whom I have beartily defired to ferve with reverence and godly fear; thɔ' I am grieved to think with what great weakness and imperfection 1 bave done it; these my failings I lament and bewail before thee: and much more my groffer fins and iniquities, whereby I bave highly provoked thee against my own foul]. I heartily deteft and renounce them all, moft humbly befeeching thee not to caft me off by reason of them. Hearken not to their cry against me, but to my bleffed Saviour's interceffion for me. Wafh them all away with his most precious blood, that they may neither appear against me to my fhame and forrow here in this world, nor to my eternal condemnation in the other. Confider my contrition, accept my tears, affwage my pain, as fhall feem to thee most expedient for me. And, forasmuch as I put my full truft only in thy mercy, impute not to me my former tranfgreffions; but ftrengthen me with thy bleffed Spirit, and, whenfoever thou art pleafed to take me hence, take me unto thy favour, through the merits of thy dearly beloved Son Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

11.

Seeing the phyficirther expectation of hope of be

Eeing the physician has already past his sentence,

nefit by his miniftry; and confequently am to look upon myself as no longer defign'd for this world; I with the profoundeft humility intreat thy pity, O Lord, in order to the other. And fince there remains no probable means of cure for my body, do thou condescend to take my fick foul into thy hands, and cure it of all the guilt that lies fo heavy upon it, and fo fadly overwhelms me with fhame and forrow. I exceedingly lament my own folly and wickedness, and am confounded at the thought of it; which pierces me to the quick, and fills my foul with the deepest remorfe and terror. In thee alone is my help, and