baft done it. Infpire me, I befeech thee, with that true and beavenly Wisdom, which may help me to difcern aright the Reafons, and enable me to answer the Ends of this Correction, and all other thy Dealings with me. That I may bear the Rod, and who bath appointed it; and, in all Conditions, fubmit my felf entirely to thy good Plea fure, and glorify God in the Day of Vifitation. So fhall this Weakness of my Body tend to the strengthening of my Virtues, and the Health of my Soul; through the Me rits of Him, who redeemed them both at the Price of his own Blood; Even thy Son and my ever Blessed Saviour, Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ME D. II.

Of the Power of God, and the Affections arifing from thence, Viz. Dread of his Anger, and Truft in his Protection.

I.

Which way foever we turn our Eyes, ten thou

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fand Objects meet us, which all prove and preach to us the Almighty Power of God. The glorious Fabrick of the Univerfe, and every Thing contained therein, nay even the meaneft, and, in human Efteem, moft defpicable Creature, proclaims aloud the Omnipotence of its Maker. And the good Order, in which thefe are contained, does as much magnify his Preferving, as their Existence does his Creating, Power. But Man needs not look Abroad: Himfelf is ten thoufand Arguments to demonftrate this to himself. The curious Structure of his Body, the Excellencies of its Divine Inhabitant, the Soul, and the marvellous amazing Union, and mutual Correfpondence of both thefe, could be the Workmanship of nothing less than Omnipotence. This Mixture of Spirit and Matter, of Perifhing and Immortal; The

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Sagacity of the one to influence and govern, the Rea dinefs of the other to obey, and be actuated; The Sprightliness and Vigor, or elfe the Heavinefs and Dif order, and reciprocal Difabilities, which each of thefe convey to the other, are most certainly the Lord's doing, and ought to be marvellous in our Eyes. Alas! how fhould Man fubfift one Moment, even in the State of his greateft Perfection, did not this great Artificer watch over his own Work, and conftantly fuftain it; did not he check and moderate that Conflict, which the warring Elements of our Body are continually engaging in? But efpecially, now that the Corruption of our Nature, and the Tranfgreffion of our firft Parent, hath let Death and Difeafes loose upon us ; there needs no fresh Infliction. For, if God be but paffive, and withdraw his Restraint, the Enemy is always ready to devour us, and we carry the Seeds of our Torment and Ruin about our own Perfons. And God hath fo decreed, that every Man fhall once fall by the Stroke of Death. A Decree, which, in our greatest Strength, in the very Bloom and Beauty of Youth, contrary to our own Expectations, or the Fears of our tendereft Friends, he fometimes executes: To teach us, that our Being is wholly precarious, that we have nothing stable here, no Title even to Life it felf; but are all concluded by a Sentence already pafs'd. For all our Days are in the Nature of a Reprieve; The prolonging whereof is an Act of mere Mercy, as the cutting it fhort is free from the leaft Shadow of Injuftice. God then cannot want Means and Opportunities for this. All Nature is His; The Malice of wicked Men, the Spight of our Foes, the mistaken Kindnefs of our Friends, the Errors of our Phyficians, and the Mifapplication of their Medicines, are all directed and over-ruled to this End. The Humours of our Bodies, the Temper of the Air, and every Element indeed, when he gives the Word,

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turn Executioners; or, in Truth, if He but pleafe to permit, the Thing will do it felf. He burns us up by Fevers, or drowns us in Dropfies; ftrikes us dead in a Moment by Apoplexies, buries us alive by Palfies, or waftes us, by flow and imperceptible Degrees, with lingring Confumptions. Thou feeft, my Soul, how eafily God can do thefe Things, by a thousand Inftances of Friends and Acquaintance gone before thee, and by thy own yet more fenfible Experience, in this worn and languishing Body of thine. Thou feeleft now, that no Flesh is able to stand before God, and how quickly we are blafted by the Breath of his Displea fure. That, to him alone belongs Power and Strength, and to poor mortal Man, nothing but Wretchedness, and Weakness, and Vanity.

II. Surely (my Soul) had thefe Impreffions been fresh and deep upon me heretofore, they would have checkt my wild Career in Sin, and prevented many grievous and bold Tranfgreffions, which I have reafon to fear might provoke the Divine Majefty, to caft me upon this Bed of Languishing. For do we provoke the Lord to Jealoufy? Are we ftronger than He? Alas! my own Condition hath taught me, how vain and fool-hardy it is, not only to fight against God, but not to fear and ftand in perpetual Awe of him: How fatal to play with this confuming Fire: And I cannot but wifh from the bottom of my Soul, that I had better confider'd this Point long ago. For he is a terrible and a mighty God; and, when he enters into Controverfy with Mankind, no Flesh can abide it. At least, my Soul, let us make that good ufe of this Reflection now, to be unfeignedly forry for what is paft; and more cautious and obfervant for the time to come. The Flower is wither'd indeed, and hangs its feeble head; but it is not yet quite cut down. O let us yet humble our felves in his Fear, and con→ fider, what a yet more dreadful Vengeance God hath in ftore, for hardened and unperfuadable Wretches.

If the Decays and Pains of the Body alone are fo grie vous, how fhall we bear the Lofs of Body and Soul both? How fhall we dwell with Everlasting Burnings? If the Rod of God, these comparatively light Punishments, represent to us the Terrors of his angry Juftice; Who can bear the Approach of that Dismal Day, when he hall come in Thunder and Flames, to make an abfolute End of this whole World, and deliver wicked Sinners over to irrecoverable Deftruction? An Eternity of Torments! Jefus defend us! Who can entertain even the moft diftant Thought of it, without Trembling and Aftonishment? Fall down then, my Soul, and humble thy felf under the mighty Hand of God; that thou may'st not perish with this frail Body. Lofe no Time in making thy Peace, but work with all thý might; efpecially now, that the Day of Life feems to decline, and the Night comes on, wherein no Man can work. III. Forremember,my Soul, for thy Encouragement,

that, if thou abound in the Work of the 1 Cor.xx. 58. Lord, thy Labour shall not be in vain in the Lord. He is no lefs mighty to fave than to destroy ; With Him no Word is impoffible; and, if he will, he can even yet raise this feeble Body, and restore it to perfect Health and Soundnefs. Nay, he will certainly do it, if that be beft for me; and if it be not, he will do yet inore. For there will come a Day, in which this vile earthly Part fhall be enlivened again; and, if it crumble into Duft, and scatter in the mean while; tho' it pass thro' infinite different Forms, yet will he pursue this Body through all its Changes, collect its diI Cor. xv. fperfed Particles, command the little Heaps of Duft to awake, and tranflate it into a Glorious and a Spiritual Body. A Body fit for a State of Incorruption, and the Inheritance of that Kingdom, where this Flesh and Blood, which we now fet fo falfe, fo extravagant à Value upon, is not worthy to enter. I will therefore confirm my felf in the Power and Promifes of my God:

and,

and, with holy, Job tho' be flay me, yet will

I trust in him. For even then I will lay Fob xiii. 15. me down, in hope of a Refurrection to Eternal Life ; and commit my Body like Seed, to the Ground; not to be loft, but improved, by corrupting there. For Thou, O God, art unchangeable, and thy Promifes without Repentance; and promifed thou haft, that our vile Body fhall be fashion'd like unPhil. iii. 21. to Chrift's glorious Body, according to the mighty working, whereby thou art able to fubdue all Things to thy felf.

EJACULATION S.

IN thee therefore, O Lord, will I put my Pfal. lxxi. truft: let me never be put to Confufion, but deliver me in thy Righteoufnefs, and fave me.

Be thou my Strong-bold whereunto I may alway refort: thou haft promised to help me, for thou art my Houfe of Defence, and my Castle.

Deliver me, O my God, from the Adverfary's Hand: Preferve me from the Hunter of Souls; Helayeth Snares, and is mighty to deftroy: but yet the Lord, who dwelleth on high is mightier.

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Thou, O Lord God, art the Thing that I long for thou hast been my Hope even from my Youth. Through thee have I been holden up ever fince I was born: Thou art be that took me out of my Mother's Womb; my Praife fhall be always of thee.

O caft me not away in the Time of my Difirefs: forfake me not, when my Strength faileth me.

Let them be confounded and perish that are against my Soul: let the wicked Spirits be coverd with flame and dishonour, that feek to do me evil.

As for me, I will patiently tarry the Lord's Pf.xxvii.16. Leifure: and will put my Truft in the Lord.

For