myself in a groundless reliance upon thy favour; whilft in the mean time I am really unqualified for it. Bus teach me seriously and impartially to examine my heart and ways, before I venture to pafs fo eafy fentence upon myself. Let not thy patience to me hitherto work in me an expectation of future happiness, upon any other terms than thofe of the Gofpel; that fo I may be induced to ftudy, how most effectually to make my calling and election fure; and to this end may fet myself, confcientiously and univerfally, to obferve thy commandments all the days of my life. Help me to reform all that is amiss in me, and to make fuch a progrefs in holiness, as that I may fafely depend upon thy mercy and kindness to me, here in this world, and may be for ever happy with thee in the other, through the merits of Jefus Chrift my only Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.

When inclinable to Despair.

Almighty Lord God, the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and in him of all thy faithful fervants; I am afhamed, and greatly confounded, to think that I fhould feem in any wife to diftruft thy goodness, after I have had fuch abundance experience of it, and after all the gracious promifes thou haft made, to those who afk any thing according to thy will. Yet I must confefs, that fear, and a horrid dread, have taken hold of me, lett my portion should be amongst the reprobates, who are to be punished with everlafting deftruction from the prefence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. This thought ftrikes me to the heart, and I am not able to bear up under the weight of it. Do thou therefore fupport me with the comforts of thy Holy Spirit. Speak peace to my difconfolate foul, and affure me, thou art reconciled to me in the Son of thy love; that thou art my Sun and my Shield at prefent, and wilt be my exceeding great Reward hereafter. Forgive these my doubts and fears; and fo difpofe my mind,

and

and confirm my trust in thee, as that a remembrance of my fins may never incline me to defpair of thy kindness; but, on the other hand, may drive me to my Saviour to fue for his interceffion in my behalf, and may put me upon an indefatigable attendance upon my duty, whereby to capacitate me for a fure con. fidence in his all-fufficient merits and mediation, Do not only pardon all my tranfgreffions for his fake, that fo I may be for ever happy in thy heavenly kingdom, but convince me, in the mean time, that thou haft done it, for my fatisfaction and comfort, whilst I remain here below. I look upon it as one of Satan's ftratagems, to put me out of heart, that he may prevent my earneft endeavours to please thee. Do thou therefore enable me to reject this and all other his motions, and fo to betake myself to thee for relief, and fo to obferve thy holy laws, as that thou mayeft caufe thy face to fhine graciously upon me, and make me to rejoice in thy favour, both now and evermore, thro' Jefus Chrift our Lord, Amen.

When Weak and Languishing.

I.

Merciful God, who, for the fins of man, did fend death into the world, and fickness in order to it; behold my weak and languishing eftate, and extend thy pity to me. Thou feeft how low a con dition I am reduced to; and what will become of me, none befides thee knows. But thou art a God, who art full of mercy and compaffion; and haft directed me to call upon thee in the day of trouble. This encourages me to cry to thee now for help, when I am not able to help myfelf., Let me, O Lord, fee the love of a tender Father, in all thy dealings with me; and more particularly in this exercife of my patience, I do not repine at it, but acknowledge, to thy praife, that my fins have loudly called for it; and that thou, of very faithfulness, haft

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caufed me to be troubled. Let this confideration make me truly fenfible of thy kindness, and not only contented, but thankful for fuch thy proceedings towards me, in hope that the fickness of my body may be for the health of my foul, and may be a means of promoting my falvation in the great day of account, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. Amen.

II.

Lord, thou knoweft the frailty of my natural conftitution, and how unfit I am to contend with a long disease; be intreated to confider my infirmity, and, in thy due time, to relieve me; left my patience be at length tired out, and fo I fall under thy heavy displeasure. Be not extreme to mark what I have done amifs: but in the midft of judgment remember mercy, and make me glad with the joy of thy countenance. I am intirely at thy difpofal; cause all things to work together for my good, that whe ther by life, or death, I may glorify thy holy Name, through Jefus Chrift thy Son our Lord. Amen.

When troubled with acute Pains.

Bleffed God, juft and holy, who doeft not af flict willingly, nor grieve the children of men; with-hold not thy affiftance from me in this my fharp and dolorous condition. Thine arrows ftick faft in me; and thy hand preffeth me fore. I am made to poffels [months, or days of vanity, and wearifome nights are appointed to me. When I lie down, I fay, When fhall I arife, and the night be gone? And I am full of toffing to and fro unto the dawning of the day. I am feeble and fore fmitten; I have roared for the very difquietnefs of iny heart. My forrows are inlarged, my wound is great, and my foul is full of trouble. And I have none to feek to for a mitigation of my pains, but to thee, O Lord. I freely own my fufferings to be far lefs then I have deserved: and that they have not been far worfe than they are,

is purely of thy goodness. But yet, fince they pierce deep, and are become almoft too hard for me to bear, I am forced to call to thee for aid; befeeching thee not to punish me according to mine iniquities, but to fpare me for thy mercies fake. Endue me with that patience, which may enable me readily to fubmit to thy chastisement, and that hearty repentance for all my fins, which may invite thee to put an end to my correction lay no more upon me, than thou wilt capacitate me to bear. My foul melteth away for yery heaviness: comfort thou me, and let thy loving mercy come unto me, O Lord, according to thy word. Hear my most humble fupplication according to thy loving-kindness; and quicken me as thou art wont. Continue me under thy rod, only fo far as may be for thy glory, and my own advantage. Sanctify it to me whilft 1 feel the fmart of it, and am made to groan and figh by reason of it; and when its work thall be once done, (and oh that it may not be long in doing!) remove it from me, and give me a fresh occafion to rejoice in thy faving health, through Jefus Chrift our bleffed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

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Upon Abatement of Pain.

Give thanks unto the Lord; for he is gracious, and his mercy endureth for ever. I called upon the Lord in my neceffity, and he hath heard me, and granted a relaxation of my pains. Even as a father pitieth his own children, fo is the Lord merciful unto them that fear him. He knoweth whereof we are: made; he remembreth that we are but duft, and cannot fubfift, much less enjoy any comfort or eafe, without his good Providence taking care of us. Bleffed, be thy Name, O gracious God, and may my foul, and all that is within me, laud and praise thee, for the; comfortable change I feel in myself, and the ease and refreshment thou haft granted me! The forrows of my heart were inlarged; but now it is far otherwise

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with me. Thou haft, in a great measure, brought the out of my trouble, which lay fo heavy upon me, and forced me to make my complaint to thee. What fhall I return unto thee, O Lord, for all the benefits that thou hast done unto me? I will receive the cup of falvation, and will call upon the name of the Lord; I will praise the, and give thee thanks, in the best manner I am able; will magnify thy power, thy goodness, and thy faithfulness, and will be telling of thy falvation from day to day. While I live, will I praise the Lord; yea, as long as I have my being, I will fing praises to thee, O God: and in my dif trefs I will always put my truft in thee, who haft Vouchsafed at this time to deal fo lovingly with me, and I will conftantly join with the church in its ufual doxology; Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghoft; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end, Amen.

When troubled in Mind.

Thou great Phyfician of fouls, I come unto thee for relief against that heavy preffure that lies fadly upon my fpirits at this time. It is not without thy good Providence that fo dreadful a calamity has befallen me. And, as it is thy vifitation, I willingly fubmit to it, and shall set myself to bear it, without the least repining or difcontent. Tho' I am distressed, and greatly afflicted; yet I know it is thy doing, and therefore to be borne with an unwearied patience. It is alfo of my own procuring, and so ! have none to blame for it but myself, and those mine iniquities which have called for it. Righteous art thou, O Lord, just is thy judgment. Yet, with an unfeigned refignation to thy Will, I find myself conftrained to fupplicate thee for the removal of it in thy due time, that fo I may be better able to do thee fervice, than I am at prefent. Thou feeft the woful tate I am in; how my mind is disordered, my thoughts are loofe and confused, my understanding