The Handmaid to Private Devotion, Part 23
The Sicke-mans Deuotion (when there is yet hope of recouerie
In his Sicknes.
After his Recouery.
When thou art smitten with sicknesse ô deuout Christian,
1 ENter into thy priuate Chamber and commune with thine owne heart, and search out diligently the cause of thy Fathers displeasure, Psal. 4. ….
2 Confesse the particular sin or sinnes, for which thy heart smiteth thee most with sighs and teares, Psal. 32. 5, 6.
3 Promise, and fully purpose amendment through the assistance of grace, Psal. 39. 1.
4 Aduise with the Physitian of thy soule, and follow his godly direction, and desire him to pray for thee, and minister a word of comfort vntounto thee, and if thou find thy selfe fit for it in the beginning of thy sicknesse, when thou art in perfect sence and memorie, participate of the blessed, Sacrament, rather then when thy faculties are more enfeebled, Iob. 33. 23. Iam. 5. 14.
5 Vse carefully all good meanes of Physicke and dyet for thy recouerie; yet rely not vponupon the meanes, or instrument, but vponupon God, Eccl. 38. 1. 2. Chr. 16. 12.
6 Pray to God instantly & continually,
First & absolutely for the health and saluation of thy soule.
Secondly, & conditionally, for the health of thy bodie.
7 Settle thine estate, and make thy Will, that thou mayest bee more free for holy and heauenly meditations, Isa. 38. 1.
8 Submit thy self wholly and absolutely to God's good wil and pleasure concerning thee, whether for life or death, 1. Pet. 4. 19
9 Reade (if thou be able) or appoint to be read vntounto thee, at seasonable times, select Chapters of Scripture, and deuout Sermons, and Prayers: Rom. 8. Philippians 1. 1. Corinth. 15. 1. Thes. 4. 2. Cor. 5. Ioh. 5. 6. 17. H…b. 12. Iob. 19. Reu. 2. 3. 21. 22. Iob 14. Isa. 38. 40.
Among other helpes in this kind
Open thy sorrow and griefe by the Hymne.
Strengthen thy faith & patience by the exhortation.
Quicken thy Zeale and Deuotion by the Prayer ensuing.
A PSALME FOR the sicke,
wherein The deuout Soule
Expresseth her
Maladie & affection.
Hope in God.
Experience & remembrance of his former goodnes.
Meek patience.
Prayeth for
Ease.
Helpe.
Recouerie.
Quickning grace.
Pardon for sinne.
Wisedome to make good vse of sicknesse.
THE TEXTS.
HAueHave mercy vponupon mee ô Lord,The sicke soule expresseth her malady. for I am weake: O Lord heale mee, for my bones are vexed, Psal. 6. 2.
My soule also is sore troubled: But Lord, how long wilt thou punish mee! v. 3
My Spirit vexeth within me: and my heart within mee is desolate, Psal. 143. 4.
Yet I doe remember the time past; I muse vponupon all thy workes; yea, I exercise my selfe in the worke of thy hands, verse …5.
I stretch forth my hands vntounto thee:Remembrance and experience of Gods goodnesse. my soule gaspeth vntounto thee as a thirsty land, v. 6.
Heare me O Lord, and that soone, for my Spirit waxeth faint:
Hide not thy face from mee, …est I bee like vntounto them that go downe into the pit, v. 7.
Thou art he that tooke me out of my mothers wombe: thou wast my hope when I hanged yet vponupon my mothers brest, Psal. 22. 9.
I hauehave bin left vntounto thee euer since I was borne: Thou art my God euen from my mothers womb, v. 10.
Though I walke in the shadow of death,Hope in God. I will feare no euill: thy rod and thy staffe comfort me, Psal. 23. 4.
Lord what is my hope? Truly my hope is euen in thee, Psal. 39. 5.
I became dumbe, and opened not my mouth; for it was thy doing, v. 10.
I will patiently abide alway:Meeke patience. and praise thy name more, and more, Psal. 71. 12.
O Lord rebuke mee not in thine anger,Prayeth for ease. nor chasten mee in thy heauy displeasure, Psal. 6. 1.
The sorrowes of my heart are enlarged; O bring me out of my trouble, Psal. 25. 16.
Heare ô Lord,Helpe. and hauehave mercy vponupon me; Lord bee thou my helper, Psal. 30. 11.
Turne thee ô Lord, and deliuer my soule:Recouery. ô saue mee for thy mercies sake, Psal. 6. 4.
For in death no man remembreth thee: and who will giuegive thee thankes in the pit? v. 5.
What profit is there in my blood, when I goe downe to the pit? Psal. 30. 9.
Shall the dust giuegive thanks vntounto thee? Or shall it declare thy truth? v. 10.
Take thy Plague away from me: I am euen consumed by the meanes of thy heauy hand, Psal. 39. 11.
Quicken mee ô Lord for thy names sake;Quickening grace. and for thy righteousnesse sake, bring my soule out of trouble, Psal. 143. 11.
Enter not into iudgement with thy seruant;Pardon for sinne. for in thy sight shall no man liuing be iustified, v. 2.
O remember not the sinnes and offences of my youth; but according to thy mercy thinke vponupon me, ô Lord, for thy goodnesse, Psal. 25. 6.
Deliuer me from all mine offences; and make me not a rebuke to the foolish, Psal. 39. 9.
O teach mee to number my daies,Wisedome. that I may apply my heart vntounto wisedome, Psal. 90. 12.
An Admonition to the Sicke.
THE ANALYSIS.
EueryEvery good Christian ought to struggle with his infirmities, & labour to compass his minde to meet patience in sicknesse; especially considering that sicknes is—
1 His heauenly Fathers visitation, whose
1 Power cannot bee resisted.
2 Will must be obeyed.
3 Goodnesse must bee acknowledged in sending vsus good as well as euill.
2 A deserued scourge for his sinne.
3 Seat in louelove to him for his good
1 To weane him from the louelove of the world.
2 To strengthen the spirit in him, and tame the flesh.
3 To breed in him a loathing and detestation of sin in generall, the cause of all afflictions.
4 To call him home, and bring him to a sence & acknowledgement of his particular sinne.
5 To proue the truth and sincerity of his faith and louelove.
6 To saue him from eternall punishment for his sinne.
7 To make him seeke more earnestly to God, who will be found of him, and (if his appointed time bee not come) manifest his glory in deliuering him frō the very iawes of death.
THE TEXTS.
VVEe hauehave had Fathers of our flesh which corrected vsus, Sicknesse is God's visitation: who is the Father of our Spirits, and cannot be resisted.and wee gaue them reuerence, shall wee not much rather be in subiection to the Father of Spirits, and liue? Heb. 12. 9.
Who hath euer resisted his wil? Rom. 9. 19.
He is able to subdue all things to himselfe, Phil. 3. 21.
Hee draweth the mighty with his power; he riseth vp, and no man is sure of life, Iob 24. 21.
Will hee pleade against mee with his great power? Iob 23. 6.
God is greater then man, Iob 33. 12.
Why doest thou striue against him? for hee giueth not account of any of his matters. v. 13.
Thy will be done,Must be obeyed. &c. Mat. 6. 10.
Father, if it be possible let this cup passe from me, Mat 26. 39.
Yet not as I will, but as thou wilt, v. 16.
I held my peace, because it was thy doing, Psal. 39. 10.
Sanctifie the Lord God in your hearts, &c. 1 Pet. 3. 11.
Let them that suffer according to the will of God, commit the keeping of their soules to him in well doing, as vntounto a faithfull creator, 1 Pet. 3. 19.
Wee hauehave receiued good at the hands of God,From whō we receiue good. and shall wee not receiue euill? Iob 2. 10.
Affliction commeth not forth of the dust, neither doth trauaile come forth of the ground, Iob 5. 6.
I will make thee sicke in smiting thee, because of thy sinne, Micha 6. 13.
Man suffereth for his sinne, It is a scourge for our sins.Lam. 3. 39.
Wee know that all things worke together for good to them that louelove God,It is sent for our good Rom. 8. 28.
The heate beate vponupon the head of IONAS that he fainted,To weane vsus from the world. and wished in himselfe to dye, and said, It is better for me to die then to liue, Ionah 4. 8.
And ELIAH requested that he might die: It is enough Lord, take away my life; I am no better then my Fathers, 1 Kings 19. 4.
We that are in this Tabernacle doe groane being burdened, 2 Cor. 5. 4.
That I should not bee exalted aboue measure,To tame the flesh, and strengthening the Spirit. there was giuen me a Thorne in the flesh, 2 Cor. 12.
Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses; for when I am weake, then am I strong, v. 10
Though our outward man decay,To make vsus loath sin. our inward man is renewed, &c. 2 Cor. 4. 16.
My wounds stinke, and are corrupt through my foolishnesse, Psal. 38. 5. vid. Psal. 38. 4.
Let vsus search, To bring vsus to acknowledgement of our sins in speciall.and trie our waies, and turne againe to the Lord, Lam. 3. 40.
I truly am set in the Plague; and my heauinesse is euer in my sight, Psal. 38. 17.
I will confesse my wickednesse, and be sorrie for my sinne, verse 18.
The people turneth not to him that smiteth them, Isa 9. 13. see Ezra 9. 13.
The thing that I so greatly feared is fallen vponupon me, Iob 3. 25.
We hauehave transgressed, and rebelled, and thou hast not pardoned, Lam. 3. 42.
Though he slay me,To proue sincerity of our faith and louelove. yet will I trust in him, Iob 13. 15.
He shall also be my saluation, for an hypocrite shall not stand before him, v. 16.
And though all this be come vponupon vsus, yet doe we not forget thee, nor behaue our selues frowardly in thy couenant, Psal. 44. 18.
Our heart is not turned backe; neither our steps gon out of the way, v. 19.
No not when thou hast smitten vsus into the place of dragons, and couered vsus with the shadow of death, v. 20.
We are chastened of the Lord, that we should not be condemned with the world,To keepe vsus from euerlasting torments. 1 Cor. 11. 32.
I will bee vntounto Ephraim as a Lyon,To make vsus seeke more earnestly to God. and as a roaring Lyon to the house of Iudah; I will teare, and goe away, Hosea 5. 14.
I will goe and returne to my place, till they acknowledge their offences, and seeke my face: In their affliction they will seeke me early, v. 15.
Hee would hauehave filled his bellie with the huskes that the swine did eate and no man gaue vntounto him, Luke 15. 16.
And when he came to himself he said, How many hired seruants in my Father's house hauehave meate enough, and I perish with hunger? v. 17.
I will arise and goe to my Father, &c. v. 18.
When in their trouble they turned to the Lord God of Israel,Who will be found of vsus. and sought him, hee was found of them, 2 Chron. 15. 4.
In wrath, or, in the middest of iudgement thou remembrest mercy, Abak. 3. 2.
Ikill,And shew his glory in our recouery. and make aliue; I wound, and I heale, Deut. 32. 39.
The Lord bringeth downe to the graue, and bringeth vp, 1 Sam. 2. 6.
This man was borne blinde, that the worke of God might bee shewed in him, Ioh. 9. 8.
This sicknesse is not vntounto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might bee glorified thereby, Ioh. 11. 4.
For wee had the Sentence of death in our selues, that wee should not trust in our selues, but in God that raiseth the dead, 2. Cor. 1. 9, 10.
Who hath deliuered vsus from so great a death, and doth deliuer: in whom wee trust that he will yet deliuer vsus, ver. 11.
A Prayer for the Sicke.
FAithfull Creator, and preseruer of all men, especially of thine Elect, whom thou smitest in merciemercy, and chastenest in louelove, and correctest in tender compassion, and wounding and healing againe, killing and reuiuing, bringing downe to the gates of hell, and raising vp from thence againe: Look downe, I beseech thee, vponupon thy poore prostrated seruant grieuously punished, and afflicted in body with the smart of my paine, and much more troubled and terrified in minde with the sence of my sinne, and feare of thy heauie displeasure. My paines and pangs of my sicknes, O Lord, are bitter, yet the remembrance of my sin is more bitter vntounto mee, and the apprehension of thy wrath far exceedeth both. Whilest I enioyed health and prosperitie, the ioy of all my ioyes was in thy louelove; and so now in my misery & sicknes, the sorrow of all my sorrowes, and anguish of all my paines, is in the feeling of thy wrath. This is the very venome of the arrow that sticketh in me. It is gall to my taste, and wormwood to my mouth, and the sharpest vineger in my festered sores, and a burning fire in my bones. I confesse to thy glory and my shame, that of very faithfulnesse and goodnesse to mee, thou hast layd this scourge vponupon me, to the end, that by the stripes of my flesh, my spirit might be healed, and saued in the day of my Lord IESV. I fostered snakes secretly in my bosome; I cherished priuate sin in my conscience, & now they hauehave stung me. I tooke too much delight in worldly comforts, and therefore thou hast sawced them with sorrowes. My wanton flesh pampered vp with ease and daintie fare, spurned at thy word, and grew head-strong against thy Spirit, and therefore thou hast tamed it with the sharpe whip. I was in a kind of a spirituall Lethargie, till thou didst awake me with the stroke of thy hand. There grew a Call ouer my conscience, which this thy chastisement hath plucked away. I felt an Itch of impure lusts & desires in all parts of my soule, but thy Rod hath killed it. I valued not the benefit of health as I should hauehave done; and therefore thou hast taught me it by my paine. In my prosperity, I remembred not the afflictions of my brethren, and therefore thou hast afflicted mee like vntounto them. I wept not for the calamities of thy people, I shed no teares for the publike ruines of the Church, and therefore thou hast drawne from mee abundance of them for my priuate griefes. I put from mee still the euill day, and therefore thou hast brought it neere vntounto mee. All this hauehave I done, and therefore most iustly all this do I suffer. And because I know that it is good for mee thus to be disciplined by thee; I humble my selfe vnderunder thy mighty hand, and kisse this thy Rod which imprints in my flesh a sence of my sinne, and a marke of thy louelove, and maketh my body black and blew; but I trust (through thy grace) shall make my soule appeare faire and beautifull in thine eyes. Oh that I could frame my selfe to perfect patience, that my abiding thy will might as wel please thee, as my disobeying thy will hath displeased thee. My spirit is willing, but my flesh is weake. I striue with the rebellions of my heart and corruptions, but they are too strong for mee.
Faine would I silence all clamorous passions, and let patience hauehave her full worke vponupon me; but the loathsomenesse, and painfulnesse, and tediousnesse of my disease drowne all my ghostly comforts, and make me euen rore for the disquietnes of my heart. O Lord thou knowest all my desires, and my groanes are not hid from thee. Thou knowest whereof I am made, thou vnderstandest that I am but dust; & wilt thou contend with dust & ashes? O Father of mercy, and God of all consolation, lay no more vponupon me then thou wilt giuegive me ability to beare. Either asswage and diminish my paine, or increase my strength: either shorten my sicknesse, or lengthen (I beseech thee) my patience. I acknowledge my many sins deserue many strokes, & grieuous sins smart strokes; but my flesh is not of yron, nor my sinews of brasse, nor my heart of Oke, to endure so many blowes and re-iterated cuts of thy axe. Neither could my sufferings (if I could endure as much for sin as any of thy blessed Saints and Martyrs hauehave suffered for righteousnesse) thereby satisfie for the least of my sins. For thy Maiesty is infinite, and my offences therefore infinite; thy mercy toward me is infinite, and my ingratitude towards thee thereby made infinite. Thy law eternall, and my gilt consequently, for the breach thereof, eternall. But thy Son a person of infinite dignity, out of his infinite louelove to mankinde hath layed downe his life, a price of infinite value, to discharge the infinite debt of my sins. Wherefore, I beseech thee, looke not vponupon my sin, but vponupon thy Son: weigh not my transgressions, but his merits. Thy iustice is fully satisfied by him; O confirme thy mercies vntounto me. As I hauehave, in the cup of trembling, tasted thy iustice & my sins: so grant that in the cup of saluation I may taste thy merciemercy, and my Sauiour's merits. Blesse all the meates, and drinks, and medicines, which I shall receiue from the hand of the Physitian to the repaire and recouery of my bodily health; and sanctifie all the bitter potions which thou hast, and shalt minister vntounto mee to the restoring of my soule's health. Comfort my fainting Spirit, and strengthen my feeble knees, and support my weake hands, and reuiue my deaded heart; and so powerfully assist me with thy Spirit of strength, that I may with confidence call vponupon thee, with patience endure this tryal, with hope expect thy good pleasure, with wisedome make vse of this thy visitation, and with thankfulnesse euer praise thy goodnesse and mercy for my safe recouery, if it may stand with thy blessed will; whereunto I fully submit, and wholy resigne my selfe now and for euer, Amen.
The Sicke-mans Deuotion after his Recouerie.
The Admonition or Exhortation to Thanksgiuing.
THE ANALYSIS.
For perpetuall Thanksgiuing, & a gratefull acknowledgement of God's blessing, we hauehave in Scripture▪
1 Examples of
CHRIST.
The Angels.
The Saints
In heauen.
On earth.
2 Reasons drawn from the consideration of God his—
Precepts.
Promises.
Benefits
Past.
Present.
To come.
THE TEXTS.
I Thanke thee,For thankfulnesse. ô Father, Lord of heauen and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast reuealed them vntounto babes, Mat. 11. 25.
And he tooke the seuen loaues,Examples of Christ. and the fishes, and gaue thankes, and brake them, Mar. 5. 36.
And he tooke the cup, and when he had giuen thankes, he gaue it to them, Mat. 26. 27.
And when he had giuen thanks, he tooke bread and brake it, Luk. 22. 19.
And all the Angels that stood round about the Throne,The Angels and about the Elders, and the foure beasts, fell downe on their faces, before the Throne, and worshipped God, saying, (Reuel. 7. 11.) Amen: Blessing, and glorie, and wisedome, and thanksgiuing, and honour, and power, and might, be vntounto God for euer, v. …2.
Glorie be to God on high,The Saints in heauen. on earth peace, and good will towards men.
Those beasts gaue glorie,The Saints on earth. and honour, and thanks, to him that sate on the Throne, who liueth for euer, Reuel. 4. 9.
And he blessed him,Melchizedeck. and said, Blessed be Abraham of the most high God possessor of heauen and earth, Gen. 14. 19:
And blessed be the most high God who hath deliuered thine enemies into thy hand, ver. 20.
I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies,Iacob. and of all the truth which thou hast shewed to thy seruant. For with my staffe I passed ouer this Iordan; and now I am become two bands, Gen. 32. 10.
And when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel,The people of Israel in Moses time and that he looked vponupon their afflictions, they bowed their heads, and worshipped, Exod. 4. 31.
Then sang Moses Moses.and the children of Israel this song vntounto the Lord, saying. I will sing vntounto the Lord, for he hath triumphed gloriously; the horse & the rider hath he throwne in the Sea, Exo. 15. 1.
Then sang Debora,Deborah. Barak. and Barak, &c. Iud 5. 12. & sequ.
And Anna prayed vntounto the Lord and said;Anna. My heart reioyceth in the Lord, my horne is exalted in the Lord, 1. Sam. 21. & sequ. vsq. …d 11.
And Dauid spake vntounto the Lord the words of this Song,Dauid. in the dayes that the Lord had deliuered him out of the hand of all his enimies &c. 2. Sam. 22. 1. & sequ. See Psal. 8. 9. 18. 21. 27. 30. 34. 45. 46. 47. 48. 65. 66. 68. 75. 77. 81. 85. 89. 92. 95. 96. 98. 99. 100. 103. 104. 105. 107. 108. 111. 113. 115. 117. 118. 124. 134. 135. 136. 138. 144. 145. 146. 147. 148. 149. 150.
Blessed be the Lord God that hath giuen rest vntounto his peopleSalomon. Israel, according to all that he had promised, and hath not failed one word of all his good promises which he promised by the hand of Moses his seruant, 1. Kin 8. 5.
Blessed be the Lord God of our Fathers who hath put such a thing as this in the Kings heart,Ezra. Ezr. 7. 27.
O Lord thou art my God,Isaiah. I will exalt thee, I will praise thy Name, for thou hast done wonderfull things; thy counsels of old are faithfulnesse and truth, Isay 25. 5.
The writing of Ezekiah king of Iuda,Ezekias. when he had beene sick, and was recouered of his sickenesse, I said, &c. Isa. 38. 9. 10. vsq. ad 21.
Then was the secret reuealed vntounto Daniel in a night vision; then Daniel blessed the God of heauen,Daniel. Dan. 2. 19.
Blessed be the Name of God for euer and euer, for wisedome, and might are his, verse 20.
I thanke thee and praise thee ô thou God of my fathers, who hast giuen me wisedome, and might, and hast made knowne vntounto me what we hauehave desired of thee, v. 23.
I will sacrifice vntounto thee with the voice of thanksgiuing; Ionah.I will pay that I hauehave vowed: Saluation is of the Lord, Ionah 2. 9.
MARIE said; My soule doth magnifie the Lord,Marie. &c. Luke 1. 46.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, Zacharias.&c. v. 68.
And the shepheards returned,The Shepheards. glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seene, Luke 2. 20.
And immediately he rose vp,The man taken with a Palsie. and departed to his owne house, glorifying God, Luke 5. 25.
And there came feare on all,The people. and they glorified God saying, A great Prophet is risen among vsus, and God hath visited his people, Luke 7, 16.
When he had laid hands on her,The woman that had a Spirit of infirmity. immediatly she was made straight, and glorified God, Luke 13. 13.
And one of them (when he saw that he was …ealed) turned backe,One of the Lepers. and with a loude voyce glorified God, Luke 17. 15.
And immediatly hee receiued his sight,The blinde man. and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people when they saw it, gaue praise vntounto God, Luke 18 45.
And he leaping vp,The …. stood and walked, and entred with them into the Temple, walking, and leaping, and praising God, Acts 3. 8.
Paul, Paul.when he saw the brethren, thanked God, and tooke courage, Act. 18. 15.
I thanke God alwayes &c. Rom. 7. 21. See 1. Cor. 14. 14. 10. 30. 14. 18. 15. 57. 2. Cor. 9. 15. Eph. 1. 16. Phil 1. 3. Col. 1. 12. 1. Thess. 1. 2. 2. 13. 2. Tim. 1. 3. Phil. 4.
To him be glorie, Peter.and dominion for euer. 1. Peter 5. 11.
To the onelyonly wise God our Sauiour be glorie and maiesty, Iude.dominion and power, now and for euer, Iud 25.
To him that hath loued vsus &c.Iohn. be glorie, and dominion for euer and euer, Reuel. 1. 5. 6.
Offer vntounto God thanksgiuing, Precepts.and pay thy vowes to the most High, Psal. 50. 14.
Turne to the Lord; say vntounto him, Take away all iniquity and receiue vsus graciously; so we will render the calues of our lips, Hos. 14. 2.
Let no vncleanenesse &c. be once named amongst you: neither iesting, which is not conuenient; but rather giuing of thanks. Eph. 5. 3, 4.
In eueryevery thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiuing, let your requests be made knowne vntounto God, Phil. 4. 6.
Giuing thanks to the Father, which hath made vsus meete to be partakers of the inheritance of the Saints in light, Col. 1. 12.
Being rooted and built vp in him, and established in the faith, as ye hauehave bin taught, abounding therein with thanksgiuing, Col. 2. 7.
Whatsoeuer ye do in word or deede, doe all in the name of the Lord Iesus, giuing thankes to God and the Father by him, Col. 3. 17.
Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thankesgiuing, Col. 4. 2.
In eueryevery thing giuegive thankes; for this is the wil of God in Christ Iesus concerning you, 1 Thes. 5. 18.
Wee are bound to thanke God for you alwaies brethren, 2 Thes. 1. 3. 2. 13.
I exhort therefore, that first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giuing of thankes bee made for all men, 1 Tim. 2. 1.
Commanding to abstaine from meates, which God hath created to bee receiued with thanksgiuing, 1 Timothie 4. 3.
By him therefore let vsus offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lipps, giuing thankes to his Name.
See more at the end of the preparatory Admonition to Prayer.
A PSALME OF THANKSGIuing for recouerie.
I Will magnifie thee ô Lord, for thou hast set mee vp; and not made my (spirituall) foes to triumph ouer me, Psal. 30. 1.
O Lord my God, I cryed vntounto thee, and thou heardest me, v. 2.
Thou Lord hast brought my soule out of hell; thou hast kept my life from them that go downe into the pit, v. 3.
Sing praises vntounto the Lord ô ye Saints, and giuegive thankes vntounto him for a remembrance of his holinesse, v. 4.
For his wrath endureth but for the twinkling of an eye, and in his pleasure is life: heauines may endure for a night, but ioy commeth in the morning, v. 5.
O what great troubles and aduersities hast thou shewed me! Psal. 71. 18.
Yet diddest thou turne and refresh me; and broughtest me from the deepe of the earth againe.
Thou hast turned my heauinesse into ioy; thou hast put off sackloth, and girded me with gladnesse, Psal. 30. 11.
Praise the Lord ô my soule, and all that is within me praise his holy Name, Psal. 103. 1.
Praise the Lord ô my soule, and forget not all his benefits, v. 2.
Which forgiueth all thy sin, and healeth all thine infirmities, v. 3.
Which saueth thy life from destruction, and crowneth thee with mercy, and louing kindnes, v. 4.
Which satisfieth thy mouth with good things, and maketh thee young, and lustie as an Eagle, v. 5.
The Lord is full of compassion and merciemercy, long suffering, and of great goodnesse, v. 8.
O taste, and see how gracious the Lord is: blessed is the man that trusteth in him, Psal. 34. 8.
The Lord is my strength, and my song, and is become my saluation, Psal. 118. 14.
The voice of ioy and health is in my dwellings: the right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to passe, v. 15.
The right hand of the Lord hath the preheminence: the right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to passe, v. 16.
I will not dye, but liue, and declare the workes of the Lord, v. 17.
The Lord hath chastened, and corrected me, but hee hath not giuen me ouer vntounto death, v. 18.
Open me the gates of righteousnesse, that I may goe in, and giuegive thankes to the Lord, v. 19
A Thanksgiuing for recouery.
O Lord God of my health & saluation, who hast knowne my soule in trouble, and diddest make my bed in my painefull & dangerous sicknes, and hast now raised me out of it to stand before thee: I offer now vntounto thee the calues of my lippes, and the sacrifice of my body and soule, which thou first gauest, and now hast restored vntounto me. Because I employed not the faculties of my soule, and members of my body, as I should hauehave done; thou bereauedst mee of the strength, and vigour, and vse of them for a season. But now, because thy compassiō failes not, thou hast returned them to me againe. Wherefore I consecrate and deuote them perpetually to thy seruice; no longer desiring the vse of them, then they may bee seruants vntounto me of righteousnesse vntounto holinesse. What I vowed in my sicknesse, by the helpe I will carefully performe in my health. As I am in the state of my body, so by the power of thy renewing grace, I will become in the estate of my soule, a new man. My broken heart which thou hast healed, shall now entirely louelove thee; my feeble knees and loose bones which thou hast setled, shall day and night bowe vntounto thee: My enthralld mēbers which thou hast set free, shall cheerefully serue thee: My weake hands which thou hast strēgthened, shal continually be lifted vp vntounto thee: My tyed tongue which thou hast loosened, shall vnfold thy mercies: My deafe eares which thou hast opened, shall heare thy voice: My harsh, and hoarse, and faint voice which thou hast cleared, shall sing alowde, a song of mercy and iudgement. For in thy former mercies thou forgottest not iudgement to make mee know mine euil; and in the latter iudgement, thou remembredst mercy, to make me know thy goodnes. By thy iudgement, thou hast taught me to know my self, and by thy mercies to know thee. Before I was troubled I went wrong; but now, sith thou hast set me right, I will run the way of thy Commandements. I will perpetually renew and refresh the memory of this singular benefit, whereby thou hast renewed and restored me, and by the smart of my paine made mee vnderstand wisedome secretly. Thy rod and thy staffe as they hauehave comforted and supported mee, so they hauehave beate many profitable instructions into me. By thy scourge which peirceth the flesh, and entereth into the heart and bowells, I learne that thou requirest truth in the inward parts, and searchest the reines and the heart. By thy rod which at once striketh all the parts of my body, though it fall heauiest vponupon one particular, I learne, that though sinne reigneth and rageth in one kinde more then another, yet that my whole soule is diseased. The whole head is sicke, and the whole heart is faint. My fits were many, because my sins were multiplyed. My paine increased, because my sins were aggrauated. My wounds stanke, and were corrupt through my foolishnesse: the insufferable anguish whereof, as it gaue me a quicke touch of my sin, so also a liuely sence of the benefit of health. By my confining to my chamber, thou taughtest me what is the benefit of liberty; by the weakenesse of my limmes, what is the benefit of strength; by my want of appetite, what the benefit of a stomacke is; by the missing my friends: what the benefit of society is; by my continuall watching, what the benefit of rest, and repose is; by the stupidity and deadnesse of al my parts, what the benefit of the senses is. Alas, what is a crowne beset with rubies, to a man that hath a carbuncle in his head? What is a chaine of pearles to one that hath a squinsie in his neck? Or a collar of Esss to him that hath an impostume on his brest? Or a diamond ring to him that hath the gowte in his finger? Or the golden garter to him that hath the crampe in his leg? What are melodious songs to the deafe… Beautifull pictures to a blinde man? Dainty dishes to a man that hath lost his taste? What are large reuenewes to him that possesseth nothing but his bed? What are all to him that is tormented in body with the pangs of death, or troubled in minde with the horror of hell? I confesse vntounto thee ô Lord, that in my health I often read in the Scriptures, and heard this note from the sweete singers of Israel, that worldly delights and comforts were vaine, and much like flaggs and bulrushes which men in danger of drowning catch to beare them vp, but they sinke downe vnderunder water with them. I cannot denie but the golden bells of Aaron in thy Sanctuarie, hauehave often rung this lesson in mine eares, that the true Heart's ease groweth onelyonly in thy Paradise; that the contents of the large volume of this world is nothing but vanitie: that one little fit of an ague can dispossesse the happiest man aliue of his temporall felicitie. Yet till I learned by that which I suffered; till thy rod had imprinted it euen in my flesh, I neuer deepely thought of it, nor so throughly assented thereunto, but I held the world (though not in admiration, yet) in too great esteeme. I secretly repined at the wealth of the couetous, and honour of the ambitious, and pleasure of the voluptuous, and accounted the liues of thy Saints, miserable in comparison of them: so foolish was I, and ignorant; and euen as it were a beast before thee: But in this schoole of my sicknesse I hauehave perfectly gotten by heart that which I did but slubber ouer before and learned by rote. In my fearefull visitation, finding by mine owne experience, that all earthly delights and comforts, leaue vsus in our extremities, and cannot steed vsus when we most neede; nay they rather increase then asswage our paines: I beganne to distaste them all; I grew out of louelove with this life, and entertained death in my most serious thoughts; and I perswaded my selfe, that those thoughts of death shall neuer dye in me, but still liue in my memory, and vponupon eueryevery good occasion bee stirred vp and reuiued, to prepare and dispose mee to my last end, that so I may see that Basyliske first, and kill it, before it see and kill mee. O death, how bitter is thy remembrance in the pride of health? O life how bitter is thy remembrance in the misery of sicknesse? Verily I had vtterly fainted vnderunder my Crosse, and my soule had bin put to silence: I had sowned, and giuen vp, not onelyonly my Ghost, but thy holy Spirit of comfort, if thou hadst not stayed me with flagons, and comforted mee with apples, and in my hottest fits cooled me with the sweete gales of thy grace. I had fallen not onelyonly with Iob, to curse the day of my birth, but to question the truth of thy Promises. But euerlasting thanks bee vntounto thee, who gauest me victorie ouer that fearefull tentation; and by thy holy Spirit didst call to my mind all those sweet promises of thy Gospell, whereby I receiued comfort, and recouered strength. And now I am assured, and more then euer before, perswaded, that neither height nor depth, nor principality, nor power, nor paine, nor pleasure, nor sicknes, nor health, nor life, nor death, nor things present, nor things to come, shall euer be able to separate me from thy louelove in CHRIST IESVS.
The close out of Scripture.
I Said in the cutting off of my dayes, I shall goe to the gate of the graue, I am depriued of the residue of my yeeres, Isa. 38. 10.
I sayd, I shall not see the Lord in the land of the liuing; I shall behold man no more with the Inhabitants of the world, ver, 11.
Behold, for peace I had great bitternesse; but thou hast in louelove to my soule deliuered it from the pit of corruption, for thou hast cast my sins behind thy backe, ver. 17.
For the graue cannot praise thee, death cannot confess thee; they that goe downe to the pit, cannot hope for thy truth, ver. 18.
The liuing, the liuing, hee shall prayse thee, as I doe this day, verse 19.