Heaven with Lovers, and make us love him as he hath loved us.

The following Meditation, compos'd at another time,will fhew what Divine Thoughts, Sickness excited in his Mind; and how he improv'd it to the nobleft Purposes; even from thence to contemplate the bitter Pains, which our Redeemer fuffer'd

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'Never fo well do we Contemplate what our Saviour fuffer'd for us, as when we our felves are in Pain; what his tender and delicate Body felt, when it hung not only in unintermitting, but fill encreafing Torments, fo many Hours on the Cross; as when our Bodies are rack'd with fome grievous Diftemper. Who can then but fay to Him, with the Penitent Thief; I indeed, am juftly in Pain, for I receive the Reward of my Decds; but this Man hath done nothing amifs. Nothing indeed amifs, haft Thou done, O my adorable Redeemer; therefore it is more for Thee, to feel Pain C one Moment, (to choose to feel that for our fakes, which did not belong to Thee, and to which, Thou wert no ways fubject) than for all the Men of the World, to be in Torments a Million (perhaps an Eternity) of Years. For fince Eternity of Torments is the natural Confequence of Sin; it is more for the Son of God to feel Pain one Moment, (againft Nature) than for Men to be naturally in Pain for ever. Pain is the "Confequent of Sin; as Shadows flow from dark Bodies: But Thon cou'dft feel no

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Pain, but by thy own choice: Therefore I conceive each Moment of thy Pain, with the fame Horror, as I do an Eternity of Torment, for finful Men: And fuch we are all, without the Fruit of thy Pain. Thou didst indeed, bear our infinities, and wert bruifed for our Sins hou didst vouchsafe to 'drink of our Cup, and partake of our natu . ral Miferies; that by Thy Stripes; we might be healed: and faved from our natural Torments, by thy voluntary Pains. No longer is Pain a Curfe; Thou by feeling C it, haft made it Bleffed: No longer is Hanging on a Tree, a Curfe; Thou haft C made it to Penitents, a Step to Glory. Sanctify, O gracious Lord, I befeech Thee, my Pain which I now fuffer; for by thy feeling Pain, Thou haft San&tify'd it to all thy faithful Servants: Let it make me fearful of that Wrath which devours to the nethermoft Hell; and of those Pains which fhall never end. Let it make me Zealous 'for the good of Souls, and labour to fnatch them from everlafting Burnings. But above all, let the fenfe of what thou didst feel,make L me undervalue my own Sufferings, to whom Pain and Mifery is naturally due; and not only, let me patiently bear them; but reC joice that in this, at least, I am made like unto Thee. Amen.

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What here follows, was written in a fevere fit of Sicknefs, in the midft of our Troubles, 1689.

< I fit here a Patient of my Gods, while he gives me Phyfick for my Soul. It works heavily with me, and makes me very sick; ‹ but I am sure will have a good Effect, while • I bear it meekly and submissively, and humble my felfunder his hand, for my offences; and this will please him as well as if I were now exercifed in moft Devout and Sublime Contemplations. For my God will give 'me this too another time, for my Patient bearing my prefent Inability to attain to ‹ them. Amen.

'Omy God how Gracious art thou to me in freeing me, by thy Rod upon me, from finful Affections now in this Perrilous time, that nothing may interpofe between Theet * and my Soul; when nothing can give me • Comfort or Peace, but only leave, humbly 'to draw nigh to Thee: Let me not think it hard to fuffer while Thou strikeft, for thy Chaftisements are Fatherly and full of Ends of Love and Mercy. Amen.

Again, when after fome fhort Enjoyment of Health, he faw Sickness making its ap proaches; tho' the profpect of it damp't him a Tittle, yet he foon recovered himself; and express'd Natures Fears, and his own De fires, in the following Meditation.

I can't avoid fome Dejection of Mind, at the Apprehenfions of the Return of my Diftemper, after fome refpite from it. The thoughts of a meagre fickly Look; Of a melancholly Confinement to my Chamber, of Drugs and Phyfick, and cafting about • for

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for new Remedies, and being shut up from Bufinefs, and the Duties of my Place, strike 'me with with a little Terror. But I thank 'God, it is only in my Body; and those Qualities of Vanity and Worldlinefs, which I have contracted in this fpurt of Health, • while it hath been new to me, (my thoughts being apt to be strongly carryed away by a new thing) that thefe Fears affect me. Thefe Qualities I efteem my Burden, and strive 6 against them; and wou'd gladly have then mortify'd, tho' they have a Reluctance to 'that which wou'd oppose them, as the return of my Illnefs mon'd. And therefore, as ''tis from them, that I feel my Shock, in the apprehenfion of Illness; fo it is they that draw back, when I wou'd put my self into the Hands of God, and refign my felf to his Will. But with my Mind, I entirely fubmit to his pleafure: The apprehenfions of being in his Hand, give me a perfect readiness, to what he fhall ordain. I fee • Sickness at hand, and I am troubled: I look a little further, and fee that it is Thou, < Lord, that orders it fo; and I have fudden Peace, and a great Calm. The Ox knows his Owner, and the Afs his Mafter's Crib, and the Hand that Feeds him. Oh! that I may have the promptitude of thefe Creatures, and know thee my Owner; and own the Hand that difpofes of me! How happy fhall I then be! O fay to my Soul, when I am terrified and in Pain, as thou didst to thy Difciples; It is I be not afraid, and my Sou! fhall be at eafe.

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But, at another time afterwards, he was fo far from being difturbed, at the prospect of Sickn is; that he made it a matter of Joy and Thankfulness, as the Meditation that here follows, will fhew.

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I blefs Thee, O my God, that I can rejoice in the thoughts of this approaching Pain, and Sickness; which Thou art preparing to bring upon me, as what, I hope, will be an effectual Means, to cure me of all finful Affections, of loving any thing befide Thee. How eafy will the greatest Torments of Pain be; when I can fee Thee directing them to this End, which I have fo long 'ftrove and labour'd after.

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Lord, Thou wilt help me, to perform the difficult Task which thou haft given me: And tho' thy helping me, give me Pain; yet that Pain to my Body, fhall be Eafe and Picafure to my Mind, for by it, I trust that I may come to love thy Glory above all things; and to love all things only in Thee; that my Heart and my Soul may be filled with Thee; and my Mouth may speak continually thy Praiie.

This coarfe Upper Garment, in which Thou haft clad me, O my God, (by making my continu'd Indifpofition to require it) is the Ballaft of my Soul: I will love it, and blcfs Thee for it: It keeps me from Va< nities, from affecting Courtship, and fetting up for a Figure in the World. I will therefore, wrap up my felf in it; and not defire

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to be free from a neceflity of using it, but

wear