edly and cheerfully to bear up under the loss; and also making it up to him in so much a better way, that he may be a gainer by it in his spiritual affairs, and what pertains to his everlasting bliss. O good God! bring him out of the sinful darkness into thy marvellous light, that he may be light in the Lord, though he wants the light of this world.

O thou Father of lights, enlighten the eyes of his understanding, that he may see what is the hope of thy calling, and what the riches of the glory of thy inheritance in the saints, and what the mighty power of thy Spirit which works in them that do believe. Now that he cannot behold the temporal things, O that he may be more earnest in looking after the unseen things which are eternal; in looking to Jesus, and minding the things of his peace and studying the mysteries of salvation, and the wonders of thy love, and the glories of thy kingdom. O thou Giver of all grace! give him the eye of faith and spiritual discerning, to see him that is invisible, whom no mortal eye hath seen or can see. Gracious Lord, discover thyself still more and more to him, and reveal thy Son to him, and teach and guide him, and entertain him with thoughts and considerations pertinent to his condition; and let thy good Spirit, as a counsellor and comforter, still abide in him, and bring to his mind, and work upon his heart, all things that shall make for his edification and encouragement in thy holy ways; have compassion upon him, O Lord, and be gracious and kind to him, and do all that thou knowest needful and good for him, and lead him, and help him on continually, till in thy light, he shall see light, and have his eyes opened at the last to see the splendour of thy kingdom, and all the joy of thy salvation; yea to see thy glorious face, to see thee as thou art, and to know as he is known in that hea

venly presence of thine, where is fulness of joy ; there to be with the Lord, and to enjoy thy sight and love, and blessed self, world without end.Amen.

A Prayer under grievous Pains.

LORD, thou art a merciful God, and dost not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men, when the necessity of our case calls for sharp applications; thou chastisest us for our profit, that we may be partakers of thy holiness. Blessed is the man whom thou chasteneth, O Lord, and teachest him out of thy law! O that it may be in much mercy to the soul of thy servant, that thy hand is so hard upon him at present! Now that thou hast cast him into the furnace, O that it may be a means to purge out his dross, and to fit him for thy acceptable use and service. O that he may learn such things in the school of affliction, as may stand him in stead, and do him good for ever.

But thou, O God of consolation, who knowest our frame, and how little it is that we can endure, though it be so much that we deserve, be pleased to remember him in mercy; and make his sufferings less, or thy grace in him, and his patience and spiritual strength, greater than all his sufferings. O take the load off him or lighten it to him, or enable him. to bear what thou art pleased to lay upon him.Lord, all his desire is before thee, and his groaning is not hid from thee. O regard his affliction when thou hearest his cry; and enter not into judgment with him according to the desert of his sins; but according to thy mercy remember thou him, for thy goodness sake in Jesus Christ. O gracious Father, sanctify to him what thou hast laid upon him, that

the present sore evil may have a comfortable issue, and work for his spiritual and eternal good; and the Lord support, and bear him up under it, and bring him safe and happily out of it, to the rejoicing of thy servant, and the glory of thy name; and however thou shalt deal with him, O good Lord, suppress all his repinings at thy dealings, that he may not so sin as to charge God foolishly, who never dost the thing but what is most righteous and fit to be done; yet nothing but what thy servant shall once have cause to bless and praise thee for doing: but teach and help him to glorify God in the time of his visitation, by his humble submission to thy will, his patient abiding to thy hand, and his faithful reformation under it, that thou mayest return with the visitations of thy love, and restore ease and comfort to him, and shew him the joy of thy salvation, for thy own mercy's sake in Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer under dangerous Sickness.

LORD God Almighty, and ever blessed, in whom we all ever live, and move and are; we acknowledge it to be of thy mercies we are not consumed, because thy compassions fail not. If thou hadst, long before this time, cut us off in our sins, and shut us up under final despair of thy mercy, yet righteous hadst thou been, O Lord; and how justly mightest thou now refuse to hear us calling upon thee in our prayers as we so often have refused to hear thee calling upon us by the motions of thy Holy Spirit; but thou art God, and not man; and thy thoughts, are not as our thoughts, nor thy ways as our ways; but as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are thy thoughts and thy ways

above ours.

Thou art our refuge and strength, and

present help in time of need and trouble; in which times thou hast commanded us to call upon thee, and hast promised to hear us, and to give us cause to praise and glorify thee for thy goodness and mercy to us.

And now we come to thee, O Lord our God, in behalf of this thy servant, that lies here in a low and distressed state, under thy chastened hand. Look down we beseech thee, mercifully upon him and be thou gracious and favourable to him, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies in Christ Jesus; in as great danger as he is, yet if thou wilt, O Lord, thou canst set him up, and make him whole: if thou but speak the word, the thing will be done. And in submission to thy most wise and good disposal of all things, we would beg this mercy at thy hands, that thou wouldst be pleased to rebuke his distemper, to remove thy stroke, and cause the bitter cup which thou hast given him to pass away from him, and make him a way to escape out of the affliction that is upon him, and to this end, that thou wouldst direct to the means proper for his help, and command a blessing upon them to promote his recovery. Spare him, good Lord, and restore him if it be thy will, that he may have a long time to work out his salvation, and be more useful in his place, and do more good in his generation; or however thou shalt be pleased to deal with him as to the concerns of his body, which we pray may be in a way of gentleness and tender mercy; yet Lord, let his soul be ever precious in thy sight; and may this sickness of his body be for the health of that immortal better part, to promote his salvation everlasting.

O give him a right discerning of the things belonging to his peace, before they be hid from his

eyes; shew him what he is to do; enable him for the doing of it, that he may have the sound peace with God, through Jesus Christ; give him the true repentance towards God, and the right faith in the on

Saviour of the world; wash and cleanse his soul with the blood of thy Son, and the graces of thy Spirit, that it may be delivered from all defilements it has contracted in this present evil world, and be found safe and happy in the hour of death, and in the great day of our Lord Jesus Christ. Fit him, O Lord, for living or dying, whatever in thy wise and righteous providence thou hast designed for him, that it may be unto him Christ to live, and gain to die; that in all, he may find cause to glorify thy name, still experiencing thy gracious goodness to him in the Son of thy love: if thou shalt please yet to release him from his bed of languishing, to live longer upon earth, O that he may live to thee in thy fear, and to thy praise, and do thee better service, and bring thee greater glory; or, if thou hast determined that this sickness shall be a sickness unto death; and this visitation his last visitation, prepare him, O merciful God, by thy grace, for thy blessed self; and grant him a safe and comfortable passage out of this wretched life, to an infinitely better, through the merits and mediation of thy beloved Son, our only Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer under lingering Sickness.

GOOD God, thou hast long kept thy servant under thy chastening hand; thou hast made him acquainted with grief, and his sickness is become even his own familiar companion; yet O blessed Lord, grant that we may not think it long to wait thy leisure, who art pleased to wait so