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at hand, in the woeful time of need, is so sweet and surprising that nothing can so affect and transport our souls.

Thou, Lord hast made me glad through thy work; I will triumph in the works of thy hand. I will sing of thy power: yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy for thou hast been my defence and my refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto thee, O my strength, Will I sing, for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy. O Lord God, merciful and gracious, I am now sensible of such mercy from thee. I will extol thee, who hath exalted me, and not suffered the trouble and danger to overwhelm and ruin me. In my distress I cried to thee, and thou hast enlarged me. O blessed be God, who has not cast away my prayer, nor his mercy from me. But, dearest Lrd! thou hast kept me in safety, and caused the destruction so to pass over me, that I suffered but in my own fears, of what I have so little felt. I cannot, without amazement, look back upon the peril ous case that I was in, and the brink of ruin that I lay upon. And that I should escape, as I have done, O how marvellous is it in my eyes! And O what cause have I for thy praise, that I am here alive to praise thee! O my God, it is thy good hand that has wrought so wonderfully for me, and thy fatherly kindness that has shewn such extraordinary favor to me. O if I had been snatched away unprepared, how dreadful a change should I have found; but, in mercy and love to my soul, (I give thee glory,) thou hast made a way for me escape,

and I am preserved the living monument of thy unspeakable goodness.

O what shall I say unto thee, whose name is exalted far above all blessing and praise! and what shall I do for thee, to whom my goodness will not extend. I can never answer the obligations which thy love, dear Lord, has laid upon me; but let me admire and love, and bless and praise thee, with all the capacities and abilities which thou hast given me. And O that thou wouldst imprint so deep upon my heart the sense of such seasonable relief and wonderful mercy,, that I may never forget, never slight or abuse the great goodness that thou hast shewed me, and the signal preservation and recovery which thou hast wrought for me; but ever give thee thanks with all my heart, and conduct myself as one that is so highly obliged, all the days of my life; not secure and careless, becaused I have so escaped, but the more watchful and diligent, the more I have been engaged and favoured, approving my thankfulness in such a manner as thou mayest graciously accept in blessed Saviour Jesus

Christ.

my

Thanksgiving and Prayer after Recovery out of a dangerous Sickness.

GOD of my life! "in whose hand, my breath is, and by whom all men do live, and have their days here prolonged or shortened! · I was brought low, and ready to think that thou wouldst now determine, and make an end my days upon earth, and counted 'myself so

of

nigh unto death, that I expected every day when that last enemy which lay in wait for me, would come and seize upon me.

But thou, Lord, hast graciously disappointed my fears, and rescued me from his hands, and raised me up to walk again before thee in the land of the living. Though thou brought me even to the mouth of the grave, yet hast thou brought me back, that the pit of corruption should not swallow me up. And thou that gave me life at first, hast now given it to me afresh. And to thee, my God, I desire therefore, with all my soul to give all the praise.— O blessed be my great Preserver, the dear and only Saviour of my body, as well as soul; the God of my health, my heavenly Physician, my life, and the length of my days. O that I may live to declare the works of the Lord, and set forth the honour of his name! that I may not look upon my extended life as an occasion to the flesh to enjoy my liberty and pleasure upon the earth, but as an engagement on my heart, to abound in gratitude, and love, and praise, and all faithful duty, and chearful obedience to my gracious God.

For in mercy to my soul, the Lord has given me a further allowance of time in the world, to fill up what was wanting in my spiritual eftate, and to make a better preparation for the heavenly kingdom. And upon this account alone it is that our life is so valuable, and our time so precious here upon earth, that we may have space to repent; and the opportunity to correct the errors of our past lives, and to secure the

greatest of all our effects; to serve our Lord to more well pleasing, and to dress up ourselves. into a greater fitness to meet the eternal glorious Bridegroom. O that the life now renewed to myself may also be a new life to the Lord; that I may not only say, I thought I should have died, but may conduct myself henceforth as one restored even from the dead: and live with such dying thoughts, that when I come to die off with lively hopes.

I may go

For it is no total escape, but only a reprieve that is now granted me; and my death is a debt to nature that must be paid: nor is there any avoiding it; but the hands of Death that have been catching at me, will yet certainly take hold of me: and I know not how soon I may be down again, and not only threatened, but enclosed in the grave: for that is my house, where, after all, I must take up, and go to rottenness and dust. And when I least think of it,

how suddenly may I be cut off, and take my last leave of this world.

O let me not live, then, as if I should never see death; nor put it far from me, as if it would never be upon me; nor reckon upon any sure standing, or long abiding, in such a changeable transitory world, that is but the house of our pilgrimage, and the home of no person, nor the place of our rest. But when I am dust, and to dust I must return, O help me, Lord, so to remember and consider my death, that I may be the better for it, in all the course and conduct of my life; with such wise and holy circumspection, conducting myself, and orN

dering all my conversation in the world, that when I must close my eyes upon this present scene of things, I may depart hence full of peace, and hope to enjoy far better and more durable goods than any that are here to be found. And for my recovery, and such health as I enjoy at present, O let me pay my vows to the Lord; and from the ground of my heart, ascribe to the God of my salvation, all glory, thanks and love, and service, throughout the whole remainder of my life, and for evermore.

Amen.

A Prayer for Blessing, Direction, Help and good Success in any great Enterprize.

LORD God, infinitely wise and good, who teachest man knowledge, and givest both the skill and the power to accomplish our purposes, and also the blessings and success to bring things to pass according to our wishes. I know not what to do, but my eyes are upon thee, and all my expectation is from thee, and still I desire to wait, and call, and depend upon thee. A great work now I have to do, but O how little strength to do it! All my suffici ency is of thee, who workest in us to will and to do of thy good pleasure. Thou that hast been my help, leave me not, nor forsake me, O God of my salvation, but let me be taught of God what I have to do, and let the gracious Lord make me to understand what is his good pleasure concerning me. O that my ways were directed to please thee, that I may have the light of thy countenance shining upon me.

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