And I cannot but wifh with all the faculties of my foul, that I had better confider'd this point long ago, For he is a terrible and a mighty God; and when he enters into controverfy with mankind, no flesh can withstand it. At leaft, my foul, let us make that good use of this reflection now, to be unfeignedly forry for what is paft; and more cautious and obfervant for the time to come. The flower is wither'd indeed, and droops its feeble head; but it is not quite cut down. O let us yet humble our felves in his fear, and confider, what a yet more dreadful vengeance God hath in store, for hardened and obftinate wretches. If the decays and pains of the body alone are fo grievous, how fhall we bear the perdition of both body and foul? How fhall we dwell with everlafting burnings? If the rod of God, these comparatively light punishments, represent to us the terrors of his angry juftice; who can bear the approach of that difmal day, when he fhall come in thunder and flames, to make an abfolute end of this whole world, and deliver wicked finners over to unavoidable deftruction? An eternity of torments! Jefus defend us! Who can entertain even the most diftant thought of it, without trembling, confufion and aftonishment? Fall down then, my foul, and humble thy felf under the mighty hand of God; that thou may'st not perish with this frail body. Lofe no time in making thy peace, but work with all thy might; efpecially now, that the day of life feems to decline, and the night comes on, wherein no man can work.

III. Remember, my foul, for thy encouragement, that, if thou abound in the work of the Lord,

thy

thy labour fhall not be in vain in the Lord, 1 Cor. xx. 58. He is no less mighty to save than to destroy; with him no word is impoffible; and, if he will, he can even yet raise this feeble body, and reftore it to perfect health and alacrity. Nay, he will certainly do it, if that be beft for me; and if it be not, he will do yet more. For there will come a day, in which this vile earthly part shall be enlivened again; and, if it moulder into duft, and pass thro' infinite different forms, yet will he purfue this body through all its changes, collect its difperfed atoms, command the little heaps of duft to awake, and tranflate it into a glorious and a fpiritual body. 1 Cor. xv. A body fit for a state of incorruption, and the inheritance of that kingdom, where this flesh and blood, which we now fet fo partial and extravagant a value upon, is not worthy to enter. I will therefore ftrengthen my felf in the power and promises of my God; and, with holy Job, tho' he flay me, yet will I trust in him, Job xiii. 15. For even then I will lay me down, in hope of a joyful refurrection to eternal life; and commit my body like feed, to the ground; not to be loft, but improved, by corrupting there. For thou, O God, art unchangeable, and thy promises without repentance; and promised thou haft, that our vile body fhall be fashion'd like unto Chrift's glorious body, according to the mighty working, whereby thou art able to fubdue all things to thy felf. Phil. iii. 21.

EJA

I

EJACULATIONS.

N thee therefore, O Lord, will I put my trust: let me never be put to confufion, but deliver me in thy righteousness, and fave me. Pfal. lxxi.

Be thou my strong bold whereunto I may alway refort: thou haft promised to help me, for thou art my boufe of defence, and my castle.

Deliver me, O my God, from the adversary's hand : Preferve me from the hunter of fouls.

He layeth fnares, and is mighty to deftroy: but yet the Lord, who dwelleth on high is mightier.

Thou, O Lord God, art the thing that I long for: thou hast been my hope even from my Youth.

Through thee have I been holden up ever fince I was born: Thou art be that took me out of my mother's womb; my praife shall be always of thee.

O caft me not away in the time of my diftrefs: forfake me not, when my ftrength faileth me.

Let them be confounded and perish that are against my foul: let the wicked fpirits be cover'd with fhame and dishonour, that feek to do me evil.

As for me, I will patiently tarry the Lord's leifure: and will put my trust in the Lord, Pfal. xxvii. 16.

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he fhall ftand at the last day upon the earth, Job xix. 25. And tho' after my skin worms deftroy this body; xet in my flesh fhall I fee God: ver. 26.

Whom I shall fee for my felf: And mine eyes shall bebold, and not another, ver. 72.

For he is the refurrection and the life: And whofoever believeth in him, tho' he die, yet fhall he live again, Job xi. 25.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the Beginning, &c.

PRAYER.

Moft glorious Lord God, terrible in thy judg ments, and wonderful in all thy dealings towards the children of men; poffefs my foul, I beseech thee, with awful and becoming apprehenfions of thy majesty, give me a ferious fenfe and forrow, for ever having hardned my heart from thy fear, and provoked that vengeance which can confume me in a moment. Lord, convince me whom I ought to dread, and let me never, for the gratifying any finful inclination, forget any more the Lord my maker, and incur the displeasure of him, who is able to caft both body and foul into bell. And, as I implore thy grace, that this confideration of thy power may effectually refrain all my unruly appetites; fo, I beseech thee, let it be my ftay and confidence in all dangers and diftreffes. That, forfaking the broken reeds of all worldly fuccours, I may put my whole truft in thy mercy; and, evermore Serving thee in holiness and pureness of living, may even in death it felf be more than conquerer. Even in that joyful day, when all enemies shall be destroyed: when thy children fhall come forth from the dark prifons of the grave, and fine like funs in the kingdom of thee their father. Grant this thou rock of my foul, for thy dear fon Jefus Chrift's fake.

MED.

MED. III.

Of the justice of God: And the penitential forrow refulting from it.

I.

G

OD is a being infinitely perfect and good; the fupreme and original good; the author and maker of all things; and cannot therefore be fuppofed, either to hate what himself hath made, or to have given being to any thing, with a defign to render it miferable. His providence and power, which made the subject of the two former meditations, are, in their own nature and primitive intention, defigned for the benefit and fecurity of his creatures. And, if at any time they become the inftruments or difpenfers of grief and pain, this is an effect purely accidental; an operation fo foreign, that it is even extorted from them, and wholly imputable to fome other caufe. And this is the cafe of mankind once favour'd above all their fellow creatures, and fafe under the fhelter and smiles of an almighty protector: But, by their own fault, deprived of this defence; left naked and expofed to mischiefs and fufferings; and not only disarmed of their fureft guard, but in perpetual danger of being destroy'd, by that very hand, which was formerly their friend and defender. O wretched confequences of fin! that did not only render our first parents and all their pofterity liable to bodily death, and all the difeafes and pains that lead to it; but left in us a fatal averfion to all good, and a strong propenfity Ccc 2

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