S.X. Et leeing it bath pleased thes, of the tender mercy,apon our weak and unworthy hamiliation,to allwage the contagious Bicknels, wherewith we lately have been so foze afflicted, and to reLose the voice of joy and health into our dwellings.]

This one Judgment of the late raging Sickness, though it were less than we deferved, yet if God had made it continue, or caused it to fpread, might have almoft confumed us: So that we have Caufe to reckon it as an act of his tender Mercy, that he was pleased to affwage it. 'Tis true, we did express a great Dumiliation under it, and prayed earnestly for the removal thereof: But we must not be fo vain as to think our bu miliation could merit our deliverance, fince it is faid, that when God in anger fends his Judgments upon a Nation, Though Noah Daniel and Job were in it, they fhould only deliver their own Souls, Ezek. xiv. 14. And doubtless our Piety and Devotion is far fhort of theirs: and we here do juftly confefs, it was but weak and unwozthy; our forrow went not so deep, nor were our Prayers fo fervent,or our Repentance so serious, as fo great an occafion did require: fo that we may note, that this Mercy of health was granted [apon] our humiliation, but not for the merit thereof: The grant proceeded merely of his tender mercy; only he was pleafed with our imperfect humiliation, and took that occation to fend us relief. And now how are we bound to bless his infinite pity! that beheld fome of us dead, and others dying, many fmitten with this Difcafe, and all of us full of grief and fear, and then remembring our Sins no longer, he commands the Angel to put up his Sword, the mournful knels are ceased, and there is no more complaining in our streets, no more lamentation in our dwellings: But the voice of Joy and Health,

which God promiseth to fend into the dwellings of the righteous, Pfal.cxviii.15. is now to be heard in our houfes alfo. While Sickness was there,all joy was banished from our houfes and our hearts alfo, nothing elfe but Mourning and Woe, fighs and groans, complaints and doleful accents dwelt there: but now health and joy are returned together, now we are able and fit, as well as obliged, to fing praise to God:and I wish we may make use of this chearfulness of our temper, and this ■fpriteliness of mind, which health hath reftored us unto, to praise God more chearfully and more devoutly for doubtless Health is the greatest bleffing, which God can bestow upon us in this world. Ariftotle, and Plato reckon it the first of all outward good things,and I our own experience fhews us that riches, honours and pleasures,are nothing if we want health to enjoy them; fo that when God reftores this, he gives us a power to enjoy all other earthly comforts: Let those therefore give thanks to the name of the Lord,who have wholly efcaped this Disease, because they had their Health without interruption; and those who are recovered from this Sickness, because they have tafted the mifery of wanting health, and fo can better apprehend the mercy of its reftauration : All of us indeed are bound to joyn in this neceffary act of Praise.

§.XI. THE offer unto thy Divine Majesty the Sacrifice of Pzaile ond Thanksgiving, lauding and magnifying thy glozicus Name, foz luch thy Preservation,and Providence over us, through Jelas Christ our Loo,Amen.]

This Conclufion is the natural Confequence of all the former Confiderations: for whether we compare the greatness of our Sins with the gentleness of our Punishment; or reflect upon the mifery of our late

L13

condition'

(m) Pfal. xxxi. 19.and cxv.17. -filet rex ipfe filentum. Virg. neid.

condition in respect of our prefent eftate, we have abundant caufe to offer up the Sacrifice of Pzaile and Thanksgiving. There are many of our Brethren swept away by the late Mortality, and we are yet left alive: Now, the dead praise not thee, O Lord, neither all they that go down into filence; but we will praise the Lord from this time forth for evermore, Pfal.cxv.17.The Grave is called the place of filence, and they are filent, that dwell there (m): The Grave cannot praise thee, death cannot celebrate thee (faith good Hezekiah in the like Cafe) the Living, the Living, they shall praise thee, as I do this day, Ifai.xxxviii. 18,19. It is we who are fpared that muft laud and magnifie the glorious name of our Deliverer, for we were refcued from the common deftruction to this very end. Let us confider how strangely his Providence did take care of our Prefervation, when many younger or ftronger, many that had better means of efcaping, and feemed to be in lefs danger than we,dyed by this fad Disease, and what reafon can we give,why they were taken, and we were left? It was God's infinite mercy towards us, and it is our duty to own it with the moft hearty praises we can exprefs; yea if we shall neglect it, we are the moft ungrateful wretches in the World, and deferve to be caft out of God's protection for the future; and it is very likely, if we will not praise the Lord now, when we can,and are fo much obliged to do it, it fhall not be long 'ere we be fent to the house of filence our felves, where we cannot do that, which now we will not perform. Let us therefore be fo wife, and fo juft, fo kind to our felves, and fo grateful to our Deliverer, as to bless him heartily now, and that will engage him to keep us for ever hereafter, till a timely death take us to

a

a glorious Immortality, through Jefus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

The Paraphrafe of the last Thanksgiving.

O Lord, we are fo far from murmuring at this grievous Sickness, which hath raged among us, that [e humbly acknowledg] here now that we are [befoze thee] in thy houfe, [ most merciful Father, that] thou art very gracious in thy dealings with us: fince inftead of that one Judgment [all the punishments] and dreadful plagues, [which are] terribly,but juftly, [threatned in the Law] against all the wilful Tranfgreffors thereof, [might justly babe fallen upon us] to our utter ruine [by reafon of] the horrible guilt of Cour manifold Tranfgreffions,] and the great provocations we have given thee by our Impenitence [and hardness of heart] after we had committed them: [Pet leeing it hath plealed thee,] notwithstanding all our evil-defervings, [of thy tender mercy] and mere Compaffion to pity our miserable Cafe,and that so speedily [upon,] though not for the merit of, [our weak] Supplications, [and unworthy humiltation]: We admire thy readiness to relieve us, and own thy great favour,in that thou haft vouchfafed [to affwage the contagious] fury of this Epidemical [Sickness, wherewith me] and our Neighbours [lately have been foze aflicted]: For Mortality and Mourning were round about us, till thou wert pleased to deliver us, [and to restore the long eftranged [voice of joy and health, which are both together now returned [tnto our dwellings]: And Lord this joyful voice fhall return to thy house alfo; for here [We offer unto thy Divine Pajelty] our gracious Delivercr [the acrifice of most hearty [P2atfe and Thanksgiving:

L14

And

And we refolve to spend the time, which thou hast given us [to landing and magnifying the glorious

ame] both in private and publick [fo2 luch] illuftrious Infiances of thy mercy,as thou haft fhewed in [thy Prefervation of us at this time,and in thy Care Land Providence over us] at all other times, which we pray thee to continue [through] the merits and mediation of fus Chaiй our Lead] and Saviour. 4

men.

FINIS.

Τῷ Θεῷ μόνῳ Δόξα,