from worldly sorrow, lest I mourn like them that have no hope; be thou my bridegroom, and let our marriage-chamber be my heart; own me as thy bride, and purify me with the odours of thy spirit; prevent me with thy blessings; protect me by thy grace; preserve me for thyself; prepare me for thy kingdom. Be thou a father to bless me; be thou a husband to comfort me. In the midst of my want, be thou my plenty; in the depth of my mourning, be thou my mirth. Raise my glory from the dust, and then my dust shall shew forth thy praise. Be thou a wall to support my vine, and let my branches twine about thee: let them flourish in the sunshine of thy grace, that they may bring forth fruit to the glory of thy name.

THE AFFLICTED MAN.

HIS TROUBLE.

WHICH Way So ever I turn my eyes, I see nothing but spectacles of misery, and emblems of mortality; if I look up, there I behold an angry God, and I am troubled; look downwards, there I see a prepared hell, and I am terrified; look on my right hand, and there prosperity emboldens me to a secure presumption; look on my left hand, and there adversity enforces me to a sad despair; look about me, and there I find legions of temptations beleaguering me; look within me,

and there I see a guilty conscience accusing me; in all which I perceive nothing but misery, nothing but man; and in that misery, the paraphrase of man: "Man that is born of a woman, hath but a short time to live and is full of trouble." Where not man's time short, man were the miserablest of all creatures, and I the miserablest of all men. I am still haunted with three enemies, the world, the flesh, and the devil. The world troubles me with her cares; the flesh troubles me with infirmities; the devil troubles me with temptations. If I am rich, I am troubled with fears to lose; if poor, I am troubled with cares to get. If single, troubled to seek a wife; if married, troubled to please a wife. If I have children, every child is a new trouble; if childless, I am as much troubled for an heir; if sick, troubled with distempers and drugs; if sound, troubled with lust or labour; if in my business, troubled with vexation; if in my devotion, troubled with distraction. Man that is born of a woman, hath but a short time, and is full of trouble. Where shall I turn me to avoid this toil? what steps shall I tread to escape this trouble? Shall I incline my heart to mirth? mirth is but madness, therefore trouble, Shall I quicken my spirits with plenteous wine? in much wine is much distraction, therefore trouble. Or, shall my wiser heart search out the bounds of knowledge? in much wisdom is much grief; and who increaseth knowledge, increaseth trouble. Whom shall I call to aid? to whom shall I address my sad complaints? Call to my kindred, they disclaim me; call to my friends, and they deride me. Oh, that I had the wings of a dove, that I may fly away and be at rest! But whither wouldst thou fly?

P

FLY from thyself, my soul, and haste thee to that voice that says,

Call upon me in the time of trouble, and I will hear thee.

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honour him. Psal. xci. 15.

He hath delivered me out of all my troubles, and mine eyes have seen their desire upon mine enemies. Psal. liv. 7.

Thou calledst to me in trouble, and I delivered thee; I answered thee in the secret place of thunder. Psal. lxxxi. 7.

He comforteth us in all our tribulations, that we may be able to comfort them that are in any trouble, by the comfort whereby we ourselves are comforted of God. 2 Cor. i. 4.

HIS SOLILOQUY.

BE wise, my soul, and what thou canst not remedy, endure. Doth the world trouble thee? cling close to Him that hath overcome the world: doth the flesh trouble thee? mortify the flesh in thy members: doth the devil trouble thee? resist the devil, and he will fly from thee: art thou troubled with cares in thy abundance? be not too careful for to-morrow: art thou troubled with wants in thy adversity? be content with the bread of to-day doth sickness trouble thee? make use of it, and submit: doth strength of constitution trouble thee with concupiscence? fast and pray: in thy vocation art thou troubled with vexation? let those vexations wean thee from the world is thy devotion troubled with distractions? let those stractions bring thee closer to thy God: de

losses trouble thee? make godliness thy gain: do crosses trouble thee? make the Cross thy meditation. Thus, whilst thou strugglest against the stream of nature, thou shalt be carried with a gale of grace; and when thy strength shall fail thee, a stronger arm shall strengthen thee: he that brings thee on with courage, will fetch thee off with conquest. Do what thou canst, and pray for what thou canst not.

HIS PRAYER:

O GOD, that art the searcher of all hearts, the revenger of all iniquities, the comfort of all true penitents, whose ways are inscrutable, whose judgments are intolerable, whose mercy is incomprehensible-I, thy afflicted suppliant, sensible of thy displeasure, bewail the multitude of my offences, and am convinced, by my own conscience and thy fatherly corrections. Which way soever I look, I see nothing but sin and death, nothing but misery: but, Lord, so infinite is thy mercy above my sin, and so little pleasure takest thou in the destruction of a sinner, that thou hast commanded me to call upon thee in my trouble, and hast promised to hear me. In due obedience, therefore, to thy sweet command, and in firm confidence of thy gracious promise, my bended knees, O God, present thee with a broken heart: thy sacrifices, O God, are a contrite spirit; a broken heart, O Lord, thou wilt not despise. Lord, I am weak, strengthen me with thy grace; mine enemies are strong, weaken them with thy power; suppress the cares of the world that so oppress me; subdue the exorbitances of the flesh that so molest me; curb the insolences of the devil that so afflict me; endue my arm with power,

and arm my heart with patience. Make haste, O God, to hear me; make speed, O Lord, to help me. Break not thy covenant with thy servant, O God, nor alter what thy lips have uttered; remember thy promise to the son of thy handmaid, for it is my comfort in all my trouble. I call to thee in the time of my distress; deliver me, O God, according to thy word. Consider, O Lord, I am but dust; oh, magnify thy power in my weakness! Remember, O God, that I have been long afflicted; oh, magnify thy mercy in my deliverance! For in death there is no remembrance of thee, and in the grave what tongue can praise thee? My bones are vexed, and my soul is troubled; but do thou, O Lord, behold my griefs, for they are great; regard my troubles, for they are many; quicken my soul for thy name's sake, and bring me out of all my troubles; then shall my soul rejoice in thy salvation, and magnify thy name for ever and ever.

THE DESERTED MAN.

HIS MISERY.

WHEN I Consider but the goodness of my God, in offering his gracious favours to me, and my own vileness in refusing of such gracious offersI cannot choose but wonder at his mercy, in that I live, and am not snatched away from the possibility of repentance. But, ah! what comfort is a life that is branded with the mark of death? and what happiness is this possibility of repentance,