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O Eternall, and most gracious God, who considered in thy selfe, art a Circle, first and last, and altogether; but con∣sidered in thy working vpon vs, art a direct line, and leadest vs from our beginning, through all our wayes, to our end, enable me by thy grace, to looke forward to
mine end, and to looke backward to, to the cō∣siderations of thy mer∣cies afforded mee from the beginning; that so by that practise of con∣sidering thy mercy, in my beginning in this world, when thou plā∣tedst me in the Christian Church, and thy mercy in the beginning in the other world, whē thou writest me in the Booke of life, in my Election, I may come to a holy consideration of thy mercy, in the beginning
of all my actions here•• That in all the begin••nings, in all the accesses and approches of spiri••tuall sicknesses of Sinn, may heare and hearke•• to that voice,* 1.1 O thou Ma•• of God, there is death in th•• pot, and so refraine from that, which I was so hungerly, so greedily flying to.* 1.2 A faithfull Am••bassador is health, says thy wise seruant Solomon•• Thy voice receiued, in the beginning of a sick∣nesse, of a sinne, is true health. If I can see that
light betimes, and heare that voyce early, Then shall my light breake forth as the morning,* 1.3 and my health shall spriug foorth speedily. Deliuer mee therefore, O my God, from these vaine imagi∣nations; that it is an o∣uercurious thing, a dan∣gerous thing, to come to that tendernesse, that rawnesse, that scrupu∣lousnesse, to feare euery concupiscence, euery offer of Sin, that this suspici∣ous, & iealous diligence will turne to an inordi∣nate
deiection of spirit, and a diffidence in thy care & prouidence; bu•• keep me still establish'd, both in a constant assu∣rance, that thou wil•• speake to me at the be∣ginning of euery such sicknes, at the approach of euery such Sinne; and that, if I take knowledg of that voice then, an•• flye to thee, thou wil•• preserue mee from fal∣ling, or raise me againe when by naturall infir∣mitie•• I am fallen: do•• this, O Lord, for his sake
who knowes our natu∣rall infirmities, for he had them; and knowes the weight of our sinns, for he paid a deare price for them, thy Sonne, our Sauiour, Chr: Iesus, Amen.
2 Reg. 4.40.
Prou. 13.17.
Esa. 58.8