Death made comfortable, or, The way to dye well consisting of directions for an holy and an happy death : together with an office for the sick and for certain kinds of bodily illness, and for dying persons, and proper prayers upon the death of friends / by John Kettlewell ...

3.

I Bless thee, O! most gracious Lord, for sending this Sickness upon me, which thou sendest to shew thy Love and Care of me, and to do me good. For if my Body were not sick, thou seest my Soul would be sick. Yea, alas! it has been [very] Sick, and this Sickness of my Body comes to cure it.

For in thus Correcting me when I had gone astray, thou art putting an end, O! God, to my wandring. Thou sendest these Sorrows,† to o∣pen my ears to discipline when Mercies would not open them, and to re∣claim

me and set me in the way of Pardon. So that this dealing shows, that thou hast not rejected me, as an outcast or Alien; but still lookest upon me with thoughts of Mercy, and† treatest me as a Son.

And Blessed be thy Mercy, O! Fa∣ther of Mercies, which by these Pains and Sorrows of my Body, hast given my Spirit rest, from the wearisome importunity and Sollici∣tations, of Lust and Envy. Blessed by thou, who hast thereby dull••d the edge of my covetous Desires, and laid asleep my worldly Cares, and brought down my ambitious and aspiring thoughts, and humbled Self-conceit, by shewing me that I am but sin and folly, dust and misery. Bles∣sed be thou, who hast thereby calld me off from incumbring my self† with many things, which now I see cannot profit me, to mind the one thing necessary; and from minding worldly Vanities, to spend my thoughts up∣on thy Laws and Promises; and from placeing my confidence in my Self, to place it only and wholly in thee.

And since my Sickness, doth thus shew me thy Love, and cure my Spi∣rit, and set on my Felicity, it shall please me, O! God, when it pains me. And I will confess to the Glo∣ry of thy Truth and Goodness, that † thou out of very Faithfulness, hast cau∣sed me to be troubled, even because I need it, and because by thy Grace I shall receive much benefit by it, thro' my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Amen.

Notes

• †

  Job 36. 10.
• †

  Heb. 12. 7.
• †

  Luk. 10. 41, 42.
• †

  Ps. 119. 75.