Of death a true description and against it a good preparation: together with a sweet consolation, for the suruiung mourners. By Iames Cole merchant.

A Prayer for the sicke, written by Mr. I. KING, Minister of Gods word, in London.

ETernall and omnipotent God, most kinde and mer∣cifull Father, I thy poore creature, dust & ashes, appeare be∣fore thy high & diuine Maiesty, with a hearty confession of my vilenesse, and manifold sinnes, wherewith in soule and body I am defiled, and so wounded, that from the sole of my feere, to the top of my head, there is nothing sound in me: For in my vnder∣standing is nothing but blind∣nesse, in my will nothing but ob∣stinacie against thy commande∣ments: my heart is a root of all iniquity, my externall mem∣bers are weapons of vnrighte∣ousnesse,

yea through my diso∣bedience incredulity, & ingrati∣tude, I haue so farre turned aside from thee, and strayed from thy wayes, that I am become a slaue to sinne, and a childe of wrath; whereby I haue deserued, not only temporall punishments, but euen eternall death and damnati∣on, if so be thou shouldest enter into iust iudgement with me. But seeing that thou, O Father, of all comfort, doest not reiect those that come vnto thee, with true repentance of their manifold sins: but hast promised to heare those that call on thee with a broken heart and a deiected spi∣rit: I now come vnto thee in confidence of thy bottomlesse mercy, which thou hast showne, and offered vnto me in thy wel∣beloued Son my Sauiour Iesus

Christ, whom thou hast sent in∣to to this world, to bee a ransome for all my sinnes. And entreate thee O faithfull God and Father, that thou mercifully wilt heare my prayer, which I offer vnto thee in his name, (being now vi∣sited with a heauy sicknesse.) Grant that I, through this thy fatherly chastising, may so feele the greatnesse of my sinnes, and heauinesse of the same, that yet thereby I may not fall into de∣spaire; But that rather through this thy fatherly correction, I may be moued to flie vnto thee, with whom is much forgiuenes, that doest not desire the death of a finner, but that he repent and liue. Thou, that strikest and woundest indeede as a seuere Iudge, with the sword of thy law; but againe as a spirituall

Chirurgion, bindest vp, and healest with the wholesome oyle of thy holy Gospell, that bring∣est indeede thy children to the vttermost extremity, as if it were to the torments of hell, but bringest them out againe: Cast all my sinnes behinde thy backe, Drowne them in the depth of the Sea, neuer to remember them againe. Nayle them on the Crosse of thy Sonne my Saui∣our, wash them in his blood: Couer them with his righteous∣nesse, that they neuer may ap∣peare in account before thee. Grant me also that fauour, that I hartily may forgiue my neig∣bour, that I may by a true loue, witnesse that I am a true Disciple of Christ, and borne of GOD. Let me feele, O mercifull God and Father, that this my weake∣nesse

is no signe of thy wrath, my sinnes, but rather a testimo∣nie of thy mercy, that thou cor∣rectest me as a Father, that I may not run into perdition with the wicked world. Moderate, O Lord, my paines, and mercifully release me out of the same, that I may haue fresh matter to praise and giue thankes to thy holy name, and to walke before thee, in vprightnesse of heart, in true holinesse and righteousnesse all the dayes of my life. Grant that my life may be nothing else, but a mortification of the olde man, and viuification of the new, that I dayly considering, that man borne of a woman, hath but a short time to liue, and besides is full of sorrow, that his life is but a shaddowe, and his dayes bee vanity, that he fades away as a

flower in the field, and continu∣eth not at any stay, may with∣draw my heart and cogitations from the vanity of this world. Grant, O Lord, that I may num∣ber my dayes, that I may apply my heart vnto wisedome, that I may mortifie the lust and euill concupiscences of the flesh, and may by little and little bee re∣newed, and become conform∣able to the image of thy Sonne. Separate, O Lord, my sinnes from mee, before they separate me from thee. Grant that this my life may be nothing else but a longing for my Sauiour, that I beholding him with the eyes of faith, may say with the anci∣ent Simeon, Now lettest thou thy seruant depart in peace, for mine eyes haue seene thy saluation. Yet if it be thy good will, to try me any

longer with this thy fatherly rod: grant that I may submit my selfe, in all obedience vnto thy holy will, being confident, that thou that art faithfull in thy mercifull promises, wilt lay no more on me, then thou knowest that my weakenesse is able to beare. But if it be thy fatherly will, to call me away out of this troublesome life: Grant mee grace to be willing, and ready to forsake this earthly Taberna∣cle; worke in mee a true faith, whereby I being fastned vnto Christ my head, as one of his members, I may be assured that as I am partaker of his person, being flesh of his flesh, and bone of his bone, so shall I also bee partaker of all his benefits: so that I may say with S^t. Paul, Christ hath loued me, and hath giuen him∣selfe

for me. Arme me also with the same faith, as with a strong shield against all temptations, that I may couragiously fight against the world, my own flesh, yea against the deuill himselfe, being assured, that there is no con∣demnation to them that are in Christ. And that neither death nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any creature shall be able to seperate me from the loue of GOD in Iesus Christ my Lord, O mercifull God, in whose hand is life and death, assist me constantly in this con∣flict. Though the flesh be weake, and could be content to say, Fa∣ther if it be possible let this cup passe away from me; Yet let the Spirit be willing and say, not my will, but thy will be done Helpe mee to

conquer the terrours and panges of death, which through Christ is become vnto me a passage to eternall life: say vnto my soule, I am thy saluation, strengthen mee in the stedfast hope of the glori∣ous resurrection, wherein my humbled body shall bee made like vnto the glorified body of Christ. Turne my paines and anguish into that eternall ioy, that shall be in the blessed vision of thy face: receiue my soule vnto thee, remoue her out of this vale of misery, to the com∣pany of holy Angels, and to the congregation of thy Elect. Come Lord Iesu, come quickly. All these necessaries that I stand in neede of, I begge and entreate of thee O most mercifull God and Fa∣ther, in the name of my onely Sauiour, concluding my petition

with that absolute prayer that Iesus Christ himself hath taught his Disciples, and all the faith∣full, saying, Our Father which art in heauen, hallowed be thy name, thy Kingdome come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heauen, &c.

FINIS.