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I Confesse, O God, thou preservest me, yea when I thinke not of thy provi∣dence, it is my dull sottish∣nesse and ingratitude that makes me thus forget my God: How oft have I been in dangers both by sea and land, ready to perish, and yet it was thou alone that preservedst me, and I knew it not, because I re∣membred not thee, O God, as I ought to have done?
Thou hast preserved mee from the venome of false tongues, and I on a sudden forgat it: I might have pe∣rished oft in my going a∣broad and comming home, but it was thy mercy that preserved me: I might have miscarried in my very meat and drinke, but for thy pro∣vidence: thou hast preserved me from theeves and mur∣derers, who would have confounded me: but above all, thou hast preserved mee from that roaring Lion, who still seekes to devoure me, and from those that lye in wait to catch my soule. O Lord, how shall I extoll
thy mercy sufficiently for these unexpresseable fa∣vours to me, wretched man that I am: thy love is won∣derfull to me, and farre be it from me to thinke that I merit any thing from thee, O God: O Lord, make me, I beseech thee, to thinke on thee continually, and to me∣ditate on thee day & night, alway expressing my thank∣fulnesse to thee for these thy marvellous preservations: make me to praise thee, and to love thee with an excee∣ding great love: knit my heart to thee, that I may feare thee and keepe thy commandements: O let me
doe nothing that may of∣fend thee, lest thou draw thy care and providence from me; for if thou, O Lord, shouldest leave me to my selfe, I were utterly lost, and deprived of all help and comfort: I could bee no where safe, because of mine enemies which are mighty and strong, who leek to de∣stroy both body and soule: leave me not therefore O my God, but hold thy hand of providence over me con∣tinually: watch over my wayes and suffer not the e∣nemy to have any advan∣tage over me, hide me un∣der the shadow of thy
wings, and preserve both my body and soule, so shall I be safe from mine enemies.