A Thanksgiving after Recovery.

O Moft Mighty God and merciful Fa

ther, I thy unworthy Servant whom thou haft raised up from a dangerous Sicknefs, do now prefent myself before thee, acknowledging it to be owing to thy Goodness alone, that I am now alive, and have once more an Opportunity of offering up my Prayers and Praifes at the Throne of Grace. Thou, O Lord, haft chaftened me and corrected me, but haft not given me over unto Death: Blessed therefore be that Divine Wisdom, which faw this late Affliction feasonable. Bleffed be that tender Compaffion, which in the midft of Wrath remembered Mercy; which made all my Bed in my Sickness, paffed by my Impatience and many Infirmities, and inclined a willing Ear unto my Supplications, when I cried unto thee in the Time of my Diftrefs: Bleffed be the powerful Influences, of that Grace, which difpofed my Heart to Confideration and Repentance. But above all, bleffed for ever be that Power and Goodness, which by fparing me, when I had deferved to be cut off, has now given nie an Opportunity of rectifying the Er

rors

rors of my paft Life, and reforming whatfoever is amifs in me..

O Lord, let not this Goodnefs of thine, nor my own ferious Purposes of better Obedience, ever flip out of my Mind; but preferve me in a conftant tender Senfe of the great Obligations I lie under, of ferving thee faithfully all my Days; make me every Day more and more zealous in promoting thy Glory, and the Good of my Brethren: in ftudying to please thee better than ever I have yet done; and in devoting the Remainder of that Life, which thou hast given me, to the Service of thee, my gracious Benefactor.

I humbly offer and prefent unto thee my Soul and Body, which thou haft fo mercifully preferved, befeeching thee to take them into thy Cuftody. O let not the Return of my Health be accompanied with a Return to my former Sins and Follies; but let the Experience I have had, how little any Thing will profit in the Time of Trouble, befides a good Confcience, fo effectually convince me of the Neceffity of a good Life; fo powerfully perfuade me to the Practice of Religion; that I may make it the great Study and Endeavour, the conftant Bufinefs and Em

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ployment of my whole Life; to love, adore, and ferve thee, and in all Things to become fuch as thou wouldst have me to be.

But, O Lord, forafmuch as without thee I am not able to pleafe thee, mercifully grant unto me fuch a Measure of thy Grace, as may enable me to amend whatever has been amifs in the Temper and Difpofition of my Mind, or in any of the Actions of my Life. Life. Oh! let me never more be led away by the deceitful Promises of the World, the Flefh, or the Devil; but grant, O my God, that my Hopes and Affections may be unalterably fixed upon the eternal and unchangeable Happiness, which thou haft prepared for them that love thee. Let the Thoughts and Expectations of Death and Judgment be fo conftantly, fo powerfully prefent to my Soul, as effectually to work upon my Mind, and to bring forth in me the Fruits of a holy and religious Life. Let the Pains and Troubles I have lately felt, infpire me with a tender Pity and Compaffion for the Miferies and Calamities of others, and make me ready upon all Occafions to contribute what I can, to the Wants and Neceffities of my Brethren Q 2

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And Oh! let thofe Talents which thou haft afresh committed to my Truft, be fo faithfully improved for thy Glory, the Good of others, and the Benefit of my own Soul, that whenever thou fhalt call me to give an Account of my Stewardfhip, I may not be condemned, as an unprofitable Servant, but may be found fuch an one, as thou shalt then pronounce faithful, and bid to enter into the Joy of my Lord.

Grant this, O merciful Father, through the Merits, and for the Sake of thy dear Son Jefus Chrift our Lord! to whom with thee, and the ever-bleffed Spirit, be ascribed, as is most due, by me and every Creature, all Honour, Glory, Power, Dominion, Thanksgiving, and Praise, throughout all Ages. Amen.

A Prayer for a Man that has loft his Wife, or for any other Perfon that has loft a Relation or Friend.

O MOST mighty God, the Sovereign Lord of Heaven and Earth; thou art Righteous in all thy Ways, and Holy in all thy Works, and doft every Thing with infinite Wisdom, Goodnefs, and Love. I acknowledge

acknowledge thy Juftice, O Lord, in taking from me my dear Wife, [or Friend] and depriving me of the Comforts I received from Her [or His] precious Life; for I am not worthy, I confess, of the least of all thy Mercies, having fo ungratefully behaved myself under the many Bleffings thou haft bestowed upon me: O be thou pleased, for thy dear Son's Sake, to pardon my Ingratitude, and deal not with me according to the Defert of my Sins.

Sanctify, O Lord, this Affliction to me, and give me Grace to bring my Will to a meek and quiet Submiffion to thine, that may receive this Lofs without murmuring or repining at the Difpenfations of thy Providence.

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Let not my Grief, O Lord, exceed the Bounds of Reafon and Religion; but temper it, I beseech thee, with the Confolations of thy Holy Spirit, that whatever I want of outward Comforts, I may find made up to me by the inward Joys of a good Confcience. O let this Lofs which thou haft now been pleafed fhould befal me, bring me Home to thyfelf, and poffefs my Mind with fuch a thorough Senfe and Conviction of the Uncertainty of all worldly Bleffings, that I may fix my Heart, my 03 Hopes