d return to the ability of sinning over
all my sins again, thou wouldst not pardon. Heal this earth, O my God,
by repentant tears, and heal these waters, these tears, from all
bitterness, from all diffidence, from all dejection, by establishing my
irremovable assurance in thee. _Thy Son went about healing all manner of
sickness._[48] (No disease incurable, none difficult; he healed them in
passing). _Virtue went out of him, and he healed all_,[49] all the
multitude (no person incurable), he healed them _every whit_[50] (as
himself speaks), he left no relics of the disease; and will this
universal physician pass by this hospital, and not visit me? not heal
me? not heal me wholly? Lord, I look not that thou shouldst say by thy
messenger to me, as to Hezekiah, _Behold, I will heal thee, and on the
third day thou shalt go up to the house of the Lord_.[51] I look not
that thou shouldst say to me, as to Moses in Miriam's behalf, when Moses
would have had her healed presently, _If her father had but spit in her
face, should she not have been ashamed seven days? Let her be shut up
seven days, and then return_;[52] but if thou be pleased to multiply
seven days (and seven is infinite) by the number of my sins (and that is
more infinite), if this day must remove me till days shall be no more,
seal to me my spiritual health, in affording me the seals of thy church;
and for my temporal health, prosper thine ordinance, in their hands who
shall assist in this sickness, in that manner, and in that measure, as
may most glorify thee, and most edify those who observe the issues of
thy servants, to their own spiritual benefit.

FOOTNOTES:

[28] Job, xiii. 3.

[29] Ezek. xlvii. 12.

[30] John, v. 6.

[31] Jer. viii. 22.

[32] Ecclus. xxxviii. 4.

[33] Ecclus. xxxviii. 15.

[34] 1 Chron. xvi. 12.

[35] Ecclus. xxxviii. 9.

[36] Psalm vi. 2.

[37] Ecclus. xxxviii. 10.

[38] Ecclus. xxxviii. 11.

[39] Ecclus. xxxviii. 12.

[40] Acts, ix. 34.

[41] Luke, v. 17.

[42] Rev. xxii. 2.

[43] Jer. li. 9.

[44] Hosea, v. 13.

[45] Isaiah, liii. 5.

[46] 2 Chron. vii. 14.

[47] Ezek. xlvii. 11.

[48] Matt. iv. 23.

[49] Luke, vi. 19.

[50] John, vii. 23.

[51] 2 Kings, xx. 5.

[52] Num. xii. 14.

V. SOLUS ADEST.

_The physician comes_

V. MEDITATION.

As sickness is the greatest misery, so the greatest misery of sickness
is solitude; when the infectiousness of the disease deters them who
should as