A Prayer fit be used in this time of sicknesse or mortality.

O Lord most just, and Father most mercifull, thou it is that renewest thy Plagues against Man when he offendeth thee: thy vengeance from heaven is both sudden and fearefull toward the rebellious and disobedient children: thou for one sin in King David, destroyedst with the loathsome disease of the Pestilence many thousands of his people: cast thine eyes of mercy upon us, O thou preserver of men, which languish now in this land, and in this house with the like disease and sicknesse. Now, deare God, hath not David onely offended thee, in trusting to his strength, and numbring of his people: but even each congregation; and every houshold hath one way or other provoked thee to plague thy disobedient people: and now that we see thy plagues ap­pearing, to the piercing and parting of our bodies and soules asunder: Lord, we stand amazed in our mindes, heartily sighing with groanes at sight of our sins. Now we consider, we have sinned grievously, we have done amisse, we have dealt wickedly, we have lived ungodly, wee have swerved from the way of truth, without any godly feare or remorse of conscience: thy great benefit of Peace, and rare blessing of long prosperi­ty, under so good and gracious a Governor, have brought too too many of us, to such security and contempt of Religion, that altogether forgetting to be thankfull, we have abused thy benefits as fast as they came, and that with a churlish kinde of impiety: the thoughts of our hearts, the words of our mouthes, and the works of our hands are vain, carnall, and devillish: yea, our service to thee oftentimes but meere abomination: so farre (alas) have we erred from the path of thy commandements. As thou didst finde with the Israelites wickednes in Gilgal, sin in Bethel, and in­iquity in Bershyha: so in every Church, in every Court, nay, in every concourse or assembly amongst us, thou beholdest how the flesh hath over­grown the Spirit, and how reason is over-ruled with affections: so many labour in these our dayes under the displayed ensigne of satan, that ve­ry few (deare Father) are found setled in the dutifull form of upright and spirituall obedience, which thou requirest. We confesse, thou mightest justly therefore forsake us, as we have forsaken thee: and not onely proceed to sting the head-Cities, and whole body of this land, with sundry plagues and grievous diseases; but for our manifold sins and iniquities, which we daily commit, thou mightst justly and worthily condemne us, man after man, to eternall death, all consciences being so guilty; that they already condemne themselves. Yet who is he (O mercifull Lord) that can measure thy goodnesse, who by thy word doest oftentimes being sinners to beliefe, repentance, and salvation? though it be not thy pleasure (good Lord) to make the wicked innocent, but rather to visit their iniquities, yet have we this comfort, that thy mercy to the humble ever rests unmeasurable and unmoveable: though thou speakest to the Prophet against thine own people, being disobedient to thee, saying, Though Mo­ses and Samuel stood before me, yet have I no heart to this people: Drive them away that they may go out of my sight, some unto death, some to the sword, and some to captivity: yet we know (O our good God) that when as Ephraim was heard lamenting and praying heartily in this distresse, thou thoughtest then upon mercy, as a Father pittying his own children. This thy clemency to others incourageth us to cry for thy mercies, in this our misery, upon our repentance, both for us, ours, and the whole land. Be intreated therefore to pitty this land, and the infected people thereof, that we may all say, The Lord liveth for ever, worthy of praise; because he hath been mercifull unto sinners. Amen.