The Practice of Piety

But thou O Lord visitest me with such a Fatherly chastisement, as thou usest to visit thy dearest children, whom thou best lovest; giving me (by this sickness) both warning and time to repent, and to sue unto thee for grace and pardon. I take ⟨p. 799⟩not therefore, O Lord, this thy visitation, as any sign of thy wrath or hatred, but as an assured pledge and token of thy favour and loving kindness, whereby thou dost with thy temporal Judgements;¹ draw me to judge my self, and to repent of my wicked life, that I should not be condemned with the godless and unpenitent world. For thy holy Word assures me, that whom thou lovest, ²thou thus chastenest: and that thou scourgest every Son that thou receivest. That if I endure thy chastening, thou offerest thy self unto me as unto a son, and that all that continue in sin▪ and yet escape without correction, whereof all thy Children are ⟨p. 800⟩partakers, are Bastards, and not sons, and that thou chastenest me for my profit, that I may be a partaker of thy holiness. O Lord, how full of goodness is thy nature, that hast dealt with me so graciously in the time of my health and prosperity; and now being provoked by my sins and unthankfulness, hast such fatherly and profitable ends, in inflicting upon me this sickness and correction.

But thou O Lord visitest mee vvith such a Fatherly chastisement, as thou vsest to visit thy dearest children, whom thou best louest; giuing mee (by this sicknesse) both warning and time to repent, and to sue vnto thee for grace and pardon. I take ⟨p. 799⟩not therefore, O Lord, this thy visitation, as any signe of thy wrath or hatred, but as an assured pledge and token of thy fauour and louing kindnes, whereby thou dost vvith thy temporall Iudgements;¹ draw mee to iudge my selfe, and to repent of my wicked life, that I should not be condemned with the godlesse and vnpenitent vvorld. For thy holy Word assures mee, that whom thou louest,