The Practice of Piety

O Gracious and merciful Father, who art the Lord of health, and sickness, of life and of death: who killest, and makest alive: ⟨p. 848⟩¹who bringest down to the grave, and raisest up again: who art the only preserver of all those that trust in thee. I thy poor and unworthy servant (having now by experience of my painful sickness) felt the grievousness of misery due unto sin; and the greatness of thy mercy in forgiving sinners: and perceiving with what a fatherly compassion thou hast heard my prayers, and restored me to my health and strength again:) do here (upon the bended knees of my heart) return (with the thankful Leper) to acknowledge thee alone to be the God of my health and salvation; and to give thee the praise and glory for my ⟨p. 849⟩strength and deliverance, out of that grievous disease and malady: and for thus turning my mourning into mirth; my sickness into health: and my death into life. My sins deserved punishments, and thou hast corrected me, but hast not given me over unto death. I looked (from the day to the night) when thou wouldest make an end of me: I did chatter like a Crane, or a Swallow: I mourned (as a Dove) when the bitterness of sickness oppressed me: I lifted up mine eyes unto thee, O Lord, and thou didst comfort me, for thou didst cast all my sins behind thy back; and didst deliver my soul from the pit of corruption: and when I found no help in ⟨p. 850⟩my self, nor in any other creature, (saying, I am deprived of the residue of my years, I shall see man no more, among the inhabitants of the world) then didst thou restore me to health again, and gavest life unto me: I found thee, O Lord, ²ready to save me.

O Gracious and mercifull Father, who art the Lord of health, and sickenesse, of life and of death: who killest, and makest aliue: ⟨p. 848⟩¹who bringest downe to the graue, and raisest vp againe: who art the onely preseruer of all those that trust in thee. I thy poore and vnworthy seruant (hauing now by experience of my painefull sicknesse) felt the gieuousnesse of misery due vnto sinne; and the greatnesse of thy mercy in forgiuing sinners: and perceiuing with what a fatherly compassiion thou hast heard my prayers, and restored me to my health and strength againe:) doe heere (vpon the bended knees of my heart) returne (with the thankefull Leaper) to acknowledge thee alone to bee the God of my health and saluation; and to giue thee the praise and glory for my