530 NO PAIN AMONG THE BLESSED. CDISC.IX. day, or one hour of ease fills the heart and the tongue with thankfulness ; " blessed be. the God of nature that has appointed medicines to restore our ease, and blessed be that goodness that has given success to them !" `/hat a rich mercy is it, under our acute torments, that there are methods of relief and healing found among the pow- ers of nature, among the plants and the herbs, and the mineral stores which are under ground ? Blessed be the Lord, who in the course of his providence has given skill to physicians to compose .and to apply the proper means ofrelief ! Blessedbe that hand that has planted.every herb in the field or the garden, and has made the bowels of the earth to teem with medicines for the recovery of our health and ease ; and blessed be his name who has re- buked our maladies, who has constrained the smarting diseases to depart by the use of balms and balsams that are happily applied ! While we enjoy the benefits of common life, in health of body and in easy circumstances, we are too often thoughtless of the hand of God, whick showers down these favours of heaven upon us in a long and constant succession ; but when he sees fit to touch us with his finger, and awaken some lurking malady within us, our ease vanishes, our days are restless and painful, and tire-. some nights of darkness pass over us without sleep or repose. Then we repent that we have so long forgotten the God of our mercies : and we learn to lift up our praises to the Lord, that every night of our lives has not been ressless, that every day and hour has not been a season of racking pain. Blessed be the Lord that enables us, without anguish or uneasiness, to fulfil the common business of the day ; and blessed be his hand that draws the peaceful curtains of the night round about us ! And even in the midst of moderate pains, we bless his name who gives us refre4hing slumbers; and we grow more careful to employ and improve every moment of returning ease, as the most proper way of expressingout thankfulness to our almighty Healer. Alas, what poor, sorry, sinful creatures are we in the present state, who want to be taught the value of our mercies by the removal of them.! The man of a robust and vigorous make, and a healthy constitution, knows not the true worth ofhealth and ease, nor sets a due va- lue upon these blessings of heaven; but we are taught to
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=