felicity. Grant this, for thy mercy's sake; through | cies, that thou hast redeemed his soul from death, Jesus Christ our Lord. and made him partaker of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Amen.

[From Mr. Kettlewell.]

small hope of Recovery.

[Visitation Office.]

LORD, pity the troubles and weakness of this A Prayer for a sick Person, when there appeareth infant, and pity our sorrows, who are afflicted with it, and for it. Ease it of its pains, and strengthen it when it lies struggling for life. Raise it up again, if it shall please thee, to grow in years and stature, in wisdom and virtue; and thereby to comfort us, and glorify thee.

We believe, O Almighty Father, that thou knowest best what is fit, both for it and us, and wilt do what is fit for both, and therefore we leave it to thee, to dispose of it as thou pleasest. But whether it be to life or death, let it be thine in both, and either preserve it to be thy true and faithful servant here on earth, or take it to the blessedness of thy children in the kingdom of heaven; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer for a Person who, from a state of
Health, is suddenly seized with the Symptoms

of Death.

O MOST gracious Father, Lord of heaven and earth, Judge of the living and of the dead, behold thy servants turning to thee for pity and mercy, in behalf of ourselves and this thy servant. It was but lately that we beheld him in as promising a state of health and life, as any one of us seems to be in at present, and therefore our concern is so much the greater to behold so sudden a change, and so unlooked for an instance of our mortality.

We know, O Lord, thou canst bring back from the brink of the grave, and as suddenly raise thy servant again as thou hast cast him down, and therefore we think it not too late to implore thy mercy upon him for his recovery; at least we beg of thee to spare him a little, that he may recover his strength, and have time to make his peace with thee, "before he go hence, and be no more seen." But if it be thy will to remove him at this time into another world, O let the miracles of thy compassion, and thy wonderful mercy, supply to him the want of the usual measures of time, that he may fit himself for eternity. And let the greatness of his calamity be a means to procure his pardon for those defects and degrees of unreadiness which this sudden stroke hath caused. And teach us all, we beseech thee, from this unexpected fate of our brother, to be continually upon our guard, and to watch and pray, since we know not the hour when the "Master of the house cometh," whether "in the evening, or at midnight, or in the morning."

O FATHER of mercies and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need; we fly unto thee for succour in behalf of this thy servant, here lying under thy hand in great weakness of body. Look graciously upon him, O Lord, and, the more the outward man decayeth, strengthen him, we be seech thee, so much the more continually with thy grace and Holy Spirit in the inner man, Give him unfeigned repentance for all the errors of his life past, and steadfast faith in thy Son Jesus, that his sins may be forgiven, and his pardon sealed in heaven, before he go hence, and be no more seen. We know, O Lord, that there is no work impossible with thee, and that, if thou wilt, thou canst even yet raise him up, and grant him a in all appearance the time of his dissolution drawlonger continuance among us. Yet forasmuch as eth near, so fit and prepare him, we beseech thee, against the hour of death, that after his departure hence in peace, and in thy favour, his soul may be received into thine everlasting kingdom; through the mediation of Jesus Christ thy Son, our Saviour. Amen.

A general Prayer for Preparation and Readi

ness to die.

LORD, "what is our life, but a vapour which appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away?" Even at the longest, how short and transitory! and when we think ourselves most secure, yet we know not what a day may bring forth; nor how soon thou mayest come, before we are aware, to call us to our last account.

Quickly shall we be as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Quickly shall we be snatched away hence, and our place here shall know us no more.

Our bodies shall soon lie down in the grave, and our souls be summoned to appear before the tribunal of Christ, to receive our everlasting doom; and yet, O Lord, how do the generality of mankind live in this world, as if they were never to leave it! How unmindful are we all of our departure! how improvident of our time! how careless of our souls, and negligent in our preparations for eternity! so that thou mightest justly cut us off in the midst of our sins, and our unpreparedness to appear before thee. But, O God of all comfort Lord, thou hast now called thy servant before and mercy, remember not our sins against thee, he was aware of it; O, give him such a great and but remember thy own love to us in Jesus Christ, effectual repentance in this exigence, that in a and thy tender mercies which have been ever of short time it may be sufficient to do the work of old. Ő, remember how short our time is, and many days. Thou regardest, O Lord, the sin-"so teach us to number our days, that we may cerity of our hearts more than the measures of time, in our conversion; accept therefore, we be- In the days of our health and prosperity, let us, seech thee, the few minutes of thy servant's un- from the example of our brother's weakness, refeigned tears and humiliation for his sins, as if member our own approaching fate; and let him, they were hours and days of a longer preparation; from the sudden change of health to sickness, conand let it be thy pleasure to rescue him from all sider how few and evil all his days have been, and the evils he deserves, and all the evils he fears, that there is no satisfaction in any thing, but in that in the songs of eternity which angels and knowing thee, O God. Lord, what have we to saints shall sing to the glory of thy name, this also do in this world, but to devote ourselves wholly to may be reckoned amongst thine invaluable mer-thy service, and to make ready for the world to

2 K

apply our hearts unto wisdom."

22*

A commendatory Prayer for a sick Person at the and keeper; to remember him with the favour

From all danger and distress; from all terrors the Son, who hath redeemed thee; God the Holy

Ghost, who hath infused his grace into thee; be now and evermore thy defence, assist thee in this thy last trial, and bring thee to everlasting life. Amen.

[From Bishop Taylor.]

I.

O HOLY and most gracious Jesus, we humbly recommend the soul of thy servant into thy hands, thy most merciful hands: let thy blessed angels stand in ministry about thy servant, and protect him in his departure. Amen.

II.

LORD, receive the soul of this thy servant: enter not into judgment with him; spare him whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and deliver him from all evil and mischief, from the crafts and assaults of the devil, from the fear of death, and from everlasting condemnation. Amen.

III.

LORD, impute not unto him the follies of his youth, nor any of the errors of his life; but strengthen him in his agony, and carry him safely through the last distress. Let not his faith waver, nor his hope fail, nor his charity be diminished; let him die in peace, and rest in hope, and rise in glory. Amen.

O SAVIOUR of the world, who by thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed us; save and help this thy departing servant, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord. Amen.

UNTO thy gracious mercy and protection we commit him. O Lord, bless him, and keep him. Make thy face to shine upon him, and be gracious unto him. Lift up thy countenance upon him, and give him peace, both now and evermore. Amen.

A consolatory Form of Devotion that may be used with the Friends or Relations of the

Deceased.

"SORROW not, brethren, for them which are asleep, even as others, who have no hope.

"For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose again; even so them also which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him."-1 Thess. iv. 13, 14.

"It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth good unto him."-1 Sam. iii. 18.

"The righteous is taken away from the evil to come."-Isaiah lvii. 1.

done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil. Amen.

"Lord, thou hast been our refuge from one generation to another.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever the earth and the world were made, thou art God from everlasting, and world without end. Thou turnest man to destruction; again thou sayest, Come again, ye children of men.

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as night. yesterday, seeing that is past as a watch in the

As soon as thou scatterest them, they are even as a sleep, and fade away suddenly like the grass.

but in the evening it is cut down, dried up, and
In the morning it is green, and groweth up;
withered.

are afraid of thy wrathful indignation.
For we consume away in thy displeasure, and

our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.
Thou hast set our misdeeds before thee, and
gone; we bring our years to an end, as it were a
For when thou art angry, all our days are
tale that is told.

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

Turn thee again at last, and be gracious to thy servants.

Comfort them again, now after the time that thou hast afflicted them, and for the present occasion, wherein they suffer adversity.

so shall they rejoice, and be glad all the days of O satisfy them with thy mercy, and that soon; their life."

MOST just art thou, O God, in all thy dealings with us, "our punishment is less than our iniquities deserve;" and therefore we desire to submit with all humility and patience to this dispensanctify it to this family, that thy grace and mercy sation of thy divine providence. Be pleased so to Thy property it is to bring good out of evil; O may more abundantly flow upon thy servants. turn that evil, which is now befallen this house, to able to say, from happy experience, that "the the benefit of every one of us, that so we may be feasting," while the death of our brother, through house of mourning is better than the house of spiritual advantage. thy blessing, shall conduce and minister to our

Though the righteous be prevented with death, yet shall he be in rest. "The honourable age is not that which stand-mindful of our own, and the sense of our loss Let the sight of his change make us the more eth in length of days, nor that which is measured by number of years.

"But wisdom is the gray hair unto men, and an unspotted life is old age."-Wisd. iv. 7, 8, 9. "Precious in the sight of the Lord, is the death of his saints."-Fsalm cxvi. 15.

"Yea, blessed are the dead, which die in the Lord; even so saith the Spirit; for they rest from their labours."-Rev. xiv. 13.

Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.
Lord, have mercy upon us.

OUR Father which art in heaven: hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be

make us cleave more steadfastly to thee, O God. Let the remembrance of his virtues make us follow his example, and the hope we have of his earnestness, "towards the mark, for the prize of being blessed, cause us to " press," with the more our high calling in Christ Jesus."

with

frailty of our nature, and therefore we beseech Thou knowest, O Lord, the weakness and thee to give thy servants, who are more nearly concerned in this visitation, a constant supply of thy good Spirit, to enable them to bear humility, patience, resignation, and submission to thy divine will, as becometh the Gospel of Jesus Christ. O that no repining thoughts may arise in their hearts to discompose their duty towards thee, or towards their neighbour: but help

them rather to think wherein they have offended thee, and carefully to amend it: to place their affections more steadfastly on those immoveable things which are above, and freely resign all their thoughts and desires unto thee; saying, with holy Job, "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord." And let the death of thy servant strike us all with such a lively sense of our mortality, as may cause us so thoroughly to die to sin, and live to grace, that when we die, we may rest in him, as our hope is this our brother doth.

Amen.

be pleased to comfort him in this bed of sickness establish him with the light of thy countenance and grant that no repining thoughts may increase his illness, or discompose his duty towards thee, or his neighbour: but enable him to think wherein he hath offended thee, and carefully to amend his errors; to set his affections on things above, and not on things below, and to lay up for himself treasures in heaven, even the treasures of a good life, which no disasters or calamities shall ever be able to take from him. Grant this, O heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer for a Person who by any calamitous Disaster hath broken any of his Bones, or is very much bruised and hurt in his Body.

[From Mr. Jenks.]

We evidently see "that death is the end of all men;" grant us therefore grace to lay it to heart, to despise the world, "to abhor that which is evil, and cleave to that which is good; to delight in thy word, to study thy will, to observe thy law, and to take all possible care to promote thy honour, and our own salvation; that when "we go the way hast taught us that "affliction cometh not forth O LORD, the only disposer of all events, thou of all earth, we may be comforted by thy pre-of the dust, neither doth trouble spring out of the sence," and admitted into thy heavenly kingdom. ground:" but that the disasters which befall us are by thy appointment. Thou art just in all thou bringest upon us: and though thy "judgments are far above out of our sight," yet we know "that they are right, and that it is in very faithfulness thou causest us to be afflicted." "Why then should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?" Let these considerations prevail with thy servant to submit to thy dispensations. Make him resolve to bear the effects of thy displeasure, and to consider it as the just desert of his sins. O Lord, give him patience and strength, and grace, proportionable to this great trial; and enable him so to conduct himself under it, that, after the affliction is removed, he may find cause to say, "it was good for him to be afflicted." Thou that hast torn and smitten, thou art able to heal and to comfort. Be pleased to remember him in this his low estate. Cause him to "search and

ASSIST us mercifully, O Lord, in these our supplications and prayers, and dispose the way of thy servants towards the attainment of everlasting salvation; that, among all the changes and chances of this mortal life, they may ever be defended by thy most gracious and ready help; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Lord bless us and keep us, the Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us, and give us peace, now and for evermore. Amen.

OCCASIONAL PRAYERS AND DEVOTIONS FOR THE
SICK AND UNFORTUNATE IN EXTRAORDINARY

CASES.

A Prayer for a Person whose Illness is chiefly brought on him by some calamitous Disaster or loss, as of Estate, Relations, or Friends, &c.

[From Bishop Patrick.]

Ọ MOST gracious and glorious God, supreme Judge and Governor of the world, "in whom we live, and move, and have our being," and from whom all the blessings we enjoy, and "every good and perfect gift cometh," grant us, we humbly beseech thee, such a measure of thy grace, that whenever thou art pleased to remove any of thy blessings from us, we may bear it with a perfect resignation to thy divine will; and with all patience, humility, and contentedness of spirit, Consider how unworthy we are of the least of thy mercies.

More particularly, O Lord, we beseech thee to give this peaceableness, and contentedness of mind, to this thy servant, whom thou hast so sensibly afflicted, by taking so near and dear a blessmg from him. O give him such a portion of thy blessed Spirit, and such a lively sense of his duty, that he may have power to surmount all the difficulties he labours under, and freely to resign all his thoughts and desires unto thee, submitting himself entirely to thy good providence, and resolving, by thy gracious assistance, to rest contented with whatsoever thou in thy wisdom appointest for him. Thou knowest, O Lord, the weakness and frailty of our nature, and therefore

try his ways, and turn to thee, and bring forth fruits meet for repentance."

We know, O Lord, thou canst raise him up from the deepest affliction: O, let it be thy gracious will to glorify thy power and mercy in his recovery; or, however thou shalt think fit to dispose of this "vile body," grant him, O God, a mind entirely resigned to thy will, and satisfied with thy dispensations. O, make this calamity the messenger of thy love to his soul, and the happy means of his conversion; through Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer for a Person that is afflicted with grievous Pains of his Body.

[From Mr. Jenks.]

O LORD, thou art a merciful God, and dost not willingly afflict the children of men; but when necessity requires, thou chastisest us for our profit, that we may be partakers of thy holiness. Remove, we beseech thee, this affliction from thy servant, or enable him to bear what thou art pleased to lay upon him. Lord, all his desire is before thee, and his groaning is not hid from thee. Regard his affliction, when thou hearest his cry. Enter not into judgment with him, nor deal with him according to his sins, but according to thy mercy in Jesus Christ. O gracious Father, sanctify to him what thou hast laid upon him, that his present affliction may work out for him an eternal weight of glory. Support him under