of our state and of a frail and forgetfull Creature in the midst of a tempting World can bear Oh! then that I may consider thy Mercy to fortifye my minde against Fear And fix my Soul upon the tenderness and Clemency of my judge and Saviour which will embolden me to stand before him without Horror And upon the Condescentions of thy Gospel and the needfull Deductions and Forbearance which it promises to our weaknesses that in this Hour of my necessity I may be guarded against all the suspicions of my own melancholy or mistrusts of thy mercy and may be strenthend with a comfortable Hope in thee thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 3. BUt if after all my Fears shall by times return upon me and prove troublesom to me let it however Comfort me O! Lord to thinke that thou art wont to make better of Humble Souls than they are wont to make of themselves and wilt judge me not according to my Fears but according to thy mercyes A truely Contrite Heart O! God is Safe in thine Eyes even when it gives it self up for lost in its own And as my Fears will be noe Prejudice to my safety soe Grant Good Lord that they may be an Help to my Duty and may quicken and increase my Care and Endeavours to obey thee Make them the Guards of my innocence and a constant Spur to thy Service And then O! Holy Father tho they trouble and Discomfit me at Present Yet they will happily Conâ—ute themselves and recompence me in the end and my sincere Obedience shall make sure thy Gracious acceptance tho I my self dare not beleive it till I come to find and hear it from thee in the other World thro the merits of my only Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen IV. A Prayer against Presumption LEt not my Heart Deceive me O! Blessed Lord in judgeing of my self but keep me from Pride and vain Confidence in setting too little by thy Grace and thinking too well of mine own ways Oh! that I may never flatter my self into an Evil Security and an insensibleness of the Great need I have of thy Mercy For thou O! Lord resistest the Proud but givest Grace unto the Humble Thou rejectest the Proud Pharisee who justifyes himself and sees not his own nakedness and Poverty But the very best of us all Doe absolutely need repentance and have but too many Sins to humble us We must throw our Selves upon thy Mercy and can not stand in thy judgement shouldest thou be Rigorous in exacting what we have Done amiss nor appear before thee when thou art angry Thy justice is terrible to the Greatest Saints yea and before thee even the Angels themselves doe cover their Faces And as we can not come off clear in thy judgement but merely thro Mercy Soe neither Can we stand in Obedience to qualifye us for it but only thro Faith 'T is thy Help O! Lord that must support and keep us in thy ways And if it were not for thy Grace and our own Caution and holy jealousy over our Selves we are as lyable to fall as others Oh! then that I may not be high minded and place my Confidence in my self but learn to Fear and shew Care and humble Dependance upon thee and with Godly Reverence look for thy Promises of Grace and Mercy thro Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen V. Prayers in the last Agonies Ejaculations DVst thou art and to Dust shalt thou return Gen. 3. 19. Lord Jesus have mercy upon me O thou Lamb of God that takest away the Sins of the World Be merciful to me a Sinner Luk. 18. 13. Tho I often offend thee yet Lord thou knowest I sincerely Love thee and hate my self for having displeased thee And can any who sincerely Loves thee Perish Eternally Lord receive me for I am hasting apace to thee I stretch forth my Hands unto thee my Soul thirsteth after thee as a thirsty Land Ps. 143. 6. Lord remember me when thou Comest in thy Kingdom Doe with this frail and wearied Body what thou pleasest Only receive my Spirit to thy Mercy in Death and raise up this Corruptible to incorruption after Death And forsake me not O! God now my strength faileth me Ps. 71. 9. Besides which the Dying Persons may use the Scriptures Collected for this Case p. 127. Prayers 1. LOrd Wash my Soul in thy Blood that it may be presented without Spot unto thee And let me Dye in thy Favour and rest in Peace and rise again in Glory Amen 2. STrenthen me O! my God in my Agonies As my strength fails let my pains wear off But when my Strenth fails let not my Faith fail Even in Death let me trust in thee And the nearer I am drawing to thee the more Doe thou manifest thy mercy unto me thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 3. DEliver me O! Lord from Fear of Death and from all violent Disorders of a troubled Fancy or painful Delusions of my Ghostly Enemy Oh! let not him be able now to disturb and terrifye me or any way to prevail against me but Guard thou thy Servant comeing unto thee Amen 4. HAve me in thy Custody O! holy Father for nothing can can take me out of thy Hands And Give thy Holy Angels Charge to stand about me to guard and receive my poor Soul at my Departure and to Conduct and Carry it to the Blessed Receptacles of Rest and Peace Amen 5. COme Lord Jesu Come quickly I Desire and Groan earnestly to be dissolved and to be with thee Into thy Hands I Commend my Spirit and lay Down my wearyed Flesh to Rest in Hope of a Blessed Resurrection to eternal Peace and joy at the last Day Amen 6. LOrd if it be thy Gracious will make my Pains short and my Death Easy at least not extremely tedious or Greivous to me But if thou hast otherwise ordered thy Blessed will be done Only Give me Patience to bear them and Spiritual Comforts under them and at thine own time make my Death my Passage to a Blessed and Eternal Life through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen Out of the Office for Burial ANd O! Lord most Holy O! God most mighty O! Holy and Mercifull Saviour thou most worthy Judge Eternal Suffer me not at my last Hour for any pains of Death to fall from thee Amen And these Prayers may be said for the Dying Person as occasion requires by his Friends who are about him only altering the Persons we for I him for me our for my c. as is requisite upon the change of Persons Likewise they may use for him the recommendatory Prayer for one at the Point of Departure in the Churches Office for Visitation of the Sick O! Almighty God with whom doe live the Spirits of just Men made perfect after they are Deliverd from their Earthly Prisons We humbly commend the Soul of this thy Servant our dear Brother into thy
DEATH MADE Comfortable OR The Way to Dye Well Consisting of Directions for an Holy and an Happy Death Together with An Office for the Sick and for certain kinds of bodily illness And for dying Persons And proper Prayers upon the Death of Friends By IOHN KETTLEWELL a Presbyter of the Church of England LONDON Printed for Robert Kettlewell And are to be sold by Sam. Keble at the Turks head over against Fetter-Lane in Fleet-street MDCXCV THE PREFACE EVery Person who comes into this World under the Guilt of Sin is a Debtor to Death And this Debt sooner or later all must pay even they who fence themselves about with the strongest Armies or heap up Riches as if they were always to possess them or whose daily Business it is to drown all Thoughts of Death in the Noise of Mirth and Pleasures In the midst of all their Care and Labour to avoid him Death will surely meet them and spoil all their Glory and Iollity and that commonly when they least expect him And then he makes them see their own Vanity and the Vanity of all earthly things which nothing else could teach them to consider of For he shews us the Shame of our Bodies and makes the Pride of Human Greatness to become an easie Conquest and inglorious Prey for Worms and brings all earthly Hopes and Projects to end and hide themselves in Dust. This is a thing which all Men know and all Men fear And they who study most to keep the Thoughts of Death far from them do yet certainly know that it will come And happy then is he whose Mind is so well prepared and â—ortified that it can neither fright nor hurt him who has disarmed this King of Terrors and made this great Enemy of Nature to become a Friend All this Religion will do if we will make a right use of it For the sting of death is sin and true Repentance takes that out And if we take care that our Life contain nothing terrifying our Death need not And the compleatest Victory over Death is Eternal Life and the same Repentance secures us thereof And Trust in God fortifies us against Fear and Patience makes our Pains lighter So that whilst by true Devotion we are spending our selves in these Exercises we are dressing our Souls in Armour which will not only sustain the Shock of Death but conquer it with all its Strength and Terror And the business of these Papers is to furnish out thoughts for all those who are willing and dâ—sirous to use the same whereby all this may be done And whereby we may receive Sickness and meet Death so as at the same time to have enough under them to support and comfort us and in the end to be made better by both And all this I treat of not as a man who is preaching to men at ease who must be diverted and entertained with nice inquiries and fine discourses and speculations about Death But as one who is called to sick and dying Persons who desire to be helped and directed in things of use and told those matters which are fit to support and ease their weary Souls and to dress them in such habits as are the best defence both against the sting and terror of their approaching Enemy I have first according to the best of my skill given them directions what to do and wherein to spend their care thro all the steps and progress of their sickness from its first seisure to their departure I show them what will render their sick-bed carriage rewardable and its Sorrows â—olerable and comfortable How they are like to be most easie to themselves and may most profitably chuse or improve the Company and employ and receive the services and kind Offices of others What they are to do that they may dye well and be happy and full of Comfort in their Death and after it and how it is fit for them to part with all men and take a decent and a Christian leave of this World And in regard Devotion is the chief work and the best support of sick and dying Persons to these directions I have added Offices of Devotion In these I have made collections of select and proper Scriptures upon the several duties and necessities of sick or dying Persons which I have ranged and put in order the best I can for their comfort and instruction And these they may resort to as a Storehouse of Divine Sentences fit to direct their practice in the virtues and to cheer and revive their Spirits under all the sorrows of their Affliction How forceable are right words says Job under the bitterness of his sorrows Job 6. 25. And heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop but a good word maketh it glad says Solomon Prov. 12. 25. But the good words which God himself speaks to us do leave a much stronger impression and give more ease and do more revive and make glad the Heart than any others And after these collections of Scriptures I have furnished them with variety of fit and proper Prayers upon their several Duties or Needs in that condition And as I was able I have stored those Prayers with such proper thoughts and considerations as may serve at once both to express and put up to God the several bounden duties and tempers required of us and also to ingenerate and increase the same in our own minds And to these for sick and dying Persons I have annexed like Devotional helps for Women with Child or in Child Birth and for some other cases of Bodily distempers and Calamities And to conclude all I have added Devotions on the Death of Friends and made particular Prayers for those cases which usually are most affecting and provided them with such considerations as seem to me to be most proper and of greatest force to support and comfort us under such mortifying and afflictive losses And in all these Prayers I have taken care to be as instructive as I can in the several States and Cases they refer to that we may see what our work and wants are under them and know what we have to mind and do therein better than we knew before And so likewise in the several duties which the Prayers are made upon For I have endeavoured therein especially in the Prayers about Trust in God and about Patience which are the virtues most tryed on sick-beds and indeed of most general use thro the whole course of our lives to set off the several Acts wherein we are to exercise and show forth those Graces and the most proper and important helps and considerations whereby we are like to be most quickened and best assisted in our performance of them And therefore when any are desirous to encrease knowledge and improve their understandings therein they may read the Prayers or have them read to them tho not in way of Devotion but as Discourses upon them And these Offices for sick or dying Persons should
or any others which his own mind or their Discourses shall supply him with And let the sweet name of Jesus be often in his mouth but oftner in his Heart and let him think that the Blessed name of a Saviour cannot be to much upon the Soul or too deep in the desire of a lost Sinner Let him therefore say Jesu have mercy on me Jesu Thou art the Rock of my Hope Thou art my Love and my Life and the Chief object of my desire Lord Jesu thou alone art my Saviour And that he may still be stored with matter for such devout thoughts and Ejaculations when he is not fit to read himself let them read to him either some of the Scriptures Hymns or Prayers hereafter discribed for the use of Sick Persons or some conveuient Portion out of the Penitential Psalms or something about the Sufferings of our Saviour or some part of any profitable Discourse concerning Repentance or Patience or Trust in God or Thankfulness or concerning Death and Judgment Heaven or Hell Let their Discourses also be Savory and minister thoughts fit for the Seriousness or for the Comfort or Service of men who look upon themselves as taking leave of this World and going to meet their Lord. Let them seek to Spiritualize accidents and take occasion from all that happens to raise up the Sick mans thoughts to devout and Profitable Reflexions So that he may not want the offer of a good thought as oft as he is free and ready for it If he awakes more easie let them Bless God for the ease and observe how Tenderly he proportions Tryals to our weakness considering what we can bear as a Tender Father doth How seasonably he sends Relief and how sweetly we relish it after sharp Sorrows and how from their Experience of the Seasonableness of his Succour in this case they should learn to trust him if he sends upon them more Agonies and quietly to wait for him hoping he will not stay then more then he has done now past the due Time Or if he awakes under more pain and disturbance let them fuggest to him that if t is great 't is like to be the shorter that God knows best how much and how long we can bear that he is in good and merciful hands whilst he is in his and should be quiet under them that he must wait on God who loves to be waited on and Loves to try Faith and Trust before he recompence it with the desired Blessing On all occasions of any Benefits received either by Food or by Physick or by Sleep and likewise on any want of them or on any occurrence or discourse that comes before them they will be acceptable and useful Friends indeed if they can shew dexterity in raising up the Devout Sick mans mind to some Pious thoughts or virtuous Resentments or desires about the same to make him reflect on the Power the Patience the Mercifulness or the Faithfulness of God or upon the Wickedness and Folly of men the vanity of worldly things the Serviceableness of Religion and Holy affections the Happy end of Trust in God the Temptations and Dangers of health and ease the advantage of Sickness the Blessed fruits of Patience and the Recompences that shall crown it at the last And if at any time he Receives not their Discourses or their other Services with that Willingness and Easiness which they would expect from him let them wait another opportunity and not slacken their good Offices but only Study how to time them better or make them more agreeable to him on the next occasion not taking things ill from him in this condition but pitying what would provoke them at another time Or if he seems troubled as ingenuous and kind Natures are apt to be that his Disease makes him so troublesome as he is to his Friends let them suggest to him that Friends are born for Adversity and to bear a part of each others troubles And that the same wise orderer who sends him the trouble of his Pains and Sickness sends them also the Trouble of their Attendance and doth equally expect a willing and cheerful Reception of their Respecttive Troubles from both And in the Visits they pay the Sick let not the Desire they have of seeing him make them any ways incommodious or uneasie to him Sometimes Sick Persons can ill bear noise or would be troubled not relieved by the Presence of others or when their Spirits are a little freer and more refreshed having but little time or free thoughts left they woud have them to themselves and can ill Complement them away to please others And 't is not for wise and kind Friends to break in upon them when they would be alone but only when their company would be acceptable or may be Helpful to them And besides all the Prayers and devout Thoughts which he puts up thus for himself let him also desire the Prayers of others Let him send to desire the Prayers of the publick Congregation And if he send Almes at the same time good prayers will be more like to prevail for him And when he takes his leave of any Friendly Visitants let him desire them to remember him in theirs shewing thus on all occasions that his Eye is unto God in all his sickness and that he looks to reap most benefit from good prayers And by such ways and thoughts as these may the sick person set himself to this second part of his Task viz. The bearing of his Pains and Weakness with Patience Resignation of himself Thankfulness and Trust in God and such Resentment of things and Reflections on them as are fitting for a sick Bed CHAP. V. Of his Carriage in his last Extremities and under the near Approach of Death AND when sickness goes on to Extremities and Death approaches that calls louder to him to Trim up his Lamp and dress his Soul to meet the Bridegroom but 't is only with the same Habits whereof I have been hitherto speaking A Dying Man is not distinguished from a sick Man by the difference of his Habits but only by a greater care and exactness in putting of them on The same Thoughts and Desires befit him but when he is expiring he would be glad if his strength will serve to send them up in a brighter and a hotter flame So that when he comes to die he must hold on the same Exercise of Repentance Patience Faith Thankfulness Devotion and the like but only seek to put forth more Zeal and Fervour in them if he has bodily strength enough so to do or else be content and rest satisfied to do it as his strength will serve him And let him welcome Death when God sends it and say Lord my times are in thy hand and thou knowest best when 't is fit for me to depart this World And thy time shall be mine and I am now willing to come to thee since thou seest fit to call me Amen I willingly
55. 22. For in thee O! Lord the Fatherless findeth mercy Hos. 14. 3. And thoâ— hast said Leave thy Fatherless Children I will preserve them alive and let thy Widows trust in me Jer. 49. 11. And I never saw the Righteous forsaken but his seed is blessed Ps. 37. 25 26. The Generation of the upright shal be blessed Riches shall be in his house and his Righteousness endureth for ever Surely he shall not be moved for ever but shall be in everlasting remembrance Ps. 112. 2 3 6. For when their Father and Mother forsake them then doest thou take them up Ps. 27. 10. Even thou who art the Father of the Fatherless and the Judge of the Widows Ps. 68. 5. And as a Mighty Redeemer wilt plead their cause Prov. 23. 10 11. 3. The Benefit of both And he who thus trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about Ps. 32. 10. Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge even the Most High thy Habitation There shall no evil befal thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy Dwelling For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways Ps. 91. 9 10 11. Behold the Eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his Mercy To deliver their Soul from Death and to keep them alive in Famine Ps. 33. 18 19. And the Lord is a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him Nah. 1. 7. He Redeemeth the Soul of his Servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate Ps. 34. 22. And they who know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee Psal. 9 10. And Trust him 1. To Temper the Sickness and Sorrows to our Infirmities I will not leave thee altogether unpunish'd but I will correct thee in measure and will not make a full end of thee Jer. 30. 11. and c. 46. 28. And when Epaphroditus was sick nigh unto Death God had mercy on him and not on him only but on me also lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow Phil. 2. 27. In his wrath he will remember mercy Habak 3. 2. And to the Vpright there ariseth light in the darkness Ps. 112. 4. For he will not always chide neither will he keep his anger for ever Psal. 103. 9. His Anger endureth but a moment and in his favour is life Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Ps. 30. 5. He knows our frame and remembreth that we are dust and pitieth us like as a Father pityeth his Children Ps. 103. 13 14. He remembreth that we are but flesh a wind that passeth away and cometh not again and doth not stir up all his wrath Ps. 78. 38 39. And he is faithful and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able 1 Cor. 10. 13. 2. To support us under them and help us to bear them The Salvation of the Righteous is of the Lord he is their strength in time of trouble And the Lord shall help them because they trust in him Ps. 37. 39 40. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing he will make all his bed in his sickness Ps. 41. 3. And we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 15 16. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. And my Grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weakness 2 Cor. 12. 9. I said indeed in mine haste I am cut off from before thine Eyes nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cryed unto thee Psal. 31. 22. Even when my Soul fainted within me I remembred thee and my Prayer came in unto thee Jon. 2. 7. Wait thou on the Lord then be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart Ps 27. 14. For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say I will not fear for the Lord is my helper Heb. 13. 5 6. Yea tho I walk thro the valley of the shadow of Death I will fear no evil For thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Ps. 23. 4. 3. To Deliver us from them or make us Gainers by them Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Ps. 50. 15. Behold the Eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy To deliver their soul from Death Ps. 33. 18 19. He is their strength in the time of trouble And he shall help them and deliver them He shall deliver them because they trust in him Ps. 37. 39 40. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8. 28. And tho' many are the afflictions of the Righteous yet the Lord delivereth him out of them all Ps. 34. 19. For the Lord he kills and he makes alive he wounds and he heals Deut. 32. 39. He bringeth down to the Grave and bringeth up 1 Sam. 2. 6. And that when we have the Sentence of Death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God who raiseth the Dead 2 Cor. 1. 9. Glory be to the Father c. III. They are to be received with Faith in Gods Precious Promises THIS is a Faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. If any man Sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins 1 Jo. 2. 1 2. O! Death where is thy Sting O! Grave where is thy Victory The Sting of Death is Sin and the Strength of Sin is the Law But thanks be to God which giveth us the Victory thro our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. Who shall lay any thing then to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that Justifieth Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that Dyed yea rather that is risen again who is even at the Right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8. 33 34. And he hath promised I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. He will give the Holy Spirit to those that ask him Luk. 11. 13. He will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the Temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it 1 Cor. 10. 13. And this is the Promise that he hath promised us even Eternal life 1 Joh. 2. 25. He hath said Repent and
within me thy comforts Lord delight my Soul Ps. 94. 19. Glory be to the Father c. 3. On taking Physick Man liveth not by Bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Mat. 4. 4. And it was neither Herb nor mollifying Plaster that restored them to health but thy word O! Lord which healeth all things For thou hast power of Life and Death thou leadest to the Gates of Hell and bringest up again Wisd. 16. 12 13. He that is our God is the God of Salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from Death Ps. 68. 20. The Lord hath created Medicines out of the Earth and he that is wise will not abhor them And with such doth he heal men and taketh away their Pains For of the most High cometh healing and he hath given men Skill that he might be honoured in his marve lous works Ecclus. 38. 2 4 6 7. My time is in thy hand therefore I trust in thee O Lord Ps. 31. 14 15. Oh! Send thy word and heal me and deliver me from my Destruction Ps. 107. 20. Glory be to the Father c. V. For Attendants about Sick Persons I. HE that is ready to slip with his feet is as a Lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease Job 12. 5. But to him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his Friends Job 6. 14. For a Friend loveth at all times and a Brother is born for adversity Prov. 17. 17. And if your Soul were in my Souls stead I would strengthen you with my mouth and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief Job 16. 4 5. But my Brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook and as the stream of brooks they pass away As Brooks that are blackish with Ice wherein Snow is hid What time they wax warm they vanish when it is hot they are consumed out of their place Now ye are nothing you see my casting down and are afraid Yea you dig a pit for your friend Job 6. 15 16 17 21 27. II. Whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it or one member rejoyce all the members rejoyce with it 1 Cor. 12. 26. Distribute then to the necessity of Saints and weep with those that weep Rom. 12. 13 15. And he that sheweth mercy let him do it with chearfulness v. 8. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shew'd towards his Name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do Minister Heb. 6. 10. I was sick and ye visited me In as much as ye have done it to the least of these my Brethren ye did it unto me Mat. 25. 36 40. And this is pure and undefiled Religion to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction Jam. 1. 27. And the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning for by the sadness of the Countenance the Heart is made better That is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his heart Eccles. 7. 2 3 4. Glory be to the Father c. VI. An Hymn of Thanksgiving for Recovery from Sickness IN my wrath I smote thee but in my favour have I had mercy on thee Is. 60. 10. The Lord hath chastned me sore but he hath not given me over unto death Ps. 118. 18. In love to my soul he hath delivered it from the pit of corruption for he hath cast all my sins behind his back Is. 38. 17. O! Lord my God thou hast considered my trouble thou hast known my soul in adversities Ps. 31. 7. Thou healest the broken in heart and bindest up their wounds Psal. 147. 3. And I cryed unto thee and thou hast healed me And hast turned for me my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my Sack-cloath and girded me with gladness To the end that my Glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent O! Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever Ps. 30. 2 11 12. My Mouth shall shew forth thy Righteousness and thy Salvation all the day For I know not the numbers thereof And my Lips shall greatly rejoyce when I sing unto thee and my Soul which thou hast redeemed Psal. 71. 15. 23. O! Sing unto the Lord ye Saints of his and give thanks at the Remembrance of his Holiness Ps. 30. 4. And ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield Ps. 115. 11. To the upright he maketh light to arise in the darkness Ps. 112. 4. For his Anger endureth but a moment in his Favour is Life Weeping may endure for a Night but Joy cometh in the Morning Psal. 30. 5. I will offer the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and will call upon the Name of the Lord Ps. 116. 17. And I will pay thee my Vows O! God which my Lips have uttered and my Mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble Psal. 66. 13 14. I will not hide thy Righteousness within my Heart I will declare thy Faithfulness and thy Salvation I will not conceal thy Loving Kindness and thy Truth from the great Congregation Psal. 40. 10. I will pay my Vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his People In the Courts of the Lord's House in the midst of thee O! Jerusalem Praise ye the Lord Psal. 116. 18 19. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be World without end Amen PRAYERS FOR THE Duties and Needs OF SICK PERSONS I. A General Prayer for things needful under Sickness O! Almighty and most Righteous Lord who makest sore and bindest up and in whose Hands are the Issues of life and death Give me Grace to look upon this my Sickness as of thy sending â—nd to own both the justice and the mercifulness of thy Visitation and of my suffering therein and to look up to thee for strength to bear and for Grace to profit by the same It comes O! My God as thy scourge for my sins which is to make me see them and avoid them And as thy Medicine to cure my Spiritual Diseases and repair in me the Decays of thy Grace And as thy Fiery Tryal which is to prove my Virtues and to purge away my Dross And Lord Let it not miss of serving and effecting in me all these Gracious purposes And make all my thoughts under the same to be only thoughts of Love and Thankfulness of Holy Resignation and Obedience unto thee and of humble hope in thy Mercy And suffer me not to fall into impatience or mistrust of thy Love and Gracious promises or into any evil and indecent carriage which will add to my guilt if I die or to my remorse and shame if I live Temper my Sorrows also O! Father to my weakness and support me under them by thy Comforts And direct and recompence the labours and kindness of
we need these Embitterments of Life to reconcile us to the thoughts of Death and to awaken our Preparation for it That Patience is one of the principal Virtues which we have to learn and exercise whilst we Live And that if the exercise of it is hard it will answerably be exceeding happy and most highly rewarded And let me remember moreover O! Lord that the more Tryal we have here of our own Patience the more Proof we have withal of thy Grace and Faithfulness and the greater is our hope of a more abundant joy and Blessed recompence And that a little waiting and endurance usually lets us see how good and Gracious thou art in removing what lyes hard upon us However that the Rest and Comforts of the next World will abundantly satisfie and make amends for all Yea and even here O! Lord let me consider that Patience under my Burdens makes them lighter and my Condition better giving me present ease in this Life as well as more abundant hopes in the Life to come That 't is best for thy Will to take place of mine and to chuse for me both whether and when and how I shall be eased of them And that if I struggle against thy Will I cannot resist it But by bearing it patiently I do not only submit to necessity but shew an Act of Obedience and Duty which will please thee and in the end will far more profit me than my Pains do at present afflict me thro' my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 4. AND Grant me Grace O! Lord always to bear in mind that I am here but as a Stranger and that these Decays will carry me home That whilst I am here in the Body I am absent from the Lord and still as I am leaving my Body I am hastning to him And that my poor Soul is now a cloggâ—d and a close Prisoner in Flesh and these Pains and Weaknesses are come to set it free And let me remember O! Father that these Sorrows which I endure in my passage to Rest and Peace are common to men Nay they are the Lot of good men who are often exercised with a greater measure thereof because here is all the Place of their evil things They are not only incident to us but Profitable for us and the best have need of them For even the Blessed Jesus himself tho he were a Son yet learned he Obedience by the things which he suffered He bore the Cross before he wore the Crown and we are first to suffer that we may also Reign with him And I willingly submit to follow where my Blessed Lord has lead the way and to take Pain and Sorrow in my passage to everlasting Life and Joy as he has done before me Only O! my God be thou with me as thou wast with him and let me have thee for my Support and Comfort under all my Sorrows whilst I live and for my Blessed Portion when I die thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen VIII Prayers for Spiritual Improvements by Sickness I. O! Most Gracious and Merciful God I receive this sickness as thy Monitor to put me upon considering and amending the Errors of my Life and on making preparation for my Death And let no flattering hopes of life O! Lord delay or slacken my Repentance or keep me from setting my Soul in order But give me Grace to make use thereof as if I were sure it would be what for ought I know it may be a Sickness unto Death And therefore let me now begin to repent of all my sins with that exactness as he should do who thinks this is like to be the last time And to order all my Actions with that uprightness and holy care as befits him who is going to give an account of them And to be so perfect in putting on all the Dresses of a Religious Spirit as he who expects to have no place afterwards for filling up any Omissions And on my Sick-bed Holy Father let Holy Prayers be my Employment and Delight And make me look on shewing Patience and exercising Faith and perfecting Repentance to be my business for those remaining moments which I have still to spend on earth Oh! Let me have as little to do with Vanity and as much intercourse with thee my God and exercise of all Heavenly Thoughts and Virtues as I can that being used to that blessed Employment of Beatified Spirits I may be fit for their Society and prepared everlastingly to injoy thee in Glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 2. AND Lord do thou whose Glory it is to bring good out of evil and Light out of Darkness turn my sickness which comes as the punishment of my sins into the means of my obedience Make it the instrument of thy Grace to bring me to my self and to call me off from Sin and Folly which have been the Parents of all our pain and misery Let it bring Innocence and Watchfulness to my Spirit and peace and comfort therein and then my Afflictions shall pass for Favours and I will give thee thanks and praise for my Correction When it wasts and brings down my Spirits O! Father cause it also to tame and bring down my Passions and all violent Motions In my low Estate make me meek and lowly And let the sense of my wants and weakness cure me of all Self-Confidence and carry me out wholly to depend on thee Under the Terrors of thy Power possess me with holy awe and fear And whilst my pains make me forgetful of other things let me not remember the wrongs I have received nor be high in resentments of them Let the dulness also of my Senses O God mortifie all Carnal Appetites and the unsavoryness of all worldly Vanities cure me of all inordinate fondness for them Oh! Make my love of Earthly things and all my sinful Lusts and Self-esteem to die before me and let my Sickness kill them and save my Soul alive And grant O! Lord that the trouble which I find there is in wanting thy Mercies may keep me duly sensible of them and thankful for them whilst I enjoy them And let the feeling of these Sorrows in my self touch me with Pity and Compassion for the Sufferings of others whensoever I see them exercised therewith And make me ever think O! Holy Father that I get more in being thus made better and wiser by my Afflictions than in being deliver'd from them And count nothing so good for me as to be brought thus to know my self and to know and serve thee and to be put in the sure way of obtaining thine everlasting Mercy thro my most Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 3. AND if as my outward man decays my inward man be thus renewed I will bless thy Name O! Merciful God for the kindness of these hard Providences and acknowledge to thy praise that thou in very Faithfulness hast caused me to be troubled For thou
giveâ—t me better things than thou takest away The bringing down my Body is for the inrichment of my Soul which is my better part And this smiting and wounding of my Flesh is for the healing and binding up my Spirit which is the truest way to do me good Oh! then that instead of dreading thy Visitation as my Scourge I may receive it as my Medicine That I may not repine at its making me weak in Body but rather rejoyce that it makes me strong in Spirit And give thee thanks for thy kindness and my comfort in thy Corrections which are to make me good that thou mayest make me happy and give me everlasting Rest and Bliss with thee thro' Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen IX Prayers for the Bodily Needs and Desires of Sick Persons 1. For Ease when Sickness grows very painful or troublesome 1. LORD look upon mine Adversity and Misery which call aloud to thee for ease For I am wither'd like grass and my Bones will scarce cleave to my skin My heart panteth and my strength faileth me and mine eyes are grown dim And there is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger nor rest in my bones because of my sin Yea my bones are burnt as an Hearth and I go mourning all the day long and wearisom nights are appointed to me and I am full of tossing to and fro unto the dawning of the day This thou knowest O! My God for my groaning is not hid from thee Oh! Be not wroth very sore nor remember iniquity for ever Cast me not off when I need most to seek to thee nor forsake me when my strength faileth me But hear me and ease me O! Lord for thou delightest in Mercy Hear me for I cry unto thee yea I cry unto thee all the day Hear me speedily for I am brought very low and make no long tarrying for mine eyes long sore for thy word saying when wilt thou comfort me And though my flesh and my heart fail me yet let not thy Mercy and thy Word fail me For I still resign and trust my self to them and in my greatest weakness and extremity thou O! Father art my strength and my portion for ever thro' Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 2. O! Most Gracious God my pains are extreme and too heavy for me have pity upon me and lighten them Correct me in measure and consider that I am but a feeble and frail Creature In thine anger remember mercy for I humbly submit my self and return to thee And Oh! Give me that tractableness and ingenuity of Spirit that will be check'd with a word and easily call'd off from evil and will not need any long or sharp methods of correction to reclaim me I have waited for thy Relief O! Father give me the comforts of it Yea Mine eyes long sore for thy word and are even wasted away with looking for thy saving health let them see it and be satisfied therewith Oh! shew me thy mercy and that soon for my need thereof is great And think upon me as concerning thy word for I trust to it to lay no more upon me than I can bear and to send me seasonable help and ease at present and everlasting Rest with thee in the end thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen A short Prayer on receipt of Ease or abatement of Pain or Sickness BLessed be thy Mercy O! my God which pitieth me in my Misery As a Father pitieth his Children when they cry out in the extremity of their pain so hast thou pityed me Thou hast chastned me sore but thou hast not given me over unto death thine anger is turn'd away and thou hast eased and comforted me Lord my Soul shall love thee and sing of thy Mercy And in my Distress I will always trust thee and not be afraid For thou art our strength whilst we suffer and our most merciful Deliverer when we are able to bear no more for our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's sake Amen 2. A Prayer for Strength under the same GIVE me strength O! Lord to strive with my Disease and to bear the weakness of Nature And strengthen my Spirit to withstand all its Temptations as well as my Body to bear its Diseases O! Enable me to resist the Devil and to suppress all stirrings of sin and folly To beat back all motions of corrupt Passion and not to lose the due Government of my self thro excess of pain but to shew my self mighty thro thee to bear all patiently and to fortifie my weakness by a firm Faith and unshaken Trust in thy Grace and sure Promises Lord if I have no strength but my own every weight will bear me down But if thou wilt support me nothing will be too heavy for me because nothing is too hard for thee But thy strength will be made perfect in my weakness and thy Grace is sure to overcome my Corruptions and thy Comforts to give me Ease thro' my most Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 3. A Prayer for Deliverance from them DEliver me O! my God for I seek unto thee to help me yea I seek unto thee early and continue seeking all the day long Thou delightest in Mercy deliver me for thy Mercies sake Thou hast promised to be with us and help us in trouble Deliver me for thy Righteousness Thou art Glorious in might to help our weaknesses Deliver me in thy strength Thou hast formerly been my succour Oh! be so still And our Fathers hoped in thee and were delivered let not my hope in thee perish or be put to shame more than theirs was Save me O! Almighty Lord and make hast to my help And mâ—n shall know that it is thy hand and that thou hast done it and learn thereby both to give thee Praise and to make thee their strength and confidence thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 4. Prayers for longer Respite and Recovery from Sickness 1. O! Almighty Lord in whose Hands are the Issues of Life and Death look in Mercy upon these Decays of Nature which my Diseases hath made and repair them and spare me a little that I may recover my Health and Strength again I do not desire Health O! my God to consume it in Idleness Nor out of Fondness for the gay Pleasures and Pomps of this World that I may be strong to pursue them For I believe and know them all to be Vanity and Vexation of Spirit I lift my Heart above them and do by no means desire to have this Earth for my home or to take up with them for my Portion For I love thee and thy ways O! Dear Lord above them and their Delights and will harbour no love of them but what is ready to submit them all to thee when thou art pleased to take them away and which will never sin against thy Laws to secure them to my self
Amen 8. A Prayer of Friends for the Sick when they are Light-headed or apprehend danger thereof LORD in this extremity of pain and sickness keep thy Servant in his Senses and let him not want the use of Reason when he stands most in need of its Succors Let not his Disease transport him into vane or violent Ravings And much less let the Enemy abuse his Fancy when he himself has lost all good use thereof and possess it with any frightful or ungodly Thoughts and Illusions But whatever he says or doth amiss or indecent under such Disturbance and alienation of mind impute not the same to him as his sins O! Lord whilst his Reason can neither understand nor refuse them and whilst that which takes away the use of his Reason from him is only his Disease which is of thy sending But impute them to the busie working of the Adversary upon an ungovern'd imagination And give thy Servant his Senses again that he may disclaim all the evil which he said or did whilst he knew it not and that he may watch against the Enemy and may see his own wants and earnestly implore thy Grace and Mercy for the supply thereof through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour Amen X. PRAYERS for certain kinds of Sickness I. For Women with Child Scriptures for Women with Child 1. Before their Travail UNTO the Woman God said I will greatly multiply thy Sorrow and thy Conception in Sorrow shalt thou bring forth Children Gen. 3. 16. For the Woman being deceived was first in the Transgression Notwithstanding she shall be saved in Child-bearing if she continue in Faith and Charity and Holyness with Sobriety 1 Tim. 2. 14 15. And when she is in Travail she hath Sorrow because her hour is come But as soon as she is deliver'd she remembreth no more the anguish for joy that a man is born into the World Jo 16. 21. 2. In Travail LORD my heart is sore pained within me and the Terrors of Death are falâ—'n upon me Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me and horror hath over-whelmed me Ps. 55. 4 5. But what time I am afraid I put my trust in thee Ps. 56. 3. Lord I beseech thee deliver my soul Ps. 116. 4. Oh! Be not thou far from me nor seem as if thou heardest not Shew some token upon me for good and make haste to help me O! Lord Ps. 38. 21. 22. and 88. 17. 3. After Delivery she may express her Devotion in one of the Hymns in the Office for Churching of Women or in this following I Love the Lord because he hath heard my voice and my supplicacations Because he hath inclined his ear unto me therefore will I call upon him as long as I live The sorrows of death compassed me and the pains of hell got hold upon me I found trouble and sorrow Then called I upon the Name of the Lord 116. 1 2 3 4. And in the day when I cryed he answered me and strengthened me with strength in my soul Ps. 138. 3. When I sought him he heard me and deliver'd me from all my fears Ps. 34. 4. Oh! Sing unto the Lord all ye Saints of his and give thanks at the remembrance of his Holiness Psal. 30. 4. Ye that fear the Lord praise him For he hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted neither hath he hid his face from me but when I cryed unto him he heard me And my praise shall be of him in the great Congregation I will pay my Vows before them that fear him Psal. 22. 23 24 25. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be World without end Amen Prayers for Women with Child 1. A Prayer for a breeding Woman and against Miscarriage to be used at any time before Travel O! Almighty Lord who in thy Mercy hast given me an hopeful Conception carry it on I humbly intreat thee to an happy Deliverance in thy due time Oh! let not my Child fare the worse for mine Offences nor deal with it according to my Deserts but according to thy own tender Mercies Give it its due shapes and full growth and preserve me from all Frights or evil Accidents which may cause me to miscarry and in great Love and Pity both to it and me bring it into the World at its full Maturity And Bless it in mind O God as well as in Body Endow it with an understanding capable to know thee and with an Heart well disposed and strongly bent to fear thee Sanctifie it from the Womb and receive and reckon it for thy Child as soon as it is mine lent to me for my Comfort but ever reserved and employ'd by thee for thy Service and Glory And Lord if it may please thee make it easie to me in the breeding and in the bearing and bringing forth also when the time shall come And grant that in both I may always bear my Burden with Patience and look up to thee with Faith and receive thy Mercies with all Humility and Thankfulness thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 2. A Prayer when the time of Travel draws near GIve me Grace O! merciful God to look for the pangs and throws of Travel which now draw near unto me with holy Fear and humble Confidence in thee Let me not come to meet them O! Almighty Father in a stupid or careless Security as one insensible how much the smart and peril of this State do need thy help and mercy For nothing is fitter to show us our weakness nor calls more for the Succours of thy strength And therefore I disclaim all Confidence in my Self or other humane means and humbly seek to thee and give my Self and my poor Babe up for lost unless thou art pleased to stand by me But when I see how much I need thee let me not mistrust thee O! my God For thou art prone to shew Pity and my pangs will be strong to move it And the Preservation of my sweet Babe which has done nothing against thee will call aloud to thy mercy to deliver me Thou art ready to hear us and to help us O! Lord because of thy Promise And my Trust is that thy Power and Goodness will not be wanting to support and deliver me in this Case because I see thou daily dost extend the same to support and deliver others and because thou hast several times heretofore done the same to my Self And therefore O! Father I cheerfully commit my self into thy hands And look to find mercy from thee as one who absolutely needs thee and humbly trusts to thee For mine eyes are unto thee O! God and to thee alone to give me convenient Courage to meet my pangs and strength to bear them and to give me Patience to wait on thee and a safe Deliverance at thy due time for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake Amen III. Prayers in time of Travel
lose them again That being made whole once it nearly concerns me to sin noe more lest I fall under something worse And that as I have now received them again from thee I ought above all things to Devote them to thee and that whilst they are in the way of pleasing thee they are surely in the best way of Benefitting and Comforting me And Lord have Pity upon others who are uncomfortable blinde as I was Hear their Cryes and Lighten their Darkness as thou hast Done mine Oh! that seeing what thou hast now done for me they may hold fast their hope and trust in thee And that all thy Servants may Praise and Magnifye thy Goodness which gives Sight to the Blind and raiseth the Poor out of Misery to be a Liveing monument of thy mercy and to Give thanks and Praise to thee thro our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Our Father c. IV. Prayers for a Sick Child 1. Out of the Office of Visitation of the Sick O! Allmighty God and most Mercyful Father to whom alone belong the issues of Life and Death look Down from Heaven we humbly beseech thee with the Eyes of Mercy upon this Child now lyeing upon the Bed of Sickness Visit him O! Lord with thy Salvation Deliver him in thy good appointed time from his Bodily Pain and save his Soul for thy Mercyes Sake That if it shall be thy good Pleasure to prolong his Days here on Earth he may live to thee and be an instrument of thy Glory by Serveing thee Faithfully and Doing Good in his Generation or else Receive him into those Heavenly Habitations where the Souls of them that Sleep in the Lord Jesus enjoy Perpetual Rest and Felicity Graunt this O! Lord for thy mercyes sake in the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ who liveth aud reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever one God world without end Amen 2. Another Prayer for the same LOrd Pity the troubles and weakness of this Poor Child and Pity our Sorrows who are afflicted with it and for it Ease it of its Pains and strengthen it when it lyes struggling for Life and raise it up again if it may please thee to grow in years and stature and in Wisdom and thy Fear and thereby to comfort us and Glorifye thee We beleive O! Allmighty Father that thou knowest best what is fit both for it and us and wiâ—t Doe what is best for both And therefore we leave it to thee to dispose of 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 Faithfull Servant here on Earth or take it to the Blessedness of thy Children in the Kingdom of Heaven thro our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Our Father c. A Thanksgiving for its Recovery BLessed be thy Name O! Father of mercyes for that thou hast heard us concerning this Child and raised him up for thy Service and our Comfort And Lord fill his Heart with Grace as thou hast done ours with joy Let Wisdom and Goodness still grow up with him and as fast as he grows capable thereof make him willing and carefull to Honor and obey thee Let not Company corrupt him nor youthfull Lusts as they come on prevail against his Soul But as now thou art the Preserver of his Life be ever henceforward the Keeper of his Innocence that whensoever thou shall call him again in thy Due time to meet Death he may have Comfort in the Remembrance of a Godly and well spent Life and sweetly fall asleep in thy Peace thro the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Our Father which art c. V. Prayers in times of common Infection Scriptures THe Lord killeth and he maketh alive he bringeth Down to the Grave and he bringeth up 1 Sam. 2. 6. And is there any Evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3. 6. But in his Wrath he remembreth mercy Hab. 3. 2. Oh! then let us come and return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal as he hath smitten and he will binde us up Hos. 6. 1. And make thy Dwelling in the secret Place of the most High and thou shalt abide under the Shadow of the Almighty He shall cover thee with his Feathers and his Truth shall be thy Shield and Buckler And then thou shall not be afraid for the Terror by night nor for the Arrow that flyeth by Day Nor for the Pestilence that walketh in Darkness nor for the Destruction that wasteth at Noon Day A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy Right Hand but it shall not come nigh thee There shall noe Evil befall thee nor shall any Plague come nigh thy Dwelling For he shall give his Angells charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways And that because thou hast made the Lord which is my Refuge even the most High thy Habitation Ps. 91. 1 4 5 6 7 9 10 11. Glory be to the Father c. Prayers I. O! Almighty God just art thou in visiting us of this place with this infectious Disease which takes away not only the injoyments of Health but alsoe the sweetest earthly Comforts and Supports of Sickness and Deprives us whilst we Live of the Help and Company of our Friends We justifye thee and thy judgements and confess that our miseryes are still far less than our Sins But whilst it comes to chastize our wickedness let it cure it too O! Lord. Take from us the Plague of an Hard Heart and make us tremble at thy word And purge away all our Sins for I fear them more and am more Desirous of their Cure than of the Cure of any Bodily Maladyes And they are truly our Plague which has infected our whole Nature and wherewith we Dayly infect one another And when they have showd us our wickedness let thy judgements cease from us and be intreated from this miserable Land for thy Dear Son our Saviour Jesus Christs sake Amen 2. O! Righteous Lord thou hast showed thy People terrible things and Given them a Drink of Deadly Wine Thou terrifyest us with thine Arrows which wound secretly and Walk in Darkness And with a Destruction which wasts at Noon Day But this deadly infection tho it be very spreading can invade none O! God without thy Commission Nor kill those whom it doth invade till thou biddest it Soe that our Life and Health is not left at the mercy of raging infection but is still bound up in thy Hand And they who have thee for their Sanctuarye in the most Contagious time may Dwell in Safety For thou givest thy Angells charge over them that noe infection can touch or Destroy them And under thy wings O! Lord doe I seek for shelter for my self and for my Family We have noe Preservation against these Dangers but thy Good Providence And the
Eccl. 12. 7. But there the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at Rest and they hear not the voice of the Oppressor Job 3. 17 18. Yea I will ransom them from the Power of the Grave saith the Lord I will redeem them from Death O! Death I will be thy Plague O! Grave I will be thy Destruction Hos. 13. 14. For he shall change this Vile Body and fashion it like unto his own Glorious Body Phil. 3. 21. And this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortal shall put on immortality 1 Cor. 15. 53. And the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all Faces and there shall be noe more Sorrow nor Crying nor Pain but Death shall be swallowed up in Victory Is. 25. 8. Rev. 21. 4. 1 Cor. 15. 54. 3. Against Fear of Death FEar not the sentence of Death remember them that have been before thee and that come after for this is the Sentence of the Lord over all Flesh Ecclus. 41. 3. It is but a going to Rest Our Friend Lazarus sleepeth Jo. 11. 11. And tho therein I leave Dear Friends yet I go to my Fathers Gen. 15. 15. And am gather'd to my People Gen. 49. 33. And the Righteous hath Hope in his Death Prov. 14. 32. For God hath begotten us again to a lively Hope thro the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead 1 Pet. 1. 3. And by his Death he hath destroyed him who had the Power of Death and Deliver'd them who all their Life Time were in Bondage to the Fear of Death Heb. 2. 14 15. Sâ—e that now whether we Live or Dye we are the Lords Rom. 14. 8. For he died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him 1. Thes. 5. 10. The Sting of Death is Sin 1 Cor 15. 56. But he is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins Act. 5. 31. And we have such an High Priest as will have Compassion on our infirmities He can mercifully Consider and be touched with them in us having in all points Sin only excepted been tempted like as we are himself Heb. 4. 15. c. 2. 17 18. And therefore Thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory of Death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 15. 57. And Blessed are the Dead from henceforth which Dye in the Lord Yea saith the Spirit for they rest from their Labours and their Works follow them Rev. 14. 13. 4. Against Presumption LEt him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10. 12. Thou standest by Faith be not high-minded but Fear Rom 11. 20. Happy is the man that feareth always but he that hardneth his Heart against Fear shall fall into mischeif Prov. 28. 14. Work out therefore your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling For it is God that worketh in you of his Good Pleasure Phil. 2. 12 13. Likewise since you must stand before him who without Respect of Persons judgeth according to every mans work pass the time of your Sojourning here in Fear 1 Pet. 1. 17. Tho I know nothing by my self yet am I not hereby justifyed 1 Cor. 4. 4. The Heavens are not clean in his sight Job 15. 15. He put noe trust in his Servants and his Angels he charged with folly Job 4. 18. When I consider I am afraid of him Job 23. 15. I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever Psal. 52. 8. But will keep withall an humble Spirit that trembleth at his word Is. 66. 2. And serve him with Reverence and Godly Fear Heb. 12. 28. 5. In the last Agonies LOrd now let thy Servant Depart inâ— Peace Luc. 2. 29. Say unto my Soul I am thy Salvation Psal. 35. 3. This Day shalt thou be with me in Paradice Luc. 23. 43. Lord Jesu receive my Spirit Act 7. 59. Into thine Hand I commit it for thou hast redeemed me O! Lord God of Truth Psal. 31. 5. Be with me and Conduct me thro the Valley of the shadow of Death Psal. 23. 4. Send thy Holy Angels to Carry me into Abrahams Bosom Luk. 16. 22. And into the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. I have fought a good Fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that Day 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. For if we beleive that Jesus Dyed and rose again even soe them allsoe which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 1 Thess. 4. 14. And I know whom I have Believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have Committed to him against that Day 2 Tim. 1. 12. Prayers 1. Prayers on the Prospect of ones own Death Drawing near 1. GRaunt O! Lord that I may end my Life in thy Fear and Favor and that I may Receive my Death which now threatens me not as my Curse but as my Deliverance Let me find it a Rest from my Labors and an Entrance upon a Life without Trouble and without Sin And Blessed be thy Mercy which tho it has seen fit and needfull to Discipline me with Sorrows yet has not made my Sorrows Endless but all to be laid down with this mortal Life and even in my Death has given me hopes of joys without end in a better Life through my Dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 2. O! Blessed Lord now I am hasting on to the End of my Life Remember not against me the Great and manifold errors thereof but let them all be wholly done away by thy Mercyes and my Blessed Saviours merits and my own true Repentance Let me come to my Change without Guilt and foresee its near approach without Fear or impatience And Oh! that I may allways stand ready to give a Good account of my Life unto thee And that I may fight out the Good Fight of Faith with Constancy and Perseverance and finish my Course with joy and never Sleep in Sin nor lye Down in misery and Sorrow And since my Soul is now summon'd to meet the Bridegroom Dress it O! Lord in a Wedding Garment fit to appear in his train Give me Oyl in my Lamp and Grace to trim and light it and keep it allways burning sending up a pure and holy Flame that when the Door opens I may be ready to Enter in with him And enable it to strip it self of all Fleshly affections before it leaves my Body and to be of like mind and Disposition with the Holy Angels and Beatifyed Spirits before it goes to keep them Company And O! my God let me never forgeâ— that this is like to be the last Tryal which thou wilt afford me of renouncing mine own will and resigning my self up to thine and of shewing forth Devotion of Spirit and all Holy Obedience and Patience and Faith and humble Confidence in thee And therefore
Hands as into the Hands of a faithful Creator and most merciful Saviour most humbly beseeching thee that it may be precious in thy sight Wash it we pray thee in the Blood of that immaculate Lamb that was slain to take away the sins of the World that whatsoever defilements it may have contracted in the midst of this miserable and naughty world through the lusts of the flesh or the wiles of Satan being purged and done away it may be presented pure and without spot before thee And teach us who survive in this and other like daâ—ly Spectacles of mortality to see how frail and uncertain our own condition is and so to number our days that we may seriously apply our Hearts to that holy and heavenly wisdom whilst we live here which may in the end bring us to life everlasting through the merits of Jesus Christ thine only Son our Lord. Amen 6. A Prayer against sudden death LOrd they who have lead the best lives are Desirous of some time to prepare for their Death But my Life has abounded in Sins and Frailtyes which make me stand in much greater need thereof Snatch me not away therefore to give up my accounts by the surprize of a sudden Death but Deliver me from an unprepared Heart and an unexpected End As I Sin Dayly O! God let me repent Dayly and stand allways upon my watch that I may be ready for thee whensoever thou callest me But give me time and leasure if it may please thee to put my Spirit in the best order I can for leaving this world and appearing before thee and taking my Leave of all decently that soe with more satisfaction to my Friends and with more settlement of minde and comfort to my self I may yeild it up into the Hands of thy mercy thro Jesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen Prayers and Devotions upon the Death of Friends Scriptures 1. When a Friend dyes IT is better to goe to the House of mourning than to go to the House of â—easting for that is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his Heart Sorrow is better than Laughter for by the Sadness of the Countenance the Heart is made better Eccl. 7. 2 3. But sorrow not Brethren for them which are asleep even as others which have no hope For if we Believe that Jesus Dyed and Rose again even soe them alsoe which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 1. Thess. 4. 13 14. Precious in the Sight of the Lord is the Death of his Saints Ps. 116. 13. And Blessed are the Dead which Dye in the Lord for they rest from their Labors and their works follow them Rev. 14 13. In the sight of the unwise they seemed to Dye and their Departure is taken for misery But they are in Peace and their Hope is full of immortality Wisd. 3. 2 3 4. And here the Righteous shall be had in everlastiâ—g Remembrance and the memory of the just is Blessed Ps. 112. 6. and Prov. 10. 7. Besides when the Righteous Dyes iâ— is often to take him from the evil to come Is. 57. 1. And now he is Dead wherefore should I fast and weep Can I bring him back again I shall go to him but he shall not return to me 2 Sam. 12. 23. Forget it not for there is no turning again thou shalt not do him good but hurt thy self And think thou hearest him say Remember my judgement or the sentence upon me for thine also shall be so Yesterday for me and to day for thee Therefore take no Heaviness to heart but Drive it away and remember the last end And when the Dead is at Rest let his remembrance Rest and be Comforted for him when his Spirit is Departed from him Ecclus. 38. 20 21 22 23. 2. When a Friend is taken away early THo the Righteous be prevented with Death yet shall he be in Rest. He was taken away speedily lest that wickedness should alter his understanding or Deceit beguile his Soul He pleased God and was beloved of him soe that living among sinners he was translated Yea therefore the Lord hasted to take him away from the wicked Moreover he being made Perfect in a short time fullfill'd a long Time For Honourable Age is not that which Standeth in Length of time nor that is measured by number of years But wisdom is the Gray hair unto men and an unspotted Life is old Age. Wisd. 4. 7 8 9 10 11 13 14. And why art thou against the Pleasure of the most High there is noe inquisition in the Grave whether thou have lived ten or an hundred or a thousand years Ecclus. 41. 4. 3. When one is Childless Trust not thou in the Life of Children neither Respect their multitude For one that is just is better than a thousand and better it is to Dye without Children than to have them that are ungodly Ecclus. 16. 3. Better it is to have noe Children and to have Virtue For the Memorial thereof is immortal because it is known with God and with Men. When it is present men take example at it and when it is gone they desire it it weareth a Crown and Triumpheth for ever haveing got the Victory striveing for undefiled Rewards Wisd. 4. 1 2. Prayers I. Prayers when a Friend Dyes 1. O! Allmighty Lord who hast now taken from us our Dear Brother here Departed at thy word we are sent into the Labor of Life and at the same word we return again into the Rest and Sleep of Death And thy Counsells O! God are Secret and farr above out of our sight But they are allways just and leave noe Ground for our Complaints Yea they are allways wise and Good and will appear to have been most Honourable for thee and most fit and Proper for us in the end Oh! then that I may humbly and dutifully Reverence thy Orderings when I can not Comprehend them and bring my will into a quiet submission unto thine and receive my Loss meekly and without murmuring because it is of thy sending Teach me thereby O! Lord to stand in awe of thy justice and to shew a devout Sense of the desert of Sin whose wages is Death and a Decent Sorrow for my own Loss But let my Sorrow be without fixing Faults on what thou hast orderd and without refusing to be Comforted as others who have noe Hope or growing Rebellious or unthankfull unto thee and troublesome to those about me because thou hast call'd my dear Friend away and deprived me of his Company Yea Lord instead hereof keep me thankfull unto thee that I was allow'd to have and injoy this Comfort before I am call'd now to part with it For I have great cause to Bless thee that I injoy'd him at all especially soe long as I did and have noe Cause now to be angry that I can injoy him no longer Nay I should render my self utterly unworthy of any Gift from thee