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
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
improve my Spirit And oh that this succession of my Losses may serve to perfect me in Patience and to wean me more thoroly from all earthly Supports Oh! that it may temper my worldly Complacencyes and guard me against all excess therein And call me to take Delight and seek Comfort in thee instead of seeking it in them and to look more at the joys of thy Kingdom where our Comforts shall succede one another infinitely faster than our Sorrows do here and where we shall for ever injoy thee thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen For supplying the want they have of their departed Friend by other ways of Gods good Providence they may use the two Prayers for the Widow and Orphans c. p. 158 156 and 157. 6. A Prayer for Learning by these Losses to sit more loose to the World and to fix our Hearts more on the Love of God THou hast sent me this Thorn in the flesh O! Blessed Lord to cure my inordinate Fondness for fleshly Delights and to keep me from being too much exalted with them For I pleased my self too much with worldly Comforts and to take my Heart off from them thou hast now embitter'd them to me with these Sorrows And Oh! doe thou teach me thereby to Delight more in thy self and less in Earthly things Enable me to make a Good Conscience and a comfortable sense of thy Love and Hope of thy Promises and of Heavenly joys my most beloved pleasures And Lord let me never call my self unhappy whilst I can injoy thee But make me account the Loss of all things else to be made up to me in thy Love and never repine or complain of other wants whilst thou art left me and I can comfortably look up to thee as my Bosom Friend and my tender Father as my Life and my Health my Rest and my joy thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen â— A Prayer when a Friend is taken away in his Prime THou art pleased to Cut off my Dear Friend O! most Righteous Lord in the midst of his Days before he had passed thro the several stages of Life and accomplished the Number of his Years But I will remember O! my God that it is not the Lenth of Life but the Goodness of it which thou lookest at And that he has lived long enough who has lived to be fit for thee and to Dispose his Soul for thy Mercy The blessed Mansions above are infinitely the best place to prolong and injoy Life in And therefore if thou O! Father art graciously pleased as I hope thou art for the Merits of our Dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to accept of the innocence and obedience of his Life neither he nor we have any cause to complain of the shortness of it And if we who are left behind him may have the Grace first to live holily we will thankfully think and own to thee that we have lived long enough whensoever thou seest it Time we should Dye And as my Dear Friend is taken away in the Prime of his Strength soe I must Consider O! Lord that he is taken away withall in the Hight of his Toyls and out of the greatest Hurry of his Busyness and Temptations Thou hast thereby kept him from trying how strong he could be to bear Sorrows and Vexations and from lamenting to finde his Strength too often turn'd into weakness And oh that we who survive him may at lenth attain by thy Grace to have all our temptations end in a perpetual security and undisturbedness to have all our Sorrows turned into joys and our Days of Labor happily exchanged for Days of Rest and Peace for the Merits and Mediation of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 3. Prayers when a Friend is taken away by a violent untimely Death I. A Prayer whilst the Person yet liveth to be said either by himself or by his Friends for him O! Allmighty Lord thou art pleased by a violent and hasty Stroke to hurry me thy unworthy Servant out of this World For thou didst Deliver me into the Hands of him that Smote me and how unjustly soever my Death comes from him yet it is most just from thee I fully justify thee and freely forgive him and oh that he may truely repent thereof in Time that thou mayest freely forgive him too But as I am like to be snatched away thereby from hence in hast O! my Dear God Give me Great strength of Grace to do much towards finishing my Peace with thee in a little Time If thou art pleased to shew it thy Grace can perfect my Repentance in few hours yea in a few minutes as well as in many It wrought it in the Thief upon the Cross in his last Agonies And some who had tarryed till the last hour of the Day are made acceptable thereby in thy Service Oh! let it be mighty towards me in this my necessity as it was towards them in theirs and take me not hence till it has made me a Penitent fit for thee to accept of Oh! Remember not my great and manifold Sins in Wrath but only to send Grace sufficient to Cure them and to shew Mercy on me for the same And as I am hereby Chastned for their Cause Lord let it be that I may not be Condemned with the World Let all my Punishment or Portion of Pains be here but Give me Peace and Favour with thee hereafter And Spare me a little Good Lord Spare me if it may seem Good to thee that I may recover some Strength and Dress my Lamp and supply the Great Defectiveness of my Duty towards thee before I 〈◊〉 But if thou hast otherwise Decreed and I must Dye suddenly then magnifye thy mercy O! my God inâ—escueing me from the near approacâ— of Eternal misery and let thy Displeasure end in my Death but after that receive me among the meanest of thy Servants to Everlasting Life thro the merits of my Blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ Amen 2. A Prayer of his Friends after his Death O! Blessed Father it has seem'd Good to thy wise Providence to tear this Dear Friend from us by violence and to send him untimely to his Grave I own thy Justice herein and Dâ—sire to shew Reverence instead of murmuring because it is thy Doing And my Hope is O! Lord that thou doest and wilt remember the Pious Study and bent of his former Life in mercy and graciously accept him as one Dying in thy Fear And whilst I have this Hope to Comfort me I will not Complain of any violence or Accidents which hurryed him away from us to injoy thee When it has been the business of a mans Life and his dayly Study and Care O! God to serve thee tho Death comes on the sudden yet it will not come too soon for him And I will consider allsoe that if thou surprizest him with the suddenness of his Death thou sufferest him not to be
let it not be by reading Plays or Romances or foolish and undue Ideas of Love and Honour which feed or revive vain thoughts nor by Play or other things fit to excite Passion or exercise Covetousness but in pastimes of least lightness and fewest temptations and used with moderation remembring that on a sick-bed when a mans time is almost spent 't is not for him to cast about how to pass away his time but how to redeem and improve it Let the reading which is read to him and the conversation which is held with him be suitable to one in his condition Not light to lessen his seriousness nor in any thing vicious uttering things either against Modesty or against Piety or against Justice or against Charity All which may either leave ill impressions upon him by giving his spirit a tincture of the same or bring him into a snare by thinking that he has been wanting in reproof thereof out of too little respect to God and too much to the speakers by either of which he is the worse for them But let all that passes be fit to suit the seriousness and preserve the innocence and help on some virtues but hinder none that are befitting a Person in his condition Whereof I shall say more in the ensuing directions CHAP. II. Of settling his Accounts and securing his Peace with God by Repentance Faith and Continuance in the Vnity of the Church BUT whilst this care is taken for the Body the chief thing which he has to employ himself in on his Sick-bed after the settlement of his Worldly Estate is to take care of his Soul This must exercise his own thoughts when he is by himself And for this he must call in the assistance of the guides of Souls Sending for the Elders of the Church that they may Pray over him and assist and Comfort him by words spoken in their due Season and Administer to him the Word and the benefit of Absolution and the Holy Communion resolving and assisting him in all things that may be needful for the finishing of his Repentance the support of his Spirit or the Peace of his Conscience And in this Care of his Soul these things are chiefly to employ his own thoughts or his Guides assistance 1. To settle his Account and secure his Peace with Almighty God And in care of this let his work be 1. To finish his Repentance And in order thereto let him carefully review all his past life and the present frame and habit of his Mind And let him diligently observe what is good in either and with all Humility thank God for it and take comfort in it and what is amiss in both and work himself up into true contrition for the same affectionately bewailing his extream folly and unworthiness therein And let him fix holy deliberate and unreserved purposes against all his former Offences And make all due and reasonable satisfaction for all Wrongs done by him to any Persons by any ways And take care of the payment of all his just Debts And seek Reconciliation where he has given any just Offence And forgive those who have injured or disobliged him And break off his Iniquity by Righteousness or by being more abundant in Alms-Deeds and consummate and finish any good designs which he had piously laid in his Health and would not lose the reward thereof by having them dropt at his Death And in these ways of expiating Sins let him earnestly begg God's Pardon and comfortably hope for the same through the Merits of Jesus Christ. And in the care of paying his Debts and making Restitution or giving Charitable or Pious Gifts if he can let him settle and finish them himself before his own Death and not refer all to a Will and leave the accomplishment and recompence of so rewardable purposes to the contingencies of time and the Fidelity Kindness or care of Executors Sometimes indeed the Surprize of Dying Persons is so great that they must leave these things to others And sometimes the Persons intrusted are fit to serve the Dying Persons ends and really do serve them to advantage But this is not ordinarily to be trusted to if he can help it For why should he think they will make more dispatch or find fewer delays and put offs in doing these things for him than he did in doing them for himself He has a quicker sense of his own burdens and of his own desires and longings than another ordinarily can or will have and if for all that he shall delay to disburden his own Soul and consummate his own desires and purposes when he may why may not they do so too And on this point let him often say A broken and a contrite Heart Lord thou wilt not despise I acknowledge my transgressions and my Sins are ever before me Wash me throughly from mine iniquities and cleanse me from my Sins Amen Lord be merciful to me a Sinner Amen Oh let the Blood of Iesus cleanse me from all my Sins Amen Lord I have Sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired Servants Amen Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that Trespass against us Amen 2. To shew forth his Faith which he may do by often repeating his Creed I believe in thee O God! the Father Almighty and that thou art the maker of Heaven and Earth And I believe in thee O Jesu Christ that thou art Gods only Son and our Lord. I believe that thou wast conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin mary That thou didst Suffer under Pontius Pilate wa st Crucified Dead and Buryed and descendest into Hell That thou dist rise again the third day from the Dead That thou didst ascend into Heaven and there now sittest at the Right Hand of God And that from thence thou shalt come again to Judge both the Quick and the Dead I believe in thee also O! Holy Ghost I likewise believe that my Blessed Saviour had and hath and whilst the World lasts ever will have on Earth an Holy Catholick Church And that in this Church there is to be a Communion of Saints I believe also that therein is to be had Remission of Sins And after Death I believe there shall be a Resurrection of the Body both for good and bad and a Life Everlasting for the Righteous Amen And let him often say Lord I Believe Help thou mine unbelief Amen Lord increase my Faith Amen All this O! Lord I stedfasty believe Oh! keep me from having my Portion among unbelievers Amen Lord I thank thee that I have been instructed in this Belief and Professed it in my Life Amen Lord keep me from wavering or any ways doubting of the same in my weakness Amen Lord give me the comfort of this belief at my death and make me find the Blessing of it after death Amen And if the
receive my Death and think 't is time for me to die if thou doest because Life now is grown very uneasie to me and every day brings much more evil than good and is more my Burden than my Blessing I receive it from thee O! Lord as my passage to a better Life and am not only willing but thankful to change Weariness for Rest and Earthly Sorrows for Heavenly and Everlasting Joys Amen If the Dying persons have lived ill and loosly they have Reason indeed if God please to desire to live longer that they may learn to live better and may be more perfect before they Die Yea and even good persons do many times desire the same since the best may mend and still grow better But let such good Souls think with themselves that if they should live longer yet living on in the same frail Natures peradventure more days would still heap up more Frailties and Infirmities to make them still more afraid of Death and they would be more imperfect and less fit to die then than they are now So that 't is best to let God chuse for them and be willing to Die when he pleases If he would not leave the ordering and Expences of his Funeral to the Discretion of his Friends but is minded to give Directions about the â—â—me himself let him declare where he desires they should lay his Body and who should be desired to accompany it and who to bear it to his Grave and what Tokens of kind Remembrance shall be given to any of them And if he see fit he may order some of the smaller Gifts and Memorials of kindness which I mentionâ—d before at the making of his Will to be given at that time In proportioning the Expences thereof he should have regard to the Estate which he has to leave and to his Rank and Station in the World And in laying cut the same he will most comfort and benefit himself by such ways of expence as best Honour God and profit others such as satisfying the Hungry with Doles and cloathing the Needy with Garments and sending Gifts in Money more or less as he pleases and as suits with his Worldly Circumstances to his own or other adjacent Parishes to be distributed among the â—oor thereof or in such other Acts of Piety and Beneficence as are fit to attend the Body of one who both living in the World and leaving it was studious to be found doing good And when he is near about to leave the World he may take a pious and solemn leave of it Let him call in his Parents if he has any to ask their pardon for any offence he ever gave them and to beg their Blessing and give them his Thanks for all their Love and Care of him And also his Children to give them his Blessing and charge them to keep upright and constant in Gods Fear and in loving and helping one another And likewise his Friends and Family and Dependants to receive his last Farewell Let him profess the great need he has of God's Mercy and the good hopes he has through the Merits of Christ and through his alone to find it Let him profess also that he Dies in the Faith of Christ and repeat the Creed And that he hopes for the acceptance of his Faith and Repentâ—nce in the Unity and Communion of Christs Church in which he Dies and particularly as a stedfast and sincere though unworthy Member of the Church c. whose declared Belief he professes whose way of Worship he heartily receives and in whose Peace and Communion he has hitherto lived and now dies Then let him profess that he takes leave of the World in peace And forgives all both present and absent as he desires himself God would forgive him And that if any have ever taken any thing ill of him he desires they would forgive him After which let him send Messages to any absent Friends whose Reformation he desires whose Peace he seeks or whose Love or Favors he would express either a just thankfulness or a friendly sense of And as for themselves let him thank them all for all their good Wishes and good Services in his Life and at his Death and pray God to remember the same for their Benefit And let him heartily beg their pardon for all the Unreasonable or passionate or unequal usage which he had ever been guilty of towards any of them in his Health for all the unnecessary trouble which he has given to any of them by his weakness but especially for all the provocation and offence which he has given to any of them by his fretfulness and impatience during the time of his sickness And then let him charge all about him to keep constant in the Faith and firm in the Unity of the Church and endeavour to confirm them in the ways of Piety Sobriety Justice Charity and to warn them against falling from any of them for any Intrests or Injoyments of this World or if at any time they do against delaying Repentance or growing hardened and secure under their Fall Then let him exhort them all to keep Peace among themselves especially those who are concerned in the Division of his Estate And desire all their prayers to assist him in his Agonies And so recommend them all to God's Mercy praying that he will keep them all stedfast in his fear and safe under his care whilst they live and give them all comfort when they come into his condition and bring them all at last to meet together again in his Heavenly Kingdom After this he may tell those Friends who attend more about him that in his departure he desires he may have no disturbance to lengthen out his Pains and molest his Passage And therefore if any of them think they cannot contain themselves and govern their Grief nor see him Die without bursting into passionate Out-crys and noisie disturbance to call back his retiring Spirit let him beg them to withdraw when his Death approaches and pray for him and vent their own grief by themselves But if any of them can stand by and accompany him in silence if they happen then to be about him he may desire that they would stay to assist him with their Prayers in his last Agonies and recommend his departing Soul to God at his last Breath After he hath taken such Religious and solemn leave of all his Friends he has nothing left to do but whilst his strength serves to employ his Spirit in Holy Thoughts and Desires as he did before and devoutly and willingly wait God's time for his change And under this expectation let him often say My Flesh and my Heart faileth but thou art the strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever Ps. 73 26. Lord strengthen me in my last Agonies and guard me from all Frights and Molestations of the Enemy Amen I have a good Master for Jesus that most Blessed of all Names is my Master and
dost in great mercy Pity my weakness and provide for it For 't is thy mercy that lays not too much upon me 'T is thy mercy that I am brought down by degrees and am not consumed suddenly 'T is thy mercy that thou wast not soon nor wilt be long angry with me 'T is thy mercy that makes my Bed in my Sickness that considereth my weakness and supporteth me and considereth my Pains and shortneth them and always in due time gives me ease or intermission from them 'T is thy mercy O! dear God that ordereth Comforts for me continually to sweeten my Distresses to me and that makes thee still to be most near unto me at those times when I stand most in need of thee So that altho' I am Sick O! my God yet I am not forsaken For Blessed be thy Name my Griefs are not beyond measure and my Burden is not without help nor my Sufferings without hope and comfort wherewith in thine abundant Mercy thou daily temperest them and sustainest me thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 3. I Bless thee O! most gracious Lord for sending this Sickness upon me which thou sendest to shew thy Love and Care of me and to do me good For if my Body were not sick thou seest my Soul would be sick Yea alas it has been very Sick and this Sickness of my Body comes to cure it For in thus Correcting me when I had gone astray thou art putting an end O! God to my wandring Thou sendest these Sorrows to open my ears to discipline when Mercies would not open them and to reclaim me and set me in the way of Pardon So that this dealing shows that thou hast not rejected me as an outcast or Alien but still lookest upon me with thoughts of Mercy and treatest me as a Son And Blessed be thy Mercy O! Father of Mercies which by these Pains and Sorrows of my Body hast given my Spirit rest from the wearisome importunity and Sollicitations of Lust and Envy Blessed by thou who hast thereby dullâ—d the edge of my covetous Desires and laid asleep my worldly Cares and brought down my ambitious and aspiring thoughts and humbled Self-conceit by shewing me that I am but sin and folly dust and misery Blessed be thou who hast thereby calld me off from incumbring my self with many things which now I see cannot profit me to mind the one thing necessary and from minding worldly Vanities to spend my thoughts upon thy Laws and Promises and from placeing my confidence in my Self to place it only and wholly in thee And since my Sickness doth thus shew me thy Love and cure my Spirit and set on my Felicity it shall please me O! God when it pains me And I will confess to the Glory of thy Truth and Goodness that thou out of very Faithfulness hast caused me to be troubled even because I need it and because by thy Grace I shall receive much benefit by it thro' my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 4. I Bless thee O! Lord for all the innumerable Mercies which I have received from thee most bountifully and seasonably in all States and Conditions of my Life and thro' all the days and years of it And for that I have long received good at thy hands before I am brought now to receive Evil. I owe thee infinite thanks for a Life of health before this Confinement to my Bed of Sickness and for the long and sweet relish I have had of worldly Comforts before my Disease has rendred them unsavory And my present Pains and Sorrows O my God do not make me forget thy past or present Mercies nor go about to lessen them nor shall they by thy Grace ever make me out of humour with thee or unthankful for them Yea instead of giving thee less thanks for them by reason of this change of my Condition I wll give thee more because my present want of them has taught me better how to prize and value them And I do Bless and I will Bless the Lord that gave and Bless him still after he has taken away I Bless thee for that I still injoy much Good and cannot in the least blame thee that I have some evil but thank thee abundantly that I have no more And above all that under all my present Misery I am comforted with the Sense of thy Love and with the Blessed hopes of everlasting Peace and Joy thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen VII Prayers for Patience under Sickness I. A General Prayer for Patience O! Merciâ—ul Lord now I am called to the State of Sickness which is a Tryal of Patience give me Grace to shew Patience under the same that is not to be wearied and cannot be reproved Enable me O! Father to shew a quiet and composed Patience that is without tumult of troubled Thoughts and discontented Passions A submissive and resigned Patience that is without reluctance to thy Will or Rebellious murmurings A Patience of hope that doth not sâ—â—k under my Burdens nor is driven by â—he smart of my Pains to 〈…〉 Love or Care or 〈…〉 And a Thankful 〈…〉 sensible of my Comforts and Supports as well as of my Sicknesses and that owns all my present Sufferings to be far below my deserts and all my past and present Mercies to be infinitely above them And make me perfect O! my God in this Patience Let me tarry thy leisure and not be hasty Let me wait on thee and not grow weary But bear all whilst I have any thing to bear in comfortable hopes of thy Strength to support my present Weakness and of thy Mercy to ease and deliver me at last either by a more healthful Life or by an happy Death thro' the Merits of Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 2. For Patience without reluctance or Disquietness LOrd I humble my Self under thy mighty hand and submit to thy Visitation I submit my Self willingly and will not strive or make resistance I kiss the Rod instead of Quarrelling with it and accept of it quietly as of the punishment of mine iniquities Yea thankfully as of the Restorer of mine innocence And in this Patience O! Holy Father do thou still continue and preserve my Spirit composed and quiet and easie to my Self Since it is thy Will thus to afflict me bow my Will to thine and make me willing to bear it And bearing it willingly let it not anger or discontent me Yea O! my God I trust to thee to lay no more upon me than I can bear Oh! let that Trust keep me without Fears and Distractions under my Burdens I bear only what I most justly deserve Oh! let that stop me from complaining Nay I bear infinitely less than I have deserved and still injoy abundance of Mercies after I have deserved to lose all Oh! then let me not fall to accuse thee for thine inflictions but rather to accuse my self for my evil Deserts and to thank thee for my most
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
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
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
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
5. 12. I will make thee sick in smiteing thee because of thy sins Mich. 6. 13. I will visit their offences with the Rod and their sin with Scourges Ps. 89. 32. And when he slew them they sought him and return'd and inquired early after God Ps. 78. 34. In their affliction they will seek me early Hos. 5. 15. And this such a Repentance as expresses it self 1. In amendment of their sins When I bring them thro' the fire 't is to refine them like a silver is refined Zech. 13. 9. And by this smiteing shall the iniquity of Jacob be purg'd and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Isaiah 27. 7 9. For when they be holden in cords of Affliction then he sheweth them their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded He openeth also their ear to Discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity Job 36. 8 9 10. And surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastizement I will not offerd any more That which I see not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do no more Job 34. 31 32. 2. In reconciling themselves to those whom they have offended and making satisfaction for injuries If ye forgive men their Trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Mat. 6. 14 15. And if thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee go thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy Gift Matt. 5. 23 24. Oppress not any restore the Debtor his pledge and spoil none by violence but withdraw thy hand from iniquity and deal truly and thou shalt surely live Ezek. 18. 7 8 9. Loose the bands of wickedness and undoe the heavy burdens and let the oppressed go free And then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thee thy Righteousness shall go before thee and his Glory shall be thy reward Isa. 58. 6 8 9. But without such Reparations of Wrongs done He that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done and there is no respect of persons Col. 3. 25. And keep not wrongful gettings to leave thine Heir rich For better is a little with Righteousness than great Revenues without Right Prov. 16. 8. Nor think of appeasing God by giving Alms till thou hast first done Justice For I the Lord love judgement I hate Robbery for Burnt-Offering Is. 61. 8. 3. In Alms Deeds Break off thy sins by Righteousness and thine â—niquities by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4. 27. For by mercy and truth iniquity is purged Prov. 16. 6. Water will quench a flaming fire and Alms maketh an attontment for sin Ecclus. 3. 30. Sell that ye have therefore and give Alms Provide your selves Bags which wax not old a treasure in the Heavens that saileth not where no Thief approacheth neither Moth corrupteth Luke 12. 33. And make to your selves friends of the Mammon of Vnrighteousness that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations Luk. 16. 9. And charge them that are rich in this World that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to Communicate Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6. 18 19. Deal thy bread to the hungry and bring the poor that is cast out to thine house When thou seest the naked cover him and hide not thy self from thine own Flesh. Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thee thine health shall spring forth speedily and thy Righteousness shall go before thee and the Glory of the Lord shall be thy reward Isa. 58. 7 8 9 c. Because that Alms do deliver from death and suffereth not to come into darkness Tob. 4. 10. and c. 12. 9. It shall deliver thee from all affliction when it is shut up in thy Store-houses It shall fight for thee against thine Enemies better than a mighty shield and a strong spear Ecclus. 29. 12 13. Blessed therefore is he that considereth the poor for the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble Ps. 41. 1. 4. In Penitential Confessions and earnest Prayers for God's Pardon of our Sins There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine Anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin For mine Iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin Ps. 38. 3 4 18. I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O! Thou preserver of men Job 7. 20. Lord be merciful unto me heal my Soul for I have sinned against thee Ps. 41. 4. O! Remember not against me former iniquities let thy tender mercy speedily prevent me for I am brought very low Ps. 79. 8. Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake Ps. 25. 7. According to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin Ps. 51. 1 2. Thou hast chastized me and I was chastized as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoke Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh I was asham'd yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Jer. 31. 18 19. Glory be to the Father c. II. With Trust in God 1. Trusting him with themselves TRust in the Lord at all times ye People for God is a refuge for us Ps. 62. 8. The Lord is a refuge in times of trouble Ps. 9. 9. Why art thou disquieted within me O! My Soul Hope in God Ps. 43. 5. For he shall be kept in perfect peace O! God whose mind is stayed on thee Isa. 26. 3. And therefore what time I am afraid I will trust in thee Ps. 56. 3. I will trust and not be afraid Isa. 12. 2. I will hope and also quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord. Lam. 3 26. For he that believeth will not make hast Isa. 28. 16. Therefore when I look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my Salvation Mich. 7. 7. I will not be afraid of evil tidings for my heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. Ps. 112. 7. And tho I walk thro' the valley of the shadow of Death I will fear no evil For thou art with me and thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Ps. 23. 4. Yea tho he slay me yet will I trust in him Job 13. 15. 2. Trusting him with their Friends and Families And all my cares for my Wife and Family and Friends I cast on thee for thou carest for us 1 Pet. 5. 7. Psal.
now Lord what wait Iâ—for truely my Hope is even in thee Ps. 39. 7. My Flesh and my Heart faileth but thou art the Strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever Ps. 73. 26. I Stretch out my hands unto thee my Soul Thirsteth after thee as a Thirsty Land Ps. 43. 6. All my Desire is before thee and my Groaning is not hid from thee Ps. 38. 9. Hide not then thy Face from me and forget not my misery and Trouble Ps. 44. 24. Cast me not off nor forsake me when my Strength faileth Ps. 71. 9. And rebuke me not O! Lord in thine Anger neither chasten me in thy heavy Displeasure Ps. 6. 1. But remove thy Stroke away from me for I am consumed by the blow of thine hand Ps. 39. 10. Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro and wilt thou pursue the dry Stubble Job 13. 25. Oh! Spare me a little that I may recover my Strength before I go hence and be no more Ps. 39. 13. Be not wroth verâ—y sore O! Lord neither remember iniquity for ever Is. 64. 9. But turn from me that I may rest till I accomplish as an hireling my day Job 14. 6. and Ch. 10. 20. 21. Hear my Prayer O! Lord and give ear unto my cry hold not thy Peace at my Tears Ps. 39. 12. Be merciful unto me O! Lord for I cry unto thee Daily And thou art good and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon thee Rejoyce the Soul of thy Servant for unto thee O! Lord do I lift up my Soul Ps. 86. 3 4 5. And hear me speedily O! Lord for my Spirit faileth Ps. 143. 7. And mine Eyes fail for thy word saying when wilt thou comfort me Ps. 119. 82. And make me hear of joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Ps. 51. 8. Glory be to the Father c. II. For Deliverance and Recovery from the same I. IN thee O! Lord do I put my Trust let me never be ashamed deliver me in thy Righteousness Ps. 31. 1. Vnto thee have I cryed O! Lord and in the morning shall my Prayer prevent thee Ps. 88. 13. Hear my Prayer O! Lord and hide not thy Self from my Petition Take heed unto me and hear me how I mourn in my Prayer and am vexed Ps. 55. 1 2. Lord how long wilt thou be angry with thy Servant that prayeth Ps. 8. 4. Save me for thy Names sake and deliver me in thy Strength Ps. 54. 1. Make thy Face to shine upon thy Servant and save me for thy Mercies sake Ps. 31. 16. O! Let it be thy Pleasure to deliver me make hast O! Lord to help me Ps. 40. 13. And send out thy Light and thy Truth and let them lead me and bring me unto thy Holy Hill and to thy Tabernacles Ps. 43. 3. II. What profit is there in my Blood if I go down unto the Pit shall the dust praise thee Shall it declare thy Truth Ps. 30. 9. Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the Grave or thy Faithfulness in Destruction Shall thy wonders be known in the Dark and thy Righteousness in the Land of Forgetfulness Ps. 88. 11 12. The Living the Living he shall Praise thee the Father to the Children shall make known thy Truth Isa. 38. 19. Thou hast been my Succor leave me not neither forsake me O! God of my Salvation Ps. 27. 9. Thou art he that tookest me out of my Mothers Womb thou wast my hope when I hanged yet upon my Mothers Breasts I have been left unto thee ever since I was born thou art my God even from my Mothers Womb. Our Fathers also hoped in thee they trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them They called upon thee and were holpen they put their trust in thee and were not confounded Ps. 22. 4 5 9 10. And the Poor shall not always be forgotten and the Patient abiding of the meek shall not perish for ever Ps. 9. 18. O! Then deliver me and let me not be confounded for I have put my Trust in thee Ps. 25. 19. And men shall know that this is thy hand and that thou Lord hast done it Ps. 109. 26. Glory be to the Father c. On Receipt of Ease or any Abatement of Pain or Sickness BEhold God is my Salvation I will trust and not be affraid for the Lord Jehovah is my Strength and my Song he also is become my Salvation Thou wast angry with me O! Lord thine Anger is turned away and thou Comfortedst me Isa. 12. 1 2. He hath chastned me sore but he hath not given me over unto Death Ps. 118. 18. He knows our Frame he remembreth that we are Dust. And like as a Father Pityeth his Children so the Lord Pitieth those that fear him Ps. 103. 13 14. Glory be to the Father c. IV. Vnder the Accidents of Sickness I. Want of Sleep ALL the night make I my Bed to swim I water my Couch with my Tears Ps. 6. 6. For thou holdest mine Eyes waking I am so feeble that I cannot speak My sore ran in the night and ceased not My Soul refused to be comforted I call to Remembrance my Song in the night I commune with mine own Heart and my Spirit maketh diligent search Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his Promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be Gracious hath he in Anger shut up his tender Mercies And I said this is my infirmity but I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old Ps. 77. 2 4 6 7 8 9 10 11. Lord I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches Ps. 63. 6. I have remembred thy name O! Lord in the night and have kept thy Law Ps. 119. 55. Glory be to the Father c. 2. On Excess of pain and weariness Lord thou hast set me as a mark against thee so that I am a Burden to my self In the day time I cry and cease not and wearisome nights are appointed to me When I lye down I say when shall I arise and the night be gone and I am full of Tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day Job 7. 3 4 20. Thou wilt not suffer me to take my Breath but fillest me with bitterness Job 9. 18. O! turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me give thy strength unto thy Servant and save the Son of thine Handmaid Ps. 86. 16. Are not my days few cease then Lord and let me alone that I may take comfort a little Job 10 20. O! spare me a little that I may recover my strength Ps. 39. 13. And lay not more upon me than I am able to bear 1 Cor. 10. 13. My Grace sayest thou is sufficient for thee and my strength shall be made perfect in weakness 2 Cor. 12. 9. And in the multitude of my Thoughts
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
those who charitably attend about me in my sickness Keep me always submissive and devout towards thee and thankful and easie unto them And let thy Blessing go along with all their Means and Medicines and in thy due time asswage and end my pains and either restore me to my strength and send me health and ease and the mercies of a longer and a better life or else a blessed and a comfâ—rtable death for our Lord Jesus Christâ—s sake Amen Out of the Office of Visitation of the Sick O! Lord look down from Heaven â—ehold visit and relieve me thy Servant Look upon me with the eyes of thy mercy give me comfort and sure confidence in thee defend me from the danger of the enemy and keep me in perpetual peace and safety through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be 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 For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen And he may still conclude with the Lord's Prayer on all occasions when he has used as many of these Prayers as he thinks fit for that time Particular Prayers for the Duties and Needs of Sick Persons Prayers for Repentance in Sickness I. RIghteous art thou O! God in all these pains and sorrows which punish my sins and try my patience and I have none to accuse or complain of for the same but my self I receive my sickness as the Chastisement of a Sinner and am willing to bear Chastisement for my sins that I may be thereby reclaimed from them Correct me O! Lord that thou mayest not condemn me and let me be judged by thee for my sins and judge my self for them here that I may have nothing but mercy without judgment to receive at thine hands hereafter But judge me O! My God with Mercy and not in thine Anger Judge me not according as my sins have deserved but according as my weakness can bear and according as thy Compassions are wont to mitigate thy Judgments And let my sickness work my true Repentance and prove an happy means in the hand of thy mercy to expiate my Guilts not to encrease them and to reclaim me perfectly from all the Evils which I have committed formerly not to occasion my committing more and to confer that rest and peace upon my Soul which is denyed to my Body for our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's sake Amen 2. Thou smitest me O! Gracious Lord that thou mayst cure me and punishest my sin that thou mayest thereby amend and reclaim my person And I am weary of my sins which have brought upon me all these Sorrows and which I know assuredly will bring infinitely worse unless I prevent the same by my timely and true Repentance of them Help me therefore to search them out O! God and to discover every accursed thing And when I see them let me not stop at any one but set my self intirely to renounce and amend all Let thy love make me hâ—te every evil way And make my purposes against them strong and resolute and my care in fulfilling the same vigilant and patient and all the remainder of my days to be one continued defacement of my former Errors and Devotion of my self to thy Service Lord Cure my Folly by my Misery and teach me by the loss of my bodily ease to purchase the Blessing of true Repentance and the comfortable hopes of thy merciful acceptance thereof thro the Merits of our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen To make his Confessions and other Acts of Repentance with greater sureness and satisfaction to himself the Sick man must first make a discovery of his Sins by examining himself and trying his ways upon the several Heads and Branches of God's Commandments And thereby inquire into the state of his Soul to see whether he is already safe within the terms of pardon or what he wants to make him so This is a work for all men at all times who would live with safety or die with peace But especially for sick and dying persons who are more sensible their case admits of no delays and who not only ought but also more commonly are wont to make it their earnest desire and care And in their performance of this most important Task with security and comfort I have assisted them as well as I can in the Tryal or Judgment of the Soul c. in a small Treatise intituled A Companion for the Penitent to which I refer them 3. A Confession of Sins taken out of the Office for the Penitent or those who mourn for sin p. 39. c. O! Almighty and most Righteous Lord I do hear with grief of heart and with shame and deep humility confess unto thy Dreadful Majesty that my sins are exceeding many and great and have been frequently repeated I have oft-times transgressed out of Ignorance O! that I could not say careless Ignorance under Opportunities of Knowledge yea or affected Ignorance espoused for Earthly ends against Light and clear Evidence which was enough to shame and silence me though not to gain and convince me But I have transgressed oftner out of Negligence Worldly Fear or Desire yea alas too oft out of presumptuous Wilfulness condemning the Evil whilst I was a doing it and offending wittingly and with Checks and Convictions to the contrary And these Sins I have been drawn to against all the Endearments of thy Mercies and all the Alarms and louder Warnings of thy Punishments against all the Rebukes and Strivings of thy Grace and of my own Conscience and of other faithful and seasonable Admonishers And against all mine own Purposes and Engagements Deliberately made and solemnly profess'd and frequently repeated that I would offend therein no more Lord be merciful to me a Great and Wretched Sinner 2. BUT thou O! Blessed Jesus by making thy self a Sin-Offering for us art come to take away the Sins of all who truly Repent thereof And O! Merciful Lord tho' my Sins are many and grievous yet I do not desire to overlook them but would gladly see and discover them all that I may penitently bewail and forsake them And Oh! That no corrupt Passions nor love of Worldly or Carnal Interests may ever byass me or blind my Eyes from seeing the same whilst there is space left me to repent of them And as for those sins which I do know my self to be guilty of I do not cover but with shame confess them I do not justifie nor excuse but condemn my self for the same I stand thereby guilty O! Lord of highest Disobedience against the strictest Obligations of wretched Disingenuity and Unthankfulness against the most endearing Mercies and of most stupid Folly against my own clearest highest and most
lasting Interests throwing away thy favour and future Joys for empty shows and shadows and a blessed Eternity for moments of Vanity I reflect on all this O! Merciful God with bitterness and with a Spirit wearied with mine own ways I see and lament my own folly and abhor mine own vileness on account thereof I wish with all my Soul that those Sins had never been done and would take any way to undoe them and most earnestly desire and fnlly purpose by thy Grace that I may do so no more God be merciful to me a self-condemning and repenting Sinner 3. LOrd I am burden'd and heavy laden with my Sins Oh! Do thou who callest out to the heavy laden to seek refreshment at thine Hands give me ease I confess them and desire above all things else that I may utterly forsake them Let me according to my Promise find Mercy From mine Heart I forgive all Persons who have offended me even my bitterest Enemies and most earnestly entreat thee that thou wouldst forgive them Oh! Do thou who offerest forgiveness to those who are ready to grant it for Jesus Christ's sake forgive me I repent unfeignedly of all my Sins and am ready to make all just amends at least as far as I am able to any whom I have ever injured whether they be of low or of high Degree or even the highest of all O! God of all Grace perfect my Repentance and accept it and blot out all my misdeeds as thou engagest to do unto all those who sincerely repent of the same I know O! Blessed Jesus that there is no Name but thine whereby I can obtain Pardon And I trust only to the fulness of thy Merits and to the faithfulness of thy gracious Promises and to the abundance of my Heavenly Father's Mercy and Loving Kindness to me a great and miserable but an Humble Contrite Penitent Sinner Forgive them all O! Blessed Father Remembring not my Deservings but the pityableness of my Weakness and thy Dear Sons infinite Merits and thine own boundless Mercies and most precious Promises Let me here have thy Peace and be admitted hereafter to stand for ever in thy â—resence for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake Amen Our Father c. For carrying on this duty of Repentance the sick person may likewise make use of the Prayer for Profession of Godly Sorrow for Sins and of Resolutions of New Obedience and of the Profession of the Fruits of Repentance and the Conditions of Forgiveness and of the Prayer for Pardon of sins in the Office for Penitents And for comforting and quieting his Conscience against Fears and Scruples he may be supplyed with Hymns and Prayers in the Office for Persons troubled in mind all which are in the Companion to the Penitent II. Prayers for an Heart to be Liberal in Alms-Deeds when any Persons are about to make their Will or to accompany Repentance at any time leaving out the Passages within the Hooks which particularly refer to their last Wills I. O! Almighty Father thou gavest me all my worldly Estate that I should employ it for the convenient support of my self and of my Family and of the â—oor and Needy And when I come to thee I can have nothing to carry along with me but a strict account how I have laid it out Give me Grace therefore I earnestly intreat thee after I have made a wise provision for my Family out of it with a free and glad heart to give good Portions thereof to the poor who are thy Receivers or to Religious and Pious uses that when I can no longer possess my Estate I may come with joy to give up my account of it and that when my worldly Goods can no longer profit me my good disposal thereof may thro the Merits of my only Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 2. AND whatsoever I give to the Poor or to pious uses for thy sake give me the Heart O! Lord to do it with a good Will and with a Liberal Hand For thou O! My God hast freely given the whole of this Estate to me and therefore it is not for me to be narrow and niggardly in these Returns of a small part thereof which I make to thee And these Pious and Charitable Gifts alas Have been far too few and too poor and slender all my life and therefore I need to supply that Defect by being more liberal therein at my Death And what I thus give out of it O! Blessed Jesu is to thy poor Members who are all my near Kindred and Brethren in the Spirit Yea Lord by such Acts of Mercy I know that iniquity is purged And by this use of the Mammon of unrighteousness I may make my self Friends in thy Presence And the Poors Prayers and Thanksgivings for any relief or comfort which they have received by my means may heap Blessings on my head whilst I live and help much to recommend me to thy mercy and gracious Acceptance when I die So that these Gifts to them O! Blessed Lord are the truest way I have of giving to my self and are much more for my own relief than for theirs And I do and will look upon them as a laying up Treasure for my self in Heaven and making a Return of my wealth for my own use and behoof in another Life And reckon that what I wisely give in this kind I take and carry away with me to stand me in stead in the most needful time of thy mercy thro' Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen â— A Prayer at the Oblation or giving of our Alms or on alloting any sums to charitable or Pious uses O! Blessed Lord I humbly intreat thee Graciously to accept of this poor return of the worldly Substance which thou hast committed unto me I offer it to thee for the use of thy poor Members whom I look upon as my poor Brethren I offer it with an Heart that is truly sorrowful for all my Sins and thankful for all thy Mercies that seeks acceptance for it only for the sake of thy Sons merits and from thy mere Grace and Favour and that is ashamed for its having made the offering no sooner and now for offering no more And all my Alms and Repentance I present and put into thy Hands O! Holy Jesu in the Communion of Saints and in the Unity of thy Holy Church which is thy Body and Spouse and whereto thou hast given the precious Promises of Grace and Pardon and eternal Life O! Father in the Unity of this Body let me find mercy And accept mine Alms as an Oblation of a sweet Savour and supply and perfect all my Wants and purge away all my Sins thro' the merits of my only Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ Amen Our Father which art c. III. Prayers for Trust in God in Sickness I. O! Almighty Lord under all my weakness and pains of Body and uncertain Prospects for my self and for
my Family I trust intirely to thee who hast Goodness enough to Pity us and Power enough to help and deliver us I trust in thee O! my dear God who hast been my Refuge and Defence in many troubles and art still ready to be so in more who invitest us most Lovingly to cast all our Cares upon thee and hast promised to take care of us who lovest to be trusted and never failest them who trust in thee I trust to thy Wisdom to chuse for me better than I can chuse for my Self I trust to thy Power to help and support me where I am weak and without strength to help and support my Self And I trust to thy Love and Fatherly care to deal out all my Sorrows with tenderness and to turn them all to my good and greater Comfort in the End For I believe and know O! Gracious Lord that thou wilt correct me in measure and consider not what my Sins do deserve but what my Weakness can bear I believe that thou wilt remember Mercy in my Corrections and still make light to arise up up to me out of Darkness and daily relieve my Sorrows with thy manifold and most seasonable Favours I believe that thou wilt not keep Anger for ever but in due time wilt abate my Pains and Troubles or if that be good for me and for thy Glory perfectly remove them however in the End that thou wilt change them all into everlasting Rest and Joy with thee thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 2. For Trust against the Torment and distraction of Fears AND since under all my Sorrows and uncertainties thou art my stay and confidence Lord keep me easie and quiet within my Self I have cast all my cares npon thee and therefore they should not any longer be troublesome or distracting unto me I have put my self into thy hands and thou hast promised to take care of me and therefore I ought to rest assured that all is certainly for my good and is most wisely and kindly Ordered which befalls me Oh! then that I be not disqâ—ieted with fear of Evil since none can happen unto me without thy leave That I be not troubled at the Helplessness of those I am to leave behind me because I leave thee to take care of them Nor frighted with the approach of Pains because thou art to set bounds to them Nor with any evil Tydings or Alarm of Dangers because thou art to govern them Yea that I be not terrified tho' I walk thro' the shadow of Death because Life and Death are both in thy hands Nor even in Death it self because thou wilt most Graciously support me in my Death and make it the Gate to everlasting Life thro Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 3. For Trust against dejection of Spirit and Despondency AND since I rest upon thee as my Rock and stay and have thy strength to Trust to let me not sink under my Burden O! Lord by Dejection and Faintness of Spirit For no Burden is so heavy upon me but thou canst and wilt support me under it and in thy due time which is always my best time deliver me from it Thou hast Promised O! my God not to lay more upon me than thou wilt enable me to bear And thou Holy Jesu art touched with the Sense of our infirmities and wilt inflict no more than thou knowest is proportionable to my weakness Thou hast bore them in thy self and wilt tenderly consider them in thy Members Thou wilt not continue my Smart till I have quite lost my Patience Nor send me Pains and Sorrows without supports and succours And thou dost send and wilt send no evil upon me but what I need or what is for my Good and what thou wilt take off when it has wrought thy gracious Purposes and served my Necessities And therefore when my Pains or Distresses are hardest upon me let me not think or say that I cannot endure them For thou Lord knowest better what I can endure than I do And when I come to it by thy help I shall find my self able to endure more than I thought I could And if thou hadst not known me strong enough thro' thy Grace to endure them thou wouldest not have put me to endure them And even now thou wilt either remove or mitigate the same when I can abide no more Instead of concluding then that I can bear them no longer give me Grace O! Father to set my self resolutely to bear them the best I can And firmly to believe that thou mercifully considerest what I can bear and wilt shew thy Grace is strong where my flesh is weak and wilt be sure to support me at present and to ease and deliver me at last thro' the Merits of my dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 4. For Trust against Suspiciousness and finding Fault SInce I wholly commit and trust my Self to thee O! my God let me constantly think well of all that thou dost for me and sendest upon me Let me not think ill of it because I cannot think ill of thee nor fall to Tax it either with unfitness or unkindness or once suspect any therein because it is ordered by thee who canst not order amiss and who in all these things hast not less Love and Goodness but only more wisdom to allot and order for me than I have to order for my self Yea where things are hardest to be accounted for make me still think well of them and believe firmly that thou seâ—st good and kind Reasons for the same tho' my short-sighted and shallow understanding can see none And therefore O! Father when things are hardest upon me in my Condition my Reverence and Confidence in thee shall be stronger than my mistrust of them and by thy Grace I will answer all my own Objections against them by considering they are of thy chusing And whether any evils are sent upon me or any comforts are delayed and withheld from me I will believe still that all is as it should be and will turn to good in the end because all is done by thee who lovest me and hast promised to keep me under thy tender care at present and to receive me to thy Blessed self at last thro' the Merits of my dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 5. For Trust for Deliverance out of Sickness or Afflictions LOrd I trust to thee who sendest all these Sorrows upon me to take them off again I trust to thee to take them off because thou takest no delight in the Pain of thy Servants yea because thou art of great Pity and art touched with a Sense of our sufferings because our Fathers trusted in thee and were holpen because I my self have always hitherto trusted in thee and thou hast still delivered me and because thou hast promised in the day of Trouble to deliver those that call upon thee that they may Glorifie thee And now O! my God let
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
nor use and injoy them as the Treasures of my home but only as the helps of my Pilgrimage But I desire it if it may seem fit to thee O! God that I may be fitter for thy Work and more able to labor in thy Service And that I may be more perfect in my obedience before I am calld to give up my Accounts And because I am still willing if it may please thee to be an instrument of thy care and good Providence towards those who by Nature or Friendship are committed unto me And the guift thereof I shall thankfully ascribe unto thee and praise thy Power and Mercy for the benefits of my Recovery thro' my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 2. I know O! Lord that thou canst soon restore me when thou pleasest and that if thou do but say the word I shall be whole And I believe that thou wilt restore me if it is best for thy Glory and for my good and for the wise ends of thy Providence in this World And therefore tho' I do heartily desire it yet I humbly submit the same to thee For I am no where so safe as in thy choice and therefore I leave thee to determine still whether thou shalt be honour'd and my poor Soul benefitted by my Life or by my Death whether by me in a state of Health or in a state of Sickness But when thou hast chosen and fixt my condition for me then Lord I beg of thee and I beg it earnestly that I may receive it willingly and thankfully and that I may have Grace wisely and faithfully to discharge all those Duties which thou requirest from us under the same And that I may always find both my Tryal temper'd to my weakness and my self still comforted and supported under it by thy Grace thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 5. Prayers on taking Physick 1. O! Gracious Lord direct the Counsels of those who prescribe to me and prosper the Medicines which are to give me ease or strength But let not my confidence in them take off any thing of my eye or dependance upon thee For Man lives not by bread nor recovers by Physick alone but by every word out of the mouth of God to give a Blessing unto both And if thou biddest them the things or Accidents which I do not think of or set least by shall recover me Oh! therefore as their part is the care so let thine O God be the Blessing and mine the Comfort And as I shall love them as thy instruments so I shall own thee for the Author of my Mercies and to thee shall I give Thanks and pay my Vows and Services thro' my dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 2. LORD let not my desires of Health ever make me yield to seek Remedy from Charms or suspected means or apply my self to Dealers with Familiar Spirits Let me not resort to thy utter Enemy who sets up this way against thee nor fall again to seek him after I have solemnly renounced him in my Baptism nor fondly flatter my self with hopes of receiving good from the Grand Author and Plotter of all evil who then only seems to cure when he ceases to kill and doth not cease to torment a Body but when he hopes thereby to ensnare or destroy a Soul But give me patience to wait for Life and Health in thy ways that I may always owe the same to thee and wholly devote them to thy Service thro' Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 6. Prayers on want of Sleep 1. O! Righteous Lord thou holdest mine eyes waking and in the Night Season I take no rest I seek sweet Sleep to ease my pains and to recruit my Spirits I seek it earnestly but I can not find it and if I seem to have it fast it suddenly breaks from me But O! Merciful God let it not always flee away but let my wearied eyes at length lay hold of it and make my sleep sweet unto me Consider my weariness which calls aloud for rest and my weakness which greatly needs refreshment And give my labouring Spirits ease that restless agitations or incessant pains may not always keep me awake Or if my Spirits must not be allured by ease into sound sleep or at least into soft Slumbers let them however be born down into it by the weight of my Sorrows and their own weariness that I may a little forget my Troubles and recover strength to bear any new returns thereof till thy Blessed time shall come of sending me deliverance from the same either by the Blessing of Health or the infinitely greater Blessing of Heaven thro' Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 2. AND whilst thou keepest mine eyes awake O! Lord keep my Heart watchful and make me seek both to divert my Sorrows and to ease and comfort my self by employing my Thoughts well Oh! That I may fall to remember thee on my Bed and meditate on thy ways and Promises in the night Watches That I may Commune with mine own Heart and diligently search out my own Spirit That I may remember thy tender Mercies and Gracious Dealings towards and call to mind the Blessed end of Patience and how carefull thou art sometimes to give us ease whilst thou denyest us sleep at others to send us sleep too when we are not fit any longer to subsist without it Yea that in thy due time thou wilt bring us to that Blessed State where they sleep away no happy Minutes but wake continually to injoy the same as Angels do and where their Eyes never take sleep nor ever need or desire it And let these Thoughts comfort me till thy Grace and Mercy sees fit to give sleep to my Eyes and deliverance from my Sorrows thro' my dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 7. A Prayer of Friends for the sick under excess of Sleep and when they apprehend danger by it O! Merciful God let not this deep Sleep which is fall'n upon thy Servant prove the Sleep of Death Make it the Sleep of a recovering Person to relieve and revive him not to carry him off and awake him out of it in thy due time to offer thee praise and to labour still among us in doing thee Honour and Service But if thou hast order'd thereby to take him to thy self Lord remember and accept of all his former Prayers and Repentance Faith and Patience Look not upon his sins but to pardon them nor on his weaknesses but to pity them And when he awakes in the next World let him find himself surrounded with Light and Bliss instead of his Sick-bed Sorrows and awake to Eternal Life with thee in Glory Lord hear us for this thy weak Servant in Distress Hear our Prayers for him who seems not able now to offer up any Prayers to thee for himself And accept both him and us to the Blessed injoyment of thy Love and hopes of thy Mercies thro Jesus Christ our Lord.
one or other whereof may still be recited by her Self or read to her by her Friends as often as she pleases 1. LOrd now my Sorrows have got hold upon me let thy strength come in to support me Oh! let not my Burdens come faster upon me than thy Succours do But give me Patience to bear my Pains and quietly to wait thy time of easing them Give me Faith to relye upon thy Mercy and Promises and to believe that they will be shewn towards me and fulfilled upon me in their Season Give me Comfort under my pangs and after them And as thou hast enabled me to conceive a Child and to bear it hitherto in my Womb so now to Crown those Blessings give me strength to bring it forth at its full time and if it may please thee neither let my Pains be too sharp nor too long before I am happily delivered of the same for my dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christs sake Amen 2. O! Almighty God do thou direct the Counsels and Endeavours of those who charitably Minister about me Guide them to ways that are most for mine and my Childs safety and ease and of quickest dispatch Oh! let thy Counsel and thy hand go along with theirs for they can do nothing without thee Let me now be thy Care for thou art my Confidence And save and deliver me for now is the hour of my extreme need and of thy shewing Pity and Mercy on me thro' the Merits and Mediation of my dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 3. LOrd I receive these Pangs as the Sorrows which thou hast justly laid upon our Sex for being first in Disobedience I accept them as the punishment of mine iniquity Oh! let that appease and pacifie thee I resist not but submit my self to them meekly Oh! then smite not too sore nor lay too much upon me But proportion both their Degrees and continuance not according to my Sins but according to my weakness and as may best suit with thy tender Mercies thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 4. SUpport me O! dear God for I am weak Support me for I am one that fears thee Support thou me for I trust my Self unto thee and wait on thee and long sore for thy Mercy and my safe Delivery for Jesus Christ's sake Amen 5. MAke hast to help me O! Lord and deliver me speedily for my Spirit waxeth faint This speedy ease my Flesh earnestly desires if thou seest it fit for me But yet I humbly submit the same to thee For be it quicker or â—lower thy time I acknowledge is always best Oh! then deliver me when thou pleasest and give me Patience to wait for my Delivery And delay it no longer O! my dear God than suits best with my weakness and with thy Goodness for my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's sake Amen Short Ejaculations which she may use in time of her Travel LOrd my Groans are not hid from thee let not thy mercy be hid from me Thy Terrours come about me and threaten me on every side but what time I am afraid I will still put my trust in thee Consider O! my God that I am made of Flesh very sensible of Pains and short in Patience Oh! lay not too much upon me Help me Lord for thou art my hope Make hast to my help for my Spirit waxeth faint Oh! Jesu who wast thy self born of a Woman help this tender Babe strugling for Birth Amen IV. Prayers after Delivery The Collect in the Office of Churching of Women which may be said by some Friend there present O! Almighty God we give thee humble Thanks for that thou hast vouchsafed to deliver this Woman thy Servant from the great Pain and Peril of Child-birth Grant we beseech thee most merciful Father that she thro' thy help may both faithfully live and walk according to thy Will in this Life present and also may be partaker of everlasting Glory in the Life to come thro' Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Other Prayers which may be read to her for her devoutly to offer up to God her Friends heartily concurring and saying Amen with her 1. A Thanksgiving for safe Deliverance O! Father of Mercies what Thanks can I worthily give unto thee for thine unspeakable Goodness to my helpless Babe and me and for the wondrous things which thou hast now done for my Soul For the Pangs and Terrors of Death got hold of me and the mouth of the Pit was opened and ready to shut it self upon me But thou hast Graciously asswaged those Pains and wrought Deliverance and turned my Sorrows into Joys Lord I will ever adore and magnifie thy Mercy which hath dealt so lovingly with me and praise thy Truth and Faithfulness which have not suffered thy Promises or my Hopes to fail I will never forget how mindful thou hast been of me in my low Estate and how thou hast been a present help in the time of my greatest need For I have felt thy Power O! my God in my greatest weakness and have been enabled thereby above my strength I have tasted thy Goodness in the midst of all my piercing Pangs and Sorrows for thou didst comfort and support me under them and dist measure them out to me according as I could bear them and in tender Pity didst send ease yea hast turned those Sorrows into Joys when I could bear no more And oh that all thy Saints may praise thee for the Glories of thy Power and Mercy That they may be encouraged to fear and trust thee for the wonders which thou host wrought for me And that I may never grow weary of waiting on thee remembring how gracious thou art still in the end to me nor despair of thy most seasonable help and merciful Deliverance in my greatest Streights and Difficulties thro' my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 2. A Prayer for Grace and Assistance under the remaining Sorrows and Tryals of Child-bed PErfect Good Lord that Deliverance both to my child and me which thou hast most graciously begun and let us not be â—ost after the Wonders which thou hast already done for us for want of thy doing a little more Continue my Patience O! Father and my Humble dependance and comfortable hope in thee under any further pains and Accidents of my Child-bed Support my Spirit under them and if thou pleasest bring me safely thro' the same and raise me up again in thy due time Thy Mercy and Power are still the same and will be the same for ever Oh! Let them still be shewn for my Recovery as they have already been for my Delivery Let them be shewn upon me that I may still more and more praise thee and because I place my safety in thy love and care and put my hope and trust in thee But if in thy Paternal Providence whereto I willingly commit my self thou hast determined otherwise concerning me thy Blessed Will O! my God be done Dispose of me either
Chief Antidotes whereon we relye are our Prayers to thee and our Faith in thy Mercy Holy Father I seek to thee let thy Care surround me I make thee my habitation let me find it a safe one I Trust thee with my self and with my Friends to Order what is most Desireable for us and best agrees with the wise Ends of thy Good Providence And tho I doe not absolutely promise my self to be exempt from a Common Calamity yet Lord being in thy Hands where I desire to be I know that I shall be exempt if 't is fit I should be soe and if not that thou wilt turn even my falling sick of it to my Good Soe that under thy Wings O! my God my Hope is allways to have a kind and most thankworthy Ordering and to receive from thee either a Continuance of Health or a beneficial and thankworthy Sickness either the Blessing of a longer Life or the Greater Blessing of an Happy Death thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen Our Father c. VI. A Prayer to be said by Friends for Natural Fools or Madmen SHall not I spare them who can not discern between their Right Hand and their Left Jon. 4. 11. I was found of them that sought me not Is. 65. 1. I was Eyes to the blind and Feet to the lame Job 29. 15. Bear ye one anothers Burdens and soe fullfill the Law of Christ. Gal. 6. 2. O! Allmighty and most mercyfull Father Pity this thy Poor Creature who knows not his own wants nor how to ask for thy Mercyes But as he is not capable of Doing things to please thee so let nothing which he doth offend thee He is still as an infant O! God not arrived to the use of Reason Oh! Deal with him as thou doest with them and as such admit him into the Kingdom of Heaven He has been received for thy Child in Baptism and has done nothing since to forfeit the Claims of Mercy and Bliss made over to him therein and belonging to that Relation Oh! let them be fullfill'd and made good to him in their time And as his want of understanding unfits him to doe any thing for thee soe doth it likewise to Doe any thing for himself And therefore he needs to have the more done for him by thee and by the Good instruments of thy Providence And let thy Care O! Lord supply the want of his Give thy Holy Angells charge to look to him as they Doe to Helpless Children Give thy Saints and those who are any ways Concerned with him the Heart to be Understanding and Eyes and Feet and Hands to him as to one who is as if he had nothing of these of his own but wants to have them all supplyed out of thy Provision And do thou in thy Wisdom prevent those Evils which he can not foresee and put those by which he wants understanding to Remove Especially O! Lord keep him from Doing any thing that is mischeivous either to others or to himself Oh! thou who art found of them who seek thee not shew mercy to this thy Servant who extremely needs thee tho he can not seek to thee Thou knowest his wants O! Lord tho he is insensible and ignorant of them And tho he can not speak for himself yet his wants speak and Crye aloud for him Oh! Hear their Crye which calls to thee for Pity And hear us for him who is not able to ask for himself And graunt him thy special Care at present and thy Peace at the last thro the merits and mediation of thy Dear Son our only Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Our Father c. VII A Prayer for those who attend about the Sick O! Blessed Lord who callest us to minister and attend about this thy pained and afflicted Servant make us truly compassionate and tenderly Sensible of his Sorrows and studious how to ease them Keep us Gentle and Officious towards him and willing and Diligent to minister to him and above all things to make and continue thee his Friend Oh! that it may be our Care Friendly to admonish him of his Duty and to call upon him to look up unto thee To strenthen his Soul and asswage his Sorrows by Comfortable words to read to him and Pray for him and study in all things to make his sick bed as Profitable to his Precious Soul and as easy and tolerable to his pained and wearyed Body as we can And let us not shew unwillingness O! God in any Services nor be provoked by his impatience or ill reception of our well meant Offices But let us Pity the Disorders of his Spirit under his Anguish and bear the same with that Gentleness and Continued Care to minister Comfort or Relief which his Sorrows call for and which we all Desire may be shew'd towards us when we come as we must expect to come to be tryed with the like weaknesses and Troubles our selves And Grant O! Father that the Sight of his sickness may be a warning to us to prepare for our own Make our Hearts wiser and better by Conversing in the House of Mourning and let it teach us the end of all men and the vanity of all earthly things and put us upon Zele and Diligence in all the ways of qualifying and Dressing of our Souls for a more blessed and everlasting Life thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Our Father c. XIII A Thanksgiving for Recovery from Sickness I. BLessed be thy Name O! God of all Power and Mercy for that thou hast Consider'd my Trouble and known my Soul in my Adversity Thou sentest me all those Helps whereby I was supported and all the intervals of ease wherewith I was releived under my Sickness And now thou hast brought me up again from the Grave and Deliver'd me of my pains and weakness and art become my Health and my Salvation Yea thy Mercy O! Blessed Lord has rectifyed my Spirit and done it Good by my Sorrows which is more to be valued than easing my Body of theâ— For before I was troubled I went wrong but thy Corrections have taught me to see my Folly and this worlds vanity And my Pains which have been my Monitors Day and Night have Caused me to understand Wisdom secretly And for these and all other thy most endearing Mercies I will sing Praise to thee O! Lord my God and Give thee Thanks for ever I will not Conceal thy Faithfullness and thy Salvation but Declare and speak of them that others allsoe may praise thy Name yea in the Presence of all thy People that they may give thee Thanks in the Great Congregation And oh that I may never forget thy Mercyes nor my own Promises of amendment and Holy obedience but cheerfully and Faithfully pay thee my vows and Perform all the Promises and Good Purposes Which I made whilst I was in Trouble And Pity the Pains Good Lord and hear the Cryes
of those who are feeble and sore smitten as I was Help them to Patience Comfort and sure Trust in thee Be thou their Physitian both of Soul and Body and in thy Due time ease them of their Pains and restore them to Health and Strength as in thine abundant Mercy thou hast restored me and Give us all Hearts therewith Thankfully to adore and Faithfully to serve thee thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 2. BUt altho by thy Grace I am now recover'd O! Almighty Lord from this Sickness yet I know that at thy time I must expect to be sick again and shall surely Dye and I know not how soon that time may come And I have found how much need there is under the Terrors of Death to be conscious to our selves of having lead a truly Religious and upright Life and how unfit we are to begin it under the Weaknesses of that State Oh! then that my chief Care may allways be to live with such Good Conscience as I should be willing to Dye with and to doe all those things in the time of my Health and Strength which I shall surely wish I had Done when my last weakness and sickness comes And therefore O! my Dear God I humbly and earnestly Pray thee that I may never fall to admire or grow fond of any of the things of this world by coming again to relish and enjoy them Let me never envy the Wealth of the Covetous nor the Honours and High Places of the ambitious nor the Sensual Pleasures of Licentious men For these things O! Lord can not profit me in the Days of Evil. They are vane Things that pass off in the useing and leave nothing but remorse and and Guilt behind them And the Remembrance of them at the Approach of Death instead of affording ease and Comfort will be the greatest wound and weakning to my Spirit and increase my pains and Terrors instead of any ways asswaging them Nor suffer me O! God to trifle away this time of Respite in things of noe benefit which doe thee noe Honor and my poor Soul noe Good For either to hide my Talents or to misemploy them will inflame the reckoning of my Sins And that will turn this great Blessing of lengthning out my Days into a Curse and make my latter end worse than my beginning was But give me Grace O! Father to Redeem those Precious Hours which I have formerly thrown away on vice or vanities by employing all this small Remainder of my time in seeking thy Glory and in carefully preparing for my change and Religiously and Reverently waiting for it hopeing thereby to have entrance for ever into thy Presence where is fullness of joy thro the merits and mediation of my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Prayers and Devotions on the Apprehension or Approach of Death Scriptures Ps. 49. Ps. 90. to v. 13. Job 14. 1 Thes. 4. from v. 13. to c. 5. v. 7. 1 Cor. 15. Ps. 88. Jo. 5. v. 21. to v. 30. Rev. 21. 1. On the Prospect of our own Death Drawing near IT is appointed unto men once to Dye and after this the judgement Heb. 9. 27. For out of the ground wast thou taken Dust thou art and unto Dust shalt thou return Gen. 3. 19. We are Strangers here and our Days on the Earth are as a shadow and there is none abideing 1 Chron. 29. 15. As Pilgrims we sojourn and have here no continuing City but seek one to come 1 Pet. 2. 11. Heb. 13. 14. Yea the Days of man upon Earth are like the Days of an hireling to serve his appointed time And when his time is up a Servant Earnestly Desireth the Refreshment of the Shade and the hireling looketh for the Reward of his Work Job 7. 1. 2. And as for me I know that thou wilt bring me to Death and to the House appointed for all Liveing Job 30. 23. For few and Evil have my Days been And now behold I seem as one who am going the way of all the Earth Gen 47. 9. Josh. 23. 14. And as I came forth of my Mothers Womb soe naked shall I return to go as I came and shall take nothing of my Labor away in my Hand with me Eccl. 5. 15. I shall Rest from my Labors and nothing but my works follow me Rev. 14. 13. And I must work the Works of God while it is Day the night cometh when noe man can work Jo. 9. 4. Blessed are those Servants whom the Lord when he cometh shall â—ind watching Luk. 12. 37. Behold I come as a Thief Bâ—essed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments Rev. 16. 15. Watch therefore for ye know neither the Day nor the Hour when the Son of man Cometh For at midnight there shall be a Crye made behold the Bridegroom cometh goe ye out to meet him And they who are ready with their Lamps trimmd and Oyl in them goe in with him but after that the Door is shut and to those that knock he will Say I know you not Mat. 25. 6 7 10 12 13. And who is that Faithfull and wise Steward whom his Lord shall make Ruler over his Household to give them their Portion of meat in due Season Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find soe doing Of a trâ—th I say unto you that he will make him Ruler over all that he hath Luc. 12. 42 43 44. 2. On Willingness to die O! Death how bitter is the Remembrance of thee to a man that liveth at Rest in his Possessions and that hath nothing to vex him and that hath Prosperity in all things And how acceptable is it unto the needy and to him whose strength faileth that is now in the last Age and is vexed with all things and to him that Despaireth and hath lost Patieâ—ce Ecclus. 41. 1 2. And wherefore is Light given to him that is in misery and Life unto the bitter in Soul Which long for Death but it comes not and Dig for it more than for hid Treasures Which rejoyce exceedingly and are glad when they can find the Grave Job 3. 20 21 22. Besides whilst we are at home in the Body we are absent from the Lord. And we are confident and Willing rather to be absent from the Body and Present with the Lord. For if our earthly house of this tabernacle be dissolved we know that we have a Building of God an House not made with hands eternal in the Heavens And in this being burdened we Groan Earnestly Desireing to be Cloath'd upon with our House which is from Heaven 2 Cor. 5. 1 2 4 6 8. For to me to Dye is gain And therefore I have a Desire to Depart and to be with Christ which is far better Phil. 1. 21 23. The Day of Death is really better than the Day of ones Birth Eccl. 7. 1. For the Spirit shall return to God who gave it The Dust indeed shall return to the Earth as it was
make me watch for all opportunityes of exerciseing the same and Doe them diligently as my last Labors for immortality and for secureing thy everlasting Mercy thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen II. Prayers for Willingness to Dye I. O! Most Gracious and Mercyfull Father Give me Grace to be allways fit for thy Mercy that I may not be slow or unwilling to Come to thee now thou callest for me Forgive me all my Sins O! God which are the Sting of Death that I may look on it as an harmless thing which cannot hurt me And make me sensible how I am thereby eased of all those weaknesses and Sorrows which render my Life a burden to me Help me to consider it O! Lord as what comes to give me rest from all my Labours And to take up therewith as with a Shelter against all Injuries and ill usage To look upon it as a Cure of all my Bodily Pains and Sicknesses and as a Remedy of all my Sins and Temptations Sorrows and misfortunes For after once I shall have got to thee O! Blessed Father I shall be out of their Reach and never Come under their Power any more I know O! Gracious God that Heaven is my Country and that I have still more cause to rejoyce and less to repine the nearer I am drawing home That this Death is but the begining of a better Life and a most Desirable exchange of Travail and Misery for Rest and Joy and of a few Days for Eternity And let me not be afraid of that O! my God which is to set me safe in thy Kingdom and to bring me to injoy thee in Everlasting Bliss and Glory thro Jesus Christ my Blessed Saviour and Redeemer Amen 2. LOrd now thy messengers are come to Summon me make me reckon that thy Time is best for my Departure and let me not seek about for Excuses and Pretences of Staying longer here Since this Summons is of thy Sending let not me receive it with reluctancy Since thou sendest it for my Good let me not be afraid of it as if it would doe me hurt Since thou Callest me thereby to come to thee let me not come unwillingly or seem forced away Let not my Heart O! God be tyed fast to any Earthly Things and then it will be easy to me to be taken from them Raise it above this world and make it fit and free to trust thee for the next And then O! Jesu Come when thou pleasest and I shall receive thy Call with joy And Grant O! Lord that I may take noe Pretence for my unwillingness because I shall thereby leave some Good Things unfinish'd which I have in hand for my Brethrens needs or for thy Service But remember and Consider with my Self that soe must all they who make it their Care at all times to be Designing and Doing Good And that 't is fittest for thee to Determine wherein or how long thou wilt be served by me in any things which my poor Soul is any ways Capable thro thy Grace to design or Doe for thee That if it seem Good in thy Eyes thy Providence will raise up instruments and supply what I am Designing by other and it may be far better ways And that I have noe Reason to be slow but much infinitely much to be hasty in Coming to thee if from bearing the Heat of the Day and a task of Labor and toyl in thy Service thou shalt be Graciously pleased to call me to Everlasting Rest and Joy in thy Presence thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 3. LOrd in this State I am sore Burdened and Groan Earnestly Desiring rather if thou pleasest to Depart and be with Christ which is far better for me But let me not be weary of my work and station O! my God before thy Time nor hasty in Desires of Death whilst thou seest fit to trye me in the Labors and Patience of Life Keep me Contented to bear my Sorrows whilst thou pleasest and to leave it to thee to Order when 't is fittest for me to lay them Down and to exchange them for Eâ—se and Pleasures in thy Heavenly Kingdom where Death at last shall be swallowed up in Victory and this Mortal shall put on immortality thro the merits of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen III. Prayers against Fear of Death 1. CLeanse me O! Gracious God from Guilt and Sin which are the Sting of Death and then let nothing else make me afraid of it Let me not Dread the stroak thereof as a thing that is hard for me to bear But Consider that it is an hardship Common to me with every mortal Nature That if it is hard it Cures all other Sores and hardships and is it self soon over And that hard and painfull as it is the weakest have born it and can pass thro it Yea and that very frequently the pains of Sickness are much worse than the pains of Death and men ordinarily endure more sorrow before they come to Dye than they feel or show at last in Death it self Nay that as they fall asleep insensibly soe they often seem to dye soe too And whatever pains it would otherwise make to me O! Lord it will be made easy by a clear Conscience and a Comfortable Hope of thy Mercy And let it arm my Spirit against Fear to think that I am coming thereby to a good Master whom as I have ever found most Gracious and Mercyfull all my Life I shall now much more finde soe at my Death thro the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 2. NOr let my Spirit O! God be broken with Fear out of an apprehension of Dying under the load of thy Heavy Displeasure For thou takest Delight in Pardoning those whose sincere Desire and Care has been to please thee and in makeing all fair abatements and reasonable allowances to their forgetfullness and infirmityes I am very sensible alass that I am too Defective in my Duty and Service But make me remember O! Blessed Lord that thou canst and doest bear with some Defects For the best are not free from Faults and Defects enow to humble them and yet they are surely within the terms of thy Pardon Yea thou will bear with many Defects in truely Loveing and Dutyfull mindes and hast not limited thy Forbearance to narrow and scanty Bounds For among those whom thou savest there are many and very Distant Degrees of Virtue and Obedience and the greater measures thereof which are attained by some are still wanting in others of them And these Defects of mine O! God great and many as they are are to be judged of by a mercyfull Saviour who knows our Natural Frailtyes and infirmityes and is ready to allow all that Pity and Favor to them which can be Desired in Reason For he doth not require such exactness of us as is a task fit not for men but for Angells But takes up with such as the Natural and Pityable Weakness
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
should I fall to claim thy Free Favours as my due because thou hast long continued them to me and to thinke thou doest me wrong if at any time thou holdest back thine own and for wise and Good Ends stoppest some stream of thy Free Bounty towards me And let this uncertainty O! God of the dearest Worldly Comforts teach me to fix my Heart on joys which will never fade or perish To take more Comfort in thy self and to look for less in all Earthly things Oh! be thou my Desire and my Hearts Delight and let a Good Conscience be my Treasure and integrity my joy And these will stick to me till Death and follow me beyond it and Give me Rest in thy Presence and Pleasures for evermore thro my Dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 2. LEt not my Grief excede O! Lord or be obstinate against Thoughts or Words of Comfort because I cannot bring him back again and because it can not benefit him but will much hurt me And make me Consider which alass I ought thoroly to have Consider'd sooner that altho he was a very Dear and Great yet he was only a mortal Comfort whose Life would be sure to fail tho his Friendship should not I know my Tenure was only to hold him as thy Giâ—t and to part with him again at thy Pleasure And that as we have the Comfort of injoying Dear Friends or Relations here soe we must be content too to have the trouble and sorrow of parting with them And now Lord when thou hast taken him I know that he is more thine than he is mine and that thou hast the best Claim to him And when thou tookest him from me thou tookest him to thy self And I trust thy taking him is to his unspeakable joy tho it be to my sorrow and that with thee he is now infinitely better than he was or could be here Yea that thou hast taken him to that Place where by thy Mercy I also hope to come and whither in my Order thou wilt likewise take me in thy Due time Soe that thy Grace O! Dear God and a little Patience will bring us together again And Oh! that thou wouldest be pleased to put an End to all our Sins and Sorrows and to hasten thy Kingdom and to accomplish the Number of thine Elect. And mercifuilly to Graunt that all we and all others who either have Departed or shall Depart this Life in thy true Faith and Fear may have our Perfect Consummation and Bliss in thy Heavenly and Eternal Kingdom thro Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour Amen 3. LEt not my Grief for my Deceased Friend excede O! most Gracious God for I hope thou hast taken him for his own Good And that thou hast Comforted his Soul by his exchange and hast only smitten ours leaving us to mourn for our Sins and for our Loss whilst he by thy Mercy is hereby set out of the Reach of Sin and Misery For as he is now removed O! Father from all worldly satisfactions soe is he allsoe from all worldly Temptations And our Comfort is to Hope that he is now at Rest from Labour and has Ceased from Sin and Shame That He is now eased of Pains and is above Misfortunes and has found a Cure for all his Sorrows having Grief and Care for ever banishd from his Heart and all Tears wiped away from his Eyes And that he is gone from the Vale of Misery to the Regions of joy and from Conversing with us to live with thee and the Blessed Jesus and to be a Companion of Saints and Angels Let not self Love then O! Lord and the sense of my own Loss make me repine at that change which I take to be his Happiness Let not that which I hope doth highly please him displease me nor let me refuse Comfort because I trust he is taken for ever to be fill'd with it His Death I humbly hope is the joy of Saints and Angels and the Envy and Grief of Evil Spirits who see him taken up to a State where they can not tempt and to an Happiness which is for ever Denyed to themselves Oh! then that I may not joyn with his utter Enemyes and mine in their Envy but with those Blessed Spirits in their Charity and instead of greiving immoderately or being angry with thee that I may heartily Bless thy Name for turning Death thus into a Blessing and as I trust for accomplishing his Hopes thereby and makeing of him happy And let thy Providence O! Father be a Store-House of Supplyes to make up to me and to all his Friends and Dependants all those Supports and Blessings which we receive from thee by his means Especially let his change put us all upon prepareing Diligently and Carefully for our own Make it raise us up from the Death of Sin to a Life of Righteousness and take us off from all undue esire or Care of Earthly things to minde the one thing necessary which is the Great and most Comfortable Business of Life and which alone will stand us in stead and make us Happy after Death thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 4. A Prayer when any Persons Feed impatience and fix themselves in Greif by Surmizing that God is angry at them when he takes away their Friends O! Blessed Lord let not me make it a Pretence for my impatience that this Loss comes as thy Visitation for my Sins or greive obstinately as fancying that thou takest away my Friend here Departed out of Anger and displeasure against me For thou O! God hast many other Ends to look at besides what Concerns me in these matters And these Providences touch our Friends themselves Directly and Principally and reach us only by the by And when in meer Love and Kindness unto them thou wouldest call them to thy self that must unavoidably take them away from us But if in this change thou dost shew Displeasure against me for my Sins Lord teach me that it is my Part humbly to submit my self to thee and not to be angry or impatient under thy Correction of me but to accept my Loss with quietness as the punishment of mine iniquities And that whilst thou art removeing my Blessings because of my Great Ununworthyness and unthankfullness under them I have the more need to shew my self Thankful for any that are still continued to me and to give up my will in all things to thine to serve and please thee thro our Dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 5. A Prayer when these Losses come close one upon another ANd altho these affecting Losses come thick upon me O! Father yet I know all this is for a Greater Tryal of my Patience And I am sensible that I have enough and abundantly too much in me that needs to be punished thereby And that thou hast wise and kinde Reasons â—now thus to Heap upon me these Sorrows tho it were not to punish but only to
tormented with any long Fears thereof And that the suddenner the stroke was the less he was like to feel it Or should he have felt it more yet he might not have felt a painfull Disease less had it been his Executioner For altho that would have been more slow it might not have proved less Cruel nor have smarted lighter but only lasted longer And if my Dear and Deceased Friends Paine was more violent O! Lord it was short and thro thy mercy I hope it is the last he had to endure And far be it from us O! God to repine that he was thrown hastily and Headlong into Death especially haveing a Comfortable Hope that the effect thereof is to pass with less Pain and more Dispatch into a better Life and more easily and speedily to take possession of immortality thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 4. Prayers on the Death of Friends who had lead ill lives and Gave noe Comfortable Proofs of Repentance at their Deaths â—N this Case we may put the surviveing Friends in minde of the many other Things which they have to take Comfort in and this I think is all the Ground we have here of speaking Comfort unto them But we can not fetch Considerations of Comfort from their Deceased Friends For such Sinners as would have nothing to do with the Fear and Service of God have noe Reason of Comfort in themselves nor can afford any good Reason of it to their well-wishers And with Relation to them we must not pretend to Preach Comfort I conceive but Submission To help them meekly and patiently to submit themselves to God in these sad Cases the surviving Friends may use Prayer 1. When a Friend Dyes especially if they leave out the Paragraph within the Hooks p. 307. They may allsoe use this Prayer following to Comfort them ANd Blessed be thy Mercy O! most Gracious God which in this sad Case doth not leave me comfortless For if this Deceased Friends Case suggests things full of Greif I have many other Friends who give me great Cause of joy And to Compensate my Trouble in Pity for others by thy Grace I have something to Satisfye and Please me in reflecting on my self For I can look with Comfort on my own Soul and hope thro the merits of my Blessed Saviour to finde Mercy for it and take Comfort in it both Living and Dying I have thee O! Lord for my Portion and nothing Can make my Case Comfortless whilst I am thinâ— and thou art mine and whilst I have thy Power to trust to and thy Love to rejoyce in And under all this Sorrow at present I am sustain'd by the Blessed Hope of being received at last into thy Presence where all Remembrance of former Troubles shall be quite effaced by the abundance of my Present Bliss where I shall have noe Sorrow from the miscarriage of Friends but unspeakable Satisfaction in their well-being and well-doing and where I shall ever Delightâ—in thee and in the Continual Emanations of thy surpassing Mercy thro Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen 5 A Prayer on the Death of a Child O Almighty Father thou art pleased now to turn my joys into Sâ—rrows and to take away from 〈◊〉 that sweet Babe which thou lately gavest me for my Delight and Comfort But I humbly Bow my will to thine and submit my Self to 〈…〉 and without murmuring 〈◊〉 it is thy Doing Thou hast sent this poor Child into the World O! Lord to See and to â—ast Life but hast not allowed it to Stay till it Could rightly understand the end and busyness or relish the Comforts and Satisfactions thereof But I will Consider O! my God that thou wilt not require from it any Services of Life whilst it was not Capable to understand them And that if it Stayed not here to enjoy Pleasure soe neither did it Stay to be pined away with Sorrow and Care It lived not long enough to be versed in all the Vexations of our State nor to run thro that Great variety of miseryes and misfortunes which are incident here to our Nature But went off before it had time to trye how much Evil is to be Endured in this Life yea before it was come to aggravate any afflictions by imagination or to anticipate the same by Fear or to reflect in bitterness of Spirit and lay to heart what it did endure And as it Dyed young O! Lord Soe I have the Comfort to think and hope that therefore it Dyed innocent For it is taken back to thee before it knew Good or Evil or had done any thing to offend thee It has left the World ere it was made the worse by it or had Contracted any of the Wickedness thereof to follow it and fright it at thy Judgement By thy Mercy O! Father it Stayed till it was received for thine own Child by Baptism and was therein assured by thee of remission of Sin and made an Heir of thy Kingdom And by the same Mercy it is now Call'd away ere it had done any thing to fall from that Relation or to forfeit that Blessing So that in this takeing it away froâ— me thou hast translated it O! Father of Meâ—â—yes from the miseryes of this World to the joys of Paradice it is taken from me to be at thy Provision and to be kept for ever safe and Happy in those Blessed mansions which thou hast Provided for thy Children And therefore if I have lost the Comfort of haveing a Child to train up in thy Service in this World it is for the far greater Comfort O! my God of haveing sent one to live with thee and attend for ever about thy Throne in Heaven And there I my self allsoe hope thro thy mercy to be received in thy due Time not only to see and injoy it but what is infinitely above all for ever to see and injoy thee thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 6. A Prayer when one is made Childless or is like to Dye without Children O! Blessed Lord thou art pleased in thy Wisdom to beleave me of my Children and to leave me 〈◊〉 appearance of issue to Sweeten the Cares of Life and to keep up my Memory to Posterity I am content therewith O! my God because it pleaseth thee and comeing from thy Wisdom aâ—d Care of me I will not only own it to be just but Esteem it to be most wise and fit for me And if by haveing noe Children I have fewer Delights I will remember withall O! Father that I have lighter Cares and fewer Sorrows I have not the Torment of seeing them take ill wayes nor of Fearing continually lest they should fall to take them nor shall have the Pains and Trouble of parting with them which Commonly is quicker and more affecting than the Pleasure of haveing them And I may now fix my Love and Care more intrely upon thee haveing no Cares for them to call me off And I have less Temptation to Descend to mean
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Jo. 1. 7. †â—uke 15. 18. 19. †Mat. 6. 12. †Maâ— â— 24. * Luk. 17. 5. †〈…〉 †Eph. 4. 3 4. †1 Cor. 12. 26. †The Great Council of Nice calls it 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the most necessary Viaiticum of Dying Men. â—an 13. †Heb. 12. 3. †Joh. 13. 15. John 17. †1 Pet. 5. 7. †Luk. 22. 42. †Ps. 41. 3. * Mat. 6. 10. †Lam. 3. 39. * Isâ— 45. 9. †Ps. 39. 9. †Wisd. 11. 20. * Ps. 130. 5. †Ps. 71. 14. * Ps. 27. ult †2 Tim. 1. 12. * Gal. 6. 9. †Job 13. 1â— * 2 Cor. 12. 9. †Rom.