Name of his blessed Son Iesus Christ our Lord doubt not but according to his promises hee will heare you and at the present be with you and fill your soule full of all holy consolation fortifying you with patience and in like sort comforting you as much as is fit for you by which meanes he will binde you so much more to reioyce in his bounty and to glorifie his holy Name with all obedience This is his owne saying to all that are afflicted as you are Call vpon me in the day of trouble and I will heare thee Is it not then your desire that here wee call vpon him with you altogether that he will be pleased to assist you with his mercy Patient Yes A Prayer O Lord our God and mercifull Father we prostrate ourselues here in all humility at the feet of thy diuine Maiestie to acknowledge that it is too true that we are vnworthy of thy fauour and worthy of Hell if thou shouldest deale with vs according to thy Iustice for so many offences which we heare confesse our selues to be guilty of But we beseech thee remember thy infinite bounty be mercifull vnto vs miserable sinners and take pity vpon vs for the loue of thy blessed Sonnes sake Iesus Christ our Lord not beholding of vs in our selues but in the person of this Sonne of thy delight as members of his Body reconciled to thy Maiestie by the blessing of his death And as thou art the Father of mercy and God of all consolation rich in compassion and gratious to all those that call vpon thee and haue confidence in thee we beseech thee that thou wilt be pleased to shew thy selfe liberall in generall towards vs all who now cry out for mercy and particularly towards the person of this thy child and seruant lying in this bed of infirmity giue him first of all to vnderstand that no other hand hath strucke him but thine owne to the end hee may learne to submit himselfe to it in all humility and reuerence And to this end that he may remember that it is a fatherly hand and a gentle who strikes not to loose but to saue and after hauing wounded viuifieth and woundeth by the same wounds which it hath made make him feele that he is a miserable and poore sinner not onely proceeding out of this masse of corruption from whence we all doe come in Adam but also and principally that since it hath pleased thee to giue him grace to acknowledge thee the onely true God and him whom thou hast sent Iesus Christ in whom consisteth eternall life manifesting by this meanes thy free adoption in thy welbeloued Sonne receiuing him to thee hauing also put him into the ranke amongst the number of thy children and seruants in thy Church although he hath not well knowne the aboundant riches of thy mercy to loue and serue thee with all his heart as he ought in renouncing the world and himselfe by reason of vnthankefulnesse naturally bred in him and in vs all continually rebelling and fighting against thy great bounty and grace O deare Father touch him in his heart with a liuely feeling of all his infirmities and offences to the ende that without flattering of himselfe he may condemne himselfe before thy Maiesty that he may acknowledge all Righteousnesse to thee and to himselfe nothing but confusion of face make him renounce himselfe wholly and confesse that iustly and rightly thou bringest vpon him these chastisements and that if thou shouldest deale with him according to his deserts thou shouldest binde him vp and throw him euen into eternall destruction Good Lord also grant that this acknowledgement be also but to humble him and not to deiect him into the bottome of despaire and so being of one side cast downe and laid vpon the ground by thy powerfull hand not so much from the feeling of his sickenesse as from the feeling of his sinnes he may be on the other side by the same blessed hand relieued and raised vp againe in assured hope by the consideration of this thy incomprehensible mercy whereof thou hast giuen vs so precious and so rich a pledge as thy welbeloued Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord whom thou hast not spared but deliuered to death euen to the ignominious and wicked death of the Crosse to redeeme vs from the ignominious malediction of sinne Good Lord grant that from hence thy poore distressed seruant may receiue all his refuge fortifie his faith by the which hee may search and finde in this death and holy obedience of thy Sonne the forgiuenesse of all his sinnes and firmely embrace the perfect Righteousnesse thereof where withall being clothed he may finde peace with thee and glorifie himselfe in the hope of thy glory amongst all his tribulations And that the sorrow of his sickenesse wherewith hee is corporally visited may be sweetned with the repose and contentment of his soule And if it be thy pleasure to recouer him from this sickenesse to prolong his dayes whereof thou doest giue vs some signes good Lord giue him grace to vse it to thy glory perpetually beating in minde this thy grace to consecrate the rest of his life with much more affection and zeale then heretofore hee hath done And make him receiue this sickenesse as a fatherly affliction to draw him from sinne and to make him take a holy resolution by thy grace all the dayes of his life to remember the duty and obedience wherewithall he is bound to thee to walke in thy feare more purely and more feruently then euer heretofore Blesse the remedies which thou art pleased to let him vse that he may receiue comfort in his distresse moderate the sharpenesse of his colour and stay the course of it if thou Lord thinkest it fitting to the end he may glorifie thy Name and bee thankefull for thy mercy But if it be thy will still to continue or augment his paine make that it may be for his good and to giue him an increase of strength and constancy to beare these thy trials with a tranquile and sweet spirit without murmure or impatience and also in these testimonies of his faith and patience so Christianly we desire that thou maist be glorified and his neighbours edified and comforted And that he may by the experience of this miserable life be taught to withdraw his heart and affection and to raise them vp freely to the meditation and seeking of true repose and to the incomprehensible felicity which is prouided for vs in Heauen to liue eternally Grant also good Lord the same graces to all other that are sicke and afflicted Comfort them and fortifie them according to their necessitie and aboue all giue them grace and a liuely faith to embrace thy mercy in Iesus Christ for their comfort Heare vs O Father of mercy for the loue of thy welbeloued Sonne our Lord Iesus Christ euen as he himselfe hath commanded vs to present our selues vnto thee Our Father which art in Heauen
pardon of all those that might haue beene offended by you Patient Yes Now Sir it behooueth vs to addresse our prayer to God to the end that he will be pleased to fortifie you in faith which hee hath giuen you and to make his graces more and more abound in you and it is your part to humble your selfe with vs before him and to lift vp your heart to him to implore his Mercy from the bottome of your Heart A Prayer for the sicke when there is any signe of death O Lord our God Mercifull Father we are very vnworthy to lift vp our eyes vnto thee our sins and wicked deedes are so many wherewith wee are so polluted before thy face neither is this out of the confidence of our owne worth to be thus bolde to present our selues at the feete of thy diuine Maiesty but in the assurance of the great Compassions and perfect obedience which thy welbeloued Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord hath made for vs with the righteousnesse whereof wee beseech thee couer vs with thy grace to the end wee may be by his fauour made agreeable and reconciled vnto thee But wee beseech thee O good God particularly vouchsafe thy great mercy to this thy poore seruant so feeble mightily deiected vnder thy powerfull hand poore sinner remaining vnder the weight and rigour of thy high Iustice if thou doest not extend thy great clemency towards him Giue him grace good Lord to enter more and more into a serious examination and acknowledgement of his faults to conceiue that true detestation which alwayes bringeth forth true repentance and set him forward intirely to renounce himselfe and his owne way to haue all his refuge in thee and in thy bounty In the meane while receiue him gratiously O Lord shew him the face of a father and assure and comfort him Say to his soule Soule I am he that can warrant thee Dispose of his heart patiently to receiue with Action of graces this Fatherly correction which thou hast sent him and to put himselfe wholly into thy hands to submit himselfe peaceably vnder all that thou shalt please to lay vpon him by thy holy prouidence Lord thou knowest better then he himselfe or any of vs what is most conuenient whether he shall liue or die If thy good pleasure be that hee shall liue let it be that he may onely liue to thee in such sort that hauing profited well by thy chastisements he may learne to loue thee honour and serue thee all the dayes of his life in thy Church perpetually studying to bring sorth fruits of piety and holinesse worthy of thy Gospel and conuenient for a childe of such a Father so that in him thou maist be glorified and his neighbours edified But contrarily of the other part it be thy pleasure to take him out of this miserable world assure him that it shall be to put him into the possession of thy Heauenly kingdome which thou hast prepared before the foundations of the world and which thy Sonne hath purchased by the merit of his death To this end O Father of light from whom proceedeth euery good gift that thou wilt be pleased to giue him a true and a liuely faith with the which he may search find and apprehend the propitiation for his sinnes and the true righteousnes in the obedience of thy welbeloued Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord who hath suffered for our sinnes and risen againe for our iustification and ascended into Heauen to take possession in our Name and by this meanes giueth vs accesse and entrance which sinne had banished vs from Imprint in his heart a full assurance of all these thy graces to the end that by this meanes he may peaceably repose himselfe in thy mercy and happily ouercome all the snares and temptations which Sathan and his owne flesh would put before him to trouble the clearnesse of his faith and tranquility of his conscience That his sinnes then may not make him despaire because thy Iustice hath been so well payed not with gold or siluer but with the pretious blood of thy Christ as of the Lambe without spot or blemish Let not death affright him seeing sinne is abolished and destroyed in him which is the sting of death who now is disarmed and without all power that his spirit being separated from the body by this corporall death it shall be to come triumphantly to thee and deliuered from the captiuity of sinne to the end to taste of the enioying the most happy life which he neuer tasted in this world but by hope leauing his body in the earth but not for euer but to be refined transformed in time conuenient made conformable to the glorious body of his Redeemer by the benefit of his resurrection So Sathan shall no more astonish him but by sinne and death which he hath vtterly lost all power in ouer our visited Brother Assuring him in the end that this accuser can intend nothing against him before the Throne of thy iustice seeing hee is absolued iustified by thy grace there is no iudge that can condemne him That thou wilt also be pleased O good God to be likewise mercifull to all other sicke soules comfort and fortifie them according as thou knowest them needfull and aboue all giue them grace alwayes to embrace with a true and liuely faith thy mercy in Iesus Christ wherein they may euer be comforted Good Lord vouchsafe vnto vs all this grace that this example may profite and teach vs to renounce the world and our selues to imploy that time we haue here below to meditate thy wisedome walke carefully in thy feare retyre our hearts from the vanities of this life to raise them vp to attend and meditate vpon the Heauenly life and to this end to be alwayes prepared to appeare before thee with assurance to be gathered and receiued into thy mercy for the loue of thy welbeloued Sonne Iesus Christ our Lord In whose name we beseech thee O Father of mercy heere vs in these things and in all other things which thou knowest better to be necessary for thy poore seruant and for vs then we doe our selues as we doe now request thee in that prayer which thou hast commanded vs to present our selues before thee Our Father which art in Heauen c. Lord giue vs a good increase of Faith which thou hast planted in the heart of this thy childe and seruant defend him as with a Buckler by the which he may extinguish all the fiery darts of the Diuell and make him perseuere constantly therin vntill the very last breath of his life and that hee may alwaies at the least in his heart render vnto thee a pure and Christian confession as we now present with heart and mouth I beleeue in God the Father Almighty c. This is his Faith O Lord and ours giue vs grace to liue and dye in it through Iesus Christ thy Sonne our Lord who in the vnitie of the Holy Spirit
of our vnion with Iesus Christ in whose death wee haue beene baptised to participate at the Resurrection and to be at Gods appointed time coheirs of the heauenly inheritance should not this make vs lift vp our selues on high and entirely vnloose our affections from the earth But alas we must confesse that this knowledge is almost wholly vnknowne to vs for our conuersation is little otherwise than theirs that neuer knew God walking without all feare of the Lord and often doing those things which ought not euen to be so much as thought of or named amongst vs for wee liue after the common example euen of the most vngodly wickedly professing that man is not borne but for his flesh and to glut himselfe with his irregular desires and passions O maruellous brutalitie Rom. 6.3 Coloss 3.1 Where shall this knowledge bee Where is the vnderstanding and waiting for heauenly ioy for this Vnion doth no kinde of way exercise the functions should wee not walke in feare and trembling all the daies of our life to mortifie the old Man and our corrupt Nature Otherwise where will the fruit of our Baptisme appeare And where the efficacie of the passions and sufferings of Iesus Christ And if wee be depriued of these things remaine wee not in death euen in eternall death Rom. 2.4 Wherefore let vs begin to be astonished let vs now be afraid seeing the anger of God doth threaten vs if wee still desist his patience inuiteth vs to repentance doe not vnderualue the riches of his mercie euen to this present day he hath supported vs shall wee not say the mercy of God is great he will haue pity of the multitude of our sinnes although we haue added sinne to sinne let vs not still deferre our conuersion till to morrow for Mercy and Anger both come from the Lord and his day will come when we thinke not of it no man knoweth the houre let vs remember that that is vnderstood of the euill seruant in the Parable Matth. 24.48 who saying in his heart My Master will be long in comming and therefore I will leade a wicked life but when the vnlooked for day doth come that hee shall be surprised by his Master he shall be cast away where is weeping and gnashing of teeth Let vs feare let vs feare to be so surprized let vs watch to doe good and sleepe no longer in our sinnes O little better than Atheists infamous monsters who say let vs sinne that God may pardon vs for what else serueth his mercy Is he not come to saue sinners Alas how you deceiue your selues And also those who glut their beastly appetites and feede their odious and detestable desires who profaning likewise the mercy of God promise rest to themselues after they haue spent all their life in such wicked wayes with saying a Peccaui at their death wherein they heape vp as much euill in hoping for happinesse after such a sort as the most wicked can possibly doe wherein they make it to be in mans power to haue repentance and to aske and obtaine pardon at euery moment when he pleaseth and no speciall gift and singular Grace of God As Ieremie manifesteth vnto vs Ierem. 31.18 when hee saith Conuert me and I shall be conuerted for thou art my Lord my God truly after I haue beene conuerted I repented To the end that it shall appeare how grace commeth from God alone euen out of his owne free will the holy Ghost saith Act. 11.18 God hath giuen repentance to the Gentiles that they might liue which is also clearely shewed by Saint Paul charging Timothie 2.25 to teach those of contrarie vnderstanding To see if in any time God will giue them repentance for to know the truth and that they may awake and come out of the snare of the Deuill Isaiah 1.15 as in this wee now vnderstand That man sometimes crieth to the Lord for nothing and afterwards getteth no answer Psal 18.41 Consider then to whom when and how is mercy done And in this behalfe let vs all acknowledge that we haue not to morrow to repent in let vs no longer grow old in our iniquitie for feare as the Wise-man saith Wisd 12.10 That wickednesse hauing taken root in vs our heart will neuer change Euen as the tree that hath beene planted of old cannot easily be vnrooted hauing alwaies remembrance of this threatning Apoc. 3.3 If thou dost not watch I will come against thee like a theefe and thou shalt not know what houre But why should we not be wise by so many examples which daily we see that the strongest man euen he that in all his affaires builds farthest from the Tombe and that thinketh nothing lesse than of the tribute which hee oweth vnto death and then at the same instant hee miscaries And therefore no man knoweth the houre nor how hee shall bee taken from this vile earth Euery moment night and day shew vs there are a thousand and a thousand waies in the hand of God to cut when he pleaseth the Threed of life euen of the most Robust Which was well expressed by a graue Author saying In what Act or Place or Time soeuer a man is he is couered with death Pause a little O thou Temporiser that still deferrest thy amendment to another time let not this present time passe without thinking of it and this shall be thy entrance in making profit of the aduertisement which Iesus Christ giueth Mat. 24.42 That we ought to keepe our selues alwaies ready to watch for feare to be surprised not knowing the houre of our departing Let vs not make our selues deafe if we lend our hearing sometimes to an Instrument which recreateth vs shall wee stop it when wee should vnderstand wholesome counsell No no this is spoken for our good Prou. 1. I haue called and you haue refused I haue stretched out my hand and you haue not vnderstood you haue contemned all my counsell and would not be corrected therefore I wil laugh at your perdition and will mock at your feare when it shall come vpon you when torment and anguish shal come vpon you you will call vpon me but I will not answer because you haue hated knowledge and haue not chosen the feare of God you would not hearken to my counsell but despised my correction wherefore you eat the fruit of your owne waies and shal be glutted therewith for the fooles shall be slaine with ease and fooles shall be ruined by their prosperity O peruerse people remember how I dealt with Sodome and Gomorrah Esdras 2.8 euen so I will doe with them that will not heare me saith the Eternall Let vs be better aduised Psal 95.7 8. Prou. 19.20 Let vs heare the voice of God let vs not harden our hearts but heare counsell and receiue instruction that we may be more wise And making profit by these admonitions let vs not put off from one day to another euen euery one to say I haue sinned and let vs
liueth and raigneth with thee God eternally Amen If the sicke person continue long and still in danger of death it will be conuenient to repeat at times necessary the abouesaid Comforts but especially those which are to assure and fortifie against the temptations and combats of Conscience And if it happen the sicke party be troubled with idle talke or cannot vnderstand a long discourse vse short sentences such as hereafter followeth speaking but at sometimes Sir it behooueth you to take good courage it is the fatherly hand of God that visiteth you for your good and saluation For to those whom God loueth all things worke together for good Lift vp your heart to God and confesse your sinnes and offences and imbrace by faith his mercy in Iesus Christ which hee hath promised to all those that repent and beleeue in him Haue you not alwaies a good assurance in the mercy of God a firme faith in Iesus Christ your Sauiour Patient Yes Doe you not beleeue that Iesus Christ is dead for your sinnes and risen againe for your iustification Patient Yes Doe you not beleeue that hee hath before the Father beene your wisedome righteousnesse sanctification and redemption Patient Yes Doe you not thinke that hee hath freely iustified you by the grace of God through the redemption which is in Christ Iesus Patient Yes Following this your faith doubt not but God will warrant you from all perdition and giue you euerlasting life For God hath giuen his Sonne to the end that whosoeuer shall beleeue in him shall not perish but haue eternall life Ioh. 16. Feare not death seeing by faith you imbrace Iesus Christ who is your life I am saith he the resurrection and the life who shall beleeue in me although he be dead shall liue and whosoeuer liueth and beleeueth in me shall neuer dye Ioh. 11.25.26 If your sinnes doe afflict you addresse your selfe alwaies by faith and runne to Christ Iesus and you shall finde rest to your soule Come to mee saith Saint Matthew 11.28 all you that labour and are ouer-laden and I will ease you Doubt not the rigour of Gods iustice for there is no condemnation to those that are in Christ Iesus as the Apostle Saint Paul saith Rom. 8.1 And who is he Rom. 8.32.33 that will bring in accusation against the elect of God God is hee that iustifieth who will be hee that shall condemne Christ is he which is dead and which is more is risen againe who is also at the right hand of God and maketh intercession for vs. Be not sorry to leaue this miserable life which as Saint Iames saith 4.14 is but a vapour which appeareth a little while and afterwards vanisheth besides in exchange thereof euerlasting life shall be giuen vnto you and in that the very height of felicity so great and incomprehensible That eye hath not seene nor eare vnderstood and is not come vp into the heart of man that which God hath prepared for those that loue him When the sicke person is apparantly at the point of death or ready to yeeld vp the Ghost it is necessary to repeat this short consolation following with prayer Comfort your selfe Sir you now approach neare vnto the end of the Combat which cannot be otherwise but happy vnto you assure your selfe the victory is of your side by meanes of your faith which is the victory that ouercommeth the world and the Prince of the world Iesus Christ your head and Sauiour extendeth forth his hand and stayeth for you at the end of the lists to present vnto you the incorruptible Crowne of glory which he hath purchased with the price of his bloud commend your selfe vnto him now with all your heart goe vnto him with ioy throw your selfe into his Armes and say Into thy hands I commend my soule for thou hast bought me O God of truth Psal 31. Let vs againe pray to God that he will giue you his grace A Prayer O Lord Father of Mercy God of all Consolation let fall thy mercies and comforts vpon this occasion vpon this person thy poore childe and seruant Make him now gather and apply vnto himselfe excellent and abundant profit of the holy Instructions which in thy schoole thou hast taught him during the course of his life giue him an inuincible faith in this Combat Arme him with all thy spirituall Armour that hee may resist all the Temptations of Sathan and hauing ouercome all make him remain firme If thy Iustice astonish let thy mercie assure and comfort if his sinnes accuse him let the obedience of thy welbeloued excuse and iustifie him if the apprehension of death trouble him make him contemplate the open gate of euerlasting life to which thou goest to make him enter Thou hast giuen him it in thy Sonne make it perfectly happy to him Hee is of the flocke of this great Shepheard let it not be taken from him Thou hast begun his saluation let not the worke remaine vnperfect And now that thou hast brought him to the end of his sorrowfull course now receiue his soule into thy hands and bring it into thy heauenly paradice into the fulnesse of repose and beatitude into the company of thy blessed Angels and holy soules of thine Elect which thou hast gathered for euer to enioy together the perfection of all ioy which consisteth in the contemplation of his face Heare vs O Father of mercy for the loue of thy welbeloued Son Iesus Christ our Lord who in vnity of the holy Spirit liueth and raigneth with thee God eternally Amen A short comfort for those that are friends of the deceased to be giuen after the body is interred Friends it is needfull in this businesse for you to remember of the holy Christian instruction which you haue receiued in the schoole of Iesus Christ for to make your profit in bearing your affliction with patience and in humility resting in a quiet Spirit at the will of God to which we ought alwayes to be subiect and conformable Our Nature in such accidents leadeth vs to teares but the Spirit of God author of all Regeneration teacheth vs to keepe measure and not to afflict our selues like those that haue no hope 1 Thess 4.13 If we be men in weeping yet wee must shew our selues Christians adorned with faith and hope to assure vs that this corporall death is no other to the faithfull children of God but a happy port to enter into eternall life Ioh. 5.28.29 and as for the body it must remaine in earth vntill that day when they shall heare the voyce of the Lord which shall make them rise out of the graue into the resurrection of life That the deceased is of the number of Gods children the marks and testimonies which God hath giuen him by the good profession of piety and wisedome which hee hath made in the Church vnto the last breath of his life neede not leaue vs in doubt He hath liued to the Lord and is dead to the Lord by consequence is happy and resteth from his labour Apoc. 14.13 by the heauenly testimony of the Spirit of God himselfe You haue no cause to weep ouer him for the condition he is in being in euery kinde thrice happy He hath also a great aduantage of vs that remaine in this world behinde him For he is arriued at the port of saluation where as we are still beaten with the storme and torment of the confused and dangerous sea of this miserable world And therefore it is much better to aspire to go with him then to wish him to remaine here below with vs for the discommodity that you may receiue by his absence it behoueth you to consider that God that gaue him to you remaineth still with you who is enough for vs without all other things whereas all other things without him are nothing It is hee that will continue alwayes ouer you the care of his fatherly prouidence if you continue alwayes to walke in his feare I beseech God to giue you grace and fortifie you with a holy and constant resolution Amen FINIS