the multitude of thy mercies And hide not thy face from thy servant for I am in trouble Oh haste thee and hear me Draw nigh unto my soul and save it Oh deliver me because of mine enemies Psal 86.1 to 8. Bow down thine ear O Lord and hear me for I am poor and in misery Preserve thou my soul for I am holy save thy servant that putteth his trust in thee Be merciful to me O Lord for I will call dayly upon thee Comfort the soul of thy servant for unto thee O Lord do I lift up my soul For thou Lord art good and gracious and of great mercy unto all them that call upon thee Give ear Lord unto my prayer and ponder the voice of my humble desires In the time of my trouble I will call upon thee for thou hearest me Jer. 17.13 14. O Lord the hope of Israel all that forsake thee shall be ashamed and they that depart from thee shall be written in the earth because they have forsaken the Lord the fountain of living waters Heal me O Lord and I shall be healed save me and I shall be saved for thou art my praise Luke 18.1 And he spake a parable unto them to this end that men ought always to pray and not to faint Joh. 16.24 Hitherto ye have asked nothing in my Name ask and ye shall receive that your joy may be full 1 Thes 5.17 Pray without ceasing 5. Meditation upon spiritual and heavenly things Deut. 22.29 O that they were wise that they understood this that they would consider their latter end Psal 15.1 2 c. Lord who shall dwell in thy Tabernacle or who shall rest upon thy holy Hill Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life and doth the thing which is right and speaketh the truth from his heart He that hath used c. Whoso doth these things shall never fall So Psal 24.3 4 5 6. Psal 90.12 So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom Psal 143.4 5. My spirit is vexed within me and my heart within me is desolate Yet do I remember the time past I muse upon all thy works yea I exercise my self in the works of thy hands 2 Cor. 4.16 17 18. For which cause we faint not but though our outward man perish yet the inward man is renewed day by day For our light affliction which is but for a moment worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory While we look not at the things that are seen but at the things which are not seen for the things which are seen are temporal but the things which are not seen are eternal Col. 3.1 2 3 4. If ye then be risen with Christ seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God Set your affections on things above not on things on earth For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God When Christ who is our life shall appear then shall ye also appear with him in glory Rev. 20.11 12. And I saw a great white Throne and him that sate on it from whose face the earth and the Heaven fled away and there was found no place for them And I saw the dead small and great stand before God and the Books were opened and another Book was opened which is the Book of life and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books according to their works 6. Choice of company fit for that time 1 Sam. 21.14 15. Achish said unto his servants Lo you see the man is mad wherefore then have you brought him to me Have I need of madmen that ye have brought this fellow to play the madman in my presence shall this fellow come into my house Job 13.4 5. Ye are all Physicians of no value O that you would altogether hold your peace and it should be your wisdom Chap. 15.2 Should he a wise man reason with unprofitable talk or with speeches where with he can do no good Chap. 16.5 I would strengthen you with my mouth and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief Chap. 33.23 24. If there be a messenger with him one of a thousand to shew unto men his uprightness Then he is gracious unto him and saith deliver him from going down into the pit I have found a Ransome Psal 26.4 5. I have not dwelt with vain persons neither have I had fellowship with the deceitful I have hated the Congregation of the wicked neither will I sit amongst the ungodly Psal 101.8 c. Mine eyes look unto such as be faithful in the Land that they may dwell with me Whoso leadeth a godly life he shall be my servant There shall no deceitful person dwell in my house he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight 2 Cor. 6.16 17 18. What agreement hath the Temple of God with Idols for ye are the Temple of the Living God as God hath said I will dwell in them and walk in them and will be their God and they shall be my people Wherefore come out from among them and be ye separate saith the Lord and touch not the unclean thing and I will receive you And will be a Father unto you and ye shall be my sons and my daughters saith the Lord God Almighty Eph. 4.29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth but that which is good to the use of edifying that it may minister grace unto the hearers Jam. 5.14 Is any sick among you let him call for the Elders of the Church Vers 16. Confess your faults one to another and pray one for another that ye may be healed the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much 7. Hearing and Reading the Scriptures Psal 119.92 93. If my delight had not been in thy Law I should have perished in my trouble I will never forget thy commandements for with them hast thou quickned me Trouble and heaviness have taken hold upon me yet is my delight in thy Commandements Joh. 5.39 Search the Scriptures for in them ye think ye have eternal life Acts 8.28 Who the Eunuch returning and sitting in his Chariot read Esaias the Prophet Rom. 15.4 Whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope 2 Tim. 3.15 From a Child thou hast known the Scriptures which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus Rev. 1.3 Blessed is he that readeth and they that hear the words of this Prophesie and keep those things that are written therein The Portion of Holy Scripture that may be seasonably read to the sick are the penitential Psalms as they have been commonly called that is to say the 6th 32 38 51 102 130 143. The 15 39 90 103. Job 14. Mit. 26 and 27. Mark 14 and 15. Luke 22 and 23. Joh. from chap. 13 to 20.1 Cor.
hand Ezek. 3.19 CONTENTS I. DIrections when a sick Person seems wholly insensible of his spiritual state p. 8. II. When he expresses some penitence for his sins p. 21. III. When he is under too great despondency p. 22. IV. When under suspicion of ungrounded confidence p. 41. V. Rules for the Trial of his State p. 49. VI. When the occasion or circumstances of his sickness trouble him p. 60. VII When oppressed with fears of dying p. 68. VIII Application to several causes that may make a person unwilling to dye p. 76. IX When the sick person seems willing to dye p. 94. X. When he complains of the want of sensible joy p. 100. XI When he doubts of the truth or seasonableness of his Repentance p. 110. XII Directions how to demean ones self in sickness p. 117. XIII Exercise of Prayer in time of sickness p. 135. XIV A Prayer to be used in a state of Health p. 145. XV. A Prayer when one perceives himself to be sick p. 148. XVI Prayers to be used in a Family p. 152. GO in PEACE Containing some brief Directions for Young Ministers c. WHen the Minister is to deal with a Sick Person he must prudently consider First of all of what Quality and Condition the Person is as well in natural as civil or moral respects his Age Sex Education Relations Offices Profession Poverty Wealth and the like All know that there are peccata diversorum statuum as the Casuists speak sins to which one State or sort of men is obnoxious and not another and some more than others to which good heed must be taken We must remember St. John Baptists method in giving to every one his due portion of whom the Father says that Singulis generationibus hominum conveniens Baptista tribuit responsum the answer the Baptist gave to all that ask'd him was such as was suitable to every ones state and condition of Life Secondly How the Sick Person in the Ministers own knowledg or in the esteem of good men hath demean'd himself in the common duties of Godliness Righteousness and Sobriety Tit. 2.12 the indispensable Rules of every ones conversation Thirdly What is the present frame and temper of his mind Whether insensible of the guilt and pollution of his sins or perplext and troubled above measure or else in a middle and seeming posture of safety and quiet And lastly what his present indisposition by sickness will not permit him to bear that the Minister opperss him not with unnessasary Discourses and Prescriptions much less with such as are impertinent 2. If the Sick Person appear insensible of spiritual dangers the Minister must prudently consider whether his insensibleness doth arise either from 1. A stupid ignorance of such things a Christian ought to know and believe to his Souls health or from 2. A presumptuous boldness and regardlesness of his spiritual state not caring how it may go with his Soul in the other World Or from 3. An ill-plac't confidence and conceit of his own performances of some Acts of common Justice Temperance or other moral Vertue whereby many are deluded thinking themselves to be something when they are nothing being in truth void of all saving Faith and other Spiritual Graces Or from 4. Resting on external conformity to the way of Worship Order and Discipline of the Church of which he is a member and the profession of the Doctrine it Teacheth without any conscionable obedience of Gods Laws Or from 5. That common Errour namely that true justifying Faith consists in believing one shall be sav'd and so all further enquiry into his state deemed impertinent and superfluous Or from 6. Present Distemper of sickness depriving him in some measure of an ability to understand and reflect on the things that concern his spiritual welfare which many times happens to them whom we ought to esteem good Christians Thirdly If the Sick Person be afflicted with the sight and sense of his Sins the Minister must with the same prudence and caution consider 1. Whether the Sins he complains of be the whole or no more but a partial cause of his troubles or indeed rather an effect than a cause it self as it commonly happens upon discontents arising from things of this World And 2. Whether his sickness be not of that kind that may dispose him to sadness of Spirit and Melancholick perturbations of mind Which cannot be more surely discovered than by considering the nature of those sins of which he complains Which if no other but common frailties they seem to point out some unusual tenderness of heart or distemper of judgment arising either from natural constitution of body reflection on former lapses present infirmity or the suggestion of Satan In which Case without sincere confession there is no relief or comfort to be given him but by accident a cure may be hit on advised it cannot be Fourthly If the Sick Person seem to be in a Christian temper and frame of mind in respect of his faith hope and charity yet is there a portion to be administred to him in this season Either 1. Of Admonition to search and assure himself of a firm and solid ground of his hope that that Anchor of his Soul deceive him not in his greatest need Or 2. Of Encouragement and exhortation to enlarge the comfort and rest of his Soul by fit Applications of Gods Word and constant Prayer and vigilancy over his heart Fifthly A Like Duty is incumbent on the Minister in some other respects as when the Sick Person expresseth great willingness or unwillingness to dye solicitude for Wife and Children payment of Debts and the like For all which and such like emergencies it is necessary that the spiritual Physician be furnish't with suitable passages and Texts of Scripture as being that which is most powerful in converting the Soul strengthning and refreshing the Spirit and supporting it against all difficulties And hath also a special property in searching out and ascertaining the heart And we may assure our selves that there is no state or condition of men in this Life for which there is not in the Book of God a portion to be found which its the Ministers duty to give him in that season And therefore that the Man of God may be readily surnish'd for that work with choice of seasonable and powerful remedies for the more common diseases of his Flock these following directions may by Gods blessing become successful when discreetly and diligently applyed to the several exigents of our Brethren Upon any of which the Minister may enlarge himself as he sees cause in the opening and applying the same on particular occasions First then When the Sick Person appears wholly insensible of his spiritual state the common danger of Christians who either feel not or pretend they feel not any gripes or mindings of their Consciences such passages of Scripture are fittest that may set before him 1. The Majesty and Greatness of God as Exod. 19.16 And
15. 8. Ready and cheerful submission to the will and wisdom of God Job 1.21 And Job said Naked came I out of my Mothers womb and naked shall I return thither the Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. Chap. 33.13 Why doest thou strive against him for he giveth not account of any of his matters Isa 39.8 Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah Good is the word of the Lord which thou hast spoken he said moreover for there shall be peace and truth in my days Jer. 18.6 O House of Israel cannot I do with you as this Potter saith the Lord behold as the Clay is in the Potters hand so are ye in mine hand O House of Israel Luke 1.38 And Mary said Behold the handmaid of the Lord be it unto me according to thy word Phil. 1.20 As always so now also Christ shall be magnified in my body whether it be by life or by death Heb. 12.1 2. Wherefore seeing we are also compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us and let us run with patience the race that is set before us Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God 9. Thankfulness for chastisement Psal 94.12 Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest O Lord and teachest him in thy Law Psal 119.67 Before I was afflicted I went astray but now I have kept thy word Heb. 12.8 If ye be without chastisement whereof all are partakers then are ye bastards and not sons Eleventhly The exercise of the duty of prayer as a special means to procure for him what is necessary for his present condition As 1. Help against temptations Psal 22.11 14 16. O go not from me for trouble is hard at hand and there is none to help me I am poured out like water and all my bones are out of joynt my heart also in the middest of my body is even like melting wax For many dogs are come about me and the counsel of the wicked layeth siege against me Mat. 26.41 Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak Luke 22.31 32. Satan hath desired to have you that he may sift you as wheat But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not Joh. 17.20 Neither pray I for these alone but for them also which shall believe on me through their word Heb. 2.17 18. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren that he might be a merciful and faithful high Priest in things pertaining to God to make reconciliation for the sins of the People For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted 1 Pet. 5.8 9. Be sober be vigilant because your adversary the Devil as a roaring Lion walketh about seeking whom he may devour Whom resist stedfast in the faith Rev. 12.12 Wo to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea for the Devil is come down unto you having great wrath because he knoweth that he hath but a short time 2. Ease and comfort under bodily pains and anguish of mind Job 7.20 I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O thou Preserver of men why hast thou set me as a mark against thee so that I am a burden to my self Psal 72.1 In thee O Lord have I put my trust let me never be put to confusion but rid me and deliver me in thy righteousness encline thine ear unto me and save me Vers 2. Be thou my stronghold whereunto I may always ways resort thou hast promised to help me for thou art my house of defence and my castle Vers 5. Through thee have I been holden up ever since I was born thou art he that took me out of my mothers womb my praise shall be always of thee Vers 8. Cast me not away in the time of age forsake me not when my strength faileth me Vers 10. Go not far from me O God my God haste thee to help me Psal 109.20 Deal thou with me O Lord God according to thy Name for sweet is thy mercy Vers 21. O Deliver me for I am helpless and poor and my heart is wounded within me Vers 22. I go hence like the shadow that departeth and an driven away like the Grashopper Vers 23. My knees are weak through fasting my flesh is dryed up for want of fatness Psal 141. 1. Lord I call upon thee haste thee unto me and consider my voice when I cry unto thee Vers 2. Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice Vers 9. Mine eyes look unto thee O Lord God in thee is my trust O cast not out my soul 3. Perseverance Psal 40.14 Withdraw not thou thy mercy from me O Lord let thy loving kindness and thy truth alway preserve me Vers 15. For innumerable troubles are come about me my sins have taken such hold upon me that I am not able to look up yea they are more in number than the hairs of my head and my heart hath failed me Psal 145.14 The Lord upholdeth all such as fall and lifteth up all such as be down Vers 17. The Lord is righteous in all his ways and holy in all his works Vers 18. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him yea all such as call upon him faithfully Vers 19. He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him he also will hear their cry and will help them Vers 20. The Lord preserveth all them that love him but scattereth abroad all the ungodly Mat. 24.13 He that endureth unto the end the same shall be saved Rom. 11.20 Thou standest by faith Be not high-minded but fear 1 Cor. 10.13 God is faithful who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able but will with the temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it Phil. 1.3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you Vers 4. Always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy Vers 5. For your fellowship in the Gospel from the first day until now Vers 6. Being confident of this very thing that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Christ Jesus Vers 7. Even as it is meet for me to think this of you all Ezek. 36.37 Thus saith the Lord God I will yet for this be inquired of by the house of Israel to do it for them 4. A quiet departure out of this life Gen. 49.33 When Jacob had made an end of commanding his sons he gathered up his feet into the bed and yielded up the Ghost and was
gathered unto his People Job 5.26 Thou shalt come to thy grave in a full age like as a shock of corn cometh in in his season Luke 2.29 Lord now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation Chap. 23.46 When Jesus had cried with a loud voice he said Father into thy hands I commend my spirit And having thus said he gave up the ghost Acts 7.59 They stoned Steven calling upon God and saying Lord Jesus receive my spirit Vers 60. And he kneeled down and cried with a loud voice Lord lay not this sin to their charge And when he had said this he fell asleep Rev. 22.20 He that testifieth these things saith surely I come quickly Amen Even so come Lord Jesus THe Minister must not fail to press the sick person to receive the Holy Eucharist and to open to him the comfortable Doctrine the Scripture holds forth in that blessed Ordinance this being the fittest close for the life of him whose constant business it hath been as of all good Christians to labour for pardon and grace the Benefits sealed to Believers in that Sacrament by Him who purchased them for us with his most precious blood as in that Commemorative Sacrifice is most lively represented to us The Institution whereof so nearly preceding the Passion of our Blessed Redeemer doth recommend the use of these Holy Mysteries unto Christians as very seasonable at that time when they are upon putting off their earthly Tabernacles their corruptible Bodies in expectation of a joyful Resurection and Exaltation unto life Eternal whereof this Holy Sacrament was by the Primitive Fathers of the Church esteemed a sure and sacred Pledg A most comfortable Preparative whereunto if heartily desired and cantiously and reverently administred is the Benefit of Absolution Which deserves not to be the less esteemed or the more neglected for whatsoever abuses it hath heretofore been liable unto when both Priest and People believed more of the Sacerdotal Power than was consistent with so great a Trust committed to the one and so strict a disquisition required from the other lest the Minister might be Partaker of other mens sins 1 Tim. 5.22 and the People delude themselves with unsincere and fruitless Repentance 2 Cor. 7.10 11. A Prayer to be used in a state of Health O Father of lights from whom cometh every good and perfect gift Thou art he who tookest me out of my Mothers womb and by thee have I been holden up ever since I was born The blessings of health and strength that I enjoy are from thy goodness and bounty And for them and all thy other mercies I bless and praise thy ever-great and glorious Name Most humbly beseeching thee to add to these that blessing of blessings the right use of all thy blessings That through the comfort and assistance of that health and strength thou hast given me I may become the more diligent and faithful in the practice of those several duties of piety justice and charity which thou requirest at my hands And suffer me not O Lord to deceive my self by a false account of the time of my Pilgrimage but so teach me to number my days that I may apply my heart unto wisdom that I may readily discern the vast difference between this span of life and the infinite spaces of eternity between the pleasures of sin for a season and the everlasting fulness of joy in thy presence And for this end remove far away from me all those vices to which health and ease are apt to betray me especially all carnal security lust pride anger want of compassion misspending my time forgetfulness of thee and of thy ways and works And implant in my mind the daily remembrance of death and judgment the necessity of working out my salvation with fear and trembling and the misery of being surpriz'd by the coming of our Lord in my sins or fruitless repentance So that the health of my body may through thy blessing promote the health of my Soul and thy augmenting the number of my Talents increase both my labour and reward That passing the time of my sojourning here in fear I may treasure up for my self such spiritual strength and consolation as may stand me in stead when I shall lye down on my bed of sickness and death administring comfort to my soul in the conscience of well doing which thou hast promised us to accept and reward through thy mercies in Jesus Christ our only Saviour and Redeemer Amen A Prayer when one perceives himself to be sick O Lord my God I have learn'd from thy Holy Word and by daily experience in this vale of misery that dust I am and unto dust I shall return that I must put off this earthly Tabernacle and that thou wilt bring me to death and the house appointed for all living And now Lord I feel in my self the usual summons thy good providence doth give us to review our accounts and to sit our selves for death and judgment Blessed be thy Name for this thy mercy that thou hast not taken advantage of me whil'st I was thine enemy to cut me off suddenly in my sins and hurry me hence in mine iniquity but hast given me the time means and I trust grace for repentance and amendment of life And though I have not improved such hath been my negligence and sloth these rich favours to that great advantage I might and should have done yet I beseech thee O Lord for thine infinite mercies in thy son Christ Jesus that thou wilt not be extream to mark what I have done amiss and to lay my sins to my charge but that thou wilt deal mercifully with me thy most unworthy servant blotting out all my sins and transgressions that none of mine iniquities may be mentioned unto me in that great and terrible day of Recompences And forasmuch as thou alone in whose hands our times are dost know what will be the issue of this my present distemper and sickness cause me to reflect on it as proceeding from thy Will and Wisdom and cheerfully and thankfully to submit to this chastisement as a means appointed by thee for the benefit and comfort of my Soul and vouchsafe unto me that grace which may enable me to receive profit thereby and from experience of thy goodness towards me to gain hope and confidence of thy love And if thou hast reserv'd for me the blessing of restoring me to my former health which I beseech thee to do direct me to the use of such means as thou wilt make effectual for that end But if the days of my warfare are accomplished prepare me O Lord for a safe quiet and comfortable departure out of this life and fit me for thy prefence and glory O Lord strengthen me against all the malicious practices and devices of my subtil and implacable enemy against all errours and delusions of my understanding the allurements of this World inordinate love of this miserable Life and