caused some of his little Prayer-books to be brought to his bed and appointed to every one of his children one writing therein their several names and adding thereunto his Christianly and Fatherly admonition For his eldest Son Philippus Mauritius upon his German Bible he did write thus MY Son Philippus Mauritius Count of Hanaw Fear God and keep his holy Commandments I have been this night sore troubled and in great anguish I have thought on many things which I wish my Childe that you could know yet thus much I tell you Keep thy self even all thy life-time close unto thy God his gracious help and his blessed assistance will be evermore most necessary for thee I would to God that I could write the great riches of his infinite mercy goodness and faithfulness that have been experimented by me this long time I bless the Lord I have already the foretaste of everlasting glory Therefore will I sing unto the Lord as long as I live Psa 104.33 I will sing praise to my God while I have my being my Meditation of him shall be sweet I will be glad in the Lord. The Lord help thee unto me in due time Amen In these pangs of death I do desire to be delivered and to be with my Lord Jesus Christ O Lord Jesus Christ thou faithful Saviour how do I love thee Thy promises are true thy love is great thy heart is faithful towards me I do commend my spirit into thy hands thou dear and faithful God Thou hast most graciously delivered and sanctified me Lord I do wait on thy salvation Thy faithful Father Philippus Lodovicus The second Son Willielmus Reynhart received his Book with these words viz. MY dear Son serve thy God with thy whole heart in Sprit and in Truth I have destinated thee thereunto esteem it not to be any shame unto thee to serve God and his Church for God is the greatest God he is thy Creator keep in honour the true service of God Obey and serve thy dear Mother under whose heart thou hast lain honour and serve thy eldest Brother as thy Lord for such is the Ordinance and my will also bear with him if thou be in the right for thou art then more happy then he but if thou dost not walk uprightly in thy words then art not thou happy Love thy Brothers and Sisters from the heart love thy House do good to the Poor according to thy ability then shall the Lord bless thee Beware of drunkenness of dissoluteness and all unclean speeches as thou wouldst do of fire Honour thy State be industrious in all things read and practise and that continually the 119 Psalm let thine Astrologians be the 28 of Deuteronomy So I commit thee to God Thy faithful Father unto death Philippus Lodovicus The eldest Daughter Lady Charlette Loisa received her Book with these words viz. FEar honour and love thy God from thy heart have his Commandments continually before thine eyes take thy whole delight therein Honour with all filial obedience thy loving Mother keep thy mouth close with a lock esteem honesty and modesty above all the goods and treasures of this present world God bless thee my loving Childe Thy loving Father unto death Philippus Lodovicus The second Daughter Lady Emilia Elizabetha received her Book from him with these words viz. HAve God always before thine eyes Honour thy Mother with obedience and with love keep honesty and modesty for these will be thy best riches and thy chiefest jewel Thy faithful Father unto death Philippus Lodovicus The youngest Daughter Lady Catherina Juliana received her Book with these words viz. DEar Childe be vertuous Have thy Creator alwayes before thine eyes fear thy God even all the days of thy life love and honour thy blessed Saviour who did shed his most precious blood for thee break off from thine evil will betimes be humble and obedient Humility honesty and silence do more adorn a Lady then either pearls or other costly jewels Thy faithful Father unto death Philippus Lodovicus These Prayer-books being thus delivered his Excellency caused also the late-born Lord to be brought before the bed sighed sadly over him touched him with his hand and prayed that the Lord would also bless that tender Infant with his grace Lying down again his bed being new made he stretching out both his arms said to one of his Counsellors Ecce divinum miraculum hominem jam mortuum viribus tamen adhuc integrum That is Loe a divine miracle a man already dead and yet having his full strength After this his understanding remaining very good he caused divers things to be read out of a little Song-book and then took it to him and writ in it This Song have I used many years and then commanded it to be laid upon his heart as soon as he should be departed A while after he called before him all the Ministers both of the old and of the new City and also some of the Country-Ministers with whom he did discourse of the true saving faith and of a Christianly departure out of this life telling them That he would not willingly in this his weakness be without a Preacher by him He did often sigh and pray from his heart for a mitigation of his pains and for shortning the pangs of death and also so for an understanding end and did use many comfortable speeches to the joy and admiration of such as were his assistants 7. Aug. Friday his Excellency feeling the time of death approaching his heart was full of godly comfort and of heavenly consolation speaking with singular zeal of the misery of this life of the death of a Christian of eternal salvation Then saying Ah Sirs loving Sirs I have seen the glory of God what do I care for this world I have kissed the hem of the garment of my Lord Jesus Christ I am now climbing on the ladder of Jacob up to heaven toward my God and Saviour And while he was full of these expressions and cast his arms from him he said All things here below do now stink before me Tell this to my children chiefly to my Steward that he nor they seek too much after worldly things but to put their whole trust in God Ah my dear people said he how much trouble have you with me miserable creature Then he called Open all the doors let all my people come in that they may see how joyfully I do die and so be comforted by my example His Physicians warning him not to speak too much Ah said he Should not I speak of my loving and most gracious God He hath given me and he continueth to me a tongue to that end Again when the Physicians spake against opening the windows What said he should not I behold the fair Heavens whither I shall come anon He did oftentimes lift up his hands and his eyes to heaven using these words Oh thou great and strong God thou Almighty God thou holy God thou good and true
riches and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing both now and for ever and ever Amen VIII Short Prayers upon any release of Pain BLessed and praised be thy great and glorious Name O holy Father in Jesus Christ for that thou dost lay no more upon me nor punishest me to my confusion O grant me still a believing heart and a patient minde that I may still love thee and wholly depend upon thee and comfortably bear all thy fatherly corrections as it becometh thy faithful servant and a true souldier of Jesus Christ All is thine and thou art all to thee only do I flie for relief and succour knowing that there is no strength nor support but only in thee Thou wilt not break a bruised reed thou wilt not quench the smoaking flax O thou that delightest not in the death of a sinner receive me release my soul out of trouble for thy great Name sake let the shadow of thy wings be my cover let the holy Ghost be my company let thy power be my portion my rock and my defence against all fear and danger whatsoever and do thou in thine infinite goodness and mercy say at this time to my poor weak soul Be of good cheer I am thy salvation O Lord it is thou alone that hast sent me this sickness be thou pleased to come thy self with it and teach me and enable me to make that sanctified use thereof as becometh thy faithful servant O Lord let thy Word be my rule thy Glory my aim thy Spirit my guide thy Angels my guard thy Promises my support thy People my society thy Ordinances my delight then shall I be happy both now and for ever Grant O Lord God of Heaven and earth that thy holy Angels may pitch their tents round about me in this my low estate to defend me against that evil one and in thine own appointed time to convey my soul to everlasting glory When thou O Lord shalt be finishing my weak and evil dayes of sin be pleased to quiet my tender conscience to pardon my many manifold offences to save my precious soul to receive both my body and my soul into thy heavenly Kingdom so that I may follow the Lamb wheresoever he goeth Oh thou that art the Captain of my salvation Oh sweet Jesus that wert made perfect by sufferings look graciously upon thy poor creature and sanctifie unto me all the pains of body and all the troubles of mind which thou shalt permit to fall upon me that I may pass thorow them to everlasting happiness IX Consolations against Pain and fear in Dying THere is pain in the curing of a wound do we therefore suffer it to gangrene and let it alone to the danger of a limb perhaps of life No we are willing to launce and to heal so let us here submit the body that the soul may be safe There be few persons but have indured as great perhaps greater and for a longer time in their life then they have at their death We do make the passage much the more tedious and difficult by our bringing to the thought of death a troubled and an unprepared minde and in the mean time forget that Christ by his death hath taken away the sting of death Be not dismayed death indeed is terrible when it is inflicted by the Law but it is easie being imposed by the Gospel The curse is now taken off we are not now under the Law but under Grace God who blessed us in life will not forsake us he will not neglect us in death for precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of all his Saints Against all the apprehensions and thoughts of death let this of the holy Spirit be our sure consolation Thanks be to God that as death is swallowed up in victory so he hath given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ blessed for ever We have the Spirit of Christ within us which will secure us search us and refresh us even all the time of the combate yea it will abide with us for the assured comfort of our souls We do see many men and women to depart out of this life without any extremity of pain or trouble at all nay it is sometimes with much tranquillity extraordinary cheerfulness and spiritual joy let not us then create fear to our selves and expect pain but with patience and Christian faith and fortitude wait upon the Lord for a happy issue The body may and sometimes doth seem to be in grievous pangs when as the party feels no pain almost at all unless it be the Cramp or the like while the soul in the mean time is in a sweet repose and preparing it self to come immediately to the presence and blessed enjoyment of his dear Lord and gracious Redeemer praying still with servency of spirit Come Lord Jesus come and receive my soul X. Ejaculations to Father Son and holy Ghost O Heavenly Father who scourgest every son whom thou dost receive help me thy poor creature that I may not be weary of thy corrections but be pleased to give me such a perfect submitting my self to thee who art the Father of spirits that this chastisement of thine may be so much for my present and future profit and advantage that I may be made partaker of thy holiness Oh holy Jesus Son of the everliving God I have I do most humbly confess it by my many and grievous offences crucified thee afresh but thou O blessed Lord who didst pray for thy persecutors Oh be pleased to intercede also for me and suffer not Oh blessed Redeemer suffer not my poor soul the price of thy most precious blood to perish Oh blessed Spirit of Grace I have by my manifold impieties done despight unto thee yet Oh holy Comforter though I have often grieved thee be thou pleased to relieve and succour and sanctifie me and in this my weakness say to my poor soul I am thy salvation We may pray unto the whole Trinity but more properly unto the first person God the Father in the name of God the Son and by the assistance of God the holy Ghost Amen PART IV. Meditations upon certain signes of Death I. Several short Prayers upon any intermission of Pain O Lord thou art my God early will I seek thee my soul doth thirst for thee my flesh also longeth after thee I have looked for thee in holiness that I might behold thee in power and glory for thy loving kindness is better then life it self because thou hast been my helper therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoyce Or thus O Lord I finde this life to be but a troublesome Pilgrimage few in days but full of evil I am weary of it by reason of my sins It is enough O Lord that I have lived so long in this vale of misery take my soul O Lord into thy gracious hands for I am no better then my Fathers The Law in my members hath
holy Spirit which from a spirit of bondage was now become to her a spirit of adoption The holy frame of her heart and the bent of her soul with a sence of spiritual things may be judged by some letters to her Son which are in print and by the translation of the Psalms and other essays of divine Poetry After some sharp conflicts with death she did patiently and devoutly yield up her spirit into the hands of her gracious Lord Christ Jesus She sickned the 28 of July and dyed the 4 of August and they were both of them buried in the same grave VII Dr. Harris his Life and Death HE was born at broad Campden in Gloucester shire about the year 1578. and lived till 1658. even fourscore years After he had been his time at the Free-schools in the Country being by his Parents designed either for Divinity or the Law he was sent to Oxford where following his studies he took the degree of Batchelor of Arts. Preparing himself for the Pulpit not the Bar he offered his first pains at Chipping Campden where though a great Town a Bible could scarce be found no not at the Vicars house without much search being not seen some months before Upon a fearful plague at Oxford the University was dissolved and few Scholars left behinde he durst not go home lest he should not by his Father be suffered to return thither again and whither else to go he knew not till by a providence he was invited to Mr. Doily's house five miles from Oxford a Family of great piety Mr. Prior the Incumbent there was assisting to Mr. Harris in his studies which he requited in assisting Mr. Prior a godly man but sickly in his preaching for him By the removal of Mr. Dod he was setled at Hanwel not far off where the people were very conformable scarce a family wherein Gods Name was not in some measure called upon nor any that refused to be prepared by him for the Lords Supper Edge-hill-fight was about four miles from him upon the Lords day he took it for a great mercy that he heard not the least noise of it till the publick work of the day was over nor could he believe the report till a souldier besmeared with blood and powder did witness it There happened to be quartered a company of souldiers that were so given over to blaspheming and swearing that he could not forbear using that Text Isa 5.12 which in the handling did so nettle some of them that they damned themselves to Hell if they did not shoot him in case he preached any more upon that Text but he went on the next day when in his eye a souldier took his Carbine and fumbled about the lock as intending some mischief but the Preacher conceiving it was only to disturb him went on with his work without any farther news of the souldier After this by a Scotish Commander with the treachery of some neighbours he was inforced to shift for himself and went to London From London he with four other Divines was by the Parliament commanded to Oxford then under suspension and the Chancellor of Oxford the Earle of Pembrook coming to visit the University he was made Dr. of Divinity which he had refused had it not been the favour of his betters as being not made thereby the better Scholar or the better Preacher In continuance of time when he had setled his affairs and placed his children he left himself almost nothing more to do but to prepare himself and his wife 50 years married for their graves but now the Lord was pleased to exercise him a new His wise that was religiously bred frequent in holy duties that seldom rose from her knees with dry eyes was yet delivered up to Satans buffetting to such horrors of minde to such hellish temptations as grieved every spectator Upon this occasion he often said The receiving of grace the keeping of grace the use of grace is all from the Almighty God She complaining much and often that she could finde no comfort Oh said he what an Idol do some people make of comfort as if their comfort were their Christ But this cheering he had that she was kept 1. From blaspheming the highest so she stiled God 2. From hurting any in word or deed 3. That this affliction did waken him she being most conscientious and innocent 4. It wrought in him a holy despair of all creature-comforts for now he injoyed neither wife nor childe nor friend nor sleep as formerly only instant prayers are continued for her upon all occasions which gives hopes that the Lord may please to make the end comfortable and the conquest glorious So he sometimes said The difference is not great whether comfort do come in death or a while after death seeing comfort will assuredly come to all that wait with faith and patience After a long and laborious life he comes now to a long and a painful sickness In the Summer he began to droop and when two friendly and learned Physicians Dr. Bathurst and Dr. Willis were sent for he professed That he used means meerly in obedience that he could be content to live and durst die He said His Physicians would lose of their known worth having to deal with complicated diseases which were seldom removed and with old age which was never cured His first encounter was with a vehement Pleuretical pain in his left side to that was joyned a Feaver and also a great defluxion of Rheum and oppression of his Lungs with flegme and sometimes not without some fits of his old disease the Stone and Strangury which for some weeks wrought so upon him as he was not able to speak much to those that visited him At his first sickening being desired to admit of some good company he said I am alone in company it is all one to me to be left alone or to have friends about me my work is now to arm my self for death and I do apply my self as I am able for that great encounter And so he spent his whole time in Meditation Prayer and reading especially the Psalms and St. John's Gospel where he took exceeding delight in the 10 14 15 16 17 Chapters And growing weaker got others to read to him Still would he be exhorting his visitants and attendants to get faith above all It is your victory would he say your life your peace your crown and the chiefest piece of your spiritual armour however get on all go forth in the Lords might and stand to the fight and then shall the issue be glorius only be sure not to forget to call in the help of your General do all by him and for his glory On the Lord's day he would not hinder any from publick duty to do any thing about him and when the Sermons were ended he would say Come what have ye now for me meaning of repetition to which he attended so diligently as to sum up all the heads and then say O
favour to minde our own duty and to live by faith V. A Prayer before taking of Physick O Lord give me perfect love to thy heavenly Majesty that I may not delight in any thing at all but thee nor look for any other safety at all but in thee nor seek for any other help but from thee O most holy and most merciful Father in Jesus Christ who art the Lord both of health and of sickness who killest and makest alive who bringest down to the grave and raisest up again I do humbly come unto thee unto thee as to the only Physician of Physicians who canst as easily cure my soul from sin as my body from sickness I do not at this time desire either life or death but do wholly yield up my self to thy blessed will death indeed is the reward of sin for sin when it is finished bringeth forth death yet seeing thy gracious providence while life remaineth hath appointed means for thy distressed children to use and by the lawful and thankful use of it and humble seeking to thee for it to expect thy fatherly blessing for healing of their distempers and restoring them to their health In this my necessity I do apply my self to the Physitian and am entring upon the course which he shall prescribe O Lord help me that I may cast my self wholly upon thee Teach me to call faithfully upon thy great and glorious Name for a blessing upon it It is thou O Lord that didst recover Hezekiah that didst cleanse the Lepers that didst restore the woman with the bloody Issue and it is from thy great mercy Almighty power and gracious providence alone that I expect deliverance out of this malady Oh be pleased of thine infinite goodness to sanctifie to me this Physick that I shall now take and so to prosper the same that if it be thy blessed will and pleasure it may remove this sickness and take away this pain and restore me to my former health and strength but if thou hast appointed this sickness to draw me nearer to thy self in constant obedience and holy dependance upon thy heavenly Majesty or if thou hast sent this sickness as thy messenger to call me out of this mortal life then help me to say with integrity sincerity Thy will be done enable me with cheerfulness to submit to thy divine pleasure And this I do humbly most earnestly beg of thee to assist me with thy holy Spirit for the increase of faith and patience in this my day of trouble O Lord let thy tender and fatherly compassion be never wanting to me but in the midst of all extremities be pleased to support me with thy continual help that I may both willingly and christianly resigne up my soul as the price of thine own blood into thy gracious hands and blessed protection Grant this O Lord to thy poor servant and whatever else in thine infinite wisdom and goodness thou knowest to be necessary for my present weak condition such as may tend to my everlasting comfort and thine eternal glory All this I beg for Jesus Christ his sake to whom with thee and thy holy Spirit be ascribed all Majesty power and glory now and for ever Amen VI. A Prayer before Physick is on working O Holy Father in Jesus Christ when in my weakness the time shall come that Satan shall maliciously accuse me when my unquiet conscience shall bear witness against me when worldly advantages shall forsake me and when every creature and every thing shall seem to set themselves against me and that for my manifold and my reiterated sins against thy heavenly Majesty then do thou who art the God of all consolation do thou strengthen me in my most holy faith so that If all not at all from thee though every thing doth seem to flee from me But Lord I beseech thee let thy fulness supply my wants let thy mercy do away my offendings let thy holy Spirit prepare my soul for thy heavenly appointment let thy merits O most blessed Saviour enrich my poverty Oh let thy dear and precious blood wash away all the spots and stains of my poor polluted soul And Lord be pleased at this time to vouchsafe a blessing upon the Physick which I have now taken for removing of my pain and recovery of my health and if thou shalt afford this mercy to thy poor creature then Lord I beseech thee grant grace that the same health and ease may be imployed and improved for the glory of thy great Name and for the present comfort and final salvation of my poor soul And all this I beg in and by and through the merits of thee my blessed Redeemer Jesus Christ to whom with the heavenly Father and the holy Spirit be given as is most due blessing and honour and glory and power both now and for ever Amen VII Six Medicines to cure the fear of Death 1. THe first Medicine is contempt of the world For 1. It will be an easie thing to die when our hearts are once freed from the love of earthly things therefore should we shun the overmuch care and business of the world and study to be quiet to meddle only with our own matters and to draw them into as narrow a scantling as our calling will permit 2. We should avoid as much as may be the society of the worlds favourites that admire nothing but what this world affords that know no other happiness but that of this life whereby our hearts are too much intangled 3. We should sort our selves with such Christians as do practise as well as praise the contempt of the world and by whose example discourse we may be brought to be in love with Heaven 4. We should daily observe to what things in the world our hearts are most carried out and by fervent supplications to strive with the Lord to suppress them 5. We should be alwayes pondering in our thoughts those things which may shew us the vanity of the world and the vileness and transitoriness of the best things which the world affords 2. The second Medicine or cure of the fear of death is Mortification 1. We must throughly mortifie all our bosom and beloved sins our sins must die before we die otherwise our dying will be dangerous to us it is the love and the delight that men take in sin which makes them so much afraid to die or else it may be the remembrance of some filthy sin committed which doth terrifie the conscience therefore we must make sure of our repentance Now he may be said truly to repent himself of all sin that allows not in himself any sin 2. We must here add the care of an upright and of an unreproveable conversation A marvellous help and encouragement it is to die in peace when a man doth live without offence and upon just ground can plead the integrity of a holy conversation 3. The third Medicine or cure against the fear of death is
ever been warring against the Law of my minde and bringing me into captivity to the Law of sin O who shall now deliver me from the body of this death Thou O Lord hast redeemed me with thy most precious blood all praise therefore and thanks be unto thee who hast given me the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ My sins O Lord have been such as to deserve eternal death and destruction though I have heretofore too much doted on them I do now desire to abhor and to loath the remembrance of them all and to delight and to depend wholly on thy mercy O blessed Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon me O sweet Saviour of the world receive my spirit thou hast redeemed it O Lord thou God of truth O Lord the devil is ever busie in taking advantage against our poor souls but most of all when we are most weak and most unable to encounter with him Be pleased good Lord in this my weakness to rebuke Satan and let thy holy Spirit comfort my distressed soul with assurance of thy love in Christ Jesus asswage my pain O Lord increase my faith and my patience and in thine own good time give a happy end to these my troubles O Lord for thy mercies sake give me full assurance that whatsoever in this my weakness and sickness thou shalt please to lay upon me it shall come from a blessed Father a faithful Creator and a blessed Redeemer II. A Prayer to be used by my Friends OH most blessed Lord God we are prostrating our selves before thy heavenly Majesty in the Name of Jesus Christ on the behalf of this thy sick servant thou only knowest what is fittest for him health or sickness life or death Good Lord sanctifie this thy visitation to him that by it he may be more more humble in the sight of his sins so be longing after Christ Oh enlighten his minde that he may know the hope of his calling and what is the exceeding riches of thy mercy in Christ Jesus toward all that believe in thee and so strengthen his faith that he may lay fast hold on the merits of our blessed Saviour Lord protect him from the malice of Satan allay the edge of his assaults that they may never make him to despair of thy compassion to him in this his low estate Remove from him a dull spirit with all manner of secure and hardned thoughts and all wordly desires and creature-comforts Lord give him patience with Christian courage and constancy to bear whatsoever thou shalt please to lay upon him Oh vouchsafe unto him comfort in his conscience joy in the Spirit and peace in believing together with a setled and a well-grounded expectation of eternal life and salvation through thine infinite love in Christ Jesus Impute not unto him his own unrighteousness but the righteousness of thy dear Son so as thy poor weak servant may appear righteous in thy sight Lord raise him up unto thy self with those heavenly sighs and groans which are not to be expressed Oh keep and save his soul command thy holy Angels to be about him for his everlasting comfort and chase far away from him all evil and malignant spirits that they annoy him not in this time of his distress let him more and more abandon the world and even long to be loosed so as to be with Christ Oh cause his last hour to be his joyfullest hour his last words to be his best words and his last thoughts to be his heavenliest thoughts And good Lord we beseech thee put thy word of Grace and godly Wisdom into our hearts and tongues so as upon all occasions to deliver thy minde holily soundly and cheerfully to the comfort and to the refreshing of his precious and immortal soul And now thou good and gracious God be pleased to teach us in him and in this house of mourning to consider our own end and so to lay it to heart that we being now in health may yet be labouring and preparing for our dissolution and for a holy a joyful and a comfortable leaving of this life this valley of tears Lord hear us for this thy poor sick servant and hear us for our selves but above all hear us for the sake of thy dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ to whom with thy heavenly and blessed Spirit be given all honour and praise power and glory now and for ever Amen III. Questions with Answers upon any signe of Dying DOst thou believe That Almighty God the Trinity of persons in unity of Essence hath by his power made Heaven and Earth and all that is therein and that by his divine Providence he doth still govern the same so that nothing comes in the world nor to thy self but what his holy arm and counsel had fore-ordained to be done All this I do believe Lord help my unbelief Dost thou really confess That thou hast transgressed and broken the holy Commandments of God in thought word and deed and that for the same thou hast deserved the wrath of God even all the miseries of this life and hereafter even everlasting torments in Hell if God should deal with thee according to thy deserts All this I do acknowledge Lord Jesu pardon my transgressions Art thou not sorry in thine heart that thou hast so broken his Laws and so much neglected his service and so hotly pursued the world and so eagerly doated upon thy vain pleasures and wouldst thou not now lead a holier life if thou wert to begin thy dayes again Lord thou knowest I am heartily sorry for my misdoings and fain I would with more constancy have served thee Dost thou not from thy heart desire to be reconciled to God in Jesus Christ thy only Mediator who is at the right hand of God and now appearing for thee and making intercession at the throne of grace for thy sorrowful soul Oh it is reconciliation to God in Christ that I above all things do most humbly desire Dost thou renounce all confidence in all other Mediators Saints or Angels believing that Jesus Christ alone is the Mediator of the New Testament perfectly able to save all such as come to God by him And canst thou with holy David say to Christ Whom have I in Heaven but thee there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee There is none but Christ my soul shall ever sing there is none but Christ that can intercede for the sins of the world IV. Portions of Scripture to be read PSal 103. or some part of them John 3. or some part of them Isa 53. or some part of them 1 Cor. 13. or some part of them V. More Questions with Answers upon any signe of Dying DOst thou confidenly believe and assuredly hope to be saved by the only merit of the bitter death and Passion of Jesus Christ not placing the thought of salvation in thine own doings nor in any other means or creature whatsoever being
certainly perswaded that there is no salvation in any other nor any other name under Heaven by which thou canst be saved Jesus is the only Saviour of the world therefore let all creatures bow down before him and bless his holy Name Dost thou from thy heart forgive all injuries and offences done unto thee by any person whatsoever And dost thou as freely from thy heart ask forgiveness of all whom thou hast any way wronged in thought word or deed Dost thou cast out of thy heart all rancour and malice against any person so as to appear before the face of Jesus Christ the Prince of peace in perfect love and charity I do humbly pray for such true charity as to forgive all and I do from my heart ask forgiveness of all Doth thy conscience accuse thee of any thing that thou hast unjustly taken still with-holding the same for which without restitution there can be no true repentance and without such repentance there can be no salvation nor shalt thou be able to look Christ in the face when thou shalt appear before his judgement-seat I have been willing to satisfie all whom I have wronged but alas who is able to number all his errors Dost thou firmly believe That thy body shall be raised out of the grave at the sound of the last trumpet and that both thy body and thy soul shall be united together again in the Resurrection-day to appear before the Lord Jesus Christ and thence to go with him into the Kingdom of Heaven there to live in everlasting bliss and glory My faith alas is weak but thy grace O Lord is sufficient for me O Lord let thy holy Spirit assist me and lead me into the way of everlasting glory Amen VI. Short Prayers upon any lessening of Pain O Most blessed Saviour be pleased to place thy precious Passion thy Cross and thy Death between my soul thy displeasure and let the merits of thy obedience stand between thy heavenly Fathers justice and my disobedience and from these bodily pains receive my soul into thine everlasting peace and good Lord give ear unto this my cry O Jesu receive my spirit Or thus O Lord Jesus Christ forsake not him that in great distress doth flie to thee for succour and relief O sound that sweet and comfortable voice into my fainting soul which thou wert pleased to utter to the penitent Thief This day shalt thou be with me in Paradise Or thus O Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I know and do believe that whosoever liveth and trusteth in thee who art the resurrection and the life shall never die Oh then vouchsafe favour to thy poor creature that I may hear that blessed voice of thine Come ye blessed of my Father inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world Or thus O most gracious God whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive receive my humble supplications and though I be so much bound with the chains of my sins yet Lord let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose me and set me at liberty for Jesus Christ his sake my only Saviour and Redeemer Or thus O holy Lord fit and prepare me for my last conflict and by the support of thy blessed Spirit and the assistance of thy heavenly Angels vouchsafe to assist and strengthen me against the assaults of Satan that notwithstanding his mortal malice I may still hold me fast and keep my self close to thee in all holy believing so as humbly and stedfastly to resolve that though thou shouldst slay me yet to put my trust in thee and to place my whole confidence in thine everlasting mercies in Christ Jesus VII When weakness and faintness increase let friends help with these short ejaculations O Lord bear me thy poor sick servant in thy gracious arms to the land of the living Or thus Lord bring me I beseech thee by thy power and goodness to thy holy habitation Or thus Plant me O Lord in the mountain of thine inheritance the place which thou hast prepared to dwell in Or thus Lord make me to be one of the joyful Citizens of thy holy Jerusalem which is above Or thus Oh Lord as my weakness shall encrease so let my patience the hope of thy favour and assurance of thy mercy in Christ Jesus still increase more and more Or thus Oh Lord let thy grace and blessing be upon me that I may safely pass thorow this vale of misery and finish my course with joy Or thus O Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon me and grant me peace in the Lord Jesus Or thus Oh holy Father if it be thy blessed will give an end to my labours and release me of my pains VIII More of Ejaculations when faintness increaseth SWeet Jesu receive my soul sweet Jesu receive my spirit Or thus Come Lord Jesu come for thy servant cometh I am willing Lord help my weakness Or thus O Lord let thy holy Angels stand round about my bed and guard me from that evil one Or thus O Lord lay not my sins to my charge but look upon him that maketh the atonement Thy Christ my Jesus Or thus O Lord to thee belongeth mercy and forgiveness have pity on my soul and pardon my sins Or thus O Lord say to my souls everlasting joy and comfort I am thy salvation Or thus O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon me Or thus O Lord make clean my heart within me and take not thy holy Spirit from me Or thus O Lord Jesus Christ I do commend my spirit into thy hands thou hast redeemed me O God thou God of mercy of truth IX A Prayer by friends at leaving this Life OH most gracious Lord God and loving Father in Jesus Christ who art our portion our strong refuge a sure defence and a very present help in time of trouble Oh lift up thy merciful countenance at this instant upon thy weak servant who now is coming to appear in thy presence Oh thou which art the great preserver of men take pity and compassion upon him wash away all his natural and sinful pollutions by the all-sufficient merits of Christ Jesus his most precious blood that they may never be laid to his charge nor hinder his happy passage to everlasting blessedness O Lord increase his faith preserve his soul from the malice and danger of the devil and all his evil angels comfort him with thy holy Spirit cause him now to feel and finde that thou art his gracious Father and thou art reconciled unto him in thy dearly beloved save him O Lord O Lord Jesus Christ save the price of thine own blood and suffer not him to be lost whom thou hast so dearly purchased Oh receive his poor soul as thou didst the penitent thief into thy heavenly Paradise let thy blessed Angels conduct him thither as they carried the soul of thy beloved Lazarus and vouchsafe unto