I will neither be afraid nor unwilling to go to him For whom have I in Heaven Lord but thee And there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee Ps. 73. 25. I desire to be Dissolved and to be with Christ Phil. 1. 23. Sweet Jesu come quickly Amen Rev. 22. 20. Yea as the Hart panteth after the Water-Brooks so panteth my Soul after thee O! God My Soul thirsteth for God for the living God when shall I come and appear before God Ps. 42. 1 2. Lord I come to thee receive me out of thine abundant Mercy I come to thee and him who cometh unto thee thou wilt in no wise cast out Jo. 6. 37. Lord Jesu receive my Spirit Amen Acts 7. 59. Receive me according to thy word and I shall live and shall not be disappointed of my hope Because I live ye shall live allso Amen Jo. 14. 19. Blessed is that Servant whom his Lord when he cometh shall find watching Luc 12. 37. All the days of my appointed time will I wait till my change come Job 14. 14. O! Father pity me as a Father Pityeth his Children and receive me for whom thou hast laboured and hast made me what I am O! Jesu Saviour of Sinners save me whom thou hast Redeemed with thy Blood which is too dear a price to be thrown away in a lost Purchase O! Holy Ghost the Sanctifier and Comforter now finish in me thine own work and comfort up my fainting Spirit O! Holy Blessed and Glorious Trinity I have humbly served and feared thee tho' in much Frailty all my Life receive and comfort me now at my Death Amen CHAP. VI. Of Care and Treatment of the Dead AS soon as the Dying Person has breathed his last his surviving Friends especially they whom he has intrusted with the care and Disposal of his Body must be very careful to Dress and treat it Decently till it be Decently interr'd Let it not lye too open to the Inquiries of the Curious nor let any thing of it be exposed which the Person if alive would blush at If he gave Orders for his own Funeral those Orders are a Trust which are Religiously to be observed But if he has left it to them they must Order the same with as Prudent a Regard to his circumstances and worldly Estate and with as much Decency and wise expression of Love and Respect to him as they can And lay out what is fit in Dressing out the Body and interring it in shewing Respect and Kindness where he bore them or where he ought them and in Doles and Deeds of Charity to the Poor and Needy In these layings out they should not spend more than is meet nor lavish any thing away vainly or imprudently And on the other Hand they need not Scruple some well chosen instances of expence which are rather Honorary than useful if there be Estate enough to bear them and good Reason for them and Moderation and Discretion shown in them For tho' this cost doth the Poor no Good as Judas once objected yet it expresses their Love and Respect to the Dead and such expressions of esteem and kindness to them who have Greatly deserved it and can now make no more Returns of it are Religious and well approved of both by God and Men. Our Blessed Lord himself very kindly receiving the cost of the Rich Oyntment which Mary Lazarurus's Sister poured upon his Head because she did it for his Burial At the Funeral when a Refection is brought according to the Custom of the Place to the Friendly Attendants of the Body before it is carried forth to relieve their waiting or their weariness let it be Dealt among them with Great Moderation Remembring that these Guests come not to gratifie and please their Palates but to bear their Part in a Scene of Grief and attend as Mourners And let all who meet there Remember that they are come to mourn with those that mourn and bear a part with the afflicted and be careful to shew themselves sensibly and seriously affected with their own or the surviving Relations Loss according as there is just cause however with the loud Warning and Alarm to themselves which is in these Providences Let them not talk lightly or Pleasantly nor fall into Discourses of News or Markettings or of other Worldly business For these neither suit with the Friendly Sadness nor with the Religious Seriousness of that occasion and shew them to be little touched either with their Friends Death or with Thoughts and Expectations of their own But instead thereof let them study each to employ themselves and entertain their Company with Thoughts and Discourses about the Vanity and uncertainty of all earthly Things about the Sorrows and benefits of Sickness about the Troublesomeness and Shortness of Life the certainty that we shall all Dye and the uncertainty of the Time when and the Suddenness many Times of these Changes and the Great need we all have constantly to expect and prepare for them and about the Hopes and Blessedness there is in Dying well and the Happiness of that State where we shall Dye no more nor ever have the Loss of any Dear Friends to Mourn for They may also Discourse of their Deceased Friends especially when they have things to say of them to their Advantage As how their Patience was tryed and approved in their Sickness how good God was to them and how Submissive and Devout they were towards him what Good words they said or Good works they did or Comfort and Support they found or any thing else belonging to them either Living or Dying for which they are fit to live in our Memory and be examples for our instruction or imitation And when they come thus to take up Good and Heavenly Thoughts and to infuse them into one another they will do Great Good to themselves as well as Honour to their Friend by paying him this last Office and all return better than they came from the House of Mourning When the Relations and Friends mourn and shew Decent sorrow for the Deceased as 't is fit they should to shew they expect to find a want of them or to express their Love and value for them as Jesus wept at Lazarus's Grave to show how he loved him they must be careful to Do it moderately and Christianly And Grieve for him like men who know that God has taken him and who have hope and comfort in Death and after it and believe when a Pious Friend Dyes that the living only have lost but that the Deceased has got by Dying But they must not repine against God who has taken their Friend away nor mistrust his Care to provide for them now their Friend is gone nor grow out of Humour or unthankful for all his other Mercies because they are deprived of this nor let their Grief be excessive or obstinate and refuse to be comforted as they who have no Hope Particularly let
let it not be by reading Plays or Romances or foolish and undue Ideas of Love and Honour which feed or revive vain thoughts nor by Play or other things fit to excite Passion or exercise Covetousness but in pastimes of least lightness and fewest temptations and used with moderation remembring that on a sick-bed when a mans time is almost spent 't is not for him to cast about how to pass away his time but how to redeem and improve it Let the reading which is read to him and the conversation which is held with him be suitable to one in his condition Not light to lessen his seriousness nor in any thing vicious uttering things either against Modesty or against Piety or against Justice or against Charity All which may either leave ill impressions upon him by giving his spirit a tincture of the same or bring him into a snare by thinking that he has been wanting in reproof thereof out of too little respect to God and too much to the speakers by either of which he is the worse for them But let all that passes be fit to suit the seriousness and preserve the innocence and help on some virtues but hinder none that are befitting a Person in his condition Whereof I shall say more in the ensuing directions CHAP. II. Of settling his Accounts and securing his Peace with God by Repentance Faith and Continuance in the Vnity of the Church BUT whilst this care is taken for the Body the chief thing which he has to employ himself in on his Sick-bed after the settlement of his Worldly Estate is to take care of his Soul This must exercise his own thoughts when he is by himself And for this he must call in the assistance of the guides of Souls Sending for the Elders of the Church that they may Pray over him and assist and Comfort him by words spoken in their due Season and Administer to him the Word and the benefit of Absolution and the Holy Communion resolving and assisting him in all things that may be needful for the finishing of his Repentance the support of his Spirit or the Peace of his Conscience And in this Care of his Soul these things are chiefly to employ his own thoughts or his Guides assistance 1. To settle his Account and secure his Peace with Almighty God And in care of this let his work be 1. To finish his Repentance And in order thereto let him carefully review all his past life and the present frame and habit of his Mind And let him diligently observe what is good in either and with all Humility thank God for it and take comfort in it and what is amiss in both and work himself up into true contrition for the same affectionately bewailing his extream folly and unworthiness therein And let him fix holy deliberate and unreserved purposes against all his former Offences And make all due and reasonable satisfaction for all Wrongs done by him to any Persons by any ways And take care of the payment of all his just Debts And seek Reconciliation where he has given any just Offence And forgive those who have injured or disobliged him And break off his Iniquity by Righteousness or by being more abundant in Alms-Deeds and consummate and finish any good designs which he had piously laid in his Health and would not lose the reward thereof by having them dropt at his Death And in these ways of expiating Sins let him earnestly begg God's Pardon and comfortably hope for the same through the Merits of Jesus Christ. And in the care of paying his Debts and making Restitution or giving Charitable or Pious Gifts if he can let him settle and finish them himself before his own Death and not refer all to a Will and leave the accomplishment and recompence of so rewardable purposes to the contingencies of time and the Fidelity Kindness or care of Executors Sometimes indeed the Surprize of Dying Persons is so great that they must leave these things to others And sometimes the Persons intrusted are fit to serve the Dying Persons ends and really do serve them to advantage But this is not ordinarily to be trusted to if he can help it For why should he think they will make more dispatch or find fewer delays and put offs in doing these things for him than he did in doing them for himself He has a quicker sense of his own burdens and of his own desires and longings than another ordinarily can or will have and if for all that he shall delay to disburden his own Soul and consummate his own desires and purposes when he may why may not they do so too And on this point let him often say A broken and a contrite Heart Lord thou wilt not despise I acknowledge my transgressions and my Sins are ever before me Wash me throughly from mine iniquities and cleanse me from my Sins Amen Lord be merciful to me a Sinner Amen Oh let the Blood of Iesus cleanse me from all my Sins Amen Lord I have Sinned against Heaven and before thee and am no more worthy to be called thy Son make me as one of thy hired Servants Amen Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that Trespass against us Amen 2. To shew forth his Faith which he may do by often repeating his Creed I believe in thee O God! the Father Almighty and that thou art the maker of Heaven and Earth And I believe in thee O Jesu Christ that thou art Gods only Son and our Lord. I believe that thou wast conceived by the Holy Ghost and born of the Virgin mary That thou didst Suffer under Pontius Pilate wa st Crucified Dead and Buryed and descendest into Hell That thou dist rise again the third day from the Dead That thou didst ascend into Heaven and there now sittest at the Right Hand of God And that from thence thou shalt come again to Judge both the Quick and the Dead I believe in thee also O! Holy Ghost I likewise believe that my Blessed Saviour had and hath and whilst the World lasts ever will have on Earth an Holy Catholick Church And that in this Church there is to be a Communion of Saints I believe also that therein is to be had Remission of Sins And after Death I believe there shall be a Resurrection of the Body both for good and bad and a Life Everlasting for the Righteous Amen And let him often say Lord I Believe Help thou mine unbelief Amen Lord increase my Faith Amen All this O! Lord I stedfasty believe Oh! keep me from having my Portion among unbelievers Amen Lord I thank thee that I have been instructed in this Belief and Professed it in my Life Amen Lord keep me from wavering or any ways doubting of the same in my weakness Amen Lord give me the comfort of this belief at my death and make me find the Blessing of it after death Amen And if the
Adversary shall suggest doubts and suspicions to him in his weakness about any of the Articles of his Faith or points of Religion so far as the doubt comes with any offer of Argument or Reason with it it should have a Rational Satisfaction But if formerly they have been persons of sincere Consciences in that State their doubts of these things are much oftner an irresoluteness owing to their present bodily weakness and Satans Suggestions than an unsettlement of Belief owing to Arguments And then these new doubts and suspicions are to be looked on by the Sick Man rather as Temptations and an advantage taken of his present feebleness and lowness of Spirit which may raise or encrease Melancholly that is naturally apt to make one mistrustful and irresolute and he will guard better against them by Devotion than by Disputation And therefore in this case let him not debate them but reject them and pray against them And think it reasonable to abide by his former perswasions about these matters which he took up in time of Health and Strength when he had both ability and leisure to examine them and not exchange them for Sick-bed Fancys when he has neither 3. To Profess his Continuance in the Vnity of the Church and that as he has lived so now by Gods Grace he is preparing himself to Dye in the Communion thereof And let him often say Lord as I have endeavoured to live so now I profess to Dye in the Communion of Saints and in the one Body whereof thou art the Plessed Head keeping therein to the last the Vnity of the Spirit and the Bond of Peace Amen For I profess thy true Faith O! my God and present unto thee Holy Prayers and a Pure Worship in the Unity and Communion of thy Holy Church Particularly O! Lord I profess this Faith and present this Worship in due adherence and subjection and obedience to those Ordox Pastors whom thou hast set over me in this Church where I live And I profess and present the same in Hearty concurrence and Communion with all other Faithful Christians and Communicating Members of this Body in all other Times and Places and with Brotherly Affection Concern and Intercession with thee for them wheresoever placed or dispersed as well as for my self I am most ready to receive and joyn with them in these professions and in this worship whensoever thy Providence shall bring us together To seek their Communion passing through all places And to own them as my Brethren coming from all Countries And to be heartily affected with what befalls them either Particular Persons or whole Churches and rejoyce in their Prosperity and Peace as one member should in the joy of another Amen And as for those who are broken off from this true Faith and Worship or from the Unity and Peace of thy Church Lord I look upon them with the Bowels of a Brother not with the Insults and Triumphs of an Enemy I pity all Hereticks and pray that they may return to be sound in the Faith I pity all Schismaticks and pray that they may return to the Unity and Communion of thy Church And O! Blessed Lord do thou give unto them humble and teachable minds that so they may either all see the way of thy truth or at least that numbers among those who do not may be pitiable and excusable before thee under their Error and mistake of it Amen And as for all the divisions which have rent thy Church into pieces O! Blessed Jesu I do most heartily lament and bewail them My Heart O! Prince of Peace is with them who love to see those Truths that make for Peace and who long and labor to heal thy Churches Breaches I utterly disclaim all bitter Zeal and cruel and Unchristian violence against Persons of different Parties from me I am ready both willingly to see and joyfully to own all that is good and all that is thine O! my dear Lord in any of their Persons or Actings And am Religiously careful not to make any of them worse than they really are by my evil Surmizes but to hope and surmize the best of them which their case and carriage can reasonably bear And I am and through thy Grace O! Merciful Saviour ever will be ready to shew them all Offices of Justice and Humanity and of common Charity notwithstanding their Communion is different from mine Amen And after these things are done to procure God's Peace for the quieting and comforting his Conscience with the lively hopes thereof he may receive the benefit of Absolution And also the Holy Communion which he must not omit if he can have it looking on it both as God's own sure Seal of Remission of his Sins and also as his own Viaticum or Provision by the way to strengthen and support his Spirit and keep him from faintness or failures through all the remainder of his difficult and wearisome passage to the Regions of Rest and Peace And for more particular Directions how to make tryal and discovery of the Safety of his Spiritual Estate before he puts it upon the final Issue if he is desirous thereof I refer him to the Tryal or Iudgement of the Soul in the Companion for the Penitent where I have given him an account and Prospect of this as full and yet as short as I could and which it would be too long here to insert And there also he may meet with variety of fitting forms to instruct him in all the parts of his Repentance and to serve him in makeing a Religious and devout Profession thereof to Almighty God CHAP. III. Of his Carriage and Demeanour under his Sickness and the Virtues thereof viz. Trust in God Resignation Thankfullness AFter the Sick Person has taken this first and chief care for his Soul to make its peace for past or present Offences his next care for it must be to keep it from falling into any new Diseases or that under the burden of a Sick Body his Soul do not fall Sick too As it will do if it grows secure and careless of Duty or regardless of Mercies or is greedy of Life and finds no relish in Prayers or in discourses of another World and falls into impatience and is fretted with fleshly cares and worldly desires all which and the like show his Spirit to be more distempered and more dangerously ill than his Body is To prevent this his next care for his Soul must be to order his Carriage well under his Sickness or to bear the pains and weakness of his Sick bed with Trust in God with Resignation to his will with Thankfulness and with Patience to the end Which Duties tho' they are all necessary under the former Head viz. of making of his Peace yet I shall now consider and treat of them as they are necessary and of greatest use to support his Spirit and recommend his Carriage First he must set himself to bear them with Trust in
55. 22. For in thee O! Lord the Fatherless findeth mercy Hos. 14. 3. And thoâ— hast said Leave thy Fatherless Children I will preserve them alive and let thy Widows trust in me Jer. 49. 11. And I never saw the Righteous forsaken but his seed is blessed Ps. 37. 25 26. The Generation of the upright shal be blessed Riches shall be in his house and his Righteousness endureth for ever Surely he shall not be moved for ever but shall be in everlasting remembrance Ps. 112. 2 3 6. For when their Father and Mother forsake them then doest thou take them up Ps. 27. 10. Even thou who art the Father of the Fatherless and the Judge of the Widows Ps. 68. 5. And as a Mighty Redeemer wilt plead their cause Prov. 23. 10 11. 3. The Benefit of both And he who thus trusteth in the Lord mercy shall compass him about Ps. 32. 10. Because thou hast made the Lord which is my refuge even the Most High thy Habitation There shall no evil befal thee neither shall any plague come nigh thy Dwelling For he shall give his Angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways Ps. 91. 9 10 11. Behold the Eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his Mercy To deliver their Soul from Death and to keep them alive in Famine Ps. 33. 18 19. And the Lord is a strong hold in the day of trouble and he knoweth them that trust in him Nah. 1. 7. He Redeemeth the Soul of his Servants and none of them that trust in him shall be desolate Ps. 34. 22. And they who know thy Name will put their trust in thee for thou Lord hast not forsaken them that seek thee Psal. 9 10. And Trust him 1. To Temper the Sickness and Sorrows to our Infirmities I will not leave thee altogether unpunish'd but I will correct thee in measure and will not make a full end of thee Jer. 30. 11. and c. 46. 28. And when Epaphroditus was sick nigh unto Death God had mercy on him and not on him only but on me also lest I should have sorrow upon sorrow Phil. 2. 27. In his wrath he will remember mercy Habak 3. 2. And to the Vpright there ariseth light in the darkness Ps. 112. 4. For he will not always chide neither will he keep his anger for ever Psal. 103. 9. His Anger endureth but a moment and in his favour is life Weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning Ps. 30. 5. He knows our frame and remembreth that we are dust and pitieth us like as a Father pityeth his Children Ps. 103. 13 14. He remembreth that we are but flesh a wind that passeth away and cometh not again and doth not stir up all his wrath Ps. 78. 38 39. And he is faithful and will not suffer us to be tempted above what we are able 1 Cor. 10. 13. 2. To support us under them and help us to bear them The Salvation of the Righteous is of the Lord he is their strength in time of trouble And the Lord shall help them because they trust in him Ps. 37. 39 40. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing he will make all his bed in his sickness Ps. 41. 3. And we have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without sin Let us therefore come boldly unto the Throne of Grace that we may obtain mercy and find Grace to help in time of need Heb. 4. 15 16. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he is able to succour them that are tempted Heb. 2. 18. And my Grace is sufficient for thee my strength is made perfect in weakness 2 Cor. 12. 9. I said indeed in mine haste I am cut off from before thine Eyes nevertheless thou heardest the voice of my supplications when I cryed unto thee Psal. 31. 22. Even when my Soul fainted within me I remembred thee and my Prayer came in unto thee Jon. 2. 7. Wait thou on the Lord then be of good courage and he shall strengthen thine heart Ps 27. 14. For he hath said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee So that we may boldly say I will not fear for the Lord is my helper Heb. 13. 5 6. Yea tho I walk thro the valley of the shadow of Death I will fear no evil For thou art with me thy rod and thy staff they comfort me Ps. 23. 4. 3. To Deliver us from them or make us Gainers by them Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie me Ps. 50. 15. Behold the Eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him upon them that hope in his mercy To deliver their soul from Death Ps. 33. 18 19. He is their strength in the time of trouble And he shall help them and deliver them He shall deliver them because they trust in him Ps. 37. 39 40. We know that all things work together for good to them that love God Rom. 8. 28. And tho' many are the afflictions of the Righteous yet the Lord delivereth him out of them all Ps. 34. 19. For the Lord he kills and he makes alive he wounds and he heals Deut. 32. 39. He bringeth down to the Grave and bringeth up 1 Sam. 2. 6. And that when we have the Sentence of Death in our selves that we should not trust in our selves but in God who raiseth the Dead 2 Cor. 1. 9. Glory be to the Father c. III. They are to be received with Faith in Gods Precious Promises THIS is a Faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. If any man Sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins 1 Jo. 2. 1 2. O! Death where is thy Sting O! Grave where is thy Victory The Sting of Death is Sin and the Strength of Sin is the Law But thanks be to God which giveth us the Victory thro our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Cor. 15. 55 56 57. Who shall lay any thing then to the charge of Gods Elect it is God that Justifieth Who is he that condemneth it is Christ that Dyed yea rather that is risen again who is even at the Right hand of God who also maketh intercession for us Rom. 8. 33 34. And he hath promised I will never leave thee nor forsake thee Heb. 13. 5. He will give the Holy Spirit to those that ask him Luk. 11. 13. He will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able but will with the Temptation also make a way to escape that ye may be able to bear it 1 Cor. 10. 13. And this is the Promise that he hath promised us even Eternal life 1 Joh. 2. 25. He hath said Repent and
dost in great mercy Pity my weakness and provide for it For 't is thy mercy that lays not too much upon me 'T is thy mercy that I am brought down by degrees and am not consumed suddenly 'T is thy mercy that thou wast not soon nor wilt be long angry with me 'T is thy mercy that makes my Bed in my Sickness that considereth my weakness and supporteth me and considereth my Pains and shortneth them and always in due time gives me ease or intermission from them 'T is thy mercy O! dear God that ordereth Comforts for me continually to sweeten my Distresses to me and that makes thee still to be most near unto me at those times when I stand most in need of thee So that altho' I am Sick O! my God yet I am not forsaken For Blessed be thy Name my Griefs are not beyond measure and my Burden is not without help nor my Sufferings without hope and comfort wherewith in thine abundant Mercy thou daily temperest them and sustainest me thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 3. I Bless thee O! most gracious Lord for sending this Sickness upon me which thou sendest to shew thy Love and Care of me and to do me good For if my Body were not sick thou seest my Soul would be sick Yea alas it has been very Sick and this Sickness of my Body comes to cure it For in thus Correcting me when I had gone astray thou art putting an end O! God to my wandring Thou sendest these Sorrows to open my ears to discipline when Mercies would not open them and to reclaim me and set me in the way of Pardon So that this dealing shows that thou hast not rejected me as an outcast or Alien but still lookest upon me with thoughts of Mercy and treatest me as a Son And Blessed be thy Mercy O! Father of Mercies which by these Pains and Sorrows of my Body hast given my Spirit rest from the wearisome importunity and Sollicitations of Lust and Envy Blessed by thou who hast thereby dullâ—d the edge of my covetous Desires and laid asleep my worldly Cares and brought down my ambitious and aspiring thoughts and humbled Self-conceit by shewing me that I am but sin and folly dust and misery Blessed be thou who hast thereby calld me off from incumbring my self with many things which now I see cannot profit me to mind the one thing necessary and from minding worldly Vanities to spend my thoughts upon thy Laws and Promises and from placeing my confidence in my Self to place it only and wholly in thee And since my Sickness doth thus shew me thy Love and cure my Spirit and set on my Felicity it shall please me O! God when it pains me And I will confess to the Glory of thy Truth and Goodness that thou out of very Faithfulness hast caused me to be troubled even because I need it and because by thy Grace I shall receive much benefit by it thro' my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 4. I Bless thee O! Lord for all the innumerable Mercies which I have received from thee most bountifully and seasonably in all States and Conditions of my Life and thro' all the days and years of it And for that I have long received good at thy hands before I am brought now to receive Evil. I owe thee infinite thanks for a Life of health before this Confinement to my Bed of Sickness and for the long and sweet relish I have had of worldly Comforts before my Disease has rendred them unsavory And my present Pains and Sorrows O my God do not make me forget thy past or present Mercies nor go about to lessen them nor shall they by thy Grace ever make me out of humour with thee or unthankful for them Yea instead of giving thee less thanks for them by reason of this change of my Condition I wll give thee more because my present want of them has taught me better how to prize and value them And I do Bless and I will Bless the Lord that gave and Bless him still after he has taken away I Bless thee for that I still injoy much Good and cannot in the least blame thee that I have some evil but thank thee abundantly that I have no more And above all that under all my present Misery I am comforted with the Sense of thy Love and with the Blessed hopes of everlasting Peace and Joy thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen VII Prayers for Patience under Sickness I. A General Prayer for Patience O! Merciâ—ul Lord now I am called to the State of Sickness which is a Tryal of Patience give me Grace to shew Patience under the same that is not to be wearied and cannot be reproved Enable me O! Father to shew a quiet and composed Patience that is without tumult of troubled Thoughts and discontented Passions A submissive and resigned Patience that is without reluctance to thy Will or Rebellious murmurings A Patience of hope that doth not sâ—â—k under my Burdens nor is driven by â—he smart of my Pains to 〈…〉 Love or Care or 〈…〉 And a Thankful 〈…〉 sensible of my Comforts and Supports as well as of my Sicknesses and that owns all my present Sufferings to be far below my deserts and all my past and present Mercies to be infinitely above them And make me perfect O! my God in this Patience Let me tarry thy leisure and not be hasty Let me wait on thee and not grow weary But bear all whilst I have any thing to bear in comfortable hopes of thy Strength to support my present Weakness and of thy Mercy to ease and deliver me at last either by a more healthful Life or by an happy Death thro' the Merits of Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 2. For Patience without reluctance or Disquietness LOrd I humble my Self under thy mighty hand and submit to thy Visitation I submit my Self willingly and will not strive or make resistance I kiss the Rod instead of Quarrelling with it and accept of it quietly as of the punishment of mine iniquities Yea thankfully as of the Restorer of mine innocence And in this Patience O! Holy Father do thou still continue and preserve my Spirit composed and quiet and easie to my Self Since it is thy Will thus to afflict me bow my Will to thine and make me willing to bear it And bearing it willingly let it not anger or discontent me Yea O! my God I trust to thee to lay no more upon me than I can bear Oh! let that Trust keep me without Fears and Distractions under my Burdens I bear only what I most justly deserve Oh! let that stop me from complaining Nay I bear infinitely less than I have deserved and still injoy abundance of Mercies after I have deserved to lose all Oh! then let me not fall to accuse thee for thine inflictions but rather to accuse my self for my evil Deserts and to thank thee for my most
of broken thoughts which is soon spent and wearied and cannot attend to any thing long Nay thou Graciously acceptest even of a Sigh or a Groan or a devout Wish or of a sudden Breathing and short Act of holy Love or of humble Resignation of Faith or of Patience when the decays and Drowsiness of a Spirit almost spent and ready to faint will suffer us to put up nothing else Oh! then that I may bear with my self and with the feebleness and faintness of my own Spirit in my religious Services under my Sickness And when I am the most languid and liveless in any spiritual Acts make me remember that 't is thy Blessed Will to send this State of weakness upon me And that all the while I am bearing thy Will patiently I am pleasing thee and that every moments Resignation of my Will thereto is an holy Offering Let me consider that I recommend my self to thee by the patience of hope and by meek Suffering when I have no strength left to do it by Labour and Action Nay that in the hight of my Disability even my weakness and Bodily indispositions are vocal for me and move thy Pity which in thy due time will give me ease and Deliverance from them and Graciously allow for my Faintness and accept of my poor Services under the same thro' the Merits of our most Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 6. A Prayer for the helps to Patience O! Blessed Lord under all my Grief and Misery help me I humbly and earnestly beseech thee to all those good Dispositions and wise Thoughts and Considerations which may make it easie to me Keep me humble O! God and I shall quietly stoop to my Burden and not complain Teach me to deny my self and my own desires and I shall contentedly bear my Cross. Let me have hope in thee as an Anchor of rest and keep me from doubting of thy Love and from mistrusting thy Grace and sure Promises and I shall bear up under my Load yea bear up with Comfort and in thy due time see an happy end thereof Give me Peace in my own mind and I shall be the stronger to endure the troubles of this World and thy Comforts in my Soul shall support and defend me against all the Storms and Tumults that are raised in my Body And Lord let me not stand to reckon up my Sorrows after they are past and to renew them to my Self by calling them over again in a painful Remembrance Especially let me not aggravate them to my Self by envious Reflections and discontented Comparisons with the easier state of others Nor let me anticipate them by frightful Imaginations before they come and when by thy Grace they may very likely never come or any other ways create Sorrows to my self where really thou dost not send them But keep me from all such Reflexion on them as serves not to reform me but only to afflict me and as tends not to enable me to bear my Pains but only to give Strength and quickness to them and Feebleness and Trouble to my self And Grant O! Holy Father that forgetting still what is past I may every moment set my self with all my might to bear what lyes upon me at present And that under the same my thoughts may all busie themselves in justifying thy Goodness and Arraigning mine own wickedness and in casting about how I may bear my Affliction patiently and devoutly and learn Obedience thereby and how I may be comforted under it at present and turn it to my everlasting ease and joy in the end thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 7. Prayers containing Motives to Patience I. LOrd make me Patient under all I suffer because it is thy doing and my Deserving Make me look upon my Afflictions as Tokens of thy Love and Care of me which are not sent upon me till they are needful for my good and for thy Glory and which tho' they are troublesome are yet exceding wholsome For they come to keep my Soul from being corrupted and lost by Ease and Pleasures and to cure me of my Errors and earthly Afflictions and of my Forgetfulness of better things and to raise my Heart to thee on whom it should always fix and from whom it should never stray And keep me sensible O! Almighty God that impatience doth only double my Disease That it makes me troublesome to others but most of all unto my self And that it provokes thy wrath instead of diverting it and makes more severity necessary to break my Spirit when less will not suffice to bend it to thy Yoke Whereas humble Submission to thy Will O! Lord is the readiest way to have mine own and my bearing thy Rod with Faith and Patience and hearkning to the voyce thereof is the readiest way I can take of hastning on my own Deliverance For when there is no hindrance thereto from other wise ends of thy Providence thou art wont to grow weary of using the Rod after it has show'd us our Errours and art inclined to spare us when we submit our selves Not smiting us for any pleasure and delight thou takest in the Pains of thy Servants but to bring down our Spirits and to purge away our Sins that we may be fit and duely qualified for thy Love and for our own everlasting Happiness thro' the Merits of our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 2. AND tho' my Pain and Sickness is hard to be born O! Gracious God yet keep me ever mindful that there is need of much heat in the Furnace to fine the gold and to purge away the Dross That I need to bear some Hardships to prevent worse and cannot be torn from my Sins and from thy Wrath without some violence Yea Lord that it is a Favour to me and very desireable to be visited with these short Pains which thy Grace and my Patience will turn at last into durable Joys rather than to be let alone in my Sins to lye down without ease or remedy in everlasting Torments And whilst I am bearing my hard Lot make me know O! Father that all thy Promises of Grace and help in time of need are sure and stedfast That thou tenderly considerest my weakness both in sending of my Sorrows and in proportioning of my Succours That thou hearest all my Groans and pitiest them and wilt find a cure or put and end to them in thy due Time And that thou art most ready to accept of my humble Repentance to appease thy wrath making such allowances for my frailty and Forgetfulness as our needs do require and as thine infinite Mercy and Goodness and thy Gospel Promises do bid us comfortably hope for thro' the Merits and Mediation of our only Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ Amen 3. AND whatever my Hardships and Sorrows be O! God of Patience and of all Consolations make me consider that this World is the place of Sorrow and Trouble whereof all must expect to bear their share That
we need these Embitterments of Life to reconcile us to the thoughts of Death and to awaken our Preparation for it That Patience is one of the principal Virtues which we have to learn and exercise whilst we Live And that if the exercise of it is hard it will answerably be exceeding happy and most highly rewarded And let me remember moreover O! Lord that the more Tryal we have here of our own Patience the more Proof we have withal of thy Grace and Faithfulness and the greater is our hope of a more abundant joy and Blessed recompence And that a little waiting and endurance usually lets us see how good and Gracious thou art in removing what lyes hard upon us However that the Rest and Comforts of the next World will abundantly satisfie and make amends for all Yea and even here O! Lord let me consider that Patience under my Burdens makes them lighter and my Condition better giving me present ease in this Life as well as more abundant hopes in the Life to come That 't is best for thy Will to take place of mine and to chuse for me both whether and when and how I shall be eased of them And that if I struggle against thy Will I cannot resist it But by bearing it patiently I do not only submit to necessity but shew an Act of Obedience and Duty which will please thee and in the end will far more profit me than my Pains do at present afflict me thro' my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 4. AND Grant me Grace O! Lord always to bear in mind that I am here but as a Stranger and that these Decays will carry me home That whilst I am here in the Body I am absent from the Lord and still as I am leaving my Body I am hastning to him And that my poor Soul is now a cloggâ—d and a close Prisoner in Flesh and these Pains and Weaknesses are come to set it free And let me remember O! Father that these Sorrows which I endure in my passage to Rest and Peace are common to men Nay they are the Lot of good men who are often exercised with a greater measure thereof because here is all the Place of their evil things They are not only incident to us but Profitable for us and the best have need of them For even the Blessed Jesus himself tho he were a Son yet learned he Obedience by the things which he suffered He bore the Cross before he wore the Crown and we are first to suffer that we may also Reign with him And I willingly submit to follow where my Blessed Lord has lead the way and to take Pain and Sorrow in my passage to everlasting Life and Joy as he has done before me Only O! my God be thou with me as thou wast with him and let me have thee for my Support and Comfort under all my Sorrows whilst I live and for my Blessed Portion when I die thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen VIII Prayers for Spiritual Improvements by Sickness I. O! Most Gracious and Merciful God I receive this sickness as thy Monitor to put me upon considering and amending the Errors of my Life and on making preparation for my Death And let no flattering hopes of life O! Lord delay or slacken my Repentance or keep me from setting my Soul in order But give me Grace to make use thereof as if I were sure it would be what for ought I know it may be a Sickness unto Death And therefore let me now begin to repent of all my sins with that exactness as he should do who thinks this is like to be the last time And to order all my Actions with that uprightness and holy care as befits him who is going to give an account of them And to be so perfect in putting on all the Dresses of a Religious Spirit as he who expects to have no place afterwards for filling up any Omissions And on my Sick-bed Holy Father let Holy Prayers be my Employment and Delight And make me look on shewing Patience and exercising Faith and perfecting Repentance to be my business for those remaining moments which I have still to spend on earth Oh! Let me have as little to do with Vanity and as much intercourse with thee my God and exercise of all Heavenly Thoughts and Virtues as I can that being used to that blessed Employment of Beatified Spirits I may be fit for their Society and prepared everlastingly to injoy thee in Glory through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 2. AND Lord do thou whose Glory it is to bring good out of evil and Light out of Darkness turn my sickness which comes as the punishment of my sins into the means of my obedience Make it the instrument of thy Grace to bring me to my self and to call me off from Sin and Folly which have been the Parents of all our pain and misery Let it bring Innocence and Watchfulness to my Spirit and peace and comfort therein and then my Afflictions shall pass for Favours and I will give thee thanks and praise for my Correction When it wasts and brings down my Spirits O! Father cause it also to tame and bring down my Passions and all violent Motions In my low Estate make me meek and lowly And let the sense of my wants and weakness cure me of all Self-Confidence and carry me out wholly to depend on thee Under the Terrors of thy Power possess me with holy awe and fear And whilst my pains make me forgetful of other things let me not remember the wrongs I have received nor be high in resentments of them Let the dulness also of my Senses O God mortifie all Carnal Appetites and the unsavoryness of all worldly Vanities cure me of all inordinate fondness for them Oh! Make my love of Earthly things and all my sinful Lusts and Self-esteem to die before me and let my Sickness kill them and save my Soul alive And grant O! Lord that the trouble which I find there is in wanting thy Mercies may keep me duly sensible of them and thankful for them whilst I enjoy them And let the feeling of these Sorrows in my self touch me with Pity and Compassion for the Sufferings of others whensoever I see them exercised therewith And make me ever think O! Holy Father that I get more in being thus made better and wiser by my Afflictions than in being deliver'd from them And count nothing so good for me as to be brought thus to know my self and to know and serve thee and to be put in the sure way of obtaining thine everlasting Mercy thro my most Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 3. AND if as my outward man decays my inward man be thus renewed I will bless thy Name O! Merciful God for the kindness of these hard Providences and acknowledge to thy praise that thou in very Faithfulness hast caused me to be troubled For thou
Eccl. 12. 7. But there the wicked cease from troubling and there the weary be at Rest and they hear not the voice of the Oppressor Job 3. 17 18. Yea I will ransom them from the Power of the Grave saith the Lord I will redeem them from Death O! Death I will be thy Plague O! Grave I will be thy Destruction Hos. 13. 14. For he shall change this Vile Body and fashion it like unto his own Glorious Body Phil. 3. 21. And this corruptible shall put on incorruption and this mortal shall put on immortality 1 Cor. 15. 53. And the Lord God will wipe away tears from off all Faces and there shall be noe more Sorrow nor Crying nor Pain but Death shall be swallowed up in Victory Is. 25. 8. Rev. 21. 4. 1 Cor. 15. 54. 3. Against Fear of Death FEar not the sentence of Death remember them that have been before thee and that come after for this is the Sentence of the Lord over all Flesh Ecclus. 41. 3. It is but a going to Rest Our Friend Lazarus sleepeth Jo. 11. 11. And tho therein I leave Dear Friends yet I go to my Fathers Gen. 15. 15. And am gather'd to my People Gen. 49. 33. And the Righteous hath Hope in his Death Prov. 14. 32. For God hath begotten us again to a lively Hope thro the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the Dead 1 Pet. 1. 3. And by his Death he hath destroyed him who had the Power of Death and Deliver'd them who all their Life Time were in Bondage to the Fear of Death Heb. 2. 14 15. Sâ—e that now whether we Live or Dye we are the Lords Rom. 14. 8. For he died for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with him 1. Thes. 5. 10. The Sting of Death is Sin 1 Cor 15. 56. But he is exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give Repentance and Forgiveness of Sins Act. 5. 31. And we have such an High Priest as will have Compassion on our infirmities He can mercifully Consider and be touched with them in us having in all points Sin only excepted been tempted like as we are himself Heb. 4. 15. c. 2. 17 18. And therefore Thanks be to God who giveth us the Victory of Death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Cor. 15. 57. And Blessed are the Dead from henceforth which Dye in the Lord Yea saith the Spirit for they rest from their Labours and their Works follow them Rev. 14. 13. 4. Against Presumption LEt him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall 1 Cor. 10. 12. Thou standest by Faith be not high-minded but Fear Rom 11. 20. Happy is the man that feareth always but he that hardneth his Heart against Fear shall fall into mischeif Prov. 28. 14. Work out therefore your own Salvation with Fear and Trembling For it is God that worketh in you of his Good Pleasure Phil. 2. 12 13. Likewise since you must stand before him who without Respect of Persons judgeth according to every mans work pass the time of your Sojourning here in Fear 1 Pet. 1. 17. Tho I know nothing by my self yet am I not hereby justifyed 1 Cor. 4. 4. The Heavens are not clean in his sight Job 15. 15. He put noe trust in his Servants and his Angels he charged with folly Job 4. 18. When I consider I am afraid of him Job 23. 15. I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever Psal. 52. 8. But will keep withall an humble Spirit that trembleth at his word Is. 66. 2. And serve him with Reverence and Godly Fear Heb. 12. 28. 5. In the last Agonies LOrd now let thy Servant Depart inâ— Peace Luc. 2. 29. Say unto my Soul I am thy Salvation Psal. 35. 3. This Day shalt thou be with me in Paradice Luc. 23. 43. Lord Jesu receive my Spirit Act 7. 59. Into thine Hand I commit it for thou hast redeemed me O! Lord God of Truth Psal. 31. 5. Be with me and Conduct me thro the Valley of the shadow of Death Psal. 23. 4. Send thy Holy Angels to Carry me into Abrahams Bosom Luk. 16. 22. And into the inheritance of the Saints in light Col. 1. 12. I have fought a good Fight I have finished my Course I have kept the Faith Henceforth there is laid up for me a Crown of Righteousness which the Lord the Righteous Judge shall give me at that Day 2 Tim. 4. 7 8. For if we beleive that Jesus Dyed and rose again even soe them allsoe which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him 1 Thess. 4. 14. And I know whom I have Believed and I am perswaded that he is able to keep that which I have Committed to him against that Day 2 Tim. 1. 12. Prayers 1. Prayers on the Prospect of ones own Death Drawing near 1. GRaunt O! Lord that I may end my Life in thy Fear and Favor and that I may Receive my Death which now threatens me not as my Curse but as my Deliverance Let me find it a Rest from my Labors and an Entrance upon a Life without Trouble and without Sin And Blessed be thy Mercy which tho it has seen fit and needfull to Discipline me with Sorrows yet has not made my Sorrows Endless but all to be laid down with this mortal Life and even in my Death has given me hopes of joys without end in a better Life through my Dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 2. O! Blessed Lord now I am hasting on to the End of my Life Remember not against me the Great and manifold errors thereof but let them all be wholly done away by thy Mercyes and my Blessed Saviours merits and my own true Repentance Let me come to my Change without Guilt and foresee its near approach without Fear or impatience And Oh! that I may allways stand ready to give a Good account of my Life unto thee And that I may fight out the Good Fight of Faith with Constancy and Perseverance and finish my Course with joy and never Sleep in Sin nor lye Down in misery and Sorrow And since my Soul is now summon'd to meet the Bridegroom Dress it O! Lord in a Wedding Garment fit to appear in his train Give me Oyl in my Lamp and Grace to trim and light it and keep it allways burning sending up a pure and holy Flame that when the Door opens I may be ready to Enter in with him And enable it to strip it self of all Fleshly affections before it leaves my Body and to be of like mind and Disposition with the Holy Angels and Beatifyed Spirits before it goes to keep them Company And O! my God let me never forgeâ— that this is like to be the last Tryal which thou wilt afford me of renouncing mine own will and resigning my self up to thine and of shewing forth Devotion of Spirit and all Holy Obedience and Patience and Faith and humble Confidence in thee And therefore