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
or any others which his own mind or their Discourses shall supply him with And let the sweet name of Jesus be often in his mouth but oftner in his Heart and let him think that the Blessed name of a Saviour cannot be to much upon the Soul or too deep in the desire of a lost Sinner Let him therefore say Jesu have mercy on me Jesu Thou art the Rock of my Hope Thou art my Love and my Life and the Chief object of my desire Lord Jesu thou alone art my Saviour And that he may still be stored with matter for such devout thoughts and Ejaculations when he is not fit to read himself let them read to him either some of the Scriptures Hymns or Prayers hereafter discribed for the use of Sick Persons or some conveuient Portion out of the Penitential Psalms or something about the Sufferings of our Saviour or some part of any profitable Discourse concerning Repentance or Patience or Trust in God or Thankfulness or concerning Death and Judgment Heaven or Hell Let their Discourses also be Savory and minister thoughts fit for the Seriousness or for the Comfort or Service of men who look upon themselves as taking leave of this World and going to meet their Lord. Let them seek to Spiritualize accidents and take occasion from all that happens to raise up the Sick mans thoughts to devout and Profitable Reflexions So that he may not want the offer of a good thought as oft as he is free and ready for it If he awakes more easie let them Bless God for the ease and observe how Tenderly he proportions Tryals to our weakness considering what we can bear as a Tender Father doth How seasonably he sends Relief and how sweetly we relish it after sharp Sorrows and how from their Experience of the Seasonableness of his Succour in this case they should learn to trust him if he sends upon them more Agonies and quietly to wait for him hoping he will not stay then more then he has done now past the due Time Or if he awakes under more pain and disturbance let them fuggest to him that if t is great 't is like to be the shorter that God knows best how much and how long we can bear that he is in good and merciful hands whilst he is in his and should be quiet under them that he must wait on God who loves to be waited on and Loves to try Faith and Trust before he recompence it with the desired Blessing On all occasions of any Benefits received either by Food or by Physick or by Sleep and likewise on any want of them or on any occurrence or discourse that comes before them they will be acceptable and useful Friends indeed if they can shew dexterity in raising up the Devout Sick mans mind to some Pious thoughts or virtuous Resentments or desires about the same to make him reflect on the Power the Patience the Mercifulness or the Faithfulness of God or upon the Wickedness and Folly of men the vanity of worldly things the Serviceableness of Religion and Holy affections the Happy end of Trust in God the Temptations and Dangers of health and ease the advantage of Sickness the Blessed fruits of Patience and the Recompences that shall crown it at the last And if at any time he Receives not their Discourses or their other Services with that Willingness and Easiness which they would expect from him let them wait another opportunity and not slacken their good Offices but only Study how to time them better or make them more agreeable to him on the next occasion not taking things ill from him in this condition but pitying what would provoke them at another time Or if he seems troubled as ingenuous and kind Natures are apt to be that his Disease makes him so troublesome as he is to his Friends let them suggest to him that Friends are born for Adversity and to bear a part of each others troubles And that the same wise orderer who sends him the trouble of his Pains and Sickness sends them also the Trouble of their Attendance and doth equally expect a willing and cheerful Reception of their Respecttive Troubles from both And in the Visits they pay the Sick let not the Desire they have of seeing him make them any ways incommodious or uneasie to him Sometimes Sick Persons can ill bear noise or would be troubled not relieved by the Presence of others or when their Spirits are a little freer and more refreshed having but little time or free thoughts left they woud have them to themselves and can ill Complement them away to please others And 't is not for wise and kind Friends to break in upon them when they would be alone but only when their company would be acceptable or may be Helpful to them And besides all the Prayers and devout Thoughts which he puts up thus for himself let him also desire the Prayers of others Let him send to desire the Prayers of the publick Congregation And if he send Almes at the same time good prayers will be more like to prevail for him And when he takes his leave of any Friendly Visitants let him desire them to remember him in theirs shewing thus on all occasions that his Eye is unto God in all his sickness and that he looks to reap most benefit from good prayers And by such ways and thoughts as these may the sick person set himself to this second part of his Task viz. The bearing of his Pains and Weakness with Patience Resignation of himself Thankfulness and Trust in God and such Resentment of things and Reflections on them as are fitting for a sick Bed CHAP. V. Of his Carriage in his last Extremities and under the near Approach of Death AND when sickness goes on to Extremities and Death approaches that calls louder to him to Trim up his Lamp and dress his Soul to meet the Bridegroom but 't is only with the same Habits whereof I have been hitherto speaking A Dying Man is not distinguished from a sick Man by the difference of his Habits but only by a greater care and exactness in putting of them on The same Thoughts and Desires befit him but when he is expiring he would be glad if his strength will serve to send them up in a brighter and a hotter flame So that when he comes to die he must hold on the same Exercise of Repentance Patience Faith Thankfulness Devotion and the like but only seek to put forth more Zeal and Fervour in them if he has bodily strength enough so to do or else be content and rest satisfied to do it as his strength will serve him And let him welcome Death when God sends it and say Lord my times are in thy hand and thou knowest best when 't is fit for me to depart this World And thy time shall be mine and I am now willing to come to thee since thou seest fit to call me Amen I willingly
Mercy and open mine Ears again if it may seem good to thee For I acknowledge my former Errors and am resolved by thy Grace to keep them always open to good words and averse to evil Do thou open them good Lord for to thee alone do I look for the same and I know it is as easie for thee to open them as it was to shut them And consider no longer my Sins which deserve to be punished but mine affliction which calls to be pityed For by this Deafness O! my God I am deprived very much of the Comforts of Conversation and of the chief means of Instruction For Discourse teacheth Wisdom and understanding And Faith it self cometh and groweth up by Hearing And in the midst of Discourse I am in great measure as if all kept silence and the World is as if all were dumb to me because I am deaf to them and can seldom let in any Voice that might bring Counsel or Comfort to my Soul or to my Body Oh! therefore Holy Father do thou once more restore me to the benefit and comfort of Company and give me an Ear that can distinguish good from ill and that will be both fit and glad to hear whatsoever may Honour thee or any ways edifie or advantage me thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen II. For Patience under the Want of Hearing 1. AND whilst thou seest fit to continue me under this Deafness O! Almighty Lord Give me Patience Contentedly to want the Conversation of others I know alass and do lament that I am hereby Debarr'd from Hearing Good Words But I will reckon it some Compensation to me that it keeps me from Hearing Evil too and in this naughty world there is much more Evil spoke than Good For if my Ears were open O! God I should Dayly hear much more than I Desire to hear or than I ought to bear Silently And should hear Evil more often than I should find the Heart and Courage to Reprove it or than I should be able to Cure or perhaps to check or any ways hinder it by my Reproof And where I can neither prevent nor Cure Evil Speeches I will account it as a piece of Favour to me to be deaf to them And therefore thy Will be Done O! Holy Father I receive my Deafness Patiently and thankfully as being sent by thee and as Dayly keeping out much that would either Corrupt or trouble and afflict me And am Content whilst thou pleasest to be Deaf to the voice of Sinners till thou shalt either restore that Sense to me again here on Earth or take me hence to hear the Heavenly Halleluiahs and charming voices of Angels and Beatifyed Spirits in thy Presence for the sake of my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 2. ANd Blessed be thy Mercy O! Lord that I was not born Deaf but had mine Ears Open till Faith was ingender'd in me by Hearing For I injoy'd my Sense of Hearing till I had learnt to know thee and the way of my own Salvation Yea and till I had learnt to know much of this World too enough to teach me that I must keep always on my Guard against the Snares and constantly expect to meet and stand prepared to bear the troubles of it And Graunt O! Father that Having lived to hear much before I may now set my self to meditate on what I have heard formerly and to live by memory and still have Recourse to past instructions to Guide and Comfort me And make me Consider Lord that if mine ears were still open'd since there is little new under the Sun I should dayly hear much of the same both Good and Evil over again And that I may profit my self abundantly by thy Grace in fixing those things uâ—on my mind which I have heard already yea that I may likely profit more in recollecting and meditateing thus upon old instructions than by haveing an ear never fill'd with Hearing but dayly hearkning after new ones And that without such Reflection on the knowledge which has allready come by Hearing to make my self Master thereof I shall be allmost as if I wanted it even whilst I have it and shall be loseing it dayly more or less And besides this O! Gracious God thou art still pleased most mercyfully to continue to me the use of my Eyes to supply the want of mine Ears and I can read whatsoever is fit for me to know in Relation to this Life or the next tho I can no longer hear it And Lord make me sensible that this way I can converse with the best Company and in their best and most Studyed thoughts and Discourses And moreover that I can come to them when I need and leave them when I please For at any time without tedious waiting or troublesome Caeremony I may have their Wisdom to Counsell and Comfort me in any Exigence either of my Soul or Body And without upbraiding me with my Dullness or my Troublesomeness or growing impatient thereat they stand always ready to tell me as often as I need or Desire what way I may be most easy to my self or usefull to my Friends or acceptable unto thee thro Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 3. For Good Use of Deafness ANd whilst I remain Deaf to the Conversation of others O! Blessed Father give me Grace to converse more with thee and with my self in calling thy Laws and mine own ways to Remembrance And altho the Ears of my Body are shut to others yet Lord let those of my Spirit be always open to thy voice Give me an Hearing Heart that is never Deaf to thy call and if thy Spirit do but whisper to me let mine instantly perceive and embrace the same and carefully and obediently attend to thy suggestion And deliver me from having any Portion among them who have lost their Hearing towards thee tho they still keep it to the world and who having Ears hear not with them And under my Bodily Deafness O! Gracious God Preserve me from being jealous and mistrustful of those who are Discoursing in my Company as if they were Discoursing against me or made themselves sport with mine infirmity And whilst their Discourses can do me no good let not my own evil surmises and suspicions do either my self or them any Hurt But keep me always easy towards them and truly Patient and thankfull towards thee thro Jesus Christ my Blessed Lord and Saviour Amen Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Thanksgiveing on Recovery from Blindness or from Deafness BLessed be thy mercy O! Gracious Lord for Restoreing to me the use of my Eyes Thou hast given me them anew for the Comfort and Convenience of my Life and for the carrying on of thy Service And oh that they may never more be used for Vice or Vanity nor ever willingly open to let in ill much less stay upon it and Delight in it But keep me allways mindfull that to misuse them is the way to
receive my Death and think 't is time for me to die if thou doest because Life now is grown very uneasie to me and every day brings much more evil than good and is more my Burden than my Blessing I receive it from thee O! Lord as my passage to a better Life and am not only willing but thankful to change Weariness for Rest and Earthly Sorrows for Heavenly and Everlasting Joys Amen If the Dying persons have lived ill and loosly they have Reason indeed if God please to desire to live longer that they may learn to live better and may be more perfect before they Die Yea and even good persons do many times desire the same since the best may mend and still grow better But let such good Souls think with themselves that if they should live longer yet living on in the same frail Natures peradventure more days would still heap up more Frailties and Infirmities to make them still more afraid of Death and they would be more imperfect and less fit to die then than they are now So that 't is best to let God chuse for them and be willing to Die when he pleases If he would not leave the ordering and Expences of his Funeral to the Discretion of his Friends but is minded to give Directions about the â—â—me himself let him declare where he desires they should lay his Body and who should be desired to accompany it and who to bear it to his Grave and what Tokens of kind Remembrance shall be given to any of them And if he see fit he may order some of the smaller Gifts and Memorials of kindness which I mentionâ—d before at the making of his Will to be given at that time In proportioning the Expences thereof he should have regard to the Estate which he has to leave and to his Rank and Station in the World And in laying cut the same he will most comfort and benefit himself by such ways of expence as best Honour God and profit others such as satisfying the Hungry with Doles and cloathing the Needy with Garments and sending Gifts in Money more or less as he pleases and as suits with his Worldly Circumstances to his own or other adjacent Parishes to be distributed among the â—oor thereof or in such other Acts of Piety and Beneficence as are fit to attend the Body of one who both living in the World and leaving it was studious to be found doing good And when he is near about to leave the World he may take a pious and solemn leave of it Let him call in his Parents if he has any to ask their pardon for any offence he ever gave them and to beg their Blessing and give them his Thanks for all their Love and Care of him And also his Children to give them his Blessing and charge them to keep upright and constant in Gods Fear and in loving and helping one another And likewise his Friends and Family and Dependants to receive his last Farewell Let him profess the great need he has of God's Mercy and the good hopes he has through the Merits of Christ and through his alone to find it Let him profess also that he Dies in the Faith of Christ and repeat the Creed And that he hopes for the acceptance of his Faith and Repentâ—nce in the Unity and Communion of Christs Church in which he Dies and particularly as a stedfast and sincere though unworthy Member of the Church c. whose declared Belief he professes whose way of Worship he heartily receives and in whose Peace and Communion he has hitherto lived and now dies Then let him profess that he takes leave of the World in peace And forgives all both present and absent as he desires himself God would forgive him And that if any have ever taken any thing ill of him he desires they would forgive him After which let him send Messages to any absent Friends whose Reformation he desires whose Peace he seeks or whose Love or Favors he would express either a just thankfulness or a friendly sense of And as for themselves let him thank them all for all their good Wishes and good Services in his Life and at his Death and pray God to remember the same for their Benefit And let him heartily beg their pardon for all the Unreasonable or passionate or unequal usage which he had ever been guilty of towards any of them in his Health for all the unnecessary trouble which he has given to any of them by his weakness but especially for all the provocation and offence which he has given to any of them by his fretfulness and impatience during the time of his sickness And then let him charge all about him to keep constant in the Faith and firm in the Unity of the Church and endeavour to confirm them in the ways of Piety Sobriety Justice Charity and to warn them against falling from any of them for any Intrests or Injoyments of this World or if at any time they do against delaying Repentance or growing hardened and secure under their Fall Then let him exhort them all to keep Peace among themselves especially those who are concerned in the Division of his Estate And desire all their prayers to assist him in his Agonies And so recommend them all to God's Mercy praying that he will keep them all stedfast in his fear and safe under his care whilst they live and give them all comfort when they come into his condition and bring them all at last to meet together again in his Heavenly Kingdom After this he may tell those Friends who attend more about him that in his departure he desires he may have no disturbance to lengthen out his Pains and molest his Passage And therefore if any of them think they cannot contain themselves and govern their Grief nor see him Die without bursting into passionate Out-crys and noisie disturbance to call back his retiring Spirit let him beg them to withdraw when his Death approaches and pray for him and vent their own grief by themselves But if any of them can stand by and accompany him in silence if they happen then to be about him he may desire that they would stay to assist him with their Prayers in his last Agonies and recommend his departing Soul to God at his last Breath After he hath taken such Religious and solemn leave of all his Friends he has nothing left to do but whilst his strength serves to employ his Spirit in Holy Thoughts and Desires as he did before and devoutly and willingly wait God's time for his change And under this expectation let him often say My Flesh and my Heart faileth but thou art the strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever Ps. 73 26. Lord strengthen me in my last Agonies and guard me from all Frights and Molestations of the Enemy Amen I have a good Master for Jesus that most Blessed of all Names is my Master and
those who charitably attend about me in my sickness Keep me always submissive and devout towards thee and thankful and easie unto them And let thy Blessing go along with all their Means and Medicines and in thy due time asswage and end my pains and either restore me to my strength and send me health and ease and the mercies of a longer and a better life or else a blessed and a comfâ—rtable death for our Lord Jesus Christâ—s sake Amen Out of the Office of Visitation of the Sick O! Lord look down from Heaven â—ehold visit and relieve me thy Servant Look upon me with the eyes of thy mercy give me comfort and sure confidence in thee defend me from the danger of the enemy and keep me in perpetual peace and safety through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen And he may still conclude with the Lord's Prayer on all occasions when he has used as many of these Prayers as he thinks fit for that time Particular Prayers for the Duties and Needs of Sick Persons Prayers for Repentance in Sickness I. RIghteous art thou O! God in all these pains and sorrows which punish my sins and try my patience and I have none to accuse or complain of for the same but my self I receive my sickness as the Chastisement of a Sinner and am willing to bear Chastisement for my sins that I may be thereby reclaimed from them Correct me O! Lord that thou mayest not condemn me and let me be judged by thee for my sins and judge my self for them here that I may have nothing but mercy without judgment to receive at thine hands hereafter But judge me O! My God with Mercy and not in thine Anger Judge me not according as my sins have deserved but according as my weakness can bear and according as thy Compassions are wont to mitigate thy Judgments And let my sickness work my true Repentance and prove an happy means in the hand of thy mercy to expiate my Guilts not to encrease them and to reclaim me perfectly from all the Evils which I have committed formerly not to occasion my committing more and to confer that rest and peace upon my Soul which is denyed to my Body for our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's sake Amen 2. Thou smitest me O! Gracious Lord that thou mayst cure me and punishest my sin that thou mayest thereby amend and reclaim my person And I am weary of my sins which have brought upon me all these Sorrows and which I know assuredly will bring infinitely worse unless I prevent the same by my timely and true Repentance of them Help me therefore to search them out O! God and to discover every accursed thing And when I see them let me not stop at any one but set my self intirely to renounce and amend all Let thy love make me hâ—te every evil way And make my purposes against them strong and resolute and my care in fulfilling the same vigilant and patient and all the remainder of my days to be one continued defacement of my former Errors and Devotion of my self to thy Service Lord Cure my Folly by my Misery and teach me by the loss of my bodily ease to purchase the Blessing of true Repentance and the comfortable hopes of thy merciful acceptance thereof thro the Merits of our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen To make his Confessions and other Acts of Repentance with greater sureness and satisfaction to himself the Sick man must first make a discovery of his Sins by examining himself and trying his ways upon the several Heads and Branches of God's Commandments And thereby inquire into the state of his Soul to see whether he is already safe within the terms of pardon or what he wants to make him so This is a work for all men at all times who would live with safety or die with peace But especially for sick and dying persons who are more sensible their case admits of no delays and who not only ought but also more commonly are wont to make it their earnest desire and care And in their performance of this most important Task with security and comfort I have assisted them as well as I can in the Tryal or Judgment of the Soul c. in a small Treatise intituled A Companion for the Penitent to which I refer them 3. A Confession of Sins taken out of the Office for the Penitent or those who mourn for sin p. 39. c. O! Almighty and most Righteous Lord I do hear with grief of heart and with shame and deep humility confess unto thy Dreadful Majesty that my sins are exceeding many and great and have been frequently repeated I have oft-times transgressed out of Ignorance O! that I could not say careless Ignorance under Opportunities of Knowledge yea or affected Ignorance espoused for Earthly ends against Light and clear Evidence which was enough to shame and silence me though not to gain and convince me But I have transgressed oftner out of Negligence Worldly Fear or Desire yea alas too oft out of presumptuous Wilfulness condemning the Evil whilst I was a doing it and offending wittingly and with Checks and Convictions to the contrary And these Sins I have been drawn to against all the Endearments of thy Mercies and all the Alarms and louder Warnings of thy Punishments against all the Rebukes and Strivings of thy Grace and of my own Conscience and of other faithful and seasonable Admonishers And against all mine own Purposes and Engagements Deliberately made and solemnly profess'd and frequently repeated that I would offend therein no more Lord be merciful to me a Great and Wretched Sinner 2. BUT thou O! Blessed Jesus by making thy self a Sin-Offering for us art come to take away the Sins of all who truly Repent thereof And O! Merciful Lord tho' my Sins are many and grievous yet I do not desire to overlook them but would gladly see and discover them all that I may penitently bewail and forsake them And Oh! That no corrupt Passions nor love of Worldly or Carnal Interests may ever byass me or blind my Eyes from seeing the same whilst there is space left me to repent of them And as for those sins which I do know my self to be guilty of I do not cover but with shame confess them I do not justifie nor excuse but condemn my self for the same I stand thereby guilty O! Lord of highest Disobedience against the strictest Obligations of wretched Disingenuity and Unthankfulness against the most endearing Mercies and of most stupid Folly against my own clearest highest and most
lose them again That being made whole once it nearly concerns me to sin noe more lest I fall under something worse And that as I have now received them again from thee I ought above all things to Devote them to thee and that whilst they are in the way of pleasing thee they are surely in the best way of Benefitting and Comforting me And Lord have Pity upon others who are uncomfortable blinde as I was Hear their Cryes and Lighten their Darkness as thou hast Done mine Oh! that seeing what thou hast now done for me they may hold fast their hope and trust in thee And that all thy Servants may Praise and Magnifye thy Goodness which gives Sight to the Blind and raiseth the Poor out of Misery to be a Liveing monument of thy mercy and to Give thanks and Praise to thee thro our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Our Father c. IV. Prayers for a Sick Child 1. Out of the Office of Visitation of the Sick O! Allmighty God and most Mercyful Father to whom alone belong the issues of Life and Death look Down from Heaven we humbly beseech thee with the Eyes of Mercy upon this Child now lyeing upon the Bed of Sickness Visit him O! Lord with thy Salvation Deliver him in thy good appointed time from his Bodily Pain and save his Soul for thy Mercyes Sake That if it shall be thy good Pleasure to prolong his Days here on Earth he may live to thee and be an instrument of thy Glory by Serveing thee Faithfully and Doing Good in his Generation or else Receive him into those Heavenly Habitations where the Souls of them that Sleep in the Lord Jesus enjoy Perpetual Rest and Felicity Graunt this O! Lord for thy mercyes sake in the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ who liveth aud reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost ever one God world without end Amen 2. Another Prayer for the same LOrd Pity the troubles and weakness of this Poor Child and Pity our Sorrows who are afflicted with it and for it Ease it of its Pains and strengthen it when it lyes struggling for Life and raise it up again if it may please thee to grow in years and stature and in Wisdom and thy Fear and thereby to comfort us and Glorifye thee We beleive O! Allmighty Father that thou knowest best what is fit both for it and us and wiâ—t Doe what is best for both And therefore we leave it to thee to dispose of as thou pleasest But whether it be to Life or Death let it be thine in both and either preserve it to be thy true and Faithfull Servant here on Earth or take it to the Blessedness of thy Children in the Kingdom of Heaven thro our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Our Father c. A Thanksgiving for its Recovery BLessed be thy Name O! Father of mercyes for that thou hast heard us concerning this Child and raised him up for thy Service and our Comfort And Lord fill his Heart with Grace as thou hast done ours with joy Let Wisdom and Goodness still grow up with him and as fast as he grows capable thereof make him willing and carefull to Honor and obey thee Let not Company corrupt him nor youthfull Lusts as they come on prevail against his Soul But as now thou art the Preserver of his Life be ever henceforward the Keeper of his Innocence that whensoever thou shall call him again in thy Due time to meet Death he may have Comfort in the Remembrance of a Godly and well spent Life and sweetly fall asleep in thy Peace thro the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Our Father which art c. V. Prayers in times of common Infection Scriptures THe Lord killeth and he maketh alive he bringeth Down to the Grave and he bringeth up 1 Sam. 2. 6. And is there any Evil in the City and the Lord hath not done it Amos 3. 6. But in his Wrath he remembreth mercy Hab. 3. 2. Oh! then let us come and return unto the Lord for he hath torn and he will heal as he hath smitten and he will binde us up Hos. 6. 1. And make thy Dwelling in the secret Place of the most High and thou shalt abide under the Shadow of the Almighty He shall cover thee with his Feathers and his Truth shall be thy Shield and Buckler And then thou shall not be afraid for the Terror by night nor for the Arrow that flyeth by Day Nor for the Pestilence that walketh in Darkness nor for the Destruction that wasteth at Noon Day A thousand shall fall at thy side and ten thousand at thy Right Hand but it shall not come nigh thee There shall noe Evil befall thee nor shall any Plague come nigh thy Dwelling For he shall give his Angells charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways And that because thou hast made the Lord which is my Refuge even the most High thy Habitation Ps. 91. 1 4 5 6 7 9 10 11. Glory be to the Father c. Prayers I. O! Almighty God just art thou in visiting us of this place with this infectious Disease which takes away not only the injoyments of Health but alsoe the sweetest earthly Comforts and Supports of Sickness and Deprives us whilst we Live of the Help and Company of our Friends We justifye thee and thy judgements and confess that our miseryes are still far less than our Sins But whilst it comes to chastize our wickedness let it cure it too O! Lord. Take from us the Plague of an Hard Heart and make us tremble at thy word And purge away all our Sins for I fear them more and am more Desirous of their Cure than of the Cure of any Bodily Maladyes And they are truly our Plague which has infected our whole Nature and wherewith we Dayly infect one another And when they have showd us our wickedness let thy judgements cease from us and be intreated from this miserable Land for thy Dear Son our Saviour Jesus Christs sake Amen 2. O! Righteous Lord thou hast showed thy People terrible things and Given them a Drink of Deadly Wine Thou terrifyest us with thine Arrows which wound secretly and Walk in Darkness And with a Destruction which wasts at Noon Day But this deadly infection tho it be very spreading can invade none O! God without thy Commission Nor kill those whom it doth invade till thou biddest it Soe that our Life and Health is not left at the mercy of raging infection but is still bound up in thy Hand And they who have thee for their Sanctuarye in the most Contagious time may Dwell in Safety For thou givest thy Angells charge over them that noe infection can touch or Destroy them And under thy wings O! Lord doe I seek for shelter for my self and for my Family We have noe Preservation against these Dangers but thy Good Providence And the
lifting up my Heart to Heavenly things and to all the ways of preparing my Soul for thine everlasting mercy Amen And if I want Health and the Relish of worldly comforts now I owe thee infinite thanks O! Lord for all the time I enjoy'd them formerly tho' all that time I had deserved to lose them If I am deprived of some mercies yet many and most Thank-worthy are those which I still enjoy If I would declare and speak of thy mercies to me they are more than can be numbred Ps. 40. 5. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away Blessed be the name of the Lord. Job 1. 21. And let the Sick Person Persevere in this trust and confidence in God and in this Resignation and thankfulness of Spirit amidst all his Sorrows Let him keep his Soul always set out in these dresses and express them on all occasions to God and to his Friends For they are the liveliest ingredients and the Clearest Beauty and Grace 4ly Of the Fourth Virtue wherewith he is to bear his Sorrows viz. Patience which he is to exercise thro' the whole course of his Sickness and which is next to be treated of CHAP. IV. Of Patience under Sickness With other Directions to the Sick Person for spending his Sick-bed Hoâ—â—s and to his Friends for their Ministring to him THE whole couâ—se of a Sick-bed is a tryal of Patience And when 't is tryed thereon we must give good proof thereof or else we can never act our Part tolerably nor approve our Selves And if we have the forementioned virtues we shall have Patience For if we dare trust God our Fears of Pain or other evil accidents will not make us unquiet If our wills are resigned to his we shall not be unwilling to bear what he sends but meet our Sorrows with humble and contented Submission instead of angry and uneasie Repining If we are thankful to him under our Sickness we shall bless him for what we have and not discontentedly complain for what we want and thank him because he once gave instead of accusing him because now he has taken away And therefore when God calls any Person to be Sick let him look on Patience as the Proper virtue of his State and make it his care at every turn to arm his Soul with it Let him set himself to Bear his Pains and weakness with gravity and Composedness keeping back from all Passionate and from all light and vain words And to bear all out of Submission and Resignation to the Will of God quietly Suffering because he sends them And let him remember always to humble himself under the hand that Smites him and own 't is just And to kiss the Rod and confess 't is for his good And to receive the Strokes with quietness and suffer without striving and bear them without uneasie complaints of them and wait on God without fainting and not sink under his Load but support and stay himself upon God till his time comes to send ease He must not shew anger and uneasiness with his Disease or with his Medicines with his food or with his Attendance Nor fall to feign reasons of taking things ill where really there are none nor aggravate them where there are nor be hasty in his Suspicions or Censures of things made for him or of persons concerned with him and thereby grow anxious and Angry and troublesome to himself and others Nor Expose himself or Scandalize the By-standers by making Burdens which are not too heavy to be born at present intolerable to himself by Pusilanimous Despondency or Anxious fears and mistrusts of what they will be in a little time Indeed his Bodily weakness and uneasiness may many times excuse his forgetfulness and Surprizes in these Points both to God and men if afterwards he shews himself sensible of them and Sorry for them and doth not indulge them But he must not give way or lay himself open to them and much less justifie them or hope to remove the Guiâ—t and Blame of these Sins from off his Soul and lay them upon the Distemper of his Body And instead of blaming and aggravating the Heaviness of his Disease or the Negligence of his attendance or Gods Orderings let him fall to blame his own impatience and to tax his own folly which had not learnt before to expect such crosses as now Disquiet him and prepared to bear them As for Restlessness of Body and frequent changes of Place or Posture and turning from side to side and Sighs and Groans and other unquietness of Body without any Disturbance of Spirit they are not to be accounted I conceive for Acts of impatience and if they can divert the Pains of sick Persons or give ease to their Bodies I think they need be no matter of Scruple to their mindes This Tryal of Patience indeed is an hard Tryal and therefore requires a constant and a watchful care And it may be a great help to him therein if among those who are pleased to express their kindness and do him Comfort by their presence and Friendly attendance he can chuse a Discreet and Pious Supervisor of his carriage both towards God and all about him under his Sickness and desire him to be his Admonisher where Excess of Pain and weariness makes him forget himself and receive his Brotherly Admonitions with willingness and Thankfulness And under all the uneasiness of his Sickness and Temptations to impatience let him often say one or other of these short Prayers Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Amen Shall a Living man complain a man for the Punishment of his Sin Woe be to him that striveth with his Maker shall the Clay say unto him that fashioneth it what makest thou Lord I will be Dumb and not open my mouth against it because it is thy doing And thou orderest mine infirmities as thou Orderest all things else in Number weight and Measure So that I know they shall not be too many nor too Heavy nor continue more days or Hours than thou seest Suitable to thy Goodness and my weakness If ease is long delayed and his Spirit is almost wearied let him ever and anon put up such short Petitions as these I wait for the Lord my Soul doth wait and in his word do I hope Amen I will hope continually and will yet Praise thee more and more Amen O! Tarry thou the Lords Leisure O my Soul I know whom I have Believed and in Due Season I shall reap if I faint not Tho he kill me yet will I trust in him Amen Remember O! Lord whereof I am made and have compassion on mine infirmities and lay not more upon me than I can bear Let thy Grace be sufficient for me Amen Lord encrease my Patience or abate my Pains Amen If he is ready to think or say he can bear no longer let him remember that God knows that better than he And
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
lasting Interests throwing away thy favour and future Joys for empty shows and shadows and a blessed Eternity for moments of Vanity I reflect on all this O! Merciful God with bitterness and with a Spirit wearied with mine own ways I see and lament my own folly and abhor mine own vileness on account thereof I wish with all my Soul that those Sins had never been done and would take any way to undoe them and most earnestly desire and fnlly purpose by thy Grace that I may do so no more God be merciful to me a self-condemning and repenting Sinner 3. LOrd I am burden'd and heavy laden with my Sins Oh! Do thou who callest out to the heavy laden to seek refreshment at thine Hands give me ease I confess them and desire above all things else that I may utterly forsake them Let me according to my Promise find Mercy From mine Heart I forgive all Persons who have offended me even my bitterest Enemies and most earnestly entreat thee that thou wouldst forgive them Oh! Do thou who offerest forgiveness to those who are ready to grant it for Jesus Christ's sake forgive me I repent unfeignedly of all my Sins and am ready to make all just amends at least as far as I am able to any whom I have ever injured whether they be of low or of high Degree or even the highest of all O! God of all Grace perfect my Repentance and accept it and blot out all my misdeeds as thou engagest to do unto all those who sincerely repent of the same I know O! Blessed Jesus that there is no Name but thine whereby I can obtain Pardon And I trust only to the fulness of thy Merits and to the faithfulness of thy gracious Promises and to the abundance of my Heavenly Father's Mercy and Loving Kindness to me a great and miserable but an Humble Contrite Penitent Sinner Forgive them all O! Blessed Father Remembring not my Deservings but the pityableness of my Weakness and thy Dear Sons infinite Merits and thine own boundless Mercies and most precious Promises Let me here have thy Peace and be admitted hereafter to stand for ever in thy â—resence for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake Amen Our Father c. For carrying on this duty of Repentance the sick person may likewise make use of the Prayer for Profession of Godly Sorrow for Sins and of Resolutions of New Obedience and of the Profession of the Fruits of Repentance and the Conditions of Forgiveness and of the Prayer for Pardon of sins in the Office for Penitents And for comforting and quieting his Conscience against Fears and Scruples he may be supplyed with Hymns and Prayers in the Office for Persons troubled in mind all which are in the Companion to the Penitent II. Prayers for an Heart to be Liberal in Alms-Deeds when any Persons are about to make their Will or to accompany Repentance at any time leaving out the Passages within the Hooks which particularly refer to their last Wills I. O! Almighty Father thou gavest me all my worldly Estate that I should employ it for the convenient support of my self and of my Family and of the â—oor and Needy And when I come to thee I can have nothing to carry along with me but a strict account how I have laid it out Give me Grace therefore I earnestly intreat thee after I have made a wise provision for my Family out of it with a free and glad heart to give good Portions thereof to the poor who are thy Receivers or to Religious and Pious uses that when I can no longer possess my Estate I may come with joy to give up my account of it and that when my worldly Goods can no longer profit me my good disposal thereof may thro the Merits of my only Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 2. AND whatsoever I give to the Poor or to pious uses for thy sake give me the Heart O! Lord to do it with a good Will and with a Liberal Hand For thou O! My God hast freely given the whole of this Estate to me and therefore it is not for me to be narrow and niggardly in these Returns of a small part thereof which I make to thee And these Pious and Charitable Gifts alas Have been far too few and too poor and slender all my life and therefore I need to supply that Defect by being more liberal therein at my Death And what I thus give out of it O! Blessed Jesu is to thy poor Members who are all my near Kindred and Brethren in the Spirit Yea Lord by such Acts of Mercy I know that iniquity is purged And by this use of the Mammon of unrighteousness I may make my self Friends in thy Presence And the Poors Prayers and Thanksgivings for any relief or comfort which they have received by my means may heap Blessings on my head whilst I live and help much to recommend me to thy mercy and gracious Acceptance when I die So that these Gifts to them O! Blessed Lord are the truest way I have of giving to my self and are much more for my own relief than for theirs And I do and will look upon them as a laying up Treasure for my self in Heaven and making a Return of my wealth for my own use and behoof in another Life And reckon that what I wisely give in this kind I take and carry away with me to stand me in stead in the most needful time of thy mercy thro' Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen â— A Prayer at the Oblation or giving of our Alms or on alloting any sums to charitable or Pious uses O! Blessed Lord I humbly intreat thee Graciously to accept of this poor return of the worldly Substance which thou hast committed unto me I offer it to thee for the use of thy poor Members whom I look upon as my poor Brethren I offer it with an Heart that is truly sorrowful for all my Sins and thankful for all thy Mercies that seeks acceptance for it only for the sake of thy Sons merits and from thy mere Grace and Favour and that is ashamed for its having made the offering no sooner and now for offering no more And all my Alms and Repentance I present and put into thy Hands O! Holy Jesu in the Communion of Saints and in the Unity of thy Holy Church which is thy Body and Spouse and whereto thou hast given the precious Promises of Grace and Pardon and eternal Life O! Father in the Unity of this Body let me find mercy And accept mine Alms as an Oblation of a sweet Savour and supply and perfect all my Wants and purge away all my Sins thro' the merits of my only Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ Amen Our Father which art c. III. Prayers for Trust in God in Sickness I. O! Almighty Lord under all my weakness and pains of Body and uncertain Prospects for my self and for
nor use and injoy them as the Treasures of my home but only as the helps of my Pilgrimage But I desire it if it may seem fit to thee O! God that I may be fitter for thy Work and more able to labor in thy Service And that I may be more perfect in my obedience before I am calld to give up my Accounts And because I am still willing if it may please thee to be an instrument of thy care and good Providence towards those who by Nature or Friendship are committed unto me And the guift thereof I shall thankfully ascribe unto thee and praise thy Power and Mercy for the benefits of my Recovery thro' my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 2. I know O! Lord that thou canst soon restore me when thou pleasest and that if thou do but say the word I shall be whole And I believe that thou wilt restore me if it is best for thy Glory and for my good and for the wise ends of thy Providence in this World And therefore tho' I do heartily desire it yet I humbly submit the same to thee For I am no where so safe as in thy choice and therefore I leave thee to determine still whether thou shalt be honour'd and my poor Soul benefitted by my Life or by my Death whether by me in a state of Health or in a state of Sickness But when thou hast chosen and fixt my condition for me then Lord I beg of thee and I beg it earnestly that I may receive it willingly and thankfully and that I may have Grace wisely and faithfully to discharge all those Duties which thou requirest from us under the same And that I may always find both my Tryal temper'd to my weakness and my self still comforted and supported under it by thy Grace thro' Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 5. Prayers on taking Physick 1. O! Gracious Lord direct the Counsels of those who prescribe to me and prosper the Medicines which are to give me ease or strength But let not my confidence in them take off any thing of my eye or dependance upon thee For Man lives not by bread nor recovers by Physick alone but by every word out of the mouth of God to give a Blessing unto both And if thou biddest them the things or Accidents which I do not think of or set least by shall recover me Oh! therefore as their part is the care so let thine O God be the Blessing and mine the Comfort And as I shall love them as thy instruments so I shall own thee for the Author of my Mercies and to thee shall I give Thanks and pay my Vows and Services thro' my dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 2. LORD let not my desires of Health ever make me yield to seek Remedy from Charms or suspected means or apply my self to Dealers with Familiar Spirits Let me not resort to thy utter Enemy who sets up this way against thee nor fall again to seek him after I have solemnly renounced him in my Baptism nor fondly flatter my self with hopes of receiving good from the Grand Author and Plotter of all evil who then only seems to cure when he ceases to kill and doth not cease to torment a Body but when he hopes thereby to ensnare or destroy a Soul But give me patience to wait for Life and Health in thy ways that I may always owe the same to thee and wholly devote them to thy Service thro' Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 6. Prayers on want of Sleep 1. O! Righteous Lord thou holdest mine eyes waking and in the Night Season I take no rest I seek sweet Sleep to ease my pains and to recruit my Spirits I seek it earnestly but I can not find it and if I seem to have it fast it suddenly breaks from me But O! Merciful God let it not always flee away but let my wearied eyes at length lay hold of it and make my sleep sweet unto me Consider my weariness which calls aloud for rest and my weakness which greatly needs refreshment And give my labouring Spirits ease that restless agitations or incessant pains may not always keep me awake Or if my Spirits must not be allured by ease into sound sleep or at least into soft Slumbers let them however be born down into it by the weight of my Sorrows and their own weariness that I may a little forget my Troubles and recover strength to bear any new returns thereof till thy Blessed time shall come of sending me deliverance from the same either by the Blessing of Health or the infinitely greater Blessing of Heaven thro' Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 2. AND whilst thou keepest mine eyes awake O! Lord keep my Heart watchful and make me seek both to divert my Sorrows and to ease and comfort my self by employing my Thoughts well Oh! That I may fall to remember thee on my Bed and meditate on thy ways and Promises in the night Watches That I may Commune with mine own Heart and diligently search out my own Spirit That I may remember thy tender Mercies and Gracious Dealings towards and call to mind the Blessed end of Patience and how carefull thou art sometimes to give us ease whilst thou denyest us sleep at others to send us sleep too when we are not fit any longer to subsist without it Yea that in thy due time thou wilt bring us to that Blessed State where they sleep away no happy Minutes but wake continually to injoy the same as Angels do and where their Eyes never take sleep nor ever need or desire it And let these Thoughts comfort me till thy Grace and Mercy sees fit to give sleep to my Eyes and deliverance from my Sorrows thro' my dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 7. A Prayer of Friends for the sick under excess of Sleep and when they apprehend danger by it O! Merciful God let not this deep Sleep which is fall'n upon thy Servant prove the Sleep of Death Make it the Sleep of a recovering Person to relieve and revive him not to carry him off and awake him out of it in thy due time to offer thee praise and to labour still among us in doing thee Honour and Service But if thou hast order'd thereby to take him to thy self Lord remember and accept of all his former Prayers and Repentance Faith and Patience Look not upon his sins but to pardon them nor on his weaknesses but to pity them And when he awakes in the next World let him find himself surrounded with Light and Bliss instead of his Sick-bed Sorrows and awake to Eternal Life with thee in Glory Lord hear us for this thy weak Servant in Distress Hear our Prayers for him who seems not able now to offer up any Prayers to thee for himself And accept both him and us to the Blessed injoyment of thy Love and hopes of thy Mercies thro Jesus Christ our Lord.
tormented with any long Fears thereof And that the suddenner the stroke was the less he was like to feel it Or should he have felt it more yet he might not have felt a painfull Disease less had it been his Executioner For altho that would have been more slow it might not have proved less Cruel nor have smarted lighter but only lasted longer And if my Dear and Deceased Friends Paine was more violent O! Lord it was short and thro thy mercy I hope it is the last he had to endure And far be it from us O! God to repine that he was thrown hastily and Headlong into Death especially haveing a Comfortable Hope that the effect thereof is to pass with less Pain and more Dispatch into a better Life and more easily and speedily to take possession of immortality thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 4. Prayers on the Death of Friends who had lead ill lives and Gave noe Comfortable Proofs of Repentance at their Deaths â—N this Case we may put the surviveing Friends in minde of the many other Things which they have to take Comfort in and this I think is all the Ground we have here of speaking Comfort unto them But we can not fetch Considerations of Comfort from their Deceased Friends For such Sinners as would have nothing to do with the Fear and Service of God have noe Reason of Comfort in themselves nor can afford any good Reason of it to their well-wishers And with Relation to them we must not pretend to Preach Comfort I conceive but Submission To help them meekly and patiently to submit themselves to God in these sad Cases the surviving Friends may use Prayer 1. When a Friend Dyes especially if they leave out the Paragraph within the Hooks p. 307. They may allsoe use this Prayer following to Comfort them ANd Blessed be thy Mercy O! most Gracious God which in this sad Case doth not leave me comfortless For if this Deceased Friends Case suggests things full of Greif I have many other Friends who give me great Cause of joy And to Compensate my Trouble in Pity for others by thy Grace I have something to Satisfye and Please me in reflecting on my self For I can look with Comfort on my own Soul and hope thro the merits of my Blessed Saviour to finde Mercy for it and take Comfort in it both Living and Dying I have thee O! Lord for my Portion and nothing Can make my Case Comfortless whilst I am thinâ— and thou art mine and whilst I have thy Power to trust to and thy Love to rejoyce in And under all this Sorrow at present I am sustain'd by the Blessed Hope of being received at last into thy Presence where all Remembrance of former Troubles shall be quite effaced by the abundance of my Present Bliss where I shall have noe Sorrow from the miscarriage of Friends but unspeakable Satisfaction in their well-being and well-doing and where I shall ever Delightâ—in thee and in the Continual Emanations of thy surpassing Mercy thro Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen 5 A Prayer on the Death of a Child O Almighty Father thou art pleased now to turn my joys into Sâ—rrows and to take away from 〈◊〉 that sweet Babe which thou lately gavest me for my Delight and Comfort But I humbly Bow my will to thine and submit my Self to 〈…〉 and without murmuring 〈◊〉 it is thy Doing Thou hast sent this poor Child into the World O! Lord to See and to â—ast Life but hast not allowed it to Stay till it Could rightly understand the end and busyness or relish the Comforts and Satisfactions thereof But I will Consider O! my God that thou wilt not require from it any Services of Life whilst it was not Capable to understand them And that if it Stayed not here to enjoy Pleasure soe neither did it Stay to be pined away with Sorrow and Care It lived not long enough to be versed in all the Vexations of our State nor to run thro that Great variety of miseryes and misfortunes which are incident here to our Nature But went off before it had time to trye how much Evil is to be Endured in this Life yea before it was come to aggravate any afflictions by imagination or to anticipate the same by Fear or to reflect in bitterness of Spirit and lay to heart what it did endure And as it Dyed young O! Lord Soe I have the Comfort to think and hope that therefore it Dyed innocent For it is taken back to thee before it knew Good or Evil or had done any thing to offend thee It has left the World ere it was made the worse by it or had Contracted any of the Wickedness thereof to follow it and fright it at thy Judgement By thy Mercy O! Father it Stayed till it was received for thine own Child by Baptism and was therein assured by thee of remission of Sin and made an Heir of thy Kingdom And by the same Mercy it is now Call'd away ere it had done any thing to fall from that Relation or to forfeit that Blessing So that in this takeing it away froâ— me thou hast translated it O! Father of Meâ—â—yes from the miseryes of this World to the joys of Paradice it is taken from me to be at thy Provision and to be kept for ever safe and Happy in those Blessed mansions which thou hast Provided for thy Children And therefore if I have lost the Comfort of haveing a Child to train up in thy Service in this World it is for the far greater Comfort O! my God of haveing sent one to live with thee and attend for ever about thy Throne in Heaven And there I my self allsoe hope thro thy mercy to be received in thy due Time not only to see and injoy it but what is infinitely above all for ever to see and injoy thee thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 6. A Prayer when one is made Childless or is like to Dye without Children O! Blessed Lord thou art pleased in thy Wisdom to beleave me of my Children and to leave me 〈◊〉 appearance of issue to Sweeten the Cares of Life and to keep up my Memory to Posterity I am content therewith O! my God because it pleaseth thee and comeing from thy Wisdom aâ—d Care of me I will not only own it to be just but Esteem it to be most wise and fit for me And if by haveing noe Children I have fewer Delights I will remember withall O! Father that I have lighter Cares and fewer Sorrows I have not the Torment of seeing them take ill wayes nor of Fearing continually lest they should fall to take them nor shall have the Pains and Trouble of parting with them which Commonly is quicker and more affecting than the Pleasure of haveing them And I may now fix my Love and Care more intrely upon thee haveing no Cares for them to call me off And I have less Temptation to Descend to mean