my Family I trust intirely to thee who hast Goodness enough to Pity us and Power enough to help and deliver us I trust in thee O! my dear God who hast been my Refuge and Defence in many troubles and art still ready to be so in more who invitest us most Lovingly to cast all our Cares upon thee and hast promised to take care of us who lovest to be trusted and never failest them who trust in thee I trust to thy Wisdom to chuse for me better than I can chuse for my Self I trust to thy Power to help and support me where I am weak and without strength to help and support my Self And I trust to thy Love and Fatherly care to deal out all my Sorrows with tenderness and to turn them all to my good and greater Comfort in the End For I believe and know O! Gracious Lord that thou wilt correct me in measure and consider not what my Sins do deserve but what my Weakness can bear I believe that thou wilt remember Mercy in my Corrections and still make light to arise up up to me out of Darkness and daily relieve my Sorrows with thy manifold and most seasonable Favours I believe that thou wilt not keep Anger for ever but in due time wilt abate my Pains and Troubles or if that be good for me and for thy Glory perfectly remove them however in the End that thou wilt change them all into everlasting Rest and Joy with thee thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 2. For Trust against the Torment and distraction of Fears AND since under all my Sorrows and uncertainties thou art my stay and confidence Lord keep me easie and quiet within my Self I have cast all my cares npon thee and therefore they should not any longer be troublesome or distracting unto me I have put my self into thy hands and thou hast promised to take care of me and therefore I ought to rest assured that all is certainly for my good and is most wisely and kindly Ordered which befalls me Oh! then that I be not disqâ—ieted with fear of Evil since none can happen unto me without thy leave That I be not troubled at the Helplessness of those I am to leave behind me because I leave thee to take care of them Nor frighted with the approach of Pains because thou art to set bounds to them Nor with any evil Tydings or Alarm of Dangers because thou art to govern them Yea that I be not terrified tho' I walk thro' the shadow of Death because Life and Death are both in thy hands Nor even in Death it self because thou wilt most Graciously support me in my Death and make it the Gate to everlasting Life thro Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 3. For Trust against dejection of Spirit and Despondency AND since I rest upon thee as my Rock and stay and have thy strength to Trust to let me not sink under my Burden O! Lord by Dejection and Faintness of Spirit For no Burden is so heavy upon me but thou canst and wilt support me under it and in thy due time which is always my best time deliver me from it Thou hast Promised O! my God not to lay more upon me than thou wilt enable me to bear And thou Holy Jesu art touched with the Sense of our infirmities and wilt inflict no more than thou knowest is proportionable to my weakness Thou hast bore them in thy self and wilt tenderly consider them in thy Members Thou wilt not continue my Smart till I have quite lost my Patience Nor send me Pains and Sorrows without supports and succours And thou dost send and wilt send no evil upon me but what I need or what is for my Good and what thou wilt take off when it has wrought thy gracious Purposes and served my Necessities And therefore when my Pains or Distresses are hardest upon me let me not think or say that I cannot endure them For thou Lord knowest better what I can endure than I do And when I come to it by thy help I shall find my self able to endure more than I thought I could And if thou hadst not known me strong enough thro' thy Grace to endure them thou wouldest not have put me to endure them And even now thou wilt either remove or mitigate the same when I can abide no more Instead of concluding then that I can bear them no longer give me Grace O! Father to set my self resolutely to bear them the best I can And firmly to believe that thou mercifully considerest what I can bear and wilt shew thy Grace is strong where my flesh is weak and wilt be sure to support me at present and to ease and deliver me at last thro' the Merits of my dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 4. For Trust against Suspiciousness and finding Fault SInce I wholly commit and trust my Self to thee O! my God let me constantly think well of all that thou dost for me and sendest upon me Let me not think ill of it because I cannot think ill of thee nor fall to Tax it either with unfitness or unkindness or once suspect any therein because it is ordered by thee who canst not order amiss and who in all these things hast not less Love and Goodness but only more wisdom to allot and order for me than I have to order for my self Yea where things are hardest to be accounted for make me still think well of them and believe firmly that thou seâ—st good and kind Reasons for the same tho' my short-sighted and shallow understanding can see none And therefore O! Father when things are hardest upon me in my Condition my Reverence and Confidence in thee shall be stronger than my mistrust of them and by thy Grace I will answer all my own Objections against them by considering they are of thy chusing And whether any evils are sent upon me or any comforts are delayed and withheld from me I will believe still that all is as it should be and will turn to good in the end because all is done by thee who lovest me and hast promised to keep me under thy tender care at present and to receive me to thy Blessed self at last thro' the Merits of my dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 5. For Trust for Deliverance out of Sickness or Afflictions LOrd I trust to thee who sendest all these Sorrows upon me to take them off again I trust to thee to take them off because thou takest no delight in the Pain of thy Servants yea because thou art of great Pity and art touched with a Sense of our sufferings because our Fathers trusted in thee and were holpen because I my self have always hitherto trusted in thee and thou hast still delivered me and because thou hast promised in the day of Trouble to deliver those that call upon thee that they may Glorifie thee And now O! my God let
of our state and of a frail and forgetfull Creature in the midst of a tempting World can bear Oh! then that I may consider thy Mercy to fortifye my minde against Fear And fix my Soul upon the tenderness and Clemency of my judge and Saviour which will embolden me to stand before him without Horror And upon the Condescentions of thy Gospel and the needfull Deductions and Forbearance which it promises to our weaknesses that in this Hour of my necessity I may be guarded against all the suspicions of my own melancholy or mistrusts of thy mercy and may be strenthend with a comfortable Hope in thee thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 3. BUt if after all my Fears shall by times return upon me and prove troublesom to me let it however Comfort me O! Lord to thinke that thou art wont to make better of Humble Souls than they are wont to make of themselves and wilt judge me not according to my Fears but according to thy mercyes A truely Contrite Heart O! God is Safe in thine Eyes even when it gives it self up for lost in its own And as my Fears will be noe Prejudice to my safety soe Grant Good Lord that they may be an Help to my Duty and may quicken and increase my Care and Endeavours to obey thee Make them the Guards of my innocence and a constant Spur to thy Service And then O! Holy Father tho they trouble and Discomfit me at Present Yet they will happily Conâ—ute themselves and recompence me in the end and my sincere Obedience shall make sure thy Gracious acceptance tho I my self dare not beleive it till I come to find and hear it from thee in the other World thro the merits of my only Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen IV. A Prayer against Presumption LEt not my Heart Deceive me O! Blessed Lord in judgeing of my self but keep me from Pride and vain Confidence in setting too little by thy Grace and thinking too well of mine own ways Oh! that I may never flatter my self into an Evil Security and an insensibleness of the Great need I have of thy Mercy For thou O! Lord resistest the Proud but givest Grace unto the Humble Thou rejectest the Proud Pharisee who justifyes himself and sees not his own nakedness and Poverty But the very best of us all Doe absolutely need repentance and have but too many Sins to humble us We must throw our Selves upon thy Mercy and can not stand in thy judgement shouldest thou be Rigorous in exacting what we have Done amiss nor appear before thee when thou art angry Thy justice is terrible to the Greatest Saints yea and before thee even the Angels themselves doe cover their Faces And as we can not come off clear in thy judgement but merely thro Mercy Soe neither Can we stand in Obedience to qualifye us for it but only thro Faith 'T is thy Help O! Lord that must support and keep us in thy ways And if it were not for thy Grace and our own Caution and holy jealousy over our Selves we are as lyable to fall as others Oh! then that I may not be high minded and place my Confidence in my self but learn to Fear and shew Care and humble Dependance upon thee and with Godly Reverence look for thy Promises of Grace and Mercy thro Jesus Christ my Lord and only Saviour Amen V. Prayers in the last Agonies Ejaculations DVst thou art and to Dust shalt thou return Gen. 3. 19. Lord Jesus have mercy upon me O thou Lamb of God that takest away the Sins of the World Be merciful to me a Sinner Luk. 18. 13. Tho I often offend thee yet Lord thou knowest I sincerely Love thee and hate my self for having displeased thee And can any who sincerely Loves thee Perish Eternally Lord receive me for I am hasting apace to thee I stretch forth my Hands unto thee my Soul thirsteth after thee as a thirsty Land Ps. 143. 6. Lord remember me when thou Comest in thy Kingdom Doe with this frail and wearied Body what thou pleasest Only receive my Spirit to thy Mercy in Death and raise up this Corruptible to incorruption after Death And forsake me not O! God now my strength faileth me Ps. 71. 9. Besides which the Dying Persons may use the Scriptures Collected for this Case p. 127. Prayers 1. LOrd Wash my Soul in thy Blood that it may be presented without Spot unto thee And let me Dye in thy Favour and rest in Peace and rise again in Glory Amen 2. STrenthen me O! my God in my Agonies As my strength fails let my pains wear off But when my Strenth fails let not my Faith fail Even in Death let me trust in thee And the nearer I am drawing to thee the more Doe thou manifest thy mercy unto me thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 3. DEliver me O! Lord from Fear of Death and from all violent Disorders of a troubled Fancy or painful Delusions of my Ghostly Enemy Oh! let not him be able now to disturb and terrifye me or any way to prevail against me but Guard thou thy Servant comeing unto thee Amen 4. HAve me in thy Custody O! holy Father for nothing can can take me out of thy Hands And Give thy Holy Angels Charge to stand about me to guard and receive my poor Soul at my Departure and to Conduct and Carry it to the Blessed Receptacles of Rest and Peace Amen 5. COme Lord Jesu Come quickly I Desire and Groan earnestly to be dissolved and to be with thee Into thy Hands I Commend my Spirit and lay Down my wearyed Flesh to Rest in Hope of a Blessed Resurrection to eternal Peace and joy at the last Day Amen 6. LOrd if it be thy Gracious will make my Pains short and my Death Easy at least not extremely tedious or Greivous to me But if thou hast otherwise ordered thy Blessed will be done Only Give me Patience to bear them and Spiritual Comforts under them and at thine own time make my Death my Passage to a Blessed and Eternal Life through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen Out of the Office for Burial ANd O! Lord most Holy O! God most mighty O! Holy and Mercifull Saviour thou most worthy Judge Eternal Suffer me not at my last Hour for any pains of Death to fall from thee Amen And these Prayers may be said for the Dying Person as occasion requires by his Friends who are about him only altering the Persons we for I him for me our for my c. as is requisite upon the change of Persons Likewise they may use for him the recommendatory Prayer for one at the Point of Departure in the Churches Office for Visitation of the Sick O! Almighty God with whom doe live the Spirits of just Men made perfect after they are Deliverd from their Earthly Prisons We humbly commend the Soul of this thy Servant our dear Brother into thy
should I fall to claim thy Free Favours as my due because thou hast long continued them to me and to thinke thou doest me wrong if at any time thou holdest back thine own and for wise and Good Ends stoppest some stream of thy Free Bounty towards me And let this uncertainty O! God of the dearest Worldly Comforts teach me to fix my Heart on joys which will never fade or perish To take more Comfort in thy self and to look for less in all Earthly things Oh! be thou my Desire and my Hearts Delight and let a Good Conscience be my Treasure and integrity my joy And these will stick to me till Death and follow me beyond it and Give me Rest in thy Presence and Pleasures for evermore thro my Dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 2. LEt not my Grief excede O! Lord or be obstinate against Thoughts or Words of Comfort because I cannot bring him back again and because it can not benefit him but will much hurt me And make me Consider which alass I ought thoroly to have Consider'd sooner that altho he was a very Dear and Great yet he was only a mortal Comfort whose Life would be sure to fail tho his Friendship should not I know my Tenure was only to hold him as thy Giâ—t and to part with him again at thy Pleasure And that as we have the Comfort of injoying Dear Friends or Relations here soe we must be content too to have the trouble and sorrow of parting with them And now Lord when thou hast taken him I know that he is more thine than he is mine and that thou hast the best Claim to him And when thou tookest him from me thou tookest him to thy self And I trust thy taking him is to his unspeakable joy tho it be to my sorrow and that with thee he is now infinitely better than he was or could be here Yea that thou hast taken him to that Place where by thy Mercy I also hope to come and whither in my Order thou wilt likewise take me in thy Due time Soe that thy Grace O! Dear God and a little Patience will bring us together again And Oh! that thou wouldest be pleased to put an End to all our Sins and Sorrows and to hasten thy Kingdom and to accomplish the Number of thine Elect. And mercifuilly to Graunt that all we and all others who either have Departed or shall Depart this Life in thy true Faith and Fear may have our Perfect Consummation and Bliss in thy Heavenly and Eternal Kingdom thro Jesus Christ our only Lord and Saviour Amen 3. LEt not my Grief for my Deceased Friend excede O! most Gracious God for I hope thou hast taken him for his own Good And that thou hast Comforted his Soul by his exchange and hast only smitten ours leaving us to mourn for our Sins and for our Loss whilst he by thy Mercy is hereby set out of the Reach of Sin and Misery For as he is now removed O! Father from all worldly satisfactions soe is he allsoe from all worldly Temptations And our Comfort is to Hope that he is now at Rest from Labour and has Ceased from Sin and Shame That He is now eased of Pains and is above Misfortunes and has found a Cure for all his Sorrows having Grief and Care for ever banishd from his Heart and all Tears wiped away from his Eyes And that he is gone from the Vale of Misery to the Regions of joy and from Conversing with us to live with thee and the Blessed Jesus and to be a Companion of Saints and Angels Let not self Love then O! Lord and the sense of my own Loss make me repine at that change which I take to be his Happiness Let not that which I hope doth highly please him displease me nor let me refuse Comfort because I trust he is taken for ever to be fill'd with it His Death I humbly hope is the joy of Saints and Angels and the Envy and Grief of Evil Spirits who see him taken up to a State where they can not tempt and to an Happiness which is for ever Denyed to themselves Oh! then that I may not joyn with his utter Enemyes and mine in their Envy but with those Blessed Spirits in their Charity and instead of greiving immoderately or being angry with thee that I may heartily Bless thy Name for turning Death thus into a Blessing and as I trust for accomplishing his Hopes thereby and makeing of him happy And let thy Providence O! Father be a Store-House of Supplyes to make up to me and to all his Friends and Dependants all those Supports and Blessings which we receive from thee by his means Especially let his change put us all upon prepareing Diligently and Carefully for our own Make it raise us up from the Death of Sin to a Life of Righteousness and take us off from all undue esire or Care of Earthly things to minde the one thing necessary which is the Great and most Comfortable Business of Life and which alone will stand us in stead and make us Happy after Death thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 4. A Prayer when any Persons Feed impatience and fix themselves in Greif by Surmizing that God is angry at them when he takes away their Friends O! Blessed Lord let not me make it a Pretence for my impatience that this Loss comes as thy Visitation for my Sins or greive obstinately as fancying that thou takest away my Friend here Departed out of Anger and displeasure against me For thou O! God hast many other Ends to look at besides what Concerns me in these matters And these Providences touch our Friends themselves Directly and Principally and reach us only by the by And when in meer Love and Kindness unto them thou wouldest call them to thy self that must unavoidably take them away from us But if in this change thou dost shew Displeasure against me for my Sins Lord teach me that it is my Part humbly to submit my self to thee and not to be angry or impatient under thy Correction of me but to accept my Loss with quietness as the punishment of mine iniquities And that whilst thou art removeing my Blessings because of my Great Ununworthyness and unthankfullness under them I have the more need to shew my self Thankful for any that are still continued to me and to give up my will in all things to thine to serve and please thee thro our Dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 5. A Prayer when these Losses come close one upon another ANd altho these affecting Losses come thick upon me O! Father yet I know all this is for a Greater Tryal of my Patience And I am sensible that I have enough and abundantly too much in me that needs to be punished thereby And that thou hast wise and kinde Reasons â—now thus to Heap upon me these Sorrows tho it were not to punish but only to
God The accidents and uneasiness of his Sickness will still alarm his fears and try his Faith and it must be his care to shew no anxious or distracted thoughts under them But as often as any accidents or prospects terrifie him let him remember that they are all in God's Hands and shall have such end only as he pleases That he who sends them will take care they go no further than 't is fit they should and will turn them to the best at last That he is Safer and better in God's keeping and ordering than he could be in his own and therefore may lay aside all painful and mistrustful cares for himself as knowing under all that happens how sure he is to be taken care of Devout Thoughts about trusting God in Sickness 1. About trusting him with ones self AND when he feels much Sorrow and many Difficulties and may fear and foresee worse let him often say Lord I meekly receive all my Sorrows and dangers because thou sendest them And they shall not terrifie me because thou governest them And I am sure thou considerest all that lyes upon me and wilt turn it unto good That thou considerest how much I can bear and wilt in tender mercy take off the rest That thou considerest what strength I have to bear and wilt graciously supply me with what is wanting That thou considerest how long I can bear and wilt give me ease at the fittest Season And since thou wilt ease me in thy due time and support me till thou easest me I will not grow weary O! my Dear Lord or faint in my mind but wait with patience till my ease comes Amen Tho' I walk through the Valley of the shadow of Death I will fear no evil for thou art with me and thy Rod and thy Staff they comfort me Ps. 23. 4. Yea though thou killest me yet will I trust in thee and have hope even in my Death to find everlasting Rest and Joy after Death Amen Because I live ye shall live also Joh. 14. 19. I know that my Redeemer liveth and that he shall stand at the later day upon the Earth And though after my Skin Worms destroy this Body yet in my flesh shall I see God Whom I shall see for myself and mine Eyes shall behold and not another Job 19. 25 26 27. 2. About trusting him with ones nearest Relations or Dear Children Friends or Dependants IF it troubles him to leave his Friends or Family perhaps meanly provided for or any good designs unfinished which his heart has been much set upon let him consider that God sees this as well as he and yet he thinks fit to call him away from them And this may make it plain to him that God himself who is more wisely careful for them than he can be has a mind to be trusted with them And therefore let him reckon to set them all safe by recommending them to him As our departing Lord †provided for his disconsolate and destitute Disciples by recommending them to his Heavenly Father and praying to him for them And let him remember also that this is truly to leave all to come to God if we can find in our Heart to go forth readily when all these call upon us to stay And let him often say I Trust thee O! God as with my self so with my nearest Relations my Wife and Family or Children and with my Friends and with all that depend on me I trust them with thee O! Lord for they are more thine than they are mine I trust them with thee in full assurance that there is no way to make them happy and safe like putting them into thy Hands I trust them to thee because thou art the Husband of the Widdow and the Father of the Fatherless and hast promised to take care of them I have always trusted them with thee whilst I was with them and have ever found thy tender love and care of them So that my own experience as well as thy sure promises may engage me to trust and commit them to thee now I may seem to be going from them And though I know not what they will do or how they will be cared for when I am gone yet I know thou doest and wilt order all things kindly both for me and them I leave them not destitute for thou art with them and thy care O! my Dear God is the best Guardian and thy Blessing is the Richest Portion And thou wilt have infinitely a more watchful care of them and canst do infinitely more for them than I can Lord take care of them for I commit them to thy care Yea even all my cares for them I cast on thee Oh! let them always have the special care and Providence which thou takest of the Widdows and Orphans Let them have the Blessing which by thine abundant mercy follows the Children of those that truly fear thee Lord be with them as thou hast been with me to their lives end And keep them always most thankful and Obedient unto thee And let them all have the Blessing of thy tender care at present and of thy Peace at the last Amen When my Father and Mother forsake me then the Lord taketh me up Ps. 27. 10. Leave thy Fatherless Children I will preserve them alive and let thy Widdows trust in me Jer. 49. 11. In God the Fatherless findeth mercy Hos. 14. 3. The Generation of the upright shall be Blessed Amen Psal. 112. 2. Secondly he must set himself to bear them with Resignation of himself to the Will of God And this will be easy after the former For there is no difficulty in giving up our selves to God if we dare trust him And we shall not only be contented but desirous to quit our own Wills for his if we are perswaded that his is better for us and that our true Interest and happiness is safelier lodged and may be infinitely better trusted with him than with our selves And if we have no will to be under what he orders 't is a plain sign that we do not apprehend our selves safe in his but think we should be better in our own Hands Let the Sick man therefore amidst all his pains and perils freely give up himself into Gods Hands and be glad and thankful that he can lodg himself there And let him often say Lord I know I am in thy Hands and that I cannot be in better nor do I desire to be in any other Especially not in my own nor to be the carver of my own condition Not my will O! God but thine be done Amen And do thou allot for me Life or Death Health or Sickness removeal or continuance of my Sorrows as thou seest would really be fittest for me and fâ—r thy Glory not as my mistaken fancy may think to be so Amen Thy Will be done O! my God for it is always a most Blessed and Beneficial Will to those that fear thee It sends Mercies
at the fittest time and sends troubles when they have most need of them and takes them off again when t is fittest to remove them If it causes present Sorrow and Smart it is to do them good and if they do not see how it should turn to their good yet thou doest and wilt make them see it too in the end Our Wills O! Father are too often guided by Folly but thine is always and altogether wise and has ever been most gracious and full of mercy towards me Thou knowest best O! Lord when it was fit for me to come into this World and when it is fit for me to leave it and what part is fittest for me to bear whilst I stay therein O! do thou appoint me how or in what condition I shall live and how long but withall help me to do thy work whilst I live Chuse thou my condition and let my Lot be what may please thee but then give me Grace faithfully and wisely to discharge the duties of that condition and let my carriage under it be such as may please thee too Amen Lord I am not only contented but glad to be at thy choice I pray thee that I may always be what thou pleasest and that I my self may always be pleased with it I desire also O! Father what seems good and pleasing unto me Yea when my pains and Distresses are extream I desire it earnestly But when I desire it I do not prescribe unto thee but beg that thou wouldst order therein not what my weakness wishes unless thy wisdom also sees it fitting And I know O! Lord that thou art ready to grant my desires if they be really for my good and thy Glory and agree with the wise ends of thy Providence and I press them no longer if thou seest they are otherwise Amen It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good 1 Sam. 3. 18. If it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt And if it may not pass from me except I drink it thy will be done Mat. 26. 39 42. Even in inflicting evil upon me thou art kind still and art doing me good against my will Amen Thirdly he must set himself to bear his sick bed Sorrows with Thankfulness We must not think it strange or that things are strained too high when we are called upon to be thankful under Sickness or other Afflictions For the difference between thankful and unthankful or complaining Natures lyes more in their Spirits than in their outward circumstances A thanful Spirit will find enough to give God thanks for on a Sick-bed or in any affliction And an unthankful Spirit will never want matter enough to complain of in a better condition And if any afflicted or Sick persons are unthankful it is not because they want Mercy 's good store which deserve their thanks but because they overlook them This Virtue of thankfulness to God as it is one of the most necessary Duty 's so is it one of the liveliest Beauties and brightest ornaments of a Sick-bed For it speaks true Humility when we shew as we do thereby that the least Mercy 's deserve our thanks and that the worst States which God puts us into are too good for us And it expresses intire good will and Love to God when we can love and praise him even whilst he corrects and smites us and take notice of all his Kindnesses in the midst of our afflictions and place an Implicit belief and confidence in his Love that by all these Sorrows he is doing us good and deserves our thanks tho' in our weak reason we are not able to see the good which is to accrue to us thereby And to preserve in himself this excellent virtue of thankfulness to God let the Sick person set himself thro all the course and contingencies of his Sickness Diligently to mark and seek out what may deserve his thanks and not as is too often done what may minister to complaints Let him pick out of every thing and out of every accident that befalls him what he may speak well of God for and let those be the things which he reflects on within himself and discourses of to others And under any pain or weakness let him often say Lord under all my Sorrows I have nothing to accuse but much to give thee thanks for I suffer less yea infinitely less than I deserve Blessed be thy mercy for spareing me Amen My Sufferings O! Lord are not only Justly deserved but they are needful also to do me good and such as thou wilt turn to good Blessed by thy name for seeking and compassing my benefit thereby Amen And when my Ailments come they want many aggravations which would make them a great deal worse to be born And are attended with many seasonable helps and comforts to ease and strengthen my Spirit under them My evils are tolerable evils Blessed be thy Pity and Tenderness for considering not what I should Suffer but what I can bear to suffer Amen Sometimes O! Lord by thy Grace I have ease and relish worldly comforts Sometimes I take sweet sleep and rest from my Pains and Labours and awake with great refreshment And under all my pains and weakness by thy mercy I have some to Help me and more to Pity and Pray for me I find support and thou still seasonably refreshest my Spirit from within or from without Blessed be thy name for these Helps and Comforts under my Distress Amen Thou often Moderatest and mitigatest my pains and then tho' they are a long trouble they are a tolerable one Or if one Symptom rages that is sometimes made a step to the ease or to the Prevention of a worse Or if it is smart it is not lasting but in waiting a little longer for thee I still have ease in thy due Time Blessed be thy Goodness O Father which is pleased thus to make my Bed in my Sickness Amen And however if I have less ease and more sorrows now at present yet O! my God I have the Blessed Hopes of Rest and Joy to come And I can never Bless thee enough for the Comforts of Hope that after a Patient and Short endurance of my Portion of Evil things here I shall be taken to the everlasting Happiness of thy Heavenly Kingdom Amen Moreover O! Lord I receive my Bodily Sorrows as Medicines to my Soul to cure my Spirit and call me back to thee when I have gone astray I Bless thee for all the lowly thoughts they give me of my self and for all the discovery which I make of my own Errors thereby Amen And for all the Prostration both of mind and body which they put me upon showing towards thee and for all the dependance which I learn thence to place on thy mercy Amen And for their taking off my Fondness from all earthly delights and making me Cease to be in love with Vanity Amen And for their
them not refrain going to Church for such a certain space of Time or number of Weeks after a Dear Wife or Husbands Death as the manner of some is which I think is a very ill chosen expression of Grief or Ceremony of Mourning For this looks as if we were out of Humour with God because he has taken our Friend from us and is very unsuitable to that Patience and Thankfulness which we ought to express and to that Devotion which we not only ought but need to use on such occasions For these Changes should not make us less Religious but more and call us to God and his House and Service instead of Driving us from them The House of God is the House of comfort and in our affliction we have the more need to run to it to be eased of our Sorrows as well as to show our intire Submission and Service to that most Wise and good Hand which has now Disposed of our Friend and in his Due time will Dispose of us too to his own mercy And as for the Mourning of the Surviver when God has this way parted dear Pairs the Memory of the Deceased should not easily wear off but stick fast and long with the Living as is very fit both in Respect to the Dead and in Decency and due Regard to the censure of the Wise and Sober part of the World And unless the Circumstances or needs of Families are very extraordinary and Pressing for them to change their condition sooner they should at least wait the Time which Custom and good Report have fixed in mourning for the Dead before they forget their Sorrows or hearken to any motions of exchanging them for new Joys Lastly the Executors and nearest Relations may still further shew their kindness and careful Respect and Deserve well of their Deceased Friends by being very studious to keep Peace among themselves and if any Clauses of the will are not clearly worded or any matters about the Estate are left lyable to Dispute by Composing them amicably among themselves without fuits that the contentions of the Living may not spoil or disparage the Kindness nor ever be laid by God or men to the Neglect or carelessness of the Dead By fulfilling their Wills punctually and giving to every one at their Time with Good-will and without unnecessary trouble or Delays what is really intended for them and Due to them thereby Yea by having Regard to what was fit for them to Order tho' they forgot to Order it Or what they needed to Order but could not as Payment of Debts which they left not Estate enough to pay The Law indeed will not compel them to pay beyond Assets or what the Deceased has left them to pay out of But Natural Affection and the Virtue of Gratitude in near and dear Kindred especially in Children towards their Parents may call for more than any humane Law doth For Children have received abundance from their Parents and if ever they see them brought to want they ought to look upon themselves as much in their Debt and greatly obliged in Gratitude to requite them if they are able which St. Paul calls shewing Piety at home Especially to shew this Piety in doing such things for them as they would most Desire to be done for themselves And if these Deceased Relations had Liberty to speak their own mindes to us I belive we should hear that nothing lyes nearer to their Hearts or would be more for their Ease or Comfort than doing Justice for them where they owe it or paying their just Debts is And therefore to take these up according to our Ability and Circumstances and reasonably to content and satisfie their Creditors is a Great and Noble part of Religious Piety towards them and a most Rewardable instance of Gratitude and Natâ—ral kindness Which is of the more account as being shown towards those who tho' heretofore they have done much more for us yet now can doe nothing either for us or for themselves and as being thereby an Office full of Humanity and Generosity as well as of Gratitude and Piety Thus much I thought fit to premise for a Brief Direction to Sick or Dying Persons how to manage and employ themselves when call'd by God to these Conditions and also to the surviving Relations how to discharge their Parts well upon the Death of Friends But for a more full Assistance and Direction of their Practice or Devotions I have laid together some choice Scriptures and Composed particular Prayers fit to Guide their Practice and express their Devotion on the several Duties and Exigencies of the State of Sick or Dying men or of the surviving Kindred when their Friends are taking from them And these are contained in the Pages following Prayers and Devotions FOR The State of Sickness Scriptures for the Duties and Needs of Sick Persons Psal. 39. and 130. Job 7. Matt 25. to v. 14. 2 Cor. 5. to v. 12. Psal. 77. and Psal. 6. Isa. 38. Heb. 12. I. Sickness and Afflictions are sent and ordered by Almighty God and come on Errands of Mercy AFfliction cometh not forth of the dust neither doth trouble spring out of the ground For God maketh sorâ— and bindeth up he woundeth and his hands make whole Job 5. 6. 18. I kill and I make alive I wound and I heal neither is there any that can deliver out of my hand Deut 32. 39. As many as I love I rebuke and chasten Rev. 3. 19. Even as the Father doth the Son in whom he delighteth Prov. 3. 12. For what Son is he whom the Father Chastneth not So that if ye endure chastning God dealeth with you as with Sons But if ye be without chastizement whereof all are partakers then are ye Bastards and not Sons Hebr. 12. 7 8. You only have I known of all the Families of the Earth therefore I will punish you for all your Iniquities Amos 3. 2. Behold then happy is the Man whom God correcteth Job 5. 17. For when we are judged we are chastned of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the World 1 Cor. 11. 32. And 't is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Statutes Psal. 119. 71. Our Earthly Fathers indeed chastned us after their own pleasure but he for our profit that we might be partakers of his Holiness Heb. 12. 10. So that I know O! Lord thy Iudgments are Right and that thou in faithfulness hast afflicted me Psal. 119. 75. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be World without end Amen And this Glory be to the Father c. may be added at the end of all the following Collections of Scripture when they are used Devotionally II. How they are to be received I. With Repentance of their Sins BY sin came death and death hath passed upon all men because all have sinned Rom.
be converted and your Sins shall be Blotted out Acts 3. 19. For if we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness 1 Joh. 1. 9. And whosoe confesseth and forsaketh his Sins shall find mercy Prov 28. 13. And if ye forgive Men their Trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you your Trespasses Matt. 6. 14. And break off thine iniquities by giving to the Poor Dan. 4. 27. For by mercy and truth iniquity is purged Prov. 16. 6. And Mercy rejoyceth against Judgment James 2. 13. And having these Promises let us cleanse our selves from all filthiness of flesh and spirit perfecting holiness in the fear of God 2 Cor. 7. 1. Above all taking the shield of faith whereby ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked Eph. 6. 16. Putting on the breast-plate of Faith and Love and for an helmet the Hope of Salvation 1 Thess. 5. 8. And trust in the Lord and he shall save thee And know that the Lord thy God he is God the faithful God which keepeth Covenant and Mercy with them that love him and keep his Commandments to a thousand Generations Deut. 7. 9. His promises are all yea and Amen 2 Cor. 1. 20. His word is tryed and he is a Buckler to all them that trust in him 2 Sam. 22. 31. Glory be to the Father c. IV. With Thankfulness SHall we receive good at the Hand of God and shall we not receive evil Job 2. 10. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away blessed be the Name of the Lord. Job 1. 21. It is the Lord's mercy that we are not suddenly consumed Lam. 3. 22. Yea and it is good for me that I have been afflicted that I might learn thy Law Ps. 119. 71. And thou out of very faithfulness hath caused me to be troubled Ps. 119. 75. For because the wicked have no changes therefore they fear not God Ps. 55. 19. Blessed therefore is the man whom thou chastenest O! Lord and teachest him out of thy Law That thou mayest give him rest in the Days of Adversity Ps. 94. 12 13. Glory be to the Father c. V. With Patience 1. Patience towards God in Submission and Resignation of our Selves to his Holy Will WOE be to the man that hath lost Patience for what will he do when the Lord shall visit him Ecclus. 2. 15. Humble your selves under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in due time 1 Pet. 5. 6. For our Fathers after the flesh corrected us and we gave them Reverence and shall we not much rather be in subjection to the Father of Spirits Heb. 12. 9. Thy Will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Mat. 6. 10. Father if it be possible let this Cup pass from me nevertheless not as I will but as thou wilt Mat. 26. 39. Shall we receive good at the hand of God and shall we not receive evil Job 2. 10. It is the Lord let him do what seemeth him good 1 Sam. 3. 18. And if he thus say I have no delight in thee Behold Here am I let him do to me as seemeth good to him 2 Sam. 15. 26. And in maintaining this Patience and Resignedness opposite 1. To Striving and Reluctance and Rising up against God Why dost thou strive against him for he giveth no account of his matters Job 33. 13. Woe unto him that striveth with his Maker Let the Potsherd strive with the Potsherds of the Earth Shall the clay say unto him that fashioneth it what makest thou Is. 45. 9. Submit your selves therefore to God And humble your selves in his sight and he shall lift you up Jam. 4. 7. 10. For if their uncircumcised hearts be humbled and they accept of the punishment of their iniquity Then will I remember my Covenant Lev. 26. 41 42. 2. To Unquietness and Tumultuousness and Disturbedness of Spirit Why art thou disquieted within me O! my Soul Ps. 42. 11. It is good that a man should quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord. Lam. 3. 26. In your Patience therefore possess ye your Souls Luk. 21. 19. And whatsoever is brought upon thee take chearfully and be patient when thou art changed to a low Estate For Gold is tryed in the fire and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity Ecclus. 2. 4 5. 3. To Weariness and Faintness and Dejection Thou hast born and had patience and hast laboured and not fainted Rev. 2. 3. And my Son despise not the chastening of the Lord neither be weary of his correction Prov. 3. 11. If thou faint in the day of adversity thy strength is small Prov. 24. 10. And consider Iesus who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds Heb. 12. 3. For in due season we shall reap if we faint not Gal. 6. 9. Ye that fear the Lord therefore believe him and your reward shall not fail Believe in him and he will help thee But woe be to fearful hearts and faint hands and the sinner that goeth two ways Woe unto him that is faint-hearted for he believeth not therefore shall he not be defended Ecclus. 2. 6 7 12 13. Why art thou cast down then O! my Soul Hope thou in God for I shall yet praise him who is the health of my countenance and my God Ps. 42. 11. When I am weak then am I strong 2 Cor. 12. 1â— And tho the outward man perish yet the inner man is renewed day by day Whilst we look not at the things which are seen but at the things which are not seen For the things which are seen are Temporal but the things which are not seen are Eternal 2 Cor. 4. 16. 18. Let thy mercy O! Lord be upon me according as I hope in thee Psal. 33. 22. 4. Opposite to Hastiness as it notes Perseverance in waiting We give thanks remembring your Patience of hope 1 Thess. 1 2 3. And I wait for the Lord my Soul doth wait and in his word do I hope Ps. 130. 5. On thee do I wait all the day Mine eyes are ever towards the Lord Ps. 25. 5. 15. I will hope continually and will yet praise thee more and more Ps. 71. 14. Ye have need of Patience and the just shall live by faith Heb. 10. 36. 38. Set your heart aright and constantly endure and make not haste in time of trouble Ecclus. 2. 2. And he that believeth will not make haste Isa. 28. 16. O! therefore tarry thou the Lord's leisure be strong and he shall comfort thine heart and put thou thy trust in the Lord Ps. 26. 14. For he will not always chide neither will he keep his anger for ever He knows our frame and remembreth that we are but dust And like as a Father pityeth his own Children so the Lord pityeth them that fear him Ps. 103. 9 13 14. He hath not forsaken them that seek him Ps.
now Lord what wait Iâ—for truely my Hope is even in thee Ps. 39. 7. My Flesh and my Heart faileth but thou art the Strength of my Heart and my Portion for ever Ps. 73. 26. I Stretch out my hands unto thee my Soul Thirsteth after thee as a Thirsty Land Ps. 43. 6. All my Desire is before thee and my Groaning is not hid from thee Ps. 38. 9. Hide not then thy Face from me and forget not my misery and Trouble Ps. 44. 24. Cast me not off nor forsake me when my Strength faileth Ps. 71. 9. And rebuke me not O! Lord in thine Anger neither chasten me in thy heavy Displeasure Ps. 6. 1. But remove thy Stroke away from me for I am consumed by the blow of thine hand Ps. 39. 10. Wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro and wilt thou pursue the dry Stubble Job 13. 25. Oh! Spare me a little that I may recover my Strength before I go hence and be no more Ps. 39. 13. Be not wroth verâ—y sore O! Lord neither remember iniquity for ever Is. 64. 9. But turn from me that I may rest till I accomplish as an hireling my day Job 14. 6. and Ch. 10. 20. 21. Hear my Prayer O! Lord and give ear unto my cry hold not thy Peace at my Tears Ps. 39. 12. Be merciful unto me O! Lord for I cry unto thee Daily And thou art good and plenteous in mercy to all them that call upon thee Rejoyce the Soul of thy Servant for unto thee O! Lord do I lift up my Soul Ps. 86. 3 4 5. And hear me speedily O! Lord for my Spirit faileth Ps. 143. 7. And mine Eyes fail for thy word saying when wilt thou comfort me Ps. 119. 82. And make me hear of joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Ps. 51. 8. Glory be to the Father c. II. For Deliverance and Recovery from the same I. IN thee O! Lord do I put my Trust let me never be ashamed deliver me in thy Righteousness Ps. 31. 1. Vnto thee have I cryed O! Lord and in the morning shall my Prayer prevent thee Ps. 88. 13. Hear my Prayer O! Lord and hide not thy Self from my Petition Take heed unto me and hear me how I mourn in my Prayer and am vexed Ps. 55. 1 2. Lord how long wilt thou be angry with thy Servant that prayeth Ps. 8. 4. Save me for thy Names sake and deliver me in thy Strength Ps. 54. 1. Make thy Face to shine upon thy Servant and save me for thy Mercies sake Ps. 31. 16. O! Let it be thy Pleasure to deliver me make hast O! Lord to help me Ps. 40. 13. And send out thy Light and thy Truth and let them lead me and bring me unto thy Holy Hill and to thy Tabernacles Ps. 43. 3. II. What profit is there in my Blood if I go down unto the Pit shall the dust praise thee Shall it declare thy Truth Ps. 30. 9. Shall thy loving kindness be declared in the Grave or thy Faithfulness in Destruction Shall thy wonders be known in the Dark and thy Righteousness in the Land of Forgetfulness Ps. 88. 11 12. The Living the Living he shall Praise thee the Father to the Children shall make known thy Truth Isa. 38. 19. Thou hast been my Succor leave me not neither forsake me O! God of my Salvation Ps. 27. 9. Thou art he that tookest me out of my Mothers Womb thou wast my hope when I hanged yet upon my Mothers Breasts I have been left unto thee ever since I was born thou art my God even from my Mothers Womb. Our Fathers also hoped in thee they trusted in thee and thou didst deliver them They called upon thee and were holpen they put their trust in thee and were not confounded Ps. 22. 4 5 9 10. And the Poor shall not always be forgotten and the Patient abiding of the meek shall not perish for ever Ps. 9. 18. O! Then deliver me and let me not be confounded for I have put my Trust in thee Ps. 25. 19. And men shall know that this is thy hand and that thou Lord hast done it Ps. 109. 26. Glory be to the Father c. On Receipt of Ease or any Abatement of Pain or Sickness BEhold God is my Salvation I will trust and not be affraid for the Lord Jehovah is my Strength and my Song he also is become my Salvation Thou wast angry with me O! Lord thine Anger is turned away and thou Comfortedst me Isa. 12. 1 2. He hath chastned me sore but he hath not given me over unto Death Ps. 118. 18. He knows our Frame he remembreth that we are Dust. And like as a Father Pityeth his Children so the Lord Pitieth those that fear him Ps. 103. 13 14. Glory be to the Father c. IV. Vnder the Accidents of Sickness I. Want of Sleep ALL the night make I my Bed to swim I water my Couch with my Tears Ps. 6. 6. For thou holdest mine Eyes waking I am so feeble that I cannot speak My sore ran in the night and ceased not My Soul refused to be comforted I call to Remembrance my Song in the night I commune with mine own Heart and my Spirit maketh diligent search Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his Promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be Gracious hath he in Anger shut up his tender Mercies And I said this is my infirmity but I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old Ps. 77. 2 4 6 7 8 9 10 11. Lord I remember thee upon my bed and meditate on thee in the night watches Ps. 63. 6. I have remembred thy name O! Lord in the night and have kept thy Law Ps. 119. 55. Glory be to the Father c. 2. On Excess of pain and weariness Lord thou hast set me as a mark against thee so that I am a Burden to my self In the day time I cry and cease not and wearisome nights are appointed to me When I lye down I say when shall I arise and the night be gone and I am full of Tossings to and fro unto the dawning of the day Job 7. 3 4 20. Thou wilt not suffer me to take my Breath but fillest me with bitterness Job 9. 18. O! turn thee unto me and have mercy upon me give thy strength unto thy Servant and save the Son of thine Handmaid Ps. 86. 16. Are not my days few cease then Lord and let me alone that I may take comfort a little Job 10 20. O! spare me a little that I may recover my strength Ps. 39. 13. And lay not more upon me than I am able to bear 1 Cor. 10. 13. My Grace sayest thou is sufficient for thee and my strength shall be made perfect in weakness 2 Cor. 12. 9. And in the multitude of my Thoughts
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
but I am willing to bear them because they are of thy sending Since thou thinkest them fit for me O! my God I will think them so too and will find no fault therewith nor think another State were better for me I humbly yield to thy Wisdom and prefer thy Will before mine own I am content to bear what thou pleasest and to be eased of my Burden when thou pleaseâ—t And desire not only silently to suffer thy Will but in my Will and Heart to be truely reconciled and consenting to it and to see thy Love and my own Benefit in my Chastisement which is sent for my Good and will work good for me in the end thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 2. AND therefore in all that doth or shall befall me in this Sickness thy Will O! Blessed Lord be done Thy Will be done because it is thine and because thou art my Father and nothing can come to me from thee but what is very agreeable with a Fathers Tenderness and Affection Thy will be done because thou knowest best what to chuâ—e for me and because I am well assured that to refer all my matters to thy Choice is the best care I can take for my self For in thy Choice thou hast not less kindness but only more knowledge Care and Providence than I can have in chusing for my self For as for me O! my God I know that I am ignorant and whilst I live in this world shall be ignorant what things thereof or what States and Conditions therein are most desireable for my Self or for my Friends I am foolish in my wishes too oft opposing that which is most safe for me and which is fit or it may be needful to do me good and as often coveting that which is full of Danger and like to do me hurt And therefore I renounce my own Will which is blind and foolish and which if I could have it would too often be to my sorrow and prejudice And instead of that I refer my self wholly to be guided and disposed of by thine which never errs and is always for my real welfare and advantage And my desire is not that my foolish wishes but that thy unerring Wisdom may at all times prescribe me and mine our Portion I trust to thine All-seeing eye to direct what is best and to thy Fatherly love and care to allot it for us And where I do not see how any Orderings of thine should work for mine or for my Families or Friends good yet Lord I will believe that thou doest and that all is both wisely and kindly appointed for us because it is thy doing who bringest light out of darkness and Comforts out of Crosses and makest all things work together for good to those that love thee thro' Jesus Christ our Lord Amen 3. SEnd then O! Father what thou pleasest upon me for thou wilt send nothing but what is most fit for me I heartily submit my self to thy Pleasure for it is always a good Pleasure I wait thy Time for it is always the best time I know not what things to desire in this case for my self nor when to desire them But my safety is that I am in thy hands and that there I desire to be and to have thy Love and Wisdom chuse for me And that I am willing to receive my Mercies and Comforts from thee not when I fancy but when thou seest they will most serve and glorifie thee and benefit me thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 4. UNder my weakness O! merciful God I pour out my Complaints before thee and when I am most pressed by my Pains and Sorrows I am most earnest and importunate in my desires of ease And thou who knowest our Frame and pitiest our infirmities allowest me to be so But amidst all these Cravings and Importunities to have my own Will O! Gracious Father I desire above all things still to be intirely resigned to thine For when my Heart desires ease or deliverance it is with Submission When I ask the same according to to my desire I leave thee O! my dear God to Order for me and to Answer me according to thy most wise and good Pleasure Yea where my Pains and Sorrows are most pressing and I am most earnest and importunate in asking and desiring yet even there would I by no means prescribe to thy Wisdom nor seem to doubt of thy Love For I trust assuredly O! Father to thy indulgent Care and sure Promises of tempering my troubles to my weakness and of giving me all needful Supports under them and of turning all to my Comfort and Advantage in thy due time And I leave thee still to do me good by such ways not as I fancy but as thou seest best for me and most fit to make me sure of thine everlasting Mercy thro' Jesus Christ my Blessed Lord and Saviour Amen Our Father c. VI. Prayers for Thankfulness under Sickness I. O! Almighty and most merciful God tho' I am compassed about with Weaknesses and Sorrows yet I have no cause at all to complain of thee but have still enough to thank thee for and to speak well of thy Name And by thy Grace I will not overlook the endearing Mercies which I have out of Discontentedness for others which I have not nor quarrel with those which are still left me because others are taken away For the least of those I have O! Lord is abundantly better than I deserve And instead of being ungratefully angry for those which I have now lost I most humbly and heartily thank thee that I was allowed to have them and injoy them at all and that I lost them no sooner Yea and even as for my Sorrows themselves O! my dear God I do not only own thy Justice but reverence thy Wisdom and acknowledge thy Goodness to me therein I receive my Chastisements as thy Favours and as Tokens of thy love and means of my own Happiness which come to do me good against my Will and to lead me thro' the Valley of tears to the happy Regions of everlasting Rest and Bliss And tho' affliction it self is not joyous yet the Sense of thy Love and of my Benefit are joyous and to be received not with Complaints but with Thanksgivings Lord my Spirit is willing but my Flesh is weak But let thy Grace be the support of my weakness and the Finisher of my willingness And let the sense of thy Love and the hopes of thy Promises drown the sense of my Sorrows and fill my heart and tongue with Thanks and Praise to thee thro' Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 2. I Bless thee O! Father for all the manifold and great Mercies vouchsafed to me under my Sickness For my affliction is infinitely less than I have deserved And thou dost not send it upon me till I need it Aud when thou sendest it it is all to do me good And in doing me good this way O! Lord thou
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
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.
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
improve my Spirit And oh that this succession of my Losses may serve to perfect me in Patience and to wean me more thoroly from all earthly Supports Oh! that it may temper my worldly Complacencyes and guard me against all excess therein And call me to take Delight and seek Comfort in thee instead of seeking it in them and to look more at the joys of thy Kingdom where our Comforts shall succede one another infinitely faster than our Sorrows do here and where we shall for ever injoy thee thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen For supplying the want they have of their departed Friend by other ways of Gods good Providence they may use the two Prayers for the Widow and Orphans c. p. 158 156 and 157. 6. A Prayer for Learning by these Losses to sit more loose to the World and to fix our Hearts more on the Love of God THou hast sent me this Thorn in the flesh O! Blessed Lord to cure my inordinate Fondness for fleshly Delights and to keep me from being too much exalted with them For I pleased my self too much with worldly Comforts and to take my Heart off from them thou hast now embitter'd them to me with these Sorrows And Oh! doe thou teach me thereby to Delight more in thy self and less in Earthly things Enable me to make a Good Conscience and a comfortable sense of thy Love and Hope of thy Promises and of Heavenly joys my most beloved pleasures And Lord let me never call my self unhappy whilst I can injoy thee But make me account the Loss of all things else to be made up to me in thy Love and never repine or complain of other wants whilst thou art left me and I can comfortably look up to thee as my Bosom Friend and my tender Father as my Life and my Health my Rest and my joy thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen â— A Prayer when a Friend is taken away in his Prime THou art pleased to Cut off my Dear Friend O! most Righteous Lord in the midst of his Days before he had passed thro the several stages of Life and accomplished the Number of his Years But I will remember O! my God that it is not the Lenth of Life but the Goodness of it which thou lookest at And that he has lived long enough who has lived to be fit for thee and to Dispose his Soul for thy Mercy The blessed Mansions above are infinitely the best place to prolong and injoy Life in And therefore if thou O! Father art graciously pleased as I hope thou art for the Merits of our Dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ to accept of the innocence and obedience of his Life neither he nor we have any cause to complain of the shortness of it And if we who are left behind him may have the Grace first to live holily we will thankfully think and own to thee that we have lived long enough whensoever thou seest it Time we should Dye And as my Dear Friend is taken away in the Prime of his Strength soe I must Consider O! Lord that he is taken away withall in the Hight of his Toyls and out of the greatest Hurry of his Busyness and Temptations Thou hast thereby kept him from trying how strong he could be to bear Sorrows and Vexations and from lamenting to finde his Strength too often turn'd into weakness And oh that we who survive him may at lenth attain by thy Grace to have all our temptations end in a perpetual security and undisturbedness to have all our Sorrows turned into joys and our Days of Labor happily exchanged for Days of Rest and Peace for the Merits and Mediation of our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 3. Prayers when a Friend is taken away by a violent untimely Death I. A Prayer whilst the Person yet liveth to be said either by himself or by his Friends for him O! Allmighty Lord thou art pleased by a violent and hasty Stroke to hurry me thy unworthy Servant out of this World For thou didst Deliver me into the Hands of him that Smote me and how unjustly soever my Death comes from him yet it is most just from thee I fully justify thee and freely forgive him and oh that he may truely repent thereof in Time that thou mayest freely forgive him too But as I am like to be snatched away thereby from hence in hast O! my Dear God Give me Great strength of Grace to do much towards finishing my Peace with thee in a little Time If thou art pleased to shew it thy Grace can perfect my Repentance in few hours yea in a few minutes as well as in many It wrought it in the Thief upon the Cross in his last Agonies And some who had tarryed till the last hour of the Day are made acceptable thereby in thy Service Oh! let it be mighty towards me in this my necessity as it was towards them in theirs and take me not hence till it has made me a Penitent fit for thee to accept of Oh! Remember not my great and manifold Sins in Wrath but only to send Grace sufficient to Cure them and to shew Mercy on me for the same And as I am hereby Chastned for their Cause Lord let it be that I may not be Condemned with the World Let all my Punishment or Portion of Pains be here but Give me Peace and Favour with thee hereafter And Spare me a little Good Lord Spare me if it may seem Good to thee that I may recover some Strength and Dress my Lamp and supply the Great Defectiveness of my Duty towards thee before I 〈◊〉 But if thou hast otherwise Decreed and I must Dye suddenly then magnifye thy mercy O! my God inâ—escueing me from the near approacâ— of Eternal misery and let thy Displeasure end in my Death but after that receive me among the meanest of thy Servants to Everlasting Life thro the merits of my Blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ Amen 2. A Prayer of his Friends after his Death O! Blessed Father it has seem'd Good to thy wise Providence to tear this Dear Friend from us by violence and to send him untimely to his Grave I own thy Justice herein and Dâ—sire to shew Reverence instead of murmuring because it is thy Doing And my Hope is O! Lord that thou doest and wilt remember the Pious Study and bent of his former Life in mercy and graciously accept him as one Dying in thy Fear And whilst I have this Hope to Comfort me I will not Complain of any violence or Accidents which hurryed him away from us to injoy thee When it has been the business of a mans Life and his dayly Study and Care O! God to serve thee tho Death comes on the sudden yet it will not come too soon for him And I will consider allsoe that if thou surprizest him with the suddenness of his Death thou sufferest him not to be
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
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
Chief Antidotes whereon we relye are our Prayers to thee and our Faith in thy Mercy Holy Father I seek to thee let thy Care surround me I make thee my habitation let me find it a safe one I Trust thee with my self and with my Friends to Order what is most Desireable for us and best agrees with the wise Ends of thy Good Providence And tho I doe not absolutely promise my self to be exempt from a Common Calamity yet Lord being in thy Hands where I desire to be I know that I shall be exempt if 't is fit I should be soe and if not that thou wilt turn even my falling sick of it to my Good Soe that under thy Wings O! my God my Hope is allways to have a kind and most thankworthy Ordering and to receive from thee either a Continuance of Health or a beneficial and thankworthy Sickness either the Blessing of a longer Life or the Greater Blessing of an Happy Death thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen Our Father c. VI. A Prayer to be said by Friends for Natural Fools or Madmen SHall not I spare them who can not discern between their Right Hand and their Left Jon. 4. 11. I was found of them that sought me not Is. 65. 1. I was Eyes to the blind and Feet to the lame Job 29. 15. Bear ye one anothers Burdens and soe fullfill the Law of Christ. Gal. 6. 2. O! Allmighty and most mercyfull Father Pity this thy Poor Creature who knows not his own wants nor how to ask for thy Mercyes But as he is not capable of Doing things to please thee so let nothing which he doth offend thee He is still as an infant O! God not arrived to the use of Reason Oh! Deal with him as thou doest with them and as such admit him into the Kingdom of Heaven He has been received for thy Child in Baptism and has done nothing since to forfeit the Claims of Mercy and Bliss made over to him therein and belonging to that Relation Oh! let them be fullfill'd and made good to him in their time And as his want of understanding unfits him to doe any thing for thee soe doth it likewise to Doe any thing for himself And therefore he needs to have the more done for him by thee and by the Good instruments of thy Providence And let thy Care O! Lord supply the want of his Give thy Holy Angells charge to look to him as they Doe to Helpless Children Give thy Saints and those who are any ways Concerned with him the Heart to be Understanding and Eyes and Feet and Hands to him as to one who is as if he had nothing of these of his own but wants to have them all supplyed out of thy Provision And do thou in thy Wisdom prevent those Evils which he can not foresee and put those by which he wants understanding to Remove Especially O! Lord keep him from Doing any thing that is mischeivous either to others or to himself Oh! thou who art found of them who seek thee not shew mercy to this thy Servant who extremely needs thee tho he can not seek to thee Thou knowest his wants O! Lord tho he is insensible and ignorant of them And tho he can not speak for himself yet his wants speak and Crye aloud for him Oh! Hear their Crye which calls to thee for Pity And hear us for him who is not able to ask for himself And graunt him thy special Care at present and thy Peace at the last thro the merits and mediation of thy Dear Son our only Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen Our Father c. VII A Prayer for those who attend about the Sick O! Blessed Lord who callest us to minister and attend about this thy pained and afflicted Servant make us truly compassionate and tenderly Sensible of his Sorrows and studious how to ease them Keep us Gentle and Officious towards him and willing and Diligent to minister to him and above all things to make and continue thee his Friend Oh! that it may be our Care Friendly to admonish him of his Duty and to call upon him to look up unto thee To strenthen his Soul and asswage his Sorrows by Comfortable words to read to him and Pray for him and study in all things to make his sick bed as Profitable to his Precious Soul and as easy and tolerable to his pained and wearyed Body as we can And let us not shew unwillingness O! God in any Services nor be provoked by his impatience or ill reception of our well meant Offices But let us Pity the Disorders of his Spirit under his Anguish and bear the same with that Gentleness and Continued Care to minister Comfort or Relief which his Sorrows call for and which we all Desire may be shew'd towards us when we come as we must expect to come to be tryed with the like weaknesses and Troubles our selves And Grant O! Father that the Sight of his sickness may be a warning to us to prepare for our own Make our Hearts wiser and better by Conversing in the House of Mourning and let it teach us the end of all men and the vanity of all earthly things and put us upon Zele and Diligence in all the ways of qualifying and Dressing of our Souls for a more blessed and everlasting Life thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Our Father c. XIII A Thanksgiving for Recovery from Sickness I. BLessed be thy Name O! God of all Power and Mercy for that thou hast Consider'd my Trouble and known my Soul in my Adversity Thou sentest me all those Helps whereby I was supported and all the intervals of ease wherewith I was releived under my Sickness And now thou hast brought me up again from the Grave and Deliver'd me of my pains and weakness and art become my Health and my Salvation Yea thy Mercy O! Blessed Lord has rectifyed my Spirit and done it Good by my Sorrows which is more to be valued than easing my Body of theâ— For before I was troubled I went wrong but thy Corrections have taught me to see my Folly and this worlds vanity And my Pains which have been my Monitors Day and Night have Caused me to understand Wisdom secretly And for these and all other thy most endearing Mercies I will sing Praise to thee O! Lord my God and Give thee Thanks for ever I will not Conceal thy Faithfullness and thy Salvation but Declare and speak of them that others allsoe may praise thy Name yea in the Presence of all thy People that they may give thee Thanks in the Great Congregation And oh that I may never forget thy Mercyes nor my own Promises of amendment and Holy obedience but cheerfully and Faithfully pay thee my vows and Perform all the Promises and Good Purposes Which I made whilst I was in Trouble And Pity the Pains Good Lord and hear the Cryes