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
5. 12. I will make thee sick in smiteing thee because of thy sins Mich. 6. 13. I will visit their offences with the Rod and their sin with Scourges Ps. 89. 32. And when he slew them they sought him and return'd and inquired early after God Ps. 78. 34. In their affliction they will seek me early Hos. 5. 15. And this such a Repentance as expresses it self 1. In amendment of their sins When I bring them thro' the fire 't is to refine them like a silver is refined Zech. 13. 9. And by this smiteing shall the iniquity of Jacob be purg'd and this is all the fruit to take away his sin Isaiah 27. 7 9. For when they be holden in cords of Affliction then he sheweth them their work and their transgressions that they have exceeded He openeth also their ear to Discipline and commandeth that they return from iniquity Job 36. 8 9 10. And surely it is meet to be said unto God I have born chastizement I will not offerd any more That which I see not teach thou me and if I have done iniquity I will do no more Job 34. 31 32. 2. In reconciling themselves to those whom they have offended and making satisfaction for injuries If ye forgive men their Trespasses your Heavenly Father will also forgive you But if ye forgive not men their trespasses neither will your Father forgive your trespasses Mat. 6. 14 15. And if thou bring thy gift to the Altar and there remembrest that thy Brother hath ought against thee go thy way first be reconciled to thy Brother and then come and offer thy Gift Matt. 5. 23 24. Oppress not any restore the Debtor his pledge and spoil none by violence but withdraw thy hand from iniquity and deal truly and thou shalt surely live Ezek. 18. 7 8 9. Loose the bands of wickedness and undoe the heavy burdens and let the oppressed go free And then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thee thy Righteousness shall go before thee and his Glory shall be thy reward Isa. 58. 6 8 9. But without such Reparations of Wrongs done He that doeth wrong shall receive for the wrong which he hath done and there is no respect of persons Col. 3. 25. And keep not wrongful gettings to leave thine Heir rich For better is a little with Righteousness than great Revenues without Right Prov. 16. 8. Nor think of appeasing God by giving Alms till thou hast first done Justice For I the Lord love judgement I hate Robbery for Burnt-Offering Is. 61. 8. 3. In Alms Deeds Break off thy sins by Righteousness and thine â—niquities by shewing mercy to the poor Dan. 4. 27. For by mercy and truth iniquity is purged Prov. 16. 6. Water will quench a flaming fire and Alms maketh an attontment for sin Ecclus. 3. 30. Sell that ye have therefore and give Alms Provide your selves Bags which wax not old a treasure in the Heavens that saileth not where no Thief approacheth neither Moth corrupteth Luke 12. 33. And make to your selves friends of the Mammon of Vnrighteousness that when ye fail they may receive you into everlasting habitations Luk. 16. 9. And charge them that are rich in this World that they be rich in good works ready to distribute willing to Communicate Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come that they may lay hold on Eternal Life 1 Tim. 6. 18 19. Deal thy bread to the hungry and bring the poor that is cast out to thine house When thou seest the naked cover him and hide not thy self from thine own Flesh. Then shalt thou call and the Lord shall answer thee thine health shall spring forth speedily and thy Righteousness shall go before thee and the Glory of the Lord shall be thy reward Isa. 58. 7 8 9 c. Because that Alms do deliver from death and suffereth not to come into darkness Tob. 4. 10. and c. 12. 9. It shall deliver thee from all affliction when it is shut up in thy Store-houses It shall fight for thee against thine Enemies better than a mighty shield and a strong spear Ecclus. 29. 12 13. Blessed therefore is he that considereth the poor for the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble Ps. 41. 1. 4. In Penitential Confessions and earnest Prayers for God's Pardon of our Sins There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine Anger neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin For mine Iniquities are gone over my head as an heavy burden they are too heavy for me I will declare mine iniquity I will be sorry for my sin Ps. 38. 3 4 18. I have sinned what shall I do unto thee O! Thou preserver of men Job 7. 20. Lord be merciful unto me heal my Soul for I have sinned against thee Ps. 41. 4. O! Remember not against me former iniquities let thy tender mercy speedily prevent me for I am brought very low Ps. 79. 8. Remember not the sins of my youth nor my transgressions according to thy mercy remember thou me for thy goodness sake Ps. 25. 7. According to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences Wash me throughly from mine iniquity and cleanse me from my sin Ps. 51. 1 2. Thou hast chastized me and I was chastized as a Bullock unaccustomed to the Yoke Turn thou me and I shall be turned for thou art the Lord my God Surely after that I was turned I repented and after that I was instructed I smote upon my Thigh I was asham'd yea even confounded because I did bear the reproach of my youth Jer. 31. 18 19. Glory be to the Father c. II. With Trust in God 1. Trusting him with themselves TRust in the Lord at all times ye People for God is a refuge for us Ps. 62. 8. The Lord is a refuge in times of trouble Ps. 9. 9. Why art thou disquieted within me O! My Soul Hope in God Ps. 43. 5. For he shall be kept in perfect peace O! God whose mind is stayed on thee Isa. 26. 3. And therefore what time I am afraid I will trust in thee Ps. 56. 3. I will trust and not be afraid Isa. 12. 2. I will hope and also quietly wait for the Salvation of the Lord. Lam. 3 26. For he that believeth will not make hast Isa. 28. 16. Therefore when I look unto the Lord I will wait for the God of my Salvation Mich. 7. 7. I will not be afraid of evil tidings for my heart is fixed trusting in the Lord. Ps. 112. 7. And tho I walk thro' 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 tho he slay me yet will I trust in him Job 13. 15. 2. Trusting him with their Friends and Families And all my cares for my Wife and Family and Friends I cast on thee for thou carest for us 1 Pet. 5. 7. Psal.
9. 10. He taketh pleasure in them who hope in his mercy Ps. 147. 11. He is a very present help in trouble Ps. 46. 1. And behold we account them happy which endure Ye have heard of the patience of Iob and have seen the end of the Lord that the Lord is very pityful and of tender mercy Jam. 5. 11. They shall not be ashamed who wait for me Isa. 49. 23. And my soul wait thou only upon God for my expectation is from him Ps. 62. 5. Wait for his mercy but go not aside lest ye fall Cleave unto him and depart not away that thou mayst be encreased at thy last end Ecclus. 2. 3 7. 5. To Querulousness and accusing God It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth He sitteth alone and keepeth silence because he hath born it upon him He putteth his mouth in the dust if so be there may be hope Wherefore doth a living man complain A man for the punishment of his sins Lam. 3. 27 28 29 39. I was dumb I opened not my mouth because thou didst it Ps. 39. 9. I was as a man that heareth not and in whose mouth are no reproofs Ps. 38. 14. For shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him He that reproveth God let him answer it But behold I am vile what shall I answer thee I will lay my hand upon my mouth Job 40. 2 4. He was afflicted yet he opened not his mouth He is brought as a Lamb to the slaughter and as a Sheep before her Shearers is dumb so he openeth not his mouth Isa. 53. 7. Motives to Patience Shall we receive good at the hands 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. Shall the clay say unto him that fashioned it what makest thou Is. 45. 9. And why doth a living man complain yea a man for the punishment of his sin Lam. 3. 39. I will bear the indignation of the Lord because I have sinned against him Mich. 7. 9. And the Lord doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men v. 33. If need be we are in heaviness 1 Pet. 1. 6. And because all need all are partakers of chastisements Heb. 12. 8. Even Jesus tho he were a Son yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered Heb. 5. 8. So that it is out of very faithfulness that he afflicteth us Ps. 119. 15. And whom be loveth he correcteth even as a Father the Son in whom he delighteth Prov. 3. 11. For when we are judged we are chastned of the Lord that we should not be condemned with the world 1 Cor. 11. 32. He chasteneth us for our profit that we may be partakers of his holiness Heb. 12. 10. As Gold in the Furnace hath he tryed them and received them as a burnt-offering He proved them and found them worthy of himself and having been a little chastized they shall be greatly rewarded Wisd. 3. 5 6. And these light afflictions which are but for a moment work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory 2 Cor. 4. 17. Glory be to the Father c. 2. With Patience towards our Friends and Attendants Be patient towards all men 1 Thess. 5. 14. With all lowliness and meekness with long-suffering forbearing one another in love Eph. 4. 2. Be gentle shewing all meekness to all men Tit. 3. 2. And be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry Ecclus. 7. 9. For he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly Prov. 14. 29. And a man that hath friends must shew himself friendly Prov. 18. 24. 3. With patience with our selves and with the heaviness and brokenness of our own Spirit under Sickness 'T is wrong said that God is hard reaping where he has not sown and gathering where he has not strow'd Matt. 25. 24. For 't is only where much is given that much shall be required Luke 12. 48. He remembreth that we are but flesh Ps. 78. 39. He himself bore our sickness Matt. 8. 17. And had the feeling of our infirmities And it behoved him to have so in all things that he might be a merciful High-Priest Heb. 2. 17. and c. 4. 15. He attends unto our cry when we are brought very low Ps. 142. 6. And will not forsake us because our strength faileth Ps. 71. 9. Dying as well as living we are the Lords Rom. 14. 8. And fall asleep in him 1 Thess. 4. 14. Glory be to the Father c. VI. Of Improvements thereof to Spiritual Advantages THat I should not be exalted above measure there was given me a thorn in the flesh 2 Cor. 12. 7. She did not know that I gave her Corn and Wine and Oyl Therefore will I return and take away my Corn in the time thereof and my Wine in the season thereof Hos. 2. 8 9. And I will go and return to my place till they acknowledge their offences and seek my face in their affliction they will seek me early Hos. 5. 15. When my Heart is overwhelmed lead me to the Rock that is higher than I Ps. 61. 2. So that altho' for the Time no afflâ—ction seemeth joyous but Grievous yet afterwards it yieldeth the Peaceable Fruits of Righteousness to those that are exercised thereby Heb. 12. 11. For he chastiseth us for our profit that we may be partakers of his Holiness Heb. 12. 10. Glory be to the Father c. 3. Scriptures for the Bodily needs and desires of Sick Persons I. For Ease and Strength 1. To pour out their Grief and Complaints BEhold all Flesh is Grass and all the goodliness thereof is as the Flower of the Field The Grass withereth the Flower fadeth because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it but the word of our God shall stand for ever Is. 40. 6 7 8. When thou Lord with Rebukes dost correct man for iniquity thou makest his Beauty to consume away like a Moth Surely every man is Vanity Ps. 39. 11. Thou hast weakned my strength in the way and shortned my days Ps. 102. 23. Thine Arrows O Lord stick fast in me and thy hand Presseth me sore There is no soundness in my Flesh becaâ—se of thine Anger neither is there any Rest in my bones because of my Sin I am troubled I am bowed down greatly I go mourning all the day long I am feeble and sore broken I have roared by reason of the Disquietness of my Heart My Heart panteth my Strength faileth me as for the Light of mine Eyes it also is gone from me My Lovers and my Friends stand aloof from mâ— sore and my Kinsmen stand afar off Ps. 38. 2 3 6 8 10 11. My Spirit is overwhelmed within me and my Heart within me is Desolate Ps. 143. 4. My Soul also is sore troubled but Lord how long wilt thou Punish me Ps. 6. 3. 2. To Pray for ease and mitigation thereof And
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
within me thy comforts Lord delight my Soul Ps. 94. 19. Glory be to the Father c. 3. On taking Physick Man liveth not by Bread alone but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God Mat. 4. 4. And it was neither Herb nor mollifying Plaster that restored them to health but thy word O! Lord which healeth all things For thou hast power of Life and Death thou leadest to the Gates of Hell and bringest up again Wisd. 16. 12 13. He that is our God is the God of Salvation and unto God the Lord belong the issues from Death Ps. 68. 20. The Lord hath created Medicines out of the Earth and he that is wise will not abhor them And with such doth he heal men and taketh away their Pains For of the most High cometh healing and he hath given men Skill that he might be honoured in his marve lous works Ecclus. 38. 2 4 6 7. My time is in thy hand therefore I trust in thee O Lord Ps. 31. 14 15. Oh! Send thy word and heal me and deliver me from my Destruction Ps. 107. 20. Glory be to the Father c. V. For Attendants about Sick Persons I. HE that is ready to slip with his feet is as a Lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease Job 12. 5. But to him that is afflicted pity should be shewed from his Friends Job 6. 14. For a Friend loveth at all times and a Brother is born for adversity Prov. 17. 17. And if your Soul were in my Souls stead I would strengthen you with my mouth and the moving of my lips should asswage your grief Job 16. 4 5. But my Brethren have dealt deceitfully as a brook and as the stream of brooks they pass away As Brooks that are blackish with Ice wherein Snow is hid What time they wax warm they vanish when it is hot they are consumed out of their place Now ye are nothing you see my casting down and are afraid Yea you dig a pit for your friend Job 6. 15 16 17 21 27. II. Whether one member suffer all the members suffer with it or one member rejoyce all the members rejoyce with it 1 Cor. 12. 26. Distribute then to the necessity of Saints and weep with those that weep Rom. 12. 13 15. And he that sheweth mercy let him do it with chearfulness v. 8. For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have shew'd towards his Name in that ye have ministred to the Saints and do Minister Heb. 6. 10. I was sick and ye visited me In as much as ye have done it to the least of these my Brethren ye did it unto me Mat. 25. 36 40. And this is pure and undefiled Religion to visit the Fatherless and Widows in their affliction Jam. 1. 27. And the heart of the wise is in the house of mourning for by the sadness of the Countenance the Heart is made better That is the end of all men and the living will lay it to his heart Eccles. 7. 2 3 4. Glory be to the Father c. VI. An Hymn of Thanksgiving for Recovery from Sickness IN my wrath I smote thee but in my favour have I had mercy on thee Is. 60. 10. The Lord hath chastned me sore but he hath not given me over unto death Ps. 118. 18. In love to my soul he hath delivered it from the pit of corruption for he hath cast all my sins behind his back Is. 38. 17. O! Lord my God thou hast considered my trouble thou hast known my soul in adversities Ps. 31. 7. Thou healest the broken in heart and bindest up their wounds Psal. 147. 3. And I cryed unto thee and thou hast healed me And hast turned for me my mourning into dancing thou hast put off my Sack-cloath and girded me with gladness To the end that my Glory may sing praise to thee and not be silent O! Lord my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever Ps. 30. 2 11 12. My Mouth shall shew forth thy Righteousness and thy Salvation all the day For I know not the numbers thereof And my Lips shall greatly rejoyce when I sing unto thee and my Soul which thou hast redeemed Psal. 71. 15. 23. O! Sing unto the Lord ye Saints of his and give thanks at the Remembrance of his Holiness Ps. 30. 4. And ye that fear the Lord trust in the Lord he is their help and their shield Ps. 115. 11. To the upright he maketh light to arise in the darkness Ps. 112. 4. For his Anger endureth but a moment in his Favour is Life Weeping may endure for a Night but Joy cometh in the Morning Psal. 30. 5. I will offer the Sacrifice of Thanksgiving and will call upon the Name of the Lord Ps. 116. 17. And I will pay thee my Vows O! God which my Lips have uttered and my Mouth hath spoken when I was in trouble Psal. 66. 13 14. I will not hide thy Righteousness within my Heart I will declare thy Faithfulness and thy Salvation I will not conceal thy Loving Kindness and thy Truth from the great Congregation Psal. 40. 10. I will pay my Vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all his People In the Courts of the Lord's House in the midst of thee O! Jerusalem Praise ye the Lord Psal. 116. 18 19. 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 PRAYERS FOR THE Duties and Needs OF SICK PERSONS I. A General Prayer for things needful under Sickness O! Almighty and most Righteous Lord who makest sore and bindest up and in whose Hands are the Issues of life and death Give me Grace to look upon this my Sickness as of thy sending â—nd to own both the justice and the mercifulness of thy Visitation and of my suffering therein and to look up to thee for strength to bear and for Grace to profit by the same It comes O! My God as thy scourge for my sins which is to make me see them and avoid them And as thy Medicine to cure my Spiritual Diseases and repair in me the Decays of thy Grace And as thy Fiery Tryal which is to prove my Virtues and to purge away my Dross And Lord Let it not miss of serving and effecting in me all these Gracious purposes And make all my thoughts under the same to be only thoughts of Love and Thankfulness of Holy Resignation and Obedience unto thee and of humble hope in thy Mercy And suffer me not to fall into impatience or mistrust of thy Love and Gracious promises or into any evil and indecent carriage which will add to my guilt if I die or to my remorse and shame if I live Temper my Sorrows also O! Father to my weakness and support me under them by thy Comforts And direct and recompence the labours and kindness of
giveâ—t me better things than thou takest away The bringing down my Body is for the inrichment of my Soul which is my better part And this smiting and wounding of my Flesh is for the healing and binding up my Spirit which is the truest way to do me good Oh! then that instead of dreading thy Visitation as my Scourge I may receive it as my Medicine That I may not repine at its making me weak in Body but rather rejoyce that it makes me strong in Spirit And give thee thanks for thy kindness and my comfort in thy Corrections which are to make me good that thou mayest make me happy and give me everlasting Rest and Bliss with thee thro' Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen IX Prayers for the Bodily Needs and Desires of Sick Persons 1. For Ease when Sickness grows very painful or troublesome 1. LORD look upon mine Adversity and Misery which call aloud to thee for ease For I am wither'd like grass and my Bones will scarce cleave to my skin My heart panteth and my strength faileth me and mine eyes are grown dim And there is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger nor rest in my bones because of my sin Yea my bones are burnt as an Hearth and I go mourning all the day long and wearisom nights are appointed to me and I am full of tossing to and fro unto the dawning of the day This thou knowest O! My God for my groaning is not hid from thee Oh! Be not wroth very sore nor remember iniquity for ever Cast me not off when I need most to seek to thee nor forsake me when my strength faileth me But hear me and ease me O! Lord for thou delightest in Mercy Hear me for I cry unto thee yea I cry unto thee all the day Hear me speedily for I am brought very low and make no long tarrying for mine eyes long sore for thy word saying when wilt thou comfort me And though my flesh and my heart fail me yet let not thy Mercy and thy Word fail me For I still resign and trust my self to them and in my greatest weakness and extremity thou O! Father art my strength and my portion for ever thro' Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 2. O! Most Gracious God my pains are extreme and too heavy for me have pity upon me and lighten them Correct me in measure and consider that I am but a feeble and frail Creature In thine anger remember mercy for I humbly submit my self and return to thee And Oh! Give me that tractableness and ingenuity of Spirit that will be check'd with a word and easily call'd off from evil and will not need any long or sharp methods of correction to reclaim me I have waited for thy Relief O! Father give me the comforts of it Yea Mine eyes long sore for thy word and are even wasted away with looking for thy saving health let them see it and be satisfied therewith Oh! shew me thy mercy and that soon for my need thereof is great And think upon me as concerning thy word for I trust to it to lay no more upon me than I can bear and to send me seasonable help and ease at present and everlasting Rest with thee in the end thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen A short Prayer on receipt of Ease or abatement of Pain or Sickness BLessed be thy Mercy O! my God which pitieth me in my Misery As a Father pitieth his Children when they cry out in the extremity of their pain so hast thou pityed me Thou hast chastned me sore but thou hast not given me over unto death thine anger is turn'd away and thou hast eased and comforted me Lord my Soul shall love thee and sing of thy Mercy And in my Distress I will always trust thee and not be afraid For thou art our strength whilst we suffer and our most merciful Deliverer when we are able to bear no more for our Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's sake Amen 2. A Prayer for Strength under the same GIVE me strength O! Lord to strive with my Disease and to bear the weakness of Nature And strengthen my Spirit to withstand all its Temptations as well as my Body to bear its Diseases O! Enable me to resist the Devil and to suppress all stirrings of sin and folly To beat back all motions of corrupt Passion and not to lose the due Government of my self thro excess of pain but to shew my self mighty thro thee to bear all patiently and to fortifie my weakness by a firm Faith and unshaken Trust in thy Grace and sure Promises Lord if I have no strength but my own every weight will bear me down But if thou wilt support me nothing will be too heavy for me because nothing is too hard for thee But thy strength will be made perfect in my weakness and thy Grace is sure to overcome my Corruptions and thy Comforts to give me Ease thro' my most Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 3. A Prayer for Deliverance from them DEliver me O! my God for I seek unto thee to help me yea I seek unto thee early and continue seeking all the day long Thou delightest in Mercy deliver me for thy Mercies sake Thou hast promised to be with us and help us in trouble Deliver me for thy Righteousness Thou art Glorious in might to help our weaknesses Deliver me in thy strength Thou hast formerly been my succour Oh! be so still And our Fathers hoped in thee and were delivered let not my hope in thee perish or be put to shame more than theirs was Save me O! Almighty Lord and make hast to my help And mâ—n shall know that it is thy hand and that thou hast done it and learn thereby both to give thee Praise and to make thee their strength and confidence thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 4. Prayers for longer Respite and Recovery from Sickness 1. O! Almighty Lord in whose Hands are the Issues of Life and Death look in Mercy upon these Decays of Nature which my Diseases hath made and repair them and spare me a little that I may recover my Health and Strength again I do not desire Health O! my God to consume it in Idleness Nor out of Fondness for the gay Pleasures and Pomps of this World that I may be strong to pursue them For I believe and know them all to be Vanity and Vexation of Spirit I lift my Heart above them and do by no means desire to have this Earth for my home or to take up with them for my Portion For I love thee and thy ways O! Dear Lord above them and their Delights and will harbour no love of them but what is ready to submit them all to thee when thou art pleased to take them away and which will never sin against thy Laws to secure them to my self
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.
Mercy and open mine Ears again if it may seem good to thee For I acknowledge my former Errors and am resolved by thy Grace to keep them always open to good words and averse to evil Do thou open them good Lord for to thee alone do I look for the same and I know it is as easie for thee to open them as it was to shut them And consider no longer my Sins which deserve to be punished but mine affliction which calls to be pityed For by this Deafness O! my God I am deprived very much of the Comforts of Conversation and of the chief means of Instruction For Discourse teacheth Wisdom and understanding And Faith it self cometh and groweth up by Hearing And in the midst of Discourse I am in great measure as if all kept silence and the World is as if all were dumb to me because I am deaf to them and can seldom let in any Voice that might bring Counsel or Comfort to my Soul or to my Body Oh! therefore Holy Father do thou once more restore me to the benefit and comfort of Company and give me an Ear that can distinguish good from ill and that will be both fit and glad to hear whatsoever may Honour thee or any ways edifie or advantage me thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen II. For Patience under the Want of Hearing 1. AND whilst thou seest fit to continue me under this Deafness O! Almighty Lord Give me Patience Contentedly to want the Conversation of others I know alass and do lament that I am hereby Debarr'd from Hearing Good Words But I will reckon it some Compensation to me that it keeps me from Hearing Evil too and in this naughty world there is much more Evil spoke than Good For if my Ears were open O! God I should Dayly hear much more than I Desire to hear or than I ought to bear Silently And should hear Evil more often than I should find the Heart and Courage to Reprove it or than I should be able to Cure or perhaps to check or any ways hinder it by my Reproof And where I can neither prevent nor Cure Evil Speeches I will account it as a piece of Favour to me to be deaf to them And therefore thy Will be Done O! Holy Father I receive my Deafness Patiently and thankfully as being sent by thee and as Dayly keeping out much that would either Corrupt or trouble and afflict me And am Content whilst thou pleasest to be Deaf to the voice of Sinners till thou shalt either restore that Sense to me again here on Earth or take me hence to hear the Heavenly Halleluiahs and charming voices of Angels and Beatifyed Spirits in thy Presence for the sake of my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ Amen 2. ANd Blessed be thy Mercy O! Lord that I was not born Deaf but had mine Ears Open till Faith was ingender'd in me by Hearing For I injoy'd my Sense of Hearing till I had learnt to know thee and the way of my own Salvation Yea and till I had learnt to know much of this World too enough to teach me that I must keep always on my Guard against the Snares and constantly expect to meet and stand prepared to bear the troubles of it And Graunt O! Father that Having lived to hear much before I may now set my self to meditate on what I have heard formerly and to live by memory and still have Recourse to past instructions to Guide and Comfort me And make me Consider Lord that if mine ears were still open'd since there is little new under the Sun I should dayly hear much of the same both Good and Evil over again And that I may profit my self abundantly by thy Grace in fixing those things uâ—on my mind which I have heard already yea that I may likely profit more in recollecting and meditateing thus upon old instructions than by haveing an ear never fill'd with Hearing but dayly hearkning after new ones And that without such Reflection on the knowledge which has allready come by Hearing to make my self Master thereof I shall be allmost as if I wanted it even whilst I have it and shall be loseing it dayly more or less And besides this O! Gracious God thou art still pleased most mercyfully to continue to me the use of my Eyes to supply the want of mine Ears and I can read whatsoever is fit for me to know in Relation to this Life or the next tho I can no longer hear it And Lord make me sensible that this way I can converse with the best Company and in their best and most Studyed thoughts and Discourses And moreover that I can come to them when I need and leave them when I please For at any time without tedious waiting or troublesome Caeremony I may have their Wisdom to Counsell and Comfort me in any Exigence either of my Soul or Body And without upbraiding me with my Dullness or my Troublesomeness or growing impatient thereat they stand always ready to tell me as often as I need or Desire what way I may be most easy to my self or usefull to my Friends or acceptable unto thee thro Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 3. For Good Use of Deafness ANd whilst I remain Deaf to the Conversation of others O! Blessed Father give me Grace to converse more with thee and with my self in calling thy Laws and mine own ways to Remembrance And altho the Ears of my Body are shut to others yet Lord let those of my Spirit be always open to thy voice Give me an Hearing Heart that is never Deaf to thy call and if thy Spirit do but whisper to me let mine instantly perceive and embrace the same and carefully and obediently attend to thy suggestion And deliver me from having any Portion among them who have lost their Hearing towards thee tho they still keep it to the world and who having Ears hear not with them And under my Bodily Deafness O! Gracious God Preserve me from being jealous and mistrustful of those who are Discoursing in my Company as if they were Discoursing against me or made themselves sport with mine infirmity And whilst their Discourses can do me no good let not my own evil surmises and suspicions do either my self or them any Hurt But keep me always easy towards them and truly Patient and thankfull towards thee thro Jesus Christ my Blessed Lord and Saviour Amen Our Father which art in Heaven c. A Thanksgiveing on Recovery from Blindness or from Deafness BLessed be thy mercy O! Gracious Lord for Restoreing to me the use of my Eyes Thou hast given me them anew for the Comfort and Convenience of my Life and for the carrying on of thy Service And oh that they may never more be used for Vice or Vanity nor ever willingly open to let in ill much less stay upon it and Delight in it But keep me allways mindfull that to misuse them is the way to
make me watch for all opportunityes of exerciseing the same and Doe them diligently as my last Labors for immortality and for secureing thy everlasting Mercy thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen II. Prayers for Willingness to Dye I. O! Most Gracious and Mercyfull Father Give me Grace to be allways fit for thy Mercy that I may not be slow or unwilling to Come to thee now thou callest for me Forgive me all my Sins O! God which are the Sting of Death that I may look on it as an harmless thing which cannot hurt me And make me sensible how I am thereby eased of all those weaknesses and Sorrows which render my Life a burden to me Help me to consider it O! Lord as what comes to give me rest from all my Labours And to take up therewith as with a Shelter against all Injuries and ill usage To look upon it as a Cure of all my Bodily Pains and Sicknesses and as a Remedy of all my Sins and Temptations Sorrows and misfortunes For after once I shall have got to thee O! Blessed Father I shall be out of their Reach and never Come under their Power any more I know O! Gracious God that Heaven is my Country and that I have still more cause to rejoyce and less to repine the nearer I am drawing home That this Death is but the begining of a better Life and a most Desirable exchange of Travail and Misery for Rest and Joy and of a few Days for Eternity And let me not be afraid of that O! my God which is to set me safe in thy Kingdom and to bring me to injoy thee in Everlasting Bliss and Glory thro Jesus Christ my Blessed Saviour and Redeemer Amen 2. LOrd now thy messengers are come to Summon me make me reckon that thy Time is best for my Departure and let me not seek about for Excuses and Pretences of Staying longer here Since this Summons is of thy Sending let not me receive it with reluctancy Since thou sendest it for my Good let me not be afraid of it as if it would doe me hurt Since thou Callest me thereby to come to thee let me not come unwillingly or seem forced away Let not my Heart O! God be tyed fast to any Earthly Things and then it will be easy to me to be taken from them Raise it above this world and make it fit and free to trust thee for the next And then O! Jesu Come when thou pleasest and I shall receive thy Call with joy And Grant O! Lord that I may take noe Pretence for my unwillingness because I shall thereby leave some Good Things unfinish'd which I have in hand for my Brethrens needs or for thy Service But remember and Consider with my Self that soe must all they who make it their Care at all times to be Designing and Doing Good And that 't is fittest for thee to Determine wherein or how long thou wilt be served by me in any things which my poor Soul is any ways Capable thro thy Grace to design or Doe for thee That if it seem Good in thy Eyes thy Providence will raise up instruments and supply what I am Designing by other and it may be far better ways And that I have noe Reason to be slow but much infinitely much to be hasty in Coming to thee if from bearing the Heat of the Day and a task of Labor and toyl in thy Service thou shalt be Graciously pleased to call me to Everlasting Rest and Joy in thy Presence thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 3. LOrd in this State I am sore Burdened and Groan Earnestly Desiring rather if thou pleasest to Depart and be with Christ which is far better for me But let me not be weary of my work and station O! my God before thy Time nor hasty in Desires of Death whilst thou seest fit to trye me in the Labors and Patience of Life Keep me Contented to bear my Sorrows whilst thou pleasest and to leave it to thee to Order when 't is fittest for me to lay them Down and to exchange them for Eâ—se and Pleasures in thy Heavenly Kingdom where Death at last shall be swallowed up in Victory and this Mortal shall put on immortality thro the merits of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen III. Prayers against Fear of Death 1. CLeanse me O! Gracious God from Guilt and Sin which are the Sting of Death and then let nothing else make me afraid of it Let me not Dread the stroak thereof as a thing that is hard for me to bear But Consider that it is an hardship Common to me with every mortal Nature That if it is hard it Cures all other Sores and hardships and is it self soon over And that hard and painfull as it is the weakest have born it and can pass thro it Yea and that very frequently the pains of Sickness are much worse than the pains of Death and men ordinarily endure more sorrow before they come to Dye than they feel or show at last in Death it self Nay that as they fall asleep insensibly soe they often seem to dye soe too And whatever pains it would otherwise make to me O! Lord it will be made easy by a clear Conscience and a Comfortable Hope of thy Mercy And let it arm my Spirit against Fear to think that I am coming thereby to a good Master whom as I have ever found most Gracious and Mercyfull all my Life I shall now much more finde soe at my Death thro the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 2. NOr let my Spirit O! God be broken with Fear out of an apprehension of Dying under the load of thy Heavy Displeasure For thou takest Delight in Pardoning those whose sincere Desire and Care has been to please thee and in makeing all fair abatements and reasonable allowances to their forgetfullness and infirmityes I am very sensible alass that I am too Defective in my Duty and Service But make me remember O! Blessed Lord that thou canst and doest bear with some Defects For the best are not free from Faults and Defects enow to humble them and yet they are surely within the terms of thy Pardon Yea thou will bear with many Defects in truely Loveing and Dutyfull mindes and hast not limited thy Forbearance to narrow and scanty Bounds For among those whom thou savest there are many and very Distant Degrees of Virtue and Obedience and the greater measures thereof which are attained by some are still wanting in others of them And these Defects of mine O! God great and many as they are are to be judged of by a mercyfull Saviour who knows our Natural Frailtyes and infirmityes and is ready to allow all that Pity and Favor to them which can be Desired in Reason For he doth not require such exactness of us as is a task fit not for men but for Angells But takes up with such as the Natural and Pityable Weakness
those who charitably attend about me in my sickness Keep me always submissive and devout towards thee and thankful and easie unto them And let thy Blessing go along with all their Means and Medicines and in thy due time asswage and end my pains and either restore me to my strength and send me health and ease and the mercies of a longer and a better life or else a blessed and a comfâ—rtable death for our Lord Jesus Christâ—s sake Amen Out of the Office of Visitation of the Sick O! Lord look down from Heaven â—ehold visit and relieve me thy Servant Look upon me with the eyes of thy mercy give me comfort and sure confidence in thee defend me from the danger of the enemy and keep me in perpetual peace and safety through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen Our Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us And lead us not into Temptation But deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen And he may still conclude with the Lord's Prayer on all occasions when he has used as many of these Prayers as he thinks fit for that time Particular Prayers for the Duties and Needs of Sick Persons Prayers for Repentance in Sickness I. RIghteous art thou O! God in all these pains and sorrows which punish my sins and try my patience and I have none to accuse or complain of for the same but my self I receive my sickness as the Chastisement of a Sinner and am willing to bear Chastisement for my sins that I may be thereby reclaimed from them Correct me O! Lord that thou mayest not condemn me and let me be judged by thee for my sins and judge my self for them here that I may have nothing but mercy without judgment to receive at thine hands hereafter But judge me O! My God with Mercy and not in thine Anger Judge me not according as my sins have deserved but according as my weakness can bear and according as thy Compassions are wont to mitigate thy Judgments And let my sickness work my true Repentance and prove an happy means in the hand of thy mercy to expiate my Guilts not to encrease them and to reclaim me perfectly from all the Evils which I have committed formerly not to occasion my committing more and to confer that rest and peace upon my Soul which is denyed to my Body for our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's sake Amen 2. Thou smitest me O! Gracious Lord that thou mayst cure me and punishest my sin that thou mayest thereby amend and reclaim my person And I am weary of my sins which have brought upon me all these Sorrows and which I know assuredly will bring infinitely worse unless I prevent the same by my timely and true Repentance of them Help me therefore to search them out O! God and to discover every accursed thing And when I see them let me not stop at any one but set my self intirely to renounce and amend all Let thy love make me hâ—te every evil way And make my purposes against them strong and resolute and my care in fulfilling the same vigilant and patient and all the remainder of my days to be one continued defacement of my former Errors and Devotion of my self to thy Service Lord Cure my Folly by my Misery and teach me by the loss of my bodily ease to purchase the Blessing of true Repentance and the comfortable hopes of thy merciful acceptance thereof thro the Merits of our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen To make his Confessions and other Acts of Repentance with greater sureness and satisfaction to himself the Sick man must first make a discovery of his Sins by examining himself and trying his ways upon the several Heads and Branches of God's Commandments And thereby inquire into the state of his Soul to see whether he is already safe within the terms of pardon or what he wants to make him so This is a work for all men at all times who would live with safety or die with peace But especially for sick and dying persons who are more sensible their case admits of no delays and who not only ought but also more commonly are wont to make it their earnest desire and care And in their performance of this most important Task with security and comfort I have assisted them as well as I can in the Tryal or Judgment of the Soul c. in a small Treatise intituled A Companion for the Penitent to which I refer them 3. A Confession of Sins taken out of the Office for the Penitent or those who mourn for sin p. 39. c. O! Almighty and most Righteous Lord I do hear with grief of heart and with shame and deep humility confess unto thy Dreadful Majesty that my sins are exceeding many and great and have been frequently repeated I have oft-times transgressed out of Ignorance O! that I could not say careless Ignorance under Opportunities of Knowledge yea or affected Ignorance espoused for Earthly ends against Light and clear Evidence which was enough to shame and silence me though not to gain and convince me But I have transgressed oftner out of Negligence Worldly Fear or Desire yea alas too oft out of presumptuous Wilfulness condemning the Evil whilst I was a doing it and offending wittingly and with Checks and Convictions to the contrary And these Sins I have been drawn to against all the Endearments of thy Mercies and all the Alarms and louder Warnings of thy Punishments against all the Rebukes and Strivings of thy Grace and of my own Conscience and of other faithful and seasonable Admonishers And against all mine own Purposes and Engagements Deliberately made and solemnly profess'd and frequently repeated that I would offend therein no more Lord be merciful to me a Great and Wretched Sinner 2. BUT thou O! Blessed Jesus by making thy self a Sin-Offering for us art come to take away the Sins of all who truly Repent thereof And O! Merciful Lord tho' my Sins are many and grievous yet I do not desire to overlook them but would gladly see and discover them all that I may penitently bewail and forsake them And Oh! That no corrupt Passions nor love of Worldly or Carnal Interests may ever byass me or blind my Eyes from seeing the same whilst there is space left me to repent of them And as for those sins which I do know my self to be guilty of I do not cover but with shame confess them I do not justifie nor excuse but condemn my self for the same I stand thereby guilty O! Lord of highest Disobedience against the strictest Obligations of wretched Disingenuity and Unthankfulness against the most endearing Mercies and of most stupid Folly against my own clearest highest and most
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
to Life or Death as thou pleasest only in both to thy Mercy And whether living or dying let me still please thee and be thou my Portion Oh! Perfect my Repentance and purge away all my sins And give me Patience whilst I live and Peace when I die and after that the happiness to see thy Face in a Blessed Eternity which thou hast prepared and promised to all that truly fear thee thro Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen 3. A Prayer for her Child PReserve my tender Child O! Father and let its own weakness and my Cries commend it to thy Blessed Care Preserve it to be regenerated and born again by Baptism and thereby made thine own Child by Adoption which is infinitely a greater Blessing both to it and me than thy making of it mine Keep it also afterwards in Health and Safety And as it increases in Years and Stature let it increase withal in Wisdom and in thy Fear I beg not for it Wealth or Greatness but Wisdom to know and serve thee For O! Lord I do not desire Life either for my self or it but that we may live to thee and grow daily in Love and Thankfulness for all thy Mercies and in Faith and Patience and all holy Obedience which may fit us both for ever to injoy thee thro' Jesus Christ our only Saviour and Redeemer Amen Afterwards when she comes to be Churched besides the accustomed Offering to the Minister she may add a Gift of Alms to the Poor as a proper and acceptable Tribute of Thanks and Praise Alms being as fit to attend and recommend our Thanksgivings as they are to inforce our Prayers And let her not forget the Churches Admonition to compleat her giving Thanks by Receiving the Holy Sacrament if there be a Communion that day or so soon as there shall be one II. Devotions on the Loss of Eye-sight to be read to them by some Friends for them to Meditate upon or to joyn in Scriptures I. WHO hath made the Seeing and the Blind Have not I the Lord Ex. 4. 11. And the Lord openeth the eyes of the Blind Ps. 146. 8. He hath anointed me to preach the Gospel to the Poor and recovering of Sight to the Blind Luk. 4. 18. Lord I grope for the wall and stumble at Noon-day as in the Night I wait for Light but behold obscurity for brightness but I walk in darkness Is. 59. 9 10. Lord I beseech thee that I may recover my sight Receive thy sight thy faith hath saved thee Luk. 18. 41 42. But if I must not receive it in my Body however open the Eyes of my Soul that I may behold wondrous things out of thy Law Ps. 119. 18. 2. The Light of the Eyes indeed rejoyceth the Heart Prov. 15. 30. For truly the Light is sweet and a pleasant thing it is for the Eyes to behold the Sun Eccl. 11. 7. But the Eye is not satisfied with seeing Eccl. 1. 8. For as Hell and Destruction are never full so the Eyes of Man are never satisfied Prov. 27. 20. And the Lust of the Eyes is not of the Father but of the World 1 Jo. 2. 16. So that we need to make a Covenant with our Eyes Job 31. 1. And if thine Eye offend thee pluck it out and cast it from thee It is better for the to enter into Life without Eyes rather than having Eyes to be cast into Hell-fire Mat. 18. 9. Besides in seeing much we see much evil and it may be thou shalt be mad for the Sight of thine Eyes which thou shalt see Deut. 28. 34. And just Lot in seeing vexed his Righteous Soul from day to day with the unlawful deeds of the wicked 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. 3. Moreover tho' the Body be dark yet the Eyes of our understanding may be inlightned Eph. 1. 18. For the Spirit of Man is the Candle of the Lord searching all the inward parts of the belly Prov. 20. 27. And we walk by Faith and not by Sight 2 Cor. 5. 7. And tho 't is pleasant to see the Sun yet 't is pleasanter to see those things which the Angels desire to look into 1 Pet. 1. 12. And to supply our want of Bodily Eyes our Friends and Neighbours may be to us instead of eyes Num. 10. 31. For I was Eyes to the Blind and Feet to the Lame Job 29. 15. And cursed be he that maketh the Blind to wander out of the way Deut. 27. 18. Or putteth a Stumbling-block before him Lev. 19. 14. Glory be to the Father c. PRAYERS I. For Recovery of Sight LORD pity me who have my Eyes always closed and all my Days turned into Night I cannot see what I eat or what I drink and I grope for the wall and stumble in the Light as in the Dark For the Light which maketh all things manifest about us and reviveth and maketh glad both Man and Beast is no Light to me but I am Dark at Noon-Day Oh! Support and comfort me in this my Adversity and restore my Sight to me again if it may seem fit to thee Consider Lord how greatly it serves for my comfort and safety And restore it to me for I seek to thee and thou art prone to pity me and thou only who gavest it canst restore it Yea do thou restore it O! my God that I may again behold the marvelous Greatness and the rich and various Beauty of thy Creatures and devoutly admire and praise the Glories of thy Wisdom Power and Goodness which they set forth daily before our eyes And above all that I may return to read thy Holy Word to instruct and comfort me and to make me perfect in the way of my Duty and of obtaining thine everlasting Mercy thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen II. For Patience under the want of it 1. AND in this state of Bodily Blindness O! Righteous Lord I do not in the least complain of thee for laying it upon me For thou hast continued the use of my Eyes much longer unto me than I have been careful to use and employ them for thee And because I would not take care to govern them virtâ—ously and wisely nor shut them up or restrain them my self thou hast shut them up in Darkness For they had taken me off O! Holy Father from minding thee to mind Worldly Pomp and show and to fix themselves in Clay They were grown greedy and unsatisfied in beholding Vanity They had often made me to offend And 't is better to want Eyes than to be made to offend by them and to enter into Life being Blind rather than having Eyes without Innocence to be cast into Hell fire So that I humbly submit to this Blindness O! my God and meekly accept of it both as the punishment of mine iniquities and as a means to cure and prevent them And if it be thy Pleasure to have me rest under it or whilst it is so thy Blessed Will be done And I will not only
submit to thee but will still thankfully adore and praise thy Name thro' Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 2. AND I will consider O! Gracious Lord that if my Blindness makes my Soul to have less pleasure in this World it makes it also to have less danger from it For in this World I should see more that is fit to insnare than to benefit my Mind and my Eyes would let in more Tryals than true Injoyments and meet with more to afflict than to delight me And I will thankfully remember O! Father that by thy Mercy I was not born Blind but had long injoyed the use of my Eyes before I lost them yea and after I had most justly deserved to lose them Thou wast graciously pleased to lend them to me till I had been conversant in thy Holy Word to direct and comfort me And till I had seen much of what was to be seen in this World and till more Days would have brought little but the same Sights over again And by thy Grace I had first dispatch'd such Business and Affairs as are of most importance and concern to me in this Life and was come to have much less need of my Eyes before they were taken from me and I was call'd from beholding Vanity to mind thee and make sure the one thing necessary thro my Blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen 3. YEA and still thro' thy Mercy O! Dear God I have my Hearing perfect to supply the want of my Eye-sight And altho' I have now no use of my own Eyes yet I have of others and can still see any thing with theirs And what I once learn from them I now remember much better by thy help than I used to do whilst I had my own Eyes to trust to and am in less need of any Eyes to see it for me over again And therefore instead of repining that I have lost my Eyes I will adore and thank thy Goodness O! Blessed Lord which has so well provided me for this loss and doth now so comfortably make it up to me otherways But above all which gives me an Heart that can still look up to thee and take comfort in thy Promises when my Eyes can no longer look upon this World or delight in its Gayeties And which supports me in my dark estate with the Blessed Hope of receiving Eyes at the Resurrection of the Just which always see clear and never grow dim and which can bear the brightness of thy Presence and shall always Feast themselves in beholding thee and all Heavenly Glories thro' Jesus Christ my only Saviour and Redeemer Amen 3. For Good use of their Blindness and proper Helps under it AND whilst thou takest from me the use of my Eyes O! Merciful Lord take from me also the Lust of my Eyes And let me by no means doat any more on Riches or on Beauty or on the Pomp and Gayety of any Earthly things since now I can no longer Feast my Eyes therewith But instead of coveting and greedily hearkning after the same make me as a Dead Man to them For Death has already invaded my Earthly Tabernacle and is come up at the Windows And I have out-lived my Eyes which as they had commonly been the first inlets of sin so now thy justice has made them the first inlets of Death too And since my Eyes are kept from looking abroad keep my mind from looking abroad too Let my thoughts busie themselves at home in searching out and setting straight mine own ways and in meditating on thy Laws and Promises I cannot say as others may that I am still called off from this good Employment of them by the sight of outward Objects or by the Cares of men of Business Oh! then that I may be more intent therein as wanting much of other Persons hindrances and excuses And make me remember O! my God that thus to know and behold thee is to see with Angels eyes And that altho' Flesh and Blood cannot see God yet Faith doth And that whilst thou art pleased to clear up my Faith which is the eye of my Soul and to make it strong and lively to discern what will please thee and what will save and comfort me in the next World it matters less tho' I remain dark to what is apt to insnare and afflict me in this World And whilst I want my Eyes to inform me at every turn what passes Lord quicken my Attention that I may give the more heed when I am told of the same and strengthen my Memory that I may not need still to be told of it again And now my own Eyes are no longer serviceable to me give me faithful Friends and Servants about me that I may safely trust to theirs And let thy Care and good Providence be to me instead of my Eyes and of all other Comforts and Conveniences which my Blindness deprives me of thro' Jesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour Amen Our Father c. III. Devotions on the loss of Hearing Scriptures WHO hath made mans mouth or who maketh the Dumb or Deaf have not I the Lord Exod. 4. 11. The hearing Ear and the seeing Eye the Lord hath made even both of them Prov. 20. 12. In that day the Ears of the deaf shall be unstopped Isa. 35. 5. And the deaf shall hear the words of the Book Isa. 29. 18. He said be opened and straightway his Ears were opened Mark 7. 34 35. But above all O! Lord give thy 〈…〉 Heart 1 King 3. 9. And that is better whilst the Ears of my Body are shut than to have Ears and not to Hear Ezek. 12. 2. Or Hearing to hear but not to understand Act. 28. 26. And when the Ears of the Body are open the Ear is not fill'd wâ—th hearing nor the Eye satisfied with seeing And the thing which has been heard or seen it is that which shall be heard or seen again and that which is done is that which shall be done and there is no new thing under the Sun Eccl. 1. 8 9. Yea and in hearing much evil is much trouble and just Lot in hearing vexed his righteous Soul from day to day with the unlâ—wful Deeds and filthy Conversation of the wicked 2 Pet. 2. 7 8. Thou shalt not curse the Deaf nor put a stumbling-block before the Blind but fear the Lord Lev. 19. 14. Glory be to the Father c. Prayers I. For Recovery of Hearing O! Righteous Lord mine Ears have been too much inclined and delighted to hear things which dishonour thee and corrupt me And where they were less bent upon evil yet however they were tâ—o easie and complying with it And therefore thou art just in stopping them because I have misused them and I must clear and glorifie thee in taking away my Hearing from me both in deserved Punishment of my having provoked thee and in careful Prevention of my further corruption of my self thereby But Lord in thy just Displeasure remember
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
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