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109

110

A Prayer in the Beginning of Sickness...... 111

Ejaculations in Time of Sickness ..

A Prayer for Blessing on Medicines.

Offender

for Repentance in Sickness

for Pardon of Sins....

112

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122

which may be used by a notorious

A Prayer for Trust in God in Sickness...... to be used by a Sick Person, Morning or Evening, or at any other Time.....

in short Paragraphs to be used in one,

or separately

123

126

to be used by one who is dangerously ill 130 for Divine Support, by a Sick Person

near Death

.....

131 for Assistance at the Hour of Death.. 132

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A Prayer for Persons troubled in Mind, or in
Conscience....

....

to be used by a Person who has been dangerously ill, and is now in a State of recovery

134

135

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to be used by a Person who is recovered 137 Bp. Gibson's Serious Advice recommended to

a Person recovered from Sickness

139

3

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A short

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139

A short Form of Questions, which may be put to one who is at the Point of Death...... Another Form of Questions for the Visitation of the Sick, somewhat larger, taken from Laud's Summary of Devotions, by Dr. Stearne... 140 Postscript ... ..... 145

THE

ORDER

FOR THE

VISITATION OF THE SICK, &c.

When any person is sick, notice shall be given thereof to the Minister of the Parish.

¶ As "

every good gift and every per"fect gift is from above," the Minister cannot enter upon this office of visiting a Sick Person better than by privately addressing God beforehand, that he would grant him grace to enable him to discharge this most important duty to the advantage of the Person he is to visit, and to the satisfying of his own conscience; for which purpose, if he be not provided with one, here follows

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A short prayer for the blessing of God on the endeavours of a Minister to assist any Sick Person, which may be used just before he visits him.

MAKE me, O Lord, ever ready to do to others, whatever in like circum-. stances I should wish them to do for me; particularly to visit me in my sickness, and assist me under it by their spiritual advice. May I now be enabled so to speak to him with whom I am going to converse, as to excite in him “ repent<< ance towards God, and faith towards our Lord Jesus Christ."-Give me a considerate mind to weigh what is fit to be said, and make me wise and serious, pious and charitable in what I speak, that it may be edifying, and give no just cause of offence. How shall I so apply myself as to be useful to him? Lord, direct me! Assist and bless me in the means and endeavours I shall use to attain this desirable end. Open thou, O Lord, his eyes; soften his heart; strengthen his weakness; restore him to health, if it be

From Dr. Stonhouse's" Sick Man's Friend?? Page 176. Edit. 1788,

thy

thy good pleasure; [or, grant him such ease and comfort as shall seem good unto thee in his present weak condition, from which thou seemest to deny all hopes of recovery, and leavest us little or no room to pray for it,] and give him growth in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The words, "If it be thy good pleasure," are not in Dr. Stonhouse's prayer. I have added them to qualify the foregoing petition," restore him "to health," although indeed all our petitions are to be offered up in submission to the will of God. But as in some cases all hopes of recovery seem to be denied, and little or no ground seems left us to pray for it, I think the above petition is not suitable on all occasions. It is no uncommon thing for a Minister to visit a Sick Person labouring under a disorder of a very long continuance, of a recovery from which the least hope cannot be entertained from any human skill, and we have no warrant now to expect miracles to be wrought in favour of the sick. Instead, therefore, of praying absolutely for health to those who are under such circumstances, would it not be better to vary the expression, thus, "Grant him such ease and "comfort as shall seem good unto thee in his present weak condition, from which thou seemest "to deny all hopes of recovery, and leavest us "little or no room to pray for it."

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