an instrument of their peace. Lord, restore them to their health and understanding, take from them all violent passions, and remove all evil objects far from their eyes and ears: create a clean heart, and renew a right spirit in them: give them sober thoughts and meek spirits, contempt of the world, and love of holy things; suffer them not to do violence to any man, and let no man do violence to them : let them be safe under the conduct of Thy providence, and the public laws, and be innocent under the conduct of Thy holy spirit; that when Thou shalt return and speak peace to Thy people, they may rejoice in Thy mercies and salvation. Thou didst, O God, shew mercy to Nebuchadnezzar, and gavest to him the heart of a man, after he had sinned, and fallen into the lot of beasts and wildness; and Thy hand is not shortened, that Thou canst not help; but let Thy mercies and loving-kindness return upon Thy servants as at first, that Thou mayest rejoice in Thy mercies and salvation, because Thou hast pleasure in the prosperity of Thy servants. Grant this, almighty God and Father, for Jesus Christ his sake, our Lord and dearest Saviour. Amen. III. A prayer in behalf of heretics, and seduced persons. O MOST blessed, most gracious Saviour Jesus, who art the way, and the truth, and the life, Thou that art a light to them that sit in darkness, the light that lighteneth every man that cometh into the world; preserve Thy church in peace and truth, in love and holiness, to Thy second coming: reduce every misbeliever to the fold of Thy church; instruct every ignorant person in the ways of godly wisdom; subdue the pride of man, and bring every understanding to the obedience of Thy sacred law. Let no man's vanity or ignorance divide the church; let not any holy truth be sullied with the mixture of impure and heretical doctrines, nor evil principles disorder the beauties of religion and godly living, nor any doctrines of men be taught as the commandment of God; but grant that the truth of God may be publicly maintained, constantly taught, humbly believed, zealously practised by all men in their several stations; that in the church of God there be no contention but in giving honour to each other, and glory to God, in all the ways of faith and charity, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. IV. BLESS the ministry of Thy holy word in its ordinary dispensation; grant it may prevail mightily for the convincing of them that have no faith, for the reproving of the errors of them whose faith is not pure, for the confirming them who are weak in faith, for the perfecting them who are novices in faith; open the hearts of all gainsayers, take from them all their prejudices and all their passions, their secular interests and confident opinions, that they may humbly and meekly attend to the voice of God in the mouths of Thy servants, in the pages of scripture, in the doctrines of the Spirit; that they may do nothing against the truth, but for the truth; that they may not quench the Spirit, nor despise prophesying, nor shut their eyes against the light, and their hearts against the love of God: but grant that in all things being obedient to the heavenly calling, they may receive the blessings of truth and peace in this world and in the world to come, exalting the kingdom and partaking the glories of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. These three last prayers are to be used upon any of the great festivals of the year; especially Easter-day, Ascension-day, Whitsunday, and upon eight days after these festivals; or upon Good Friday. PRAYERS AND PSALMS TO BE USED BY THE MINISTER AND CURATE OF SOULS AT THE VISITATION OF THE SICK. IN the name of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus. Our Father which art in heaven, &c. Minister. O God, make speed to save us. Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. Then recite this psalm. REBUKE me not, O Lord, in Thine anger; neither correct me in Thy heavy displeasure.-Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord heal me, for my bones are vexed. My soul is also sore troubled; but, Lord, how long wilt Thou punish me?-Turn Thee, O Lord, and deliver my soul, O save me for Thy mercies' sake. For in death no man remembereth Thee; and who will give Thee thanks in the pit ?-Shall the dust give thanks unto Thee? or shall men declare Thy truth in the grave, in the land where all things are forgotten? My time is in Thy hand, O let me not be confounded; shew Thy servant the light of Thy countenance, and save me for Thy mercies' sake. My life is waxen weak with sorrow, and my years are consumed in mourning; mine eye is consumed with very heaviness, and my strength faileth me because of mine iniquity.-For Thine arrows stick fast in me, and Thy hand presseth me sore. There is no health in my flesh because of Thy displeasure, neither is there any rest in my bones by reason of my sins. For my wickednesses are gone over mine head, and are like a sore burden too heavy for me to bear. But I will confess my wickedness, and be sorry for my sin.Against Thee have I sinned, and done evil in Thy sight; that Thou mightest be justified in Thy saying, and clear when Thou art judged. O give me the comfort of Thy help again; cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy holy spirit from me.-Be Thou my strong rock and an house of defence, that Thou mayest save me; be Thou also my guide, and lead me for Thy name's sake. Into Thy hand I commend my spirit, for Thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, Thou God of truth.-In God is my health and my glory; He is the rock of my might, in God is my trust. Blessed is the man whom Thou choosest and receivest unto Thee; he shall dwell in Thy court, and shall be satisfied with the pleasures of Thy house, even of Thy holy temple. O praise our God ye people, and make the voice of His praise to be heard ;-Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to slip. Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. Or this. IN Thee, O Lord, have I put my trust; let me never be put to confusion, deliver me in Thy righteousness. Lord, let me know mine end, and the number of my days, that I may be certified how long I have to live.-Behold, Thou hast made my days as it were a span long, and mine age is even as nothing in respect of Thee; and verily every man living is altogether vanity. And now, Lord, what is my hope? truly my hope is even in Thee. -Deliver me from all mine offences; take Thy plague away from me; I am even consumed by the means of Thy heavy hand. When Thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin, Thou makest his beauty to consume away like as it were a moth fretting a garment; every man therefore is but vanity. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with Thine ears consider my calling, hold not Thy peace at my tears.-For I am a stranger with Thee, and a sojourner, as my fathers were.-O spare me a little, that I may recover my strength, before I go hence and be no more seen. O Lord, let it be Thy pleasure to deliver me; make haste, O Lord, to help me.-O send out Thy light and Thy truth, that they may lead me, and bring me unto Thy holy hill, and to Thy dwelling. Up Lord, why sleepest Thou? awake and be not absent from us for ever; hide not Thy face from us, and forget not our misery and trouble. For our soul is brought low, even unto the dust; our belly cleaveth unto the ground. Arise, and help us, and deliver us for Thy mercies' sake. Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. Then may the minister read John xi. from verse 1 to 47, or else this short lesson, Matthew xxv, from verse 1 to 14. "THEN the kingdom of heaven shall be likened unto ten virgins, which took their lamps, and went to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were wise and five foolish: the foolish took their lamps, but took no oil with them; but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom tarried long, all slumbered and slept; and at midnight there was a cry made, Behold, the bridegroom cometh; go out to meet him. Then all those virgius arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, Give us of your oil, for our lamps are out; but the wise answered, saying, We fear lest there will not be enough for us and you; but go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And when they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the gate was shut. Afterwards came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us; but He answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not.Watch therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of man will come." After the lesson, as he sees occasion, let him add some discourse of his own, short, and pertinent to the necessities of the sick person; ever being careful that he do him all his assistances, and call upon him to perfect that which can never be perfected but in this world, i. e. his repentance. Immediately after this exhortation, or (if it was done before, or is better reserved to another time, then) immediately after the lesson, or the psalm, according to the discretion of him that ministers, and according to the circumstances of the sick man; let him add these prayers. LET US PRAY. I. A prayer for repentance. O ALMIGHTY God, and most merciful Father, who delightest not in the death of a sinner, but that he be converted from his sin, and Thou be turned from Thine anger; give unto Thy servant a deep contrition for his [her] sins, a perfect hatred of them, a timely and an entire dereliction of them; grace to fear Thee, and grace to love Thee; powers to serve Thee, and time and grace to finish all the work of God which Thy servant ought to do; that the soul of Thy servant being washed white in the blood of Jesus, may be justified by Thy mercy, sanctified by Thy spirit, blessed by Thy providence, saved by Thy infinite and eternal goodness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. II. For patience and ease. O ALMIGHTY and most gracious Saviour, who didst suffer with meekness and patience those severe stripes of Thy Father's wrath which we did deserve, but Thou didst feel, and hast established with mankind a covenant of faith and patience, a law of sufferings, making the way of the cross to be the way of heaven: give to Thy servant Thy grace, that according to Thy excellent example and holy commandment he may bear the burden of the Lord, with an even and a willing, an obedient and a loving spirit. O let him never charge Thee foolishly, nor murmur secretly, nor make too much haste; but with faith and hope submit his body and soul to Thy merciful and just dispensation; that he may not discompose the duties of his repentance by a new sin, nor provoke Thee to anger by his impatience, nor offend them who charitably minister to him, nor neglect the doing of any thing that can be in his power or in his duty, to his body or his soul. O God, be merciful unto Thy servant, and press not him [or her] with an unequal load; but remember that we are but flesh, and vanity, that we are crushed before the moth, and die in Thy displeasure: give him ease and rest, a quiet mind and a peaceful conscience; make Thou all his bed in his sickness; and deliver him not into the will of his spiritual enemies, but glorify Thy mercies and make Thy goodness illustrious upon Thy servant, through Jesus Christ our Lord. |