"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Which according to His abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in Heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations; that the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold which perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the Appearing of Jesus Christ: Whom having not seen ye love; in Whom, though now ye see Him not, yot believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory; receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls." "Be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time; casting all your care upon Him, for He careth for you." "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." If any man sin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, and He is the Propitiation for our sins." 66 Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God." 'Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is. And every man that hath this hope in Him purifieth himself even as He is pure." 66 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because He laid down His Life for us." 66 In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because He sent His Only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the Propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." Here follow the glorious promises of our Lord and only Saviour JESUS CHRIST to them that overcome in the power of His grace, and are faithful unto the death, revealed in vision to Saint John in Patmos, for the comfort of Christ's Church militant here in earth, 66 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith to the Churches." I. "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Tree of Life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God." II. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the Second Death." III. "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the Hidden Manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new Name written, Which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it." IV. "He that overcometh, and keepeth My works unto the end, to Him will I give power over the nations: and he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of My Father. And I will give him the Morning Star." V. "He that overcometh the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the Book of Life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His Angels." VI. "Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the Temple of My God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the Name of My God, and the name of the City of My God, which is New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of Heaven from My God; and I will write upon Him My new Name." VII. "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with Me in My Throne, even as I overcame, and am set down with My Father in His Throne." “He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the Churches." Besides the above "Comfortable Words" of God, extracted from Holy Writ, the sick Christian, in the anticipation of death, should devoutly study the latter part of the Book of Revelation, from Chap. xx. verse 11, to the end of Chap. xxii. A Litany OF INTERCESSION FOR THE SICK. Lord, have mercy upon us. O God the Father of Heaven, have mercy, we humbly beseech Thee, upon Thy sick and suffering servant, on whose behalf we fly to Thee for succour. Have mercy upon him [or her]. (And after each of the following Invocations shall be said, Have mercy upon him or her.) O God the Son, Redeemer of the world, O God the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, O Holy, Blessed, and Glorious Trinity, Three Persons and One God, O God, Who in the beginning didst of Thy righteous judgment make sickness, pain, and death, to be the penalty of sin, O God, Who in the midst of judgment rememberest mercy, and dost not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men, O God, Who hast graciously promised, that though Thou cause grief, Thou wilt yet have compassion according to the multitude of Thy mercies, O Heavenly Father, Who of Thy tender mercy dost assure us that Thou chastenest those whom Thou lovest, and scourgest those whom Thou dost receive for Thy children, O God, Who as a most loving Father dost chasten us for our profit, that we may be partakers of Thy righteousness, O Heavenly Father, Who teachest us in Thy holy Word, that it is Thou that makest sore and bindest up, and that as Thou woundest so Thy hands make whole, O Heavenly Father, Who dost encourage us in all our troubles to fly to Thee in prayer, and to cast all our care on Thee Who carest for us, O God, Who at the prayer of Moses didst heal Miriam of her leprosy, O God, Who at the prayer of Elijah didst restore to life the widow's son, O God, Who hadst mercy even on wicked Ahab, when he humbled himself before Thee, O God, Who at the prayer of Elisha didst restore to life the son of the Shunamite, O God, Who didst hear the entreaty of Hezekiah, and didst prolong his days, O Heavenly Father, Who in the example of Job hast taught us, that if we be patient under affliction, Thou art in the end very pitiful and of tender mercy, |