Look graciously upon him, O Lord, and visit him with thy salvation. Vouchsafe him such consolations from above, as we should desire for ourselves, were we in his extremity. Give him a true penitent heart for all the offences that he hath at any time committed; together with a lively faith in thy Son Jesus, who came into the world to save sinners. Give him the comfort of a holy hope, that thou acceptest his repentance, and faithful devotion to thee. Support him by this hope under all his pain, and enable him patiently to submit to thy fatherly correction. Send him help now in time of need, both for his soul and for his body. Bless the means for his recovery; and, if it be thy good pleasure, restore him speedily to his former health, and inspire him with a serious resolution to serve thee more zealously all his days.

Or if thou hast otherwise resolved in thy wise counsels, deliver him from the fear of death, assist him in his last agony, give him an easy and cheerful passage out of this life, and send thy holy angels to conduct him into rest and peace with our Lord Jesus, for the same Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

(From Bishop Taylor.)

ALMIGHTY God, Father of mercies, the God of peace and comfort, of rest and pardon, we thy servants, in duty to thee, and charity to our brother, humbly beg mercy of thee for him, to descend upon his body and his soul. We come to thee in the name of Jesus, praying thee to pardon the sins of this thy servant, and to bury them in the grave of Him that died for us, that they may never rise up in judgment against him, nor bring him, in the day of trial, to shame and confusion of face. Amen.

II.

GIVE thy servant, O Lord, patience in his sorrows, comfort in his sickness, and restore him to health, if it seem good to thee. And, however thou shalt determine concerning him, yet make his repentance perfect, and his faith strong, and his hope steadfast, and his passage safe; that when thou shalt call his soul from the body, it may enter into the rest of the sons of God, and the bosom of blessedness, and be with the holy Jesus. Amen.

III.

and all the infirmities of thy servant: fortify his soul with spiritual joys, and perfect resignation; and take from him all inordinate affections to this world; and enlarge his heart with desires of being with thee, in thy heavenly kingdom.

IV.

LORD, let not any pain or passion discom pose the order of his thoughts, or his duty; and lay no more upon thy servant than thou wilt make him able to bear; and together with the temptation, do thou provide a way to escape; even by the mercies of a longer and more holy life, or by the mercies of a blessed death; even as it pleaseth thee, O Lord, so let it be. Amen.

V.

LORD, let the tenderness of his conscience and the Spirit of God, call to mind his sins, that they may be confessed and repented of; and let thy powerful grace remove from his soul every root of bitterness; and in the union of the holy Jesus, and in the love of God, and in the communion of all the saints, let his soul be presented to thee blameless, and entirely pardoned, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A larger Form of Prayer for the Sick.

(From Bishop Patrick.)

O LORD, the Father of our spirits, who givest us life, and breath, and all things, and hast not thought a crown of everlasting life too much to promise us; we believe that thou wilt not deny us what is needful and fit for us, both for our souls and our bodies, in our passage through this world, to that of honour, glory, and immortality. In this confidence, we more particularly recommend this thy sick servant to thy infinite and most compassionate mercy. Settle in his soul a steadfast faith, that thou dost not willingly grieve the children of men, but intendest good to him by this thy fatherly correction. And now since all other pleasures and enjoyments fail him, represent thyself more effectually unto him, as the only support and stay of his hope, and rock of salvation. Wherein soever he hath neglected thee, or committed any offence against thee, make him deeply sensible of it, and heartily sorrowful for all his transgressions. And as he earnestly desires pardon and forgiveness of thee, so work in him a serious resolution to live more circum

O LORD, thou knowest all the necessities, spectly and righteously for the time to

come. Assist him graciously, O Lord, that he may give a proof of his sincere intentions hereafter to submit himself in all things to thy will, by his patient submission to thy fatherly correction. O, that he may so quietly, so meekly, so humbly, and cheerfully resign his will unto thee, to suffer what thou inflictest, that he may be the more disposed to do readily whatsoever thou commandest. For which end, make him thoroughly apprehensive of thy sovereign power and authority over all creatures. Possess him with a great reverence of thy wisdom and justice, with an entire confidence in thy goodness and love, with a thankful remembrance of all thy past mercies to him, that so he may the better endure what thou layest upon him at present, and may ever follow thy directions, and submit to thy orders, and delight to do thy will, O God.

changes and chances of this mortal life, they may ever be defended by thy most gracious and ready help; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(From Doctor Hammond.)

O LORD, bless, keep, and defend this thy servant with thy heavenly grace and benediction, that he may continue thine for ever, and daily increase in thy Holy Spirit more and more, until he comes to thy everlasting kingdom.

Bless the remedies which are used for restoring him to his former health, that he may live to perform his duty with greater care: or, if thou hast otherwise appointed, accept graciously of his purposes of amendment, and dispose him to return back his spirit willingly unto thee who gavest it; and with great humility and deep sense of his own undeservings, to expect thy mercy declared in Christ Jesus. Fix his mind steadfastly upon him, who hath led the way through the grave unto heaven, that he may not be affrighted with the approaches of death, but, looking beyond it to that high and holy place where the Lord Jesus is, may rejoice in hope of eternal glory.

And grant that every one of us, in our best state of health, may consider perpetually how frail and weak we are; that so we may not abuse ourselves by an intemperate use of any sensual pleasures, nor load our minds with the cares of this life, nor spend our days in a vain pursuit of the honour and glory of this world: but may pass all the time of our sojourning here, in fear; and may live so righteously and soberly in this present world, as becomes those who expect shortly to give an account to thee, who wilt judge all men according to their works. Hear us, O Lord, we most humbly beseech thee, through Christ Jesus our merciful and compassionate Redeemer.

Amen,

ASSIST us mercifully, O Lord, in these our supplications and prayers, and dispose the way of thy servants towards the attainment of everlasting salvation, that among all the

Let thy mighty hand and outstretched arm, Lord, be ever his defence; thy mercy and loving-kindness in Jesus Christ thy dear son, his salvation; thy true and holy word, his instruction; thy grace and Holy Spirit, his comfort and consolation, both now, and at the hour of death.

Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever.*

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Amen.

PROPER PSALMS FOR THE SICK.

O LORD, rebuke me not in thine indignation; neither chasten me in thy displeasure. Psalm vi, 1.

2. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak: O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed. Psalm vi. 2.

3. My soul also is sore troubled: but, Lord, how long wilt thou punish me? Psalm vi. 3.

4. Thine arrows stick fast in me: and thy hand presseth me sore. Psalm xxxviii. 2.

5. There is no health in my flesh, because of thy displeasure: neither is there any rest in my bones, by reason of my sin. Psalm xxxviii. 3.

6. For my wickednesses are gone over my head, and are like a sore burden too heavy for me to bear. Psalm xxxviii. 4.

7. I am feeble and sore smitten: I have roared for the very disquietness of my heart. Psalm xxxviii. 8.

8. My heart panteth, my strength hath

* Heb. xiii. 20, 21.

10. Make me a clean heart, O God: and A Prayer for a Person in the beginning of renew a right spirit within me.

tears, sickness and death, into the world, as a punishment for man's sins, and hast com. prehended all under sin, and this sad cove nant of sufferings,-not to destroy us, but that thou mightest have mercy upon all, making thy justice to minister to mercy, short afflictions to an eternal weight of glory; as thou hast been pleased to turn the sins of this thy servant into sickness, so turn, we beseech thee, his sickness to the advantage of holiness and religion, of mercy and pardon, of faith and hope, of grace and glory. Thou hast now called him to suffer. Lord, relieve his sorrow and support his spirit, direct his thoughts and sanctify his sickness, that the punishment of his sin may be to him a school of virtue. Make him behave as a son under discipline, humbly and obediently, evenly and patiently, that he may be brought by this means nearer to thee; that if he shall recover his former health, he may return to the world with A Prayer for a sick Person when there greater strength of spirit, to run a new race of stricter holiness, and more severe religion; or if he shall pass hence through the gates of death, he may rejoice in the hope of being admitted into that heavenly society, in which all thy saints and servants shall be comprehended to eternal ages. Grant this, for Jesus Christ's sake, our blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

him ease and strength; but let not his con fidence in them lessen any thing of his dependence on thee, but make him sensible that every good gift is from thee, and that it is thou that givest us help in time of need. To whom, therefore, but to thee, should we flee in the day of our visitation? since it is thy blessing only that maketh the means we use effectual; and, however vain the use of them is without thee, if thou biddest them, the things or accidents which we do not think of, or regard, shall recover us. O, therefore, as their part, who administer to him, is the care, so let thine, O God, be the blessing, and his the comfort: and as he regards them as thy instruments, so let him own thee for the Author of his mercies, and to thee give thanks, and pay his vows and services: through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer for Thankfulness in Sickness.

O GOD, wonderful both in thy mercies and judgments, grant that the sense of thy servant's present afflictions may not cause him to forget thy former mercies, which thou hast bestowed upon him: O, therefore, let the remembrance of those many and great blessings that he hath so long enjoyed at thy nand, be now the proper motives and incenaves to the virtues of patience and humility, causing him cheerfully to resign himself to thy blessed will under all the dispensations of thy providence, though ever so hard; and patiently to wait for the return of thy loving-kindness in Jesus, which is better than life. Amen.

appears some Hope of Recovery.

(From Bishop Patrick.)

We thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast heard our prayers for thine afflicted servant, and given him some respite and hopes of recovery from this great illness. Blessed be thy goodness, that he hath not made his bed in the dust, but is likely to continue still amongst us, in the land of the living. Blessed be thy goodness for so great (and lately unexpected) mercy to him.

And, O thou Preserver of man! who hast begun to revive and quicken him again; go on to perfect his cure, and forsake not the work of thy own hands. Repair all the decays in his outward man, that his mind may also recover its former strength, to praise and bless thy goodness to him.

And visit him, in the mean time, with thy heavenly consolation from above. Fill him with comfortable thoughts of thy love, and of the tender compassionate care which our Lord Jesus takes of all his afflicted servants.

Endue him stall with more patient submission to thy will, and enable him both quietly to wait upon thee, till

A Prayer for a Blessing on the Means used thou hast finished his recovery, and also to

for a sick Person's Recovery.

(From Mr. Kettlewell.)

O GRACIOUS Lord, by whose word man lives, and not by any human means alone; direct, we pray thee, the counsels of those who prescribe to this thy servant, and prosper the medicines which are used to procure

continue steadfastly resolved to serve thee more faithfully with his restored strength; through Jesus Christ our blessed Saviour and Redeemer. Amea