A Prayer for a Sick Child.

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ALMIGHTY God and merciful Father, to whom alone belong the issues of life and death; look down from heaven, we humbly beseech thee, with the eyes of mercy, upon thy child now lying upon the bed of sickness visit him, O Lord, with thy salvation; deliver him in thy good appointed time from his bodily pain, and save his soul for thy mercies' sake; that, if it shall be thy pleasure to prolong his days here on earth, he may live to thee, and be an instrument of thy glory, by serving thee faithfully, and doing good in his generation; or else receive him into those heavenly habitations, where the souls of them that sleep in the Lord Jesus enjoy perpetual rest and felicity. Grant this, O Lord, for thy mercies' sake, in the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. Ib.

A Prayer for a Sick Person, when there appeareth small hope of recovery.

FATHER of mercies, and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need; we fly unto thee for succour in behalf of this thy servant, here lying under thy hand in great weakness of body. Look graciously upon him, O Lord; and the more the outward man decayeth, strengthen him, we beseech thee, so much the more continually with thy grace and Holy Spirit in the inner man. Give him unfeigned repentance for all the errors of his life past, and stedfast faith in thy Son Jesus; that his sins may be done away by thy mercy, and his pardon sealed in heaven, before he go hence, and be no more seen. We know, O Lord, that there is no word impossible with thee; and that, if thou wilt, thou canst even yet raise him up, and grant him a longer continuance amongst us; yet, forasmuch as in all appearance the time of his dissolution draweth near, so fit and prepare him, we beseech thee, against the hour of death, that after his departure hence in peace, and in thy favour, his soul may be received into thine everlasting kingdom, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thine only Son, our Lord and Saviour. Amen. Ib.

N.B. The following Prayers taken (with the exception of that from the Book of Common Prayer) from Sutton's Disce Mori, have their fullest force when used by one to whom is committed the sacred office of the ministry. So far as they may legitimately be used, they will be found of exceeding comfort and value when used, in the unavoidable absence of a Clergyman, by the head of the family.

DEATH.

Prayers and Form of Commending the Sick into the hands of God at the hour of Death.

YOD the Father who hath created thee, God the Son who hath redeemed thee, God the Holy Ghost who hath infused his grace into thee, assist thee in all thy trial, and lead thee the way to everlasting peace. Amen.

CHRIST that died for thee, keep thee from all evil. Amen.

CHRIST that redeemed thee, strengthen thee in all temptations. Amen.

CHRIST that loved thee so dearly, have mercy upon thee. Amen.

CHRIST JESUSs that rose from the dead the third day, raise thee, body and soul, in the resurrection of the just. Amen.

CHRIST that sitteth at the right hand of God in heaven, bring thee unto everlasting joy. Amen.

GOD the Father preserve and keep thee, God the Son assist and strengthen thee, the blessed Spirit of the Lord God the Holy Ghost be with thee, the Holy Trinity aid thee in life and death. Amen.

GOD grant thy place may be in Abraham's bosom. Amen.

GOD grant thou mayest behold thy Saviour in the state of glory. Amen.

GOD grant thy death may be precious in his sight, in whom thou art to rest for ever. Amen.

The Prayer.

ALMIGHTY God, with whom do live the spirits of just men made perfect, after they are delivered from

their earthly prisons; we humbly commend the soul of this thy servant, our dear brother, into thy hands, as into the hands of a faithful Creator, and most merciful Saviour; most humbly beseeching thee, that it may be precious in thy sight. Wash it, we pray thee, in the blood of that immaculate Lamb, that was slain to take away the sins of the world; that whatsoever defilements it may have contracted in the midst of this miserable and naughty world, through the lusts of the flesh or the wiles of Satan, being purged and done away, it may be presented pure and without spot before thee. And teach us who survive, in this and other like daily spectacles of mortality, to see how frail and uncertain our own condition is; and so to number our days, that we may seriously apply our hearts to that holy and heavenly wisdom, whilst we live here, which may in the end bring us to life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ thine only Son our Lord. Amen.

Preserve, O Lord, the soul of thy servant as thou didst Noah in the flood. Amen.

Lot from the fire of Sodom. Amen.

Job in all his adversities. Amen.

The Israelites from the power of Pharoah

and the oppression of Egypt. Amen.

Preserve him from the malice of Satan, as thou didst
David from all his enemies. Amen.

Daniel from the mouth of the lions.

Amen.

The three children from the fiery flames. Amen.
Thine Apostles Paul and Barnabas from

prison at midnight. Amen.

From that rueful darkness, from the pains of hell, from everlasting malediction. O Lord, deliver him.

By thy nativity, by thy fasting and prayer, by thy hunger and thirst. O Lord, deliver him.

By thy cross and passion, by thy descent into hell, by thy resurrection from the dead, by thy ascension into Heaven, by thy sitting at the right hand of the Father in glory. O Lord deliver him. Amen.

Into thy merciful hands, O Heavenly Father, we commend the soul of thy servant now departing; acknowledge, we beseech thee, a sheep of thine own fold, a lamb of thine own flock. Receive him into the arms of thy mercy; knowing that cannot perish which is committed to thy

charge. O most merciful Jesu, receive, we beseech thee,

his spirit in peace.

Amen.

When giving up the Ghost.

JESUS CHRIST absolve thee from all sins.

Amen.

JESUS CHRIST remit all the evil which thou hast com.. mitted, and put out all thy offences. Amen.

JESUS CHRIST that calleth thee, receive thee into his heavenly kingdom. Amen.

The LORD bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord make his face to shine upon thee. The Lord lift up his countenance over thee, and give thee a joyful resurrection to life everlasting. Amen.

Depart, O Christian soul, in the name of God the Father who created thee, of God the Son who redeemed thee, of God the Holy Ghost who sanctified thee, one living and immortal God, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

Prayer immediately after his departure.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, seeing it hath pleased thee to take this thy servant out of the miseries of this sinful world unto thy heavenly kingdom, thy name be blessed now and evermore. Make us, we beseech thee, that yet remain, mindful of our mortality, that we may walk before thee in righteousness and holiness all the days of our life. And when the time of our departure shall come, we may rest in thee, as our hope is this thy servant (our, &c.) doth; that we, with him, and all other departed in the faith of thy holy name, may rejoice together in thy eternal and everlasting kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

While the body remains in the house, the foregoing Prayer, and that for the Anniversary of Death, may be said daily.

To be said daily while the Family is in Mourning. HEARD a voice from heaven, saying unto me, Write, from

even so saith the Spirit, for they rest from their labours.

Sorrow not ye, even as others which have no hope; for if we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so them

188 PRAYERS IN DOMESTIC AFFLICTION.

I also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with him. 1 Thess. iv.

The Prayer immediately following may also be used during this season.

On the Anniversary of a Death.
Sentences (as above.)

Appropriate Psalms.-xxiii. xlii. lxv. xc, cxlvi.

The Prayer.

(Jeremy Taylor, Bp.)

ALMIGHTY God, with whom do live the spirits of them

that depart hence in the Lord, we adore thy majesty, and submit to thy providence, and revere thy justice, and magnify thy mercies, thy infinite mercies, that it hath pleased thee to deliver our brother [or sister,] whose departure on this day we call to mind, from the miseries of this sinful world; thy counsels are secret, and thy wisdom infinite. With the same hand thou hast crowned him, and smitten us; thou hast taken him into regions of felicity, and placed him amongst Saints and Angels, and left us to mourn for our sins, and thy displeasure. Lord, turn thine anger into mercy, thy rod into comforts. And we humbly beseech thee, of thy gracious goodness, shortly to satisfy the longing desires of those holy souls who pray, and wait, and long, for thy second coming. Accomplish thou the number of thine elect, and fill up the mansions in heaven, which are prepared for all them that love the coming of the Lord Jesus, that we, with this our brother [or sister,] and all others departed this life in the obedience and faith of the Lord Jesus, may have our perfect consummation and bliss in thy eternal glory, which never shall have ending. Grant this for Jesus Christ's sake, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Such portions of the Prayers for Saturday, as are applicable, may also be used, as well as any of those for Saints' Days that are applicable.