Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

be thy pleasure to rescue the soul of thy servant from all the evils he hath deserved, and all the evils he fears. Stir up in him such effectual contrition for sin, and fervent love for thee, as may make him to be accepted with thee; so that among the songs, which to eternal ages thy saints and holy angels shall sing to the honor of thy mercy, it may be ascribed to thy glory, that thou hast redeemed thy servant from the second death, and made him partaker of the gift of God, eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRAYER FOR A SICK CHILD.

O 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 this child, now lying upon the bed of sickness; visit him, O Lord, with thy salvation; de

liyer him in thy good appointed time from his bodily pain, and sanctify this thy fatherly chastisement to him; 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 to thyself among those who have fallen asleep in the Lord Jesus, and who shall be raised by thee to endless life and happiness at the last day. Grant this, O Lord, for thy mercy's sake, in the name of thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

PRAYER FOR A LUNATIC.

O LORD, the only wise God, from whom we have received all the faculties of our souls; thou art good and righteous in all

thy dispensations, though the reasons of them may be unknown to us thine imperfect creatures. We humbly beseech thee to dispel, if it

be agreeable to thine infinite wisdom, the clouds in which the soul of thy servant is now involved; that he may regain his understanding, and the right use of his faculties. Heal his disordered mind, compose his passions, pacify his imaginations; prosper the means used for his recovery; make him tractable in the use of remedies, and willing to comply with the advice of his friends. But if no means can effect his cure, let him possess his soul in peace, and in every interval of reason address his prayer unto thee; that when his earthly tabernacle shall be dissolved, he may rejoice in his former inability to pursue the pleasures of the world, and be presented unto thee pure and undefiled. Hear our prayer when we call upon thee; hear us for him, who is not able to pray for himself, for the sake

of thine infinite mercy in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRAYER FOR PERSONS TROUBLED IN MIND OR IN CONSCIENCE.

O BLESSED Lord, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comforts, we beseech thee to look down in pity and compassion upon this

thine afflicted servant.

Thou writest bitter things. against him, and makest him to possess his former iniquities; thy wrath lieth hard upon him, and his soul is full of trouble. But, O merciful God, who hast written thy holy word for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of thy holy scriptures might have hope; give him a right understanding of himself, and of thy threats and promises, that he may neither cast away his confidence in thee, nor place it any where but in thee. Give him strength against all his temptations, and heal all his troubles. Break not the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax. Shut not up thy tender mercies in displeasure;

but make him to hear of joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Deliver him from all disquieting fears, and lift up the light of thy countenance upon him, and give him peace, through the mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

PRAYER FOR ONE UNDER THE DREAD OF GOD'S WRATH.

O ALMIGHTY God, the aid of all who are in need, and the helper of all who flee to thee for succor; accept we beseech thee, our humble supplications for this thy servant laboring under the dreadful apprehensions of thy wrath. O Lord, enter not into judgment with him; but make him sensible, that though the wages of sin are death, the gift of God is eternal life; that thou wouldst not the death of a sinner, and art not willing that any should perish; that thou dost always punish less than we deserve, and

in the midst of judgment dost remember mercy. Revive his soul with a sense of thy love, and the hopes of obtaining thy pardon, and the joy of thy salvation; that he may be raised from this dejection, and show with gladness what thou hast done for his soul; and this we humbly ask in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen

[blocks in formation]

GREAT and mighty God, who bringest down to the grave and bringest up again; we bless thy wonderful goodness, for having turned our heaviness into joy and our mourning into gladness, by restoring this our brother to some degree of his former health. Blessed be thy name, that thou didst not forsake him in his sickness; but didst visit him with comforts from above; didst support him in patience and submission to thy will,

and at last didst send him relief. Perfect, we beseech thee, this thy mercy towards him, and prosper the means which shall be made use of for his cure; that being restored to health of body, vigor of mind, and cheerfulness of spirit, he may offer

thee a spiritual oblation with great gladness, and bless thy holy name for all thy goodness towards him, through Jesus Christ our Saviour, through whom we ascribe unto thee all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.

END OF THE VISITATION OF THE SICK.

17*

BURIAL OF THE DEAD.

When the Procession is entering the Church, the Minister shall utter these Sentences.

the name of the Lord. 1 Tim. vi. 7; Job, i. 21.

I AM the resurrection taken away; blessed be and the life, saith the Lord; he who believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. John, xi. 25, 26.

I KNOW that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin, worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. Job, xix. 25, 26.

WE brought nothing into this world, and it is certain that we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath

Then shall be said the following Passages from the 39th and 90th Psalms.

PSALM 39.

LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, that I may know how frail I

am.

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.

For man walketh in a vain shadow, and disqui

« AnteriorContinuar »