my sin 1. O Lord, rebuke me not in thine indignation, neither chasten me in thy displeasure. Lord, be merciful unto me, heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee3.

Have mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness, according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences 4. O remember not the sins and offences of my youth: but according to thy mercy think thou upon me, O Lord, for thy goodness. Wash me throughly from my wickedness: and cleanse me from my sin. Make me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, from thy all-hallowing and lifegiving presence and take not thy holy Spirit, thy sanctifying, thy guiding, thy comforting, thy supporting and confirming Spirit, from me.

O God, thou art my God for ever and ever: thou shalt be my guide unto death'. Lord, comfort me now that I lie sick upon my bed: make thou my bed in all my sicknesses. O deliver my soul from the place of hell: and do thou receive me9. My heart is disquieted within me, and the fear of death is fallen upon me1o. Behold thou hast made my days as it were a span long, and my age is even as nothing in respect of thee; and verily, every man living is altogether vanity. When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth fretting a garment: every man therefore is but vanity. And now, Lord, what is my hope? truly my hope is even in thee. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with thine ears consider my calling: hold not thy peace at my tears. Take this plague away from me: I am consumed by the means of thy heavy hand. I am a stranger with thee and a

1 Psalm 38. 2, 3, 4, 18.

2 Psalm 6. 1.

8 Psalm 41. 4.

4 Psalm 51. 1.

5 Psalm 25. 7.

6 Psalm 51. 2, 10, 11.

7 Psalm 48. 14.

8 Psalm 41. 3.

9 Psalm 49. 5.

10 Psalm 55. 14.

O spare me a lit

go hence

sojourner, as all my fathers were. tle, that I may recover my strength before I and be no more seen1. My soul cleaveth unto the dust: O quicken me according to thy word'. And when "the snares of death compass me round about," let not "the pains of hell take hold upon me3."

An act of Faith concerning Resurrection and the Day of Judgment, to be said by sick Persons or meditated.

"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: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, though my reins be consumed within me." Job 19. 25, &c.

"God shall come and shall not keep silence: there shall go before him a consuming fire, and a mighty tempest shall be stirred up round about him: he shall call the heaven from above, and the earth, that he may judge his people." O blessed Jesu, thou art my judge, and thou art my advocate: have mercy upon me in the hour of my death, and in the day of judgSee John 5. 28, and 1 Thess. 4. 15.

ment.

Short Prayers to be said by Sick Persons.

I.

O holy Jesus, thou art a merciful High Priest and touched with the sense of our infirmities; thou knowest the sharpness of my sickness and the weakness of my person. The clouds are gathered about me, and thou hast covered me with thy storm: my understanding hath not such apprehension of things as formerly. Lord, let thy mercy support me, thy Spirit guide me, and lead me through the valley of this

1 Psalm 39. 5, 11, 7, 12, 10, 12, 13. 2 Psalm 119. 25.

3 Psalm 116 3.
4 Psalm 50. 3, 4.

7

death safely; that I may pass it patiently, holily, with perfect resignation: and let me rejoice in the Lord, in the hopes of pardon, in the expectation of glory, in the sense of thy mercies, in the refreshments of thy Spirit, in a victory over all temptations.

II.

Thou hast promised to be with us in tribulation. Lord, my soul is troubled, and my body is weak, and my hope is in thee, and my enemies are busy and mighty; now make good thy holy promise. Now, O holy Jesus, now let thy hand of grace be upon me: restrain my ghostly enemies, and give me all sorts of spiritual assistances. Lord, remember thy servant in the day when thou bindest up thy jewels.

III.

O take from me all tediousness of spirit, all impatience and unquietness: let me possess my soul in patience, and resign my soul and body into thy hands, as into the hands of a faithful Creator, and a blessed Redeemer.

IV.

O holy Jesu, thou didst die for us; by thy sad pungent and intolerable pains which thou enduredst for me, have pity on me, and ease my pain, or increase my patience. Lay on me no more than thou shalt enable me to bear. I have deserved it all and more, and infinitely more. Lord, I am weak and ignorant, timorous and inconstant, and I fear lest something should happen that may discompose the state of my soul, that may displease thee: Do what thou wilt with me, so that thou dost but preserve me in thy fear and favour. Thou knowest that it is my great fear; but let thy spirit secure, that nothing may be able to separate me from the love of God in Jesus Christ: then smite me here, that thou mayest spare me for

ever: and yet, O Lord, smite me friendly; for thou knowest my infirmities. Into thy hands I commend my spirit, for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth. Come, holy Spirit, help me in this conflict. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly.

Let the Sick man often meditate upon these following Promises and gracious Words of God.

"My help cometh of the Lord, who preserveth them that are true of heart." Psalm 7. 11.

"And all they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast never failed them that seek thee." Psalm 9. 10.

"O how plentiful is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, and that thou hast prepared for them that put their trust in thee, even before the sons of men!" Psalm 31. 21.

"Behold the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him, and upon them that put their trust in his mercy, to deliver their souls from death." Psalm 33. 21.

"The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart, and will save such as are of an humble spirit." Psalm 34. 17.

66

Thou, Lord, shalt save both man and beast: how excellent is thy mercy, O God! and the children of men shall put their trust under the shadow of thy wings." Psalm 36. 7.

66

They shall be satisfied with the plenteousness of thy house and thou shalt give them to drink of thy pleasures as out of the rivers."

66

v. 8.

For with thee is the well of life: and in thy light we shall see light." v. 9.

"Commit thy way unto the Lord, and put thy trust in him, and he shall bring it to pass.' Psalm 37. 5.

"But the salvation of the righteous cometh of the Lord who is also their strength in the time of trouble." v. 40.

"So that a man shall say, Verily there is a reward for the righteous: doubtless there is a God that judgeth the earth." Psalm 58. 10.

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." Psalm 65. 4.

66

They that sow in tears shall reap in joy." Psalm

126.6.

"It is written, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." Heb. 13. 5.

"The prayer of faith shall save the sick; and the Lord shall raise him up and if he have committed sins, they shall be forgiven him." James 5. 15.

"Come and let us return unto the Lord: for he hath torn, and he will heal us; he hath smitten, and he will bind us up." Hos. 6. 1.

"If we sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the propitiation for our sins." 1 John 2. 1, 2.

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1. 9.

"He that forgives shall be forgiven." Luke 6. 37. "And this is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us." 1 John 5. 14.

66 And ye know that he was manifested to take away our sins." 1 John 3. 5.

"If ye, being evil, know how to give good things to your children, how much more shall your Father, which is in heaven, give good things to them that ask him?" Matt. 7. 11.

“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners." 1 Tim. 1. 15.

"He that hath given us his Son, how shall not he with him give us all things else?" Rom. 8. 32.