suggested that the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel for the Day or for the Week may fitly be used. It is a question, indeed, whether in some such cases the whole Communion Service ought not to said; since the words of the Seventy-first Canon seem to imply a clear distinction between the cases of the impotent and the dangerously sick; and the language of the Office for the Communion of the Sick appears to limit its use to the latter case, and the Church has provided no other Office whereby the permissive direction of the Canon to celebrate the Communion for the infirm can be complied with.

And in concluding this branch of the subject, we may observe, that there are few acts of ministerial duty which convey to the minds of his parishioners a greater notion of a Clergyman's earnestness, and more awaken sentiments of the reality of the Church's teaching and system, than this very point. The greatest activity in visiting the healthy will be attended with only a comparatively small blessing, if there be not all possible system carried out with regard to the aged and infirm. These, with the sick, we would say, should occupy the first thoughts of the Minister of religion, apart from the public worship of GOD. The question how those who are incapacitated from attending the public Services should have the blessings of the Church, and the rites of our holy religion administered to them, once determined on, and a system settled for carrying out this good work, the measure of time and attention for all other parts of his sacred calling may be easily and happily adjusted.

It will sometimes happen that the Minister having notice of a case of sudden sickness, on his arrival finds the person either delirious or insensible. In such a case it seems but fitting that prayers should be offered up; and the surrounding friends or relatives look for, and indeed sometimes solicit the prayers of the Minister. Yet, as the Visitation Office evidently contemplates the sick man being capable of at least mentally joining in the prayers, and of receiving instruction and exhortation, it is plain that it is not applicable,

We have,

and ought not to be used in such a case. therefore, compiled a form which we believe may be useful in such an emergency; some prayers in cases of sudden accident are added; and a short Office which the Priest may find it desirable to use in times of pestilence, or dangerous epidemic sickness, when the sufferings and restlessness of the patient, or the shortness of the time between seizure and probable death, may render it impracticable to make the examinations, and proceed with the preparation contained and suggested in the Visitation Office.*

A case within our own experience leads us to encourage our brethren not to be backward in using prayers over those externally insensible, even though the friends should not invite it. The Priest was informed that E. F., who had been known to him in a previous illness, was much hurt from a violent kick of a horse. On reaching his bed-side he found him apparently in a fit, and quite insensible to any words spoken to him; his life was thought to be in great danger, and his family in very great affliction were around him. The Priest suggested to them that they should pray for him, as he was not then in a state to join in prayer; and on their willingly assenting, said prayers over him. The man eventually recovered; and afterwards assured the Clergyman not only that at the time he was perfectly conscious that prayers were being said for him, but that the prayers then said were the greatest solace and comfort in the trouble of mind, and pain of body he was then suffering.

It will be found that those who are likely to undergo an operation will be most anxious for the ministrations of the Clergyman, and very thankful for an Office having reference to their particular trial. The one given in this volume has been long used in such cases with much good effect. It is to be observed that, in general, persons awaiting any great operation have a

*If the patient is sensible, however, and in such a state as to permit any conference, the Priest will, of course, make some examination of his faith and repentance in the form p. 543, or in such other manner as time and opportunity admit.

tendency to excitement; and that a tranquillizing, soothing tone of quiet confidence in GoD should pervade all the Priest's conference with them. Such a tone has been endeavoured to be infused into this Office; which may be fitly used with them, on the morning of the day on which the operation is to take place. In cases where the operation follows long disease, it is presumed that the Priest will previously have used the Visitation Office with them; where this has not been the case, or the operation is in consequence of sudden accident, it will be well to make all necessary inquiries before the use of this Office, and to proceed with the Visitation Office after the operation. But it is to be observed that generally the patient is to be kept in complete quiet for two or three days; and that, except in case of extreme danger of death, it will be advisable for the Priest to refrain from all direct ministration with him during that period. Of course during recovery the person operated on should be visited and treated as in the case of any one recovering from general sickness.

The case of persons who have attempted suicide is one in which the immediate attendance of the Clergyman is most important in every sense: it will often be of the greatest avail in preventing a repetition of the crime; and the unfortunate persons who have attempted it frequently undergo after the attempt a great reaction of feeling, which makes them most willing to receive and observe a Minister's instructions. They are almost always persons of extreme sensibility; often of a brokendown and wounded spirit; and of all others need guidance and direction, and the seeking of the grace of GOD, to rescue them from the consequences of their crime.

The Office here given has been used extensively by one of the Compilers, who unhappily has had consider able experience in such cases. And it is believed that few cases will occur where it will not be found available. The Priest is advised to require a distinct and deliberate answer to the questions at the end of the exhortation; and as it is certain that in most cases of this kind there exists some degree of aberration of in

tellect, or wandering of the right powers of the mind, it will be well at future visits to remind them of the answers they made to these questions, and to engage them to repeat them. In most cases it will be found that the eventual cause of the crime is to be traced to the indulgence of some sin, secret or hidden; it is essential, if possible, to ascertain this, and to lead them to see the connection of their attempted crime with it, that they may effectually repent, and amend it. Since, as it has been before said, their powers of reason or judgment are impaired, it will be better, if they are much exasperated or afflicted, rather to prove to them the sinfulness of their attempt on their own showing, or admitting their case, rather than by long arguments to excite them, and disincline them to receive admonition. This will often show them indirectly their error, and force them to admit it; or it can be brought home to them at a future visit.

The great points to bring them to on a first conference, are those contained in the questions at p. 150. They should afterwards be dealt with according to the Visitation Office; and it will be well for the Minister to keep his attention on them, and to let them freely put themselves in communication with him in the event of recovery. If thus treated, it is believed such persons will often, by God's grace, be brought to walk in the unity of the Spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life; and that such cases will, even in external results, repay the anxiety and difficulty the Minister often experiences in his first visit to them.

The ancient Litany, commemorative of the Life and Passion of our Blessed LORD, will be found useful in cases of great suffering; in which pleading with GOD by means of those agonies which He Himself endured, will be consoling and strengthening to the sufferer, and help him to keep before him the example of our LORD's meekness and endurance. But this Litany should not be said over such persons as, from want of earnestness and devotion, will not enter into its spirit, nor realize its object; at least until such time as they have been brought to "look unto JESUS" as the great

Example of endurance of suffering, and taught to acknowledge their own afflictions to be only an earnest of the load of suffering which they must have borne, had not He, by bearing it in His own Person, relieved them from the full weight of it.

Of the Litanies before Communion, and for one not likely to live, something has already been said: to which we may now add, that this latter Litany may also be used, where the Priest is summoned to one in great danger, when from the imminence of danger, or the state of the sick man, it is impossible to make the examinations and instructions contemplated in the Visitation Office. In this case, besides the general Inquiries to be made of the sick man and those about him, S. Anselm's short form may fitly be used, and then this Litany said over the dying person. And again, it may be said in cases where the sick person has not been in communion with the Church, but desires the ministration of her Minister, and whom he cannot (on account of his great danger or extreme weakness) examine and instruct fully in her faith, but whose general professions of faith, repentance, and charity are satisfactory.

We have added a Litany to be said over a sick child, which, in our experience, we have found much to help their devotions. To attain this object we have, as far as we were able, excluded all words or phrases not likely to be understood by children; and have endeavoured to make the prayers in expressions which children themselves use. The Church has herself sanctioned particular ministrations for children, by adding a prayer for a sick child to her Visitation Office; but as, from an examination of the expressions in that prayer, it seems evident that she contemplated mainly the case of sick or dying infants "before they commit actual sin," we have thought that we should only be carrying out her general intention, and probably affording much aid to our brethren, by providing such a form as might be used with young children above the age of infancy, yet before they are of "competent age" to be treated as persons having the full responsibilities of Church-membership. Bp. Stearne's Eleventh Exhortation, p. 394, may be combined with the use of this Litany.