PROPER

PRAYERS

FOR THE

USE of the SICK.

A Prayer for the Sick, when first taken Ill.

I.

Almighty Lord of heaven and earth, who giveft life, and health, and all other bleffings, and recalleft them as it pleases thee, I defire to behold thy hand in every thing that befals me, that under all thy difpenfations I may look up to thee, the Author of them, and may study to improve them to thy glory. And, now that I find myself difcompofed, and fickness has already taken hold of me, I immediately fly to thy almighty power, and unspeakable goodness, for relief. And do not thou refufe to hear me, when I call upon thee. Give me grace to account of my distemper as thy fatherly vifitation, and to hearken both to the rod, and him that has appointed it; and not only to bear thy chaftisement with patience and fubmiffion, but to feek, that I may be made Dd 2 better

better by it; to inquire into the end for which it comes, and faithfully endeavour to answer thy defign in it. As it is a scourge for my fins, let it alfo be a cure for them; so effectually awakening my foul to ferve and please thee, as that I may no more return to folly, nor ever allow myself in what tends to thy disbonour, and my own destruction. Or, if death is to be the end of this my fickness, let me die the death of the righ teous, and let my laft end be like his; that I may leave this world as becomes a true difciple of our bleffed Lord, with a steady affiance in his mediation, and an unconcerned nefs for the things of this life, an unfeigned repentance for all my fins, and a chearful refignation of my foul into thy hands, as into the hands of a loving God, and merciful Father, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

II.

Deliver me, O Lord, if it be thy bleffed Will, from my present want of health. Sanctify it to me, that it may be a means of working in me what is well-pleafing in thy fight, mortifying all vice and wickedness in me, and raifing up my thoughts and affections to a better ftate, and making me more intent than ever, upon approving myself to thee. And, this good end being once accomplished, may it pleafe thee to raise me from my bed, and enable me to put all my good purposes in execution, to thy honour and glory, and my own falvation, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. Amen.

III.

BUT, Lord, if I am not any longer to continue here, grant me a safe and an easy paffage hence, that death may be to me a bleffed entrance into thy heavenly kingdom. I am not fond of life, for any other end, but to ferve thee, and fave my own foul. But, if it may tend to either of thefe ufes, deny me neither the enjoyment of my former foundnefs and

ftrength,

strength, nor grace to make a fuitable improvement of it. And whenever thou haft determined to take me hence, take me, I moft humbly befeech thee, into thy favour, through thy Son Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

I

IV.

AM thine, O Lord; fave me, and suffer me not to be put to confufion; but fit me for whatever thou defigneft for me. Cleanfe and purge me from all corruption, take away all my drofs, and renew a right spirit within me. Try me, O God, and feek the ground of my heart; prove me, and examine my thoughts: look well if there be any way of wickednefs in me, and lead me in the way everlasting, through our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

Upon fending for the Minifter to vifit the fick Perfon.

I.

ALmighty and moft merciful Father, who of thy Divine Providence haft appointed an order of men to officiate in thy name, not only as thine embaffadors, to call upon people, and intreat them to be reconciled to thee, but moreover to make known thy Word and Will to them, to adminifter thy holy facraments, to be advocates to thee for them, and to perform all thofe offices, which are neceffary for building them up, in their most holy faith; let it not be in vain, that I have now fent to defire the good man's company and affiftance. All his endeavours without thee muft inevitably prove as nothing. Could he speak with the tongue of men and angels, it were to = no purpose, unless thy bleffing go along with what fhall be delivered. Nor will all his kind offices do me any fervice, if not accompanied with thy grace. Hence I beg of thee, moft gracious God, to be with him, and profper him, in all his underDd 3

takings

takings for my good. Open his mouth, that he may fpeak a word in feafon. Hear all his prayers that he fhall offer up for me; and grant me all the ineftimable bleffings he fhall implore in my behalf. And open mine ears likewife, that I may duly attend to whatsoever he fhall tell me out of thy law, and difpofe my heart carefully and confcientiously to perform it through our Lord Jefus Chrift. Amen.

II.

ET thy Holy Spirit be present with him, to affist his kind intentions, that they may prove effectual for fitting and preparing me for my laft great change; which cannot poffibly be far off, but may perhaps be already at the door. It is thy own command by the mouth of thy holy Apostle, that, if any be fick, be call for the elders of the church, to pray over him, with a promife, that the prayer of faith shall save the fick; and, if be bath committed fins, they shall be forgiven him; and with a declaration moreover, that the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous man, and moft certainly not the lels, if he be dedicated to holy ministrations, to tranfact matters betwixt thee and thy church, availeth much. In obedience to thy command, I have pow fent to my proper paftor, the minister of thy word and facraments amongst us, to crave his help in my great neceffity. And I most humbly beg of thee, that, of thy wonted clemency and goodness, thou wilt condescend to blefs our meeting, and make it fuccessful to thofe weighty ends whereto it is intended, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

Upon Appearance of Recovery.

I.

ALmighty and ever-bleffed Lord God, from whom

alone are the iffues of life and death, who killeft and makeft alive, bringeft to the grave, and bringeft back again; I defire, with a heart full of unfeigned gratitude,

gratitude, to proclaim thy great goodness towards me at this time. I praise thee for thy feasonable correction, whereby to put me in mind of my natural frailty and mortality, to wean my affections from this vain tranfitory world, and to put me upon the more diligent preparation of myself for another and a better. Bleffed be thy Name, that thou didst not immediately cut me off without warning, as thou mighteft juftly have done; and not only haft allowed me a space of reflection, whereby to get my foul into the fitter posture for appearing before thy dreadful tribunal, 2 but now giveft me hopes of a space to reduce my holy purposes and refolutions into practice. May it feem good in thy fight, to perfect that recovery thou feemeft to have begun in me, and to grant me a longer continuance here; not for the gratification of any worldly or fenfual inclinations or affections in me; but to the end that, by good improvement of the time thou shalt allow me, I may obtain a completer conqueft over all fort of vice and wickedness, and a greater readiness to the performance of my duty to thee; may cleanfe myself from all filthinefs of flesh and fpirit: and may perfect holiness in thy fear, through Jefus Chrift our Lord, Amen.

II.

AS my fole dependence is upon thee, O Lord, and all my hopes of health are from thee alone, fo I acknowledge all my fervices to be due to thee, and that I must leave myfelf without excufe, if I do not carefully employ all the time thou fhalt afford me in this world, to thy honour and glory. Do thou therefore incline my heart to have a conftant refpect to this great end of my living here, that I may not trifle away the life thou giveft me, for working out my falvation, much lefs mif-fpend it in any vicious or finful courfe, but that I may behave myself always as in thy prefence, and as remembering the great account II muft one day give up to thee, and I know not how Dd 4 foon.