thy servant, and cause "a way for" him "to escape" out of this dangerous condition. "O spare him a little, and his soul shall live." Amen.

A prayer for a sick person when sickness continues
long upon him.

(From Bishop Patrick.)

Look down, O Lord, we humbly beseech thee, with an eye of compassion on thy poor distressed servant, who hath lain so long under this severe affliction; and by how much the outward man is decayed and brought low by the tediousness of the distemper's continuing on him, by so much the more do thou be pleased to support him in the inner man by the gracious assistance of thy Holy Spirit. Give him unfeigned repentance for all the errors of his past life, and steadfast faith in thy Son Jesus Christ; a comfortable assurance of the truth of ail his precious promises, a lively hope of that immortal bliss in which he reigns for evermore, and a strong sense of thy fatherly love to him, and care over him, which may make him heartily love thee, and entirely confide in thee, and absolutely resign both soul and body to thy wise disposal.

We know there is nothing too hard for thee; but that if thou wilt, thou canst bring him up even from the gates of death, and grant him a longer continuance among us. May it be thy good pleasure, O most gracious God, still to continue him here; spare him, O Lord, and deliver him also speedily from this misery, under which he hath so long groaned. Bless all the means that are used for his recovery and for the sup port of his spirits, and give him refreshment during this tedious sickness. Release him from his pain, or grant him some ease, or else increase and strengthen his patience. Help him, in remembrance of thy past loving-kindness, to trust in thy goodness, and submit to thy wisdom, and bear with an equal mind what thou thinkest fit to lay upon him; so that approving himself to thee in these and all other virtues, while thou triest him by so sore an affliction, he may say at the last, with the holy Psalmist, "It was good for me that I was in trouble,

Unto thy infinite mercies we recommend him, and to the compassionate kindness of our Lord Jesus Christ, who we hope will hear all the prayers of his friends for him, every where, and send his Holy Spirit to be his comforter, and his good angels to be his guardians, and direct those who are to advise and prescribe the means of his restoration, and bring him to praise thee again in the assemblies of thy saints upon earth; or (if thou hast otherwise disposed in thy wise counsels) to praise thee in the great assembly of saints and angels in heaven; through Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour, to whom with thee and the Holy Spirit be all praise, love, and obedience, world without end. Amen.

Prayer for the grace of patience, and a suitable behaviour in a sick person to friends and attendants.

HELP thy servant, O thou merciful Redeemer and lover of souls, to undergo this load of affliction, which thou hast laid upon him, with patience. "Lead him" gently by the hand to "the waters of comfort," and let "thy rod" and "thy staff support" him, now that he is obliged to "walk in the valley and shadow of death."

Let him consider thee, O blessed Jesus, in all thy weary pilgrimage and sufferings here upon earth, before thou enteredst into glory," that he be not weary and faint in his mind."

If relief does not come from thee so soon as he expects or desires, enable him still to hold out with long. suffering, and to wait with patience for it. And whatsoever thou doest with him, O Lord, let him be “dumb and not open his mouth" to murmur or repine, because it is "thy doing." Make him acquiesce and rest satisfied, even in the bitterest dispensations of thy provi dence; and let no pains or sufferings ever drive him from thee, considering that no " temptation hath be fallen him" but "what is common to men."

And, together with this patience towards thee, give him patience, O merciful Lord, towards all those who kindly and charitably minister to him, and attend about him.

Keep him from being humorsome, and shewing cross ness to their good counsels, or from being causelessly

angry and exceptious against their kind endeavours. If any evil accidents or indiscretions happen, let him not presently be outrageous to aggravate them, or break out into any reproachful or unseemly behaviour against them but let him be pleased with the least expression of their kindness, and interpret every thing favourably; and on all occasions let him make it his study to oblige those who are obliging to him in this time of necessity, receiving with thankfulness their good offices, and praying God to reward them, for his Son Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

A prayer for spiritual improvement by sickness.
(From Dr. Inet.)

O MERCIFUL Father, who scourgest those whom thou lovest, and chastisest those whom thou wilt receive; let thy loving correction purify thy servant, and make him great in thy favour by his present humiliation. O let him learn " thy statutes" in the school of " affliction:" let him" seek thee early" in it; and when his "heart is overwhelmed, lead him to the rock of salvation."

Let thy" rod" awaken him from his former security in sin, and let him sensibly find that thou "chastisest him for his profit, that he may be partaker of thy holiness.'

Teach him, by this proof of thy fatherly correction, 1 to be more dutiful for the time to come; to repent of 6 his former offences, and to " redeem the time past," by a double diligence for the future, if thou shalt in mercy raise him up again. Let the remainder of his life be thine, and let nothing separate him from thy love and service, but let it be his whole care and study to provide oil for his lamp, and prepare for eternity; that so" all the days of his appointed time he may wait till his change come," and be ready whensoever his Lord shall call him. Amen.

For a sick person who is about to make his will.

O LORD, who puttest into our hearts good desires, and hast inclined thy servant to " set his house in order," as well in relation to his temporal, as his spiritual con

true repentance, and the comfortable hopes of thy merciful acceptance thereof; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

A prayer for a sick person who intends to receive the blessed sacrament.

O THOU infinite and eternal Spirit, from whom every good motion of our hearts proceedeth! who both quickenest the dead, and after thou hast given life, givest the increase: increase, we beseech thee, the good seeds of thy grace, which thou hast sown in the heart of thy servant, by inclining him to receive the sacrament of the body and blood of our Lord, in which thou art more immediately present, to illuminate the faithful, and to comfort and refresh all that are " weary and heavy-laden with their sins."

O, cause thy face thus comfortably to shine upon thy distressed servant, who now intends to draw near to thee in this sacrament, as thou hast commanded him.

Help him, in the mean time, O Lord, to fit and prepare himself for this holy communion: fill his soul with reverence and godly fear; with earnest desires and longings after divine life; with serious repentance for all his past offences, and hearty resolutions of liv. ing for ever after unto Jesus, who died for him. O, let him meditate upon his bleeding Saviour with a "broken and a contrite heart," which thou hast promised "not to despise :" forgive him all that is past, and give him grace for the future, to "live more soberly, righteously, and piously, in this present world," if it shall be thy good pleasure to continue him in it.

A prayer for a sick person that wants sleep.
(From Bishop Patrick.)

ADORED be thy love, thy wonderful love, O most gracious God, who hast so many ways expressed thy bounty towards us. Thy mercies in Christ Jesus surpass all our thoughts: we are not able to number all the other blessings thou hast bestowed upon us. How much do we owe thee for the quiet sleep of but one night! We see, in this thy poor afflicted servant, how

much we ought to thank thee for this single blessing, that our eyes, when we would close them, are not held waking.

Pardon, good Lord, our ingratitude for this and all the rest of thy undeserved mercies: and be pleased graciously also to visit him, who still languishes on his sick-bed, looking up to thee from whom cometh our help. Renew his wasted spirits with comfortable sleep; compose him to a sweet and undisturbed rest; refresh him thereby so sensibly, that he may be restored to such a degree of strength as may make him able, in some measure, affectionately to acknowledge thy goodness, when thou hast dealt so bountifully with him; or if thou delayest to bestow that blessing on him, in the multitude of his thoughts within him, let thy comforts delight his soul. If he still continues without any rest, grant that his mind may rest, and repose itself in the bosom of thy dearest love, and may feel the most sensible consolations from heaven, not only quieting, but greatly rejoicing his heart. Preserve the use of his understanding, and let the enemy have no advantage of him; but make him able to say, "I will wait patiently for the Lord, till he incline his ear unto me, and hear my cry.-O, hear his prayer O Lord, and give ear unto his cry: O, spare him, that he may recover strength before he go hence :"* for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

A prayer to be said when the sick person grows
light-headed.

(From Bishop Patrick.)

O LORD, look down from heaven, in pity and compassion upon this thine afflicted servant, who is not able now to look up to thee: the more sorrowful his condition grows, the fitter object he is of thine infinite mercies; who acceptest, we humbly hope, of the submission he made of himself, in the beginning of his sickness, to thine almighty wisdom and goodness. And therefore, since it is thy pleasure to suffer his distemper to proceed to this dangerous extremity, do thou no

*Psalm xl. 1. and xxxix. 12, 13.