Imatges de pàgina
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I

At the Close of Life.

WAS glad when they said unto me,

Let us go into the House of the Lord. Our feet stand in Thy gates, O Jerusalem. Jerusalem is builded as a city that is compact together.

Whither the tribes go up,

The Tribes of the Lord, unto the testimony of Israel,

To give thanks unto the Name of the Lord.
For there are set thrones of judgment,

The thrones of the house of David.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem;
They shall prosper that love thee.
Peace be within thy walls,

Prosperity within thy palaces.

For my brethren and companions' sakes,
I will now say,

Peace be within thee!

B

On Abatement of Pain.

LESSED be Thy mercy, O Lord, Who hast pitied me in my misery. Even as a father pitieth his children, so hast Thou pitied me. Lord, I will love Thee, and sing of Thy mercy. In my distress I will always trust in Thee, and not be afraid. I will remember this Thine act of mercy to me. For Thou art our Strength when we suffer, and our merciful Deliverer when we can endure no more. To Thee be glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

On Recovery.

HOU hast heard my prayers, O Lord,

and

hast raised me up in my sickness, and given

me the expectation of recovery. I praise and glorify Thy merciful goodness for this Thy extended long-suffering towards me; for this further time given me for repentance, and amendment, and sanctification, and service. And I beseech Thee, O Lord, to make my thankfulness lifelong, that it may permanently affect my conduct, in great advance of holiness, and purity, and love of Thee. I beseech Thee to make my good resolutions to last and abide, that I may not be one of the unthankful ones, and sin again, and a worse thing come unto me. Especially, O Lord, I entreat Thee, that as Thou restorest strength to my body, so Thou wilt also to my mind; that I may not be fretful and impatient in the progress to soundness, not look with regret upon the gradual withdrawal of invalid indulgences, but brace myself, by Thy gracious help, to an active, wholesome tone of mind and affection, and long only for entire return to Thy service; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

On the Amendment of a Sick Friend.

GR

REAT and mighty God, Who bringest down to the grave, and bringest up again, I bless Thy goodness in having turned our heaviness into joy, and our mourning into gladness, by restoring our friend 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 comfort from above, didst support him in patience and submission to Thy will, and at last didst send him seasonable relief. Perfect, I beseech Thee, this Thy mercy towards him, and prosper the means which shall be employed towards his perfect cure; so that, being re

stored to health of body, vigour of mind, and cheerfulness of spirit, he may be able to go to Thy House, to offer Thee an oblation with great gladness, and to bless Thy holy Name for all Thy goodness towards him; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

On a Death in a Family.

No. I.

GOD of the spirits of all flesh, in Whose

that when Thou speakest the word, we turn again to our dust, and are no more seen; we humble ourselves under Thy mighty hand, which we acknowledge to be upon us at this time. We adore Thy majesty, and submit to Thy providence in releasing Thy servant from the miseries of this sinful world, and in leaving us in sorrow and sadness. Thou hast taken him to Thyself, and left us to lament his departure. O merciful and loving Father, Thou doest all things well, and of Thy very faithfulness dost cause us to be troubled. Thou wilt not blame our human sorrow, for our Lord Jesus wept for His friend. Give us a calm and lowly resignation. Thou hast loosened one more link which bound us to earth; may it now bind us to heaven. For the souls of the righteous are in Thy hand, and there shall no torment touch them. As gold in the furnace hast Thou tried them, and found them worthy for Thyself. Make us to realize more vividly the communion of Saints, and bless this season of sorrow to us who survive, that we may comfort one another with the hope of everlasting bliss in the glorious kingdom of Thy Son Christ our Lord. Amen.

No. 2.

LMIGHTY God, with Whom do live the

hence in

Lord, and with Whom the souls of the faithful, after they are delivered from the burden of the flesh, are in joy and felicity; we give Thee hearty thanks for that it hath pleased Thee to deliver this our brother out of the miseries of this sinful world, beseeching Thee that it may please Thee, of Thy gracious goodness, shortly to accomplish the number of Thine elect, and to hasten Thy kingdom, that we, with all those who are departed in the true faith of Thy holy Name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, both in body and soul, in Thy eternal and everlasting glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Grant, O Lord, to us to whom he was dear, that we sorrow not as men without hope, but that we may be resigned to Thy blessed will; and remembering how frail and uncertain our condition is, may apply our hearts to that holy and heavenly wisdom, which may in the end bring us to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

On seeing Others sin.

LORD, Who didst die for us, forgive them in this! I need sorely forgiveness myself; and what am I, that I should intercede for others? But Thou Who didst listen to Abraham, listen even now when I pray to Thee, to intercede Thyself for these Thy thoughtless children. Bring them back, I humbly dare ask, to the way of repentance and life. Let not the stain of this sin rest on me who see it, or on them who do it. But

let it be washed out at once and for ever by Thy Death and Passion. Amen.

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During a Parochial Mission.

No. I.

MOST merciful Jesus, Who hast said, I came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentance; look graciously upon this parish. Subdue and convert the hearts of careless and godless sinners, of all whom the subtlety of sin has deceived, or the darkness of ignorance has blinded, that they may be drawn to Thee, and find light and truth in Thee, most merciful Lord. Amen.

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No. 2.

GOD our heavenly Father, Who dost stir the hearts of men when Thou wilt and as Thou wilt, we pray Thee for Thy dear Son's sake to bless abundantly this effort to turn many of Thy children to repentance, and to lift up many to joy and peace in believing. Give a double portion of Thy Spirit to those priests whom Thou hast called to help in this work (especially .). Send them forth in the mighty power of the Holy Ghost to convince men of sin, to preach good tidings unto the meek, to bind up the brokenhearted, and to proclaim liberty to all who are under the dominion of other lords than Thee.

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Prepare, O Lord, we beseech Thee, the hearts of those to whom they are sent, soften the vicious and worldly, rouse the indolent, alarm the careless, subdue the pride of the self-righteous, kindle the lukewarm, encourage the fearful, cheer the desponding, and bring to Thyself many souls closely knit in the bonds of love to Him Who

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