Prayers for Patience under Sickness. Thou God of Patience and tience and Submiffion under the Pains and Confinement of a Sick Bed. Whatever thou shalt please to lay upon me, it is thy Doing, and my Deferving. Canft not thou do what thou wilt with thine own? I will therefore lay my hand upon my Mouth, and fay, It is the Lord, let him do what Seemeth him Goods But why do I complain of what I have deserved? Wherefore doth a living man complain, man for the Punishment of his Sins? O, let me never charge God foolishly, nor ofend thee by an impatient and uneafy Spi rit. Lord, I humbly lye down un. der der thy Rod. Do with me as thou pleafeft. I am thine, thy Creature, the Work of thy Hands. But confider, O Lord, of what I am made: Remember that I am but Flesh and Duft, frail and corruptible Flesh. Deal gently with me; and in the midit of Judgment, do thou remember Mercy. Let thy Grace be the fupport of my Weaknefs, and let the fense of thy Mercies sweeten all my Sorrows. For the fake of my dear Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen. Merciful Father, I defire not only to fubmit, but to be Thankful. I am indeed in Trouble and in Pain, but it is for my Good; to Amend and Reform me. Thou doft correct those whom thou doft love, and dost chastise every one whom thou doft receive. I defire therefore to accept of this thy Fatherly Correction, as a Token of thy Love, and a Means of my own Happiness. By humbling me for my Sins; By weaning me from this world; and by fitting and preparing me for the Glories of the next. 'Tis thy Mercy that makes my Bed in my Sickness; that confidereth my Weakness, and supporteth me. Thou putteft my Tears into thy Bottle; Thou hearest all my Groans, and pitiest them; and wilt find a Cure, or put an end to them in thy due time. And though my flesh and my heart fail me. And though all outward Helps and Comforts fail me; be thou, O Father, the Strength of my heart, and my Portion for ever. Through the ま Merits of Jefus Chrift, my dear Lord and Saviour. Amen. Having thus taken care not to increase your Guilt, by any Frowardness of Temper, or Im patient Behaviour, your great and chief Work is, 2. To perfect and compleat your Repen tance. Of Repentance upon a Sick H Ere pray obferve; I do not barely fay, that the Sick Perfon is to Repent, (this I hope he did in the time of his Health;) but I am to admonish him to finish and compleat his Repentance, by reviewing the State of his Soul, and perfecting his Accounts with God. And that this is the Orthodox Doctrine, and Prudent Practice of the Church of England, is plain from the Order for the Vifitation of the Sick. Then Then (faith the Rubrick) fhall the Minifter examine; Whether he Repent him truly of his Sins? That is, He will examine him, Whether his Repentance be true and fincere? The which Examination must be free and impartial, ftrict and without reserve. For Eternity depends upon it. And a Mistake in this Matter will be fatal and irreveríible. The Dying Perfon is now leaving this World; and his Soul, upon its Separation from the Body, will be disposed of in an unalterable State, either of Happiness or Mifery. Now the great Enquiry is'; Whether of thefe Two fhall be his Portion? Life or Death, Heaven or Hell? Shall he be Everlaftingly Happy, or Eternally Miferable? The Refolution of this great Question is briefly this. If |