A Prayer for a Sick Perfon.

O

Almighty God, and most Merciful Father, to whom alone belong the Iflues of Life and Death.

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Look down from Heaven, I humbly beseech thee, with the Eyes of Mercy, upon Me thy poor weak Servant, who am grieved with Sickness.

Sanctify, O Lord, this thy Fatherly Correction to Me. And grant, that the sense of my Weaknefs, may add Strength to my Faith, and Seriousness to my Repentance.

Give me unfeigned Repentance for all the Errors of my Life past, and stedfast Faith in thy Son Jefus. That my Sins may be done away by thy Mercy; and my Pardon fealed in Heaven; before I go hence, and am no more seen.

Grant,

Grant

that I may take my Sicknefs patiently, and recover my Bodily Health, if it be thy gracious Will.

I know, O Lord, if thou wilt, thou canft raife me up, and grant me a longer Continu ance in this World.

But however thou shalt be pleased to deal with Me, fo fit and prepare Me, I beseech thee, against the Hour of Death, when ever thy good Providence shall Order it; That when my Soul fhall depart from the Body, it may be without Spot prefented unto Thee.

And after my Departure hence in Peace, and in thy Favour; receive Me into thofe Heavenly Habitations, where the Souls of them that Sleep in the Lord Jefus, enjoy perpetual Reft and Felicity.

Grant this, O Lord, for thy Mercies fake, and for the alone

Me

Merits and Mediation of Jefus Chrift, thine only Son, our

Lord and Saviour ;

Who hath taught us thus to

Pray:

UR Father

which art in

Heaven; Hallowed be thy Name; Thy Kingdom come; Thy Will be done in Earth, as it is in Heaven, Give us this Day our daily bread; and forgive us our trefpaffes, as we forgive them that trespass against us: And lead us not into Temptation but deliver us from evil. For thine is the Kingdom, and the Power, and the Glory, for ever and ever.

men.

A

At Night let him again repeat the fame Prayer, after his ufual Evening Prayers.

If the Sick Man cannot conveniently read this Prayer himself, then let fome of his Attendants read it for him. And let it be read in the firft Perfon; and let the Sick Man Repeat it after him that Reads it, as he doth the Confeffion in the Pub

lick Congregation. Whereby this Prayer, tho' pronounced by another, will be of fered up to God as his own Prayer.

I defire my Parishioners to get this Prayer by heart, in the time of their Health: That fo they may repeat it, with less Difturbance, upon a Sick Bed.

B

Efides these constant stated Prayers, the Sick Man muft often, at other times of the Day, make his Prayer to God, as his Strength and Circumstances will permit, and as the State of his Soul may require.

And herein I fhall defire fuch Perfons, as are pleased to accept of my Help, to obferve the Directions in this little Book. For inftance.

If the Sick Man's Pain, or his Confinement doth tempt him to Impatience; let him then read, or cause to be read, the Scri ptures and Prayers concerning Patience; from Pag. 49. to P. 58.

When

When he doth exercife his Repentance, let him read from P. 66. to P. 86.

If he doubts the Pardon of his Sins, and is Tempted to DeSpair; let him read from P. 214.

to P. 228.

If he is troubled for his Relatives, his Wife and Children, because he leaves them poor and unprovided for; let him read from P. 241. to P. 247.

If he is afraid to Die; let him read from P. 247. to P. 282.

When any of the Vifitants do Pray with the Sick Perfon, or for him; the Office for the Vifitation of the Sick, in the Service Book, will be moft proper for them. And much better than their own private Extempore Effufions.

For to exprefs my Self with Freedom; long continued Prayers are not fo fuitable for languishing decaying Perfons: Whofe Weakness is much better complied with; and whofe Devotion is more effectually cherished; by the fhort, but Pathetick Collects and Refponfals of our Church.

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