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Lord of life and death, and of all things to them pertaining, as youth, ftrength, health, age, weaknefs, and fickrefs. Wherefore, whatsoever your fickness is, know you certainly, that it And for is God's vifitation. what caufe foever this fickness is fent unto you, whether it be to try your patience for the example of others, and that your faith may be found in the day of the Lord, laudable, glorious and honourable, to the increafe of of glory and endless felicity; or elfe it be fent unto you to cor→ rect and amend in you whatsoever doth offend the eyes of your heavenly Father; know you certainly, that if you truly re pent you of your fins, and bear your fickness patiently, trufting in God's mercy, for his dear Son Jefus Christ's fake, and render unto him humble thanks for his fatherly vifitation, fubmitting yourself wholly unto his will, it shall turn to your profit, and help you forward in the right way that leadeth unto everlafting life.

If the perfon vifited be very fickt, then the Curate may end bis Ex bortation in this place, or else proceed.

TAKE therefore in good part Lord: For (as St. Paul faith in the twelfth Chapter to the Hebrews) whom the Lord loveth he chafteneth, and fcourgeth every fon whom he receiveth. If ye endure chaftening, God dealeth with you as with fons; for what fon is he whom the father chafteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, where of all are partakers, then are ye baftards, and not fons Fur thermore, we have had fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them

reverence; fhall we not much rather be in fubjection unto the Father of fpirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chaftened us after their own pleafure; but he for our pro, that we might be partakers of his holinefs. These words, good brother, are written in holy fcripture for our comfort and inftruction, that we fhould patiently, and with thanksgiving bear our heavenly Father's correction, whenfoever by any manner of adverfity it fhall pleafe his gracious goodnefs to vifit us. And there fhall be no greater comfort to Chriftian perfons, than to be made like unto Chrift by fuffering patiently adverfities, troubles, and fickneffes. For he himself went not up to joy, but first he suffered pain; he entered not into his glory before he was crucified. So truly our way to eternal joy

ment. Therefore I fhall rehearse to you the Articles of our Faith, that you may know whether you do believe as a Chriftian man should, or no.

Here the Minifter shall rebearfe the Articles of the Faith; faying

thus

OST thou believe in God

the Father Almighty, Mak er of heaven and earth?

And in Jefus Chrift his only. begotten Son our Lord? And that he was conceived by the Holy Ghoft, born of the Virgin Mary; that he fuffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; that he went down into hell, and alfo did rife again the third day; that he a fcended into heaven, and fitteth on the right hand of God the Fa ther Almighty; and from thence hall come again at the end of the world, to judge the quick and the dead?

is to fuffer here with Chrift: and our door to enter into eternal life is gladly to die with Chrift; that we may rife again from death, and dwell with him in everlasting life. Now therefore taking your fickness, which is thus profitable for you, patiently; I exhort you in the Name of God, to remember the profeffion which you made unto God in your Baptifm. And forafmuch as after this life there is an account to be given unto the righteous Judge, by whom all must be judged without refpect of perfons; I require you to examine yourfelf and your eftate, both toward God and man: fo thataccufing and condemning yourfelf for your own faults, you may find mercy at our heavenly Father's hand for Chrift's fake, and not be accufed and condemned in that fearful judge.

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And doft thou believe in the Holy Ghoft; the holy catholick Church; the communion of Saints; the remiffion of fins the refurrection of the flesh; and everlafting life after death?

The fick Perfon shall answer, All this I ftedfaftly believe.

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¶ Then fhall the Minifter examine whether be repent him truly of bis fins, and be in charity with all the world; exhorting him to forgive from the bottom of his beart all perfons that have of fended him, and if he hath offended any other, to ask them forgiveness; and where he kath done injury or wrong to any man, that be make amends to the uttermoft of bis power. And if be bath not before difpofed of his goods, let him then be admonifhed to make his Will, and to declare bis Debts what be eweth, and what is owing unte him

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bim, for the better difcharging of kis Confcience, and the quiet nefs of his Executors. But men hould often be put in remembrance to take order for the fettling of their temporal eftates, whilst they are in health. Thefe words before rebearfed may be faid before the Minilier begin bis Prayer, as Le fhall fee caufe.

The Minifter fhould not omit earnestly to move fuch fick perJons as are of ability, to be liberal to the poor.

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Pfalm.

Here fhall the fick perfon be mov-Then fall the Minifter say this ed to make a Special Confeffion of bis fins, if he feel bis Confcience troubled with any weighty mate ter, After which Confeffion, the Prief ball abfolve bim (if he kumbly and heartily defire it) after this fort.

UR Lord Jefus Chrift, who Rathleit power to his Church to abfolve all finners who truly repent and believe in him, of his great mercy forgive thee thine offences; and by his authority committed to me, I abfolve thee from all thy fins, In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy

Ghoft Amen.

And then the Prief fhall Say the Collect following.

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In te, Domine, fperavi. PSAL.71. N thee, O Lord, have I put my truft, let me never be put to confufion but rid me, and deliver me in thy righteouf nefs incline thine ear unto me, and fave me.

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Be thou my strong hold, whereunto I may alway refort: thou haft promised to help me, for thou art my houfe of defence, and my caftle.

Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the ungodly out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man.

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For thou, O Lord God, art the my hope, even from my youth, thing that I long for thou art

Through thee have I been holden up ever fince I was born: thou art he that took me out of my mother's womb; my praise fhall be always of thee.

I am become as it were monfter unto many : but my fure truft is in thee.

O let my mouth be filled with thy praife: that I may fing of thy glory and honour all the day long.

Caft me not away in the time of age: forfake me not when my frength faileth me.

for mine enemies fpeak a

gaing me, and they that lay wait for my foul, take their counfel together, faying God hath forfaken him, perfecute him, and take him; for there is none to deliver him.

Go not far from me, O God: my God, hate thee to help me. Let them be confounded and perifh that are against my foul: let them be covered with fhame and difhonour that feek to do me evil.

As for me, I will patiently a bide alway and will praife thee more and more.

My mouth fhall daily fpeak of thy righteoufnefs and falvation : for I know no end thereof.

I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God and will make mention of thy righteouf nefs only.

Thou, O God, haft taught me from my youth up until now therefore will I tell of thy wondrous works.

Forfake me not, O God, in mine old age, when I am greyheaded until I have fhewed thy ftrength unto this generation, and thy power to all them that are yet for to come.

Thy righteoufnefs, O God, is very high, and great things are they that thou haft done: O God, who is like unto thee !

Glory be to the Father, &c.
As it was in the beginning,&c.

Adding this: Saviour of the world, who by thy Crofs and precious Blood haft redeemed us, fave us, and help us, we humbly befeech

thee, O Lord.

Then fhall the Minifter fay, TH "HE Almighty Lord, Who is a moft ftrong tower to all them that put their truft in him, to whom all things in heaven, in earth, and under the earth, do bow and obey, be now and

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evermore thy defence, and make thee know and feel, that there is none other Name under heaven given to man, in whom and through whom thou mayeft receive health and falvation, but only the Name of our Lord Jefus Chrift. zimen.

And after that shall fay, UNTO God's gracious mercy

and protection we commit thee. The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord make his face to fhine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace both now and evermore. Amen..

A Prayer for a fick Child.
Almighty God and merci-

ful Father, to whom alone belong the iffues of life and death; Look down from hẹaven, we humbly befeech thee, with the eyes of mercy upon this child now lying upon the bed of ficknefs vifit him, O Lord, with thy falvation; deliver bim in thy good appointed time from bis bodily pain, and fave bis foul for thy mercies fake: That if it fhall be thy pleasure to prolong bis days here on earth, be may live to thee, and be an inftrument of thy glory, by ferving thee faithfully, and doing good in bis generation; elle receive him into thofe heavenly habitations, where the fouls of them that fleep in the Lord Jefus enjoy perpetual reft and felicity. Grant this, O Lord, for thy mercies fake, in the fame thy Son our Lord Je fus Chrift; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghoit, ever one God,world without end. Amen.

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A Prayer for a fick perfon, when there appeareib but jmall bope of recovery.

God of all comfort, our Father of mercies, and H 4

only

only help in time of need; We fly unto thee for fuccour in behalf of this thy fervant, here lying under thy hand in great weakness of body. Look graciously upon bim, O Lord; and the more the outward man decayeth, ftrengthen bim, we befeech thee, fo much the more continually with thy grace and Holy fpirit in the inner man. Give him unfeigned repentance for all the errors of his life paft, and stedfaft faith in thy Son Jefus, that bis fins may be done away by thy mercy, and bis pardon fealed in heaven, before be go hence and be no more feen. We know, O Lord, that there is no word impoffible with thee; and that if thou wilt, thou canft even yet raise him up, and grant bim a longer continuance amongst us. Yet forafmuch as in all appearance the time of bis diffolution draweth near, fo fit and prepare bim, we befeech thee, against the hour of death, that after his departure hence in peace and in thy favour, bis foul may be received into thine everlafting kingdom, through the merits and mediation of Jefus Chrift thine only Son, our Lord and Saviour. A

men.

A commendatory Prayer for a fick perfon at the point of departure.

Almighty God, with whom do live the fpirits of juft men made perfect after they are delivered from their earthly prifons: We humbly commend the foul of this thy fervant, our dear brother, into thy hands, as into the hands of a faithful Creator, and moft merciful Saviour: moft humbly befeeching thee, that it may be precious in thy fight. Wafh it, we pray thee, in the blood of that im

maculate Lamb that was flain to take away the fins of the world: that whatsoever defilements it may have contracted in the midst of this miferable and aughty world, through the lufts of the flesh, or the wiles of Satan, being purged and done away, it may be prefented pure and without fpot before thee. And teach us who furvive, in this and other like daily fpecta cles of mortality, to fee how frail and uncertain our own condition is, and fo to number our days, that we may seriously apply our hearts to that holy and heavenly wifdom, whilft we live here, which may in the end bring us to life everlasting, through the merits of Jefus Chrift thine only Son, our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for perfons troubled in mind or in confcience. Bleffed Lord, the Father of

all comforts, we beseech thee mercies, and the God of look down in pity and compaffion upon this thy afficted fervant. Thou writeft bitter things againft bim, and makeft him to thy wrath lieth hard upon him, poffefs bis former iniqui'ies; and his foul is full of trouble: But, O merciful God, who hast written thy holy Word, for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of thy holy Scriptures might have hope; give him a right underflanding of himself, and of thy threats and promifes, that be may nel. ther caft away his confidence in thee, nor place it any where but in thee. Give him ftrength against all bis temptations, and heal all bis diftempers. Break not the bruifed reed, nor quench the fmoaking flax. Shut not up thy tender mercies in difpleafure; but make bim to hear of

joy

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