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of himself to thy service. He desires life, only that may serve thee: Lord, continue and confirm him in this purpose.

Lord, cure his folly by his misery; and teach him, by the loss of his ease, to purchase the blessing of 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 weary and heavy laden with their sins.'

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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 living for ever after unto Jesus, who died for him. O, let him meditate upon his bleeding Saviour with

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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 10;" for Jesus Christ's sake.

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Amen.

A Prayer to be said when the Sick Person grows lightheaded.

(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 less graciously love him, and delight in him, than if he could still give up himself to thy blessed will.

And hear, O most merciful Father, our prayers in his behalf, when he can no longer commend himself to thy mercies. Pardon, good Lord, pardon all his sins; impute not to him any of his former follies; lay

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

not to his charge his not improving or misusing his reason and understanding, which we earnestly, but humbly, entreat thee to restore to him, together with such a measure of thy divine grace, as may quicken and assist him to employ his thoughts to the best purposes, especially in meditating on thy mercies, in studying thy praise, and in exhorting all others to love thee, to trust in thee, and sincerely obey thee.

And while he remains thus deprived of his reason, be pleased to quiet and compose his spirits, or to prevent all furious motions there, or quickly to abate such violent passions, if any arise: for which end, be pleased to remove all frightful imaginations far from him, and suffer not the evil one to approach him; preserve him from doing any harm, either to himself or to any others. "Forsake him not, O Lord our God, be not far from him. Make haste to help him, O Lord our salvation "."

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"So will we give thanks unto thee for ever."

"We will still be praising thee, and showing forth thy lovingkindness to those who succeed us:"

"That they may set their hope in thee our God, and not forget thy works, but keep thy commandments." Amen.

A Prayer for a Person when Danger is apprehended by excessive Sleep.

(From Mr. Kettlewell.)

O MERCIFUL God, let not this deep sleep, which is fallen on thy servant, prove the sleep of death: make it the sleep of a recovering person, to relieve and

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revive him; and awake him out of it in thy due time, to offer thee praise, and to labour still among us in doing thee honour and service.

But if thou art pleased to take him to thyself, Lord, remember and accept of all his former prayers and repentance, faith and patience.

Look not upon his sins, but to pardon them; nor on his weaknesses, but to pity them: and when he awakes in the next world, let him find himself surrounded with light and bliss, instead of gloominess and sorrow, and awake to eternal life.

Lord, hear us for this thy weak servant in distress. Hear our prayers for him, who seems not able now to offer up any prayers to thee for himself. And accept both him and us to the blessed enjoyment of thy love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for a Person lying insensible on a
Sick-bed.

O THOU Preserver of men, who knowest the frailty of our constitutions; how soon our senses may fail us, and our understanding depart from us; to what accidents, distempers, and decays our weak nature is subject; even such as may make the most acute and judicious quickly become as fools; and the ablest and strongest, weak and insensible; O look down, we beseech thee, upon thy servant, who now lies in such a weak and insensible condition.

The less able he is to assist himself the more need hath he of our prayers, and of thy tender mercy to him. O thou great Creator of the world, who broughtest light out of darkness, and madest all things out of

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