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not in man, who may want will and power to help

me.

7. Lord, help me now in this low state: O let my mouth and my heart be filled with thy praise; that I may be cheerful even in this sad affliction; and sing of thy glory and honour, which by doing good, thou desercedst all the day long; till my sun shall set, and my breath shall fail.

8. In my best state of health I could not subsist without thy succour: O therefore cast me not away from thy protection now I am weak, in the time of my declining age. Forsake me not when through this grievous sickness my strength faileth me. I have now more need of thy help than ever, and in my weakness is the proper time to shew thy strength.

9. For, now my heart as well as my body is weak, mine enemies, even Satan and evil men, representing this sickness as a just judgment of thine, speak against me, as if I had deserved all I suffer; and they that lay wait for my soul take their counsel together. They now conspire to assault me, and drive me to blasphemy or despair, saying to each other, and suggesting most falsely, that God has forsaken him, as appears by his sufferings. Let us therefore persecute him, and we shall easily conquer and take him in our snares. For since God has withdrawn his protection from him, there is none either able or willing to deliver him, so that we may already reckon him our prey.

10. Thus they triumph over my misery, and hope to dishearten me; but their insults and reproaches shall not deprive me of my hope; I will yet pray to thee and say, Go not far from me, O God; I know, though thou chastiseth me, thou art still my God; haste thee to help me, as they make haste to hurt me, before my faith, hope, and patience fail, and the mercy will be doubled

if thy grace by a timely and seasonable succour be not withheld, nor delayed in so sad a season as

this.

11. Let them be confounded by the wonderful deliverance of me, and their hopes perish, who are against my distressed soul: let them be covered with shame and dishonour who seek to do me evil, when they find how basely they are disappointed, and how certainly thou art still my friend.

12. But if thou shouldest defer thy succour, though they give me up for lost, as for me I am resolved that I will never murmur against thee, but will patiently abide whatever thou layest upon me, and alway endure thy corrections, how long soever they continue; yea so far will I be from despairing, that I will bless thee in my affliction, and will praise thee more frequently and more fervently for the fresh support which I experience every day; and which I now need more than ever I did in my health.

13. Even while my calamity is upon me, my mouth shall daily speak, not of my merits, but of thy righteousness, in succouring me as thou hast promised, while I am under this trouble, and of thy salvation, which thou grantest to them, who put their trust in thee, and also of all thy mercy; for I know no end thereof. I have no reason therefore to cease from my praise of thee, because thou never ceasest thy mercy to me.

14. Nor will I only shew my faith by the praises of my lips, but my actions also; for though I have no strength of my own, I will go forth to resist these foes of mine in the might and strength of the Lord, who is and shall be my God; and when I get the victory over these discouraging suggestions, I will make mention of thy grace, and thy righteousness, as the only cause of my safety and success.

15. These lessons (namely that I am delivered by thy grace, and must give the praise to thy name) thou, O God, hast taught me by a thousand instances from my youth and so up even until now, that it is by thy grace I am preserved in all my trials; therefore on my sick bed will I tell those who are about me of thy wondrous works, to me and all thy servants, that they may learn from me to trust in thee, and join with me in thy praise, and give thy name all the glory.

16. Wherefore, since I am resolved to dedicate the remainder of my life, be it long or short, to thy service, forsake me not, O God, in mine old age, when I am grey-headed, nor in any time when my natural powers fail; and spare me until I have so fully shewed thy strength (which delivers thy faithful servants) unto this generation, that they may believe it as firmly as I do, and teach it to their children, and that I may shew thy power to all them, who are yet for to come, now unborn.

17. My time is but short at longest, but I wish thou mayest be praised when I am gone; and whether I consider thy dealings with me or others, I must always acknowledge, that thy righteousness, O God, is very high, and worthy of all praise, and great things are they that thou hast done in thy wonderful providence for me, and others. O God, who is like unto thee, so able and so willing to help the miserable? Both I and all who know thee will ever glorify thee. Thy wisdom and truth, thy bounty and compassion, are infinite and inexpressible; to be set out only in general and comprehensive acknowledgments, or to be adored in silence.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

¶ Adding this:

SAVIOUR of this world, who by thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed us; save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

¶ Then shall the minister say,

THE almighty Lord, who is a most strong tower to all then, that put their trust in him; to whom all things in heaven, in earth, and under the earth, do bow and obey, be now and 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 mayest receive health and salvation, but only the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

¶ And after that shall say, UNTO God's gracious mercy and protection we commit theem. The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord make his face to shine 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 sick child."

ALMIGHTY God and merciful Father, to whom alone belong the issues of life and death;

This is the blessing with which God commanded Aaron to bless the people. See Numbers vi. 24. n This Office for the Visitation of the Sick was composed for the generality of sick persons. But it would be useless to some. As for instance,

1. To children for want of age to understand it. 2. To those who are in such a state of weakness as to have scarcely any hope of recovery; and be

look down from heaven, we humbly beseech thee, with the eyes of mercy upon this child now lying upon the bed of sickness: visit him, O Lord, with thy salvation; deliver him in thy good appointed time from his bodily pain, and save his soul for thy mercies sake; that, if it shall be thy pleasure to prolong his days here on earth, he may live to thee, and be an instrument of thy glory, by serving thee faithfully, and doing good in his generation; or else receive him into those heavenly habitations, where the souls of them, that sleep in the Lord Jesus, enjoy perpetual rest and felicity. Grant this, O Lord, for thy mercies sake, in the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

A Prayer with a sick person for divine support, when there appears but small hope of recovery.

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FATHER of mercies, and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need; we fly unto thee for succour in behalf of this thy servant, here lying under thy hand in great weakness of body. Look graciously upon him, O Lord; and the more the outward man decayeth, strengthen him we beseech thee, so much the more continually with thy grace and Holy Spirit in the inner man. Give him unfeigned repentance for all the errors of his life past, and stedfast faith in thy Son Jesus, that his sins may be done away by thy

ing then incapable of receiving either the advantage or comfort which this Office might otherwise give.

3. To those who are on the point of departure. 4. To those who are troubled in mind.

The four following prayers were therefore added in the last review of the Liturgy.

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