judged by thee for his sins, and judge himself for them here, that he may have nothing but mercy without judgment to receive at thine hands hereafter. But judge him, O God, with mercy, and not in thine anger. Judge him not according as his sins have deserved, but according as his weakness can bear, and according as thy compassions are wont to mitigate thy judgments: and let his afflictions work in him a true repentance, "not to be repent ed of," and prove a happy means, in the hand of thy mercy, to reclaim him perfectly from all the errors into which he hath fallen; and to confer that rest and peace upon his soul, which is denied to his body; for our dear Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's sake. THOU smitest him, O gracious God, that thou mayest cure him; and punishest his sin, that thou mayest thereby amend and reclaim the sinner; and he is weary of his sins, which have brought upon him all these sorrows, and which, as he seems now deeply sensible, will bring infinitely worse, unless he prevent the same by his timely and sincere repentance. Help him, therefore, to search them out; and when he sees them, let him not stop at any one, but steadfastly resolve to renounce and amend all Let thy love make him hate every evil way, and render his purposes against them strong and resolute, and his care in fulfilling the same, vigilant and patient; and grant that the remainder of his days may be one continual amendment of his former errors, and dedication of himself to thy service. He desires life, only that he 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 are 66 weary and heavy-laden with their sins." 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. 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;" for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. A Prayer to be said when the sick Person grows light-headed. [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. in his behalf, when he can no longer commend And hear, O most merciful Father, our prayers Help him, in the mean time, O Lord, to fit and himself to thy mercies. Pardon, good Lord, parprepare himself for this holy communion: fill his don all his sins; impute not to him any of his Soul with reverence and godly fear; with earnest former follies; lay not to his charge his not imdesires and longings after divine life; with serious proving, or misusing, his reason and understandrepentance for all his past offences, and hearty re-ing, which we earnestly, but humbly, entreat thee solutions of living for ever after unto Jesus, who to restore to him, together with such a measure of died for him. O, let him meditate upon his thy divine grace, as may quicken and assist him bleeding Saviour with a "broken and a contrite to employ his thoughts to the best purposes, heart," which thou hast promised "not to despise:" especially in meditating on thy mercies, in studyforgive him all that is past, and give him grace ing thy praise, and in exhorting all others to love for the future, to "live more soberly, righteously, thee, to trust in thee, and sincerely obey thee. and piously, in this present world," if it shall be thy good pleasure to continue him in it. *Psalm xl. 1. and xxxix. 12, 13. prayers for our brother, that this image of death inay not be converted into death itself, but that he may live to proclaim thy power and to celebrate thy praises longer upon earth. 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 ima- But if it be thy will to remove him hence in this ginations far from him, and suffer not the evil one insensible condition, O pardon, we beseech thee, to approach him; preserve him from doing any all his offences, and accept of the preparation and harm, either to himself or to any others. "For-repentance that he was able to make before the sake him not, O Lord our God, be not far from distemper prevailed upon him in so deadly a manhim. Make haste to help him, O Lord our sal- | ner. Receive him, O Lord, into the arms of thy vation."* mercy, and accept him, for thy well-beloved Son's sake; that so this short night may quickly be turned into everlasting day; and, after these dark shadows are removed, he may find himself in a heaven of happiness, where, "in thy light he may "So will we give thanks unto thee for ever." "We will be still praising thee, and showing forth thy loving kindness to those who succeed us.' "That they may set their hope in thee our God, and not forget thy works, but keep thy command-see light" for ever. Amen. ments." 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 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 him self. 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 nothing, and canst restore our dead bodies again after they are mouldered into dust, be pleased to repel the clouds of darkness which now have taken away the light of our brother's understanding, and rendered him a companion for the dead. Quicken him again, O Lord, and restore him to his former senses, that his soul may bless and praise thy holy name. Hear our petitions, O Lord, and receive our Psalm xxxviii. 21, 22. A Prayer for One who hath been a notoriously wicked Liver. O LORD God, of infinite goodness and compassion, whose mercies are over all thy works; who makest the sun to shine, and the rain to descend, upon the "unjust" as well as the "just," and art kind even to the most unthankful; we humbly beseech thee, to look down in mercy upon this thy unworthy servant, who hath so long "trampled upon the riches of thy goodness, not knowing that it should lead to repentance." Let thy rod, therefore, awaken him now to a sense of his condition, whom thy goodness hath not reclaimed, and let him still find mercy at thy hands, notwithstanding his continual abuse of it. wicked man turneth away from his wickedness Thou hast promised, O Lord, that, “when the which he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.” make good this thy promise to thy servant here, who stands in so much need of it. "Hide thy face from his sins, and blot out all his iniquities:" though they be "red as scarlet," yet do thou make them "white as snow," by repentance, which we beg of thee to give him, and to accept, though late, through thine infinite mer cies. Simon Magus, though in the "gall of bitterness, and the bond of iniquity," was exhorted to repent, and to pray for pardon: and therefore we hope the gate of life is still open for our brother, though he hath so long shut himself out of it, by going on in a course that leadeth to the "chambers of death." Blessed Lord, let thy terrors at length awaken him out of this lethargical condition, before he is overtaken by thy judgments. Afflict him here, that thou mayest spare him hereafter. Soften his heart, that he may bewail his ill-spent life, like Mary Magdalen, with tears of contrition. O quicken him to a sense of his duty, and of his danger, before it be too late: and when thou hast brought him to his right mind, receive him, we beseech thee, as the compassionate father did his prodigal son, or the shepherd his lost sheep. Thou, O Lord, who didst pardon the thief upon the cross, hear our prayers for our brother, in these his great, and, for any thing we know, his last agonies. And as the fore-mentioned instances are lively significations of thine unbounded goodness, and were written for our comfort and instruction, that none should despair of pardon; so with the greatest confidence we now recommend this our distressed brother to thy divine protection, beseeching thee to forgive all that is past, and to receive him at last into thine "everlasting habitation." Amen. A Prayer for One who is hardened and impenitent. weak and helpless creature, but much more so now in her present condition, when thou hast added weakness to weakness, and made her to travail with much sickness, together with the burden of child-bearing. Let her not be disquieted with the fear of any evil, since none can happen unto her without thy permission; but give her grace patiently to resign herself to thy blessed will in all things, who knowest what is best for her, and wilt lay no more upon her, we trust, than thou wilt enable O Lord, be thou graciously pleased to proporLORD God Almighty, who art the "Father of tion thy strength to her weakness, and as pains our spirits," and who "turnest the hearts of men and sorrow take hold upon her, inspire her with as thou pleasest; who hast mercy on whom thou fresh vigour and courage to rely upon thee, her wilt have mercy, and whom thou wilt thou hard-only support in time of need, and the rock of her enest; let thy merciful ears be open, we pray thee, salvation. to the supplications which we now offer to thy Divine Majesty, in the behalf of this thy servant, who appears insensible of his sin and folly, and on whom all means to lead him to repentance have hitherto seemed vain and ineffectual. Take from him, we humbly entreat thee, all ignorance and hardness of heart: remove from him all pre-her to bear. judice against, and contempt of, thy sacred word and ministry: let him no longer "make a mock of sin," but be sensible that the wisdom he has hitherto gloried in, is the greatest and most dangerous folly. Open thou his eyes, that he may see the wonderful things of thy law." Show thy mercy upon him, and grant him thy salvation. Convince him of the vanity and madness, as well as danger, of his past ways. health out of sickness; and make her, in thy good A Prayer for a Woman in the Time of her [From Bishop Patrick.] His understanding, we fear, is now darkened, and his heart hardened through the deceitfulness of sin: O, do thou enlighten his dark mind, and O MOST Mighty Lord, who hast given us innulet him at last see the beauties of holiness, which merable pledges of thy love, and encouraged us to have so long been hidden from his eyes. Take trust in thee for ever, and to expect with quiet and from him this "stony heart, and give him a heart patient minds the issue of thy wise and good proof flesh." Awaken his slumbering and inatten-vidence; we most humbly commend thy servant, tive soul, that it may delight in things agreeable in this her extremnity, to thy care and blessing; to its nature, and be employed in things that beseeching thee to give her a gracious deliverance, make for its everlasting peace. O give him un- and to ease her of the burden wherewith she laderstanding, and he shall yet live. Thou that bours. We ourselves are monuments of that canst revive souls which are dead in sin and tres- mercy which we beg of thee. Thou didst preserve passes, and make even such as lie in the grave of our weak and imperfect frame, before we, were corruption to become glorious saints and even mar- born. Thou hast succoured and supported us tyrs for religion, hear our prayers for our brother, ever since, many times beyond our hopes, and who seems to be on the brink of destruction; and always beyond our deservings. We commit ourpity poor sinners that have not pity on themselves. selves, and every thing belonging unto us, most It is the unhappiness of being long accustomed heartily unto thy hands; remembering that thou to sin, that we are not soon made sensible of our hast the same power and goodness still, by which errors, nor easily made to know them. It is the we came into the light of the living. We cannot pride of our nature to be unwilling to acknowledge desire to be better provided for, than as thy infinite our faults, and to confess our sins: but let thywisdom judgeth most convenient for us; unto that grace, O God, teach us to deny this ungodly lust. Do thou humble in us all high and vain imaginations; suppress all proud thoughts and haughty opinions of ourselves. Give us all (and particularly thy servant, for whom we are now interceling) a sense of our own vileness; give us unfeigned repentance for all the errors of our life past; that, being cast down, thou mayest raise us up, and become merciful to us, miserable sinners. Let us all find, by blessed experience, that "we grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ;" and that "his commandments" are not "grievous" to us, but rather the delight and desire of our souls; that so at last we may be presented to him "holy and unblameable, and unreprovable in his sight." Amen. A Prayer for a sick Woman that is with Child. O GOD, the help of all that put their trust in thee, the support of the weak, and the relief of the needy; look with pity upon this woman thy servant, who at best acknowledgeth herself but a we refer ourselves, beseeching thee, if it be thy good pleasure, that her deliverance may be as speedy as her cries unto thee; or her patience as great and long as her pains. Thou who ripenest the fruits of the earth, and then givest us the gathering of them to our comfort, blast not, we beseech thee, the fruit of the womb; but bring it to maturity, and deliver it safe into thy servant's hand as a new pledge of thy goodness to her, to be an instrument of thy glory, and a future comfort and blessing to thy servant, who travails in so much pain with it now. Or if thou hast otherwise determined, Lord, give her grace to submit to thy holy will, and to rest satisfied in thy wise appointments, and never to distrust thy goodness and care over her. Hear us, O Father of mercies, and pardon hers and all our offences, and pity our infirmities: make us more thankful for what we have received, and more fit for the blessing which we now request; and prepare us for all thy future mercies, either in this life, or in the next, through thy infinite love and compassion declared to us, in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen. A Prayer for a Woman who cannot be delivered without Difficulty and Hazard. O LORD God of all comfort and consolation, who art the refuge of the distressed, and the help of all that depend upon thee; we thy unworthy servants do now offer up our supplications at the throne of thy majesty, in the behalf of this thy servant, who is in great pain and misery. Thou hast been pleased to bring the child to the birth, but there is not strength to bring forth. On this account, thy servant is in violent agonies, crying out in her pangs, and pouring out her soul to thee in prayer. O grant that "it may be in an acceptable time." "Thou art our salvation; thou shalt preserve us from trouble; thou shalt compass us about with songs of deliverance." O let thy servant feel these blessed effects of thy goodness; and as thou hast brought to the birth, enable her, we beseech thee, to bring forth, that she may rejoice in the workmanship of thy hands, and tell of all thy wondrous works. shut itself upon her: but thou hast graciously assuaged her pains, and turned her sorrows into joy. Lord, we will ever adore and magnify thy mercy, which has dealt so lovingly with her, and praise thy truth and faithfulness, which have not suffered her hopes to fail. We will never forget how mindful thou hast been of the low estate of thy handmaid; for she has been supported by thy power, O blessed God, in her greatest weakness. She has tasted thy goodness in the midst of all her pangs and sorrows. Perfect, O Lord, that deliverance to her which thou hast most graciously begun, and let her not be lost, after the wonders which thou hast already done for her. Continue her patience, and her humble dependence on thee, under the pains and accidents to which she is still exposed. Support her spirits, and raise her up again in thy due time. Thy mercy and power are still the same, and will be the same for ever. O let them still be shown for her recovery, as they have been already for her delivery; let them be shown upon her, that she may praise thee inore and more. Consider the low estate of thine handmaid, and deliver her soul from death, her eyes from tears, and her feet from falling. "Gracious art thou, O But if, in thy paternal providence, whereunto Lord, and righteous; thou preservest the simple, we pray she may willingly commit herself, thou and helpest those that are in misery." Help thy hast determined otherwise concerning her, thy servant therefore now, we humbly entreat thee, blessed will be done. Dispose her either to life or who stands in so much need of it. Accept her death, as thou pleasest, only in both to thy mercy: tears, and assuage her pain, as shall seem most and whether living or dying, let her still please expedient for her.-And forasmuch as she putteth thee, and be thou her portion. O perfect her reher whole trust in thee, give her strength and pa-pentance, and give her patience whilst she lives, tience proportionable to all her pains and agonies. and peace when she dies, and after that, the hapSupport her spirits under them, and, if thou pleas-piness of a blessed eternity, which thou hast preest, carry her safely through the same, and "make pared for all that truly fear thee; through Jesus her to hear of joy and gladness, that the bones Christ our Lord. Amen. which thou hast broken may rejoice." "Restore unto her, O Lord, the joy of thy salvation, and uphold her with thy free Spirit; then shall she teach transgressors thy way, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver her" from this great affliction, "O God, thou God of her salvation, and her tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness." Thy mercies and power are still the same, and will be the same for ever. O let them now be shown in this thy servant's delivery, as they have been formerly on the like occasion; that so, by having fresh instances of thy loving kindness, she may still praise thee more and more. O perfect her repentance, and pardon her sins. Give her patience whilst she lives, and peace when she dies, and after death, the happiness of a blessed eternity, which thou hast promised and prepared for all that love and fear thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer for Grace and Assistance for a Woman after Delivery, but still in Danger. [From Mr. Kettlewell.] O FATHER of mercies, what thanks can we worthily give unto thee for thine unspeakable goodness to this thy servant and her helpless infant, and for the wondrous things which thou hast done for her! The pangs of death compassed her, and she found trouble and sorrow. The mouth of the pit was opened, and ready to *This is to be omitted, if it be the first child. If the Child be living, this may be added: PRESERVE likewise her tender infant, O Father of mercies, and let its own weakness, and our cries, commend it to thy care. and as it increases in years and stature, let it inKeep it also afterwards in health and safety, crease in wisdom, and in thy fear. We beg not for it wealth or greatness, but wisdom to know and to serve thee. For, O Lord, we do not desire life, either for ourselves or it, but that we may live to thee, and grow daily in love and thankfulness for all thy mercies, and in faith and patience, and all holy obedience, which may fit us for the happiness which thou hast promised; through Jesus Christ our only Saviour and Redeemer. Amen. Prayers for a Sick Child. [Visitation Office.] O ALMIGHTY God and merciful Father, to whom alone belong the issues of life and death; 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 mercy's sake; that if it shall be thy good 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, for thy mercy's sake; through | cies, that thou hast redeemed his soul from death, Jesus Christ our Lord. and made him partaker of eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Amen. [From Mr. Kettlewell.] [Visitation Office.] LORD, pity the troubles and weakness of this A Prayer for a sick Person, when there appeareth infant, and pity our sorrows, who are afflicted with small hope of Recovery. it. and for it. Ease it of its pains, and strengthen it when it lies struggling for life. Raise it up again, if it shall please thee, to grow in years and stature, in wisdom and virtue; and thereby to comfort us, and glorify thee. We believe, O Almighty Father, that thou knowest best what is fit, both for it and us, and wilt do what is fit for both, and therefore we leave it to thee, to dispose of it as thou pleasest. But whether it be to life or death, let it be thine in both, and either preserve it to be thy true and faithful servant here on earth, or take it to the blessedness of thy children in the kingdom of heaven; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. A Prayer for a Person who, from a state of Health, is suddenly seized with the Symptoms of Death. O MOST gracious Father, Lord of heaven and earth, Judge of the living and of the dead, behold thy servants turning to thee for pity and mercy, in behalf of ourselves and this thy servant. It was but lately that we beheld him in as promising a state of health and life, as any one of us seems to be in at present, and therefore our concern is so much the greater to behold so sudden a change, and so unlooked for an instance of our mortality. We know, O Lord, thou canst bring back from the brink of the grave, and as suddenly raise thy servant again as thou hast cast him down, and therefore we think it not too late to implore thy mercy upon him for his recovery; at least we beg of thee to spare him a little, that he may recover his strength, and have time to make his peace with thee, "before he go hence, and be no more seen." But if it be thy will to remove him at this time into another world, O let the miracles of thy compassion, and thy wonderful mercy, supply to him the want of the usual measures of time, that he may fit himself for eternity. And let the greatness of his calenity be a means to procure his pardon for those defects and degrees of unreadiness which this sudden stroke hath caused. And teach us all, we beseech thee, from this unexpected fate of our brother, to be continually upon our guard, and to watch and pray, since we know not the hour when the "Master of the house cometh," whether in the evening, or at midnight, or in the morning." O 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 steadfast faith in thy Son Jesus, that his sins may be forgiven, and his pardon scaled in heaven, before he go hence, and be no more seen. We know, O Lord, that there is no work impossible with thee, and that, if thou wilt, thou canst even yet raise him up, and grant him a in all appearance the time of his dissolution drawlonger continuance among us. Yet forasmuch as eth near, so fit and prepare him, we beseech thee, against the hour of death, that after his departure hence in peace, and in thy favour, his soul may be received into thine everlasting kingdom; through the mediation of Jesus Christ thy Son, our Saviour. Amen. LORD, "what is our life, but a vapour which appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away?" Even at the longest, how short and transitory! and when we think ourselves most secure, yet we know not what a day may bring forth; nor how soon thou mayest come, before we are aware, to call us to our last account. Quickly shall we be as water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again. Quickly shall we be snatched away hence, and our place here shall know us no more. Our bodies shall soon lie down in the grave, and our souls be summoned to appear before the tribunal of Christ, to receive our everlasting doom; and yet, O Lord, how do the generality of mankind live in this world, as if they were never to leave it! How unmindful are we all of our departure! how improvident of our time! how careless of our souls, and negligent in our preparations for eternity! so that thou mightest justly cut us off in the midst of our sins, and our unpreparedness to appear before thee. But, O God of all comfort Lord, thou hast now called thy servant before and mercy, remember not our sins against thee, he was aware of it; O, give him such a great and but remember thy own love to us in Jesus Christ, effectual repentance in this exigence, that in a and thy tender mercies which have been ever of short time it may be sufficient to do the work of old. Ó, remember how short our time is, and many days. Thou regardest, O Lord, the sin-"so teach us to number our days, that we may cerity of our hearts more than the measures of time, in our conversion; accept therefore, we beseech thee, the few minutes of thy servant's unfeigned tears and humiliation for his sins, as if they were hours and days of a longer preparation: and let it be thy pleasure to rescue him from all the evils he deserves, and all the evils he fears, that in the songs of eternity which angels and saints shall sing to the glory of thy name, this also may be reckoned amongst thine invaluable mer 2 K apply our hearts unto wisdom." In the days of our health and prosperity, let us, from the example of our brother's weakness, remember our own approaching fate; and let him, from the sudden change of health to sickness, consider how few and evil all his days have been, and that there is no satisfaction in any thing, but in knowing thee, O God. Lord, what have we to do in this world, but to devote ourselves wholly to thy service, and to make ready for the world to 22* |