The Pathway to Prayer and Piety, Prayer 7
A PRAYER FOR A SICK perſon, man or woman, changing the ſexe.
O Almightie, euer-liuing, and euer-louing God, and in Chriſt Ieſus our moſt gracious and mercifull father: thou haſt taught vsus out of thine holy word, that Man which is borne of a woman, hath but a ſhort time to liue, and is full of miſerie: his life is a ſhadow; his daies are vanitie; his yeeres are nothing, in compariſon of thée, and in the end hee fadeth as a flower of the field, and neuer continueth in one ſtay. Experience we hauehave of the frailtie of our life, in beholding this diſeaſed and diſtreſſed feruant of thine, whom thou haſt caſt downe vponupon the bed of ſickneſſe: He was, as we thought, of late in good health, and now we ſée him at the point of death. In him let vsus behold our fraile eſtate, and truly to conſider that all fleſh is graſſe. And becauſe we are now in this houſe of mourning, let vsus be admoniſhed of our later end, and behold what afterward ſhall become of vsus. Make vsus truly to mourne with them that mourne, and to weepe with them that weepe. And grant vntounto vsus all the forgiueneſſe of our ſinnes, …he aſſiſtance of thy Spirit, aſſurance to be heard, and a fellow feeling of our brothers miſeries; that we may the better call vponupon thy name, and pray to thée for him, who ſtandeth in néede to be prayed for.
Thou art, O Lord, the conduit of comfort, bee a God of comfort and conſolation vntounto him: thou art the forgiuer of all our ſinnes, blot all his ſinnes out of thy remembrance: thou art the Phyſitian to cure all ſores, looke fauourably vponupon him in this ſickneſſe of his. And as thou art the God of patience, mitigate his paines: of hope, aſſure his heart: of merciemercy, confirme his faith: of iuſtice, looke vponupon thy Sonne: and as thou art the reſurrection and the life, be vntounto him both life and reſurrection.
It is true, O Lord, that he hath deſerued a farre greater puniſhment, and that thou ſhouldeſt ſcourge him with all thy rods: hee feeleth his ſinne, he feareth thy iuſtice, he is affrighted at death, hee trembleth at thy iudgements, and vnleſſe thy law were his delight, he ſhould hauehave periſhed in this his trouble. He appealeth from thy iuſtice vntounto thy merciemercy, and in conſideration of thine abundant goodneſſe, doth ſay vntounto thee in the bitterneſſe of his ſoule; Lord bee mercifull vntounto me a ſinner. HaueHave merciemercy vponupon him, O Lord, hauehave merciemercy vponupon him: and according to the multitude of thy mercies doe away all his offences. Grant him thy grace, to beare willingly this croſſe, the croſſe of ſickneſſe, to drinke heartily of this cup, the cup of affliction, to endure patiently this yoke, the yoke of tribulation, and to ſuffer meekely this rod, the rod of correction. Naked hee came out of his mothers womb, and naked ſhall he returne againe: O Let him now ſay with thy ſeruant Iob; The Lord hath giuen, and the Lord hath taken away, bleſſed bee the name of the Lord. He hath receiued good things of thée, make him to receiue euill alſo: and as heretofore he reioyced in his health, ſo teach him now to reioyce in ſickneſſe: and as hee was not aſhamed to liue, ſo let him not bee afraid to die, becauſe his life is hid with Chriſt in heauen.
Teach him, O Lord, by thy holy Spirit, that hee cannot ſuffer more for thee, than Chriſt his Sauiour ſuffered for him: and though thou haſt now powred into the wounds of his corruption, the ſharpe wine of grieuous tribulation, yet after the example of the good Samaritan, inſtill alſo the ſuppling oyle of comfort; whereby hee may bee able to endure theſe troubles, which otherwiſe would bee intollerable vntounto him. As his paine encreaſeth, ſo increaſe his patience: and as it decreaſeth, ſo increaſe his thankfulneſſe. Turne this viſitation to the good of his ſoule: lay no more vponupon him than hee is able to beare: and as hee feeleth thy iuſtice, in ſuffering for his ſinnes; ſo let him feele thy merciemercy, in correcting him for them: and as thou now trieſt whe her he will louelove thée or no, ſo make him now moſt to louelove thee when thou correcteſt him as thy ſonne. Let his heart be glad, his tongue reioyce and his fleſh alſo reſt in hope becauſe thou wilt not ſuffer his ſoule in the graue, nor his fleſh (through thine Holy one) to ſée corruption.
Remember not Lord his, or our iniquities, ſpare him good Lord, ſpare thy ſeruant, whom Chriſt hath redeemed with his moſt pretious blood, and bee not angrie with vsus for euer. Lord ſaue thy ſeruant, which putteth his truſt in thée: ſend him helpe from thy holy place, and euermore mightily defend him: let the enemie hauehave none aduantage againſt him: nor the wicked approch neere vntounto him: be vntounto him a ſtrong tower againſt the face of his enemie: O Lord heare our prayers, and let our crie come vntounto thée. Wée crie and call vntounto thee alone for him: viſite him, as thou diddeſt viſite Peters wiues mother: comfort him, as thou diddeſt comfort the ſick of the palſie, & chéere him, as thou diddeſt cheere that godly man Simeon, that hée now, ſeeing his Sauiour in heauen, may ioyfully ſay; Lord now letteſt thou thy ſeruant depart in peace, for mine eyes hauehave ſeene thy ſaluation. In the meane time ſtrengthen him againſt all temptations; defend him againſt all aſſaults; relieue him in all his weakeneſſe; and deliuer him from all his feares.
O Lord Ieſu Chriſt, who for his and our ſakes, cameſt into the World, obeyedſt the law, ſufferedſt reproch, baredſt our ſinnes, and gaueſt ouer for vsus thy pretious life to death; looke thou vponupon this thy patient: let thy blood waſh away the ſpots of his ſinnes: let thy righteouſneſſe couer his vnrighteouſneſſe: and let thy ſatisfaction bee his merit.
O holie Ghoſt the comforter of all that want comfort, ſend downe thy grace into the heart of thy ſeruant, call to his minde, whatſoeuer conſolation he hath before learned cut of thy word; eſpecially that by Chriſt he ſhall inherit heauen: giuegive him now ſuch a portion of thy grace, that he neither wauer in his faith, nor ſtagger in his hope, nor faint in his patience, nor coole in his louelove, nor ſorrow at his diſſolution, nor looke backe to the world, nor bee ouermuch caſt downe with the dread of death.
Grant that when death ſhall hauehave cloſed vp the eyes of his body, the eyes of his ſoule may be fixed vponupon thee: that when his ſpeech ſhall be taken from him, then his heart may crie vntounto thée, & ſay; Come Lord Ieſu, come quickly. Heare vsus good Lord, praying for him; heare him praying for himſelfe; & heare vsus al for Chriſt Ieſus his ſake, in whom alone thou art well pleaſed, and in whoſe name, and in whoſe words we conclude our vnperfect prayers, ſaying, Our Father, &c.
LOrd bleſſe vsus and kéepe vsus, Lord make the light of thy countenance thine vponupon vsus, and grant vsus thy peace. O God the Father, looke vponupon thy ſonne; O God the Son, looke vponupon thy ſeruant; O God the holie Ghoſt, enter into thy temple: O holie Father, O righteous Sonne, O comforting holie Ghoſt, O bleſſed, and glorious Trinitie, one in eſſence, thrée in perſon, be with this thy ſeruant; comfort him with that comfort which we would deſire in the like viſitation: let thine Angels pitch their tents about him: let his laſt houre bee his beſt houre: make his life victorious, his death pretious, and his and our reſurrection glorious, through Ieſus Chriſt our Lord. Amen. Lord Ieſu be with his ſpirit. Amen. Amen.