Household Prayers, Prayer 27
The ſeauen and twentieth Prayer. At the viſitation of the ſicke.
Is there any among you ſicke, let him call the elders of the Church, and let them pray for him, and annoint him with oyle, in the name of the Lord, and the prayer of faith ſhall ſaue the diſeaſed, and the Lord ſhall raiſe him vp, and if hee hauehave committed any ſinnes, they ſhall bee forgiuen him.
Iames 5.
O LORD our GOD, who art all righteouſnes & goodneſſe, we knowe, that among thy corrections wherewith thou wakeneſt vsus to our duties, it pleaſeth thee many times to tame our fleſh with ſundry diſeaſes: for thou doſt, by the pains that we ſuffer, aduertize vsus of the cauſe of our euills, which is ſinne, and of the puniſhment due to the ſame, namely death, whereof the infirmities of the body are the ordinary meanes: And alſo thou doeſt withall put vsus in minde of the great day of thy Iudgement, which after death doeth enſue to life euerlaſting, full of glory and beatitude to the elect, and of reproach and torments to the rebrobate.
But of theſe things, the fleſh, ſo long as it feeleth it ſelfe at eaſe, hath leaſt care to heare: Sith therefore it hath pleaſed thee, (O iuſt and mercifull Father) with thy rod to viſite this poore ſicke perſon here preſent, afflicting him for his offences, as himſelfe doth with vsus confeſſe, we beſeech thee that in pardoning him for the louelove of thy welbeloued Sonne Ieſus Chriſt, thou wilt make this chaſtizement to profit him to his correction: ſo that he may with quiet obedience beare thy viſitation, ſubmitting himſelfe volunrarie with all his heart to thy holy will, who ſtrikeſt him, not as a ſeuere iudge, but as a moſt merciful Father, whereby he may learne to repoſe his whole truſt & aſſurance in thy louelove, & as in him that art the author of his lif, & canſt preſerue him, whither it be to abide below here in thy church, or that thou wilt gather him into thy kingdome of heauen. Thus Lord, on th'one ſide awakning in his ſoule by his ſickenes, on th'other, the feeling of humane miſeries, make him, with the eies of his faith, to behold the eternall bleſſings thou reſerueſt for him in thy Paradice, to liue happy for euer: ſo that he may with patience, eaſly digeſt the bitterneſſe of that potion that thou haſt powred foorth vntounto him, bending his principall deſire to enioy thy preſence in heauen. But thou knoweſt, O mercifull Father, that the ſpirit of thy children is willing, but their fleſh is alwayes frayle, and full of great miſtruſt, eſpecially in the bitterneſſe of afflictions.
Aſſiſt, therefore this ſicke perſon with the plentie and ſtrength of the giftes of thy ſpirite, that he may ouercome all the enemies of his peace: and be thou his ſhield, againſt the aſſaults & terrors of death, eſpecially if his conſcience do trouble and accuſe him for his inward and hidden ſins, which are open in thy ſight. Then let the holy Ghoſt (the perpetuall comforter of all faithfull ſoules) vouchſafe to repreſent vntounto him for his defence the paſſion and ſacrifice of our Lorde Ieſus, who hath himſelfe borne vponupon the croſſe al our iniquities, that ſo he might abſolue and diſcharge vsus, before thy iudicial throne (according to the infinite merite of his righteouſneſſe) and open the gate of thy Kingdome to all that ſhall beleeue and be baptized in his name. Thus this poore patient being comforted in feeling, through a liuely & ſtedfaſt faith, the fruite and vertue of that earneſt penie of ſaluation that Chriſt hath left vsus in his Church, namely remiſſion of ſinnes for his ſake: alſo that this hope which is neuer confounded, doth keepe his ſpirit quiet, that he may call vponupon thee, O Lord, and ſanctifie thy name, euen to his laſt gaſpe, neuer fearing the temptations of Sathan, of death, or of hel, as beeing aſſured, that Chriſt hath ouercome them, & ledde them in triumph, breaking their bonds, ſo that he may, in all Chriſtian confidence, cry out with thy Apoſtle, O death, where is thy ſting? O hel, where is thy victory? In this manner, (O mercifull God) let this ſicke perſon be, by our prayers, commended vntounto thee: and vouchſafe, if it be thy pleaſure, to reſtore him to health, with encreaſe of thy graces, that he may yet amongeſt vsus ſerue to thy glory. If not, but that thou haſt otherwiſe appointed to bring him into thy reſt, thy will bee done, and accepted both by him and vsus in al quiet obedience. Receiue him into thy heauenly Hieruſalem, for hee hath his whole recourſe vntounto thee by one onelie mediatour Ieſus Chriſt, and all his confidence is in thy mercy. In ſteade of bodilie death graunt him the life of his ſoule amongeſt thy Angels, vntil that by the reſurrection of all fleſh, in the great day of the LORD he may liue a whole man in the contemplation of thy glory. And to vsus all heere preſent likewiſe graunt thy grace, that we may as we ought, beholde in this myrror, the ſhortneſſe and vncertainetie of our dayes, that hereafter we may not deſire anie thing ſo much as to employ them carefully to thy honour and ſeruice. For all theſe thinges doe we pray vntounto thee in the name of thy Sonne, in that Prayer which himſelfe hath taught vsus; Our father, which art in heauen. &c.