Death Made Comfortable, Prayers 7 – Prayers 8
Prayers.
1.
LOrd, Wash my Soul in thy Blood, that it may be presented without Spot unto thee. And let me Dye in thy Favour, and rest in Peace, and rise again in Glory. Amen.
2.
STrenthen me, O! my God in my Agonies. As my strength fails, let my pains wear off. But when my Strenth fails, let not my Faith fail. Even in Death let me trust in thee. And the nearer I am drawing to thee, the more Doe thou manifest thy mercy unto me, thro Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
3.
DEliver me, O! Lord, from Fear of Death, and from all violent Disorders of a troubled Fancy, or painful Delusions of my Ghostly Enemy. Oh! let not him be able now to disturb and terrifye me, or any way to prevail against me, but Guard thou thy Servant comeing unto thee. Amen.
4.
HAve me in thy Custody, O! holy Father, for†Jo. 10. 29. nothing can can take me out of thy Hands. And Give thy Holy Angels Charge to stand about me, to guard and receive my poor Soul at my Departure, and to Conduct and Carry it to the Blessed Receptacles of Rest and Peace. Amen.
5.
COme,†Rev. 22. 20. Lord Jesu, Come quickly. ‖Phil. 1. 23.I Desire, and Groan earnestly, to be dissolved, and to be with thee *Ps. 31. 5.Into thy Hands I Commend my Spirit, and lay Down my wearyed Flesh to Rest in Hope of a Blessed Resurrection to eternal Peace and joy at the last Day. Amen.
6.
LOrd, if it be thy Gracious will, make my Pains short, and my Death Easy, at least not extremely tedious, or Greivous to me. But if thou hast otherwise ordered, thy Blessed will be done. Only Give me Patience to bear them, and Spiritual Comforts under them, and at thine own time make my Death my Passage to a Blessed and Eternal Life, through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen.
Out of the Office for Burial.
ANd, O! Lord most Holy, O! God most mighty, O! Holy and Mercifull Saviour, thou most worthy Judge Eternal, Suffer me not at my last Hour, for any pains of Death to fall from thee. Amen.
And these Prayers may be said for the Dying Person as occasion requires by his Friends who are about him, only altering the Persons, we for I, him for me, our for my, &c. as is requisite upon the change of Persons.
Likewise they may use for him, the recommendatory Prayer for one at the Point of Departure, in the Churches Office for Visitation of the Sick.
O! Almighty God, with whom doe live the Spirits of just Men made perfect after they are Deliverd from their Earthly Prisons: We humbly commend the Soul of this thy Servant, our dear Brother, into thy Hands, as into the Hands of a faithful Creator, and most merciful Saviour; most humbly beseeching thee that it may be precious in thy sight. Wash it, we pray thee, in the Blood of that immaculate Lamb that was slain to take away the sins of the World; that whatsoever defilements it may have contracted in the midst of this miserable and naughty world, through the lusts of the flesh, or the wiles of Satan, being purged and done away, it may be presented pure and without spot before thee. And teach us who survive, in this and other like da…ly Spectacles of mortality, to see how frail and uncertain our own condition is, and so to number our days, that we may seriously apply our Hearts to that holy and heavenly wisdom, whilst we live here, which may in the end bring us to life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ thine only Son our Lord. Amen.
6. A Prayer against sudden death.
LOrd, they who have lead the best lives, are Desirous of some time to prepare for their Death. But my Life has abounded in Sins and Frailtyes, which make me stand in much greater need thereof. Snatch me not away therefore to give up my accounts, by the surprize of a sudden Death, but Deliver me from an unprepared Heart, and an unexpected End.
As I Sin Dayly, O! God, let me repent Dayly; and stand allways upon my watch, that I may be ready for thee whensoever thou callest me: But give me time and leasure, if it may please thee, to put my Spirit in the best order I can, for leaving this world, and appearing before thee, and taking my Leave of all decently; that soe with more satisfaction to my Friends, and with more settlement of minde and comfort to my self, I may yeild it up into the Hands of thy mercy, thro Jesus Christ my only Lord and Saviour. Amen.
Prayers and Devotions upon the Death of Friends.
Scriptures.
1. When a Friend dyes.
IT is better to goe to the House of mourning, than to go to the House of …easting: for that is the end of all men, and the living will lay it to his Heart.
Sorrow is better than Laughter, for by the Sadness of the Countenance the Heart is made better, Eccl. 7. 2, 3.
But sorrow not, Brethren, for them which are asleep, even as others which have no hope.
For if we Believe that Jesus Dyed, and Rose again, even soe them alsoe which sleep in Jesus, will God bring with him. 1. Thess. 4. 13, 14.
Precious in the Sight of the Lord, is the Death of his Saints. Ps. 116. 13.
And Blessed are the Dead which Dye in the Lord, for they rest from their Labors, and their works follow them. Rev. 14, 13.
In the sight of the unwise they seemed to Dye, and their Departure is taken for misery.
But they are in Peace, and their Hope is full of immortality. Wisd. 3. 2, 3, 4.
And here the Righteous shall be had in everlasti…g Remembrance, and the memory of the just is Blessed. Ps. 112. 6. and Prov. 10. 7.
Besides, when the Righteous Dyes, i… is often to take him from the evil to come. Is. 57. 1.
And now he is Dead, wherefore should I fast and weep? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. 2 Sam. 12. 23.
Forget it not, for there is no turning again: thou shalt not do him good, but hurt thy self.
And think thou hearest him say, Remember my judgement, or the sentence upon me, for thine also shall be so: Yesterday for me, and to day for thee.
Therefore take no Heaviness to heart, but Drive it away, and remember the last end.
And when the Dead is at Rest, let his remembrance Rest, and be Comforted for him when his Spirit is Departed from him, Ecclus. 38. 20, 21, 22, 23.
2. When a Friend is taken away early.
THo the Righteous be prevented with Death, yet shall he be in Rest.
He was taken away speedily, lest that wickedness should alter his understanding, or Deceit beguile his Soul.
He pleased God, and was beloved of him; soe that living among sinners he was translated.
Yea, therefore the Lord hasted to take him away from the wicked.
Moreover, he being made Perfect in a short time, fullfill'd a long Time.
For Honourable Age is not that which Standeth in Length of time, nor that is measured by number of years.
But wisdom is the Gray hair unto men, and an unspotted Life is old Age. Wisd. 4. 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 13, 14.
And why art thou against the Pleasure of the most High? there is noe inquisition in the Grave, whether thou have lived ten, or an hundred, or a thousand years. Ecclus. 41. 4.
3. When one is Childless.
Trust not thou in the Life of Children, neither Respect their multitude: For one that is just is better than a thousand; and better it is to Dye without Children, than to have them that are ungodly. Ecclus. 16. 3.
Better it is to have noe Children, and to have Virtue.
For the Memorial thereof is immortal, because it is known with God, and with Men.
When it is present, men take example at it; and when it is gone, they desire it: it weareth a Crown, and Triumpheth for ever, haveing got the Victory, striveing for undefiled Rewards. Wisd. 4. 1, 2.