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where the fouls of them that fleep in the Lord Jefus enjoy perpetual reft and felicity. Grant this, O Lord, for thy mercies fake, in the fame thy Son our Lord Jesus Chrift, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghoft, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

A Prayer for a fick perfon, when there appeareth fmall hope of recovery.

Father of mercies, and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need; We fly unto thee for fuccour in behalf of this thy fervant, here lying under thy hand in great weakness of body. Look graciously upon him, O Lord; and the more the outward man decayeth, ftrengthen bim, we beseech thee, fo 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 stedfait faith in thy Son Jefus; that his fins may be done away by thy mercy, and his pardon fealed in Heaven, before he go hence, and be no more seen. We know, O Lord, that there is no word impoffible with thee; and that, if thou wilt, thou canst even yet raife him up, and grant him a longer continuance amongst us. Yet, forafmuch as in all appearance the time of his diffolution draweth near; fo fit and prepare bim, we beseech thee, against the hour of death, that after bis departure hence in peace, and in thy favour, bis foul may be received into thine everlafting kingdom, through the merits and mediation of Jefus Chrift thine only Son, our Lord and Saviour Amen.

A commendatory Prayer for a fick perfon at the point of departure.

Almighty God, with whom do live the spirits of

their earthly prifons; We humbly commend the foul of this thy fervant, our dear brother, into thy hands, as into the hands of a faithful Creator, and moft merciful Saviour; moft humbly befeeching thee, that it may be precious in thy fight. Wash it, we pray thee, in the

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blood of that immaculate Lamb, that was flain to take away the fins of the world; that whatsoever defilements it may have contracted in the midft of this miferable and naughty world, through the luft of the flesh, or the wiles of Satan, being purged and done away, it may be prefented pure and without fpot before thee. And reach us who furvive, in this and other like daily fpectacles of mortality, to see how frail and uncertain our own condition is; and fo to number our days, that we may feriously apply our hearts to that holy and heavenly wisdom, whilft we live here, which may in the end bring us to life everlasting, through the merits of Jefus Chrift thine only Son our Lord. Amen.

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A Prayer for perfons troubled in mind, or in confcience.

Bleffed Lord, the Father of mercies, and the God

of all comforts; we beseech thee, look down in pity and compaffion upon this thy afflicted fervant. Thou writeft, bitter things against him, and makeft him to pof fefs his former iniquities; thy wrath lieth hard upon him, and his foul is full of trouble: But, O merciful God, who haft written thy holy Word for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of thy holy Scriptures, might have hope; give him a right understanding of himself, and of thy threats and promises; that he may neither caft away his confidence in thee, nor place it any where but in thee. Give him ftrength against all bis temptations, and heal all bis diftempers. Break not the bruifed reed, nor quench the fmoking flax. Shut not up thy tender mercies in difpleasure; but make him to hear of joy and gladnefs, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Deliver him from fear of the ene my, and lift up the light of thy countenance upon him, and give him peace, through the merits and mediation of Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Forafmuch as all mortal men be fubject to many fudden perils, difeafes, and ficknesses, and ever uncertain what time they shall depart out of this life; therefore, to the intent they may be always in a readiness to die, whenfoever it shall pleafe Almighty God to call them, the Curates shall diligently from time to time (but especially in the time of peftilence, or other infectious fickness) exhort their parifhioners to the often receiving of the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Chrift, when it shall be publickly adminiftered in the Church; that fo doing, they may, in cafe of fudden vifitation, have the lefs caufe to be difquieted for lack of the fame. But if the fick perfon be not able to come to the Church, and yet is defirous to receive the Communion in his houfe; then he must give timely notice to the Curate, fignifying alfo how many there are to communicate with him (which shall be three, or two at the leaft) and having a convenient place in the fick man's house, with all things neceffary fo prepared, that the Curate may reverently minifter, he shall there celebrate the holy Communion, beginning with the Collect, Epistle, and Gofpel, here following:

Sick man's boufe] Though adminiftering the communion in private houses be forbidden by the canons of 1603, as well as by thofe of ancient times, under the feverest penalties; yet there is an exception made in the cafe of ficknefs; upon which occafion, both the canons above mentioned, and this prefent rubric, allow the curate (having a convenient place in the fick man's houfe, with all things neceffary fo prepared, that he may reverently minifter) there to celebrate the holy Communion. This indul gence was rare in the primitive church: however, fome inftances may be produced, even from thence, of private confecrations upon great emergencies. But, generally fpeaking, it was ufual for the minifters to referve fome part of the elements, that had been confecrated before, in the church, to be always in a readiness upon fuch like occafions. Agreeably to which in this very rubric (as it was worded in King Edward's first common prayer) it was ordered, that if the fame day (on which the perfon was to be vifited) there was a celebration of the holy communion in the church, then the priest was to referve (at the open communion) fo much of the facrament of the body and blood, as would serve the fick perfon, and fo many as were to communicate with him (if there were any) and fo foon as he conveniently could, after the open communion ended in the church, he was to go and minifter the fame, &c. But then this refervation was not allowed, unless there was a communion at the church on

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The Collect.

ALMIGHTY, everliving God, Maker of mankind,

who doft correct those whom thou doft love, and chastise every one whom thou doft receive; we beseech thee to have mercy upon this thy fervant vifited with thine hand, and to grant that he may take his sickness patiently, and recover his bodily health, (if it be thy gracious will;) and whenfoever bis foul fhall depart from the body, it may be without fpot prefented unto thee, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

MY

The Epifle. Heb. xii. 5.

Y fon, defpife not thou the chaftening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth, he chafteneth; and fcour geth every fon whom he receiveth.

VER

The Gofpel. St. John v. 24.

ERILY, verily, I fay unto you, he that heareth my Word, and believeth on him that fent me, hath everlasting life, and fhall not come into condemnation; but is paffed from death unto life.

the fame day on which the fick perfon was to be vifited: for by another rubric it was ordered, that if the day were not appointed for the open communion in the church, then (upon convenient warning given) the curate was to go and vifit the fick perfon afore noon; and having a convenient place in the fick man's houfe, where he might reverently cele brate, with all things neceffary for the fame, and not being otherwife let ted with the public fervice, or any other juft impediment, there to cele brate the holy communion. And even the elements that were confe crated thus privately were to be referved, if there was any occafion to adminifter the facrament again that day. For fo it was ordered by a third rubric of this office in the fame book, that if there were any more fick perfons to be vifited the fame day that the curate celebrated in any fick man's houfe, then the curate was there to referve fo much of the facra ment of the body and blood, as would ferve the other fick perfons, and Luch as were appointed to communicate with them, (if there were any) and immediately to carry it and minifter it unto them. So that from all thefe rubrics compared together, we may obferve, firft, that though an ciently it was ufual for the minifters to referve fome part of the confe crated elements, either in the church or at their houses, to be always in a readiness for any that should want to receive, before the time came to confecrate again; yet after the reformation it was never allowed to referve them longer than that day on which they were confecrated, nor indeed to referve them at all, unless the curate knew before-hand that fome fick perfon was that day to be visited.-Wheatley.

After which the Priest fhall proceed according to the form before prescribed for the holy Communion, beginning at these words, [Ye that do truly repent, &c.]

At the time of the distribution of the holy Sacrament, the, Priest fhall first receive the Communion himself, and after minifter unto them that are appointed to communicate with the fick, and laft of all to the fick perfon.

¶ But if a man, either by reafon of extremity of fickness, or for want of warning in due time to the Curate, or for lack of company to receive with him, or by any other juft impediment, do not receive the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood; the Curate fhall inftruct him, that if he do truly repent him of his fins, and ftedfaftly believe that Jefus Chrift bath fuffered death upon the cross for him, and fhed his blood for his redemption, earnestly remembering the benefits he hath thereby, and giving him hearty thanks therefore, he doth eat and drink the Body and Blood of our Saviour Chrift profitably to his foul's health, although he do not receive the Sacrament with bis mouth.

¶ When the fick perfon is vifited, and receiveth the holy Communion all at one time, then the Priest, for more expedition, fhall cut off the form of the Vifitation at the Pfalm, [In thee, O Lord, have I put my truft, &c.] and go ftraight to the Communion.

¶ In the time of the Plague, Sweat, or fuch other like contagious times of fickness or difeafes, when none of the parish or neighbours can be gotten to communicate with the Sick in their houses, for fear of the infection; upon Special request of the difeafed, the Minifter may only communicate with him.

Truft, &c.] After these words in Edward the VIth's first book, followed," And if the fick defire to be anointed, then fhall the prieft ufe the appointed prayer, without the pfalm."

In the time, c. This rubric was added at the review 1551.

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