he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. 33. For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.

39. Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Job xiv. 13. O that thou wouldst hide me in the grave [of Jesus], that thou wouldst keep me secret until thy wrath be past! that thou wouldst appoint me a set time, and remember me!

Job. ii. 10. Shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?

The Sick Man may recite, or hear recited, the following Psalms in the intervals of his agony.

2. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed.

3. My soul is also sore vexed; but thou, O Lord, how long?

4. Return, O Lord, deliver my soul; O save me for thy mercies' sake.

5. For in death no man remembereth thee; in the grave who shall give thee thanks?

6. I am weary with my groaning; all the night make I my bed to swim: I water my couch with my

tears.

7. Mine

eye

is consumed because of grief: it waxeth old because of all my [sorrows].

8. Depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity; for the Lord hath heard the voice of my weeping.

9. The Lord hath heard my supplication; the Lord will receive my prayer.

Blessed be the Lord, who hath heard my prayer, and hath not turned his mercy from me.

Psal. xi. 1.

mountain?

II.

N the Lord put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your

I've

your

4. The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven; his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.

Psal. xvi. 1. Preserve me, O God, for in thee do I put my trust.

2. O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord; my goodness extendeth not to thee.

my

lot.

5. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup; thou maintainest 7. I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel; my reins also instruct me in the night seasons.

8. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

9. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope.

11. Thou wilt show me the path of life; in thy presence is the fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Psal. xvii. 15. As for me, I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied, when I awake, with thy likeness.

Ps. xxxi. 9.

H

AVE

III.

mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am in trouble; mine eye is consumed with grief; yea, my soul and my belly. 10. For my life is spent with grief, and my years with sighing: my strength faileth because of mine iniquity, and my bones are consumed.

12. I am like a broken vessel.

14. But I trusted in thee, O Lord; I said, Thou art my God.

15. My times are in thy hand: 16. Make thy face to shine upon thy servant; save me for thy mercies' sake.

Psal. xxvii. 8. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, Lord, will I seek. 9. Hide not thy face from me; put not thy servant away in thine anger: thou hast been my help; leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation. 13. I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.

Psal. xxxi. 19. O how great is thy goodness, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee, which thou

hast wrought for them that trust in thee, before the sons of men.

20. Thou shalt hide them in the secret of thy presence from the pride of man; thou shalt keep them secretly in a pavilion from the strife of tongues [from the calumnies and aggravation of sins by devils].

22. I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes: : nevertheless, thou heardest the voice of my supplication when I cried unto thee.

23. O love the Lord, all ye his saints, for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plenteously rewardeth the proud doer.

24. Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the Lord.

The Prayer to be said in the beginning of a Sickness.

ALMIGHTY God, merciful and gracious, who in thy justice didst send sorrow and tears, sickness and death into the world, as a punishment for man's sins, and hast comprehended all under sin and this sad covenant of sufferings, not to destroy us, but that thou mightest have mercy upon all, making thy justice to minister to mercy, short afflictions to an eternal weight of glory; as thou hast turned my sins into sickness, so turn my sickness to the advantages of holiness and religion, of mercy and pardon, of faith and hope, of grace and glory. Thou hast now called me to the fellowship of sufferings: Lord, by the instrument of religion let my

present condition be so sanctified, that my sufferings may be united to the sufferings of my Lord, that so thou mayest pity me and assist me. Relieve my sorrow, and support my spirit: direct my thoughts, and sanctify the accidents of my sickness, and that the punishment of my sin may be the school of virtue in which since thou hast now entered me, Lord, make me a holy proficient; that I may behave myself as a son under discipline, humbly and obediently, evenly and penitently, that I may come by this means nearer unto thee; that if I shall go forth of this sickness by the gate of life and health, I may return to the world with great strengths of spirit to run a new race of a stricter holiness, and a more severe religion: or if I pass from hence with the outlet of death, I may enter into the bosom of my Lord, and may feel the present joys of a certain hope of that sea of pleasures in which all thy saints and servants shall be comprehended to eternal ages. Grant this for Jesus Christ his sake, our dearest Lord and Saviour. Amen.

An Act of Resignation to be said by a Sick Person in all the evil accidents of his Sickness.

O

ETERNAL God, thou hast made me and sustained me, thou hast blessed me in all the days of my life, and hast taken care of me in all variety of accidents, and nothing happens to me in vain, nothing without thy providence; and I know