The Book of Common Prayer Part 53

_And after that shall say_,

Unto G.o.d's gracious mercy and protection we commit thee. The Lord bless thee, and keep thee. The Lord make his face to s.h.i.+ne upon thee, and be gracious unto thee. The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace, both now and evermore. _Amen_.

_A Prayer for a sick Child_.

O almighty G.o.d, and merciful Father, to whom alone belong the issues of life and death: Look down from heaven, we humbly beseech thee, with the eyes of mercy upon this child now lying upon the bed of sickness. Visit _him_, O Lord, with thy salvation; deliver _him_ in thy good appointed time from _his_ bodily pain, and save _his_ soul for thy mercies sake: that, if it shall be thy pleasure to prolong _his_ days here on earth, _he_ may live to thee, and be an instrument of thy glory, by serving thee faithfully, and doing good in _his_ generation; or else receive _him_ into those heavenly habitations, where the souls of them that sleep in the Lord Jesus enjoy perpetual rest and felicity. Grant this, O Lord, for thy mercies' sake, in the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one G.o.d, world without end. _Amen_.

_A Prayer for a sick person, when there appeareth small hope of recovery_.

O Father of mercies, and G.o.d of all comfort, our only help in time of need: We fly unto thee for succour in behalf of this thy servant, here lying under thy hand in great weakness of body. Look graciously upon _him_, O Lord; and the more the outward man decayeth, strengthen _him_, we beseech thee, so 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 stedfast faith in thy Son Jesus; that _his_ sins may be done away by thy mercy, and _his_ pardon sealed in heaven, before _he_ go hence, and be no more seen. We know, O Lord, that there is no word impossible with thee; and that, if thou wilt, thou canst even yet raise _him_ up, and grant _him_ a longer continuance amongst us: Yet, forasmuch as in all appearance the time of _his_ dissolution draweth near, so fit and prepare _him_, we beseech thee, against the hour of death, that after _his_ departure hence in peace, and in thy favour, _his_ soul may be received into thine everlasting kingdom, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, thine only Son, our Lord and Saviour. _Amen_.

_A commendatory Prayer for a sick person at the point of departure_.

O almighty G.o.d, with whom do live the spirits of just men made perfect, after they are delivered 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 l.u.s.ts 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 daily 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_.

_A Prayer for persons troubled in mind or in conscience_.

O blessed Lord, the Father of mercies, and the G.o.d of all comforts: We beseech thee, look down in pity and compa.s.sion upon this thy afflicted servant. Thou writest bitter things against _him_, and makest _him_ to possess _his_ former iniquities; thy wrath lieth hard upon _him_, and _his_ soul is full of trouble: But, O merciful G.o.d, who hast 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 cast away _his_ confidence in thee, nor place it any where but in thee. Give _him_ strength against all _his_ temptations, and heal all _his_ distempers. Break not the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax. Shut not up thy tender mercies in displeasure; but make _him_ to hear of joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Deliver _him_ from fear of the enemy, and lift up the light of thy countenance upon _him_, and give _him_ peace, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

| _A Prayer for the recovery of a sick person_.

| | Almighty and immortal G.o.d, giver of life and health; We beseech thee to hear our prayers for thy servant _N_., for whom we implore thy mercy, that by thy blessing upon _him_ and upon those who minister to _him_ of thy healing gifts, _he_ may be restored, if it be thy gracious will, to health of body and mind, and give thanks to thee in thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

_Amen_.

THE COMMUNION OF THE SICK

_Forasmuch as all mortal men be subject to many sudden perils, diseases, and sicknesses, 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, whensoever it shall please Almighty G.o.d to call them, the Curates shall diligently from time to time_ (_but especially in the time of pestilence, or other infectious sickness_) _exhort their Paris.h.i.+oners to the often receiving of the holy Communion of the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ, when it shall be publicly administered in the Church; that so doing, they may, in case of sudden visitation, have the less cause to be disquieted for lack of the same. But if the sick person be not able to come to the Church, and yet is desirous to receive the Communion in his house; then he must give timely notice to the Curate, signifying also how many there are to communicate with him,_ (_which shall be three, or two at the least,_) _and having a convenient place in the sick man's house, with all things necessary so prepared, that the Curate may reverently minister, he shall there celebrate the holy Communion, beginning with the Collect, Epistle and Gospel here following_.

THE COLLECT.

Almighty everliving G.o.d, Maker of mankind, who dost correct those whom thou dost love, and chastise every one whom thou dost receive: We beseech thee to have mercy upon this thy servant visited 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 whensoever _his_ soul shall depart from the body, it may be without spot presented unto thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.

THE EPISTLE. Hebr. xii. 5.

My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

THE GOSPEL. St John v. 24.

Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is pa.s.sed from death unto life.

_After which the Priest shall proceed according to the form before prescribed for the holy Communion, beginning at these words_ [Ye that do truly, &c.], p. 316.

_At the time of the distribution of the holy Sacrament, the Priest shall first receive the Communion himself, and after minister unto them that are appointed to communicate with the sick; and last of all to the sick person_.

_But if a man, either by reason of extremity of sickness, or for want of warning in due time to the Curate, or for lack of company to receive with him, or by any other just impediment, do not receive the Sacrament of Christ's Body and Blood: the Curate shall instruct him that if he do truly repent him of his sins, and stedfastly believe that Jesus Christ hath suffered death upon the Cross for him, and shed his Blood for his redemption, earnestly remembering the benefits he hath thereby, and giving him hearty thanks therefor; he doth eat and drink the Body and Blood of our Saviour Christ profitably to his soul's health, although he do not receive the Sacrament with his mouth_.

_When the sick person is visited and receiveth the holy Communion all at one time, then the Priest, for more expedition, shall cut off the form of the Visitation at the Psalm_ [In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust] _and go straight to the Communion_.

_In the time of the plague, sweat, or such other like contagious times of sickness or diseases, 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 diseased, the Minister may only communicate with him_.

THE ORDER FOR

THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD

_Here is to be noted, that the Office ensuing is not to be used for any that die unbaptized, or excommunicate, or have laid violent hands upon themselves_.

_The Priest and Clerks meeting the corpse at the entrance of the Church-yard, and going before it, either into the Church, or towards the grave, shall say, or sing_:

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. _St John_ xi. 25, 26.

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth. And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see G.o.d: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another. _Job_ xix.

25, 26, 27.

We brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. 1 _Tim_. vi. 7. _Job_ i. 21.

_After they are come into the Church, shall be read one or both of these Psalms following_.

_Dixi, Custodiam_. Psalm x.x.xix.

I said, I will take heed to my ways: that I offend not in my tongue.

I will keep my mouth as it were with a bridle: while the unG.o.dly is in my sight.

I held my tongue, and spake nothing: I kept silence, yea, even from good words; but it was pain and grief to me.

My heart was hot within me, and while I was thus musing the fire kindled: and at the last I spake with my tongue;

Lord, let me know mine end, and the number of my days: that I may be certified how long I have to live.

Behold, thou hast made my days as it were a span long: and mine age is even as nothing in respect of thee; and verily every man living is altogether vanity.

For man walketh in a vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain: he heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them.

And now, Lord, what is my hope: truly my hope is even in thee.

Deliver me from all mine offences: and make me not a rebuke unto the foolish.

I became dumb, and opened not my mouth: for it was thy doing.

Take thy plague away from me: I am even consumed by means of thy heavy hand.

When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin, thou makest his beauty to consume away, like as it were a moth fretting a garment: every man therefore is but vanity.