immaculate Lamb, Which was slain to take away the sins of the world; that whatsoever defilement it may have contracted in the midst of a miserable and naughty world through the lusts of the flesh, or the wiles of Satan, being purged and done away, it may at its departure out of the body be presented pure, and without spot before Thee. And grant, O Lord, that the daily spectacles of mortality which I see may incline me seriously to consider how frail and uncertain my condition is; and teach me so to number my days, that I may constantly apply my heart to that holy and heavenly wisdom whilst I live here, which will in the end bring me to life everlasting. And O Thou Who art our only help in time of need, strengthen me, I beseech Thee, in my last agonies and as my strength decays let my pains wear off; but when my strength fails, O let not my faith fail: even in death enable me to trust in Thee. Deliver me from all violent disorders of a troubled fancy, or painful delusions of my ghostly enemy. Oh! let him not be able to disturb or terrify me, or any way prevail against me. Have me in Thy custody, O holy Father; for nothing can take me out of Thy hands. Give Thy holy angels charge to stand about me, to guard and receive my soul at my departure; and to conduct and carry it to the blessed receptacles of rest and peace. If it be Thy gracious will, O Lord, make my pains short, and my death easy; at least not extremely tedious or grievous 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 in Thine own appointed time make my death my passage to a joyful resurrection unto a blessed and eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O Almighty Lord, Who art &c. p. 180. THURSDAY AFTERNOON. The certainty of death, and of a general resurrection unto eternal life. There is a time to be born, and a time to die ". I know that Thou wilt bring me to death, and to the house appointed for all living. a Eccles. iii. 2. b Job xxx. 23. When a few years are come, then I shall go the way whence I shall not return . o. If I wait, the grave is mine house: I have made my bed in the darkness. I have said to corruption, Thou art my father; to the worm, Thou art my mother and my sister d d. All flesh shall perish together; and man shall turn again unto dust". Our days on the earth are as a shadow, and there is none abiding. What man is he that liveth, and shall not see death? Shall he deliver his soul from the hand of the grave ? Man being in honour abideth not: he is like the beasts that perish ". He shall go to the generation of his fathers : they shall never see light'. They are laid in the grave: death shall feed on them; and their beauty shall consume in the grave from their dwelling. But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave; for He shall receive me1. Therefore my heart is glad; and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope". For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and • Job xvi. 22. d Ibid. xvii. 13, 14. f 1 Chron. xxix. 15. i Ibid. ver. 19. * Psal. lxxxix. 48. Ibid. ver. 14. e Ibid. xxxiv. 15. hIbid. xlix. 12. 'Ibid. ver. 14, 15. m Ibid. xvi. 9. 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 God". For to this end Christ both died, and rose, and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living o. For He must reign, till He hath put all enemies under His feet. The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death". O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, Which giveth us the victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ". Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself'. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection and the life: he that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth and believeth in Me, shall never die. For if we believe that Jesus died, and rose " Job xix. 25, 26. Ibid. ver. 55-57. • Rom. xiv. 9. r Phil. iii. 21. P 1 Cor. xv. 25, 26. S John xi. 25, 26. again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. For the Lord Himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain, shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord". Remember not Lord mine offences &c. p. 177. Lord have mercy upon me &c. p. 177. Our Father, Which art in Heaven &c. Prayer for grace to enable us so to live, that we may give a joyful account in the day of the general judgment. O ALMIGHTY and eternal God! the Creator of all things! Who hast made my days upon earth as it were a span long, and mine age even as nothing in respect of Thee; give me grace, I humbly beseech Thee, to live under such a constant sense of my mortality, and of the shortness and uncertainty of this present t 1 Thess. iv. 14. " Ibid. ver. 16, 17. |