The Visitation of the Sick, and their
Communion.

THE Visitation of the Sick being a private duty, and no part of the public Liturgy of the Church, and the case of the sick being so exceeding various, as to soul and body; and it being requisite that ministers be able to suit their exhortations and prayers to the condition of the sick, but the words of such exhortations and prayers be left to their prudence.

So urgent is the necessity of the sick, and so seasonable and advantageous the opportunity, that ministers may not negligently over-pass them, but in love and tenderness instruct them according to their: several conditions; endeavouring the conversion of the ungodly, the strengthening of the weak, and comforting such as need consolation, directing them how to improve their afflictions, and helping them to be sensible of the evil of sin, the negligences and miscarriages of their lives, the vanity of the world, their necessity of a Saviour, the sufficiency of Christ, the certainty and excellency of the everlasting glory; exhorting them to repentance and to faith in Christ, and to set their affections on the things above; and (if they are penitent believers) comfortably to hope for the kingdom which God hath promised to them that love him, committing their souls to their Redeemer, and quietly resting in the will, and love, and promises of God; resolving if God shall recover them to health, to redeem the time, and live the rest of their lives unto his glory. And being willing, if it be their appointed time, to depart and be with Christ and they must be exhorted to forgive such as have wronged them, and to be reconciled to those with whom they have been at variance, and to make a pious, just, and charitable disposal of their worldly estates.

The Order of Solemnizing the Burial of the Dead.

Ir is agreeable to nature and religion, that the burial of Christians be solemnly and decently performed. As to the cases, Whether the corpse shall

be carried first into the church, that is to be buried in the church-yard; and whether it shall be buried before the sermon, reading, or prayer, or after, or in the midst of the reading, or whether any prayer shall be made at the grave, for the living; let no Christians uncharitably judge one another about these things. Let no people keep up groundless usages, that being suspicious grieve their minister and offend their brethren. Let no minister that scrupleth the satisfying of people's ungrounded desires in such things, be forced to do it against his conscience; and let ministers that do use any of these customs or ceremonies, have liberty, when they suspect that the people desire them upon some error, to profess against that error, and teach the people better.

Whether the minister come with the company that brings the corpse from the house, or whether he meet them, or receive them at the burial place, is to be left to his own discretion. But while he is with them, let him gravely discourse of man's mortality, and the useful truths and duties thence to be inferred: and either at the grave, or in the reading place, or pulpit, by way of sermon, according to his discretion. Let him (at least if it be desired) instruct and exhort the people concerning death, and the life to come, and their necessary preparation; seeing the spectacle of mortality, and the season of mourning, do tend to prepare men for a sober, considerate entertainment of such instructions and he may read such Scriptures as may mind them of death, resurrection, and eternal life, as 1 Cor. 15, or from verse 10, to the end, and Job i. 21. and xix. 25, 26, 27. John xi. 25, 26. and v. 28, 29. And his prayer shall be suited to the occasion.

Whenever the rain, snow, or coldness of the season, make it unhealthful to the minister or people to stand out of doors, at least then let the reading, exhortation, and prayers, be used within the church.

Of Extraordinary Days of Humiliation and Thanksgiving, and Anniversary Festivals. WHEN great afflictions lie upon the Churo, or any special part or members of it, or when any great sins have been committed among them, it is meet

that in public, by fasting and prayer, we humble ourselves before the Lord, for the averting of his displeasure; and on such occasions it is the pastor's duty to confess his own, and the people's sins, with penitence, and tenderness of heart, and by his doctrine and exhortation, to endeavour effectually to bring the people to the sight and sense of their sin, and the deserts of it, and to a firm resolution of better obedience for the time to come, being importunate with God in prayer for pardon and renewed grace.

Upon the receipt of great and extraordinary mercies, the Church (having opportunity) is to assemble for public thanksgiving unto God, and the minister to stir up the people to a lively sense of the greatness of those mercies, and joyfully to celebrate the praises of God, the author of them. And it is not unmeet on these days to express our joy in feasting and outward signs of mirth, provided they be used moderately, spiritually, and inoffensively, and not to gratify our sensual desires, and that we relieve the poor in their necessities (which also on days of humiliation and other seasons, we must not forget). The occasions of such days of humiliation and thanksgiving being so various, as cannot be well suited by any standing forms, the minister is to apply himself to the respective duties, suitable to the particular occasions.

Though it be not unlawful or unmeet to keep anniversary commemoration by festivals, of some great and notable mercies to the Church or State, the memory whereof should be transmitted to posterity; nor to give any persons their due honour who have been the instruments thereof: yet because the festivals of the Church's institution now observed, are Inuch abused, and many sober godly persons, ministers, and others, are unsatisfied of the lawfulness. of the celebrating them as holidays, let the abuse be restrained; and let not the religious observation of those days by public worship, be forced upon any that are thus unsatisfied, provided they forbear all offensive behaviour thereupon.

Of Prayer and Thanksgiving for particular Members of the Church.

BESIDES the petitions that are put up for all in such distresses, in the General prayer, it is meet that

Luke 23. 41.

Lam. 3. 22.

Ezra 9. 13.

persons in dangerous sickness, or other great affliction of body or mind; and women that are near the time of child-bearing, when they desire it, shall be particularly recommended to God in the public prayers of the Church. Because all the members constitute one body, and must have the same care one for another, as suffering all with one that suffereth, and rejoicing all with one that is honoured, And the effectual fervent prayer of the righteous, especially of the whole congregation, availeth much with God. But because diseases, distresses, and grief of mind, are so various that no forms that are particular can suit them all; and because every minister should be able to suit his prayers to such various necessities of the people: we desire, that it may be left to his discretion to pray for such according to their several cases, before or after sermon. But we desire that except in case of sudden necessity, they may send in their bills of request to him, the night before, that he may consider of their cases, and may publish only such, and in such ex-pressions, as in prudence he shall judge meet for the ears of the assembly.

In the more ordinary cases of persons in sickness, danger, and distress, and that are delivered from them; these following prayers may be used, or such like.

A Prayer for the Sick, that is in hopes of Recovery.

Num. 6.32. 23. MOST merciful Father, though our sin doth find us out, and we are justly afflicted for our transgressions, yet are we not consumed in thy wrath; but thou punishest us less than our iniquities do deLam. 3. 32, 33. serve; though thou causest grief, yet wilt thou have compassion according to the multitude of thy mercies, for thou dost not willingly afflict and grieve Isa. 57.15-17. the children of men: thou revivest the spirit of the humble, and the heart of the contrite ones, for thou wilt not contend for ever, neither wilt thou be always wroth, for the spirit would fail before thee, and the soul which thou hast made. Look down in tender mercy on the affliction of this thy servant; O Lord, rebuke him not in thy wrath; neither chasten Psal. 6. 2, 3. 5. him in thy hot displeasure. All his desire is before thee, and his groaning is not hid from thee; have

Psal. 25.18.

Psal. 6. 1.

Psal. 38. 9.

O Lord Psal. 78. 39. In death

Isa. 38. 16. 19.

Psal. 50. 15.

Lam. 3. 40. Psal. 119. 71; 67.

mercy upon him, O Lord, for he is weak. heal him, whose bones and soul is vexed. there is no remembrance of thee. In the grave who shall give thee thanks? Remember that we are but Job 13. 25. flesh, a wind that passeth away and cometh not again wilt thou break a leaf driven to and fro, and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble? Remember not Psal. 25. 7. 18; the iniquities of his youth, or his transgressions: 116. 3. look upon his affliction, and his pain, and forgive Psal. 119. 175. all his sins. Though the sorrows of death do com- Luke 4. 39. pass him about, yet if it be for thy glory and his Isa. 38. 21. good, recover him, and let him live and praise thy Job 10. 2. name. Rebuke his sickness, direct unto such means Psal. 139. 13. as thou wilt bless. In the time of his trouble we call upon thee, do thou deliver him, and let him glorify thee; however shew him the sin that doth offend thee, let him search and try his ways, and confess and turn from his iniquity, and let it be good for him that he was afflicted. Let this be the fruit Isa. 27. 9. of it to purge and take away his sin, that being chas- 1 Cor. 11. 32. tened of the Lord, he may not be condemned with Heb. 12. 11. the world. And though chastisement for the pre- 31. sent seemeth not to be joyous, but grievous, yet af- Psal. 30. 5. terwards let it yield the peaceable fruit of righte- Heb. 12. 6, 7. ousness to this thy servant, that is exercised therein. In the meantime, O Lord, be thou his portion, who art good to the soul that seeketh thee, and waiteth for thee. Let him patiently and silently bear thy yoke, let him hope and quietly wait for thy salvation: considering that thou wilt not cast off for Psal. 116. 9. ever: that thy anger is but for a moment, but in thy Psal. 30. 11, 12. favour is life. Weeping may endure for a night, but 2 Cor. joy cometh in the morning: and that whom thou lovest, thou chastenest, and scourgest every son whom thou receivest; and that if he endure chasten

Lam. 3. 24-27.

Isa. 38. 19, 20.

12, &c.

1.9;

4. 16.

5.8.

ing, thou dealest with him as a son. If he be re- Heb. 10. 38. covered, let him devote himself entirely to thy glory that when thou hast put off his sackcloth and mourning, and girded him with gladness, he 2 Cor. 14. 18. may speak thy praise, and give thee thanks. If he receive the sentence of death in himself, let it cause him to trust in thee that raisest the dead, knowing that as thou didst raise up the Lord Jesus, thou wilt raise him up also by Jesus: therefore suffer not Phil. 3. 9. his hope to faint: but though his outward man perish, yet let his inner man be renewed from day to

17.

day and let him live by faith, and look at the things 1 Cor. 10. 13.