The Order

for

The Visitation of the Sick.

When any person is sick, notice shall be given thereof to the Minister of the Parish; who, coming into the sick person's house, shall say,

PEACE be to this house, and to all that dwell in it.

When he cometh into the sick man's presence, he shall say, kneeling down,

REMEMBER not, LORD, our iniquities, nor the iniquities of our forefathers; Spare us, good LORD, spare Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy most precious Blood, and be not angry with us for ever.

Answer. Spare us, good LORD.

Then the Minister shall say,

Let us pray.

LORD, have mercy upon us.

CHRIST, have mercy upon us.
LORD, have mercy upon us.

OUR FATHER, Which art in heaven, Hallowed

be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come

Thy will

A

be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Amen.

Minister. O LORD, save Thy servant;

Answer. Which putteth his trust in Thee. Minister. Send him help from Thy holy place; Answer. And evermore mightily defend him. Minister. Let the enemy have no advantage of him;

Answer. Nor the wicked approach to hurt him. Minister. Be unto him, O LORD, a strong tower,

Answer. From the face of his enemy.

Minister. O LORD, hear our prayers.
Answer. And let our cry come unto Thee.

Minister.

O LORD, look down from heaven, behold, visit, and relieve this Thy servant. Look upon him with the eyes of Thy mercy, give him comfort and sure confidence in Thee, defend him from the danger of the enemy, and keep him in perpetual peace and safety; through JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Amen.

HEAR us, Almighty and most merciful GOD and SAVIOUR; extend Thy accustomed goodness to this Thy servant, who is grieved with sickness. Sanctify, we beseech Thee, this Thy fatherly correction to him; that the sense of his weakness may add strength to his faith, and seriousness to his repentance: That, if it shall be Thy good pleasure to restore him to his former health, he may lead the residue of his life in Thy fear, and to Thy glory or else, give

him grace so to take Thy visitation, that, after this painful life ended, he may dwell with Thee in life everlasting; through JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Amen.

Then shall the Minister exhort the sick person after this form, or other like.

DEARLY beloved, know this, that ALMIGHTY GOD is the LORD of life and death, and of all things to them pertaining, as youth, strength, health, age, weakness, and sickness. Wherefore, whatsoever your sickness is, know you certainly, that it is GOD'S visitation. And for what cause soever this sickness is sent unto you; whether it be to try your patience for the example of others, and that your faith may be found in the day of the LORD laudable, glorious, and honourable, to the increase of glory and endless felicity; or else it be sent unto you to correct and amend in you whatsoever doth offend the eyes of your heavenly FATHER; know you certainly, that if you truly repent you of your sins, and bear your sickness patiently, trusting in GOD's mercy, for His dear SON JESUS CHRIST'S sake, and render unto Him humble thanks for His fatherly visitation, submitting yourself wholly unto His will, it shall turn to your profit, and help you forward in the right way that leadeth unto everlasting life.

If the person visited be very sick, then the Curate may end his exhortation in this place, or else proceed.

TAKE therefore in good part the chastisement of the LORD: for (as Saint Paul saith in the twelfth chapter to the Hebrews) whom the LORD loveth He chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom He receiveth. If ye endure chastening,

GOD dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the FATHER of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but He for our profit, that we might be partakers of His holiness. These words, good brother, are written in holy Scripture for our comfort and instruction; that we should patiently, and with thanksgiving, bear our heavenly FATHER'S correction, whensoever by any manner of adversity it shall please His gracious goodness to visit us. And there should be no greater comfort to Christian persons, than to be made like unto CHRIST, by suffering patiently adversities, troubles, and sicknesses. For He Himself went not up to joy, but first He suffered pain; He entered not into His glory before He was crucified. So truly our way to eternal joy is to suffer here with CHRIST; and our door to enter into eternal life is gladly to die with CHRIST; that we may rise again from death, and dwell with Him in everlasting life. Now therefore, taking your sickness, which is thus profitable for you, patiently, I exhort you, in the Name of GOD, to remember the profession which you made unto GOD in your Baptism. And forasmuch as after this life there is an account to be given unto the righteous Judge, by Whom all must be judged, without respect of persons, I require you to examine yourself and your estate, both toward GOD and man; so that,