XXVIII.

DYING PRAYERS.

ERASMUS-BISHOP JEWELL- JOHN JANEWAY

ARCHBISHOP USHER

CRANMER.

"Lord Jesus, come quickly," has been the last prayer, or among the last prayers of many, who have languished long in pain. "Lord, Lord, make an end! make an end!" prayed Erasmus on his bed of death.

66

66

Lord, take from me my spirit," prayed Bishop Jewell. Lord, let now thy servant depart in peace. Break off all delays; suffer

thy servant to come to Thee; command him to come to Thee; Lord, receive my Spirit."

"I tell you I do so long to be with Christ," said John Janeway, "that I could be content

to be cut to pieces, and to be put to the most exquisite torments, so I might but die and be with Christ. Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly," he prayed. And again: "O, did you but see what I see, you would cry out with me, 'How long, dear Lord? Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly."

"Lord Jesus, come, Lord Jesus," prayed Rev. John Tennent.

Archbishop Usher expressed a wish to die with the prayer of the publican in his mouth. His last words were: "God be merciful to me

a sinner."

Cranmer's prayer, on coming to his execution, was majestic:

"O Father of Heaven, O Son of God, Redeemer of the world: 0, Holy Ghost, three persons in one God, have mercy upon me, most wretched caitiff and miserable sinner. I have offended against heaven and earth more than my tongue Whither then may I go, or whither

can express. shall I flee?

To heaven I may be ashamed to lift up mine

eyes, and in earth I find no place of refuge or

succor.

To Thee, O Lord, do I turn; to Thee do I run; to Thee do I humble myself.

"O Lord, my God, my sins be great; yet have mercy upon me for thy great mercy. The great mystery that God became man was not wrought for little or few offences. Thou didst not give thy Son, O heavenly Father, unto death, for small sins only, but for the greatest sins in the world, so that the sinner may return to Thee with his whole heart, as I do at present. Wherefore have mercy on me, O Lord, for thy great mercy.

"I crave nothing for my own merits, but for thy name's sake, that it may be allowed thereby, and for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake.

"And now, therefore, O Father in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors, etc.

LAST PRAYER OF MELANCTHON.

"The 19th of April, 1560, was the last day

of his mortal existence. After the usual medical inquiries of the morning, he adverted again to the calamitous state of the church of Christ, but intimated his hope that the genuine doctrine of the Gospel would ultimately prevail, exclaiming, 'If God be for us, who can be against us!' After this he presented fervent supplications to Heaven, mingled with groanings, for the welfare of the church. In the intervals of sleep he conversed, principally upon this subject, with several of his visiting friends; among whom were the pastor and other officers of the church, and the professors of the university.

"Soon after eight in the morning, awaking from a tranquil sleep, he distinctly, though with a feeble voice, repeated a form of prayer which he had written for his own daily use, and which was, as follows:

666

Almighty, omnipotent ever-living and true God, Creator of heaven and earth and men, together with thy co-eternal Son our Lord Jesus Christ, who was crucified for us and rose again, and thy holy, true, living and pure Spirit;

who art wise, good, faithful, merciful, just, the dispenser of life and of truth; independent, holy-and our Redeemer, who has said Thou willest not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should return unto thee and live and hast promised, Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will hear thee.' I confess myself before thy footstool a most miserable sinner and offender against Thee in a great variety of respects, on which account I mourn with my very heart, and implore thy mercy for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord, who was crucified and rose again, seeking the remission of all my sins and justification before thee, by and through thy son Jesus Christ, thy eternal word and image, wonderful and inexpressible in counsel, infinite in wisdom and goodness; and that Thou wouldst sanctify me by thy true, living, pure and holy Spirit. May I truly acknowledge and firmly believe in Thee, obey Thee, give thanks to Thee, fear Thee, invoke Thee, serve Thee, and through grace be admitted to thy presence in eternity, the almighty and only true God, Creator of heaven and earth and men, the everlasting Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and to