HE

II. FOR AN AFFLICTED FATHER.

[EAR me, most merciful God and Saviour, while I offer my supplications before thy throne in behalf of my beloved father, on whom thou hast laid thine afflicting hand. Thou art wise and just in all the afflictions which befall thy people. Thou art also merciful. Thou dost mingle mercy with all the sufferings with which thy servants are tried. Oh may my beloved parent see and believe that his afflictions are sent in mercy, and not in judgment. May he see and feel that they are sent by a loving Father, and not by an angry judge. Lord, sanctify the affliction; may it prove spiritual medicine to promote the spiritual health of my beloved father. May he see and enjoy his interest in that promise, “God heareth the cry of the afflicted. And when thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the floods, they shall not overflow thee." Lord, enable my beloved parent to trust in thee, in his affliction, as the God of his salvation. May he flee to Jesus as the Lord his righteousness, saying, "To whom can I go but unto thee? thou hast the words of eternal life." Restore my beloved father to health, that he may live many years to be a blessing to my beloved mother and all his family. May that blessed promise be fulfilled in his experience, Behold, I will bring health and cure; and I will cure them, and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth." Give my dear father the assured conviction that his present affliction shall be sanctified, to prepare him for the blessedness of heaven, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

66

MY

Y God and my Father, look down upon me in thy great compassion, while I lift up my eyes to the throne of thy grace, in the hour of my affliction, and sorrow, and suffering. Lord, thou art just and wise in sending this dispensation of thy providence. Give me thy grace, to see and believe that it is sent for my benefit, that I may be made a partaker of thy holiness. May this affliction be so sancti

fied, that I shall bring forth the peaceable fruits of righteousness, to thy praise and glory. Teach me to look on this affliction as fatherly correction, applied by my God and Father in Christ, to teach me how vile sin is, how precious my soul is, and to flee without delay to Jesus, from the wrath to come. Give me patience under my affliction. Teach me to say with Job, in the day of his sorrow, "Though thou slay me, yet will I trust in thee." If it is thy will, for thy glory, and for the interest of my precious soul, raise me up from the bed of affliction; but if thou hast otherwise appointed, prepare me for entering into those heavenly mansions, where sin, and suffering, and death are for ever unknown. These blessings I humbly seek, for the sake, and through the merits, of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

IV. FOR AN AFFLICTED BROTHER.

ORD, hear the supplications which I now present in behalf of my dear brother, whom thou hast laid upon the bed of affliction. I acknowledge thy justice, and wisdom, and sovereignty, in this and in all the afflicting events of thine adorable providence. Especially sanctify this affliction to my dear brother; may he really find a blessing in this cup. Give him filial, loving submission to thy divine will. May the language of his heart be, "The cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it? Not my will, but thine be done. Let my heavenly Father do with me what seemeth good in his sight." Oh may this affliction lead him to see the evil of sin. May he remember, with humble penitence, that sin is the fountain whence flow all the streams of affliction, which the children of men are compelled to drink. Oh, Divine Spirit, make this affliction the means in thy powerful, merciful hand, of sanctifying my dear brother. May it be thus instrumental in leading him to Jesus. Oh enable him to say with the heart, "Blessed Saviour, I flee to thee to hide me from the wrath of an offended God, and from the rage and temptations of Satan, the great enemy of souls.” Oh enable him to say, "Jesus, thou art my only refuge; to whom can I go, but unto thee? thou hast the words of

eternal life." Give my dear brother grace to bear his affliction, and not to sink under it into the depths of despondency. Fulfil in his experience these promises, "Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart; wait, I say, on the Lord. I am with thee, saith the Lord, to save thee: I will correct thee in measure." Mercifully restore my dear brother to his former health, strength, and activity. Lord, spare his life for thy glory. Graciously bestow these blessings, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Mo

V. FOR AN AFFLICTED SISTER.

OST merciful Father, the issues of life and of death are in thy hand graciously look down upon my dear sister, who is now lying on the bed of affliction. Support her with thy strengthening grace; may she really feel that she is strengthened and held up by the arm of Almighty power. Give her grace to obey the following gracious command, " Cast thy burden ever on the Lord." Oh give her grace to believe the promise which follows the command, "And the Lord will sustain thee." Give my beloved sister great patience and much holy submission. May patience have her perfect work; in patience may she possess her soul. Teach her to glory in tribulation, knowing that "tribulation worketh patience, and patience experience, and experience hope." By the Divine Spirit, may her afflictions produce in her soul the most blessed effects; yea, produce the peaceable fruits of righteousness. May her afflictions be instrumental in filling her youthful mind with an increasing hatred of sin, and an increasing love of holiness. May she find her love to Jesus becoming more and more ardent, her hope in Christ more lively, and her faith in Christ more vigorous. Oh spare her life: it is dear to my beloved parents, and precious to my heart. Lord, prolong her days for thy glory, and for the best interests of her never-dying soul. I commit her into thine arms, merciful Saviour. Lord, hear my supplication, for my Redeemer's sake. Amen.

GOD

VI. FOR A FRIEND IN THE ARTICLE OF DEATH.

OD of my salvation, thou hast brought my beloved friend into the valley of the shadow of death. With all the affection of my heart I now commend his or her soul, his or her precious soul, into the hands of thy mercy. Great is thy compassion, O Jesus; show him thy compassion. Enable him or her to say in this solemn, this trying hour, Oh, blessed Saviour, thou art mine; I flee to thee for refuge, and thou wilt never cast me off. "The left hand of thy mercy is under mine head, and thou dost embrace me with the right hand of thy love." May his faith be so strong, that he shall be able to say with holy, humble confidence, and in the full assurance of faith, "Yea, though I walk through the valley and shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod and staff they comfort me." Oh give him the satisfying evidence that his sins are all forgiven, that God is his reconciled Father, and that heaven is his home. May he hear Christ saying to him, “I have now come to receive you to myself, that where I am, there thou mayest be with me also." May his passage across Jordan's stream be smooth, safe, and triumphant. And may I meet him at last in the many mansions beyond the skies, to be for ever with the Lord. Lord, mercifully hear my prayer, for the sake of Jesus, the Conqueror of death. Amen.

VII. AFTER PERSONAL RECOVERY FROM SICKNESS.

HOLY

OLY and divine Spirit, give me grace to approach the mercyseat, with a heart overflowing with thankfulness, for the greatness of God's goodness when I was brought low with affliction, and apparently near the brink of the grave. Praise to thy name, O God of my salvation, that thou hast not removed me in my early, youthful days, by the hand of death, from the land of the living. Glory to God in the highest, that I have not been called unprepared to appear before thy judgment-seat. How great is thy goodness, compassion, and mercy! accept my unfeigned thanks, that in thy kind providence thou didst bless the means employed for my recovery; thou didst impart skill to the physician, and give efficacy to the medicine. Lord, I

thank thee that thou didst mercifully hear prayers in my behalf in my affliction I cried unto thee, my Father, and my prayers have been graciously answered. Thou hast delivered me out of my distresses. "Out of the depths have I cried unto thee, O Lord. Thou hast heard my voice; and thine ear has been attentive to the voice of my supplications."

On the bed of affliction I formed resolutions, and vowed that if my life were mercifully preserved, I would serve my God with more diligence; I vowed that I would observe divine ordinances with more regularity, and that I would dedicate myself to thy glory to the very end of my days. Most merciful Father, I have no strength of my own to fulfil these my vows; mercifully fill me with thy strengthening grace; then I shall fulfil my vows-then they shall not be like the morning cloud, or the early dew, which soon pass away; then my path shall be that of the just, shining more and more until the perfect day. And now, Lord, I solemnly dedicate myself, both soul and body, to be thine only, thine wholly, and thine for ever. Lord, hear, and accept, and forgive, for my dear Redeemer's sake. Amen.

Our Father, which art in heaven, &c.

VIII. AFTER A MOTHER'S RECOVERY FROM SICKNESS.

ORD, I draw near thy throne of grace in the name of Jesus, our great High Priest and forerunner, who has gone to heaven, to prepare mansions for his people. Thou art my Father, and my God; I thank thee, my heavenly Father, for the great blessing of earthly parents. Thou hast given me kind, watchful, tender-hearted, loving parents. Praise to thy name for this great and precious privilege.

Lord, accept the unfeigned thankfulness of my heart for sparing the life of my beloved mother. Thou didst lay my beloved parent low in affliction. I cried to thee, in the love and anguish of my heart, when my dearly beloved mother was in the very depths of suffering. I looked and prayed for the kindness of thy helping, delivering, comforting hand; and thou, my Saviour, and my God, didst lend an ear to the voice of my supplication, and to the prayers of my afflicted,