Let him see love in this dispensation as well as justice; and while the outward man decays, may the inward man be renewed day by day.

Hide not thy mercy from him, but enable him to trust in it, and with a contrite spirit, to cry, "God be merciful to me a sinner.' Create in him a clean heart. Renew in him a right spirit. Give him faith to believe in the Lord Christ Jesus, and grant, that believing, he may have life through his name. May his tribulations work patience, and patience experience, and experience hope. May hope ripen into faith, so that at the last summons he may be cheered by those consolations which the world cannot give, nor death itself take away. Thine, O God! is the power, and thine is the glory, forever and ever. Amen.

O MOST merciful and gracious God! who hast promised to fulfil the desire of them that fear thee, and to give to every one that

asketh of thee, we rejoice that we are permitted to draw near unto thee, and would come at this time, in behalf of this thy servant, whom thou art pleased to continue long in the furnace of affliction. Let it please thee to alleviate his sufferings.

We see how feeble human help is, but thou hast power to help and to deliver. There is nothing too hard for thee. Thou hast said, "Call upon me in the day of trouble and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me."

Suffer him not to sink under any of the depressing circumstances of his case, but let thine arm sustain him, and thy promises encourage and refresh him.

Be with us all according to our wants, our duties, and our difficulties. May we be led to prepare, in the season of health, for the days of darkness and the months of vanity. Hear and answer us; we ask it as disciples of thy Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

servant.

IN DANGER.

LORD of all power and might, look down, we beseech thee, mercifully upon this thy Be gracious and favorable unto him, according to the necessity of his case, and according to the multitude of thy tender mercies.

Great as we fear his danger is, if thou wilt, O Lord, thou canst yet make him whole. If thou but speak the word, it shall be done. In submission to thy most wise and righteous disposal of all things, we would beg this mercy at thy hands, that thou wouldst cause this bitter cup to pass from him.

But however thou shalt be pleased to deal with him as to the concerns of the body, yet, Lord, we beseech thee let his soul be precious in thy sight. Give him a right discerning of the things that belong to his peace, before they be hidden from his eyes. Take him not out of this life, till thou hast fitted him for a better. Give him,

we beseech thee, repentance toward God, and faith in Christ, the only Saviour of the world.

Freely and fully pardon him, and deliver him from the love, and the power, and the pollution, as well as from the punishment and all the evil consequences of his sins. Cheer him with the hope of pardon and acceptance with thee. Show him thy mercy, and grant him thy salvation. Fit him for living or dying, or whatever in thy wise and righteous providence thou hast designed for him. If thou hast determined that this sickness shall be unto death, prepare him, O almighty and most merciful God, for thy blissful presence, and grant him a safe and comfortable passage out of this life to an infinitely better, and receive him into the blessed society of saints and of angels, there to love and to adore thee forever. All of which we ask in the faith of the Redeemer. Amen.

WHEN THERE IS SMALL HOPE OF RECOVERY.

FATHER of mercies, and God of all comfort, our only help in time of need; we fly unto thee for succor in behalf of this thy servant, here lying under thy hand in great weakness of body. Look graciously upon him, O Lord; and the more the outward man decayeth, strengthen him, we beseech thee, so much the more continually with thy grace and holy spirit in the inner man. Give him unfeigned repentance for all the errors of his life past, and steadfast faith in thy Son Jesus; that his sins may be done away by thy mercy, and his pardon sealed in heaven, before he go hence and be no more seen. We know, O Lord, that there is no work impossible with thee; and that, if thou wilt, thou canst even yet raise him up, and grant him a longer continuance amongst us; yet, forasmuch as in all appearance the time of his dissolution draweth near, so fit and prepare him, we beseech thee, against the hour of death, that