for our own sins and the sins of our forefathers, (which we have made ours by imitation of their crimes,) yet we entreat him to spare us, and not to call them to his remembrance; for if he do, his holiness and justice will oblige him to punish us more and morek. But since we confess and bewail our offences, we hope he will cease his correction, and lay aside his rod. For we are his people, our sins are expiated, and our souls redeemed by Jesus his most precious blood; and he hath promised in the new covenant to forgive our iniquities, and remember our sins no more, Jer. xxxi. 34; which gracious promise if he please to perform for Jesus' sake, then he will either presently remove this punishment, or if it lie on us a while, we shall have this comfort, that he will not finally condemn us, nor punish us with eternal vengeance. And because all of us either actually are afflicted as well as the sick man, or at least deserve so to be, therefore all that are present join to say for themselves and for him, Spare us, good Lord.

II. Let us pray. LORD, HAVE MERCY UPON US. CHRIST, HAVE MERCY &c. LORD, HAVE MERCY &c.] Besides what is formerly noted upon this devout form of supplication, we may add here, that this seems to be the proper petition for miserable persons; for those sick and distressed creatures that came to Jesus for help did generally address themselves to him in these words: Have mercy on us was the prayer of the two blind men, Matt. xx. 30. Matt. ix. 27; and the woman of Canaan, with the father of the lunatic, used the same supplication, Matt. xv. 22. xvii. 15; which since it prevailed with our Lord in his humiliation, to pity,

k Tunc meminisse dicitur Deus quando facit, tunc oblivisci quando non facit. Aug. in Psalm. lxxxvii.

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heal, and help those who used it then, we may with more comfort send it up to him now in his exaltation, for he is not less merciful now that he is become more glorious. It is sure the whole catholic church hath esteemed it very fit for this purpose, in that it is so early found in the western, and so often repeated in the eastern offices for the sick!. What is there that they who lie in this misery either need or desire so much as mercy? And the threefold repetition doth well express the greatness of their necessity and the fervency of their desire, and if they with us, and we with them, present it to God with a due importunity, it will be very likely to procure mercy.

The Paraphrase of both these Forms.

§. III. O thou most righteous Judge of all men, who seemest now resolved to call us to account for our old sins, consider thy merciful promise, and REMEMBER NOT, we beseech thee, O LORD, OUR INIQUITIES which we have committed, NOR THE INIQUITIES OF OUR FOREFATHERS which we have imitated, so as to punish us for either those or these, according to our deservings. SPARE US, of thy gracious nature, GOOD LORD, O be pleased to SPARE us, who are of the number of THY PEOPLE, the members of thy church wнOM THOU HAST REDEEMED and dearly bought wITH THY MOST PRECIOUS BLOOD. Or if thou wilt not wholly free us from correction, sweetest Saviour, let the chastisement be gentle and soon over, AND BE NOT ANGRY WITH US long in this world, nor yet For EVER in the world to come.

Answ. Deal gently with our sick brother, and with us all, O SPARE US, for thou art our GOOD LORD, from whom we always find relief.

§. IV. We are justly but sharply afflicted for our offences at this time, O LORD God the Father, HAVE MERCY UPON US,

Eucholog. Offic. S. Olei, duodecies repetitur in initio.

p. 408.

pity and deliver us from the punishment which we groan

under.

We are also liable to eternal damnation by the guilt of our iniquities, but, O CHRIST, the eternal Son of God, and Saviour of the world, HAVE MERCY UPON Us, pardon and deliver us from the guilt which we have contracted.

Finally, we are oppressed by the power of our corruptions, which entice us to commit more, but, O LORD God the Holy Ghost, HAVE MERCY UPON US, sanctify and deliver us from these evil inclinations which deceive us and betray us.

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PARTITION II.

OF THE PRAYERS.

SECTION I.

OF THE LORD'S PRAYER.

§. I. OUR FATHER, &c.] Having deprecated all sorts of evil, we come now to petition for good things in these prayers, which are introduced as usual with the Lord's Prayer, which Jesus commands us to say whenever we pray, be the occasion what it will: I am sure in placing it here we follow the example of both the Latin and Greek churches, who use the Lord's Prayer almost in the very beginning of this office. And in using it for the sick, I dare affirm we do apply it as its author particularly intended; for if we well consider how many of these petitions are proper to a state of trouble, we may discern that our Lord made them with respect to the tribulations which he foresaw his own servants were like to endure here. Wherefore we have added the following Paraphrase, to shew how it refers to the present case.

a Manual. Sarisb. an. 1555. fol. 69. b. Eucholog. per Jac. Goar. p. 408.

The Paraphrase of the Lord's Prayer.

§. II. WE murmur not at thy corrections, O Lord, but while we labour under them, we cry unto thee, OUR FATHER, WHICH ART IN HEAVEN, for succour and support: we know thou canst turn them to our good, wherefore however thou dealest with us, we will still pray that HALLOWED and blessed may BE THY NAME among all mankind: let these afflictions bring us to submit to thy kingdom of grace, and then let THY KINGDOM of glory (where all our miseries and sorrows shall cease) COME as soon as thou pleasest. Lord, if thou orderest this sickness shall prepare us to reign with thee, we have no reason to repine at it, let THY WILL and good pleasure BE DONE either for life or death concerning us here IN EARTH, AS IT IS always done concerning those more noble creatures, the blessed spirits which are IN HEAVEN. But while we remain in this world we daily need many outward comforts, especially in time of sickness: GIVE US therefore THIS DAY, while yet there is life and hope, oOUR DAILY BREAD, with all that is necessary and convenient for our refreshment under and recovery out of this uneasy condition and that our sins may not keep back thy blessing from any good means which is used for our relief, FORGIVE US, we beseech thee, all OUR TRESPAsses, which we here humbly acknowledge and heartily bewail. O be thou, for Jesus' sake, reconciled to us, as WE, by the example and engagements of thy mercy, do freely FORGIVE THEM THAT TRESPASS AGAINST US, and are in perfect charity with all the world. And now that we have smarted so severely for former sins, we cannot but dread the committing of any more; prevent 85 us therefore with thy grace, AND LEAD US NOT INTO any such trials as will be too hard for our patience or holy purposes, that we may not by TEMPTATION fall into despair, or any other sin. Leave us not to ourselves, neither deal with us after our iniquities; BUT DELIVER US, good Lord, FROM all sorts of EVIL, temporal, spiritual, and eternal. AMEN. Be it unto thy servants according to their faith.