Son, and our only Redeemer and Saviour. Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord. Handle me not according to my deserts and merits, neither reward me after mine iniquities; but, for thine infinite and unmeasurable bounty and exceeding great mercy, receive me, and take me into thy favour. I, miserable and weak creature, am in thy hand. I am thy bond-servant and thy debtor. O most gentle God, O most favourable Father, forsake me not, cast me not away, poor wretch that I am.

For I am thine with all that ever I can make. No man is able to strengthen me, no man is able to deliver me, no man is able to help me but thou alone. Thou art the true helper in adversity Thou art the most sure and present comforter in all necessity. Thou alone art our helper, our bulwark, and fortress, and our most mighty and strongly defenced tower. Thou, O God, art our refuge, thou art our strength. Thou art our helper in all our tribulations. In thee O Lord do I trust. Let me not be confounded. Let me never be put to shame. Let me not be deceived of my hope, but preserve me, for thy righteousness cake. Bow down thine ear unto me, make haste to deliver me. Be

my defender O God, and my strong hold, that thou mayest save me. For thou art my strength and my refuge; yea, and thou art my

God; and my

destinies are in thy hands. Lighten thy countenance upon thy servant, and save me for thy mercies' sake, O Lord. And forasmuch, O sweet Father, as it is thy godly pleasure to call me now from this miserable life, and wretched world; I most entirely beseech thee, so to defend me in this agony of death, that neither Satan nor his ministers prevail against me; but that I continue faithful and constant unto the end in the confession of thy holy name, looking for full remission of all my sins in the precious blood of thy well-beloved Son, and my only Saviour, Jesus Christ; and that I, departing in this faith and perfect trust, may be placed among the blessed saints and heavenly spirits, and so for ever and ever remain with thee in glory. Grant this, O most merciful Father, for thy dear Son's sake, Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate.

Amen. Methinks, I begin to wax very cold in my limbs. Eu. Sir, discomfort not yourself.

Be content with the good working of our God. This cold is a sure token that the death of your body is not far off. Ep. My flesh is consumed and wasted away.

Eu. That is the end of all fiesh. Earth thou art, saith God, and unto earth thou shalt returu.

Ph. Let the care of the body, and of the bodily things pass. You do believe the resurrection of the body ?

Ep. I believe that my Redeemer liveth, and that I shall rise out of the earth in the latter day, and that I shall be clothed again with this skin, and see God my Saviour in my flesh; yea, I myself shall behold him, not with other eyes, but with these same eyes. This hope steadfastly set in

my

heart. Ph. Believe this earnestly, and it shall not grieve you to depart from your body. For, whereas it is now mortal, corruptible, sick, weak, vile, and loathsome, it shall at the general resurrection be immortal, uncorruptible, whole, strong, precious, and in all points like to the glorious body of our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus. Hear what the apostle saith, Our conversation is in heaven, from whence we look for a Saviour, even the Lord Jesus Christ, who shall change our vile body, that he may make it like his glorious body, according to the working, whereby he is able also to subdue all things unto himself. Again, We know that if our earthly mansion of this dwelling were destroyed, we have a building of God, an habitation not made with hands, but everlasting in heaven. For it therefore sigh we, desiring to be clothed with our mansion which is from heaven ; so yet, if that we be found clothed and not naked. For we that are in this tabernacle, sigh and are grieved, because we would not be unclothed, but would be clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. He that hath ordained us for this thing is God, who hath given unto us the earnest of the Spirit. Therefore we are always of good cheer, and know that as long as we are at home in the body, we are absent from God. For, we walk in faith, not after outward appearance. Nevertheless, we are of good comfort, and had rather be absent from the body, and be present with God.

Ep. I leave this my vile body willingly, yea, and with this hope, that at the last day, I shall take it again immortal and incorruptible. I believe the resurrection of the flesh. I wish to be loosed from this body, and to be with Christ.

God be praised for that true joy and singular comfort which the faithful find in his holy word. It is not without a cause said of the holy apostle, The eye hath not seen, and the ear hath not heard, neither hath entered

into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him. My heart is so inflamed with the desire of those heavenly and blessed treasures, which are set forth in the infallible and true word of God, that I most entirely wish to be loosed from this life, and to enjoy those joyful pleasures.

Eu. We rejoice, good brother Epaphroditus, and give God most hearty thanks, that he hath by his Holy Spirit wrought so good and glad will in you to die, and to leave this wretched world.

Ep. In my body I am weaker and weaker; but I trust in my soul stronger and stronger. I pray you lay me up higher in my bed; for I begin to wax very faint, and my breath decreases and waxes shorter. I thank you neighbours. I am troublesome to you; but, I trust, I shall not be so long.

The. It is unto us great joy and comfort to be with you, being so godly minded. For in you, as in a clear mirror, we behold ourselves, and see what shall become of us hereafter. Of you, as of a living schoolmaster, we learn how we shall behave ourselves, when God layeth the cross on us. And we most humbly beseech God to give us the like patience and thankfulness.

Ep. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. Foras. much as I feel in myself present tokens of death, and am not certain how long the Lord will suffer me to live, or enjoy the use of speech, I think it convenient to pray again unto the Lord my God, and to commend my sinful soul into his merciful hands. Lord vouchsafe, I most humbly beseech thee, to hear me, sinful creature.

The. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, yea, that call on him in truth.

Ep. O Lord Jesus Christ, who art the only health of all men living, and the everlasting life of them that die in thy faith ; I, wretched sinner, give and submit myself wholly to thy most blessed will. And I, being sure that the thing cannot perish which is committed unto thy mercy, most humbly beseech thee, O Lord, to give me grace, that I may willingly leave this frail and wicked flesh, in hope of the resurrection, which in better wise shall restore it to me again. I beseech thee, O most merciful Jesus Christ, that thou wilt by thy grace make strong my soul against all temptations, and that thou wilt cover and defend me with the buckler of thy mercy, against all the assaults of the devil. I see and acknowledge that there

is in myself no hope of life and salvation; but all my confidence, hope, and trust is in thy most merciful goodness. I have no merits nor good works, which I may allege befure thee. Of sins and evil works alas, I see a great heap; but through thy mercy I trust to be in the number of them to whom thou wilt not impute their sins, but take and accept me for righteous and just, and to be the inheritor of everlasting glory. Thou, O most merciful Lord, wast born for my sake. Thou didst suffer both hunger and thirst for my sake. Thou didst preach and teach, thou didst pray and fast, for my sake. Thou didst all good works and deeds for my sake. Thou sufferedst most grievous pains and torments for my sake. And finally, thou gavest thy most precious body to die, and thy most blessed blood to be shed on the cross, for my sake. Now, most merciful Saviour, let all these things profit me, which thou hast freely given me, which hast given thyself for me; let thy blood cleanse and wash away the spots and foulness of my sins ; let thy righteousness hide and cover mine unrighteousness; let the merits of thy passion and blood be the satisfaction for my sins; give me, Lord, thy grace, that my faith and persuasion in thy blood waver not in me, but ever be firm and constant, that the hope of thy mercy and life everlasting, never decay in me, that charity wax not cold in me. Finally, that the weakness of my flesh be not overcome with the fear of death. Grant me also, O most merciful Saviour, that when death hath shut up the eyes of my body, yet the eyes of my soul may still behold and look upon thee, and that when death hath taken away the use of my tongue and speech, yet that my heart may cry and say unto thee, O Lord, into thy hands I give and commit my soul ; Lord Jesus, take my spirit.

Eu. Sir, how is it with you now?

Ep. Even as with a ship which is tossed with the waves of the sea; I trust shortly to come unto the haven, and then shall I be quiet, and without all danger. Pray for me.

Ph. Most gladly. Let us kneel down, neighbours, and beseech the Lord our God, for his tender mercies, to preserve this our sick brother from the assaults of Satan, and to keep him constant and steadfast in his faith unto his life's end, that he may give up a good and faithful soul into the inerciful hands of God. (They pray for him.*)

* See, in the Flower of Godly Prayers, the prayer for those who are at the point of death.

face;

Ep. O God, be merciful unto me, and bless me, show me the sight of thy countenance, and deal favourably with me, lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him. For, if I be cast down, they that trouble me will rejoice at it. But my trust is in thy mercy, and my heart is joyful in thy salvation.--My bodily sight is gone.

Ph. The Lord gave it you, and the Lord hath taken it away again; as it hath pleased the Lord, so is it come to pass; blessed be the name of the Lord. Now that God hath taken away the sight of your corporeal eyes, behold the Lord your God with the eyes of your faith, and doubt you not but that shortly you shall see the glorious majesty of God with the eyes of your soul, even as he is, face to

which shall be unto you such joy and so great comfort, that no tongue is able to express, nor heart to think it.

Ep. I believe, and am assuredly persuaded, that I shall see the pleasure of the Lord in the land of the living.

Ph. Continue in this faith unto the end ; and you shall surely be saved.

Ep. All my other senses decay.
Ph. Although by the appointment of God you

lose

your bodily speech, yet shall your soul in the heavenly kingdom sing, praise, and magnify the Lord your God, world without end. And albeit the bodily hearing be taken away from you, yet shall your soul in the kingdom of God hear such sweet, pleasant, and delectable things as never mortal men heard, nor may hear the like. Again, although your going, and the use of your whole body be taken away from

you, and your body return unto the earth from whence it came, yet doubt not but your soul, being once delivered out of the prison of your body, shall serve the Lord your God perfectly, and joyfully follow the Lamb Christ whithersoever he goeth.

Ep. O Lord, deliver my soul out of the prison of the body, that I may come unto thee, and glorify thy holy name.

Ph. Be of good comfort, sir. God in this your trouble and bitter agony of death is present with you, and when he seeth convenient time, he will deliver you out of all your pains, take you unto him, and place you in his glorious kingdom.

Ep. Be thou my protector, O God, and house of defence, that thou mayest save me. Be thou my strong rock, and my castle; be thou my guide, and lead me for thy name's sake. Into thy hands I commend my spirit, for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth.