Upon occasion of the cares, and burdens, and afflictions of particular persons ; as

3. When we pray with, or for those that are sick and weak, and distempered in body, that those who are sick and in sin-may be convinced, those who are sick and in Christ comforted.

Lord, thou hast appointed those that are sick to be prayed for, and prayed with, and hast promised that the prayer of faith shall save the sick ; Lord, help us to pray in faith for the sick, and as being ourselves also in the body. Jas 5:14, 15.

When our Lord Jesus was here upon earth, we find that they brought to him all sick people that were taken with divers diseases and torments, and he healed all manner of sicknesses, and all manner of diseases among the people ; and he hath still the same power over bodily diseases that ever he had ; he saith to them, Go, and they go; Come, and they come; Do this, and they do it; and can speak the word, and they shall be healed. And he is still touched with the feeling of our infirmities. In the belief of this, we do by prayer bring our friends that are sick, and lay them before him. Matt 4:23, 24; Matt 8:8, 9. Heb 4:15. Luke 5:18.

Lord, grant that those who are sick may neither despise the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when they are rebuked of him; but that they may both hear the rod, and him that hath appointed it, and may kiss the rod, and accept of the punishment of their iniquity. Heb 12:5. Mic 6:9. Lev 26:41.

Give them to see that affliction cometh not forth out of the dust, nor springs out of the ground, that they may therefore seek unto God, to the Lord more than to the physicians, because unto God the Lord belong the issues of life and death. Job 5:6, 8. 2 Chr 16:12. Ps 68:20.

Lord, show them wherefore thou contendest with them, and give them in their affliction to humble themselves greatly before the God of their fathers, and to repent and turn from every evil way, and make their ways and their doings good, and being judged and being chastened of the Lord, they may not be condemned with the world. By the sickness of the body, and the sadness of the countenance, let the heart be made better. Job 10:2. 2 Chr 33:12. Jer 18:11. 1 Cor 11:32. Eccl 7:3.

O Lord, rebuke them not in thine anger, neither chasten them in thy hot displeasure : have mercy upon them, O Lord, for they are weak: Lord, heal them, for their bones are vexed, their souls also are sore vexed : return, O Lord, and deliver their souls; save them for thy mercy’s sake ; and lay no more upon them than thou wilt enable them to bear, and enable them to bear what thou dost lay upon them. Ps 6:1–4. 1 Cor 10:13.

When thou with rebukes dost chasten man for sin, thou makest his beauty to consume away like a moth; surely every man is vanity. But remove thy stroke, we pray thee, from those that are even consumed by the blow of thine hand. O spare a little, that they may recover strength before they go hence and be no more. Ps 31:10, 11, 15.

Those that are chastened with pain upon their bed, and the multitude of their bones with strong pain, so that their life abhorreth bread, and their soul dainty meat, show them thine uprightness ; be gracious to them. Deliver them from going down to the pit, for thou hast found a ransom. Job 33:19, 20, 23, 24.

Let the eternal God be their refuge, and underneath them be the everlasting arms; consider their frame, remember that they are but dust. Deut 33:27. Ps 103:14.

O deliver those that are thine in the time of trouble, preserve them and keep them alive. O strengthen them upon their bed of languishing, and make their bed in their sickness: be merciful to them, and heal their souls, for they have sinned. Ps 41:1–4.

O turn to them, and have mercy upon them; bring them out of their distresses, look upon their affliction and their pain, but especially forgive all their sin. Ps 25:16–18.

Make thy face to shine upon them, save them for thy mercy’s sake. The God that comforteth them that are cast down, comfort them ; and let the soul dwell at ease in thee, when the body lies in pain. Ps 31:16. 2 Cor 7:6. Ps 25:13.

(if it be the beginning of a distemper.) Lord, set bounds to this sickness, and say, Hitherto shall it come, and no further; let it not prevail to extremity, but in measure, when it shooteth forth, do thou debate, and stay thy rough wind in the day of thine east wind ; and by this let iniquity be purged, and let this be all the fruit, even the taking away of sin. Job 38:11. Isa 27:8, 9.

(If it have continued long.) Lord, let patience have her perfect work, even unto long-suffering, that those who have been long in the furnace, may continue hoping, and quietly waiting for the salvation of the Lord. Let tribulation work patience, and patience éexperience, and experience a hope that maketh not ashamed, and enable them to call even this affliction light, seeing it to work for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Jas 1:4. Lam 3:26. Rom 5:3, 4. 2 Cor 4:17.

(If there be hopes of recover.) Lord, when thou hast tried, let them come forth like gold ; let their souls live and they shall praise thee, let thy judgments help them. O deal bountifully with them, that they may live and keep thy word ; in love to their souls deliver them from the pit of corruption, and cast all their sins behind thy back. Recover them, and make them to live. Speak the word, and they shall be healed. Say unto them, Live, yea, say unto them, Live, and the time shall be a time of love. Job 23:10. Ps 119:175, 176. Isa 38:16, 17. Matt 8:8.. Ezek 16:6, 8.

Father, if it be possible, let the cup pass away ; however, not as we will, but as thou wilt. The will of the Lord be done. Perfect that which concerns them : thy mercy, O Lord, endures for ever, forsake not the work of thine own hands, but whether they live or die, let them be the Lord’s. Matt 26:39. Ps 138:8. Rom 14:8.

(If they be in appearance at the point of death.) Now the flesh and the heart are failing, Lord, be thou the strength of the heart, and an everlasting portion. In the valley of the shadow of death, Lord, be thou present, as the good Shepherd, with a guiding rod, and a supporting staff. O do not fail them, nor forsake them now; be a very present help. Into thy hands we commit the departing spirit, as into the hands of a faithful Creator, by the hands of him who has redeemed it. Let it be carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom. Let it be presented to thee, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. Lord Jesus, receive this precious soul, let it come to the spirits of just men made perfect ;" when it is absent from the body, let it be present with the Lord. This day let it be with thee in paradise. Now let it be for ever comforted, and perfectly freed from sin; and prepare us to draw after, as there are innumerable before, that we may be together for ever with the Lord, there, where there shall be no more death, and where all tears shall be wiped away. Ps 73:26; Ps 23:4. Heb 13:5. Ps 46:1; Ps 31:5. 1 Pet 4:19. Luke 16:22. Eph 5:27. Acts 7:59. Heb 12:23. 2 Cor 5:8. Luke 23:43; Luke 16:25. Rom 6:7. Job 21:33. 1 Thess 4:17. Rev 21:4

‹ Those that are under convictions of sin, and begin to be… · When we pray with, or for those that are deprived of the… ›

Pray now: a guided prayer in six parts, with the next heads each day.

Henry’s text is in the public domain. Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, No. 265 Chestnut Street. Undated, about 1840 to 1860. The preface is dated Chester, March 25, 1710. From the Internet Archive scan. The KJV text is in the public domain.