your salvation. But He does not expect of you what He does of those who have long been seeking Him: the cry of a child as really shows life as the voice of a man. A child learning to

speak has few words, perhaps but one at first; but by degrees he gets more and more. Thus it is with you; and if you have no words, the Lord's Prayer will express all your needs for you. Do not say to any thing that you may read here, "it is high, I cannot attain to it." You are not called to do so yet. The simpler prayer is, the truer it is. It is better not to question what is prayer and what is not. It is enough to know that we may tell every thought of our hearts in the most simple words to our Heavenly Father, and that He will hear and understand them: "He will be very gracious unto the voice of thy cry, and when He shall hear it, He will answer thee." "He that hath begun a good work in you will perform it." And if words fail you, He can understand your heart, and see its desire. Only be in earnest, and you shall want no good thing.

May we all who are sick and dying, pray the more earnestly for all who are sick and dying, "remembering those who are in bonds, as bound with them."

"The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all." Amen.

Prayers for the Sick and Dying.

NOTE TO THE SECOND EDITION.

SINCE the first edition of these Prayers was published, it has been found that to some sick persons the inverted commas proved a distraction to their eyes when they desired to be unconscious that they were reading. They have therefore been uniformly omitted in this edition.

For the same reason no references have been given, or italics used: there are, however, few sentences which have not been taken partly or entirely from Holy Scripture, or from the Prayer Book.

Four prayers have been added: for the Morning, Evening, and Midnight, and for Contentment. The only prayers that have been materially altered, are III. and V. in Part I., and VII. in Part II.

Several verbal changes have also been made. in many of the other prayers, in the hope of making them more simple.

PART I.

Prayers for the Sick.

He Himself bare our sicknesses.

I.

MORNING.

O LORD, I thank Thee that the night is ended and that the sun has risen again upon the earth. May the Sun of Righteousness arise upon me with healing in His wings. Help me to give Thee hearty thanks that soon there shall be no more night, but that Thou wilt be my everlasting light, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. Thanks be unto Thee for all Thine unspeakable gifts! Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep me this day without sin; have mercy upon me, for I am weak; leave me not, neither forsake me. I am sore let and hindered in running the race which thou hast appointed for me; yet, O Lord, save Thy servant, for I put my trust in

Thee. Send me help from Thy holy place, and do Thou mightily defend me. Let the enemy have no advantage over me to-day, nor let the wicked approach to hurt me. Be unto me, O Lord, a strong tower from the face of the enemy. Thou hast brought me into sickness, and I know not when Thou wilt bring me unto death. Help me always to watch, for I know not at what hour Thou wilt come; may I be found ready when ever Thou dost call me. O Lord, I know not what lies before me to-day; but Thou knowest. Thy compassions fail not, they are new every morning; help me to lean on Thee alone; let me take hold of the arm of Thy strength, and be at peace with Thee. I know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right; let me not be afraid of them. Yet, O my Father, I fear myself; sin is ever present with me; even my very sickness, which Thou hast sent to do me good, tempts me to sin. Draw nigh unto my soul and save it, because of mine enemies. O cleanse Thou me from my secret faults; keep back Thy servant from presumptuous sins, lest they get the dominion over me.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight today. Set a watch, O Lord, on the door of my

lips, lest I sin against Thee. Keep me from speaking any hasty, or unkind, or sinful words; keep me from impatience, from murmuring thoughts; from ingratitude or unkindness to others, by word or deed; from want of love. and want of sympathy to those about me. Keep me from selfishness, from discontent, from wishing to have things otherwise than Thou hast appointed them. From indolence and self-indulgence, from needless anxieties, from tormenting my mind with trifles, from over-estimation of my trials, from all falseness of mind and of doctrine, good Lord, deliver me. Give me humility, gentleness, and meekness; help me to give thanks for all Thy gifts, especially for Thy love to me, and for the love which Thou hast put into the hearts of others towards me. Put into my mind good desires, and fill my heart this day with holy thoughts. Let me count these light afflictions as but for a moment, and may I not look at the things which are seen, and are temporal, but at the things which are unseen, and eternal. Bless the Queen and her household; the Royal Family, and those who govern this country. Give Thy heavenly blessing to the Church and the Clergy, and to all my friends; strengthen and comfort the sick and the dying, and those who nurse them: bless all men, and let the whole earth be filled with the knowledge of