The forerunner of eternity, or, Messenger of death sent to healthy, sick and dying men / by H. Drexelius.

Prayers to be said of, or to be read to a man dying.

OH holy Jesus! my strength, my ••efreshing, my defender, and my deliverer, in whom I have ho∣ped, on whom I have believed, whom always I have loved, who art my chiefe pleasure: the for∣tresse of my strength, & my hope even from my youth up. Lead me forth, ô ••hou that art the leader of my life, and I will follow thee; stretch forth thy right hand of mercy to the worke of thine own hands, which thou the Crea∣tour of all things didst make of the dust of the e••rth, and streng∣thenedst with bones and sinews, to whom thou by death gavest life; The time is at hand, that dust must return to dust, and my spirit to thee my Saviour and blessed Re∣deemer who gavest it me. Open (good Lord) to mee the gate of life, for for mee wretch didst

thou the Lord of life hang on the tree, and wast reckon••d amongst transgressors: receive me, ô merci∣full God according to the multi∣tude of hy tender mercies, thou didst kindly and speedily enter∣tain the penitent thiefe upon the Crosse begging of thee. I am sick and sore smitten, to whom should I run for cure, but t•• thee ô gra∣cious Physician, heal thou m••e, ô Lord, and I shall be whole, and those that put their trust in thee, shall not be confounded: in thee, ô Saviour have I trusted, let me no: therefore be put to confusion; But who, or what am I (most glorious God) that I should with such bold••esse speak to thee? I am a sinner borne, nay, and conceived in transgression, a rotten carcasse, an uncleane vessell, food for wormes. Spare mee, forgive mee (good God) what conquest woul∣dest thou have to contend, or s••t thy selfe against me who ••m wea∣ker and lighter then the stubble before the winde, then the dust or the chaff driven too and fro with

every blast? Passe by (ô Lord) all my transgressions, and rayse up thy poore dejected servant from the Dunghill Stand up (ô Lord) and for my defence rayse up thy self, and reject not the supplicati∣on of thy poore weak servant. Let my prayers enter into thy pre∣sence, and stretch forth thy hand, and com•• and help. I am the man that travelling from Hierusalem, am taken and wounded of thieves, and left half dead, be thou, thou ô my Saviour the good Samaritan, and c mfort me I have grievous∣ly sinned in the whole course of my life, and my sins are ever be∣fore thee. From the crown of my head to the sole of my foot there is not one sound or clean member. O if thou by thy precious death on the Crosse hadst not helped my soule, I should have for my sins deserved eternall perdition; I, even I am partaker, ô sweet Iesu, of that inestimable Redemption; thou didst shed that most precious bloud for my sake, ô thou preser∣ver of men, and therefore put me

not away from thee. I am that sheepe which wandred and lost it self, seek mee (ô thou great Shep∣heard) and take mee and conduct me into thy fold, that thou mayest be true in all thy sayings. Thou that hast promised that whensoe∣ver a sinner shall repent and re∣turn, thou wilt have mercy upon him. Truly Lord I am not wor∣thy to be called thy son, because I have sinned against heaven and before thee: but good Father, re∣store the voice of joy and glad∣nesse to mee again, Comfort mee now after the time that thou hast afflicted mee, and for the yeeres wherein I have suffered adversity. Turn thy face away from my sins, and blot cut all mine offences, ac∣cording to thy great mercies. Cast me not away from thy presence, nor deal with me after my iniqui∣ties: but help mee, ô thou that art the helper of all that cry to thee for relief, deliver mee for the glo∣ry of thy name: Grant in mercy, that I may dwell in thy house al the days of my life, to sing pray∣ses

to thee in Heaven with all thy glorious Saints and Servants for evermore. Amen.

The second Prayer to Jesus Christ the Saviour of the world.

O Sweet comf••rtable Iesus, the fountaine an•• w••lsp••ing of mercy and tender compassion, shew and extend to me thy poore servant and weak creature, the riches of thy infinite mercies, help and succour mee in this my great need and necessity, my great Creatour and loving Redeemer Iesu Christ: put thy Passion, Cross, and precious death betwixt thy judgment and my sicke soule. I wholly give up my selfe to thy fa∣vour, Cast me not away good Sa∣viour in thy furie, I willingly come to thee for h••lp, ô reject not, ô despise not, ô refuse not to ad∣mit thy humble Petitioner into thy grace and favourable prote∣ction. Now! now ô Lord, accord∣ing

to thy good pleasu e and will, deal with me in mercie, and re∣ceive my soule into thy hands in peace and love, thou hast redee∣med mee, ô Lord, thou God of truth. O let the sound of those comfortable words enter into ••y soule (sweet Saviour) This day thou shalt be with me in Parad se.

O Iesus, who was crucified for me receive me into thy armes of love and mercie, into those armes which were stretch'd so wide to embrace poore grieved sinners, unto those armes which I with the eye of faith see opened wide for transgressors. Draw my soul after thee, comfort it (ô thou Lambe of God) with thy al saving fa∣vour receive mee in thy savour, and let my soule ever live in thy glorious courts in the highest Heavens. Amen.

The third Prayer of thanksgiving in any sicknesse.

GLory be to thee ô Lord Iesus Christ, the Authour and giver of life, who hast vouchsafed to call me to the knowledge of true faith in thee, Glorie be to thee who h••st always beene so full of plenteous redemption and mercie towards mee so grievously laden with all sorts of sins: which through all my life hast heaped blessings and kindnesses upon me. I give thanks to thee (n y most loving God) that according to thy good will and wisdome I am called out of this miserable and wretched life to appeare before thee How, ô how willing am I to tread thy Courts, and to behold the light of thy countenance, I doe wholly commit my selfe to thy divine shelterage, and blesse thy glorious name for giving me such a readie mind to depart. I do (ô most lo∣ving Lord) in all humility beg

and desire thee to binde up my soule in the bundle of peace, and embrace my soule in thy everlasting favour and mercy, t••ke my soule into thy protection hence-forth and for ever, to thee, to thee onely doe I commend my spirit, which art the God of spi∣rits, I intreat thee (the everliving God) to give me an inheritance among those that be sanctified, Count mee in the number of thy Saints, and let my name ô hea∣venly Father be registred in the book of life. Free me and deliver me f••om all the power of my ene∣mies. Deliver mee from all my trouble and adve sity, because thou onely art the God which canst help those that are in misery and griefe, thou hast said it (ô b••essed Lord God) that we should call upon thee in the time of trou∣ble, and thou hast graciously pro∣mised to hear and deliver us, and taught us in thy wisdome to give glory to thy name. To thee there∣fore be duly given all praise and glorie world without end.

The fourth prayer, to be s••id of those about the sick party.

O Iesus Christ, who didst die upon the Crosse for our Re∣demption, in the depth of thy in∣finite love, even of that gracious love, which made thee lay downe thy life, who wast the life of all; that they might be restored to life. Wee doe heartily d••sire and humbly crave of thee that thou wouldst passe by, and blot out all the sins and transgressions which this thy sicke servant our Brother N. hath committed, and that by thy most holy life, and merits of thy most bitter Crosse and Passi∣on, thou wouldst be pleased to help all his infirmities, and to make his bed in the time of his sicknesse, and make him to feele and rellish thy infinite love and boundlesse mercies and let him apply them to h••s s••ule, and dis∣spose graciously of us all, and e∣specially

of this thy weake crea∣ture, whom thou art calling out of this miserable life, that thou wouldst prepare his soule quietly and peaceably to seeke thee, and that hee may give up his soul into thy hands with all patience, and contentednesse, in a full assurance of the pardon of all his sins, being grounded in hope, rooted in cha∣rity, in a perfect state of mind, so that for ever thou mayst hold him in the armes of thy never fading love and favour.

O Lord Iesus Christ, wee beseech thee, take not thy helping hand and saving assistance from this our sick brother, who is now in the depth of sicknesse, and even at the point of death, who by weak∣nesse and defect of spirit is not a∣ble to lift up his voice unto thee. Think upon him (o Lord) in thy love and mercy, and give him, ô give the spirit of com••ort and con∣solation, Deliver him from all evill, and grant hough hee doth at this time depart, yet let it be in peace, and sure confidence of thy

love: defend him from the danger of the Enemy, at the time of his yielding up his spirit into thy hand, give him sure confidence in thee, and keep him i•• perpetuall peace and safety, and lead h••m in∣to the land of everlast••ng rest and quietnesse. Amen.

The fifth Prayer contayning the Acts of Faith, Hope, and Chari••y daily to be used.

O Lord Iesus Christ, I believe that thou art my God and my Redeemer, I doe b••lieve that for my salvation thou wast born of the Virgin Mary, and was cruci∣fied, I doe believe what the holy Catholick Church doth enjoyne me, and I protest that I will l••ve and am willing to die in that faith. (Lord Iesus) I doe heartily grieve that I have so grievously offend••d thy goodn••sse, and I am sor••y, that I can be no more sorry so those great and many offences which I have committed against

thee my Cr••atour and Redeemer. I do humbly ••ray thee, that thou wouldst by thy precious bloud∣shedding pardon and forgive all my sins: and I doe purpose if thou shalt enlarge my life to abstaine from them ••ll, and to settle my self in a new cou se of holinesse of life, and if I have forgotten any of my sins, or if I doe not know them all severally, I implore thy goodnesse to disclose them to me, that I may speedily and sincerely repent me of them all, and above all forgive, ô Lord, forgive and forget them all.

I doe f••eely and willingly for∣give all men that have offended me (ô my God) all their offences for thy sake, and I entreat whom∣soever I have injured to doe the like by mee. If I have by wrong detained any mans goods, so far as I am bound and according to my ability, I desire that they should be fully sati••fied: I doe trust in thy eternall mercy, and in thy pre∣cious bloud abundantly shed for me, that although I be altog••ther

unworthy of my self, and no ways deserving thy gracious favour, that yet thou wouldst ransome me out of all mine enemies hands, and that thou wouldst lift up thy coun∣tenance upon me, and fill my soul with everlasting comforts. I doe heart ly desire this of thee by thy bitt••r death and passion. Streng∣th••n me (ô Lo d Iesus) against all the snares of Satan, and defend mee with the shield of thy mercy, because all my hope & confidence is in thy great goodnesse onely. I can plead no merits or deserts that can bind thee, but I finde in my selfe too too much sinne and vilenesse: but thy mercy (ô God) is over all thy works, and so in hope to partake of it, I do rest my self in hope: because thou art a God of hope to thee be all praise and honour ascribed from this time forth and for evermore. A∣men.