A Prayer to be said for all such as lie at the point of Death.
O most loving Savior and gentle Redeemer, who earnest into this world to call sinners unto repentance, and to seek that which was lost, thou sees in what case this our brother lies here, visited with thy merciful hand; altogether weak, feeble, sick, and ready to yield up his soul into thy holy hands. O look upon him, most gentle Savior, with thy merciful eye, pity him, and be favorable unto him. He is thy workmanship, despise not therefore the work of thine own hands. Thou suffers thy blessed body and thy precious blood to be shed for his sins, and to bring him unto the glory of thy heavenly Father, let it not therefore come to pass that thou should suffer so great pains for him in vain. He was baptized in thy name, and gave himself wholly to be thy servant, forsaking the devil, the world, and the flesh; confess him therefore before thy heavenly Father, and his blessed angels, to be thy servant. His sins, we confess are great, for who is able to say, My house is clean, and I am free from sin; but thy mercies, O Lord, are much greater: and thou earnest not to call the righteous, but sinners unto repentance. To them that are diseased and overladen with the burden of sin, dost thou promise ease. Thou art that God who wills not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn and live. Thou art the Savior who wishes all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of thy truth. Withdraw not therefore thy mercy from him because of his sins, but rather lay upon him thy saving health, that thou may show thyself towards him a Savior. What greater praise can there be to a physician, than to heal the sick? Neither can there be a greater glory to thee, being a Savior, than to save sinners. Save him therefore, O Lord, for thy name’s sake. Again, let the law be no corrosive to his conscience, but rather give him grace, even in this extreme agony and conflict of death, to be fully persuaded that thou by thy death hast taken away all his sins, fulfilled the law for him, and by this means delivered him from the curse of the law, and paid his ransom; that he, thus being fully persuaded, may have a quiet heart, a free conscience, and a glad will to forsake this wretched world, and to go unto his Lord God. Moreover, thou hast conquered him that had rule of death, even Satan; suffer him not therefore to exercise his tyranny upon this our sick brother, nor to disquiet his conscience with the terrors of sin and pains of hell. Let not Satan or his infernal army tempt him further than he is able to bear, but evermore give him grace, even unto his last breath, valiantly to fight against the devil with a strong faith in thy precious blood, that he may fight a good fight, and finish his course with joy, unto the glory of thy name, and the health of his soul. O Lord, so work in him by thy Holy Spirit, that he, with all his heart, may contemn and despise all worldly things, and set his mind wholly upon heavenly things, hoping for them with a strong and undoubted faith. Again, let it not grieve him, O sweet Savior, to be loosened from this vile and wretched carcass, which is now so full of sorrow, trouble, anguish, sickness, and pain, but rather let him have a bent and ready will, through thy goodness, to put it off. Yea, and that with this faith, that he, at the last day, shall receive it again in a much better state than it is now, or ever was from the day of his birth; even a body incorruptible, immortal, and like to thy glorious body. Let his whole heart and mind be set only upon thee. Let the remembrance of the joys of heaven be so fervent in his breast, that he may both patiently and thankfully take his death, and ever wish to be with thee in glory. And when the time cometh that he shall give over to nature, and depart from this miserable world, vouchsafe, we most humbly beseech thee, O Lord Jesus, to take his soul into thy hands, and to place it among the glorious company of thy holy angels and blessed saints, and to keep it unto that most joyful day of the general resurrection, that both his body and soul, through thine almighty power, being knit again together at that day, he may for ever and ever enjoy thy glorious kingdom, and sing perpetual praises to thy blessed name. Amen.
Thomas Becon, The Writings of the Rev. Thomas Becon (Philadelphia: Presbyterian Board of Publication, [1840-1849?]), 328. [Some spelling modernized and underlining mine.]