appropriate in time of sickness, although applying generally to all pastoral visits.

The short extract from the Litany (leading on as usual to the Kyrie Eleeson and the Lord's Prayer) was originally an "Anthem," or respond, to Psalm cxliii., with which the Service opened.

The VERSICLES are the same as in the Marriage Service, with the addition (from Ps. lxxxix. 22, 23) of special prayer against the power of the Enemy, to tempt or to terrify, as being specially felt in the hour of weakness and pain.

The FIRST COLLECT is a general prayer of much fervourapplicable not only to the case of all sickness, but to all hours of trial in life-for God's visitation and relief; as shown, first, in the reality and assurance of God's love to sinners; next, in His defence against the temptation of evil; and, lastly, in the resignation of peace, safe in His Arms of Mercy. The three seem nearly to correspond to the idea of the last three petitions of the Lord's Prayer.

The SECOND COLLECT, still more fervent in supplication, applies especially to sickness, contemplating serious danger. (a) It looks on sickness as a "fatherly correction," sent to add strength to the faith and seriousness to the repentance, which are the two invariable conditions of approaching God. (b) It contemplates the blessed results of such correction, rightly received, under both alternatives, of recovering to a holier and better life, or of passage through death to the life eternal.

This portion forms a little Service in itself, or a fit prelude to the Communion of the Sick.

(B) THE EXHORTATION, EXAMINATION, CONFESSION, AND ABSOLUTION.

The FIRST EXHORTATION (a) dwells on the ordering by God of all things for good-on the one hand, the youth, strength, health, and life, which are His original gifts to man's natural condition -on the other hand, the age, weakness, sickness, and death, which belong to a fallen humanity, and which He overrules to blessing. (b) Next it applies this general faith to the particular case of sickness; suggesting its two functions, as testing and so strengthening faith, before the eyes of men now, and before the Judgment hereafter, and as chastising sin, and so taking away what may offend God; and promising that, if it be borne penitently, patiently, and thankfully, it shall "help forward in the right way that leadeth to everlasting life."

The SECOND EXHORTATION strikes a higher note. For not only (from Heb. xii. 6-10) does it urge the blessing of the chastisement in love from a Father's hand, in proportion as there is in us sin to be chastised, but it declares suffering to have in itself this comfort, that it is a partaking of the Cross of the great Sufferer, which has sanctified sorrow for ever, and in which we suffer with Him that we may also be glorified together" (see Rom. viii. 17, 18; 2 Tim. ii. 11, 12). The same gradation of thought is found in Col. i. 11, from 66 'patience and longsuffering" to "joyfulness." The former idea belongs to all true religion; the latter is the especial privilege of the Christian faith, which gladly "takes up the Cross" in order to "follow" our Master. Only if suffering be thus borne, is it to us a blessing;

Then shall the Minister exhort the sick person after this form, or other like.

DEARLY beloved, know this, that Almighty God is the Lord of life and death, and of all things to them. pertaining, as youth, strength, health, age, weakness, and sickness. Wherefore, whatsoever your sickness is, know you certainly, that it is God's visitation. And for what cause soever this sickness. is sent unto you; whether it be to try your patience for the example of others, and that your faith may be found in the day of the Lord laudable, glorious, and honourable, to the increase of glory and endless felicity; or else it be sent unto you to correct and amend in you whatsoever doth offend the eyes of your heavenly Father; know you certainly, that if you truly repent you of your sins, and bear your sickness patiently, trusting in God's mercy, for his dear Son Jesus Christ's sake, and render unto him humble thanks for his fatherly visitation, submitting yourself wholly unto his will, it shall turn to your profit, and help you forward in the right way that leadeth unto everlasting life.

If the person visited be very sick, then the Curate may end his exhortation in this place, or else proceed.

TAKE therefore in good part the

chastisement of the Lord For (as Saint Paul saith in the twelfth Chapter to the Hebrews) whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Furthermore, we have had fathers of our flesh, which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. These words, good brother, are written in holy Scripture for our comfort and instruction; that we should patiently, and with thanksgiving, bear our heavenly Father's correction, whensoever by any manner of adversity it shall please his gracious goodness to visit us. And there should be no greater comfort to Christian persons, than to be made like unto Christ, by suffering patiently adversities, troubles, and sicknesses. For he himself went not up to joy, but first he suffered pain; he entered not into his glory before he was crucified. So truly our way to eternal joy is to suffer here with Christ; and our door to enter into eternal life is gladly to die with Christ; that we may rise again from death, and dwell with

him in everlasting life. Now therefore, taking your sickness, which is thus profitable for you, patiently, I exhort you, in the Name of God, to remember the profession which you made unto God in your Baptism. And forasmuch as after this life there is an account to be given unto the righteous Judge, by whom all must be judged, without respect of persons, I require you to examine yourself and your estate, both toward God and man; so that, accusing and condemning yourself for your own faults, you may find mercy at our heavenly Father's hand for Christ's sake, and not be accused and condemned in that fearful judgment. Therefore I shall rehearse to you the Articles of our Faith, that you may know whether you do believe as a Christian man should, or

And in Jesus Christ his only-begotten Son our Lord? And that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary; that he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried; that he went down into hell, and also did rise again the third day; that he ascended into heaven, and sitteth at the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and from thence shall come again at the end of the world, to judge the quick and the dead?

And dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholick Church; the Communion of Saints; the Remission of sins; the Resurrection of the flesh; and everlasting life after death?

The sick person shall answer,

All this I stedfastly believe. Then shall the Minister examine whether he repent him truly of his sins, and be in charity with all the world; exhorting him to forgive, from the bottom of his heart, all persons that have offended him; and if he hath offended any other, to ask them forgiveness; and where he hath done injury or wrong to any man, that he make amends to the uttermost of his power. And if he hath not before disposed of his goods, let him then be admonished to make his Will, and to declare his Debts, what he oweth, and what is owing unto him; for the better discharging of his conscience, and the quietness of his Executors. But men should often be put in remembrance to take order for the settling of their temporal estates, whilst they are in health.

These words before rehearsed may be said before the Minister begin his Prayer, as he shall see cause.

and it is clear that even this blessedness depends on the existence of the conflict of evil against good, in ourselves and in the world.

To this Exhortation succeeds EXAMINATION IN THE FAIFH, on the model of the Baptismal profession, and therefore in the words of the Apostles' Creed. It is notable that in the old Manual this line was followed, if the sick man were laicus vel simpliciter literatus: otherwise the priest was to set before him "fourteen Articles of Christian Faith, of which the first seven belong to the mystery of the Holy Trinity, and the last seven to the humanity of Christ," following generally the Athanasian Creed; and concluding with the words, "This is the Catholic Faith, which unless thou shalt firmly and faithfully believe, as Holy Mother Church believeth, thou canst not be saved."

To this Examination succeeds a direction to exhort to penitence, forgiveness, and restitution-much as in the First Exhortation in the Communion Service; adding also advice to discharge the last responsibility as to worldly goods, by making a will, and, in this, if possible, of remembering the poor. This direction takes the place of an Exhortation in the old Service of great force and beauty, dealing with these duties of charity, forgiveness, and restitution, and then dwelling with marked emphasis on the full and free mercy of God.

Next comes the provision for CONFESSION and ABSOLUTION. It is perfectly clear that it follows precisely the same line as in the First Exhortation to the Communion Service, as to Private Confession and Special

Absolution. (a) The Confession is to be made only if, after all instruction and exhortation and prayer, the sick man "feels his conscience troubled with any weighty matter." (b) By the "special confession of his sins" is evidently intended not an exhaustive confession of all sins, but a special confession of the particular matters which are on his conscience. (c) Till 1662 the initiative was left absolutely to the penitent: "Then shall the sick man," &c. Now the Minister is to move him" to confession, but clearly in the spirit of the Exhortation in the Communion Service, without making Confession necessary, or urging it as the proper and regular condition of things. (d) The Absolution is to be given only “if he humbly and heartily desire it," not as a condition of receiving the Holy Communion. The position of the Church on this matter is, however, made still more striking by contrast with the old Service, which had here a full and forcible Exhortation, declaring that to have a pure and clean heart confession of all sin is necessary, urging that in such confession nothing should be omitted, lest it should rise up to our shame in the Day of Judgment, and bidding the sick man rise by Confession "from the slough of misery and sin," that so he may be fit "to eat of the Bread of Life-the Sacrament of the Body of Christ."

The ABSOLUTION is taken from the Sarum Manual (which, however, referred only to the sins confessed or intended to be confessed), with the addition of the preamble, which is not unlike that of the Absolution in the Morning Service. The first clause is, after the most ancient