You're here: oChristian.com » Articles Home » Lewis Bayly » Practice of Piety » 66 - An Admonition to them who come to visit the Sick.

Practice of Piety 66 - An Admonition to them who come to visit the Sick.

By Lewis Bayly


      They who come to visit ihe sick, must have a special care not to stand dumb and staring in the sick person's face to disquiet him, nor yet to speak idly and ask unprofitable questions, as most do.

      If they see, therefore, that the sick party is like to die, let them not dissemble, but lovingly and discreetly admonish him of his weakness, and to prepare for eternal life. One hour well spent, when a man's life is almost out-spent, may gain a man the assurance of eternal life. Soothe him not with the vain hope of this life, lest thou betray his soul to eternal death. Admonish him plainly of his state, and ask him briefly these, or the like questions:-

      Questions to be asked of a sick Man that is like to die.

      Dost thou believe that Almighty God, the Trinity of Persons in unity of essence, hath by his power made heaven and earth, and all things therein? and that he doth still by his divine providence govern the same, so that nothing comes to pass in the world, nor to thyself, but what his divine hand and counsel had determined before to be done?

      2. Dost thou confess that thou hast transgressed and broken the holy commandments of the Almighty God in thought, word, and deed? and hast deserved for breaking his holy laws, the curse of God, which containeth all the miseries of this life, and everlasting torments in hell fire, when this life is ended, if so be that God should deal with thee according to thy deserts?

      3. Art thou not sorry in thy heart, that thou hast so broken his laws, and neglected his service and worship, and so much followed the world, and thy own vain pleasures? and wouldst thou not lead a holier life, if thou wert to begin again?

      4. Dost thou not from thy heart desire to be reconciled unto God in Jesus Christ his blessed Son, thy Mediator, who is at the right hand of God in heaven, now appearing for thee in the sight of God, and making request unto him for thy soul? (Rom. viii. 34; Heb. ix. 24.)

      5. Dost thou renounce all confidence in all other mediators or intercessors, saints or angels (Heb. ix. 11), believing that Jesus Christ, the only Mediator of the New Testament, is able perfectly to save them that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them? (1 Tim. ii. 5; Heb. vii. 25) and wilt thou with David say unto Christ, "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee?" (Psal. lxxiii. 25.)

      6. Dost thou confidently believe and hope to be saved by the only merits of that bloody death and passion, which thy Saviour Jesus Christ hath suffered for thee; not putting any hope of salvation in thy own merits, nor in any other means or creatures; being assuredly persuaded, that there is no salvation in any other, and that there is none other name under heaven whereby thou must be saved? (Acts iv. 12; x. 43.)

      7. Dost thou heartily forgive all wrongs and offences done or offered unto thee by any manner of person whatsoever? and dost thou as willingly from thy heart ask forgiveness of them whom thou hast grievously wronged in word or deed? and dosfr thou cast out of thy heart all malice and hatred, which thou hast borne to anybody, that thou mayest appear before the face of Christ, the Prince of peace, in perfect love and charity? (Isa. ix. 6; Heb. xii. 14.)

      8. Doth thy conscience tell thee of anything which thou hast wrongfully taken, and dost still withhold from any widow or fatherless children, or from any other person whatsoever? Be assured that unless thou shalt restore, like Zaccheus, those goods and lands, if thou be able, thou canst not truly repent; and without true repentance thou canst not be saved, nor look Christ in the face when thou shalt appear before his judgment-seat.

      9. Dost thou firmly believe, that thy body shall be raised up out of the grave, at the sound of the last trumpet? and that thy body and soul shall be united together again in the resurrection day, to appear before the Lord Jesus Christ; and thence to go with him into his kingdom of heaven, to live in everlasting bliss and glory?

      If the sick party shall answer to all these questions like a faithful Christian, then let all who are present join together and pray for him, in these or the like words:-

Back to Lewis Bayly index.

See Also:
   Practice of Piety 1 - Directing a Christian How to Walk, that He May Please God.
   Practice of Piety 2 - A Plain Description of the Essence and Attributes of God
   Practice of Piety 3 - Meditations of the Misery of a Man Not Reconciled to God in Christ.
   Practice of Piety 4 - Meditations of the Miseries of Man from Infancy to Old Age.
   Practice of Piety 5 - Meditations of the Misery of the Soul in this Life.
   Practice of Piety 6 - Meditations of the Misery of the Body and Soul in Death.
   Practice of Piety 7 - Meditations of the Misery of a Man after Death.
   Practice of Piety 8 - Blessedness of the Regenerate
   Practice of Piety 9 - Meditations of the blessed state of a Regenerate Man in his Death.
   Practice of Piety 10 - Meditations of the blessed state of the Regenerate Man after Death.
   Practice of Piety 11 - Meditations of the blessed state of a Regenerate Man in Heaven.
   Practice of Piety 12 - Of the Prerogatives which the Elect shall enjoy in Heaven.
   Practice of Piety 13 - Of the Effects of those Prerogatives.
   Practice of Piety 14 - Meditations directing a Christian how to apply to himself.
   Practice of Piety 15 - Meditations on the Hindrances which Keep a Sinner from Piety.
   Practice of Piety 16 - How a Private Man Must Begin the Morning with Piety.
   Practice of Piety 17 - Meditations for the Morning.
   Practice of Piety 18 - Brief Directions How to Read the Holy Scriptures Once A Year
   Practice of Piety 19 - A Prayer for the Morning.
   Practice of Piety 20 - Meditations to stir us up to Morning Prayer.
   Practice of Piety 21 - Another short Morning Prayer.
   Practice of Piety 22 - Farther Meditations to stir up to Prayer in the Morning.
   Practice of Piety 23 - A brief Prayer for the Morning.
   Practice of Piety 24 - Meditations Directing a Christian How To Walk All the Day with God
   Practice of Piety 25 - Secondly, for thy Words.
   Practice of Piety 26 - Thirdly, for thy Actions.
   Practice of Piety 27 - Meditations for the Evening.
   Practice of Piety 28 - A Prayer for the Evening.
   Practice of Piety 29 - Another shorter Evening Prayer.
   Practice of Piety 30 - Meditations for Household Piety.
   Practice of Piety 31 - Morning Prayer for a Family.
   Practice of Piety 32 - The Practice of Piety at Meals, and the Manner of Eating.
   Practice of Piety 33 - Grace before Meat.
   Practice of Piety 34 - The Practice of Piety at Evening.
   Practice of Piety 35 - Evening Prayer for a Family.
   Practice of Piety 36 - Meditations of the True Manner of Practising Piety on the Sabbath-Day.
   Practice of Piety 37 - Ten Reasons demonstrating the Commandment of the Sabbath to be moral.
   Practice of Piety 38 - The True Manner of Keeping Holy the Lord's Day.
   Practice of Piety 39 - A Morning Prayer for the Sabbath-day.
   Practice of Piety 40 - Duties in the Holy Assembly.
   Practice of Piety 41 - A private Evening Prayer for the Lord's day.
   Practice of Piety 42 - Of the Practice of Piety in Fasting.
   Practice of Piety 43 - Of the Public Fast.
   Practice of Piety 44 - Of the Practice of Piety in Holy Feasting.
   Practice of Piety 45 - Of Preparation.
   Practice of Piety 46 - Of the Worthiness of the Sacrament.
   Practice of Piety 47 - Of the first End of the Lord's Supper.
   Practice of Piety 48 - Of the second End of the Lord's Supper.
   Practice of Piety 49 - Of the third End of the Lord's Supper.
   Practice of Piety 50 - Of the fourth End of the Lord's Supper.
   Practice of Piety 51 - The fifth End of the Lord's Supper.
   Practice of Piety 52 - The sixth End of the Lord's Supper.
   Practice of Piety 53 - Of the seventh End of the Lord's Supper.
   Practice of Piety 54 - A Confession of Sins before the receiving of the Holy Communion.
   Practice of Piety 55 - Of the Means whereby thou mayest become a worthy Receiver.
   Practice of Piety 56 - Of the Second sort of Duties which a worthy Communicant is to perform
   Practice of Piety 57 - A sweet Soliloquy to be said between the Consecration and Sacrament.
   Practice of Piety 58 - Duties After Communion.
   Practice of Piety 59 - The Practice of Piety in Glorifying God in the Time of Sickness or Death
   Practice of Piety 60 - A Prayer when one begins to be sick.
   Practice of Piety 61 - A Prayer before taking of Medicine.
   Practice of Piety 62 - Meditations for the Sick.
   Practice of Piety 63 - Meditations for One That Is Like to Die.
   Practice of Piety 64 - A Prayer to Be Said of One That Is Like to Die.
   Practice of Piety 65 - Meditations against Despair, or doubting of God's Mercy.
   Practice of Piety 66 - An Admonition to them who come to visit the Sick.
   Practice of Piety 67 - A Prayer to be said for the Sick by them who visit him.
   Practice of Piety 68 - Consolations Against Impatience in Sickness.
   Practice of Piety 69 - Consolations Against the Fear of Death
   Practice of Piety 70 - Seven Sanctified Thoughts and Mournful Sighs of a Sick Man Ready to Die.
   Practice of Piety 71 - Of the Comfortable Assurance of God's Forgiveness of Sins.
   Practice of Piety 72 - Meditations of Martyrdom.
   Practice of Piety 73 - A Divine Colloquy Between the Soul and Her Savior
   Practice of Piety 74 - The Soul's Soliloquy, ravished in contemplation of the Passion of our Lord.

Loading

Like This Page?


© 1999-2019, oChristian.com. All rights reserved.