be cleansed from all our Sins and serve thee with a quiet mind through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Prayers for Particular Graces 1. Prayers for a sense of Sins without Despair of Mercy to Pardon them or of Grace to cure them I. O! Almighty Lord make me truly and deeply humble for my sins and fully sensible of my own Vileness Never suffer me so far to loose my fears as to grow conceited of my self or Careless of my Duty nor so far to presume upon thy Mercy and Pardon when I truly repent of the same as to cast off a true Dread and Terror of thy Justice if I should revolt and return to them again But deliver me O! my God from all such abjectness as instead of setting me further off from my Sins is fit only to keep me a surer Prisoner under them And whilst I retain so much fear and lowlyness as will keep up holy care and watchfulness grant that I may retain so much hope too as will encourage and strengthen Holy Endeavours and afford Peace And therefore O! my Dear Lord when I think the worst of my self let me not proceed to a Beleif that I am past all bounds of being pardoned by thy Mercy or of being made better by thy Grace Let me not once imagine when I am fallen either that it is in vain for me to endeavour to rise again or if by thy help I should rise that there is no hope of my being forgiven But when I am most jealous of my self let me be confident of thee And together with an humble sense and fear of my Sins enable me to keep up a sure hope of thy Promises and a strict care of my own Repentance and a Comfortable Persuasion of thy Gracious acceptance thereof for our Lord Jesus Christs sake Amen II. KEEP me always sensible O! God that as thou art most justly angred at my Sins so thou art most easy to be appeased and reconciled by my true Repentance And that thou art not more offended with me whilst I lye down in my folly than thou wilt be delighted with me when with the Penitent Prodigal I shall have come to my self and returned to my Duty Let me never forget that there is joy in Heaven over every Sinner that Repenteth and that whensoever a Sinner turneth away from his iniquity he shall be sure to find mercy with thee through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen 2. A Prayer for Hopes of Mercy and of Grace to encourage Repentance MY Heart O! almighty Lord is full of trouble and ought to be so whilst it is fond of sin But let not my sorrow settle into a neglect of cure nor my fear grow up into Despair When I think ill of my self let me not fall O! most Gracious Father to think ill of thee and after I have grievously affronted thy Majesty as I have alass thro all the course of my life let me not come now at last to affront and exclude thy Mercy My Sins O! Lord are many and great But my sweet Saviours Merits and thy Mercys are infinitely greater And the Guilt thereof is not too great for thy Mercy to Pardon nor my proneness to repeat the same too great for thy Grace to overcome And therefore O! Dear God tho by my former evil life I have thrown off my Innocence give me not up therewith to throw away the thoughts of my own Repentance nor the hopes of thy Gracious acceptance Let me not shut that Gate of Mercy upon my self by Despair which thou hast set open for every truly contrite Sinner nor neglect by true Repentance to enter in at the same There is mercy with thee O God! that thou mayest be appeased And therefore there shall be Repentance with me and in hopes of thy mercy thou shalt be feared Tho I have falen yet by thy Grace I will not rest under my fall nor despair of thy Mercy when I am risen nor of strength by thy Grace to rise up again But setting my heart to fear thee I desire to rest my Soul on the sure hopes of thy Spirit to perfect my sincere Endeavours and on the sure Hopes of thy Mercy to Pardon mine Offences for the merits of thy dear Son and my only Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ Amen 3 A Prayer setting forth the Grounds of Hope thereof O! Father of Mercys be thou my support and stay under all this heavyness and Dejection of my Spirit And let not thy Mercy or my Faith fail me when all things else do Tho at present thou art angry with me yet O Lord thou retainest not anger for ever because thou delightest in Mercy Oh! resâ—ine thy beloved property towards me and laying aside thy fierce wrath shew Pity on me Tho I am a wicked and a wretched Creature yet thou art a Mercyful God Thou art a God forgiving Iniquity forgive that which lyes so heavy upon me †Thou art the Saviour of Sinners save me who am a most Greivous Sinner and let me not Perish in my Sins Thy Mercyes O! Gracious Father have been wonderful towards the greatest offenders such as thy servant David who was guilty of Adultery and Murther and Peter who forsware himself and denyed his â— after and Saul who Persecuted and made havock of the Church yea and even those wicked Jews who murdered and Crucyfied the Son of God himself and they were never shut against any Sinners who turned to thee with true Repentance Oh! then let not me despair of that Pardon which was never yet deny'd to any truly contrite heart in my condition Let not me imagine that thou who art insinite in mercys hast less mercy in store when I need than thou hadst for the needs of others Or that thou who art a tender Father towards all and Judgest without respect of persons wilt deny that mercy to my true repentance which according to thy gracious Promises thou didst extend to theirs I know O! God that I have deserved the severest Punishments But thy mercy dealeth not with us according to our Deserts And as my sins have deserved Punishment So thou O! Blessed Jesus hast deserved my Pardon of the same Thou art the Propitiation for our sins And thy Blood cleanseth us from all sin Oh! let me not mistrust the sufficiency of thy Sacrifice to atone for all mine Offences which expiates the Sins of the whole World If any Man sin thou art his Advocate with the Father And let not me imagine that thou canst ever move in vain or that whilst thou art ready yea sure to intercede in the cause of every other contrite Sinner thou wilt be silent and sit still in mine Holy Father have mercy on me Sweet Jesu cleanse and save me Wash away the stain of my Sins and speak peace to my affrighted conscience and revive and comfort up my broken Heart that I may live a monument of thy mercy and a
whence I am faln and resolve by thy help to do my vows I will make bast to do 〈◊〉 and not delay to keep thy Comâ—â—dments I beg no greater Mercy than to be fouâ—d stedfast in thy ways nor shall account any things to be so great favours to me as those which serve to keep me in the same I will most heartily thank thee O! Thou Faithful Guide and Keeper of returning Souls if thou wilt be pleased to hedge up my way with Thorns or with any worldly Difficulties that may keep me from finding my way to my former Vanities For 't is the unfeigned Desire of my Heart and shall be the great Endeavour of my Life above all things to keep true to thee and my chiefest prayer to thee is to keep me from falling any more from the way of thy Fear or from forfeiting thy Mercy God be merciful to me a Returning Sinner III. ANd having â—â—w by thy Grace these holâ—â—houghts and Purposes in my Heâ—â—â— I earnestly beg of thee O! Blessed Author and finisher of all Grace that I may never loose them I give my Heart to thee and humbly pray that it may always be in thy hands since it is so unconstant in what is good and prone to turn aside to what is evil when it is in mine own keeping O! Father keep it stedfast and unalterable in thy ways Let it not be inclined to any Evil thing nor lean towards any of my former Vanitys Keep mine Eyes from beholding wickedness and mine Ears from listning thereto Let not my Lips utter any thing that is Ill nor my feet move a step in any of the Paths of Death But hold my whole Spirit Soul and Body in ways of thy Fear and continue me under the Comfortable hopes of thy favour through Jesus Christ my Blessed Lord and only Saviour Amen 3. A Profession of the Fruits of Repentance and the Conditions of Forgiveness I. I Have sinned grievously O! Lord but I am angry at my self for my Sins and desire to prevent thy Justice and to take Revenge upon my own Head for my Transgressions And however disposed and easie I was to be drawn aside before yet now thou hast filled my Heart with such a Godly Sorrow and Compunction for my Sins as begets in me a Vehement Desire and Godly Care to sin no more By the help of thy Grace O! Merciful God I am ready now to walk in those Statutes which I have formerly transgressed and to give again whatsoever I have at any time unjustly taken away and to make full amends to the uttermost of my Power for all the Wrong and Damage which I have ever done to any And where either by my Example or by my Counsel and Perswasion or by my Importunities I have tempted others and drawn them into Sin It shall be the Study and Care of my Life to make them sensible of the Heinousness and extream Danger thereof as thro' the Blessing of thy Grace I am to recover them out of the same God be merciful to me a Returning Sinner II. I Am contented O! Holy Father to submit my self to those who have just cause to be offended with me and to use all fair ways of Reconciling my self to them before I hope for Reconciliation and Peace with thee I freely forgive all those that have Trespassed against me and with good Will offer them my Pardon as I most heartily desire thine And my Hearty Desire and Purpose is to study doing Good to my Brethren in their Needs that I may not be held unworthy to receive it from thee in mine own and to shew Mercy unto others that I may not be ashamed to ask it for my self and that the Rigorousness and Unrelenting hardness of my own Dealings towards them may not deprive me of the favourable Indulgence and Mercifulness of thy Dealings towards me God be merciful to me and forgive me a Merciful and Forgiving Sinner III. I Have no Hope in my self O! Gracious Lord but only in thy Mercy Nor any expectation of the same thro' my Deservings but meerly thro` thy Blessed Son's Infinite Merits Nor rest my Soul upon any other Name given among Men whereby thy Justice may be satisfied and my Sins expiated but on his alone God be merciful to me a Great but an Humble and Believing Sinner IV. I Am heartily sorry for all the Sins which I can call to Mind and do yet know my self to have been guilty of and am fully purposed by thy Grace as far as I can to amend them And I am truly desirous to discover all the rest which are yet hid from me that I may be as particularly sorry for the same and amend them too And I humbly and earnestly pray thee O! Father of Mercies that for Jesus Christ's sake thou would'st be pleased to accept this my Repentance Receive it O! Lord according to the Riches of thy Mercies and supply whatsoever is wanting therein by the Power of thy Grace And place me among the number of those who are truly contrite for all their evil ways and whose Repentance has prepared them for the free and full Remission of all their Offences through the Merits and Mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen 4. A Prayer for Pardon of Sins O! Holy and most merciful Father spare me thy poor Sinful but Repenting Creature Spare me good Lord spare me and let me not perish in my Sins now I am heartily troubled and sorry for them but thro' thine infinite Mercies find pardon of the same I am a Sinful Person O! Lord But thou Blessed Jesus art the Saviour of Sinners And thy coming into the World was to call Sinners to Repentance Lord I come and Repent at thy Call cast not me and my Repentance away from thy Presence I have gone astray and am very defective in my return home thro' the frailty of my Flesh. But thou Gracious Lord considerest our frailties Thou knowest our frame and considerest whereof we are made Oh! be not extream to mark mine Offences nor to exact Rigors in my Repentance of the same but for Christ's sake make me all needful and favourable Allowances Now I have found the way to thy Fear let me find the Comforts of thy Mercy I have a truly Contrite Heart O! Lord despise it not My Spirit is broken and trembleth at thy word O! Lord revive it It is heavy laden and wearied with my Sins O! my God give it ease from the same Pity me O! Father as a Father pitieth his own Children Receive me as the offended Father did the returning Prodigal Tho' I was lost yet now by the Blessing of thy Grace I am found again Oh! welcome thy lost Sheep when it returns home and let there he joy in Heaven on the Repentance of me a lost Sinner Oh! let the Blood of Jesus cleanse me from all my
dissembled things which I ought openly to have professed for all my unjust and hard censures and for all my detracting Speeches against any of my Brethren For all the Advantage which I have ever taken of the Ignorance and and for all the sport and pastime which I have ever made with the folly and weakness of my Neighbours For all my covetous desires and all my wrongful Gripings or hard dealings towards any whom I have at any time been concerned withall For all the over reaching which I may have been guilty of in gaming or other ways and for all the excesses and offences of my Recreations I lament O! Lord for all the countenance which I have given to other Mens Sins or complyance with them or neglect to reprove the same when I had an obliging call so to do For all the Provocation which I have ever given others and for all the sinful Passion which I have ever shewn and opprobrious Speeches which I have ever used and ill will which I have ever retained towards them when at any time they have provoked me For all the ungrounded Jealousies and evil and uncandid surmises and for all the Back-bitings and Evil-speakings which I stand guilty of towards any For all my Deafness to the cries or narrowness of Heart in Relieving the wants of the poor and needy For all which and all my other offences of the like sort which either I can remember or have forgotten Lord be merciful to me a contrite Sinner IV. I Humble my Self before thee O! Almighty God for all my irreverence Disloyalty or Breach of Faith and due Obedience whereby I have trespassed against those who have had the Right to reign over me For having ever offered a deaf or disobedient Ear to my Ghostly Rulers for all my undutyfulness to my Parents or unkindness to my Wife or Husband or remissness in governing my Dependants and training up all that serve or are any way subject unto me to fear and serve thee For all the Evil thoughts of my Heart and sinful words of my Mouth and unrighteous Actions of my Life wherein I have grievously offended thee either this Day or at any other times For all these and all other Sins O! Almighty and most Righteous Lord which either mine own Heart or thou who knowest better than my Heart seest me to be guilty of I am sorry at my very Soul and here humbly confess them before thee with shame and a broken Spirit and with stedfast Resolution by thy Grace to watch and strive against them for the time to come Where I have wickedly broken thy Statutes my Study shall be religiously to keep them And where I have done wrong to any Person I am ready and willing according to the utmost of my Power to repair the same Lord I Repent encrease my Repentance And for Jesus Christ's Sake pardon me a poor repenting Sinner Oh! Let his Blood wash me from all my Sins and let his peace rid me of all my Fears and let his Spirit preserve me from all Relapses Oh! That having utterly abandoned all my former evil ways I may eveâ—hence forward be fixt in thy Fear and be duly disposed for thine Eternal Mercy and favour though the Merits of my only Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ. Amen Short Prapers and Ejaculations for the Penitent to use at any time as he sees cause EJACULATIONS I Am a Sinful Man O! Lord Luke 5. 8. And mine Iniquities are gone over my Head as an heavy Burden they are too heavy for me Psal. 38. 4. Lord carest thou not that I perish Mar. 4. 38. Jesus Master have Mercy upon me Luke 17. 13. Thou that camest into the World to save Sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. Be merciful to me a Sinner Luke 18. 13. Thou that takest away the Sins of the World Jo. 1. 29. And hast abolished and overcome Death 2 Tim. 1. 10. 1 Cor. 15. 54 57. And destroyed him that had the Power of it Heb. 2. 14. Deliver me from the Body of Sin and Death Ro. 7. 24. Short Prayers I. LOrd I am not worthy to lift up my polluted Eyes unto thee But whither should a Wretch Guilt and Misery look but unto the Fountain of Mercy Whither â—â— to a God whose Mercy is greater than our Wickedness To a God whose property it is to be kind â—â— his Enemies and whose patience â—â— bear our Sins is as great as his power to punish them and who has much rather be reconciled to us than take Vengeance on us Whither indeed but to thee O! God of all Grace and Comfort who shewest mercy on the unworthy and who art most Graciously pleas'd to fit and qualifie them for thy Mercy that so thou mayest bountifully confer it on them for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake Amen II. LOrd under my heavy load oâ— Guilt and Misery I address my Self unto thee But I make no Plea but for thy Mercy Nor have any pretence to claim it O! Father of Mercies but only because I infinitely need it and because thou lovest to shew it and art more ready to look at our needs which move thy Pity and Tenderness than at our Deserts which cry aloud to thee for Wrath and Vengeance upon our Heads And because unworthy as I am yet through thine inexpressible Love and his I have a most mercyful Saviour who has born all the punishment of my Sins to purchase Mercy for me a Sinner and who now powerfully intercedes with thee for Mercy for me if being weary of my Sins I turn to seek and serve thee through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen III. AND my Soul O! Gracious God is wearied out and filed with the bitterness of mine own ways I accuse my Self and need â—o Witnesses I condemn my Self and need no other Judge to proâ—ounce me Guilty I punish and afâ—ict my Self for all my Sins that I â—ay prevent thy Justice for the same And by thy Grace I am resolved to â—rn from them all that they may â—o longer provoke thee and as far as I am able to repair the harm which my Brethren have sustained thereby that they may no longer damnifie or disturb them Father forgive me for I am heartily sorry for all the Evils which I have done Forgive all my Sins for I am fully resolved by thy Grace to forsake them Forgive me O! Dear God for I forgive others yea I forgive all Do not go to exact punishment of me for my Sins but extend thy Mercy and Pardon to my true Repentance for my dearest Lord and only Saviour Jesus Christ's sake Amen IV. AND having thus utterly renounced my Sins O! Holy Father I desire above all things to partake of thy Righteousness Having utterly defaced and corrupted my self I would gladly be new made by thee Having hitherto miscarryed whilst I would be in mine own Hands I desire now to be altogether in thine I loath my self O! My dear God whilst I am without thee and whatever else I loose my earnest
Reconciliation with God Wherein I have all along interwoven instructions with their Devotions and set their Work before them that they may see what they have to amend and what they are to doe to work out their Pardon as well as how they are to petition for it I have sought to make the Soul acquainted with its Disease without which it would neither know what it has for God to forgive or for his Grace and its own Care to Remedy And I have been very particular in some Forms of Confession to affect it with a more distinct and effectual Sense of the several maladys which it lyes sick of and which as it must beg Mercy for so in the Course of its Daily Care it must both diligently and designedly set its self by God's help to Cure Where Sin is the Disease the great Gospel way of Cure is true Repentance And this I endeavour to set out in all the necessary parts and great and worthy Fruits thereof I lead the Penitent to express the same in such Acts as through the Merits of Christ are the truest atonement for Sins and have the most express promises of Mercy and Forgiveness made to them And then I instruct him to comfort up himself with an humble claim and application of those Expressions of the Divine Mercy and Condescention which are given to us for our Confidence and Consolation in performance of those Acts And if he takes care to say all that I have here put into his Mouth with Sincerity and is really affected as these forms express he is a true Penitent and may be a comfortable one he has thereby secured his Everlasting Peace and may quiet and revive his Spirit with the joyful Sence thereof In the Tryal or Judgment of the Soul for discovering the safety of their Spiritual Estate I have given them as clear and full and withall as brief a view as I can of the final account which will be exacted of them I have run through the several Heads of Tryal and Examination and raised such questions upon them as I take to be most pertinent and decisive of their future Condition and fittest to settle their present Peace and then give them the Benefit thereof by setting their Answers and God's Promises together and applying all to themselves My Desire is so far as my Skill would reach to omit no question which is necessary to their Safety and my care has been as I am able so to word all as that they may serve to clear their doubts and uncertainties upon the several parts of their account but beget none in them And this part will be of chief account and use to both the other Offices For it is the truest Tryal of Penitents and the truest Direction for them in carrying on and compleating their Repentance And it is the surest Ground of Peace of Conscience For containing the full Draught of settling our Peace with God it must give the best Light and Direction for Peace in our Selves which lyes in seeing that God is at peace with us Tho' the business of these Papers is not to prove and argue but briefly to Direct yet to the several Heads which I have made the Articles of the Penitents Tryal I have prefixed Texts of Scripture to shew that God has made them the Terms of his Mercy But 't is not unlikely that some who will not be perswaded to be so good as they should will think that I am stricter about this account than I need And if they doe I cannot help it but they may My Part is to deal faithfully both by my Blessed Lord and by them and to represent things to them as he has left them and as in the end they will find them So that if my Discourse has more strictness than they could wish to hear from it it is because I look not how to suit their carnal wishes but how to serve their Everlasting happiness And because I would rather have them offended with me for telling them unpleasing Truths whilst they may serve themselves by them than flatter them with pleasing Errors till it is too late for them to rectifie the same and prevent their own everlasting Ruine and Destruction thereby In the Office for Persons troubled in Mind I am careful to have them fully sensible of that Holy Obedience which is needfull to keep them safe as well as to free them from those unnecessary mistrusts and Fears which render them uneasie I seek to give them a just sense of the Things which trouble them and to keep them from over-valuing them And to make them acquainted with the true allowances of Favour which God is ready to make to their Infirmityes and with the several Grounds which they have to hope and look for them and lead them on in their Devotions both humbly to plead with God and to comfort up their own Hearts with the same To the Offices I have prefixed Collections of Pertinent and proper Scriptures And these will serve the devout Minds to express their Devotion in or to support their Spirits withall yea and to guide and direct their Practice too For they mark out their Duty upon the several Points which they refer to and teach them not only how they may address to God but how they ought to imploy themselves and what the Work and Business is which Gods Favour and their own Eternal wellfare or which his Peace and their own require at their Hands AN OFFICE FOR THE PENITENT SCRIPTURES Psal. 32. Psal. 38. Ezek. 18. Psal. 51. Luk. 15. 1. For Godly Sorrow for Sins TO him will I look that is poor and of a contâ—â—te Spirit and trembleth at my word Isa. 66. 2. The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit a broken and a contrite Heart O! God thou wilt not dispise Psal. 51. 17. Turn ye therefore to me with all your Heart and with fasting and with weeping and with Mourning And rent your Hearts and not your Garments and turn unto the Lord your God Joel 2. 12 13. Remember your ways and all your Doings wherein ye have been defiled and ye shall loath your selves in your own sight for all your Evils that ye have committed Ezek. 20. 43. Lord Mine Iniquities are gone over mine Head as an heavy Burthen they are too heavy for me I am ready to halt and my Sorrow is continually before me I will declare mine Iniquity I will be sorry for my Sin Psal. 38. 4 17 18. 2. For Penitential Confession of the same IF our Heart condemn us God is greater than our Heart and knoweth all things 1 Jo. 3. 20. Our Iniquities are all before him yea our secret Sins are set in the Light of his Countenance Psa. 90. 8. And therefore He that covereth his Sins shall not prosper but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have Mercy Prov. 28. 13. If we confess our Sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins and to cleanse us from all Unrighteousness
same I know O! Blessed Jesus that there is no name but thine whereby I can obtain Pardon And I trust only to the fulness of thy Merits and to the faithfulness of thy gracious Promises and to the abundance of my Heavenly Fathers Mercy and loving Kindness to me a great and miserable but an Humble Contrite Penitent Sinner Forgive them all O! Blessed Father Remembring not my Deservings but the pytyableness of my Weakness and thy Dear Sons infinite Merits and thine own boundless Mercyes and most precious Promises Let me here have thy Peace and be admitted hereafter to stand for ever in thy Presence for our Lord Jesus Christ Sake Amen 2. A shorter form of Confession and Repentance of the same O! Almighty and ever living God I thy sinful wretched Creature do here with shame and grief of Heart bewail and confess my manifold Sins which either this day or at any times heretofore I have been guilty of against thy Divine Majesty either in Thought Word or Deed by omitting what I ought to have done or by committing what I ought not to have done against thee my Neighbour or my Self Sinning in all these kinds against thy Mercies and thy Judgments thy Spirit and thy awakening Providences against my own Vows and Resolutions yea and oft times against the checks and calls of my own Conscience oft times without any pretence to palliate them to my self and always without any to excuse and justifie me at thy righteous Bar. And by these ways O! Great and Dreadful God am I who at best am nothing become far worse than nothing an object of thy most deserved Wrath and Eternal Damnation But thou O! Merciful Father hast sent thine'own only Son into the World to seek and save that which was lost and when once he returns back thou art ready not only to receive the Prodigal Son but to run out and meet him and Rejoyce over him Lord I repent of all my Sins from my very Heart and am ashamed of my self and grieved that ever I committed them I earnestly desire to do better for the time to come and firmly purpose by thy help to labour in the same And I most humbly and heartily implore thy Grace to keep me always in this Mind and never to suffer me wilfully to relapse into the ways of wickedness again I am heartily offended with my Self be thou no longer offended with me Cleanse away the Guilt of all my Sins O! Gracious God by thy dear Son's most precious Blood and slay the power and Dominion of them by his Spirit that being made whole I may sin no more nor return after I am washed as the Dog to his Vomit or the Sow to her wallowing in the Mire Grant this O! Merciful Father for thy dear Son and my only Saviour Jesus Christ's sake Amen 3. A particular Enumeration of Sins in a large Form of Confession and Repentance of the same I. O Lord Most Holy and Terrible who art most pure in all thy ways and a consuming fire â—o all unrelenting Sinners my manifold and great Transgressions make me both ashamed and afraid to appear before so holy and just a Majesty Lord How unlike am I to that Image of thine wherein at first thou madest Man and how far have all the powers of my Soul faln from what they should be My Mind is overspread with Blindness and Ignorance Folly and false Reasonings and spends it self upon vanity and unprofitable Thoughts It is loath to fix upon good things and very apt to forget them and to loose that tenderness and quick sense of Duty which should make thy Laws to reign in me My Heart is so averse to what is good and so stubborn and refractory that it is hardly brought to resolve upon those ways which my Conscience tells me are my Duty and so wavering and inconstant withall that when it doth resolve well it doth not stick to it with any certainty My Affections are forward and violent in pursuit of earthly things but very slow to be engaged in thy Service and when once ingaged therein soon weary of the same Lord be mercyful to me a miserably corrupt and depraved Creature II. AND besides this proneness of my Nature O! Righteous God to what is bad to make me still more lowly in my own Sight I have little Strength of Holy Inclination or obedient Dispositions which should restrain me from following and giving way to the same Oh! how little is there in my Heart of that Holy Fear which should withhold me from giving thee any offence of that Love which should make me imitate thy Glorious Excellencies of that Thankfulness which should make me return answerably for all thy Mercies or of that Joy in God which should turn Religion into a Delight and make me take all Opportunities of conversing in that place whilst I live where I desire to be when I come to die I am not duly provident to prevent Temptations nay alass I am too oft delighted in them and pleased to dwell with them and love the near approaches of Sin and to be put into Opportunities yea and sometimes almost the necessity of evil doing And when at any time thou hast thought fiâ— to cast me upon Tryals I have not been sufficiently watchful active and unwearied in withstanding them I am easier O! most Righteous Lord in hearkning to my own wicked Lusts than to the good motions of thy holy Spirit and to the Dictates of a pious Conscience and hereby have omitted many Duties and have been led into many sinful Thoughts and evil or indecent Speeches and unrighteous Actions which now I do with grief lament and am utterly ashamed of Lord be merciful to me a frail naked sinful Creature III. HOW seldom have I been O! Holy Father in devout Reflections How Irreverent Insincere and liveless in my Prayers How careless in observing thy manifold and great Mercies How hard sometimes to be reconciled to thy Will and to own the Wisdom and Goodness of thy Orderings How faint and languid in believing and relying on thy Promises when I have stood most in need thereof and Danger has threatned any Duties How fearfull to exposemy self in owning of thy Injured Name or cause and in shewing a concern and Zeal for thy Service Nay how faithless to my own Vows when I have promised to make up defects and to shew greater care and watchfulness in amending these or any other Offences Lord be merciful unto me an unbelieving indevout and ungodly Creature IV. AND besides all these Offences against thee my God how many ways have I trespassed against my Brethren also In bargaining and Acts of Justice how apt am I to lean to my own profit and to press upon my Neighbours In opportunities of Charity and good Offices how is my affection in doing good streightned by too quick an Eye to mine own ease and interest In Conversation how prone am I to take opportunities of instilling
and in regard to the Merits of his Death who by his dying on the Cross for our Sins purchased all this Mercy for all truly Penitent Believers 3. Are you truly sensible of his Exceeding Great Love therein and from the Bottom of your Heart are you Thankful to him for the same After which questions the Guide of Souls if he is the asker of them in visiting the Sick and Dispensing Absolution or the Penitent himself when he is his own Examiner may go on to this effect Now know therefore Brother or Sister that altho you are a Sinner yet Jesus Christ came into the World to save sinners Altho you have been a lost sinner yet he is come to save and seek after that which was lost Altho you have sind yet you do not cover your Sins or Justifie them but with grief of Heart confess them and condemn your self for the same And if we confess our sins he is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins You confess them to him with a resolved aversion and turn away from the same having by the help of his Grace already forsaken some and studying and being resolved in Heart to forsake all And who so Confesseth and forsaketh his Sins shall find mercy If you have sinned against your Brethren you are ready to submit your self and seek to reconcile your self to them and to the utmost of your Power to make them any reasonable satisfaction And if a Man has first reconciled himself to his Brother he may come to God with a good heart and offer his gift If he hath Repented and given again what he hath Robbed his Sin shall not be mentioned Whilst with an Humble a Contrite and a returning Heart you are thus seeking to the Father of mercys to forgive you your trespasses you do from your heart forgive all other persons who have sinned against you their Trespasses And †if we forgive men their trespasses our Heavenly Father will also forgive us As you earnestly seek mercy â—ou are ready to show it and according to your ability to give Alms to the needy And blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy and mercy rejoyceth against judgment Upon such Faith and Repentance and Satisfaction for Injuries and shewing Mercy and forgiveness of others when they are sincere and right our most merciful God and Saviour will most graciously forgive us at the great Day of Judgment And he he has committed the Ministry of reconciliation to his Ministers that upon appearance of the same they may declare and deal it out for for the Comfort of such truly faithful and Penitent Persons here in this world And now upon this profession which you have here made of this Christian Faith and Repentance and reparation of injuries and of forgiveness of others and having charity towards all persons and of shewing mercy to the miserable all which you declare is unfeigned and from the Bottom of your Heart do you desire from the mouth of Christ's Minister to receive the benefit of Absolution Then may the Minister proceed as he sees fit to lead the Penitent on in this form of Confession taken out of the Office for the Communion ALLmighty God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ maker of of all things Judge of all Men we humbly acknowledge and bewail and especially this humble Penitent doth hereby acknowledge and bewail his manifold sins and wickedness which he from time to time most grieviously hath comitted by thought word and deed against thy Divine Majesty Provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against him He doth earnestly repent and is heartily sorry for these his misdoings The remembrance of them is grievious unto him The burden of them is intolerable Have mercy upon him have mercy upon him most merciful Father For thy Son Lord Jesus Christ's sake forgive him all that is past and grant that he may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life to honour and glory of thy name through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen And then Pronounce the Absolution following ALmighty God our heavenly Father who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with hearty Repentance and true Faith turn unto him have mercy upon you Pardon and deliver you from all your sins confirm and strengthen you in all Goodness and bring you to everlasting Life through Jefus Christ our Lord Amen Or instead of this Form of Absolution if he think that fitter he may use the form in the Visitation of the Sick Our Lord Jesus Christ who hath left power to his Church to Absolve all Sinners who truely repent and believe in him of his great mercy forgive thee thine Offences And by his Authority committed to me I absolve thee from all thy sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen After which the Minister may go on with the Collect that follows the Absolution in the Office of the Visitation of the Sick O! most Mercyful God who according to the multitude of thy mercies dost so put away the sins of those who truly repent that thou rememberest them no more open thine Eye of Mercy upon this thy Servant who most earnestly desireth Pardon and Forgiveness Renew in him most loving Father whatsoever hath been decayed by the fraud and malice of the Devil or by his own carnal will and frailness Preseve and continue this Sick member in the Unity of the Church consider his Contrition accept his Tears asswage his Pain as shall seem to thee most expedient for him And for as much as he putteth his full trust in thy mercy impute not unto him his former sins but strengthen him with thy Blessed Spirit and when thou art pleased to take him hence take him unto thy Favour through the merits of thy most Dearly Beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen And if the Penitent is visited as a sick Person he may then use the Psalm after it In thee O! Lord have I put my trust let me never be put to Confusion but rid me c. But else instead thereof he may use these Sentences and Prayers Sentences after the Absolution in the Communion Service Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Christ saith unto all that truly turn unto him Come unto me all that travel and are heavy laden and I will refresh you Mat. 11. 28. So God loved the World that he gave his only begotten Son to the end that all that believe on him should not perish but have everlasting life Jo. 3. 16. Hear also what St. Paul saith This a true saying and worthy of all men to be received that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners 1 Tim. 1. 15. Hear also what St. John saith If any man sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the
Grace to overcome them and without the least allowance or delay to throw them out again And that I may learn to bear with my self and to shew Patience under them as under every other affliction and tryal of thy ordering Trusting to thy Grace to assist me and to thy mercy to accept me whilst I am humbly labouring under the same and to thy goodness to rid me of them in thy due time for my Dear Lord and only Saviour Jesus Christ's sake Amen 10. A thanksgiving for satisfaction and comfort after one has been troubled in Mind O! Merciful Lord thou hast caused the light to shine out in the midst of darkness and given me order and clearness for my former confusedness of thoughts and setled my trembling and troubled spirit in rest and Peace Thy Grace has comfortably resolved and enlightned me about thy ways and set me free from my entangling scruples and rid me of my dejecting and disquieting fears by comfortable hopes of thy free mercies in Christ Jesus Blessed be thy love O! Gracious Father for sending me such seasonable helps and suitable instructors who by clear representations of things have happily removed my fears and ignorance And blessed be thy Grace for opening my Heart and Eyes and enlightening and quieting my spirit by their means But above all blessed be thy goodness for giving us such sweet promises of favour and mercy in Jesus Christ as may give poor sinners ease of Heart and humble confidence in thee And Oh! Do thou who hast now most graciously spoken peace unto my Soul maintain and keep up clear knowledge and unswerving righteousness in the same that it relaps not into guilt and fear nor be clogg'd and disquieted by doubts and scruples any more Make me satisfied and settled in a right understanding of all good things and careful in the observance of them And let not any busie workings of the Adversary or of my own melancholly make me unnecessarily mistrustful or suspicious or unduely jealous either of thee or of my self Let me not be fickle and soon alterd in my Perswasions of thy Love or in my purposes of thy Service But fix my heart in thoughts of righteousness and in the blessings and comforts of Joy and Peace for our Lord Jesus Christ's sake Amen THE CONTENTS OF THE Office for the Penitent THE Introduction p. 1. An Office for the Penitent containing 1. Scriptures 1. FOR Godly sorrow for sins p. 9 2. For a Penitential consession of the same p. 10 3. For resolâ—tions of Amendment p. 12. 4. For Fruits worthy of Repentance p. 14 5. For pardon of sins and grounds for the hopes thereof p 16 6. For comfort in the same p. 18 2. Prayers 1. Prayers upon the several parts of Repentance in particular and distinct forms 1. A Confession of Sins p. 19 2. A profession of Godly sorrow for sins and of Resolutions of new obedience p. 26 3. A Profession of the Fruits of Repentance and the conditions of Forgiveness p. 29 4. A Prayer for Pardon of sins p. 33 Two Collects out of the Office of Commination p. 36 5. A Prayer for Peace of mind and Comfort upon the same p. 37 2. Prayers for Confession of sin and of Repentance of the same in one continued Form 1. A Form of Confession of sins and of Repentance of the same p. 39 2. A shorter Form of Confession and Repentance of the same p. 44 3. A particular enumeration of sins in a large form of Confession and â—epentance of the same p. 46 4. Another particular enumeration of sins and Repentance of the same in a shorter Form p. 55 Sort Prayers and Ejaculations for the Penitent to use at any time as he sees cause p. 61 THE CONTENTS OF THE Tryal and Judgment of the Soul Consisting of Questions 1. FOR the Sick touching the sick Persons due reception of their sickness p. 70 2. For the Penitent whereby to try and discover the safety of their spiritual estate viz of 1. Their Faith p. 73 2. Their holy obedience where of the several Duties and Holy Laws which we are to obey p. 75. c. 3. Of their Charity and Forgiveness of others p. 85 4. Of their Reconciliation to their Brethren and making restitution after wrongs p. 87 5. Questions upon the whole p. 90 An exhortation to the examined Penitent p. 91 Prayers before and after his Absolution p. 94. c. THE CONTENTS OF THE Office for one troubled in Mind SCRIPTURES 1. FOR Profession of trouble p. 102 2. Grounds of Comfort 1. From the mercifulness of God p. 103 2. From promises to the Penitent p. 104 3. From the Compassionateness of our High Priest p. 105 3. The acceptableness of an humble spirit p. 106 4. Of Peace and Hope and Joy in God p. 107 5. An Hymn of thanksgiving after one is delivered from trouble of mind p. 109 PRAYERS 1. A General Prayers for one troubled in mind p. 110 Two Collects out of the Liturgy p. 112 2. Prayers for particular Graces 1. Prayers for a sense of Sin without despair of mercy to pardon them or of Grace to Cure them p. 114 2. A Prayer for hopes of mercy and of Grace to encourage Repentance p. 116 3. A Prayer setting forth the grounds of hope thereof p. 118 4. Prayers for mercy and favourable Allowances in trying our services p. 121 5. A Prayer for a clear and settled judgment of our selves and of what may establish us in peace p. 125 6. A Prayer for recommendation of our humble fears to Gods merciful acceptance p. 127 7. Prayers for Peace and Hope and joy in God p 128 8. A Prayer against perplexing doubts and scruples p. 131 9. A Prayer against prophane mistrust of Divine Truths and blasphemous Thoughts p. 133 10. A thanks giving for satisfaction and comfort after one has been troubled in mind p. 135 FINIS Books Writ by the Reverend Mr. J. Kettlewell Quarto THE Measures of Christian Obedience Or a Discourse shewing what obedience is indispensably necessary to a Regenerate State and what defects are consistent with it for promotion of Piety and the Peace of Troubled Consciences The Second Edition Price 8s A Discourse explaining the Nature of Edification both of particular persons in private Graces and of the Church in Unity and Peace And shewing that we must not break unity and publick Peace for supposed means of better edifying in private Virtues Price Sticht 6d 3. The Religious Loyalist Or a good Christian taught how to be a faithful Servant both to God and the King Price Sticht 6d 4. A Funeral Sermon for the Right Honourable the Lady Frances Digby Price 6d 5. A Sermon on occasion of the death of the Right Honourable Simon Lord Digby Price 6 d. 6. Christanity a Doctrine of the Cross Or Passive Obedience under any pretended Invasion of Legal Rights and Liberties Price Sticht 1 s. Octavo 7. THE Practical Believer Or the Articles of the Apostles Creed drawn out to form a