Prayer is that I may recover thy likeness through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen V. I Know O! Gracious Lord that I cannot receive this but from thy Self Oh! therefore be thou both the Blessed giver and the Gift I know also alass that I am utterly unworthy to have thy Divine Image stamped upon my Soul But I extreamly need it and I extreamly value it and such thou art pleased to account worthy of it And I dearly love thee O! God or else I should not be thus desirous to be like thee And thou lovest to communicate thy Goodness and whom shouldst thou imprint and display it upon but on those who love thee and are earnestly desirous of the same Hear me therefore O! My God and breath iâ—to mine Heart that Spirit which renews us after thine own Image in Righteousness and true Holiness Oh! thou who seekest out Sinners to make them Good do not reject me now when I seek thee out to make me better I am poor and naked Oh! fill me with thy Righteousness My Good Thoughts are unconstant and Changeable O! fix them by thy Grace Set up thy Kingdom O! Jesu in my Heart for to become thy Faithful Servant is more to me then to have the Empire of this World Keep me stedfast O! Lord in serving thee till thou takest me finally to enjoy thee through Jesus Christ my Blessed Saviour and Redeemer Amen VI. LOrd grant that at all times I may account my Sins yea all my Sins to be my shame and make thy Laws yea all thy Laws to be my Rule and thy Blessed Will to be in every thing my choice and satisfaction And let â—â— Promises be my Hope thy Providence my Guard thy Grace my Strength and thy blessed Self my Portion both now and in the end through Jesus Christ my Saviour and Redeemer Amen THE TRYAL AND JUDGMENT OF THE SOUL OR Certain Questions or Articles of Examination whereby the Penitent himself may try and discover the Safety of his own Spiritual State On which the Guide of Souls may make Use of as he sees cause in visiting the Sick and in giving Absolution to them WHEN the Person whose Spiritual Estate is to be enquir'd into is sick some Questions may be premised touching his due Reception of his Sickness And these the Minister when he is the Examiner may begin after the Exhortation to the Sick in the Office of Visitation Questions touching the Sick Persons due Reception of their Sickness 1. Are you perswaded that your present Sickness is sent unto you by Almighty God 2. Do you believe and acknowledge not only his Justice but also his Kindness therein as in a Father's Visitation And that all which you now suffer is far less than you have deserved to suffer And that it is all sent for your Good 3. Do you therefore submit to it quietly and without murmuring because he sent it 4. And do you look up to him for Assistance and Deliverance and depend upon him to take it off again 5. And are you willing that he should do this when he pleases and contented to wait his time for it 6. And do you freely resign your self up to his disposal either to continue under your illness or to recover out of the same to live or die as he sees fittest for you 7. Do you study to be as easie as you can to those who attend or minister about you and to receive their well-meant Care and Services kindly and thankfully 8. Do you now plainly see the Vanity of this World and of all the Possessions Pleasures Pomp and Splendor thereof which seemed the most tempting and desirable to you in the time of your Health And are you fully sensible and convinced now how little there is in them and how soon you may be or are like to be taken from them 9. Do you desire therefore to keep your Heart loose and taken off from the same And to fix your Hopes and Desires upon God and Heavenly things which you will always find an Help at hand and a solid comfort in your Need 10. Will you endeavour by God's Grace to hold on in this Mind and still to shew forth the same if having by God's Blessing recovered your former Health you should come to converse again among these worldly Satisfactions and be enabled to relish and enjoy them If that is not done already I must remind you as your case requires I should and as I am directed and ordered to do by the Church to set your Worldly Affairs in order and to take care of a just Payment of all you owe and declare what is owing unto you and to make such clear Disposal of the Worldly Goods you have to leave as may both discharge your own Conscience and prevent Disputes and preserve Peace among your Friends who shall survive you I must also remind you according to your Ability to be liberal to the Poor remembring that what is disposed of this way is laid out upon your own Soul and that this giving to them is laying up Treasures for your self in Heaven And after these the Guide of Souls or the Penitent himself if the Sick Man is his own Examiner may proceed to other Questions for the Tryaâ— of his Estate in manner following Questions for the Penitent whereby to try and discover the Safety of their Spiritual State When you are passed from Death unto Judgment and stand at the great Day to be tried before the dreadful Tribunal of Jesus Christ you will be called to answer to the Searcher of Hearts and to give an Account of such Points as these I. 1. OF your Faith whether you have the Belief or Faith of a Christian. Whosoever believeth on him shall not perish but have Everlasting Life He that believeth on him is not condemned but he that Believeth not is condemned already John 3. 15 18. The Articles or Points of this Belief or Christian Faith are these I Believe in God the Father Almighty Maker of Heaven and Earth And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord who was conceived by the Holy Ghost Born of the Virgin Mary suffered under Pontius Pilate was Crucified Dead and Buried he Descended into Hell the third Day he rose again from the Dead he Ascended into Heaven and sitteth on the Right Hand of God the Father Almighty from thence he shall come to judge the Quick and the Dead I Believe in the Holy Ghost the Holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the Forgiveness of Sins the Resurrection of the Body and the Life Everlasting Amen Questions about the Belief of them 1. DO you unfeignedly and from your Heart believe the Truth of those things which are pâ—ofessed in this Creed 2. Have you any Scruples about any Points thereof or about any other great Matters of Religion wherein you are desiâ—ous to have Satisfaction 3. Do you thank God from your very Soul that you were born and bred up in this Belief and do
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
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
my own Praise and of detracting from the praise of others How liable is my Heart to give way to Discontents To harbour uncharitable surmises yea sometimes of those who are the proper Objects of Charity and stand in need of my Relief or Assistance To grow impatient and angry upon any â—â—ovocation and in such Anger to utâ—â—â— some indecent bitter or reproachâ—â—â— words especially to my inferiours and to retain such resentment of their Offences as renders me either prone â—o return ill Offices or at least backward to shew kindness to them on any fit occasion afterwards I am still offending O! Almighty Lord either by uncharitable Provocations or sinful Complyances or by Negligence and Remissness in governing my Self or my Dependants or by Irreverence and undutifulness to my Superiours or by want of Affection Fidelity or due regard to my Relations or by proud Thoughts or vain glorious Speeches or harsh Censures or by Lust Anger Envy Peevishness sinful Fear mistrustful Care covetous Desire or some other inordinate or unlawful Passions or by being guilty of some Thoughts Words or Actions which are contrary to thy Laws and to that excellent pattern of all Virtue which my dearest Lord has set me to walk by Lord be merciful to me an unrighteous Selfish proud and impatient Creature V. THese O! Most great and jusâ— God and many others which I am not able to recount are mine Offences Which I have committed several of them ordinarily others frequently and all of them even those which most seldom yet alass too often either by the frailty and violence of my Passions or by my Ignorance Negligence or Wilfulness against all the endearments of thy Mercys and the Terror of thy Judgments and all the warnings of thy Providence and the Suggestions of thy Spirit and the Bonds of my own most solemn Vows and Promises and against all other Methods of thy preventing assisting and recovering Grace which should have kept me from them All these my Transgressions testifie against me and my own Conscience accuseth me and thou Holy Lord art an upright judge who wilt doe Justice and not justifie a Sinner in any Wickedness and whither then shall my guilty and fearful Soul flye But thine own Dearly Beloved on O Gracious God hath paid his Life a Ransome for my Sins and through the Merits of his Blood thou art most ready to embrace a Returning Penitent and to make thy Mercy glory over Judgment O! Lord I repent of all these my Sins from my very Heart and freely forgive all who have trespassed against me as I now desire that thou wouldest freely forgive me O! suffer me not to be swallowed up either in Death or Despair but in the multitude of thy Mercys do away all mine Offences and give me comfort and peace of Conscience that being cleansed from all my Sins I may serve thee with a quiet mind Consider my Weakness O! Father of Mercies and how frail my Nature is And that frail and sinful as I am I am still the work of thine own Hands and am called upon by thy Name And how I am heartily ashamed and sorry for what I have done and for Jesus Christ's sake the Son of thy Love do earnestly Implore thy Pardon And how the Saviour of the World dyed to save Sinners and how thou anâ— my Father and I thy Son in Christ Jesus Accept me therefore good Lord in thy beloved Forgive mè freely all that is past and keep up in me by thySpirit such vigour of holy Resolution and such watchfulness and circumspection for the time to come that I may never return to them again I know O Gracious Father the falseness of my own Heart and the instability of my Spirit But it is not in my self but in thee that I trust My Faith is in thine Almighty Aid which thou hast bountifully promised and which thy Son has dearly purchased for us with his most precious Blood Oh! Let that always be my Guard and then my Sins shall no more prevail over me but I shall finish my days in thy Righteousness and rest at last in thine Everlasting Peace through Jesus Christ my only Saviour and Redeemer Amen 4. Another particular Enumeration of Sins and Repentance of the same in a short Form I. O! Almighty Lord I thy poor Creature who am a vile and miserable Sinner do here in great Humility lament before thee and am most heartily ashamed and troubled for my having lived so long in the World as through thy Mercy I have done and yet having done so little good in it and being still so unfit to leave it and so little qualified for a better I am grieved O! Blessed God for having lived so long a stranger to thee and for my loving and obeying thee no better and having no greater Zeal for thee since by thy Grace I have been brought to know and fear thee For all my neglects of thy Service and for my insincerity and unaffectedness in performing it For all the Lightness and evil wandrings of my Thoughts in my Prayers and my great and daily unthankfulness forthy great and innumerable Mercys for my solicitude about wordly things and mydistrust of thy Paternal Care and sure Promises For all my negligence yea and averseness in studying and learning thy Holy Will and all my remissness and forgetfulness in doing it and for all the defects and difficulties which I have ever found in suffering and submitting to the same For all my corrupt averesness and shameful refusal to take up thy Cross and preferring World Ease and Interest before a good Conscience and for having chosen at any time rather to part with the way of thy Truth and Righteousness than to follow thee O! Holy Jesu in patient and faithful Suffering for the same For all my prophanations of thy Sacred Name by irreverent use thereof especially by careless and common swearing but most of all by the horrible wickedness of false or faithless Oaths For all which and all other my offences of this kind which either I can remember or have forgotten Lord be merciful to me a contrite Sinner II. I Am troubled O! Lord for all the discontentedness which I have ever shewn with my own Condition and for all the Envy and Evil Eye which I have cast upon the happier Lot of other Men. For all the pride of my Heart and all the sinful lightness of my Spirit and for all my immoderate Love of this World For all my unclean Thoughts and unchaste Carriage and for all the Unthankfulness or Uncharitableness or Intemperance which I have ever shewn in my use of outward enjoyments For all which and all my other like offences which either I can remember or have forgotten Lord be merciful to me a Contrite Sinner III. I Am heartily sorry O! Holy Father for all my deceitful and insincere Expressions and feigned or faithless promises for my having at any time divulged secrets which I ought to have concealed or
Propiâ—iation for our sins 1 Jo. 2. 1. In the Visitation of the Sick O! Saviour of the World who by thy Cross and precious Blood hast redeemed us save this thy Servant and help him we humbly intreat thee O! Lord. Amen In the Communion SPare him O! Lord who hath confessed his sins unto thee that he whose Conscience by sin was accused by thy merciful Pardon may be absolved through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen The Collect for the 21 Sunday after Trinity GRant we beseech thee merciful Lord to this thy Servant and to all thy faithfull People Pardon and Peace that they may be cleansed from all their sins and serve thee with a quiet mind through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen In the Visitation of the Sick THe Almighty Lord who is a most strong Tower to all them that put their trust in him to whom all things in Heaven and Earth and under the Earth do bow and obey be now and evermore thy defence and make thee know and feel that there is none other Name under Heaven given to man in whom and through whom thou mayest receive Health and Salvation but only the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen Unto Gods gracious Mercy and Protection we commit thee The Lord bless thee and keep thee The Lord make his face to shine upon thee and be gracious unto thee The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee and give thee Peace both now and ever-more Amen And the Peace of God which passeth all understanding keep your heart and mind in the knowledge and love of God and of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord and the Blessing of God Almighty the Father the Son and the Holy Ghost be with you and remain in you always Amen After all this is done I would put the Penitent in mind of one thing viz. That the Holy Communion is still a further and Principal means to settle and secure both the Pardon and the Peace of his Soul The receiving it from the hand of God's authorized Minister acting therein by God's appointment and in God's name is the most effectual Absolution and one of the best Assurances and Seals of Pardon The Cup which he gives the Penitent to Drink from God is Christs Blood for the remission of sins or the remission of sins which he purchased by the shedding of his Blood And the method of the Church in the restauration of Penitents was to finish and consummate their Reconciliation by giving them the Holy Communion For as oft as sins are remitted or absolved in the Church they receive Christ's Body that the remission of sins which is granted may be conveyd by his Blood says St. Ambrose And therefore the sick Penitent when he has received the foregoing Absolution would provide well for the Peace and Comfort of his Soul if after some respite to recover his strength or at some convenient time soon after when he sees most fit he would Consumate his Absolution by receiving the Blessed Sacrament And other Penitents after the use of this Office would do well and wisely to do the same as soon after as conveniently they can AN OFFICE FOR One troubled in Mind SCRIPTURES Psalm 103. v. 8 to 19 Ezek. 18. v. 21. to the end Luke 15. Psal. 130. Ezek. 33. v. 11. to v. 20. 1. For Profession of Trouble I Am poor and needy and my heart is wounded within me Psal. 119. 22. Mine iniquities have taken hold upon me so that I am not able to look up they are more than the hairs of my head therefore my heart faileth me Psalm 40. 12. Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess the iniquities of my youth Job 13. 26. Lord why castest thou off my Soul why hidest thou thy face from me The Arrows of the Almighty are within me the poyson whereof drinketh up my spirit The terrors of God do set themselves in array against me Job 6. 4. Thy fierce wrath goeth over me thy terrors have cut me off While I suffer thy terrors I am distracted Psal. 88. 14 15 16. 2. Grounds of Comfort 1. From the Mercifulness of God WILT thou break a leaf driven to and fro and wilt thou pursue the dry stubble Job 13. 25. Will the Lord cast off for ever and will he be favourable no more Is his mercy clean gone for ever doth his promise fail for evermore Hath God forgotten to be gracious has he in anger shut up his tender Mercies And I said this is my infirmity but I will remember the years of the right hand of the most High I will remember the works of the Lord surely I will remember thy wonders of old Psal. 77. 7 8 9 10 11. Thou hast always been a God forgiving iniquity transgression and sin Ex. 34. 6 7. The Lord is merciful and gracious he will not always chide neither will he keep his anger for ever Psal. 103. 8. 9. Who is a God like unto thee that pardoneth iniquity He retaineth not his anger for ever because he delighteth in mercy Mat. 7. 18. 2. From Promises to the Penitent WHen the wicked Man turneth away from his Wickedness that he hath Commited and doth that which is Lawful and Right he shall save his Soul alive Because he considereth and turneth away from his Transgressions that he hath Committed he shall surely live he shall not Dye Repent therefore and turn your selves from all your Transgressions so Iniquity shall not be your Ruine Ezek. 18. 27 28 30. As I live saith the Lord God I have no pleasure in the Death of the Wicked but that the wicked turn from his way and live turn ye turn ye from your evil wayes for why will you Dye Ezek. 33. 11. Go and sin no more then will not I condemn thee Jo. 8. 11. Come unto me all ye that Labour and are heavy Laden and I will give you Rest. Mat. 11. 28. This is a faithfull saying and worthy of all acceptation that Jesus Christ came into the World to save Sinners of whom I am Chief 1 Tim. 1. 15. If any Man Sin we have an Advocate with the Father Jesus Christ the Righteous and he is the Propitiation for our Sins 1 Jo. 2. 1 2. The Blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all Sin 1 Jo. 1. 7. There is therefore now no Condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the Flesh but after the Spirit Rom. 8. 1. 3. From the Compassionateness of our High Priest THe Lord Pityeth those that fear him like as a Father Pityeth his own Children For be knows our Infirmityes he remembreth that we are Dust. Psal. 103 13 14. We have not an High Priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our Infirmities but was in all points tempted like as we are yet without Sin Heb. 4. 15. He was made like unto his Brethren that he might be a Merciful and Faithful High Priest For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted he
is able to succor them that are Tempted Heb. 2. 17 18. He can have compassion on or reasonably bear as in the Margin with the Ignorant and those that are out of the way Heb. 5. 2. He will not break the bruised Reed nor quench the Smoaking Flax. Isa. 42. 3. 3. The acceptableness of an Humble Spirit THe humble Publican stood afar off would not so much as lift up his Eyes to Heaven but smote upon his Breast saying God be mercyful to me a Sinner I tell you this Man went down to his House justified rather than the other for every one that Exalteth himself shall be abased and he that Humbleth himself shall be Exalted Luke 18. 13 14. To this Man will I look even to him that is Poor and of a Contrite Spirit and Trembleth at my word Isa. 66. 2. I dwell with him that is of a Conâ—rite and humble Spirit to revive the Spirit of the humble and to revive the Heart of the Contriâ—e ones Isa. 57. 15. He healeth the Broken in Heart and bindeth up their Wounds Psal. 147. 3. 4. Of Peace and Hope and Joy in God PEace I leave with you my Peace I give unto you John 14. 27. These things have I spoken unto you that in me you might have Peace John â—6 33. Herein is our Love made Perfect that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment Perfect Love casteth out fear because â—ear hath Torment 1 Jo. 4. 17 18. Let all those that seek thce rejoyce and be glad in thee Psal. 40. 16. The fruit of the Spirit is Joy Peace Gal. 5. 22. The Kingdom of God is Righteousness and Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Rom. 14. 17. Finally my Brethren rejoyce in the Lord. Phil. 3. 1. Rejoyce in the Lord always and again I say Rejoyce In every thing by Prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God And the Peace of God which Passeth all understanding shall keep your Hearts and Minds through Christ Jesus Phil. 4. 6. 7. Now the God of hope fill you with all Joy and Peace in Believing that ye may abound in Hope through the Power of the Holy Ghost Rom. 15. 13. Shew the same Diligence every one of you to the full Assurance of Hope unto the end Which Hope have as an Anchor of the Soul both sure and Stedfast Heb. 6. 11. 19. Rejoyce in Hope Rom. 12. 12. Be sober and Hope to the End 1 Pet. 1. 13. Love his appearing 2 Tim. 4. 8. Looking for and hastening unto the comeing of the Day of God 2. Pet. 3. 12. Come Lord Jesus come quickly Rev. 22. 20. Glory be to the Father and to the Son c. As it was in the Begining c. 5. An Hymn of Thanksgiving after one is Delivered from Trouble of Mind The bruised Reed O! Lord thou haste not broke nor quenched the smoaking Flax Mat. 12. 20. Thou hast restored unto me the Joy of of thy Salvation and upheld me with thy free Spirit Thou hast made me to hear of Joy and Gladness that the Bones which thou hadst broken Rejoyce Psal. 51. 8. 12. I said I will confess my Transgresions unto the Lord and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a Time when thou mayest be found Psal. 32. 5. 6. Depart from me all ye Workers of Iniquity for the Lord hath heard the Voyce of my weeping The Lord hath heard my supplication the Lord will recieve my Prayer Psal. 6. 8. 9. He will regard the Prayer of the destitute and not despise their Prayer And this shall be written from the Generation to come and the People which shall be created shall Praise the Lord. Psal. 102. 17 18. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be World without end Amen PRAYERS 1. A general Prayer for one troubled in mind O! Righteous Lord thy Justice hath brought me to reap the bitter fruits of my own evil ways and to possess mine iniquities My sins at length have taken hold upon me and thou writest bitter things against me and thy fierce wrath goeth over me Thy Terrors do even distract my thoughts my Spirit is quite broken within me by reason thereof and my Heart faileth me But O! Gracious God tho I be troubled and cast down let me not fall I humbly intreat thee into utter despair Whilst I live let me not forgoe the hopes of thy Mercy nor the care of my own Returne to my Duty When I groan under my Burdens make me to flee unto thee for ease When I am terrified with my former Sins let me make haste to forsake the same and labour diligently to set my Soul safe by new Obedience When I am struck with the sting of my own Guilts enable me O! Jesu to look up to thy Cross and to the merits thereof and to rest my Heart upon the same by true Repentance When I am most mistrustful of my self let me not mistrust thee nor call in Question any Comfortable Promises of thy free Grace and Mercy O! Father let thy smiteing reclaim and amend me and then let thy comforts revive me Let thy Dear Sons most Pretious Blood Expiate all my Sins and let his Grace cure them And instead of these most just and deserved Terrors wherewith thou now takest Vengeance for the same Lord let me have thy Mercy to forgive my Sins and cause me to hear the Voice of Peace to quiet and Comfort my amazed Conscience for my only Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ's sake Amen A Prayer for the same out of the Office of the Visitation of the Sick O! Blessed Lord the Father of Mercys and the God of all Comforts I beseech thee look down in pity and compassion upon me thy afflicted Servant Thou writest bitter things against me and makest me to possess my former in iquities thy wrath lyeth hard upon me and my Soul is full of Trouble But O! merciful God who hast written thy Holy word for our Learning that we through Patience and Comfort of thy Holy Scriptures might have hope give me a right understanding of my Self and of thy Threats and Promises that I may neither cast away my Confidence in thee nor place it any where but in thee Give me Strength against all my Temptations and Heal all my Distempers Break not the bruised Reed nor quench the smoaking Flax. Shut not up thy tender Mercys in Displeasure but make me to hear of joy and gladness that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoyce Deliver me from fear of the Enemy and lift up the light of thy Countenance upon me and give me Peace through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Collect for 21. Sunday after Trinity GRant I beseech thee Merciful Lord to me and all thy faithfull People Pardon and Peace that we may
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