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
Advertisement THere is lately printed a Book entituled A Companion for the Persecuted or an Office for Those who suffer for Righteousness Containing particular Prayers and Devotions for particular Graces and for their Private or Publick Wants and Occasions By John Kettlewell a Presbyter of the Church of England Price bound 1 s. 6 d. LONDON Printed for Robert Kettlewell and Benj. Bragg at the White-Hart over against Water-Lane in Fleet-street 1694. A COMPANION FOR THE Penitent And for Persons Troubled in MIND CONSISTING OF An Office for the Penitent to carry on their Reconciliation with God And a Tryal or Judgment of the Soul for discovering the safety of their Spiritual Estate And an Office for Persons troubled in Mind to settle them in Peace and Comfort By JOHN KETTLEWELL a Presbyter of the Church of England LONDON Printed for Robert Kettlewell and Sold by Benj. Bragg at the White-Hart over against Water-Lane in Fleet street 1694. Imprimatur Ra. Barker February 15. 1693 4. To the Inhabitants and Parishioners of the Town and Parish of Coles-hill in Warwick-shire My beloved Friends and Brethren THough by God's Providence which most wisely Orders all Things I now live at a great distance from you yet I still retain a Pastoral Affection for you and ordinarily remember you in my Prayers and have an Heart that is truly desirous to serve you in the great Work of your Souls and is glad when any pains of mine can prove serviceable to you therein I remember the Labours which I have spent among you with a very sincere and good Will tho' alass with much weakness in my great Lord and Masters Service and I hope also that you will not forget them And if by tract of time many things which I have taught you have slâ—pt out of your Memories as I cannot expect but they have yet much of that which I prepared and preached to do you good I printed whilst I was among you for the Benefit of others and the Books are in many of your Hands and may be in more wherewith you may refresh your Memories when you please In those labours of my Ministry which I took among you for a course of several years I thank God I endeavoured to lay before you his whole Counsel according to the best my Skill And suited my Discourses to the needs of the place and to Times and Seasons to possess you with such Thoughts and Tempers as I judged needfull to support your Spirits and to direct your Practice under them And I was not silent but warned you yea sometimes till I even wearied some of you with warnings against your Spiritual Dangers when I thought any great Danger to your Souls drew near For you your selves know Brethren that I have not kept back the Truths of God from you nor suppressed them at the times when you had most need to be put in mind thereof tho' I found some were like to be displeased therewith and as St. Paul says to count me their Enemy for telling them these Truths Now there must be a strict Account given one day both how I have discharged my part in that Station and how you have discharged yours And my Hearts desire and earnest Prayer for you all is that you may both bear in Mind all the faithful Warnings and Instructions which according to the best of my understanding I was continually pressing upon you and left with you and may likewise willingly and carefully follow them That so when both you and I are brought before our ever Blesled and Great Master as most certainly we shall be we may both rejoyce together I for having been your affectionate and Faithful Monitor and you for having afforded a willing a mindful and an obedient Ear. And now since I am out of the may of serving you otherwise I have sent this Companion among you to minister to your most Serious and Holy Thoughts and to direct and go before you both in your Prayers and in your Practice And I desire that by your frequent and considerate use thereof you wouldturn the Hymns and Prayers contained therein to become the familiar and genuine Sense and Language of your Hearts Learn habtually to breathe these Thoughts and daily to live by them And by this means you may both perfect the work of your Repentance and preserve the Peace of your Consciences which are the greatest and most concerning things you have to mind and the chief things which I earnestly pray you that you would and hope that you will mind all the days of your Lives And this I shall look on as the best and the most obliging Return that you can make to me for this Labour of Love which I desire you to receive not only as a Token of my Respect and Kindness to you but also as a proper means which by God's Blessing may do you good if you please I humbly commend it to the Acceptance and Blessing of the Almighty without which it will be of no force either among you or among any others And I heartily commend you all to the Protection of his Good Providence and especially to the Guidance of his Grace that he would deliver you from all dangerous Errors and Wickedness and both make you perfect in the doing of his Will and give you Comfort in the same I remain my Beloved Friends and Brethren Your truly Affectionate Friend and Faithful Monitor in the Work and Service of the Lord Jesus John Kettlewell From my House in London Jan. 23. 1693. THE Introduction DIrections and Helps for Repentance can never come out of Season For Repentance is the one thing necessary and the chief Business of all Men in this World and will be so whilst they live in it The best do daily need it to make up their daily Failures their Defects and Forgetfulness And the bad have no time to delay it for one Moment having deferred a great deal too long already to shake off their sinful Habits aud to set themselves with all their might to please God and to secure their Everlasting Peace Especially this time of Lent is a Season wherein great numbers profess to make this their Business For from the early usage and practice of the Church this has still been made a solemn time for Sinners to call their Sins to Remembrance and to seek Gods Mercy and Forgiveness of the same by earnest Prayers and amendment of Life and by afflicting of themselves and bringing forth Fruits worthy of Repentance And to help them in so necessary and beneficial a Work I have composed and published the following Offices hoping that they may prove acceptable to my Heavenly Master and serviceable to direct and compleat the Repentance and to settle the Comfort and Peace of some of his beloved Servants into whose Hands his Providence shall bring them In the Office for the Penitent I have endeavoured to mark out distinctly the several Steps and full compass of a Sinners Restauration or
85. 8. I said I will confess my Transgressions to the Lord and thou forgavest the â—iquity of my Sin For this shall every one that is Godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found Ps. 32. 5 6. Depart from me all ye workers of Iâ—quity for the Lord hath heared the â—oice of my weeping The Lord hath heard my Supplicatiâ—n the Lord will receive my Prayer â—alm 6. 8 9. PRAYERS 1. Prayers upon the Several Parts of Repentance in particular and distinct Forms 1. A Confession of Sins I. O! Almighty and most Gracious Lord look in Mercy upon me the meanest of thy Servants Who am less than the least of all thy Mercys and have deserved the heaviest of thy Judgments and am not worthy to lift up mine Eyes to the place where thine Honour Dwelleth I am a Sinner O! Lord yea a Sinner altogether and one of the chief among Sinners I was born in Sin and ever since have lead a Life suitable to that beginning For to the shame of my Face and to the praise of thy long Suffering O! Almighty God I do here with a truly humble and contrite Heart confess to thee that I have shamefully neglected and let alone those good things which I ought to have done and have done those Evil things which I ought to have forborn Of both these I am heinously guilty both in Thought Word and Deed. And have wickedly incurr'd the same against the innumerable Endearments of thy Mercys and Terrors of thy Judgments against all the good Motions of thy Grace and against the many seasonable admonitions which I have had from Spiritual Advisers and against the voice and struglings of my own Conscience I have done these things O! Lord and have continued to do them repeating the same many times yea alass too many of them in ordinary course yea and that after my own manifold and solemn Promises and Engagements that I would offend therein no more Lord be merciful to me a miserable Sinner II. ANd in all these Transgressions O! Righteous Father I have acted as a most impudent Sinner flying in the Face of an infinite Majesty and passing all these heinous Affronts where I owe the utmost Love and Reverence And as a most presumptuously venturous and daring Sinner provoking that Power which can Torment and utterly destroy me at its Pleasure Lord be merciful unto me a bold and presumptuous Sinner III. I Have therein dealt most disingenuously and ungratefully O! Merciful Lord rising up against thee the Author of all my Blessings and flying in the face of that Mercy which fosters and sustains me even whilst I am thus basely affâ—onting and despising it and which is heaping new Obligations upon me every Moment Under all these grievous Offences I have first begged thy Patience and then fallen to abuse it I have first prayed to be spared and then turned basely to provoke thee after thou hast spared me and have abused all thy Mercys to an opportunity of committing more Offences and of rereturning hatred where I have received the greatest and most endearing Love Lord be merciful unto me a base and ungrateful Sinner IV. YEA O! Holy Father I have therein dealt falsly and deceitfully with thee promising Obedience whilst I am in need of thy Mercies but practising none after once I have received them In the midst of all my pretences to Honour and Honesty and regard to my word amongst Men I have been wretchedly careless of dealing Honourably or Justly with thy Divine Majesty and of keeping my word with thee tho' thou art always faithful and canst not fail in the least tittle of thy word with me Lord be merciful to me a false and faithfless Sinner V. ANd in all this O! My Dear God I have done most foolishly all this while madly hindering and resisting my own everlasting Mercies Peace and Safety And instead thereof making a Covenant with Hell and securing and hasting on mine own Eternal Misery and heaping up sorrows which never can be born and which admit of no Remedy Lord be merciful unto me a blind and desperately foolish Sinner VI. SO that in my self O! Most Righteous Lord I am nothing but Sin and Misery My past Life can shew nothing for which thou shouldest accept me Nor can I reasonably expect that thou shouldest give heed to my word or trust me when I promise to do better having so frequently and shamefully broke my word with thee already But O! Almighty and most Gracious Father thou hast Mercy enough to pardon all my Wickedness and Grace enough to establish all my Promises and to keep me true to them and to thee alone do I fly for both I do not justifie nor excuse my Wickedness but utterly condemn it and condemn my Self for the same 'T is Forgiveness O! Father that I seek and 't is merely from thine abundant Mercys and for my dear Saviour's infinite Merits that I hope for it Oh! Thou who forgivest Sinners forgive me a great Sinner The greatest of Sinners Oh! thou great Physician of Souls who curest Sinners cure me who seek to thee alone for Remedy against all my Sins Rescue me from the Power and Bondage of my own corrupt Lusts by the greater power of thy Grace and deliver me good Lord from doing ill and from all tormenting Fears of suffering thine Eternal Wrath and Vengeance for the same through the Merits and Mediation of thine only Son and my only Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ. Amen Other Forms of Confession are added afterwards whereof the Penitent may serve himself and wherewith he may suit his Spirit as he sees Cause 2. A Profession of Godly sorrow for Sins and of Resolutions of new Obedience I. I call my ways to remembrance O! Lord wherein I have defiled my Self and remember them with a troubled Heart My evil doings are daily before mine Eyes and have made me vile and loathsome in my own sight as they have done in thine They are a burthen upon my Spirit a sore burden and too heavy for me to bear But now O! My God with a penitent Heart I turn from them and resolve by thy Grace to cast away all my Transgressions which are are most highly displeasing both to thee and to my self From this Day forward I am fully purposed to forsake them O! then let them not be my ruine God be merciful to me a returning Sinner II. ANd from them O! Holy Father which are the shame and sorrow of my Life I turn to thee who art the Glory and Comfort and shalt ever be the Guide and Governour thereof I turn to thee with a broken and contrite Heart O! Receive and Comfort it and despise it not I return too thee with my whole Heart and make no reserves nor will retain any allowance of any of my former Sins no not of those which seemed most delightful or serviceable unto me and are hardest to part with I remember O! Lord from
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
Sins Let his Intercession for me in thy Presence make my Peace and appease thy Wrath. Shut not thine Ears against the Voice of his Blood nor be deaf to his Meditation but hear him my Advocate for my Pardon And let me find the Forgiveness of all my Sins that thy troubled and trembling Servant may have Peace and that thou may'st be sought unto and feared and served by Sinners who will return unto thee in hopes of thy Grace and pardoning Mercy thro' Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour Amen Two Collects in the Office of Commination I. O! Lord we beseech thee mercifully hear our Prayers and spare all those who confess their Sins unto thee that they whose Consciences by Sin an accused by thy merciful Pardon may be absolv'd thro' Christ our Lord Amen II. O! Most mighty God and Merciful Father who hast Compassion upon all Men and hatest nothing that thou hast made who wouldest not the Death of a Sinner but that he should rather turn from his Sin and be saved mercifully forgive me my Trespasses receive and comfort me who am grieved and wearied with the Burthen of my Sins Thy property is always to have Mercy to thee only it appertaineth to forgive Sins Spare me therefore good Lord spare me whom thou hast redeemed enter not into Jugdment with thy Servant who am vile Earth and a miserable Sinner but so turn thine Anger from me who meekly acknowledge my Vileness and truly repent me of my faults and so make haste to help me in this World that I may ever live with thee in the World to come thro' Jesus Christ my Lord Amen 5. A Prayer for Peace of Mind and Comfort upon the same LET me have thy Peace O! Gracious Father and comfort my trembling and broken Heart with the Hopes thereof Cause me to hear the Voice of Joy and Gladness and revive me with the Assurance of thy Love O! that I may be able from my own Experience to speak great things of thy readiness to receive and comfort returning Sinners and thereby draw back others to thy Service who are still running astray from the same O! that by seeing thy Goodness upon me every one that is Godly may seek to thee in their Distress and find Mercy as I have done But Lord having found thy Mercy to poor Sinners let me not abuse it or presume upon it Let me not take Heart to repeat my Sins because thou art ready and glad to grant Forgiveness When thou hast spoke comfortably to me make me carefull to sin no more lest a worse thing come upon me but to keep on in all holy and thankful Obedience unto thee and never more to return to folly Let the Sence of thy Mercies O! My God serve no other use in me but to encourage my Repentance and to support me in thy Fear till I come at length to enjoy thy Eternal Favour through Jesus Christ my Lord Amen For Peace of Mind and favourable Allowances and hopes of Mercy the Penitent may have more particular Provisions if he is desirous thereof in the Office for one troubled in Mind 2. Prayers for Confession Sin and Repentance of the same in one continued Form 1. A Form and Confession of Sins and of Repentance for the same I. O! Almighty and most Righteous Lord I do here with grief of Heart and with shame and deep Humility confess unto thy dreadful Majesty that my Sins are exceeding many and great and have been frequently Repeated I have oft-times transgressed out of Ignorance O! that I could not say careless Ignorance under Opportunities of Knowledge yea or affected Ignorance espoused for Earthly ends against Light and clear Evidence which was enough to shame and silence me tho' not to gain and convince me But I have transgressed oftner out of Negligence Worldly Fear or Desire yea alass too oft out of presumptuous Wilfulness condemning the Evil while I was a doing it and offending wiâ—tingly and with Checks and Convictions to the contrary And these Sins I have been draw to against all the Endearments of thâ— Mercies and all the Alarms and louder Warnings of thy Punishments against all the Rebukes and Strivings of thy Grace and of my own Conscience and of other faithful and seasonable Admonishers And against all mine own Purposes and Engagements Deliberately made and solemnly profess'd and frequently Repeated that I would offend therein no more Lord be merciful to me a Great and Wretched Sinner II. BUT thou O! Blessed Jesus by making thy self a Sin-Offering for us art come to take away the Sins of all who truly Repent thereof And O! merciful Lord thoâ— my Sins are many and grievous yet 〈…〉 desire to overlook them but would gladly see and discover them â—l that I may penitently bewail and forsake them And Oh! That so corrupt Passions nor love of Worldly or Carnal Interests may â—ver byass me or blind my Eyes â—rom seeing of the same whilst â—here is space left me to repent of them And as for those Sins which do know my self to be guilty of I do not cover but with shame coness them I do not justifie nor excuse but condemn my self for the same I stand thereby Guilty O! Lord of highest Disobedience against the strictest Obligations of wretched Disingenuity and unthankfulness against the most endearing Mercys and of most stupid Folly against my own clearest highest and most lasting Interests throwing away thy favour and future Joys for empty shows and shadows and a blessed Eternity for moments of Vanity I reflect on all this O! Merciful God with bitterness and with a Spirit wearied with mine own ways I see and lament my oâ—folly and abhor mine own vilent on account thereof I wish wiâ—â— all my Soul that those Sins had nâ—ver been done and would take anâ— way to undoe them and most eaâ—nestly desire and fully propose bâ— thy Grace that I may doe so nâ— more God be merciful to me a self condemning and repenting Sinner III. LOrd I am burden'd and heavy laden with my Sins Oh! Dâ— thou who callest out to the heavy laden to seek refeshment at thinâ— Hands give me ease I confess them and desire above all things else that I may utterly forsake them Let me according to my Promise find Mercy From mine Heart â— forgive all Persons who have offended me even my bitterest Enemies and most earnestly entreat thee that thou would 't forgive them Oh! Do thou who offerest forgiveness to those who are ready to grant it for Jesus Christ's sake forgive me I repent unfeignedly of all my Sins and am ready to make all just amends at least as far as I am able to any whom I have ever â—njured whether they be of low or â—f high Degree or even the highest of all O! God of all Grace perfect my Repentance and accept it and blot out all my misdeeds as thou engagest to do unto all those who sincerely repent of the
a distance and not lift up so much as my Eyes to Heaven Look upon me who have a contrite Heart and despise it not who am Poor and Tremble at thy word and according to thy Promise dwelâ— with me and receive my Spirit Lord I humble my self before thee do thou take me up I humble my self justly but do thou take me up in mercy And all my comforts will I ever most thankfully ascribe to the praise of thy free bounty and Grace through the merits of my blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus Christ Amen 7. Prayers for Peace and Hope and Joyn in God I. O! Blessed Lord grant that I may both do thy holy will and take delight in doing it and have the Comfort as well as the Guidance of thy Grace Grant me even now to taste the pleasures as well as hereafter to reap the Profits of thy Service that I may both go on therein more cheerfully my self and may also recommend the same unto others by shewing a comfortable and joyful spirit in Performance thereof O! that no hard or unjust thoughts of thee may embitter Religion to me O! that no mistrusts of thy merciful acceptance may either discourage the course of my sincere obedience or deprive me of the comforts of the same Whilst I am labouring sincerely to serve thee give me the comfort of hope that thou dost accept me and let me find the ways of of righteousness to be ways of Peace both now and in the end through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen II. Lord let thy Holy spirit work in me Joy and Peace together with Faith and Righteousness and other of its blessed fruits Set up thy Kingdom in my heart as in righteousness so in Peace and Joy in the Holy Ghost Teach me to joyce in the Lord Yea to rejoyce in him always Let perfect love when it increaseth Obedience and chearful Reverence cast out all tormenting fears and let the Peace of God which passeth all understanding keep my heart and mind Yea keep it so sure that doubtfullness or dispair may never be able to possess themselves thereof any more Make my heart to hope in God yea to abound in hope through the Rower of the Holy Ghost To give diligence to the full assurance of hope and that even to the end O! that I may have this comfortable hope of thy mercies as an anchor of the Soul both sure and steadfast and may never be driven from the same by any Storms or troubles of this World Yea grant O! Lord that I may rejoyce in hope and be filled with all joy and peace in believing That I may look for thy glorious appearance and love it and with desire haste it on And that in all my Tryals here I may bear up my self with the comfortable expectation of the same till at length thou shalt mercifully accomplish my Hope and turn it into a blessed and everlasting fruition and enjoyment for my dearest Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ's sake Amen The Person in trouble may likewise use the Prayers in the Office for Penitents intituled A Profession of the fruits of Repentance and the conditions of forgiveness p. 29 for the quieting of his mind And the two Prayers following for Pardon of Sins and for Peace of mind and comfort upon the same as he sees cause 8. A Prayer against perplexing Doubts and Scruples O! Merciful Lord keep me under such an Holy Fear as will make me careful not to trust in false ways nor to swerve from my Duty when I know it But remove from me perplexing doubts and unresolvedness about the same which will either hinder me from doing it at all or make me do it heavily and with a troubled mind Let not me indulge them as true tenderness of spirit and fruits of thy Grace but labour against them as my spiritual diseases or as Satans Temptations Lord let not me be still disputing what thy holy will is when I should be doing it or endlesly doubtful and disturbed to find thy ways when I should be walking in them and ever irresolute and still scrupulously deliberating when I am called out to action Let me not want knowledge of my duty so as to disobey thee blindly and securely Nor true tenderness of Conscience so as to venture on some things which really offend thee without remorse because they seem little to my carnal and corrupt thoughts or are little accounted of by others But after once I have been duely instructed therein and am tenderly sensible of the same cause me to be fixed and firmly settled in what I know and to give up my selfe afterwards chearfully to perform it not scrupulously to debate a new and endlesly examine on every occasion whether I may safely and acceptably do it or no. O! My God let faith and knowledge direct my steps and let Joy and Peace accompany them Whatever else thou leavest me ignorant of let me be clear and well resolved about thy ways and careful with all uprightness to walk therein Let me not miss here of finding and doing my duty nor at last of thy eternal mercy through Jesus Christ my Lord. Amen 9. A Prayer against Prophane mistrust of Divine Truths and Blasphemous Thoughts O! Most gracious God who by the Power of thy Spirit art only able to cure the sickness and to overcome the unruliness of mine Protect me I humbly and earnestly intreat thee against all Prophane Doubts and Mistrusts of thy truths and against all Blasphemous Thoughts and suggestions about Divine things which either mine own melancholly fancy or the busie and wicked adversary are ready to represent and suggest to me Never suffer them O! God to stagger or weaken my Faith nor to hinder or clog my Practice nor if thou pleasest by their wearisom conflicts to be a pain and burden to my Life Preserve me not only from the sin but if it may seem good to thy Fatherly Wisdom from the temptation too and from the trouble and sorrow of them But if it be thy blessed will to continue these prophane and terrifying thoughts for my Tryal and Humiliation Lord make me sensible and comfort my disturbed Heart with the sense thereof that it will not be imputed as a sin to me to be tempted therewith but to yield to the Temptation And that in thy sight I am not guilty of the same whilst I neither believe them nor give place to them not altering or abateing either my Faith or my Practice thereupon And that they are the enemies sin who to try and tempt me studiously and wickedly suggests them not mine who instead of hearkning thereto and complying therewith immediately resist them as soon as I perceive them and cast them out with horror and indignation And Oh! that during this tryal I may learn to depend intirely upon thee without whom I can do nothing That as often as these prophane thoughts are thrown into my mind I may find