Imatges de pàgina
PDF
EPUB

1

offend; (John viii. 7, 9. 1 John i. 8, 9. James iii. 2.) and although the Remembrance of our manifold Offences might juftly deject us, and make us afhamed to lift up our Eyes to the Place, where his Holinefs dwelleth; yet fuch is his great Mercy in Chrift Jefus, that he not only fuffereth but even inviteth Sinners to approach unto him; (Matth. xi. 28, 29, 30.) he defpifeth not the fighing of the contrite Heart, nor the Defire of fuch as are truly penitent; and hath graciously affured us in his facred Word, that although he that covereth his Sins, fhall not profper, yet wholo confeffeth and forfaketh them, fhall find Mercy and Forgiveness of the fame. (Prov. xxviii. 13. Pf. xxxii.. 5. Ifai. Ixv. 24.) Wherefore I befeech you, as many as are here prefent, to accompany me with a pure Heart and humble Voice, and with a ftedfaft Refolution to forfake all your Sins, and to reform your Lives, faying after me:

The General CONFESSION, to be repeated after the Mininifter, by the whole Congregation, All kneeling.

[ocr errors]

Lord God Almighty and moft merciful Father, we thine unworthy Servants, with humble and contrite. Hearts, do confefs our Tranfgreffions before thee; we have finned in thy Sight, and are not worthy to be called thy Children: We have erred and ftrayed from thy holy Ways; we have followed too much the evil Defires of our own Hearts; we have offended against many of thy righteous Laws; we have left undone many Duties which we ought to have done, and we have done many Things which we ought not to have done, and have thereby deferved thy just Difpleafure. [We have been guilty of Rebellion against thee our most righteous Governor, of Difobedience to thee our heavenly Father, and of Ingratitude towards thee our most bountiful Benefactor.] But bleffed be thy Name, thou art a God merciful and gracious, who defirest not the Death of Sinners, but that they would turn from their Iniquities and live; and haft promifed, by Jefus Chrift, to forgive all thofe that repent and amend their Lives. We therefore humbly befeech thee, O God of Mercy, to have Mercy upon us, miferable Offenders; pardon our crying, Sins, O Lord, and receive us again to thy Favor, through Jefus Chrift our Savior. And grant that the Experience

we

we have of thy Grace and Forbearance, may promote in us. true Repentance, and engage us henceforth to a better Obedience, that through the Refidue of our Days we may lead a godly, righteous and fober Life, endeavoring always to do that which is well pleafing to thee, that at length we may obtain everlasting Joy and Felicity, to the Glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

M. Heal our Souls, O Lord God of our Salvation, that have finned against thee, and enter not into ftrict Judgment with thy Servants, for in thy Sight fhall no Man living be juftified. (P. cxliii. 2.)

P. O deal not with us according to our Sins, but blot out all our Iniquities.

M. Create in us a clean Heart, and renew a right Spirit within us. (P. li. 10.)

· P. Be our God, and let us be thy People.

[M. *Now may the God of Peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jefus Chrift, that great Shepherd of the Sheep, through the Blood of the everlasting Covenant, make us perfect in every good Work to do his Will, working in us that which is well pleafing in his Sight, through Jefus Chrift. (Heb. xiii. 20.)

P. To whom be Glory for ever and ever. Amen.]

Then All fill kneeling, the Minifter fhall read the following Prayer, the People, at the End of this and all other Prayers, anfwering Amen.

A1

¶ Let us pray.

LMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, who haft fo loved us as to fend thine only begotten Son Jefus Chrift into the World, to fave us from our Sins, and to declare Pardon and Peace unto all them, that with hearty Repentance, and true Faith, turn unto thee; moft humbly we beseech thee, in his Name, to grant us thy Favor and Forgiveness, which we can neither ask nor expect, but upon the righteous Terms of his Gofpel: Mercifully accept, O gracious Father, the humble Acknowledgement we now make of our paft Offences, and affift our fincere Defires and Purposes of Amendment: Pardon and deliver us from all

our

* This may be omitted on the third Day of the Month, because it occurs in the Hymn afterwards.

our Sins, confirm and ftrengthen us in all Goodness, that those Things may please thee which we do at this prefent, and that the rest of our Life hereafter may be pure and holy, fo that at the End we may be received into everlafting Joy, through the [Merits and] Mediation of Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

Then All Standing up, the Minifter fhall fay,

BLESSED is he, whofe Tranfgreffion is forgiven, whofe Sin is covered.

P. Bleffed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity, and in whofe Spirit there is no Guile.

M. I acknowledged my Sin unto thee, and mine Iniquity have I not hid; I faid, I will confefs my Tranfgreffions unto the Lord, and thou forgaveft the Iniquity of my Sin. (P. xxxii. 1, 2, 5, 6.)

P. For this fhall every one that is godly pray unto thee, in a Time when thou mayeft be found; because thou, Lord, wilt fulfill the Defire of them that fear thee, thou also wilt hear their Cry, and wilt fave them. (Pf. cxlv. 19.)

M. Let the wicked forfake his Way, and the unrighteous Man his Thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord; and he will have Mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. (Ifai. Iv. 7.)

P. Surely it is meet to be faid unto God, I have born Chaftifement, I will not offend any more: That which I fee not, teach Thou me; if I have done Iniquity, I will do fo no more. (Job xxxiv. 31, 32.)

M. Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth Iniquity, and paffeth by the Tranfgreffion of thine Heritage, He retaineth not his Anger for ever, because he delighteth in Mercy. (Micah vii. 18.)

P. Lo, this is our God, we have waited for him, and he will fave us; this is the Lord, we have waited for him, we will be glad, and rejoice in his Salvation. (Ifai.` XXV. 9.)

[ocr errors]

[A declarative ABSOLUTION to be pronounced by the Minifter alone, the People ftill ftanding.

BRE

RETHREN, We having humbly confeffed our Sins to God, and implored his Mercy and gracious Pardon, with the Affiftance of his Grace to help our Intentions to amend our Lives, and to live in Obedience to his Commands; I do, in God's Name, affure you, for your Joy and Confolation, that on our careful and fincere Endeavors to fulfill his Will, God his Part doth freely pardon and forgive Us all our paft Offences, in Jefus Chrift our Savior (Ephef. iv. 32) who finned not; and through His Mediation, We are kindly reftored to the Favor of God, who will, if we continue to live in Purity, and Holiness, free us in due Time from all worldly Sufferings, to live with Him in eternal Joy, in his Kingdom of Glory.

on

P. Amen.]

And now while All fit down, where there is an Organ, it is proper to play Jame fublime and chearful Tune: Or, (in a Short Paufe, if there is no Organ,) Every one should filently ufe fuch divine and pious Meditations, as beft fuit their awn particular Frame of Mind; 'till the Clerk, or the Minifter (where there is no Clerk,) rifing up again, fhall call upon them to fing the following, or fome other Pfalm or Flynn in Metre of the fame Import,

[ocr errors]

PSALM CXVII,

ET our glad Souls in God rejoice,
And may all Nations know

[ocr errors]

The fovereign and gracious Lord
Of Heaven and Earth below.

May All with Us adore and blefs,

And praife his holy Name;

His Truth and Kindnefs loud confefs, i

And endlessly proclaim.

[ocr errors][ocr errors]

After which, All ftanding up, the Minister shall thus fay,

[LET us praife the Lord, and call upon our Souls, and all that is within us, to laud and bless his holy Name.

E

P. Bleffed

P. Bleffed be the Lord God, in whom is all our Hope and Truft, and praised be his holy Name.]

HYMN for celebrating the Divine Perfections, to be alternately recited by Minifter and People.

G

MREAT art Thou, O Lord, and greatly to be praised, and to be had in Reverence by all them that draw nigh unto thee.

The Adorations & P. Thou art a Great God, and a great Praises of Angels &. King above all Gods.

moft High God,

Men, are due to theM. The innumerable Hofts of Angels and Archangels, Thrones and Dominions, Principalities and Powers, Seraphim and Cherubim, thine everlasting Armies, are continually praifing Thee, faying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who art, and waft, and art to come; Heaven and Earth are full of thy Glory.

P. With Angels and Archangels and all the glori ous Company of Heaven, We thy Creatures on Earth praife Thee.

who only is eternal, Immortality.

M. We magnifie Thee the high and lofty One, who inhabitest Eternity, who only haft

20

P. Before the Mountains were brought forth, or ever Thou hadft formed the Earth, or the World, even from everlafting to everlafting thou art God.

[ocr errors]

M. Of old haft thou laid the Foundations

unchangeable, of the Earth, and the Heavens are the Work of thine Hands; They fhall perish, but Thou fhalt endurë, as a Vefture fhalt thou change them, and they fhall be changed; but Thou art the fame, and of thy Years there fhall be no End.

P. Thou art God, and changeft not; thy Counsel standeth for ever, and the Thoughts of thy Heart unto all Generations.

* A

M. It is meet and right above all Things, to glorifie and give Thanks unto Thee, O Lord, who art the only true God, the Maker of all Things vifible and invifible, A who upholdest all Things by thy Power, who omnipotent, art the fupreme Governor of the World, and to whom every Thing is fubject. Thou art gready to be

feared

« AnteriorContinua »