Imatges de pàgina
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the Merciful, and the many and great Mercies I daily receive of thee, and that I fhall ftand in Need of much more and greater Mercy from thee at the great Day of our Lord.

I know the pure in Heart are bleffed, for thou haft promised they fhall fee thee, O God. And yet fo infenfible, and unmoved have I been, that I have taken little Care to cleanse myself from all Filthiness of Flesh and Spirit, fo as to fanctify thee, my Lord God, in my Heart, whereby I might have a good Hope of feeing thee, O God, in whofe Prefence is Fulnefs of Joy for evermore.

I know, to this Blifs, Holiness is the Way; and yet how feeble and inconftant have been my Endeavours after it!

IX. I have not been fo careful in employing my Time as I ought; but have fpent much of it in Eating and Drinking, and Sleeping, beyond what the Support and Refreshment of Nature required, and too much in what I have called Recreation and Diverfion. I have spent too much Time in dreffing and adorning my Body; and in paying and receiving formal or impertinent Vifits; and have feveral other Ways spent L 2 much

Part II. much of my precious Time idly or unprofitably to myfelf or others.

How little Time have I fpent in Reading, Meditation, and Self-Examination!

How little in Mortification, Abftinence, Fafting, and Retirement? And yet the Day of my Life is far fpent, and the Night of Death is at Hand, when no Man can work!

X. How backward have I been to examine the State of my Soul, and to call my Sins to Remembrance, fo as to mourn and be affected with a godly Sorrow for them.

XI. O! how ftrong a Propenfion have I to do Evil! and how ftrange an Unwillingness to do Good!

I confefs, and lament, and bewail my wretched State. I am corrupt, I have strayed out of the Way of Life and Happinefs; my Confcience accufeth me, and my Heart condemneth me. Yet, lo, thou, O God, art greater than my Heart, and knoweft all Things-Here more Particulars may be mentioned.] be mentioned.] And, especially, I lament and bewail before thee, from whom nothing is hid, that I have grievoufly offended thee by-Here name the particular Sins.]

XII. These my Sins, with many more that I cannot remember, are all in thy

Sight, and have left their wretched and miferable Effects upon my Mind and Heart; whereby thy Image, in which I was created, is become defaced; and I am estranged from thee, my God, my true and only Good and Happiness. So that when I look back upon the Errors and Mifcarriages of my Life, and reflect how little I poffefs of the Spirit and Temper of the Gospel, My Heart trembleth for Fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy Judgments. O! how fhall I appear before the Judgment-Seat of Chrift, when he shall come in his Power with the holy Angels, to judge every Man according to his Works, and take Vengeance on them that obey not the Gospel, fince my Life has been fo unconformable thereto !

But I repent, O my God, I repent, I accufe and condemn myself, I am grieved, I am troubled and am heartily forry for these my Mifdoings, and turn unto thee with full Purpose and Refolution of fincere Obedience for the Time to come.

And I beseech thee, O Lord, who art gracious and merciful, long-fuffering, and of great Goodness, and the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who died for the Ungodly, for his Sake, and for thy Goodness Sake, pardon and forgive all my Sins; my L 3 Sins

Sins of Ignorance, and thofe I have committed through Want of Care and Circumfpection, but especially, all my wilful Sins, and thofe Tranfgreffions whereby I have any Ways fcandalized the Chriftian Profeffion, or occafioned others to fall, and which I lament before thee.

O Lord, Holy Father, who alone canst order the unruly Wills and Affections of finful Men, who gaveft thy Son to die, that he might redeem us from all Iniquity; pardon and rectify the Impurity of my Heart and Life, all irregular Appetites and Paffions, and every wicked Practice, of what Nature or Kind foever; that all my Members being mortified from all worldly and carnal Lufts, I may no longer live in the Flesh, to the Lufts of Men, but according to thy Will, O God; and for ever hereafter live godly, righteoufly, and foberly, in this prefent evil World.

And feeing I am not able to do these Things of myfelf, ftrengthen me, I befeech thee, O Lord, with the Holy Ghost, and daily increase in me thy manifold Gifts of Grace; the Spirit of Wisdom and Understanding, the Spirit of Counsel and ghoftly Strength, the Spirit of Knowledge and true Godliness; and fill me, O Lord,

with the Spirit of thy holy Fear; that I may have Victory, and Triumph against the Devil, the World, and the Flesh, and at the last obtain the Gift of eternal Life, which thou haft promised to all those that fincerely love and obey thee, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Another Form of Confeffion, which may be ufed inftead of the former.

O

Moft Great and Glorious Lord God, just and terrible in thy Judgments to all obftinate and rebellious Sinners, but of infinite Mercy to fuch as truly repent, and turn unto thee; look down, I beseech thee, with the Eyes of Mercy, upon me, who now prefent myself before thee, acknowledging that I am not worthy to lift up my Eyes to the Throne of thy glorious Majefty. O Lord, my Sins are fo many and fo great, that it is owing to thy infinite Goodnefs and Mercy, that I have now an Opportunity of humbling myself before thee, and begging Mercy for my Soul, which, I confefs, has greatly finned against thee.

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