Imatges de pàgina
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with thee for the Pardon of true Penitents! O! for his dear Sake, receive me gracioufly to thy Mercy, and be not angry with me for ever. Forgive me, O merciful Father, for I am heartily forry for all the Evils which I have done; forgive all my Sins, for I am fully refolved, by thy Grace, to love and ferve thee: Forgive me, O most gracious God, for I forgive all that have offended me, and do intreat thee to forgive them likewife. Odo not exact Punishment of me for my Sins, but extend thy Mercy and Pardon to my Soul, for my dear Redeemer's Sake, Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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VI. And having thus utterly renounced my Sins, O holy Father, I defire above all Things to partake of thy Righteousness; having defaced and corrupted myself, would fain be made new by thee: having hitherto miscarried, whilft I would be in my own Hands, I defire now to be altogether in thine, and never more to wander from thee; and therefore, whatever elfe I lofe, my earnest and longing Prayer is, that I may recover thy Likenefs, and be made conformable to thy Will in all Things, through Jesus Christ bleffed my aviour and Redeemer.

Amen.

VII. I know, O Gracious Lord, that I cannot receive this, but from thyfelf; O therefore be thou both the bleffed Giver, and the Gift: I confefs that I am utterly unworthy to have thy divine Image stamp'd upon my Soul, but alas! I extremely need it, and extremely value it; and I dearly love thee, O my God, or elfe I fhould not be thus defirous to be like thee.

Hear me therefore, O gracious Father, and breathe into my Heart that Spirit which renews us after thine own Image, in Righteousness and true Holiness.

Bleffed Jefus, who feekeft out Sinners to make them good, do not reject me now when I feek to thee to make me better. I am poor and naked, Oh! clothe me with thy Righteousnefs; my good Thoughts are changeable and inconftant; but Ŏh! do thou establish and fix them by thy Grace: Set up thy Kingdom, O Jefu, in my Heart; for to become thy faithful Servant is more to me than to have the Em-' pire of this World. Keep me stedfast in ferving thee, till thou takeft me finally to enjoy thee.

VIII. O Saviour of the World! fave me, who by thy Crofs and Paffion haft redeemed me: Help me, and fave me, I befeech thee, O my God.

IX. Grant, O Lord, that at all. Times I may account my Sins to be my Shame, and make thy Laws to be my Rule, and thy bleffed Will in every Thing my Choice and Satisfaction. Olet thy Promises be my Hope, thy Providence my Guard, thy Grace my Strength, and thy bleffed Self my Portion both now and evermore. Amen.

X. The Lord blefs me and keep me; the Lord lift up the Light of his Countenance upon me; the Lord give me Peace, even that Peace of his, which paffes all Understanding, through the Merits and Mediation of my dear Redeemer Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom, with the Father, and the Eternal Spirit, be all Honour, Glory, Love, Service, and Obedience, throughout all Ages. Amen. Our Father, &c.

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It may be convenient before you proceed any farther, to read and meditate • on fuch Portions of Scripture as you yourself moft affected with; or to con'fider the Nature and Attributes of God; or the Fall and miferable State of Man, and his Redemption by Jefus Chrift; or 'to meditate on fuch particular Duties 6 as you find yourself to have been defective

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in; or on the Rewards promifed to good Men, and on the Punishments denounced against the Wicked, as thofe Things are ⚫ laid down in the Holy Scriptures, which are our only infallible Guide; on which Occafion, the Book intitled, The Chriftian Institutes, or the fincere Word of God, will be very ufeful, it containing the whole Faith and Duty of a Chriftian digefted under proper Heads, and delivered in the Words of Scripture, fo that the Reader may find there together those Scriptures, which may concern any Article of Faith, or particular Duty, together with the Scripture-Motives for the Practice thereof. After the devout Chrif • tian has spent fome little Time in Reading and Meditation, as aforefaid, he may ufe the following Prayers.'

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A Prayer confifting of Petitions for the Virtues of a Chriftian Life.

I.

MOST merciful and gracious God, who of thy great Goodness didft give thy Son Jefus Chrift to take upon him our Nature, and to humble himself to Death, even the Death of the Cross;

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I befeech thee, by his infinite Condefcenfion, by his perfect Obedience, and by his meritorious Sufferings; not only to pardon my paft Sins, but to endue me with Power and Strength to refift them for the Time to come.

Replenifh me with fuch fupernatural Gifts and Graces of the Holy Spirit, as may enable me not only to act conformably to the Light of my own Mind, but make me readily obey thy Heavenly Motions, and conftantly follow the Precepts of the Holy Scriptures.

Give me a zealous Senfe of Piety towards thee, my great Lord and Sovereign, and a due Regard to all thy facred and Divine Truths.

Let me reverence thy Word and Worship, and all Things and Perfons dedicated, and devoted to thy peculiar Service.

Let me fubmit to all the Afflictions thou fhalt think fit to lay upon me, with Patience and with Meekness.

Let me truft to thy Providence, to fupply me under all Dangers and Neceffities.

And let me thankfully acknowledge thy Bounty, for all thofe good Things which thou fo freely haft bestowed upon me.

II. Give me, O Lord, that Divine Wifdom, which proposes the pleasing thee, as

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