Imatges de pàgina
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the just Object of thy Wrath! and shouldeft thou now be deaf to all my Supplications, it would be but a juft Return for my having fo long refused to hearken to thy gracious Calls and Invitations to Repentance. O miferable Wretch that I am; that I fhould ever thus offend fo good, fo merciful a Father; that ever I fhould make him my Enemy, who is the kindeft, and the best of Friends! Lord, I condemn myself, and abhor the Follies of my paft Life; my Flesh trembleth for Fear of thee, and I am horribly afraid of thy Judgments; for who can ftand in thy Sight when thou art angry? or who is able to abide the Fury of thy Wrath?

O my God! I have no Hope but in that Mercy of thine, which thou haft manifefted in the Redemption of the World, by thy Son Christ Jefus: that alone is the Sup port of my Soul under all its Sorrow and Anguish; in him I know and am affured, that thou art a merciful God, full of Compaffion, Long-Suffering, and of great Pity! thou sparest when we deserve Punishment, and in thy Wrath thinkeft upon Mercy; Spare me, therefore, O good Lord, fpare me, and be not angry with me for ever: Wath away all my Sins in the Blood of thy dear Son, who came into the World to fave Sinners;

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Sinners; and for the Sake of his meritorious Death and Paffion, and all the Sufferings which he underwent for the Sins of the whole World; pardon and forgive, I moft earnestly, and moft unfeignedly befeech thee, all the Sins and Tranfgreffions of my past Life, more particularly

Cleanfe thou me, O my God, from all my fecret and unknown Sins; and O! be thou reconciled unto me, and receive me to thy Favour, which, though I have hitherto fo foolishly flighted, yet I now value and prefer above all the Pleafures of this World. Alas! my Lufts and Paffions have for a long Time had the Dominion over me; they have blinded and feduced me, and my: whole Life has been one continued Error and Mistake; but, Lord, thou haft been pleased to open my Eyes, when I was just at the very Brink of Deftruction, and fhewn me the Precipice I was falling into; and now I fee and condemn the Folly of my paft Life, and am fenfible that unless thy Pity had interpofed, I must have perifhed for ever, O let that infinite Love which moved thee to fo astonishing a Mercy, be ftill continued to me, a poor, wretched, helpless Creature; fhew thou me the Path that leads to everlasting Life, and give me fuch a Senfe

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of thy amazing Goodness to me, that I may never again wander into thofe Ways that lead to Death and Destruction. Take from me, O God, this hardened and corrupt Heart, and give me a new Heart, new Affections, and new Defires, that I may become entirely a new Creature, dedicated to thy Service, and devoted to thy Fear and Love.

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Give me, O Lord, fuch an unfeigned Repentance of all my paft Sins, fuch Hatred and Abhorrence of my former evil Ways, that I may from this Moment take a final Leave of all my beloved Lufts and finful Pleafures. Give me that humble and contrite Spirit, whofe Groans thou doft never refufe; that Faith which overcometh the World, and which will enable me to conquer my moft inveterate Habits; and that Love which will make me afraid to offend thee; and which will infpire me with Refolutions active and vigorous, honeft and fincere; fuch as by the Affiftance of thy Grace and Holy Spirit, may carry me through all Difficulties, and be Proof against all the Temptations of the World, the Flesh and the Devil.

O Lord, hear me, O Lord, help me, and have Mercy upon me: O Lord, pity and

fave my Soul for thy Truth and Mercy's

Sake in Jefus Chrift.

Amen. Bleffed

Lord. Amen.

Our Father, &c.

Prayers containing containing a Profeffion of Godly Sorrow for Sins, and of Refolutions of new Obedience.

I. I CALL my Ways to Remembrance, O Lord, with a troubled Heart; my Evil-Doings are before my Eyes, and are vile and loathfome in my own Sight, because they have made me so in thine; they are a Burthen upon my Spirit, a fore Burthen, too heavy for me to bear.

But now,

O my God, with a Heart forrowful and penitent, I turn from my evil Ways, refolving by thy Grace to become a new Creature; from this Day forward I am fully purposed to betake myself to a religious Course of Life; O! let not Iniquity be my Ruin.

II. And from my Sins, O Holy Father, which are the Shame and Burthen of my Life, I turn unto thee, who art the Glory and Comfort, and fhalt for ever be the Guide and Governor thereof. I turn unto

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thee with a broken and contrite Heart, O receive and comfort me, and defpife not, I befeech thee, the Work of thy own Hands I turn unto thee with my whole Heart, and make no Referves, nor will retain any Allowance of my former Sins; no, not of thofe, which have been moft delightful to me, and are hardest to be parted with; for if I regard Iniquity in my Heart, I know thou wilt not hear me; and therefore I will make hafte, and not delay to keep thy Commandments.

O Lord, I beg no greater Mercy than to be found fteadfaft in thy Ways; nor fhall account any Thing fo great a Happinefs, as that which ferves to keep me faithful unto thee. I am content that my Ways fhould be hedged up with Thorns, with Troubles and Afflictions, or any Thing that is grievous to Flesh and Blood, rather than I should ever forfake the Paths of Righte-. oufnefs, to wander again after my former Vanities; for 'tis the unfeigned Defire of my Heart, and shall be the great Endeavour of my Life, above all Things to ferve and please thee, and to hold me faft by thee, who art the faithful Guide and Keeper of my Soul; and my earnest Prayer to thee, is, that thou wouldeft preferve me from

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falling

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