Imatges de pàgina
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pleafed to fuffer Death upon the Crofs, to make Satisfaction for all true penitent and returning Sinners. Thou haft aflured us, that the Unrighteous fhall ng enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, and that exept we repent we shall all perish; but thou haft promifed too, that if the Wicked forfake his Way, if he grieve and mourn for his Sins, if he hate and forfake them, thou wilt have Mercy upon him. Oh! fill their Souls with Horror and Confufion for their Tranfgreffions. Open their Eyes, that they may fee their Guilt, and be fenfible of their Danger. And grant, that being turned from their Sins, their Souls may be washed and cleanfed in that Fountain, which thou haft opened for Sin and Uncleannefs.

O touch their Hearts with a lively Sense of thy Love and of thy Goodness; and difpofe their Minds, by the powerful Affistances of thy Grace, to close with the Offer of Salvation upon those just and reasonable Conditions made to them.

Give them a lively and effectual Faith in thy Son Jefus Chrift. And though the Remembrance of their Sins may fill their Souls with Dread and Horror, yet do thou O Lord, convince them, that their Sins are not greater than thy Mercy can pardon, nor greater than the Blood of thy Son can make Satisfaction

Satisfaction for, if they repent and turn unto thee.

Woe is me, vile and wretched Sinner that I am, may each of them fay, in that I have fo foolishly and wickedly departed from thee; having broken thy Covenant, the Covenant of my Baptifmm; having renounced the Happiness and Pleafure of ferving thee, to ferve my greatest Enemy, who feeks my Deftruction. But I repent, O my God, do thou increase my Repentance.

O poffefs their Souls with fuch a deep Senfe of their Guilt, that they may mourn for theirs Sins! O give them an Interest in the Merits and Sufferings of Jefus, and fuch broken and contrite Hearts as thou wilt not defpife.

Grant that the miferable Circumstances, into which they have plunged themselves, by their Sins, may be an effectual Warning to deter others from following wicked Courses; and that the Hardships they endure may, through the Riches of thy Grace, be an Occafion of converting their Souls, and a Means of compleating their Repentance, and fetting forward their Salvation. To this End, we pray thee, O merciful and gracious God, that their Sorrow may be that Godly Sorrow which worketh Repent

ance

ance unto Salvation not to be repented of; that they may fortow not only for the Shame and Punishment they have brought upon themselves in this World; but for their having offended thee, and resisted and grieved thy Holy Spirit; and for that they have forfaken thee, and gone contrary to thy Holy Laws, which are neceffary to their Happiness.

O God, prepare them for, and fupport them under the deserved Punishment they are shortly to fuffer. May they have all their Punishment in this Life: and deliver them from Shame and everlasting Contempt. Be thou graciously pleased to glorify thy Mercy in their Salvation, and not thy Juftice in their everlafting Destruction and Condemnation. O give them Hope in their Death, and a Portion in thy Hea venly Kingdom.

O Lord, hear, O Lord, help, O Lord, have Mercy, for the Sake of thy Son Jefus Chrift, who came into the World to fave Sinners; in the fulleft Senfe of whofe Words we pray to be heard for ourselves and for all Mankind.

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Another Prayer that may be used with condemned Prifoners.

ALMIGHTY and ever bleffed God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, and of all Things vifible and invifible; thou art the Sovereign Ruler and Judge of the World, whofe wife and righteous Laws all Mankind are bound to obey, and at whofe dreadful Tribunal all must be accountable; -Thou art a Being of infinite Purity and Holiness with whom no Iniquity can dwell, nor wilt thou behold Sin with the leaft Allowance or Approbation in any of thy Creatures; So that, O Lord, we have juft Caufe to blush and be ashamed at the Remembrance of our Folly, and to be afraid of thy terrible Indignation for our great and manifold Offences.

Bleffed be thy Name, that poor Sinners are not for ever banished from thee, but have Leave to return to the Lord their God by true Repentance and humble Prayer.

We admire and adore the Riches of thy Grace, that thou haft fent thy dear Son into the World to be a Mediator between thy felf and us, who out of his great Love and Compaffion to Mankind has laid down his Life, and fhed his most precious Blood to

make

make Atonement for our Sins, and to obtain Pardon and Forgiveness for all fuch as by true Faith, and fincere Repentance, return to God, and their Duty.

From the holy Scriptures we learn, that thou art a God delighting in Mercy, and through the Merits and Mediation of thy dear Son our Saviour art pleased to hear and accept the Prayers which are put up at the Throne of thy Grace; in his most prevailing Name, we therefore pray for all Mankind, that thy Way may be known upon Earth, and thy faving Health unto all Nations. We pray thee to have Mercy on the Ignorant, and grant them the Means and Opportunity of knowing their Duty; fhew Mercy to the Wicked, convince them of their Sin and Danger, and grant them Repentance unto Life.

Have Mercy, we beseech thee, O good and gracious God, upon all that are in Affiction and Trouble, and fanctify the Miseries of the Body to the good of the Soul.

O God, who defireft not the Death of a Sinner, but rather that he should be converted and live, fhew Pity to all who neither pity nor pray for themfelves. Grant that they may feriously confider their miserable Condition, before all Opportunities of being reconciled

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