fings and benefits which are purchased and procured for us by his death and passion; the pardon of fins, and power against fin. The benefit of it is also great; because hereby we are confirmed in goodness, and our resolutions of better obedience are strengthened; and the grace of God's Holy Spirit to enable us to do his will is hereby conveyed to us. And the best preparation for it is by a fincere repentance for all our fins and miscarriages, which we remember ourselves to be at any time guilty of; by daily prayer to God that he would give us a fincere repentance for all our fins, and mercifully forgive them to us; and by a fincere and firm resolution to forsake our fins, and to do better for the future; to be more careful of all our actions, and more constant in prayer to God for his grace to enable us to keep his commandments: by being in charity with all men; and by forgiving those who have injured us by word or deed, as we hope for forgiveness from God, And let none of us say, that we are not fitted and prepared for it. It is our duty to be so: and if we be not prepared to receive the facrament, we are not qualified for the mercy of God, and for his forgiveness; we are not prepared for the happiness of heaven, and can have no hopes to come thither: but if we prepare ourselves as well as we can by repentance, and resolutions of being better, and by praying heartily and earnestly to God for his grace, he will accept of this preparation, and will give us the comfort of this holy facrament. 302 A form of PRAYERS, used by his late Ma jesty K. William III. when he received the hoJy facrament, and on other occafions. JOHN ix. 4. I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work. COLOS.iii. 17. Whatsoever ye do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. A prayer to God, that he would be pleased to affift and accept my preparation to receive the blessed facrament. I Prostrate myself before thee, my most gracious God and merciful Father, in an humble acknowledg ment of my unworthiness and infufficiency of myself, for any thing that is good. I am sensible that without thee I can do nothing, and therefore do humbly implore thy gracious assistance, and acceptance of my endeavour to prepare myself for the worthy receiving of the blessed sacrament of the body and blood of thy dear Son. Stir up, I beseech thee, such pious affections and dispositions in my foul, and fill my mind with fuch holy meditations as are suitable to this occafion. Grant me fuch a sense of my fins, and of the sufferings of my blessed Saviour for them, as may affect my heart with a deep forrow for my fins, and an eternal hatred and displeasure against them, and may effectually engage me to love and live to him who died for me, Jesus Christ my blessed Saviour and Re deemer. Amen. A A penitent confession of fins, with an humble supplication for mercy and forgiveness. OST gracious and merciful God, who art of M purer eyes than to behold iniquity, I defire to humble my foul before thee, in a deep sense of my own vileness and unworthiness, by reason of the many fins and provocations, which I have been guilty of against thy divine Majesty; by thought, word and deed. Forgive, O Lord, all the fins and follies of my life, which have been many and great, and which I do now with shame and forrow confefs and bewail before thee, for thy mercies fake in Jesus Chrift. Pardon, O my God, my manifold neglects and omiffions, and flight and careless performance of the duties of religion, without due affection and attention of mind; that I have not served thee with that purity of intention, with that fincerity of heart, with that fervency of spirit, with that zeal for thy glory, with that care and diligence, and constancy that. I ought. Forgive, O Lord, my fins of ignorance and infirmity, which are more than can be numbered; but especially, all my wilful tranfgreffions of thy holy and righteous laws; the impurity of my heart and thoughts, all irregular appetites and paffions, and every finful and wicked practice, of what nature or kind foever. More particularly, I do with great shame and confufion of face, confess and lament before thee, from whom nothing is hid, that I have grievously offended f. These my transgressions, with many more, which I cannot remember and reckon up before thee, are all in thy fight, O Lord, and my most secret fins in the light of thy countenance. When I look back upon the errors and miscarriages of my paft life, and consider with myself what I have done, and what I deserve at thy hands, my flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments. I am ashamed, O my God, and blush to lift up mine eyes to thee my God. Lord, I am vile; what shall CC2 Here he was used to mention particulars. I answer thee? I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. Make me deeply sensible of the great evil of my fins, and work in me a hearty contrition for them; and let the sense of them be more grievous to me than of any other evil whatsoever. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, and according to thy tender mercies forgive all my transgressions, for the fake of my blessed Saviour and Redeemer. Amen. A prayer for the grace and assistance of God's Holy Spirit, to enable me to resolve and to do better for the future. A ND now, O Lord, in confidence of thy great mercy and goodness to all that are truly penitent, and fincerely refolve to do better, I most humbly implore the grace and assistance of thy Holy Spirit, to enable me to become every day better, and to reform whatever has been amiss in the temper and disposition of my mind, or in any of the actions of my life. Grant me the wisdom and understanding to know my duty, and the heart and will to do it. Vouchsafe to me the continual prefence and direction, the assistance and comforts of thy Holy Spirit; whereby I may be disposed and enabled to do thy will with delight, and with patience and chearfulness, and contentedness to submit to it in all things. Endue me, O Lord, with the true fear and love of thee, and with a prudent zeal for thy glory. Increase in me more and more the graces of charity, and meekness, of truth, and justice, and fidelity; give me humility and patience, and a firmness of fpirit to bear every condition with conftancy and equality of mind. Enable me, O Lord, by thy grace to govern all my appetites, and every inordinate luft and paffion, by temperance and purity, and meekness of wisdom fetting thee always before me, that I may not fin against thee. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me, purify my foul from from all evil thoughts and inclinations, from all bad intentions and designs. Deliver me, O Lord, from pride and vanity, from immoderate self-love, and obstinate self-will, and from all malice and envy, and ill-will towards any. Make me to love thee as I ought, above all things; and let the interest of thy honour and glory be ever dearer to me than my own will, or reputation, or any temporal advantage whatsoever. Subdue in me the evil spirit of wrath and revenge, and dispose my heart patiently to bear reproaches and wrongs, and to be ready not only to forgive, but to return good for evil. Affift me, O Lord, more especially in the faithful and confcientious discharge of the duties of that high station in which thou hast placed me: And grant that I may employ all that power and authority which thou hast invefted me with, for thy glory and the publick good; that I may rule over men in thy fear, with justice and equity, ever studying and endeavouring the good of the people committed to my charge, and as much as in me lies the peace and. profperity, the welfare and happiness of mankind. Confirm me, O my God, in all these holy refolutions; and do thou keep it for ever in the purpose of my heart, to perform them to the utmost of my power: All which I humbly beg for thy mercies fake in Jesus Chrift. Amen. An humble intercession with God for all mankind; for the whole Christian church, and more parti-cularly for that part of it which is planted in these kingdoms; for the Queen, and for all under our government; for my relations and friends; for my native country, and for my allies, &c... I Thine unworthy servant defire likewise humbly to intercede with thee, the God and father of all, for all mankind: that thou wouldst be pleased to have CC3 |