Here the Minister shall examine him concerning his Faith, and rehearse the Articles of the Creed, Dost thou believe in God, &c. And the Prisoner shall

answer,

All this I steadfastly believe. Then shall the Minister examine whether charity with all the world and further he repent him truly of his sins, and be in admonish him particularly concerning the crimes wherewith he is charged: and exhort, him if he have any scruples, that he would declare the same, and prepare himself for the Holy Communion, against the time that it may be proper to administer it to him.

if you shall perceive your offences you may claim the merits to be such as are not only against Christ: but if you die in your sins, God, but also against your neigh-his sufferings will tend to your bours; then to reconcile yourself greater condemnation. O belovto them, being ready to make res-ed, consider, in this your day, how titution and satisfaction, accord- fearful a thing it will be to fall ing to the uttermost of your into the hands of the living God, power, for all injuries and wrongs when you can neither fly to his done by you to any other: and be- mercy to protect you, nor to the ing likewise ready to forgive others merits of Christ to cover you in who have offended you, as you that terrible day. would have forgiveness of your offences at God's hand. And to this true repentance and change of mind you must add a lively and steadfast faith, and dependence upon the merits of the death of Christ, with an entire resignation of yourself to the will of God. Except you repent, and believe, we can give you no hope of salvation: But if you do sincerely repent and believe, God hath declared, though your sins be as red as scarlet, they shall be made white as snow; though your wickednesses have gone over your head, yet shall they not be your destruction.cording to the multitude of thy We exhort you therefore in the name of God, and of his dear Son Jesus Christ our Saviour, and as you tender your own salvation, to take good heed of these things in For I acknowledge my faults; time, while the day of salvation and my sin is ever before me. lasteth; for the night cometh, Against thee only have I sinned, when no man can work. While you and done this evil in thy sight; have the light, believe in the light, that thou mightest be justified in and walk as children of the light, thy saying, and clear when thou that you be not cast into outer art judged.

Then, all kneeling, the Minister shall say as follows, from the 51st Psalm: HAVE mercy upon me, O God,

after thy great goodness; ac

mercies, do away mine offences. Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness; and cleanse me from my sin.

darkness; that you may not knock, Behold, I was shapen in wickwhen the door shall be shut; and edness; and in sin hath my mocry for mercy, when it is the time ther conceived me.

of justice. Now you are the ob- But lo, thou requirest truth in ject of God's mercy, if by repent- the inward parts; and shalt make ance and true faith you turn unto me to understand wisdom sehim but if you neglect these cretly.

things, you will be the object of Thou shalt purge me with hyshis justice and vengeance: Now sop, and I shall be clean; thou

shalt wash me, and I shall be for trial of his patience, or punishwhiter than snow. ment of his offences, enable him by Thou shalt make me hear of thy grace cheerfully to submit himjoy and gladness; that the bones self to thy holy will and pleasure. which thou hast broken may re-Go not far from those, O Lord, joice. whom thou hast laid in a place of Turn thy face from my sins; darkness, and in the deep; and and put out all my misdeeds. forasmuch as thou hast not cut him Make me a clean heart, O God; off suddenly, but chastenest him as and renew aright spirit within me. a father; grant that he, duly conCast me not away from thy pre-sidering thy great mercies, may sence; and take not thy Holy Spi-be unfeignedly thankful, and turn rit from me. unto thee with true repentance

O give me the comfort of thy and sincerity of heart, through help again; and stablish me with Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." thy free Spirit.

Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Prayers for Persons under Sentence of
Death.

When a Criminal is under Sentence of Death, the Minister shall proceed, immediately after the Collect, O God, who Deliver me from blood-guilti- sparest, &c. to exhort him after this ness, O God, thou that art the Form, or other like: God of my health; and my tongue DEARLY beloved, it hath pleasshall sing of thy righteousness. ed Almighty God, in his jusThou shalt open my lips, Otice, to bring you under the senLord; and my mouth shall show tence and condemnation of the thy praise. law: You are shortly to suffer For thou desirest no sacrifice, death in such a manner, that else would I give it thee; but thou others, warned by your example, delightest not in burnt-offerings. may be the more afraid to offend; The sacrifice of God is a trou-and we pray God, that you may bled Spirit; a broken and con-make such use of your punishtrite heart, O God, shalt thou not ments in this world, that your despise. soul may be saved in the world

to come.

T Then the Minister shall say, Let us pray. Wherefore we come to you in Lord, we beseech thee, mer- the bowels of compassion; and, cifully hear our prayers, and being desirous that you should spare all those who confess their avoid presumption on the one sins unto thee; that they, whose hand, and despair on the other, consciences by sin are accused, shall plainly lay before you the by thy merciful pardon may be wretchedness of your condition, absolved, through Christ our and declare how far you ought to Lord. Amen. depend on the mercies of God, O God, whose mercy is everlast-and the merits of our Saviour." ing, and power infinite; look Consider then seriously with yourdown with pity and compassion self, in all appearance the time of upon the sufferings of this thy ser- your dissolution draweth near; rant; and whether thou visitest your sins have laid fast hold upon

you; you are soon to be removed if with a perfect and true heart from among men by a violent we return unto him.

death; and you shall fade away Since therefore you are soon to suddenly like the grass, which in pass into an endless and unchangethe morning is green and grow-able state, and your future hapeth up, but in the evening is cut piness or misery depends upon down, dried up, and withered. the few moments which are left After you have thus finished the you; I require you strictly to excourse of a sinful and miserable amine yourself, and your estate life, you shall appear before the both towards God and towards Judge of all flesh; who, as he man; and let no worldly consipronounces blessings on the righ-'eration hinder you from making teous, shall likewise say, with aja true and full confession of your terrible voice of most just judg-sins, and giving all the satisfaction ment, to the wicked, Go, ye ac- which is in your power to every cursed, into the fire everlasting, one whom you have wronged or prepared for the devil and his injured; that you may find mercy angels. at your heavenly Father's hand, Your sins have brought you too for Christ's sake, and not be connear this dreadful sentence: It is demned in the dreadful day of therefore your part and duty, my judgment.

brother, humbly to confess and Lastly, beloved, submit your bewail your great and manifold self with Christian resignation to offences, and to repent you truly the just judgment of God, which of your sins, as you tender the your own crimes have brought eternal salvation of your soul. upon you, and be in charity with Be not deceived with a vain all men; being ready sincerely to and presumptuous expectation of forgive all such as have offended God's favour, nor say within your-you, not excepting those who have self, Peace, Peace, where there prosecuted you even unto death: is no peace; for there is no peace, And, though this may seem a saith my God, to the wicked. hard saying, yet know assuredly, God is not mocked; he is of purer that without it your charity is not eyes than to behold iniquity; and yet perfect. And fail not earnestwithout holiness no man shall see ly to endeavour and pray for this the Lord. On the other hand, de-blessed temper and composure of spair not of God's mercy, though mind. So may you cast yourself trouble is on every side; for God with an entire dependence upon shutteth not up his mercies for the mercies of God, through the ever in displeasure: But if we merits of our Saviour and Reconfess our sins, he is faithful and deemer Jesus Christ. just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. Do not either way abuse the goodness of God, who calleth us mercifully to amendment, and of his endless pity promiseth us forgiveness of that which is past,

Here the Minister shall examine him concerning his Faith, and rehearse the Articles of the Creed, Dost thou believe in God, &c. And the Criminal shall answer,

All this I steadfastly believe. Then shall the Minister examine whe ther he repent him truly of his sins, ex

horting him to a particular Confession his time of adversity, and support of the sin for which he is condemned under the terrors which encomand upon Confession, he shall instruci him what satisfaction ought to be made pass him; set before his eyes the to those whom he has offended thereby; things he hath done in the body, and if he knoweth any combinations in which have justly provoked thee wickedness, or any evil practices design ed against others, let him be admonished to anger; and forasmuch as his to the utmost of his power to discover continuance appeareth to be short and prevent them. amongst us, quicken him so much the more by thy grace and holy Spirit; that he, being converted and reconciled unto thee, before thy judgments have cut him off from the earth, may at the hour Holy Jesus, who of thine in- of his death depart in peace, and finite goodness, didst accept be received into thine everlastthe conversion of a sinner on the ing kingdom, through Jesus Christ cross; open thine eye of mercy our Lord. Amen.

After his Confession, the Minister shall declare to him the pardoning mercy of God, in the Form which is used in the

Communion Service.

After which shall be said the Collect following.

upon this thy servant, who de

sireth pardon and forgiveness, though in his latest hour he turn

¶ Adding this: Saviour of the world, who by thy cross and precious blood

eth unto thee. Renew in him hast redeemed us, save us and help whatsoever hath been decayed by us, we humbly beseech thee, Ō the fraud and malice of the devil, Lord.

or by his own carnal will and frail- Then the Minister, standing, shall say, ness. Consider his contrition; ac-IN the midst of life we are in cept his repentance; and foras- death Of whom may we seek much as he putteth his full trust for succour, but of thee, O Lord, only in thy mercy, impute not who for our sins art justly disunto him his former sins, but pleased?

strengthen him with thy blessed Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Spirit; and when thou art pleased Lord most mighty, O holy and to take him hence, take him unto most merciful Saviour, deliver us thy favour: This we beg through not into the bitter pains of eterthy merits, O Lord, our Saviournal death. and our Redeemer. Amen.

Thou knowest, Lord, the seThen the Minister shall say, crets of our hearts: Shut not thy Father of mercies and God of merciful ears to our prayers; but all comfort; we fly unto thee spare us, Lord, most holy, O God for succour in behalf of this thy most mighty, O holy and merciservant, who is now under the ful Saviour, thou most worthy sentence of condemnation. The Judge eternal, suffer us not, at day of his calamity is at hand, and our last hour, for any pains of he is accounted as one of those death to fall from thee. who go down into the pit. Blessed Lord, remember thy mercies;THE Almighty God who look upon his infirmities; hear the most strong tower to all those voice of his complaint; give him, who put their trust in him we beseech thee, patience in this whom all things in heaven,

Then the Minister she say

earth, and under the earth, dol The Epistle. Heb. xii. 11. bow and obey; be now and ever- NO chastening for the present more thy defence; and make! seemeth to be joyous, but thee know and feel that there is grievous; nevertheless, afterwards none other name under heaven it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of given to man, in whom and righteousness, unto them which through whom thou mayest re-jare exercised thereby. ceive salvation, but only the The Gospel. St. John, v. 24. name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Amen.

And after that shall say,

and evermore.

VERILY, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent

A Prayer for imprisoned Debtors.

UNTO God's gracious mercy me, hath everlasting life, and shall and protection we commit not come into condemnation; but thee: The Lord bless thee and is passed from death unto life. keep thee: The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be MOST gracious God, look down gracious unto thee: The Lord in pity and compassion upon lift up his countenance upon thee, these thine afflicted servants, who and give thee peace, both now are fallen under the misery of a close restraint. Give them alAt the time of Execution, besides all, or ways a deep sense of their sins, such parts of the foregoing office as the and of thy fatherly love and corMinister shall judge proper, shall be said the Commendatory Prayer for a rection; and the more their conperson at the point of Departure, as it finement presseth hard upon is in the Visitation of the Sick. them, the more let the comforts, The Collect for the Communion Service. of thy grace and mercy abound God, who declarest thy Al- towards them. Give to their credimighty power chiefly in show-tors tenderness and compassion, ing mercy and pity; we beseech and to them a meek and forgivthee to have mercy upon this ing spirit towards all those who thy servant, who for his trans-have confined them, and a full gressions is appointed to die. purpose to repair all the injuries Grant that he may take thy judg-and losses which others have susments patiently, and repent him tained by them. Raise them up truly of his sins; that he reco-friends to pity and relieve them. vering thy favour, the fearful re-give them the continued comfort ward of his actions may end with of thy countenance here; and so this life; and whensoever his sanctify their afflictions, that they soul shall depart from the body, may work for them an eternal it may be without spot present-weight of glory, though the meed unto thee, through Jesus rits and mediation of Jesus Christ Christ our Lord. Amen. 'thy Son our Lord. Amen.