at last be admitted to that state of glory, where all my infirmities shall be done away, and all tears be dried up, and sin and death shall be no more. Grant this, O gracious God and Father, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

M

55.-Penitential Prayers.

ALMIGHTY and eternal God, the fountain of all virtue, the support of all holy hopes, the author of pardon, of life, and of salvation; Thou art the Comforter of all that call upon Thee Thou hast concluded all under sin, that Thou mightest have mercy upon all.

Look upon me, O God, and have pity on me, lying in my blood and misery, in my shame and in my sins, in the fear and guilt of thy wrath, in the shadow of death, and in the gates of hell.

I confess to Thee, O God, what Thou knowest already; but I confess it to manifest thy justice, and to glorify thy mercy who hast spared me so long; that I am guilty of the vilest and basest follies, which usually dishonour the fools, and the worst of the sons of men.

I have been proud and covetous, envious and lustful, angry and greedy, indevout and irreligious; restless in my passions, sensual and secular, but hating wise counsels, and

soon weary of the offices of a holy religion. I cannot give an account of my time, and I cannot reckon the sins of my tongue. My crimes are intolerable, and my imperfections shameful, and my omissions innumerable; and what shall I do, O Thou preserver of men? I am so vile that I cannot express it; so sinful that I am hateful to myself, and much more abominable must I needs be in thy eyes. I have sinned against Thee without necessity, sometimes without temptation, only because I would sin, and would not delight in the ways of peace. I have been so ungrateful, so foolish, so unreasonable, that I have put my own eyes out that I might, with confidence and without fear, sin against so good a God, so gracious a Father, so infinite a Power, so gracious a Majesty, so bountiful a Patron, and so mighty a Redeemer, that my sin is grown shameful and aggravated even to amazement. I can say no more, I am ashamed, O God: I am amazed, I am confounded at thy presence.

But yet, O God, Thou art the healer of our breaches, and the lifter up of our head, and

I must not despair; and I am sure thy goodness is infinite, and Thou dost not delight in the death of a sinner; and my sins, though very great, are infinitely less than thy mercies, which Thou hast revealed to all penitent and returning sinners in Jesus Christ.

I am not worthy to look up to heaven; but be Thou pleased to look down into the dust, and lift up a sinner; let me not perish in my folly, nor be consumed in thy heavy displeasure. Give me time and space to repent; and give me power of grace and aids of thy Spirit that as by thy gifts and mercy, I intend to amend whatsoever is amiss, so I may indeed have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same. Inspire me with the spirit of repentance and mortification, that I may always fight against my sins, till I be more than conqueror. Support me with a holy hope: confirm me with an excellent, operative, and unreprovable faith; and enkindle a bright and burning charity in my soul. Give me patience in suffering, severity in judging and condemning my sins, and in punishing the sinner; that judging myself, I be not con

demned by Thee: that mourning for my sins, I may rejoice in thy pardon: that killing my sin, I may live in righteousness: that denying my own will, I may always perform thine; and by the methods of thy Spirit I may overcome all carnal and spiritual wickedness, and walk in thy light, and delight in thy service, and perfect my obedience, and be wholly delivered from my ruin, and for ever preserved from thy wrath, and at last pass on from a certain expectation, to an actual fruition of the glories of thy kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Amen.