O Lord; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Ps. exliii. 2. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just iniquity, that he would blot it out, as a man blots out what he has written, so that it can never be read again. Enter not into judgment, &c.-Here David urges the fallen, sinful, wretched state of human nature. Of all the sons of Adam, not one could be saved, should God enter into judgment with him, and instead of pardoning his offences by an act of grace, inflict the punishment due to them by the rigor of the law. The thought of such a trial, appals the soul of the best man living, makes his flesh to tremble, and all his bones to shake. To God's grace and mercy, through the merits of Christ alone, the most innocent man living must owe his justification and acquittal. O Lord, correct, &c.-If the justice of Jehovah is determined to punish, and the penitent offender cannot be forgiven without some chastisement, the humble supplication of the prophet instructs us to pray, that it may be inflicted, not with the vindictive fury of an adversary, but with the moderation of a merciful judge. Should the Lord proceed with rigor proportionate to the sinner's demerit, he would be totally consumed; reduced to a state worse than annihilation. Consolation to the diffident and contrite. That the heart of the penitent overwhelmed with grief may not despair of forgiveness, as if God were utterly irreconcilable, and no more to be intreated, and to prepare him to supplicate mercy through faith and repentance, the church has provided three sentences for the encouragement of those who are diffident of God's favour, and for the consolation of the contrite: The sacrifices of God, &c.-The first shows, how well qualified such persons are to pray for pardon; that with a penitent and a contrite heart God is well pleased; that a broken spirit, a soul pierced with the many genuine sorrows, which always accompany true repentance, is a sacrifice, which he will most graciously accept. To the Lord, our God, belong, &c.—In the former sentence, we saw how well qualified the penitent is to pray for forgiveness. This demonstrates God's readiness to forgive. Though we have violated his holy laws, taken up arms, and lived in a state of open rebellion against his divine majesty, yet he is the God of mercies. If we repent, he will pardon. Let his pity in sparing, and his goodness in restoring us, encourage us to draw near him, and make confession of our sins before him. To enforce the former declarations, the third to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John i. 8, 9. Then the Minister shall say. (3.) DEARLY beloved brethren, the Scripture sentence under this head, I will arise, &c., proves by the example of one, whose condition was as wretched, whose offences were as great, and whose forgiveness was as unlikely, as ours can possibly be, that every true penitent, who ventures to return to his heavenly Father, may have the fullest assurance of meeting with a kind reception; and that those things, which the sense of our unworthiness makes us ashamed to ask, his voluntary bounty is ready to bestow. Caution to the Ceremonious und Formal. In the last place, should any, by the frequent use of these public offices, grow cold and careless, or ceremonious and formal, should they begin to rest solely, on established rites, and customary observances, repeating the confession and the prayers without any corresponding affections of devotion, to them the Church addresses that direction and reproof, which God himself addressed to the hypocriti cal Jews: Rend your hearts, &c.-The Jews were forward enough to exhibit the exterior formalities of sorrow and repentance, whilst their principles remained un altered, and their hearts were devoid of true con trition. To the outward signs of mourning, the prophet exhorts them to add inward sorrow. God regards the disposition of our minds more than the posture of our bodies. When you come to confess your sins before God, rend your heart with grief for your offences, and fear of his displeasure. Turn your hearts unto the Lord, whom with your l'ps you call your God. The gracious mercy, long suffering, and benignity of God, are the greatest encourargements to expect his pardon. Though he has determined to punish, he is more desirous to spare. He will repent, and will not inflict the evil he has threatened, provided you repent of the evil you have committed. And shall we approach with frigid formality, when we come to confess our sins, and supplicate forgiveness of so good and gracious a God? Let us not only bend the suppliant knee, but bow down the "humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart," whenever we asserable in the house of our God "to praise his holy name, to give him thanks, to hear his word, and to ask those things that are requisite and necessary both for our bodies and souls." SHEPHERD. Before the service of the church begins, it is like. wise proper that Christians should address them. selves to God in private prayer. A form of prayer like the following, has been recommended for this moveth us, in sundry places, to acknowledge | and confess our manifold sins and wickedness, and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before the face of Almighty God, our heavenly Father, but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought, at all times, humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together, to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his purpose by some respectable members of our community to be used at our entrance into the Church. O Lord, I am now in thine house. Assist, I pray thee, and accept my services. Enable me, and all that shall this day meet in thy name, to worship thee in spirit and in truth. Let thy holy spirit help our infirmities, and dispose our hearts to seriousness, attention, and devotion. And grant that we may improve this opportunity to the honour of thy holy name, and the benefit of our souls, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The prayer is so plain that it requires little explication. It petitions for acceptance and abilities to worship God properly; for seriousness, attention, and devotion, that by our solemn meeting we may promote his honour, and obtain his blessing. This form may easily be prolonged, or diversified, as each man's particular circumstances may require. The prayer subjoined may be used with advantage when the service is ended. Blessed be thy name, O Lord, for this opportunity of attending thee in thy house and service. Pardon, I beseech thee, my wanderings and imperfections. Mercifully accept my services, and grant that I, and all Christians, may be doers of thy word and not hearers only, through our only mediator Jesus Christ. Amen. These two prayers are, with little variation, extracted from a Tract, entitled "Directions for a devout and decent behaviour in the public worship of God." SHEPHERD. (3.) In the performance of the Service it is cusomary to pronounce only two or three of the sentences, and then to proceed to the exhortation; which is grounded on them, and is little more than a comment or paraphrase upon the several texts. It is to be feared that there are many who regard this Exhortation as a mere matter of form, and give but little heed to it. But those who will attend to the instruction which it contains, cannot fail to perceive how admirably it is calculated to apply the preceding sentences, and direct us how we should perform the following confession. hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore, I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying A general Confession (4.) to be said by the whole Congregation (5.) after the Minister, (6.) all kneeling. (7.) ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father; The Minister begins his address with the Apostolic Salutation, "Dearly beloved Brethren." These words are well adapted to express that tender regard which the Minister of God's word should have for their people. And the congregation should be careful to receive their exhortation with a ready mind, since they thus "speak to them the truth in love." After this affectionate address, the Minister proceeds to call his people to confession, by the admonition that "the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness." These words are grounded on the introductory sentences, and particularly on that from the 1 John i. 8, 9. But many other passages of Scripture might be cited to the same purpose; and to give weight to this admoni tion, the words import, that it is not merely the Minister, but God himself who by his holy word moves us to repentance and confession; so that he who refuses to obey, refuses not man but God.— We are further admonished not to "dissemble or cloke" our sins. For though we could conceal them so closely as to deceive all the world, yet we cannot hide them from that God, who “searcheth the heart," and who will condemn us for our hypocrisy as well as for the transgression. We are therefore admonished to "confess" our sins, with an "humble and lowly" heart, sensible of our unworthiness; with a "penitent" heart, filled with sorrow for having offended so good a God; and with an "obedient heart," fully resolved upon reformation and amendment of life. The object of this confession of our sins, is then declared to be, "to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same," by the "infinite goodness and mercy" of God. "If we confess our sins," says St. John, "God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and cleanse us from all unrighteousness." Repentance and forgiveness are constantly connected, in the Scriptures; yet we must be careful to regard repentance rather as a condition, than as the meritorious cause, of our forgiveness; which is to be sought for only in the atonement and mediation of Jesus Christ. We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done: And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have 66 We are then instructed that confession and repentance are "at all times" our duty, but "chiefly when we assemble and meet together" for the purposes of public worship. These purposes are declared to be "to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at the hands of God ;" which we accordingly do, in the form of thanksgiving prescribed by the Church: "To set forth his most worthy praise" which is done in our Psalms, Hymns, Anthems, and Doxologies: "To hear his most holy word;" which we do in attending to the reading of the portions of Scripture, and to the sermoos which are taken from the Scriptures: And lastly, to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the Soul;" which is done in the Collects, Supplications, and Intercessions. But unless true repentance precede these duties and devotions, none of the services will be acceptable to God, or profitable to ourselves. Wherefore, that the people may not come to Church in vain, the Minister" prays and beseeches" them, "as many as are present," to accompany him in the solemn confession which immediately follows-a confession, which there are none so holy but they have need to make it; and none so sinful but they may be profited in using it with sincerity. Such are the views we ought to take of this comprehensive exhortation. While, therefore, the minister is addressing it to us, let us apply our minds fully to its import, that we may be prepared to accompany him with contrite hearts in the "general Confession" to the Throne of Grace. T. C. B. (4.) There is no subject in religion concerning which there is a more general agreement among Christians than that which here presents itself to our attention," the humble confession of our sins to Almighty God." This is a duty recommended by the example of holy men in all ages of the world, and by the positive precepts of Scripture. "We confessed our sins unto the Lord, and he forgave the iniquity of our sin." This has been the religious experience of Moses, Abraham, David, the Prophets, the Apostles, and the primitive Christians. In the Book of Numbers (v. 5, 6.) the Lord himself speaks, saying, "when a man or woman shall commit any sin, to trespass against the Lord, and that person be guilty; then shall they confess their sin which they have committed." mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind, in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O mest merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life; To the glory of thy holy name. Amen.* And in the Book o. Ezra, where it is recorded that the people had wickedly violated the divine commandment, this is the injunction laid upon them, (x. ii.) "Now, therefore, make Confession unto the Lord God of your Fathers, and do his pleasure." Wisely then has the Church ordered that when we meet together to present our united tribute of Prayer and Praise to the Father of mercies and God of all consolation, we should first deplore our unworthiness at his footstool, by making an open and sincere confession of our manifold sins and wickedness. The first sentence in the General Confession, contains a solemn address to God, in language well calculated to inspire us with awe, and at the same time to encourage our devotions:-" Almighty and most merciful Father."-In the first words of this address, we make a public acknowledgment of the greatness of the Being against whom we have sinned. It denotes the absolute sovereignty and dominion of God, both in heaven and on earth, and his infinite power to do all his pleasure. This must be a fearful attribute of the Deity to the impenitent sinner. It effectually destroys all his expectation of escaping the punishment due to his transgressions. An attribute like this, is calculated to fill us with reverence and awe, but it should not drive us to despair; for to the penitent transgressor, the power of God is always tempered with mercy. The Church, therefore, teaches us to address him as our 66 most merciful Father." The idea of the almighty power of God, is calculated to excite in us a salutary fear of his anger, while the thought of his mercy tends to inspire us with confidence, and melt us to gratitude and love. The former reminds us of the danger of persevering in our disobedience; the latter fills us with a comfortable hope of being received into favour upon our sincere repentance. And though the omnipotence of God, might terrify us from his presence, yet his mercy invites us to return, and confess our sins with contrite hearts. We are also taught in this address to invoke God by the endearing appellation of "Father;" and we are encouraged to do so by the authority of the Saviour himself, in the form of Prayer dictated to his disciples. This part of the address leads us to consider God as the author and preserver of our being; and as our Father by Redemption. "having begotten us again unto a lively hope, in Christ Jesus, and made us accepted in the beloved." We may here remark, that in all her Prayers the Church has manifested her wisdom and piety by prefacing them with such titles and attributes of God, as are most proper for the petitions which follow them, and most likely to excite in us the affections which correspond with our addresses to the throne of grace. mere matter of form? Let us beware of imposing upon ourselves in so solemn a matter, as well as of the greater sin of hypocrisy ; lest being hardened in our iniquity we perish, and that without remedy. But why is it that we are compelled to make this humiliating confession? Why is it that we have left the green pastures "of God's word and promises, to feed on husks ?" The Church points us to the cause, and instructs us to confess it before God: "We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own heart." After the solemn address which has been noticed, we proceed to an open confession of our unworthiness in the sight of God:-" We have erred and This sentence of the confession, when considered strayed from thy ways like lost sheep." It is not in relation to that which precedes it, intimates to possible that our ignorance and wanderings could us a very striking contrast. The ways of God from be described in more appropriate and expressive which we have strayed, lead to life eternal; and language than that which the church has here our own way, which we have followed, is the broad adopted. It is the true expression of our real state path which leadeth to destruction. If we attentiveand character, and in the very language of the ly observe the workings of our minds, and survey Holy Spirit. "I have gone astray like a lost sheep." the tenor of our past lives, we shall have the fullest (Psalm exix. 176.) "All we, like sheep, have gone reason to assent to that humiliating representation astray; we have turned every one to his own way." of the human heart which is given in the holy (Isa. liii. 6.)—The servants of God are often spo- Scriptures: "From within, out of the heart of ken of under this figure. Thus David says, (Ps. c. men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornication, 2.) "We are his people, and the sheep of his pas- murders, thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, ture." And God is accordingly called their Shep- lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolherd. "The Lord is my shepherd." (Ps. xxiii. 2.)—ishness." He who made this declaration knew The nature of our alienation from God is such, and such is our natural indisposition to return to him, that were not the Saviour to seek and recover us, by the ministry of his word, and the agency of the divine Spirit, we should continue to wander further and further from the path of duty, till we perished in our iniquity. We are justly compared, therefore, to lost sheep. No animal is more apt to stray than this, unless constantly under the Shepherd's eye: so we also while eagerly feedin on the vanities of the world, constantly stray onward regardless whether we be right or wrong; and easily fall into temptations and snares. But to understand the full force of this figure, it must be considered that sheep were peculiarly liable to stray, and peculiarly subject to danger, in the open countries of the East, which were full of wild beasts. Such a "great and terrible wilderness" is this world; where the Devil, as a roaring lion, goes about seeking whom he may devour." Alas! how frequently do we like erring sheep, forsake the safe fold, the pure streams, and the green pasture, which God hath provided for us, and wander into the dry and barren wilderness, where we want all true comfort, and are exposed to a thousand dangers! What abundant cause, then, have we to be humble, when we reflect on our vain and erring conduct, and come forward to make our confession at the divine footstool! But are we really humble? Are we truly sensible of the evils of our doings? Or do we adopt the words of this Confession as a what was in man: and it is under a full sense of the original depravity of our nature, as well as in consideration of our actual transgressions, that the Church has taught us to confess "we have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts." But merely to acknowledge this with our lips, will not be sufficient. It is necessary that we should feel what we say. We must be convinced that our nature is depraved, before we shall seek the aids of the blessed spirit; and that our conduct has been wrong, before we shall earnestly set about an amendment. Let us beseech God, then, in the excellent language of the Church, "that by his holy inspiration we may think those things that be good, and by his merciful guiding may perform the same." It is by thus following our own wicked devices and desires that we fall into actual sin. This St. John defines to be the "transgression of the law of God." And accordingly we are taught to proceed to the acknowledgment of our positive guilt ;"We have offended against thy holy laws." These words may be appropriated by all men, whatever may be their situation, or circumstances in life."All have sinned and come short of the glory of God." "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." "There is no man that liveth and sinneth not.” A consideration of the sovereign and righteous authority of the great Being whose laws we have vio lated, ought to fill us with deep humility and awe in his presence. But that a dread of his anger, and his almighty power may not deter us from approach- | neighbour, we have also failed in our duty to ouring him, he has revealed himself to us on a throne of grace; and, through the meritorious atonement and intercession of his Son, encourages us to draw near to him, as to our "most merciful Father." Our offences against the laws of God, consist of sins of omission, and of commission. After the general acknowledgment of our transgressions, we are instructed to proceed in our Confession; "We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done." These words contain a full acknowledgment of the manifold sins and wickedness with which we stand justly charged. We first confess our neglect of duty. Wilfully to omit the performance of what God has positively required of us, may be no less criminal in his sight than actually to do what he has expressly forbidden us. Thus saith the Lord, (Ps. lxxxix. 32.) "If they keep not my commandments, then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes." This consideration ought to lead us to a careful review of our past lives, that we may perceive in what respects we have neglected to perform our duty, and humbly confess and lament the same before God. And in doing this, let us not judge of our deficiencies by any rule which fashion may have prescribed, or by any standard which mere human wisdom may have recommended. For as the latter is certain to be fallible, so is the former sure to be flattering and false. Let us examine ourselves by the perfect law of God, and judge ourselves now, that we be not judged of the Lord, in the great day of account. In the following injunctions of scripture, both the objects and the measure of our religious affections are fully summed up and defined:"Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind: and thy neighbour as thyself." Alas! how widely have we departed from this perfect standard ! Who of us have exercised that love to God which it requires? Have we not all often withheld our best affections from him who is most worthy of them, and lavished them upon base and inferior objects? Have we not suffered the world, its vanities, its pleasures, its riches, and honours, to entangle our minds and captivate our hearts? Neither have our feelings, nor our conduct towards our neighbours been always such as we would have wished them to have exercised towards us. Although the rule by which our conduct should be regulated, is lodged in our own bosoms, yet we must all be conscious to ourselves, that our corrupt passions and selfish feelings, have too often led us to violate its injunctions. But besides having come short of the duties which we owe to God and our selves. We are bound by the divine law, to keep our bodies in temperance, soberness, and chastity: To "crucify the flesh, with the affections and lusts." But have we always done so? Rather have not angry passions too often ruffled our breasts and disturbed those about us? And have not our minds been too often defiled with pride, or unbe lief; with revengeful thoughts or unholy desires? If we could bring all our negligences and deficiences into one point of view; if we could be sensible in how small a degree the love of God has had the pre-eminence in our souls; how seldom our regard to our neighbour has come up to the measure which the scriptures require; and how often we have neglected to restrain the impetuosity of our passions, and to chasten our unhallowed thoughts, we should be filled with self-abasement at the divine footstool, and unite in heart and voice in this confession; we have left undone those things which we ought to have done." The law of God, while it commands some things, forbids others. Indeed, the same law that commands any thing, implicitly forbids the contrary. We are, therefore, taught to confess our positive transgressions, as well as our sins of omission: -"We have done those things which we ought not to have done." When we measure our conduct by the bare letter of the law, we must all acknowledge ourselves to be transgressors. But when we come to test our internal thoughts and affections by the spirit of the law, "who can tell how oft he offendeth?" To violate God's holy sabbaths-to profane his hallowed name-to dishonour our parents-to cherish envy, malice, and revenge to defraud-to slander our neighbour or pursue our private interests with a view to his injury; these are crimes of the blackest dye. We hope few men are guilty of them all.. But we are constrained to fear that all of us have been chargeable with some of them. Let us not suppose, however, that these constitute the entire sum of our transgressions. Let us humbly confess the secret sins, which have been confined within our bosoms.Let us examine ourselves, and test the inward thoughts and affections of our hearts by that spiritual exposition of the moral law, given by the Saviour, in his sermon on the mount; and while we humbly acknowledge and lament our outward transgressions before God, let us also add, "O cleanse thou me from my secret faults." And in order to determine whether our humiliations, and confessions at the divine footstool, be sincere or heartless, we must judge ourselves in a great measure, by our subsequent conduct. If we habitually strive to abstain from those sins which we are conscious that we have committed, and profess to deplore we may |