If no special burden of sin, which you have been unable to get rid of, rests upon your conscience, then let your confession be expressed at once to God, in such words as follow. Only make it as real as you can, and then your prayer for pardon will be heartfelt and humble. 0 Confession of Sin. GOD, forgive the sins I have committed. For- repent. I am heartily sorry. Have mercy upon me for all my past neglect of Thee and of my duty. Wash me throughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin; for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O Lord, we beseech Thee, mercifully hear our prayers, and spare all those who confess their sins unto Thee; that they, whose consciences by sin are accused, by Thy merciful pardon may be absolved; through Christ our Lord. Amen. (Collect in Commination Service.) O Most mighty God, and merciful Father, who hast compassion upon all men, and hatest nothing that Thou hast made; who wouldest not the death of a sinner, but that he should rather turn from his sin, and be saved; Mercifully forgive us our trespasses; receive and comfort us, who are grieved Thy and wearied with the burden of our sins. property is always to have mercy; to Thee only it appertaineth to forgive sins. Spare us therefore, good Lord, spare Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed; enter not into judgment with Thy servants, who are vile earth, and miserable sinners; but so turn Thine anger from us, who meekly acknowledge our vileness, and truly repent us of our faults, and so make haste to help us in this world, that we may ever live with Thee in the world to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Collect in Commination Service.) Perhaps no form of confession and prayer is more generally useful than this Psalm, which was David's Prayer of Penitence : Miserere mei, Deus. Psalm li. HAVE mercy upon me, O God, after Thy great goodness: according to the multitude of Thy mercies do away mine offences. Wash me throughly from my wickedness: and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my faults: and my sin is ever before me. Against Thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight: that Thou mightest be justified in Thy saying, and clear when Thou art judged. Behold, I was shapen in wickedness: and in sin hath my mother conceived me. But lo, Thou requirest truth in the inward parts: and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly. Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness: that the bones which Thou hast broken may rejoice. Turn Thy face away from my sins: and put out all my misdeeds. Make me a clean heart, O God: and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence: and take not Thy holy Spirit from me. O give me the comfort of Thy help again: and stablish me with Thy free Spirit. Then shall I teach Thy ways unto the wicked: and sinners shall be converted unto Thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, Thou that art the God of my health: and my tongue shall sing of Thy righteousness. Thou shalt open my lips, O Lord: and my mouth shall shew Thy praise. For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it Thee: but Thou delightest not in burnt offerings. The sacrifice of God is a troubled spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt Thou not despise. O be favourable and gracious unto Sion: build Thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt Thou be pleased with the sacrifice of righteousness, with the burnt-offerings and oblations: then shall they offer young bullocks upon Thine Altar. Glory be to the Father and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen. SECTION V. The forsaking of Sin. The last part of true repentance is-forsaking sin; or, in other words, amendment of life. Consequently repentance is not the work of a day, but may rather be described as the work of a lifetime. If you are truly sorry for the sins you have now confessed, you will determine, God helping, to do them no more. In some cases, where your sin has involved your neighbour, it will be necessary to make restitution. Neglect not to take steps at once to make known your regrets to the persons you have injured, and to make such recompense or future provision on their behalf as may be right or possible. In all cases it is well to make some earnest resolution to serve God better for the time to come. Prayer for Grace to amend. GOD, the protector of all that trust in Thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; Increase and multiply upon us Thy mercy; that, Thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal: Grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake our Lord. Amen. (Collect for Fourth Sunday after Trinity.) Grant to us, Lord, we beseech Thee, the spirit to think and do always such things as be rightful; that we, who cannot do anything that is good without Thee, may by Thee be enabled to live according to Thy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (Collect for Ninth Sunday after Trinity.) PSALM XXXII. Beati, quorum. : BLESSED is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven and whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man unto whom the Lord imputeth no sin and in whose spirit there is no guile. For while I held my tongue : my bones consumed away through my daily complaining. For Thy hand is heavy upon me day and night and my moisture is like the drought in summer. I will acknowledge my sin unto Thee and mine unrighteousness have I not hid. I said, I will confess my sins unto the Lord and so Thou forgavest the wickedness of my sin. |