heads, and made us to stand in might, which none is able to withthe day of battle. stand; we bless and magnify thy The Lord hath appeared for us; great and glorious name for this the Lord hath overthrown our happy victory, the whole glory enemies, and dashed in pieces whereof we do ascribe to thee, who those that pose up against us. art the only giver of victory. And Therefore not unto us, Lord, we beseech thee, give us grace to not unto us; but unto thy name improve this great mercy to thy be given the glory. glory, the advancement of thy The Lord hath done great Gospel, the honour of our counthings for us; the Lord hath done try, and, as much as in us lieth, to great things for us, for which we the good of all mankind. And rejoice. we beseech thee, give us such a Our help standeth in the name sense of this great mercy, as may of the Lord, who hath made hea-engage us to a true thankfulness, ven and earth. such as may appear in our lives, Blessed be the name of the by an humble, holy, and obedient Lord, from this time forth for walking before thee all our days, through Jesus Christ our Lord; evermore. Glory be to the Father, and to to whom, with thee, and the Holy the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; Spirit, as for all thy mercies, so in As it was in the beginning, is particular for this victory and now, and ever shall be, world deliverance, be all glory and ho without end. Amen. nour, world without end. Amen. After this Hymn may be said the Te Deum. T Then this Collect. 4 2 Cor. xiii. 14. THE grace of our Lord Jesus Almighty God, the Sovereign Christ,and the love of God,and Commander of all the world. the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, in whose hand is power and be with us all evermore. Amen. At the Burial of the Dead at Sea, the Office in the Common Prayer Book may be used; only instead of these words, We therefore commit his Body to the ground earth to earth, &c. say, We therefore commit his Body to the deep, to be turned into corruption, looking for the Resurrection of the Body when the Sea shall give up her dead, and the life of the world to come, through our Lord Jesus Christ; who at his coming, shall change our vile Body, that it may be like his glorious Body, according to the mighty working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself. A FORM OF PRAYER FOR THE VISITATION OF PRISONERS. When Morning or Evening Prayer shall be read in any Prison, instead of the Psalm, O come let us sing, &c. shall be read the 130th Psalm; and the Minister shall insert, after the Collect for the Day, the Collect in the following service, O God, who sparest, &c. and at such time, as the Litany is not read, he shall add the Prayer, O God, merciful Father, who despisest not, &c. ▼ And when Notice is given to the Minis-REMEMBER not, Lord, our ter, that a Prisoner is confined for some iniquities, nor the iniquities great or capital crime, he shall visit of our forefathers; neither take him, and when he cometh into the thou vengeance of our sins: Spa place where the Prisoner is, he shall say, kneeling down, us. good Lord, spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with innocent, and awaken the guilty thy most precious blood, and be not angry with us for ever. Ans. Spare us, good Lord. Let us pray. Lord, have mercy upon us. OUR Father, who art in Hea ven, &c. Min. O Lord, show thy mercy upon us; Ans. And grant us thy salvation. Min. Turn thy face from our sins; Ans. And blot out all our iniquities. Min. Send us help from thy holy place; Ans. For thine indignation lieth hard upon us. and forasmuch as thou alone bring est light out of darkness, and good out of evil, grant that the pains and punishments which these thy servants endure, through their bodily confinement, may tend to setting free their souls from the chains of sin; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Here the Minister, as he shall see con- DEARLY beloved, know this, that Almighty God, whose Dever-failing providence governMin. O Lord, hear our prayer;eth all things both in heaven and Ans. And let the sighing of the earth, hath so wisely and merciPrisoners come before thee. fully ordered the course of this world, that his judgments are of The Collect. GRANT, we beseech thee, Al-ten sent as fatherly corrections to mighty God, that we, who for us; and if, with due submission our evil deeds do worthily deserve and resignation to his holy will to be punished, by the comfort of we receive the same, they will thy grace may mercifully be re-work together for our good. lieved; through our Lord and It is your part and duty, thereSaviour Jesus Christ. Amen. fore, to humble yourself under God, who sparest when we the mighty hand of God, to acdeserve punishment, and in knowledge the righteousness of thy wrath rememberest mercy ;his judgments, and to endeavour, we humbly beseech thee, of thy that, by his grace, this present goodness to comfort and succour visitation may lead you to a sinall those who are under reproach cere and hearty repentance. and misery in the house of bond- The way and means thereto is age; correct them not in thine to examine your life and conver anger, neither chasten them in sation by the rule of God's comthy sore displeasure. Give them mandments; and whereinsoever a right understanding of them-you shall perceive yourself to have selves, and of thy threats and pro-joffended either by will, word, or mises; that they may neither cast deed, there to bewail your own away their confidence in thee, nor sinfulness, and to confess yoursel place it any where but in thee. to Almighty God, with full pur Relieve the distressed, protect the pose of amendment of life. And 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 if you shall perceive your offences you may claim the merits of 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 belov to 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 inglikewise 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 wickednes-HAVE mercy upon me, O God, ses have gone over your head, yet shall they not be your destruction. 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 pre pare himself for the Holy Communion, against the time that it may be proper to administer it to him. Then, all kneeling, the Minister shall say as follows, from the 51st Psalm: after thy great goodness; according to the multitude of thy mercies, do away mine offences Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness; and cleanse me from my sin. 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 1 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. darkness; that you may not knock, Behold, I was shapen in wick when the door shall be shut; and edness; and in sin hath my mo cry 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 wisdoin sehim but if you neglect these cretly. things, you will be the object of Thou shalt purge me with hys his justice and vengeance: Now sop, and I shall be clean; thon Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may re. joice. shait wash me, and I shall be for trial of his patience, or punishwhiter than snow. ment ofhis offences, enable him by thy grace cheerfully to submit himself to thy holy will and pleasure. Go not far from those, O Lord, whom thou hast laid in a place of darkness, and in the deep; and forasmuch as thou hast not cut him Make me a clean heart, O God; off suddenly but chastenest him as and renew a right 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 Spirit from me. Turn thy face from my sins; and put out all my misdeeds. 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. be unfeignedly thankful, and turn unto thee with true repentance and sincerity of heart, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 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, the consciences by sin are accused, shall plainly lay before you 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, God, whose inercy 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 hear 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 hap eth 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 shail appear before the both towards God and towards Judge of all flesh; who, as he man; and let no worldly consi pronounces blessings on the righ-deration hinder you from making teous, shall likewise say, with a la 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 yourbewail 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, ncrsay 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 Fai, and rehearse the Articles of the Creed, Dost thou believe in God, &c. And the Criminal small answer, All this I steadfastly believe. Then shall the Minister examine whe ther he repent him truly of his sins, es |