God, but also against your neigh- the hands of the living God, when bours; then to reconcile yourself you can neither fly to his mercy to them, being ready to make res-to protect you, nor to the merits titution and satisfaction, according of Christ to cover you in that ter

to the uttermost of your power, for

rible day.

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 he repent him truly of his sins, and be in charity with all the world, and further 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 him. self for the Holy Communion, against the time that it may be proper to adininister it to him.. Then, all kneeling, the Minister shall say as fol

all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other: and being likewise ready to forgive others who have offended you, as you 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 wickedness; and cleanse me from be made white as snow; though my sin. your wickednesses have gone over For I acknowledge my faults; your head, yet shall they not be and my sin is ever before me.

your destruction.

lows, from the 51st Psalm:

「AVE mercy upon me, O God, after thy great goodness; according to the multitude of thy mercies, do away mine offences. Wash me thoroughly from my

Against thee only have I sinned,

We exhort you therefore in the and done this evil in thy sight; that name of God, and of his dear Son thou mightest be justified in thy Jesus Christ our Saviour, and as saying, and clear when thou art you tender your own Salvation, to judged.

take good heed of these things in Behold, I was shapen in wicktime, while the day of salvation edness; and in sin hath my mother lasteth; for the night cometh, when conceived me.

no man can work. While you But lo, thou requirest truth in the have the light, believe in the light, inward parts; and shalt make me and walk as children of the light, to understand wisdom secretly. that you be not cast into outer Thou shalt purge me with hysdarkness; that you may not knock, sop, and I shall be clean; thou shalt when the door shall be shut; and wash me, and I shall be whiter cry for mercy, when it is the time than snow.

of justice. Now you are the ob- Thou shalt make me hear of ject of God's mercy, if by repent- joy and gladness; that the bones ance and true faith you turn unto which thou hast broken may rehim: but if you neglect these joice.

things, you will be the object of Turn thy face from my sins; his justice and vengeance: Now and put out all my misdeeds. you may claim the merits of Christ; Make me a clean heart, O God; but if you die in your sins, his suf- and renew a right spirit within me. ferings will tend to your greater Cast me not away from thy condemnation. O beloved, con-presence; and take not thy Holy sider in this your day, how fear- Spirit from me.

ful a thing it will be to fall into O give me the comfort of thy

D pleased Almighty God,

help again; and stablish me with| EARLY beloved, hath thy free Spirit. in his Then shall I teach thy ways justice, to bring you under the senunto the wicked; and sinners shall tence and condemnation of the law: be converted unto thee. You are shortly to suffer death in

Deliver me from blood-guilti- such a manner, that others, warned ness, O God, thou that art the by your example, may be the more God of my health; and my tongue afraid to offend; and we pray God, shall sing of thy righteousness. that you may make such use of Thou shalt open my lips, O your punishments in this world, Lord; and my mouth shall show that your soul may be saved in the thy praise.

world to come.

For thou desirest no sacrifice, Wherefore we come to you in else would I give it thee; but thou the bowels of compassion; and, delightest not in burnt-offerings. being desirous that you should The sacrifice of God is a avoid presumption on the one hand, troubled Spirit; a broken and con-and despair on the other, shall trite heart, O God, shalt thou not plainly lay before you the wretchdespise.

Then the Minister shall say,

Let us pray.

edness of your condition, and declare how far you ought to depend on the mercies of God, and the

we

LORD beseech thee, merits of our Saviour. Consider mercifully hear our prayers, then seriously with yourself, in all and spare all those who confess appearance the time of your dissotheir sins unto thee; that they, lution draweth near; your sins whose consciences by sin are ac-have laid fast hold upon you; you cused, by thy merciful pardon may are soon to be removed from among be absolved, through Christ our men by a violent death; and you

Lord. Amen.

O GOD, whose mercy is ever

shall fade away suddenly like the grass, which in the morning is

lasting, and power infinite; green and groweth up, but in the look down with pity and compas- evening is cut down, dried up, and sion upon the sufferings of this thy withered. After you have thus servant; and whether thou visitest finished the course of a sinful and for trial of his patience, or punish- miserable life, you shall appear ment of his offences, enable him by before the Judge of all flesh; who, thy grace cheerfully to submit him- as he pronounces blessings on the self to thy holy will and pleasure. righteous, shall likewise say, with Go not far from those, O Lord, a terrible voice of most just judgwhom thou hast laid in a place of ment, to the wicked, Go, ye acdarkness, and in the deep; and cursed, into the fire everlasting, forasmuch as thou hast not cut him prepared for the devil and his anoff suddenly, but chastenest him as gels.

Your sins have brought you too near this dreadful sentence: it is

a father; grant that he, duly considering thy great mercies, may be unfeignedly thankful, and turn un- therefore your part and duty, my to thee with true repentance and brother, humbly to confess and besincerity of heart, through Jesus wail your great and manifold ofPrayers for Persons under Sentence of Death. fences, and to repent you truly of When a Criminal is under Sentence of Death, your sins, as you tender the eterthe Minister shall proceed, immediately after nal salvation of your soul.

our Lord. Amen.

the Collect, O God, who sparest, to exhort

Be not deceived with a vain

Christ.

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,

and presumptuous expectation of perfect. And fail not earnestly to God's favour, nor say within your- endeavour and pray for this blessself, Peace, Peace, where there is ed temper and composure of mind. no peace; for there is no peace, So may you cast yourself with an saith my God, to the wicked. God entire dependence upon the meris not mocked; he is of purer eyes cies of God, through the merits of than to behold iniquity; and with-our Saviour and Redeemer Jesus out holiness no man shall see the Lord. On the other hand, despair not of God's mercy, though trouble is on every side; for God shutteth not up his mercies for ever in displeasure: But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and 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, if with a perfect and true heart we return unto him.

All this I steadfastly believe.

Then shall the Minister examine whether he repent him truly of his sins, exhorting him to a particular Confession of the sin for which he is condemned; and upon Confession, he shall in struct him what satisfaction ought to be made to those whom he has offended thereby; and if he knoweth any combinations in wickedness, or any evil practices designed against others, let him be admonished to the utmost of his power After his Confession, the Minister shall declare to discover and prevent them.

to him the pardoning mercy of God, in the Form which is used in the Cominunion Service. After which shall be said the Collect following. HOLY Jesus, who of thine Since therefore you are soon to 0 infinite goodness, didst acpass into an endless and unchange-cept the conversion of a sinner on able state, and your future happi- the cross; open thine eye of merness or misery depends upon the cy upon this thy servant, who few moments which are left you; desireth pardon and forgiveness, I require you strictly to examine though in his latest hour he turnyourself, and your estate both to-eth unto thee. Renew in him wards God and towards man; and whatsoever hath been decayed by let no worldly consideration hin- the fraud and malice of the devil, der you from making a true and or by his own carnal will and frailfull confession of your sins, and ness. Consider his contrition; giving all the satisfaction which accept his repentance; and forasis in your power to every one whom much as he putteth his full trust you have wronged or injured; that only in thy mercy, impute not unyou may find mercy at your hea- to him his former sins, but strengthvenly Father's hand, for Christ's en him with thy blessed Spirit; sake, and not be condemned in and when thou art pleased to take the dreadful day of judgment. him hence, take him unto thy faLastly, beloved, submit your- vour: This we beg through thy merits, O Lord, our Saviour and

self with Christian resignation to the just judgment of God, which your own crimes have brought upon you, and be in charity with 0 all men; being ready sincerely to forgive all such as have offended unto thee for succour in behalf of you, not excepting those who have this thy servant, who is now under prosecuted you even unto death: the sentence of condemnation. And, though this may seem a hard The day of his calamity is at saying, yet know assuredly, that hand, and he is accounted as one without it your charity is not yet of those who go down into the pit. Blessed Lord, remember thy bow and obey; be now and evermercies; look upon his infirmi- more thy defence; and make thee ties; hear the voice of his com- know and feel that there is none plaint; give him, we beseech thee, other name under heaven given to patience in this his time of adver- man, in whom and through whom sity, and support under the terrors thou mayest receive salvation, but which encompass him; set before only the name of our Lord Jesus his eyes the things he hath done in Christ. Amen.

the body, which have justly pro

And after that shall say,

voked thee to anger; and foras- UNTO NTO God's gracious mercy much as his continuance appear- and protection we commit eth to be short amongst us, quick-thee: The Lord bless thee and en him so much the more by thy keep thee: The Lord make his grace and Holy Spirit; that he, face to shine upon thee, and be being converted and reconciled un- gracious unto thee: The Lord lift to thee, before thy judgments have up his countenance upon thee, and cut him off from the earth, may at give thee peace both now and ever

the hour of his death depart in
peace, and be received into thine
everlasting kingdom, through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Adding this.

0

save us and help us, we beseech thee, O Lord.

more.

At the time of Execution, besides all, or such parts of the foregoing office as the Minister shall judge proper, shall be said the Commendatory Prayer for a person at the point of departure, as it is in the Visitation of the Sick.

The Collect for the Communion Service.

O GOD, who declarest thy

SAVIOUR of the world, who by thy cross and preAlmighty power chiefly in cious blood hast redeemed us, showing mercy and pity; we behumbly seech thee to have mercy upon this thy servant, who for his transIN the midst of life we are in gressions is appointed to die. Grant IN death: Of whom may we seek that he may take thy judgments for succour, but of thee, O Lord, patiently, and repent him truly of who for our sins art justly dis- his sins; that he recovering thy pleased? favour, the fearful reward of his

Then the Minister, standing, shall say,

Yet, O Lord God most holy, actions may end with this life; and O Lord most mighty, O holy and whensoever his soul shall depart most merciful Saviour, deliver us from the body, it may be without not into the bitter pains of eternal spot presented unto thee, through

death.

Thou knowest, Lord, the se

Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. The Epistle. Heb. xii. 11. crets of our hearts: Shut not thy N O chastening for the present merciful ears to our prayers; but seemeth to be joyous, but spare us, Lord most holy, O' God grievous; nevertheless, afterwards most mighty, O holy and merciful it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of Saviour, thou most worthy Judge righteousness, unto them which eternal, suffer us not, at our last are exercised thereby. hour, for any pains of death to fall The Gospel. St. John v. 24. VERIT VERILYHe verily,

from thee.

Then the Minister shall say,

I say unto

you, He that heareth my

T THE Almighty God, who is a word, and believeth on him that most strong tower to all those sent me, hath everlasting life, and who put their trust in him; to shall not come into condemnation; whom all things in heaven, in but is passed from death unto earth, and under the earth, do life.

M

A Prayer for imprisoned Debtors. sion, and to them a meek and forOST gracious God, look giving spirit towards all those who down in pity and compas-have confined them, and a full sion upon these thine afflicted ser-purpose to repair all the injuries vants, who are fallen under the and losses which others have susmisery of a close restraint. Give tained by them. Raise them up them always a deep sense of their friends to pity and relieve them; sins, and of thy fatherly love and give them the continued comfort correction; and the more their of thy countenance here; and so confinement presseth hard upon sanctify their afflictions, that they them, the more let the comforts may work for them an eternal of thy grace and mercy abound weight of glory, through the merits towards them. Give to their and mediation of Jesus Christ thy creditors tenderness and compas- Son our Lord. Amen.

A FORM OF

PRAYER AND THANKSGIVING

TO ALMIGHTY GOD,

For the Fruits of the Earth, and all the other Blessings of his merciful Providence; to be used yearly on the first Thursday in November, or on such other Day as shall be appointed by the Civil Authority.

The Service shall be as usual, except where it is hereby otherwise appointed. Among the Sentences at the beginning of Morn-fand who is the sword of thy exing Prayer shall be the following:

! Deut. xxxiii. 29. Instead of, O come let us sing, &c. the following substance, and with the first shall be said or sung: fruits of all thine increase : So RAISE ye the Lord; for it P shall thy barns be filled with plen- is good to sing praises unto ty, and thy presses shall burst out our God; for it is pleasant, and with new wine. Prov. iii. 9, 10. praise is comely.

HONOUR the Lord with thy cellency

The Lord by wisdom hath The Lord doth build up Jerufounded the earth; by understand-salem; he gathereth together the ing hath he established the hea- outcasts of Israel.

vens: By his knowledge the He healeth those that are brodepths are broken up, and the ken in heart, and bindeth up their clouds drop down the dew. Prov. wounds.

ii. 19, 20.

He covereth the heaven with

The eternal God is thy refuge, clouds, and prepareth rain for the and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deut. xxxiii. 27.

Israel then shall dwell in safety alone; the fountain of Jacob shall be upon the land of corn and of wine, also his heaven shall drop down dew. Deut. xxxiii. 28.

Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help,

earth; he maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains.

He giveth to the beast his food; and to the young ravens which cry. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem : Praise thy God, O Sion.

For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.

He maketh peace in thy bor