6 though the foregoing Prayer be peculiarly adapted to the Cafe of Prifoners for Debt, yet it is not intended that they fhould use that only; no, the rest of the Prayers in this Book, or fuch other as they find more agreeable to the Temper of their Minds, or expreffive of their Wants, are recommended to their Ufe, for which they will not want Leifure, • and Opportunity.' Some Confiderations proper for Prifoners for Crimes, in order to their making their Peace with GOD, as well before, as after their Condemnation. • OFTEN lift up your Heart to God, and beg of Him, for Chrift's Şake, that • He will be pleased in Mercy to enlighten your Mind, and foften your Heart, and give you a deep Senfe of your miferable Condition, till you find yourfelf more concerned for the Salvation of your precious and immortal Soul, than for your temporal Life. 6 6 • Confider that our firft Parents having fallen from God, and corrupted them-felves, all who defcend from them muft be corrupt, it being impoffible to bring a clean Thing out of an unclean. U 6 • Confider 6 • Confider that our great Business and Concern in this World, which we are to look upon as a State of Trial, is to recover out of this corrupt State, and to attain that Refemblance to God, after which Man was created, and without which it is impoffible to obtain Happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven. What an important Concern then have you to mind, who have been fo far from doing any Thing in it, that you have made it more difficult by doing the quite contrary. • Confider that it is abfolutely neceffary to bring cur Wills to a full and entire Refignation and Conformity to the Will and Laws of our Creator, • Read over seriously the Office of Publick Baptifm, which will inftruct you on • what Terms and Conditions you were ad'mitted into Chrift's Church, and to the Hopes of Mercy and eternal Life, and confider how you have performed thofe Conditions. Read likewife the Exhortation in the Office of Commination, or • denouncing of God's Anger and Judgments against Sinners, in the Book of • Common Frayer. Shun Idleness, and all unprofitable Vifits. Look diligently into the State of • your your Soul. Humble yourself before God. • Avoid profane and loofe Company, and be fure never to exceed the fober and temperate Ufe of Wine and ftrong Liquors. 6 Confider the Kindnefs and Love of • God in giving his Son, our Saviour Jefus Chrift, to die for our Sins, and in offering Pardon and Salvation to all true pe• nitent Sinners; that is, to all who forfake their Sins, and turn to God, and do • Works meet for Repentance; and how deservedly they will be condemned who refufe this gracious Offer. 6 Confider that one neceffary Part of true Repentance confifts in undoing, as much as in you lies, the Evil and Mifchief you have done. Therefore admonifh all thofe, as far as you can, with • whom you have been concerned, to for fake their evil Courses. • Make a full and ample Discovery of all wicked Confederacies for Robbery, or ⚫other Mischief that you know of, in order to the breaking of them, and bringing obftinate and irreclaimable Sinners to Punishment, and preventing the Spoiling and Robbery of the Innocent. Do not call this dishonourable; neither ought you to account it a betraying your Compa nions, or a Breach of Truft, or of your • Faith. 4 Faith. For all fuch Confederacies being - evil in their own Nature, their Secrets cannot lawfully be kept. To conceal them therefore, is both dishonest and dishonour able; and to difcover them, an Act of Jus⚫tice to human Society, and of Charity to ⚫ the Innocent, who by fuch Discovery may be preserved from being injured by the • Wicked engaged in thefe Confederacies, which may hereby be broken. Nay, it may be the greatest Charity that can be fhewn to the Guilty themfelves, who may be led to Repentance, and prevailed with • to follow an honest Course of Life. Another neceffary Part of true Repentance is Reftitution, and Satisfaction, as far as you are able, to the Persons you have robbed; praying heartily to God, to • make up what is wanting, by his Grace and Bleffing to them. More particular Directions to Perfons • under these unhappy Circumstances they may receive from thofe who are fo cha⚫ritable as to vifit them, and from good • Books which may be put into their Hands; particularly Mr. Kettlewell's Office for Prifoners, alfo the Directions for • Examination, the Prayers, &c. in the Second Part of this Book may be of Ufe to them in private.' Here follows A Prayer A Prayer that may be ufed with condemned Prifoners by thofe who vifit them. O MOST holy and righteous God, we adore the Wisdom and Juftice of thy Providence, in bringing these Perfons now under Sentence of Death, to fuffer fuch Punishments as their Sins have deferved. Bleffed be thy Name, that thou didst not cut them off in the Midst of their Sins, but haft afforded them Time to confider their Condition, and to repent and humble themfelves before thee. If thou, Lord, fhould'ft mark our Tranfgreffions, and deal with us as in Juftice thou mighteft, who could ftand before thee? But there is Mercy with thee, that thou mayeft be feared. Their Sins have found them out, and brought them to Shame and Mifery. They are more than they can number, and greater than they can exprefs. Difpofe their Hearts to a full and free Confeffion of their Tranfgreffions, and to make fuch Satisfaction to their Country, and the Perfons they have injured, as they are able. All our Hope is in thy Mercy, and in the gracious Promises thou haft made to Mankind in thy Son Jefus Chrift, who was pleafed |