fires of our own hearts. 4. We have offended against thy holy laws. 5. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; 6. And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; 7. And there is no health in us. 8. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miferable offenders. 9. Spare thou them, O God, which confefs their faults. 10. Reftore thou them that are penitent; 11. According to thy promifes declared unto mankind in Chrift Jefu our Lord. And grant, O moft merciful Father, for his fake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and fober life; To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

PARAPHRASE.

3. We acknowledge that we have too often yielded to thofe unlawful defires which we have been prompted to by the corruption of our nature, occafioned by original fin.

4. To these we have added many pofitive breaches of thy holy laws, the obfervance of which has been so strictly enjoined us.

5. We, moreover, acknowledge ourselves to have been guilty of many fins of omiffion, in neglecting the duties commanded us.

6. And we have alfo been guilty of many fins of commiffion, by doing fuch actions as are forbidden by the law of God.

7. So that there is no part of our fouls free from the infection of fin, but the disease with which they labour, is almost univerfal; or, (in other words) we cannot hope for health or falvation from ourselves.

8. We therefore have recourfe to thy goodness, O God, and humbly implore thy aid, to deliver us from this burden of our fins.

9. Remit therefore, we intreat thee, the punishment which we have incurred by our fins, upon our confeffion of them, and hearty repentance of them.

10. And if our penitence be fincere, refore us to the place which we formerly held in thy favour, and which we have forfeited by our tranfgreffions; and let us partake of the benefits of thine elect faints, whofe privileges all wicked and impenitent finners are excluded from.

11. According to the promifes which thou haft made unto us in the gofpel-revelation, delivered to us by Jefus Chrift. Therefore we befeech thee, O gracious God, not in the name of any faint or angel, but in the name of thy dear Son, as thou haft promised to give whatever we afk in his name, (John xvi. 23.) to affift us fo powerfully with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that, for the time to come, we may faithfully acquit ourfelves of every part of our chriftian duty that we may lead a godly life, by paying a devout worship to the Almighty that we may live righte oufly, in behaving with juftice and charity to our neighbours, and fuberly,

::

The Abfolution, or Remiffion of Sins, to be pronounced by the Prieft alone, ftanding; the People still kneeling.

Lmighty God, the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who defireth not the death of a finner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness, and live; and hath given power and commandment to his Minifters, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the Abfolution and Remiffion of their fins: He pardoneth and abfolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gofpel. 2. Wherefore let us befeech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit; that thofe things may pleafe him, which we do at this prefent, and that the reft of our life hereafter may be pure and holy; fo that at the last we may come to his eternal joy, through Jefus Christ our Lord.

1.

"A

The People Shall answer here, and at the End of all other Prayers, Amen.

PARAPHRASE.

in performing all the duties of temperance, chastity, and other virtues, which more immediately concern ourfelves. Nor do we defire this, in order to reflect honour upon ourselves, or to acquire any merit by leading fach a religious life, but only, that the greater glory may be afcribed to thy goodness, by whofe grace we hope to have this wonderful change effected in our hearts.

1. The almighty God, who is invefted with power over all things in heaven and earth, who does not defire that any finner fhould be everlattingly unhappy; (Ezek. xviii. 28.) but rather that he fhould efcape perdition, and enjoy an happy eternity; and to this end, hath impowered the minifters of the gofpel, and even given them pofitive orders, (Matth. xviii. 18. Jobn xx. 23) to declare remiffion of fins to all fincere penients: he, by the mouth of his minifter, pronounceth pardon and abfolution to all who are poffeffed of the requifite qualifications for it, i. e. a fincere repentance of his fins, and a firm belief of his Holy Gospel. Mark xv. Acts XX. 21.

2. Therefore, that we may reap the benefit of this holy ordinance, let us pray to God, who is the giver of every good and perfect gift, (James i. 17.) to bestow upon us the grace of true repentance and the affiitance of his Holy Spirit, for without the aid of this bleffed Spirit, which Arengthens our weakness and heals our infirmities, our devotion can never be acceptable to him: the affiftance of his Holy Spirit is likewife neceffary

to

Then the Minifter spall kneel, and fay the Lord's Prayer with an audible Voice; the People also kneeling, and repeating it with him, both here, and wherefoever else it is used in Divine Service.

1.

0

UR Father, 2. which art in Heaven; 3. Hallowed be thy Name. 4. Thy Kingdom come. 5. Thy will be done in Earth, As it is in Heaven. 6. Give us this day our daily bread. 7. And forgive us our tref paffes, as we forgive them that trespass against us. 8. And

PARAPHRASE.

to prevent us from relapfing into a finful ftate, but that our fouls, which formerly have been defiled with many vices, may fhine with that purity and holiness which the gospel requires. So that, when we quit this tranfitory life, we may enter into the joy of the Father, thro' the merits of Jefus Chrift, our ever bleffed Redeemer.

1. We have recourse to thee, O God, who, by the great work of creation, art the father of us and all mankind, but art, in a more particular manner, the father of us chriilians by adoption. Rom. viii. 15.

2. Offering up our petitions unto thee, the great God of heaven and earth, whofe throne and peculiar place of refidence is in the empyreum or heaven of heavens. Ifa, lxvi. 1. Matt. v. 39.

3. It is our defire, and we will exert our utmost efforts, that thy name, (Exod. xx. 7.) and whatsoever has any connection with thee, may be held facred and preferved from any manner of contempt, and moreover be honoured with diftinguishing marks of refpect and adoration.

4. We alfo ardently with for the time when thy glorious kingdom, which cannot be inherited by flesh and blood, fhall commence, (1 Cor. AV. 20.) and into which the elect are to be received. Matt. xxv. 34, 5.

5. We pray thee, O Lord, to haften thy kingdom of grace, introductory to thy kingdom of glory hereafter, that all our irregular paffions and fenfual affections, being fubdued by thee our king and governor, we may be numbered amongst those bleffed, who are poor in fpirit, and to whom thy dear Son our redeemer has appropriated the kingdom of heaven. We pray farther, that we chriftians here upon earth may discharge our duty to God, and conform ourselves to his will, made known to us by the preaching of the gofpel, with as much readiness and punctuality as the angels in heaven perform it. Pf. ciii. 21. Matt. xviii. 10.

6. We petition thee farther to fupply us with our daily fuftenance, (1 Tim. vi. 8.) not only with bread, but with cloaths and all the other neceffaries of life, in fuch proportion as thou fhalt judge proper.

7. Intreating thee to pardon our fins, as well great as fmall, both of which render us obnoxious to divine juftice, as we, on our part, profess to have freely forgiven all those who have offended against us, knowing that we cannot otherwise hope for the mercy of God. Matt. vi. 15.

lead us not into temptation; 9. But deliver us from evil : 10. For thine is the Kingdom, And the Power, And the Glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

Then likewife he shall fay;

O Lord, open thou our lips,

Anfw. And our mouth fhall fhew forth thy praise.
Prieft. O God, make speed to fave us.
Anfw. O Lord, make hafte to help us.

PARAPHRASE.

8. We request of thee, that thou wouldst be pleased to preferve us from any ftrong temptation, which we may not have ftrength to overcome, (Matt. xxvi. 40.) for the immediate government of thy kingdom of grace in this wicked and perverse generation. Let not any trying temptation be laid in our way, in this, too apt to be biafed and corrupt, state of feeble nature; give us not over into the enemy's hand; forfake us not in our fpiritual conflict; guide us in the way of thy commandments; and grant that, thro' Chrift, we may be conquerors, not conquered by the worldly and glittering allurements to fin; or if we fall into temptations, afford us fuch a potent affiftance of thy grace, as may enable us to get the better of them. 2 Cor. xii. 9.

9. But refcue us from every evil to which human nature is obnoxious, as well from the dominion of fin, (Eph. ii. 1. Heb. x. 12.) as that of calamities, and that from evil occafioned by the malice of evil fpirits. Job, i. 6, 8. Rev. xii. 8.

10. These bleffings, we truft, thou wilt not with-hold from us; thy divine perfections giving us encouragement to expect them from thee: for thine is the empire and fupreme command over all things, and thy unlimited power no being can refift; (1 Chron. xxix. 10. Jud. 25.) thou art invested with infinite power, and nothing can oppose thee; (Job, xxxviii. 11. Pfal. Ixv. 7.) and thy own glory is difplayed in making thy creatures happy. Jud. 25. Eph. i. 6.

us in our

Prieft. Do thou, O God, who haft bestowed upon us the gift of utter ance, (Exod. iv. 11. Prov. x. 32.) by thy Holy Spirit, affift

devotions.

Answer. And then we shall speak forth thy praife, as we are in duty bound.

Pruft. Delay not to afford us thy affiftance, in promoting all things neceflary for our falvation.

Anwar. And be not backward in fupplying us with whatever may belp us forward in that mon important of all our concerns.

D

Prieft.

Here all standing up, the Priest shall say.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;

Anfw. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

Prieft. Praise ye the Lord.

Anfw. The Lord's Name be praised.

Then fhall be faid or fung this Pfalm following; except on Eater-day, upon which another Anthem is appointed: And on the Nineteenth Day of every Month it is not to be read here, but in the ordinary Course of the Pfalms.

Venite, exultemus Domino. Pfal. xcv.

O

Come, let us fing unto the Lord
rejoice in the strength of our falvation.

2. Let us come before his prefence with thanksgiving : and fhew ourselves glad in him with pfalms.

3. For the Lord is a great God: and a great King above all gods.

4. In his hand are all the corners of the earth and the ftrength of the hills is his alfo.

5. The fea is his, and he made it: and his hands prepared the dry land.

I.

let us heartily

PARAPHRASE.

Prieft. All glory be afcribed to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghoft.

Anfwer. They have exifted in glory from all eternity, ftill continue to exist, and will exift for ever. Amen.

Prieft. Sing an hallelujak unto the Lord.
Anfwer. Hallelujah.

1. Come, let us exert ourselves in finging forth the praises of the Lord, let us make a jubilee before our God and our bleffed Redeemer.

2. Let us prefent ourselves before the ark, the fpecial place where he manifefts his Divine Prefence, with giving of thanks: and rejoice before him with pfalmody.

3. For Jehovah our God, is not an imaginary being, like the gods of the heathens, but the Creator of the univerfe, the only true God.

4. The darkeft corners and the lowest caverns of the earth were at first made by him, and ftill remain at his difpofal: he has a right and fovereignty over the most lofty mountains, mountains that are of fuch a prodigions height that they tife thofe who attempt to afcend them.