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Repent ye, and believe the Gospel. Turn yourselves from all your Tranfgreffions; so Iniquity fhall not be your Ruin.

▲ Bleffed is he whofe Tranfgreffion is forgiven, whofe Sin is covered. Bleffed is the Man unto whom the Lord imputeth not Iniquity.

* Joy shall be in Heaven over one Sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just Perfons which need no Repentance. But except ye repent, ye fhall all perith.

EXAMINATION.

* Examine yourfelves whether ye be in the Faith. Prove your own felves.

Prepare your Hearts unto the Lord; bethink yourfelves, and repent every one, faying, How many are mine Iniquities and Sins? Lord, make me to know my Tranfgreflion and my Sin.

Thus faith the Lord, Confider your Ways..

Let us search and try our Ways, and turn again unto the Lord. Let us think on our Ways; So fhall we turn our Feet unto his Teftimonies.

To the Law, and to the Testimony: For the Word of God is quick and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged Sword, piercing even to the dividing afunder of Soul and Spirit, and of the Joints and Marrow, and is a Difcerner of the Thoughts and Intents of the Heart.

Enter thou into thy Chambers, and shut thy Door about thee. Commune with thine own

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Heart, and let thy Spirit make diligent Search; that thou mayeft find out all thy Iniquities whereby thou haft finned, and whereby thou haft tranf greffed against the Lord.

• Let every Man prove his own Work; and then shall he have Rejoicing in himself.

A wicked Man hardeneth his Face; but as for the Upright, he directeth his Way.

Every one of us fhall give Account of himfelf to God; and every Man fhall bear his own Burden. Therefore let us judge ourselves, so shall we not be judged.

If our Hearts condemn us not, then have we Confidence towards God. But let us take heed that we be not deceived in the Judgment we make of ourselves. For the Heart is deceitful above all Things, and defperately wicked; who can know it?

Let us judge truly whether we have lived in all good Confcience before God; whether we have finned ignorantly in Unbelief, or whether we be of thofe that rebel against the Light; who knowing the Judgment of God, that they which commit fuch Things as we have committed, are worthy of Death, not only do the fame, but have Pleafure in them that do them.

w There are certain which trust in themselves that they are righteous, and Prefumption defpife others; and yet are they full of Hypocrify and Iniquity.

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* There is a Generation that are pure in their own Eyes, and yet is not wathed from their Filthinefs.

Wherefore have we fafted, fay they, and thou feelt not? Wherefore have we afflicted our Soul, and thou takest no Knowledge?

Let us not fay, as fome have faid, There Despair. is no Hope, but we will walk after our

own Devices; and we will every one do the Imagination of his evi! Heart. For if our Heart condemn us, God is greater than our Heart, and knoweth all Things.

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CONFESSION.

Acknowledge thine Iniquity, that thou haft tranfgreffed against the Lord thy God. Confefs thy Tranfgreffions unto the Lord, and hide not the Iniquity of thy Sin.

Take with you Words, and turn to the Lord: Say unto him, We have finned against thee, O Lord; we have finned, and have done perverfely; we have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the Commandments, nor the Statutes, nor the Judgments, which thou commandeft; we would not walk in thy Ways, neither were we obedient unto thy Law.

e I acknowledge my Tranfgreffion, and my Sin is ever before me. I have finned; what fhall I do unto thee, O thou Preferver of Men!

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If we fay that we have no Sin, we deceive ourfelves, and the Truth is not in us, but if we confefs our Sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our Sins, and to cleanfe us from all Un righteoufnefs.

Who can understand his Errors? Cleanle thou me, O Lord, from fecret Faults. Keep back thy Servant alfo from prefumptuous Sins; let them not have Dominion over me. Thus I prayed unto the Lord God, and made my Confeflion.

f Cover not thy Tranfgreffions as Adam, by hiding thine Iniquity in thy Bosom.

He that covereth his Sins fhall not profper; but whofo confeffeth and forfaketh them, thall have Mercy.

h Wo to the rebellious Children, faith the Lord, that cover with a Covering, but not of my Spirit, that they may add Sin to Sin.

There are that hold faft Deceit, and refufe to return unto the Lord: Who when they have committed Abomination, are not at all afhamed, neither can they blufh. The Shew of their Countenance doth witness against them, and they declare their Sin as Sodom; they hide it not." Wo unto their Soul, for they have rewarded Evil unto themselves.

*Thinkeft thou this to be right, that thou faidft, My Righteoufnefs is more than God's? How fhould Man be juft with God? If he will consend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thoufand. How fhall I anfwer him, and choose

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out my Words to reason with him? Whom, though I were righteous, yet would I not answer; but I would make Supplication to my Judge,

Wherefore let us humble ourselves greatly before God: and give Glory to the Lord, and make Confeffion unto him.

With Sorrow

m Turn ye to me, faith the Lord, and Shame. With all your Heart, and with Fafting, and with Weeping, and with Mourning; and rent your Heart, and not your Garments, and turn unto the Lord your God.

Be afflicted, ye Sinners, and mourn and weep. Let your Laughter be turned to Mourning, and your Joy to Heavinefs.

• Wo unto us that we have finned: For this our Heart is faint.

P When I remember my Sins, I am afraid; Trembling taketh hold of my Flesh; so that I am a Burden to myself.

When ye forrowed after a godly Sort, What Carefulness it wrought in you! yea, what clearing of yourselves; yea, what Indignation; yea, what Fear; yea, what vehement Defire; yea, what Zeal; yea, what Revenge!

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Godly Sorrow worketh Repentance to Salvation, not to be repented of: But the Sorrow of the World worketh Death.

The Sacrifices of God are a broken Spirit: A broken and a contrite Heart, O God, thou wilt not defpife.

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