Forget me as I have been, disobedient, provoking thee to anger; and regard me as am, distressed, crying out to thee for help.

Look not upon me as I am, a sinner; but consider me as I am, thy creature.

A sinner I am, I confess, a sinner of no ordinary strain; but let not this hinder thee, O my God, for upon such sinners thou gettest the greatest glory.

O remember for whose sake it was that thou camest from the bosom of thy Father, and didst let thyself down so low as to be content to be born of thine own humble handmaid.

Remember for whom it was that thy tender body was torn, and scourged and crucified, and thy precious blood shed.

Was it not for the sins of the whole world? And shall I be 60 narrow-hearted to my own soul, or so injurious to thy glory, as to think that in all this crowd thou hast particularly excepted me?

Or, which is as great a dishonor to thee, can I possibly ima gine that thou diedst only for sinners of a lower kind, and leftest such as I am without remedy?

What had become then of him who filled Jerusalem with blood?

What of the noted woman who had lived in a trade of sin? Nay, what had become of thine own disciple, who with oaths and curses thrice denied ther?

O how easy is it for thee to forgive, for it is thy nature. How proper it is for thee to save, for it is thy name. How suitable is it to thy only end of coming into the world, for it is thy business.

And when I consider that I am the chief of sinners, may I not urge the Father, and say, shall the very chief of thy busi ness be left undone?

Mercy, mercy good Lord.

I ask not of thee any longer the things of this world; neither power, nor honors, nor riches, nor pleasures. No, my God, dispose of them to whom thou pleasest, so that thou givest me inercy.

O that I could hear thee once say, as thou didst to him in the gospel, "My son, be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee."

How would my drooping spirits revive at such a sound, and my now wounded soul break forth into hymns, and praises, and hallelujahs, for a mercy so utterly undeserved of me, and which the angels which fell could never hear of.

But, O my weak soul, what dost thou fear? or what dost thou scruple at? For thou art not yet in such a desperate condition, but thou mayst expect that what was said to him may possibly be said to thee.

Nay, be confident (though it be with a mixture of fear and trembling) that if thou dost not act the part of an hypocrite all this while, thy Saviour stands ready at the very doors of thy heart, to breathe the very same words in a heavenly whis per to thee: "Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee." Return unto thy rest, O my soul, for thy sins are forgiven thee.

Only take this counsel along with thee, "Sin no more, lest a worse thing fall unto thee.”

O that I could never sin against thee more; never pur posely, deliberately, wilfully sin against thee more.

And for those sins of daily incursion, these over familiar corruptions of my nature, which thou hast not yet given me strei g h enough to conquer, Lord, either subdue them to me by degrees, o lay them not to my charge.

But whereinsoever my conscience mncst accuseth, therein, O my God, be thou most merciful unto me.

Save me, O God, as a brand snatched out of the fire. Receive me, O my Jesus, as a sheep that hath wandered, is now returned to the great Shepherd and Bishop of my soul.

The jubilee of the penitent soul after the sense of pardon obtained.

Rejoice over me, O God the Father, that this thy child was lost, but is found, was dead, but is alive again.

Rejoice over me, O God the Son, that thy loud cries, and tears, and bitter agonies, which for my sake thou enduredst upon the cross, were not so unhappily lost as to be cast away in vain upon me.

Rejoice over me, O God the Holy Ghost, that thy so many secret and powerful touches have at last got the upper hand

of me.

Rejoice over me, O ye holy Angels, a great part of whose ministry it is to rejoice at the conversion of a sinner.

Rejoice over thyself, O my soul, that thou hast received so much grace from heaven this day, as sadly to confess thy sins, seriously to repent of them, and steadfastly to resolve never to be guilty more of so much brutishness as to be likened to the dog that returns to his vomit, or to the swine wallowing in the mire.

The penitent closeth all with this short prayer.

Let this day, O my Gol, be noted in thy book.

Do not thou forget my prayers, nor suffer me to forget my resolutions.

For though I am weak, though I am unworthy, though I unprofitable, yet I am thy servant.

And here upon my bended knees I humlly beg of thee, that I may live and die so.

Lord, hear my prayers, and let my cry come unto thee.