I acknowledge, O my God, that thou haft, by innumerable Inftances, manifested thyfelf to be a moft kind and indulgent Father; but alas! I have abused thy Goodnefs, and made very ungrateful Returns for thy exceeding Kindnefs and Mercy. Inftead of loving and delighting in thee, and paying thee a filial and cheerful Obedience, I find in myself many Times a great Pronenefs to offend thee, and a great Backwardnefs and Indifpofition to do thofe Things which thou requireft of me.

O Lord! I lament and bewail the Corruption of my Nature, moft forrow fully confeffing before thee, that I have too great a Defire after the Things of this World; too great a Fondness for the Profits and Pleasures of it: And though I am fully perfuaded, that it is my Happiness and Privilege, as well as my Duty, to love and ferve thee, yet I am very apt to forget thee, and to grow carelefs and remifs in that great and important Work, which thou haft given me to do.

O my God! I confefs with Sorrow that this World hath taken fuch Hold of my Affections, that I neither love thee, ferve thee, nor obey thee, as I ought to do; my Devotion to thee is many Times cold and

languid;

languid; my Prayers are full of Wanderings, Deadnefs, and Distractions, and the very best of my religious Duties are accompanied with so many Failings and Imperfections, that I have great Caufe to humble myself before thee.

This is to be va

"How greatly, O God, "have I offended thee, by ried or omitted, as "Luft and Intemperance, every one fees fit. "by Peevifhnefs, Paffion,

"and Anger, by Covetoufnefs and Ambi"tion, by Pride and Envy, by Prejudice "and Ill-will towards my Neighbour, by "murmuring and repining at the Difpen"fations of thy Providence, and by an Unwillingness to refign myfelf to thy Dif

66

pofal in all Things? How frequently "have I violated my baptifmal Engage"ments, by preferring the Vanities of this "wicked World before thy Favour, and by fuffering my Heart, which has been fo "often dedicated to thy Service, to be brought under the Bondage and Domi"nion of Sin and Folly?"

6.6

And what fhall I now fay unto thee, O thou Preferver of Men! O Lord, I have no Hope but in thy Mercy and the infinite Merits of my dear Redeemer; And if thou rejectest me, I am loft and undone for ever. L 5 But,

But, O thou com paffionate Lover of Souls! who knoweft whereof we are made, and remembereft that we are but Duft, turn not thy Face from me, nor caft thy Servantaway in Displeasure; let the Interceffions of thy beloved Son prevail in my Behalf, and for the Sake of his meritorious Death and Paffion, for all that he has done, and all that he has fuffered for me, have Mercy upon me; pardon and forgive, I moft earnestly and unfeignedly befeech thee, all the Sins and Follies of my Life paft, which are more than I can number, and greater than I am able to bear; and more especially, O my God, lay not to my Charge-[Here again may be named Particulars.] O cleanse me from all my fecret and unknown Transgreffions, and vouchfafe, O merciful Father, to be reconciled unto me, who am forry for my Sins, and grieved that I have offended thee, my moft gracious Lord and Mafter, to whom I owe all the Returns of Love and Duty that can poffibly be paid by a Creature to his Creator.

O Lord, referve not my Sins to be punished in the Day of thy fierce Anger; (for who can dwell with everlasting Burnings! who is able to abide the Fury of thy Wrath!) but spare me, O moft mighty God, and 6

merciful

merciful Saviour; and grant that I may never fall into thofe Evils, which my Sins have justly deserved. Thy Property is always to have Mercy; to thee only it ap pertaineth to forgive Sin; O turn away thy Anger from me, who meekly acknowledge my Vileness, and truly repent me of my Faults, and do now unfeignedly turn unto thee, with full Purpose and Refolution of Heart to serve thee faithfully, and to make it the great Care and Endeavour of my Life to pleafe and obey thee.

O Lord! there is nothing that I defire fo much, as to be of the Number of thy faithful and obedient Servants: Thy Favour is better than Life itfelf; thy Service is the moft perfect Freedom. O enable me, by the Affiftance of thy bleffed Spirit, to forfake all my Sins, and to reform whatever has been amifs in the Temper and Difpofition of my Mind, or in any of the Actions of my Life. Open thou mine Eyes, that I may fee the Vilenefs and Deformity, as well as Danger of Sin; that I may fly from all Appearance of Evil, and with an unwearied Diligence follow after and purfue the Things that make for my everlafting Peace. Grant, that for the Time to come I may live only unto thee, in an awful Fear of thy L 6

great

great Name, and a conftant Regard to thy blessed Will, keeping always a Confcience void of Offence, both towards thee, and all Men.

Give me Grace to fpend my Time religiously, foberly, and usefully, in the fubduing my Paffions, mortifying my corrupt Inclinations, and in the Practice of all thofe Duties thou requireft of me; that when thou fhalt think fit to take me out of this State of Trial and Temptation here, I may be received into that bleffed Kingdom, where all Tears fhall be wiped from my Eyes, and Sin and Death fhall be no more. Grant this, O merciful Father, through the Merits and for the Sake of thy Son, and my alone Saviour, Jefus Chrift. Amen.

A Prayer to be used at the fame Time, or Shortly after either of the foregoing Confefions.

Moft Gracious and Merciful Father,

who, in Pity and Compaffion to my Soul, haft given me this Opportunity of humbling myself before thee, accept, I carneftly intreat thee, of my unfeigned Sorrow for all the Sins which I have com