from us the sight and sense of our sins. Secondly, we should try ourselves by some heads of examination, such as are collected together in The Whole Duty of Man, or such as I have added at the end of this treatise, out of the measures of Christian obedience; and, where we find ourselves guilty, to write down the instances of our crimes. Thirdly, we should consider the several aggravations of our follies, whether committed against the light of our minds; with the free consent of our wills; and in despite of the checks of our own consciences ; whether they have been often repeated; whether transient acts or settled habits. Fourthly, we ought to observe all those previous steps that have made us transgress, and which have been the fatal occasions of betraying our virtue, and corrupting our innocence.

Q. What ought to follow this examination of ourselves?

A. Humble confession of our sins to God; hearty sorrow for having offended him; earnest supplications for pardon through the merits of our Saviour Jesus Christ; with firm purposes, and effectual resolutions of better obedience for the time to come, and of keeping at a distance from those occasions which have betrayed us. Where we have been preserved from guilt, we must give glory to God, and thankfully acknowledge that grace which hath restrained us from evil. If our sins have been not only against God, but against our neighbour, we must make him satisfaction: we must restore whatever we have unjustly taken from him by fraud or force; we must vindicate his reputation, if we have blemished it by calumny and evil speaking: we must endeavour his recovery, by making him sensible of such sins and dangerous errors as we have drawn him into, that he may be put into a way of pardon.

And we must from our hearts forgive those that have injured us, if we expect forgiveness from God.

Q. What are the great advantages of frequent examination?

A. It makes us thoroughly acquainted with ourselves, a knowledge which is of the greatest importance to us. It prompts us to repentance, as the only cure for that guilt which oppresses our minds. It disposes us to humility, from a lively sense of our frequent errors and miscarriages. It keeps our accounts clear and even; and consequently contributes very much to make death easy and comfortable to us; for how can that surprise us, when we are ready and prepared to give up our accounts? It is an admirable means to advance us towards Christian perfection, by making us careful to avoid those faults for the future, which we have discovered in our former conduct,

THE PRAYERS.

THANKFULNESS FOR CHRIST'S SACRIFICE, and for

IMITATING HIS EXAMPLE.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given thine only Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life; give me grace that I may always most thankfully receive this his inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavour myself to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

FOR TRUE RELIGION.

LORD of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; graft in my heart the love of thy name, increase in me true religion, nourish me with

all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep me in the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

FOR SERIOUS EXAMINATION OF OUR LIVES.

ALMIGHTY God, the great searcher of hearts, who knowest all our secret thoughts, nothing being hid from thine all-seeing eye; dispose me frequently to examine the state of my own mind, to compare my actions with the rule of thy laws, that nothing contrary to thy holy will may ever find a settled abode in my soul: but let me so consider my ways as to turn my feet unto thy testimonies: grant that I may so impartially judge and condemn myself, that I may not be condemned at thy dreadful tribunal. Let not self-love impose upon me in a matter of such vast consequence. Let not sloth and negligence deter me from keeping my accounts clear. Let no darling passion be so far indulged, as to escape the scrutiny of serious examination, and when, O Lord, I have discovered my own vileness, grant that by the assistance of thy grace, I may humble myself under the sight and sense of it; that I may from my heart condemn all those follies whereby I have provoked thy wrath and indignation against me; that I may earnestly solicit thy pardon and forgiveness through the merits of Christ the Son of thy love; that I may be careful to stand upon my guard for the future, and by prayer and watchfulness engage thy powerful protection, which is so necessary to support me in the hour of temptation, and the day of trial. Grant this, O Lord, for the sake of Jesus Christ, my only mediator and advocate. Amen.

The prayers for Good-Friday may properly be on every Friday.

A MORNING PRAYER FOR A FAMILY.

ALMIGHTY God! Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants present ourselves with all humility before thy divine majesty, to offer thee this our morning sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for all thy goodness and loving kindness vouchsafed to us thy sinful creatures. We bless thee for creating us after thine own image and likeness, for making us capable of loving thee and enjoying thee eternally. We bless thee for preserving us from innumerable accidents and dangers through the whole course of our lives till this time; for refreshing our bodies the night past with comfortable rest and sleep; for bringing us safe to the light of this day. We bless thee for our food and raiment, for our health and friends, and for all the comforts and accommodations of this life. But above all we praise and magnify thy holy name for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory; that it hath pleased thee to regenerate us with thy Holy Spirit, to receive us for thine own children by adoption, and to incorporate us into thy holy church: and we beseech thee to give us such a sense of thy great and manifold mercies bestowed upon us, as may engage us to a true thankfulness, such as may appear in our lives, by an humble, holy, and obedient walking before thee all our days.

We acknowledge, O Lord! that we have rendered ourselves unworthy of thy favours and blessings, by our great and many heinous sins; but we do with shame and sorrow confess our frequent breaches of thy holy laws, in thought, word, and deed; that we have left undone those things thou hast commanded; and done

those things thou hast forbidden; and it is of thy mercy alone that we are not consumed. Our sins have cried to heaven against us, and our iniquities justly call for vengeance upon us. But, O most mighty and merciful God, who hast compassion upon all men, and hatest nothing that thou hast made, who wouldest not the death of a sinner, but that he should rather turn from his sin and be saved; mercifully forgive us our trespasses, receive and comfort us who are grieved and wearied with the burden of our sins: thy property is always to have mercy; to thee only it appertaineth to forgive sins; spare us, therefore, good Lord, spare us, whom thou hast redeemed; enter not into judgment with thy servants, who are vile earth and miserable sinners; but so turn thine anger from us, who meekly acknowledge our vileness, and truly repent us of our faults; that by thy pardon and peace, we may be cleansed from all our sins, and may serve thee with a quiet mind all our days. Raise up, O Lord! thy power, and come among us and with great might succour us, that whereas through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us.

And thou, O God! who art the protector of all that trust in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy, increase and multiply upon us thy mercy, that thou being our ruler and guide, we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things eternal. We acknowledge, O Lord! that through the weakness of our mortal nature, we can do no good thing without thee; grant us, therefore, the help of thy grace, that in keeping thy commandments, we may please thee both in will and deed. And thou, who never failest to help and govern them whom thou dost bring up in thy stedfast fear and