CHAPTER XII.

THE SINNER'S PRAYER,

DEVOTIONAL TEXTS TAKEN FROM HOLY SCRIPTURE.

I. O Thou that hearest prayer: unto Thee shall all flesh come.-Psalm lxv., 2.

2.

Thou, O Lord, art our Father, our Redeemer: Thy name is from everlasting.-Isaiah lxiii., 16.

3. Look down from Heaven, and behold from the habitation of Thy holiness and of Thy glory.-Isaiah Ixiii., 15.

4. Cause me to hear Thy loving kindness in the morning; for in Thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto Thee.— Psalm cxliii., 8.

5. Lord, what is man, that Thou takest knowledge of him or the son of man that thou makest account of him! -Psalm cxliv., 8.

6. Man is like to vanity: his days are as a shadow that passeth away.-Psalm cxliv., 4.

7. Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: and see if there be any wicked way in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.-Psalm cxxxix., 23, 24.

8. Let my cry come near before Thee, O Lord; give me understanding according to Thy word.

I have gone astray like a lost sheep: seek Thy servant; for I do not forget Thy commandments.-Psalm cxix., 169, 176.

9. Give me understanding, and I shall keep Thy law : yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.-Psalm cxix., 34.

IO. Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit; or whither shall I flee from Thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall

The Sinner's Prayer.

Thy hand lead me, and Thy right hand shall hold me.— Psalm cxxxix., 7, 10.

II.

God be merciful to me a sinner!-Luke xviii., 13. 12. I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.-Psalm li., 3.

13. Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art my God.— Psalm cxliii., 10.

14. Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. Keep me as the apple of the eye: hide me under the shadow of Thy wings.-Psalm xvii., 5, 8.

15. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Thy mercy, remember Thou me, for Thy goodness' sake, O Lord.-Psalm xxv., 7.

16. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.... ...Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in Thy sight.-Psalm H., 2, 4.

17. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy loving-kindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.-Psalm li., 1.

18. And enter not into judgment with Thy servant; for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.-Ps. cxliii., 2. 19. O Lord, rebuke me not in Thine anger; neither chasten me in Thy hot displeasure.-Psalm vi., I.

20. I have sinned greatly, in that I have done and now, I beseech Thee, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Thy servant: for I have done very foolishly.-2 Samuel, xxiv., 10.

21. O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer: give ear, O God of Jacob.-Psalm lxxxiv., 8.

22.

Make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant: save me, for Thy mercies' sake.-Psalm, xxxi., 16.

23. Hide Thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Thy presence; and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.-Psalm li., 9, II.

24. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto Thee.-Psalm cii., 1.

25. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do defer not, for Thine own sake, O my God.Daniel, ix., 19.

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The Sinner's Prayer.

"Jesus! Lord! I kneel before Thee!
Bend from Heaven Thy gracious ear!
While my waiting soul adores Thee,
Friend of helpless sinners! Hear!

Not my sins, O Lord, remember;
Nor Thine own avenger be:
But, for Thy great tender mercy,
Saviour! God! deliver me!

Mercy! Mercy! God the Father!
God, the Son! Be Thou my plea!
God, the Holy Spirit! comfort!
Triune God! deliver me!"

PRAYER.

THE SINNER'S PRAYER.

O, Thou that hearest prayer: unto Thee shall all flesh come. Thou art our Father and our Redeemer. Lord, look down from Heaven upon us Thy servants; and behold us from the habitation of Thy holiness, and of Thy glory. Lord, hear our prayer. Lord, be Thou our helper. Cause us to know the way wherein we should walk; for we lift up our souls unto Thee. Search us, O Thou God of our salvation, and see if there be any wicked way in us. Lord, be merciful unto us: heal our souls; for we have sinned against Thee. Remember not, O Lord, the sins of our youth. For Thy Name's sake, O Lord, pardon our iniquity, for it is great. Lord, we have sinned greatly in that we have done. We are ashamed, O God; and we blush to lift up our face unto Thee. Lord, cast us not away from Thy presence Lord, give ear unto our prayer. O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken and do: defer not, for Thine own sake, O our God. Lord, hide not Thy face from us. Into Thy hand we commit our spirits, O Lord God of truth. AMEN.

END OF PART I.

PRAYERS OF INTERCESSION.

For use at the bedside of the Sick and Dying; in the Convalescent Chamber;

&c., &c., &c.

"O Jesus! Thou hast promised
To all who follow Thee,
That, where Thou art in glory,
There shall Thy servant be.

And, Jesus! I have promised
To serve Thee to the end:
O! Give me grace to follow

My Master and my Friend!

"The Prayer of Faith shall save the sick, and the Lord shall raise him up; and, if he hath committed sins, they shall be forgiven him."

"Pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual prayer of a righteous man availeth much."

"Brethren, if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him; let him know that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way shall save a soul from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins."-James v., 15, 16, 19, 20.

NOTE.

It may be objected, that some of the Prayers in this Manual are too long,-too diffuse. To meet such objections, the longer prayers have been arranged in sections, an asterisk, thus: * being placed at the end of, and below each section, which forms a complete prayer in itself. The intercessor will thus be guided where to begin, aud where to pause, or to cease praying for a time; or possibly, according to circumstances, to conclude his prayer.

The attention of the sick person may be called off by bodily suffering; or he may be too much enfeebled in body, or in mind, to fix his attention for a longer period.

A long prayer, and a strong prayer is, however, too often required to be used, before a groan of true penitence, sorrow, or regret, can be drawn from the hearts of those who have lived unto themselves, and not unto God. It is, indeed, hard to bring such, in faith and love, to the Cross of Jesus!-Editor.