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fings and benefits which are purchased and procured for us by his death and paffion; the pardon of fins, and power against fin.

The benefit of it is alfo great; because hereby we are confirmed in goodness, and our refolutions of better obedience are ftrengthened; and the grace of God's Holy Spirit to enable us to do his will is hereby conveyed to us.

And the best preparation for it is by a fincere repentance for all our fins and mifcarriages, which we remember ourselves to be at any time guilty of; by daily prayer to God that he would give us a fincere repentance for all our fins, and mercifully forgive them to us; and by a fincere and firm refolution to forfake our fins, and to do better for the future; to be more careful of all our actions, and more constant in prayer to God for his grace to enable us to keep his commandments: by being in charity with all men ; and by forgiving thofe who have injured us by word or deed, as we hope for forgiveness from God,

And let none of us fay, that we are not fitted and prepared for it. It is our duty to be fo: and if we be not prepared to receive the facrament, we are not qualified for the mercy of God, and for his forgivenefs; we are not prepared for the happiness of heaven, and can have no hopes to come thither: but if we prepare ourselves as well as we can by repentance, and refolutions of being better, and by praying heartily and earnestly to God for his grace, he will accept of this preparation, and will give us the comfort of this holy facrament.

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A form of PRAYERS, ufed by his late Majefty K. William III. when he received the holy facrament, and on other occafions.

JOHN ix. 4.

I must work the works of him that fent me, while it is day; the night cometh, when no man can work.

COLOS. iii. 17.

Whatfoever ye do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

A prayer to God, that he would be pleafed to affift and accept my preparation to receive the blessed facrament.

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Proftrate myself before thee, my most gracious God and merciful Father, in an humble acknowledgment of my unworthiness and infufficiency of myfelf, for any thing that is good. I am fenfible that without thee I can do nothing, and therefore do humbly implore thy gracious affiftance, and acceptance of my endeavour to prepare myself for the worthy receiving of the bleffed facrament of the body and blood of thy dear Son.

Stir up, I beseech thee, fuch pious affections and difpofitions in my foul, and fill my mind with fuch holy meditations as are fuitable to this occafion. Grant me fuch a fenfe of my fins, and of the fufferings of my bleffed Saviour for them, as may affect my heart with a deep forrow for my fins, and an eternal hatred and difpleafure against them, and may effectually engage me to love and live to him who died for me, Jefus Chrift my bleffed Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.

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A penitent confeffion of fins, with an humble supplication for mercy and forgiveness.

M OST gracious and merciful God, who art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, I defire to humble my foul before thee, in a deep fenfe of my own vilenefs and unworthinefs, by reafon of the many fins and provocations, which I have been guilty of against thy divine Majefty; by thought, word and deed. Forgive, O Lord, all the fins and follies of my life, which have been many and great, and which I do now with fhame and forrow confefs and bewail before thee, for thy mercies fake in Jefus Christ. Pardon, O my God, my manifold neglects and omiffions, and flight and careless performance of the duties of religion, without due affection and attention of mind; that I have not ferved thee with that purity of intention, with that fincerity of heart, with that fervency of fpirit, with that zeal for thy glory, with that care and diligence, and conftancy that I ought.

Forgive, O Lord, my fins of ignorance and infirmity, which are more than can be numbered; but efpecially, all my wilful tranfgreffions of thy holy and righteous laws; the impurity of my heart and thoughts, all irregular appetites and paffions, and every finful and wicked practice, of what nature or kind foever. More particularly, I do with great fhame and confufion of face, confefs and lament before thee, from whom nothing is hid, that I have grievously offended t. These my tranfgreffions, with mány more, which I cannot remember and reckon up before thee, are all in thy fight, O Lord, and my moft fecret fins in the light of thy countenance. When I look back upon the errors and mifcarriages of my paft life, and confider with myself what I have done, and what I deferve at thy hands, my flesh trembleth for fear of thee, and I am afraid of thy judgments. I am afhamed, O my God, and blush to lift up mine eyes to thee my God. Lord, I am vile; what shall

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Here he was used to mention particulars.

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I answer thee? I abhor myself, and repent in duft and ashes.

Make me deeply fenfible of the great evil of my fins, and work in me a hearty contrition for them; and let the fenfe of them be more grievous to me than of any other evil whatfoever. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, and according to thy tender mercies forgive all my tranfgreffions, for the fake of my bleffed Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.

A prayer for the grace and affiftance of God's Holy Spirit, to enable me to refolve and to do better for the future.

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ND now, O Lord, in confidence of thy great mercy and goodness to all that are truly penitent, and fincerely refolve to do better, I moft humbly implore the grace and affiftance of thy Holy Spirit, to enable me to become every day better, and to reform whatever has been amifs in the temper and difpofition of my mind, or in any of the actions of my life. Grant me the wifdom and understanding to know my duty, and the heart and will to do it. Vouchfafe to me the continual prefence and direction, the affiftance and comforts of thy Holy Spirit; whereby I may be difpofed and enabled to do thy will with delight, and with patience and chearfulness, and contentednefs to fubmit to it in all things. Endue me, O Lord, with the true fear and love of thee, and with a prudent zeal for thy glory. Increase in me more and more the graces of charity, and meeknefs, of truth, and justice, and fidelity; give me humility and patience, and a firmnefs of fpirit to bear every condition with conftancy and equality of mind.

Enable me, O Lord, by thy grace to govern all my appetites, and every inordinate luft and paffion, by temperance and purity, and meeknefs of wisdom; fetting thee always before me, that I may not fin against thee. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me, purify my foul

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from all evil thoughts and inclinations, from all bad intentions and defigns. Deliver me, O Lord, from pride and vanity, from immoderate felf-love, and obftinate felf-will, and from all malice and envy, and ill-will towards any.

Make me to love thee as I ought, above all things; and let the intereft of thy honour and glory be ever dearer to me than my own will, or reputation, or any temporal advantage whatfoever.

Subdue in me the evil fpirit of wrath and revenge, and dispose my heart patiently to bear reproaches and wrongs, and to be ready not only to forgive, but to return good for evil.

Affift me, O Lord, more efpecially in the faithful and confcientious difcharge of the duties of that high tation in which thou haft placed me: And grant that I may employ all that power and authority which thou hatt invefted me with, for thy glory and the publick good; that I may rule over men in thy fear, with juftice and equity, ever ftudying and endeavouring the good of the people committed to my charge, and as much as in me lies the peace and. profperity, the welfare and happinefs of mankind.

Confirm me, O my God, in all these holy refolutions; and do thou keep it for ever in the purpofe of my heart, to perform them to the utmost of my power: All which I humbly beg for thy mercies fake: in Jefus Chrift. Amen.

An humble interceffion with God for all mankind; for the whole Chriftian church, and more parti-cularly for that part of it which is planted in thefe kingdoms; for the Queen, and for all under our government; for my relations and friends; for my native country, and for my allies, &c..

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Thine unworthy fervant defire likewife humbly to intercede with thee, the God and father of all, for all mankind: that thou wouldst be pleased tow

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