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joined with fasting. That "great day of expiation," commanded by God for the putting away of sin, was a fasting-day and for this corporeal mortification, as well as for the spiritual compunction, it was called "a day wherein to afflict the soul."

The many admonitions and examples of fasting, both in the Old and New Testament", and its frequent conjunction with prayer, may sufficiently convince us of the necessity of this duty, when we implore the pardon of our sins; as also of other acts of mortification, for the taming and subduing of the flesh', which hath so shamefully rebelled against the spirit, as in the thorough confession of sins is acknowledged.

13. That you may be both humbled for your sins, and yet not despair of mercy and forgiveness, meditate upon the bitter sorrows and sufferings of our blessed Redeemer,

Behold Him with the eye of faith and devout meditation, expanded on the cross, as on a tormenting-rack see Him naked, and racked, and wounded, and bleeding for thy sins: no part of his Body untormented, no power of His Soul unsacrificed, no drop of His Blood unshed, for thine offences. His tender Skin and delicate Flesh was torn, and rent, and razed, by cruel lashes with forked whips; His Head crowned with thorns, the curse of the earth; His Sinews cracked, His Veins burst, his Joints disparted,

i Lev. xvi. 29, 30; Isaiah Iviii. 3, 5. 21; Luke ii. 37. 1 1 Cor. ix. 27; Gal. v. 17.

k Joel ii. 12; Matt. xvii.

and all His Bones started aside: whilst in the midst of these torments, He offered up His Soul a Sacrifice for thy sins.

And it is this precious Blood thus shed and applied to thy heart, if any thing, will mollify its hardness, and melt thee into tears of compunction for thy sins, the cause of thy Saviour's sufferings; into tears of compassion with thy Redeemer in His Passion for thee; into tears of devotion, in the dedication of thy whole self unto the service of His Majesty, Who gave Himself wholly to redeem and save thee.

And because meditations upon this subject are of all others most effectual to excite compunction and devotion in the heart, and obtain mercy; I have therefore annexed some short meditations on the several mysteries of our redemption, and our Saviour's Passion, wherein every one may enlarge himself, as his devotion shall suggest.

14. In the confession of your sins, as in every one of your set solemn constant prayers unto God, it will be very imprudent, and too presumptuous, to trust to your own extempore expressions, and boldly say only what at present comes into your mind; for this is to be as one of them that tempt the Lord"." And by such rash, inconsiderate addresses, you offer to the all-wise God" the sacrifice of fools"."

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There is no malefactor that petitions his judge for the pardon of his crime, but will pen his petition, and study to do it in such words as are pertinent, and

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not superfluous, that he offend not by any tedious, prolix, or unnecessary expressions. And we cannot sure be less considerate and careful, when we petition the great Judge of the world for the pardon of our sins, which would otherwise sink our souls to eternal horror.

For the right performance therefore of a duty of so high concernment, we have many forms of confession upon record in the Book of God", and other books of practical devotion, both ancient and modern. But because such generals reach not punctually to the particulars of self-examination proposed, I have hereunto added, for the greater ease of the reader, a form of confession, whereunto every man may add or diminish, as his conscience tells him he is guilty or not guilty, also as he finds himself more or less guilty remembering to enlarge upon every general head of confession, the enumeration of all such particular sins as relate thereunto.

And because there be few devout, orthodox, good Christians, but are affected with what is ancient and primitive, more than with the modes of new and modern devotion; I have therefore added one form of confession out of the Bibliotheca Patrum, for its antiquity, and the general extent thereof.

15. After the confession of your sins, the most effectual prayers you can use for the pardon of them, are, next to the Lord's Prayer, the Penitential Psalms; the praying whereof with understanding and devo

o Dan. ix. 4, &c.; Hos. xiv. 2, 3; Baruch i. 15, &c.; Luke xv 18, 21.

tion, is truly and indeed to pray by the Holy Spirit of God for such are undeniably the dictates of God's Holy Spirit. I have therefore added the said Psalms, with the Lord's Prayer, paraphrased, that in the devout use thereof you may "pray by the Spirit, and with understanding also"."

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A FORM OF CONFESSION OF SIN, FITTED TO THE RULES OF SELFEXAMINATION, WHEREUNTO EVERY ONE MAY ADD OR SUBTRACT, AS HE FINDS HIMSELF GUILTY OR NOT GUILTY.

En the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

SINS AGAINST THE BAPTISMAL VOW IN GENERAL.-TO RENOUNCE THE DEVIL AND ALL HIS WORKS;

BUT I am unworthy, O Lord, to take Thy holy Name in my mouth, ashamed to lift up mine eyes to Heaven; for I have sinned against Heaven and before Thee, in that I have daily broken my vow and promise made unto the God of Heaven. I am unworthy to be called Thy son, having obeyed the suggestions, and done the works of the devil; and I do therefore justly deserve, as a child of the devil, to have my portion with him and his angels; for, with those apostate spirits, I have not kept to my first estate of regeneration in Baptism, but have transgressed all the particulars of that covenant which I made with my God therein.

God be merciful unto me a miserable sinner.

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