due time from this state of warfare, to reign with thee in glory for evermore, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A PRAYER AFTER A RELAPSE INTO SIN.

O MY God! I am filled with confusion; I know not how to lift up my face unto thee, from whom I have so foolishly departed; and against whom I have so greatly sinned. I am ashamed to confess unto thee, what (alas!) I have not been afraid to commit against thee. Thou, Lord, hast made me to know better: but I have held the truth in unrighteousness; and therefore deserve to be beaten with many stripes, seeing that I have known thy will, but have not done it. Alas! how oft have I been taught (as with briers and thorns) what an evil and bitter thing it is, to trespass against the Lord! And yet I have repeatedly committed those very offences of which I have professed to repent, and of which I know I must repent. Nor have I only resisted the clearest light and conviction, but have trampled on the richest grace and love. Therefore I am inexcusable, O righteous Lord! and have nothing to say in my own defence. No, the guilt which I have contracted, stops my mouth. O into what a depth am I fallen! and is there any hope now for one, that has so wilfully, so heinously offended? O my Lord, the pardon and grace which I am necessitated to ask at thy hands, are much greater than I have any reason to expect; yet not greater than thou, the God of all grace, canst give; nor greater than thou hast promised to bestow upon all repenting and returning sinners. To all who turn from their iniquities thou

hast declared, that thou wilt have mercy upon them, and abundantly pardon; yea, thou hast made a way for their redemption by the death of thine own beloved Son. O then, let that blessed Saviour, whom thou hast sent into the world, exercise his power and pity towards me in this my woful condition! make for me some way to escape, that I may not be thus taken captive by the devil at his will. Gracious God! there is nothing in me but sin and misery; but with thee there is mercy: have mercy therefore, O Lord, have mercy on me for thy mercy's sake: spare me, good Lord, and withhold thine hand from inflicting upon me the vengeance I deserve: for thy own name's sake pardon mine iniquity, which is so exceedingly great: absolve me from the guilt of it, deliver me from its power, and cleanse me from the pollution of it. I confess with shame, that I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost: but O! bring me back to thy fold; bring me back to the Shepherd and Bishop of my soul; and advance thine own glory in saving the chief of sinners.

O Lord of love, the God of my mercy, speak peace unto my soul; and let me no more return to folly. Give me grace to mortify this my besetting sin: I have indeed broken my vows repeatedly; yet once more would I determine, through thy grace, to resist this enemy of my soul: I will go forth in thy strength: 0 do thou confirm my resolutions, and enable me to perform my vows. Thou compassionate God, that succourest the tempted, lead me not into temptation: but let thy good Spirit guide me, and thine everlasting arms be underneath me: uphold me that I may not fall: cause me to walk more circumspectly, and with full purpose of heart to cleave unto the Lord. O let these my repeated

falls increase my hatred of sin, and my watchfulness in thy ways: and let me, not only now, but at all times have the fear of thee before my eyes, and be continually leaning on the arm of my beloved, that so I may walk worthy of my high calling, and be kept by thy power through faith unto salvation. Amen and Amen.

ANOTHER HUMBLING OFFICE UNDER ANY FOUL FALL.

O JUST and holy God! what shall I say unto thee, and how shall I show my face before thee, after I have so highly affronted thy glorious Majesty, and violated thy righteous commands! O that I should have such lamentable occasion again to confess and bewail the sin, which I have so often confessed and bewailed! Holy Lord! I am ashamed that I have such need to repeat these confessions; and afraid lest my sins should have so provoked thee, that thou wilt hear me no more. O what mercy from the Father of mercies, do I experience, that the judgements which I have merited, are not executed upon me! What patience, but that of the long-suffering God, would ever bear with such a wretch, who has continued to provoke him every day? Most justly mightest thou, Lord, refuse to hear me now crying to thee in the anguish of my soul, since I have so often refused to hear thee, calling upon me by the motions of thy holy Spirit. O the havoc and desolation, which sin has made in my soul! Surely the many aggravations of my sin do make it beyond measure sinful: such frequent falls do ruin my hopes: so that I am ready to fear, lest thou shouldst abandon me to my wretched self, and leave me to be

filthy still; and to lie and perish in my sins, because I have revolted more and more.

Behold, I am vile in my own eyes; I abhor myself, and humble my soul in the dust before thee, O Lord! I acknowledge my transgressions, and am sorely afraid of thy judgements. My sins have taken such hold of me, that my heart fails me. Yet, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean, and make me whole. I come therefore once more to im

plore mercy for my perishing soul. Thou who hast charged us to forgive an offending brother seventy times seven (even as oft as he repents) wilt not thyself be less merciful to thine offending creatures, when they seek forgiveness at thy hands. Though we so often forget our duty, thou canst never forget to exercise mercy. A woman may sooner forget the fruit of her womb, than thou shut up thy compassions from the penitent and returning prodigal. Let that mercy then, O my Lord, that has hitherto so wonderfully endured me, be yet further exercised towards me, to the full extent of my necessities.

In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee; for thou wilt answer me. I believe, Lord, thy power and thy readiness to relieve those who prostrate themselves before thee. For that end didst thou, O blessed Saviour, come into the world: for that end didst thou shed thy precious blood; even that thou mightest atone for our sins, and reconcile us to our offended God. O that I who have the greatest need of that atonement, may feel the benefit of it; and that where sin has abounded, thy grace may much more abound! Look upon me, O Lord, as thou didst on thine offending disciple; to melt my heart into a kindly relenting, and penitent concern for this great evil. Make me to look on him whom

my sins have pierced; that I may mourn, and be in bitterness for the grievous offences, which I have committed against thee, the Lord of love, and the God of all my mercies. What is past, I cannot recall; but thou, my Lord and Saviour, canst remit it, and give me grace to repent of it. O give me such true repentance for it, that thou mayest blot it out of thy remembrance, and be reconciled to my guilty soul.

And grant, O gracious Lord, that the custom of sinning may not render me insensible of my guilt, or ever lead me to commit these great sins with little remorse. Nor let it so increase my sinful inclinations, that I should become a slave of corruption, or be induced to harbour within my soul its greatest enemies. Be thou, O Lord, my strong tower of defence, against them: and enable me to go on conquering and to conquer, till, in the name of the Lord, I have destroyed them. So often have I fallen by their hands, that I fear lest one day I should so fall by them, as never to rise again. But thou, my Strength and my Redeemer, art stronger than the strong one, and able to secure me from his most violent assaults. O blessed keeper of Israel! keep back thy servant from presumptuous sins: let them not have dominion over me: that I may be upright and innocent from the great transgression. Punish not my past sins by giving me up to commit iniquity with greediness: but subdue my iniquities that prevail against me; and pluck me out of the mire and the snare, for thy mercy's sake. O that the same mercy, which has hitherto so often spared me, may now be exercised in the renewal of my soul: let it so strengthen all the good things of thy grace within me, that I may be able to do all things con

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