XVI. FOR TRAVELLERS.
Coll. Post-Comm. in Pr. Bk.
"Assist us mercifully," &c.
Ep. Isa. xxxv. 8 to end.
Gosp. S. Luke xiii. 24-31.
Post-Comm. 24.

XVII. FOR THOSE AT SEA.

Coll. 546. Almighty and everlasting GOD, Who didst bid Blessed Peter Thine Apostle to come unto Thee upon the waters; be present with Thy servants who voyage by sea, and who put their trust in Thy mercy, that aided thereby they may in all safety and without hindrance reach the place whither they would go, and finally attain unto the haven of everlasting salvation. Through.

Ep. Jonah ii. 1—10.

Gosp. S. Mark iv. 35 to end.
Post-Comm. 92.

XVIII. FOR FAIR WEATHER.

Coll. in Pr. Bk. "O Almighty LORD GOD," &c.

Ep. Gen. ix. 11-17.

Gosp. S. Luke viii. 22-26.

Post-Comm. 547. Grant us, we beseech Thee, O LORD, such favourable weather as may be beneficial to the fruits of the carth, and profitable to the bodily health of Thy people. Through.

XIX. FOR RAIN.

Coll. in Pr. Bk. "O GOD, venly FATHER," &c.

XXII. HARVEST THANKSGIVING. Coll. 550. Grant us, O LORD, so to bless Thee with grateful hearts for the bounty of Thine earthly harvest, that fulfilled with Thy love we may bring forth fruit to Thee a hundredfold in this life, and in that harvest where the angels are the reapers we may be gathered as wheat into Thy garner. Through. Ep. Deut. xvi. 13-16.

Gosp. S. Luke xii. 16-22.

Post-Comm. 551. O God, Who pourest upon us the gifts of Thy mercy, grant us, we beseech Thee, so to use Thy temporal bounties that they may be comforts for the way as we hasten back to our counhea-try, and not temptations to linger here. Through.

Ep. S. James v. 16-19. Gosp. S. Matt. v. 43-46. Post-Comm. 548. O GOD, Who waterest the hills from above, and sendest Thy springs into the valleys; mercifully satisfy our soul in drought, and make of the thirsty land pools of water, that we may receive the fruits of the earth in their season, and may give thanks unto Thee. Through.

XXIII. IN TIME OF FAMINE. Coll. 1st of Occ. Prayers in Pr. Bk. "O GOD, heavenly FATHER," &c.

Ep. 1 Kings viii. 37-41.

Gosp. S. Matt. xv. 32-39.

Post-Comm. 2nd of Occ. Prayers in Pr. Bk. "O GOD, merciful FATHER," &c.

Post-Comm. 557. O God, Who XXXIV. FOR ONE CONDEMNED TO

art perfect love, grant unto Thy servants to bear one another's burdens with sincere affection, that Thy peace, which passeth all understanding, may keep our hearts and minds. Through Thy SON. Who with Thee.

XXXIII. FOR PRISONERS.

Coll. 558. O LORD JESU CHRIST, Who didst preach to the spirits in prison, and breaking the gates of brass, and smiting the bars of iron in sunder, didst lead captivity captive; look, we beseech Thee, in compassion on those that are holden in bonds or imprisonment, comfort them in all their afflictions, and as Thou didst bring Joseph out of his dungeon in Egypt, Daniel from the den of lions, and Peter out of the hands of Herod, so proclaim deliverance unto the captives, and bring them unto the glorious liberty of the children of GOD. Who livest.

Ep. 1 Kings viii. 46–51.
Gosp. S. Luke iv. 16-22.
Post-Comm. 171.

Post-Comm. for Prisoners
War, 281.

Coll.

Ep.
Gosp.

DEATH.

See Office, p. 41.

Post-Comm. 559. Almighty GOD, come, we beseech Thee, to the help of Thy servant now near to the hour of his death, that the power of the devil may not prevail against him, but that repenting him of all his sins he may at length find mercy with Thee. Through.

XXXV. A GENERAL THANKS-
GIVING.

Coll. 560. O GOD, of Whose mercy there is no end, and the treasure of Whose bounty is infinite; we give thanks to Thy Divine Majesty for the gifts of Thy loving-kindness, humbly beseeching Thee that the praise and thanksgiving which we begin here on earth we may, with all Thy ransomed saints, continue in heaven. Through.

Ep. Isa. xii. 1 to end.

Gosp. S. Luke xvii. 11-22.

Post-Comm. 561. O God, Whose mercy not only bestows bounties on the undeserving, but also puts into our hearts the desire of thanksgiving; grant us who partake of this holy mystery, that filled with the gifts of Thy loving-kindness, we may never cease to offer those of praises which we cannot sufficiently render. Through.

NOTES ON CONFESSION.

1. The Confessional is the tri- | bunal of mercy, not that of justice. 2. The practice of CHRIST in dealing with sinners is the pattern which a Confessor should set before him.

3. Therefore the qualities of a good Confessor are (1) gentleness in receiving sinners; (2) penetration in dealing with them; (3) vigour in rebuking and applying remedies.

4. The church, or at least its vestry, is the proper place for hearing Confessions. Avoid hearing them, especially those of women, in private houses, save in the case of sick persons.

5. Let all be done with as little mystery as possible, and as openly as is consistent with the nature of the ordinance.

6. The Priest, when hearing Confessions, should be vested in cassock, surplice, and violet or black stole.

7. A quarter of an hour is usually a sufficient time for an ordinary Confession.

8. Cases may occur when a longer time is required, such as a first Confession or a general Confession made at a subsequent period. The Priest should not hurry the penitent, nor betray weariness or impatience at the time which is occupied.

9. Therefore it is well not to fix such a time for hearing Confession as must insure great briefness, e.g., just before Divine Service.

10. Before hearing the Confession of a stranger, it is expedient to inquire his occupation and position in life; whether he have ever confessed before, and if so, how long ago, and why he has changed his Confessor; whether he have complied with the directions last given

him; whether, if he be an ignorant person, he knows the Creed and the Ten Commandments; but the Priest has no right to ask his name.

11. In ordinary cases, it is well that the heads (but only the heads) of the confession be written down by the Penitent, that the Priest may refer to them in making his comments. The order of the Decalogue is the most convenient.

12. Penitents who come without previous preparation should be sent back, unless the want of preparation arises from ignorance, or from some sudden cause needing prompt attention.

13. The Priest should pay special attention to class sins; e.g., dishonesty amongst traders, drunkenness amongst the poor, sloth and luxury amongst the rich, formalism amongst the clergy, &c.

14. He is not to interrupt the penitent, as a rule, so long as he goes on with his confession, but he may interpose to help when fear or ignorance has checked him.

15. He is to interrupt in any of the following cases: (1) if the penitent import the name of any person into his confession-he is there to confess his own sins, not another's; (2) if he begin making excuses for himself; (3) if he be prolix, or wandering from the point; (4) if he be coarse.

16. The Priest is to be especially careful not to allow any token of astonishment or disgust to escape him, lest he should repel or dishearten the penitent.

17. As a general rule, he is to avoid questioning the penitent (except in case of absolute necessity), and especially as to kinds of sin to which he has made no reference in his confession. Questions are worse than useless when he can gather as

much as is needful for him to know out any real penitence; (2) when without them. the penance enjoined at a previous Confession has been wilfully neglected; (3) when no efforts have been made to overcome the besetting sin; (4) when the penitent declines to avoid company and places, out of the path of his duty, which tempt him to sin; (5) when he continues, without absolute necessity, in a calling which tends to lead him into sin; (6) when no attempt at forgiveness, amends, or restitution has been made in the case of enmity, scandal, or wrongdoing; (7) when the Priest knows that the penitent is keeping back some sin which he ought to confess, unless such knowledge is derived from the confession of another person, in which case he has no right to use it against the penitent.

18. He should always inquire whether the penitent has performed the penance last enjoined him, and whether he has tried to make amends in case of wrong-doing. Other cases in which he should question are (1) when a penitent is too ignorant, too nervous, or too timid to make a continuous statement; (2) when the Priest has reason to suspect that some important particular, which either aggravates the offence or is necessary to account for it, is kept back; (3) when it is needful for him to know whether the sin confessed is an isolated act or part of a chain of habit; (4) when he has from other sources knowledge of sin which the penitent has not confessed; (5) when he has reason to believe that the penitent is unconscious of, or underrates some sin. In a word, the duty of the Confessor to ascertain what is the real burden on the penitent's soul.

19. The Priest should take most especial care not to suggest any new sinful idea to the mind of the penitent, nor to teach him any evil formerly unknown to him. This is unspeakably important in the case of very young persons, since for them ignorance of evil is often better even than knowledge of good. 20. When a penitent is afraid to confess any particular sin,the Priest may often encourage him by assuming that the sin is much graver than any which he is likely to have committed.

21. A frequent change of Confessors is to be discouraged: for such change is often due to mere caprice, or to an unwillingness to break off habits which the former Confessor has condemned,andwhich it is hoped that the new one may overlook.

23. The Priest should carefully impress upon penitents that penances are in no respect payment or atonement for sin. They are merely (1) tests of contrition, by showing readiness on the part of the penitent to undergo punishment; (2) remedies to prevent the repetition of sin.

24. Penances must be adapted to the age, sex,condition, and spiritual needs of each penitent; e.g. fasting is unsuitable for invalids and children, and long forms of devotion for the ignorant.

25. The spiritual questions to be considered in imposing penances are (1) the degree of sinfulness; (2) the condition of the penitent; (3) the amount of correction needful. The severity as well as the kind of penance will vary according to these conditions.

26. A good penance is one which is at once punitive, remedial, and simple.

27. A penance is a bad one which is unduly severe or lax, or which consists of minute or complicated details difficult to be carried out.

22. Cases in which Absolution should be refused or deferred are as follows: (1) when the Confession appears to be merely formal, with-ly