and that at the best he is but an unprofitable servant. Guard him against the deceitfulness of his own heart, that he may neither mistake in the reality, nor in the value of his performances; but that he may "work out his salvation with "fear and trembling."-Whilst he aims at doing his duty, make him sensible how often he fails, in it; and that his only hope is in presenting with humility his imperfect services to thine acceptance through the merits and mediation of thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer which may be used by a notorious sinner, who has deferred his repentance till within a short time before his death.

See page 145.

ALMIGHTY God, and merciful Father of the spirits of all flesh, graciously hear, I beseech thee, the penitent supplication of a miserable sinner, deeply sensible of his guilt and wretchedness; and now humbly desirous of casting himself on thy mercy through thy blessed Son Jesus Christ, who by his bitter sufferings and death has atoned thy awful justice, and opened a new and living way to thy favour in behalf of all such as with truly contrite hearts desire to return to thee.

I have sinned with grievous aggravation; have not only offended thy justice, and dared thy avenging power, but have abused thy goodness, slighted the gracious calls of thy providence and Gospel, and shamefully indulged the corruptions of my own heart to the great dishonour of thy holy name, and the injury of my fellowcreatures. My guilt is too great for me to express, and such as no created power can remove; and I confess the righteousness of the sentence, which appoints me to suffer from thy justice the pains of everlasting punishment.

But, O Lord, most merciful, thou hast graciously declared, "there is forgiveness with thee;' "that thou desirest not the death of a sinner, but "that he should repent and live;" that thy Son Jesus Christ not only died for sinners, even the chief of sinners, but also that he now liveth at thy right hand to make intercession for them, that they may be brought to repentance; and so, returning unto thee with unfeigned sorrow for their past offences, with a lively faith in him, and with a sincere endeavour after obedience to thy will, they may be forgiven and admitted to the enjoyment of eternal life.

Encouraged by this most gracious goodness, I would fain look up to thy offended majesty with some hope even in these last moments of a very sinful life. O Lord, the most merciful God of salvation, "cast me not away from thy presence, I beseech thee, but for thy mercy's sake, in Christ Jesus, have compassion on me; support me in the awful hour of death, and admit me into thy blissful presence in the kingdom of glory, there to adore and praise thee world without end. Amen.

N. B. This prayer may be used occasionally by a dying profligate, or by a condemned malefactor. But for prayers of this kind see Dr. Dodd's "Exhortations and Prayers for the instruction "and comfort of malefactors under imprison"ment for capital offences, and more particularly for those under sentence of death."

Another Prayer to the same effect, which may be used with a notorious sinner. 147.

See page

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, Creator and Lord of all worlds, we kneel before the throne of thy grace, to petition thee in behalf of this

our sick brother, who has most grievously sinned against thee. He owns himself thy creature, and in thee he lives, moves, and has his being; that thou hast given him a reasonable and immortal soul, and hast made him subject to thy most wise, righteous, and gracious government.

But, O Lord, he has rebelled against thee, he has in innumerable and notorious instances transgressed thy equitable laws, defied thy awful justice, and slighted and abused thy great mercy, which has so often kindly warned him of his guilt and danger, and called him to repentance, by the most tender and condescending motives. Gracious God! he is ashamed of his baseness, presumption and ingratitude: he confesses his sins before thee with the deepest humiliation. He acknowledges the justice of that sentence of condemnation, which his conscience by thine authority has pronounced on him; and that it is of thy undeserved goodness and long suffering, that he is not utterly, and for ever undone, given up to darkness, despair and misery in another world.

Adored be thy name, that there is forgiveness with thee through the blood of thy Son Jesus Christ; and that, if any sinner "forsake his evil "thoughts and ways, and turn unto thee, thou "wilt have mercy on him, and abundantly par"don." (Isai. lv. 7.) On this mercy he would now humbly cast himself. O most gracious God and Father, let the precious blood, which thy Son Jesus Christ shed on the cross for sinners, plead for him; let thy grace this way manifested, be indeed applied to his conscience to purge it "from dead works that it may serve thee, the "living God." Grant, we beseech thee, the gracious influences of thy Holy Spirit further to enlighten his benighted mind; to purify his affections; and to quicken his prayers with new and spiritual life.

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He desires to thank thee for what he has read, or heard of thy mercy through Jesus Christ; and that thou hast so far awakened his conscience, and disposed his heart to seek thy mercy. He intreats thee, most gracious God, to impress it still deeper with these things; to quicken more and more his repentance and faith; and so to renew and purify his whole nature; that he may spend the short remains of his life in thy true fear, find at the awful hour of death thy gracious support, be at last received into thine adorable presence and enjoy the blessings of thine heavenly kingdom.

Hear us, most merciful God, and grant these our earnest requests, in the behalf of our sick brother, a most miserable sinner. Oh hear us for the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate, and thus glorify the riches of thy grace in his salvation. Amen.

A

prayer of Manasseh, king of Judah, (taken from the Apocrypha,) for mercy and pardon, when he was imprisoned in a dungeon at Babylon; suitable to any notorious sinner, who is truly penitent.

Compare this prayer with 2 Chron. xxxiii.

LORD Almighty God, who hast made heaven and earth, with all the ornaments thereof, who has bound the sea by the word of thy commandment, who has shut up the deep, and sealed it by thy terrible and glorious name; whom all men fear, and tremble before thy power; for the majesty of thy glory cannot be borne; and thy angry threatening towards sinners is insupportable: but thy merciful promise is unmeasurable and unsearchable; for thou art the most high Lord, of great compassion, longsuffering, very merciful, and repentest of the evils of men.

Thou, O Lord, according to thy great goodness, hast promised repentance and forgiveness to them who have sinned against thee, and of thine infinite mercies hast appointed repentance to sinners, that they may be saved: thou therefore, O Lord, who art the God of the just, hast not appointed repentance to the just*; but thou hast appointed repentance unto me, who am a sinner, for I have sinned above the number of the sands of the sea.

My transgressions, O Lord, are multiplied; and I am not worthy to behold and see the height of heaven, for the multitude of mine iniquities; [I am bowed down with many iron bands, that I cannot lift up my head, neither have any release; for I have provoked thy wrath, and done evil before thee; I did not thy will, neither kept I thy commandments.

Now therefore I bow the knee of mine heart, beseeching thee of grace: I have sinned, O Lord, and I acknowledge my iniquities; wherefore ĺ humbly beseech thee forgive me, and destroy me not: be not angry with me for ever, by reserving evil from me; neither condemn me into the lower parts of the earth: for thou art the God, even the God of them who repent; and in me thou wilt shew all thy goodness, for thou wilt save me, who am unworthy according to thy great mercy: therefore I will praise thee for ever all the days of my life; for all the powers of the heavens do praise thee, and thine is the glory for ever and ever. Amen.

The words of our Lord are, "joy shall be in heaven 66 over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and "nine just persons who need no repentance." Luke xv. 7. It cannot be supposed, that either Christ or Manasseh, meant that any man living, however just and exemplary in the sight of men, could need no repentance in the sight of God. But the true meaning of it is, that those, who are called just, do not need such deep repentance, or an universal change of mind and character, as sinners in general want.