which we can never be too diligently employed. And yet, on the other hand, I find my head fo out of order, my fpirits fo faint and low, and my thoughts fo fluctuating and difcompofed, that I am in a man. ner fit for nothing; but by no means fit to go thro with fo great a work, as an entrance upon a new courfe of life would be.

Theoph. I am fenfible that a fick man has enough to take up his thoughts, upon the account of the uneafinefs of his condition, and need not therefore to have deferred any work of moment till that time.

Timoth. It once affected me very nearly, to hear a good man loaded with years, and of a very infirm and broken conftitution, though not then labouring under any present fickness, intreat his auditors from the pulpit to believe, what he found by certain experience, that old age, and a crazy body, were very ill qualifications for the performance of any matter of confequence and difficulty, and particularly for the great work of repentance. And I could eafily believe him; and did heartily wifh, that both myself, and all then present, would be invited speedily to apply ourselves to it, as being firmly perfuaded, it would both deserve and require all our ftrength and vigour, and our most serious and undisturbed thoughts, to bring fo great a change about.

Theoph. The cafe is fo very plain, that one would think it hardly poffible, for any man of common understanding, to put off his repentance a day longer. And daily experience fadly fhews, that nothing is more common with the generality, even of them who call themselves chriftians, and profefs to have their converfation in heaven, and to be laying up their treafures there, than to live as if they had no hope of a future ftate.

Timoth. They go on in the croud, and think to fare as well as their neighbours: and because they see their companions, and all about them, heedlefly follow their own imaginations, and tho' they own a ne

ceflity

ceffity of repenting fome time or other, are yet loth to fet about it; they therefore take the fame deftructive course, in hope that when they come to languish upon a fick bed, and are fit for nothing else, they shall have time enough to do that, which all their life long they could never be prevailed with to fet about, tho' it ought to have been the business of their whole lives; till perhaps they are taken away by fudden death, and fo never lie fick at all; or, if they do, their fickness proves fuch, as either employs all their thoughts with the acutenefs of its pains, or the intenseness of its heat and thirft; or their heads are fo disturbed, that they rove and wander, and are fit for nothing that is ferious; but especially, not for taking a review of their past conversation, and makeing a judgment of themselves from it. And thus all their good purposes prove abortive, and ferve to no other end, but to delude and deceive them here, and render them everlaftingly miferable hereafter.

Anchith. This is a very melancholick confideration; but the fact is too evident to be denied.

Timoth. Now you find the comfort of not having been one of this inconfiderate tribe, but having taken care in time to do what now it would be out of your power to do as you ought.

Anchith. I would not have been one of them for all the world. I ever admired at the folly of fuch as could find in their hearts to venture their eternal state, upon the uncertainty of a late repentance, which too probably might never be at all, or at least never be fuch as to restore them to the favour of God, and an intereft in his promises of mercy and falvation.

Theoph. You have ever acted as a wife man, but never fo truly in any refpect as in this; all the concerns of this prefent world being nothing in comparifon of the ineftimable felicity of that which is to come, nor any fort of tortures that can befal us here bearing any proportion to thofe everlasting, whereto the reprobate will be adjudged in a future state.

Anchith.

Anchith. I confefs, and defire to do it with fhame and true compunction of foul, that I have been a great finner; tho' I thank my God, I have made it my study for the greater parr of my life, to forfake my fins, and live in the practice of the contrary virtues; relying upon God thro' Chrift, for the pardon of my miscarriages, and ability to reform and amend: yet not fo fuccessfully, but that after all the care I have hitherto taken, I find I have business enough now upon my hand, in fuing to God for pardon, and trimming my lamp, and fitting myfelf for my Lord's appearance, that I may be accepted by him at his coming. Wherefore,

A Confeffion of Sin.

I.

Most boly, most glorious, and most gracious Lord God, who defireft not the death of a finner, but that he should turn from his ways and live; caft an eye of pity and compassion upon thine unworthy fervant, and eftrange not thyself from me by reafon of my undutifulness. I confefs, O Lord, with the utmost fhame and felf-abafement, that I have highly offended thy Divine Majefty, and forfeited all pretence to thy favour. It is of thy mercy that I am not long fince confumed, that thou hast not cut me off, and caft me into the furnace of fire, where is weeping, and wailing, and gnashing of teeth for evermore. Wherefore I defire to humble myself before thee in the most submissive manner, to lament and be beartily forry for my fins. 1 bave finned against infinite love, and the most endearing expreffions of kindness, against the clearest revelations of thy holy word, and the most powerful arguments for engaging me to a better obedience; and have repeated my tranfgreffions from day to day, and from year to year. And now, Lord, what can I expect but that thine indignation fhould be kindled against me, and thou fhouldeft fwear, in thy wrath, that I shall never enter into thy rest? This miferable ftate I bave brought myself into; as I cannot otherwife reflect,

than

than with bitterness and anguish of foul. It cuts me to the heart, to think I should have thus grofly abused thy goodness, and difobeyed thy laws. And, in a just sense of this my inexcufable folly and baseness, I now apply myself to thee by a hearty repentance; in hope that thou wilt not caft me off when I do fo, but wilt extend thy kindnefs to me, as thou useft to do, to those that fear thy name, through thy only Son our Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

OH!

A Prayer for Pardon of Sins.

II.

H! bleffed God, I beseech thee, deal not with me according to my own weaknesses and imperfections, my neglects and omiffions, my heedleffness and inadvertency, much less according to my more heinous, my wilful and deliberate, my fouler and more abominable, my open, my repeated, my habitual offences; but after the multitude of thy mercies blot out all mine iniquities. Think upon me, O Lord, for thy goodness; and for thy great name's fake, and thy dear Son's fake, be reconciled to me, as if I had never finned against thee. If thou fhouldeft confider me as I am in myself, I could hope for nothing but mifery and deftruction: even the best of my services are pollutive and defective, and stand in great need of thy mercy and forgiveness. And my wilful and more dreadful provocations call loudly for thine indignation upon And what fhall I fay unto thee, O thou preferver of men? My own heart condemns me; my mifdoings teftify against me; and thou, who knowest them all much better than myself, together with their several aggravations, might justly condemn me. But my comfort is, that with thee the Lord there is mercy, that thou mayeft be feared, and with thy Son is plenteous redemption. For his fake forgive me all my paft tranfgreffions, whether in thought, word, or deed; thofe I remember, and thofe 1 have forgotten; fuch as my confcience fadly accuses me of, and fuch as have escaped my notice; my fins against thee my God, against my neighbour, and against myself; pardon them all, without exception of any one among ft

me.

them,

them, that they may neither be charged upon me to my foame and confufion here in this world, nor to my everI have undone mylafting ruin in that which is to come. felf; but in thee is my help; and to thee therefore do I flee for fuccour. Reject me not, O Lord, in my diftrefs, nor fhut up thy bowels of compaffion from me. But own me for thy fon by adoption and grace, and fave me from the vengeance due to my manifold provocations: whatfoever I have done that I ought not to bave done, or left undone that I ought to have done, or whereinfoever I have violated thy most holy laws, wash it all away, I most humbly beseech thee, with my Saviour's blood: And look upon me as a returning prodigal, who am fincerely penitent for all my miscarriages, the follies of my childbood, the extravagancies of my youth, and the flips and errors, together with all the other iniquities, of my riper years. And fpare me, O Lord, fpare me, and of thy Deal not great goodness command deliverance for me.

with me according to my fins, nor reward me after mine iniquities; but lift up the light of thy countenance upon me. Call to mind thy loving kindneffes, which have been ever of old, and vifit me with thy falvation. Thou knoweft my frame, and that I am but duft; and may it therefore pleafe thee to extend thy pity to me, and receive me again into thy favour! Enter not into judgment with thy fervant, who am vile earth, and a miferable finner; but fo turn thine anger from me, who meekly acknowledge my vileness, and truly repent me of my faults, and so make hafte to help me in this world, as that I may never be condemn'd with the wicked in the world to come, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. Another for Improvement in Goodness, and a right Preparation for a happy Death.

III.

HEAL my foul, for I have finned against thee. And if it fhall be thy good pleasure to prolong my days here upon earth, grant I may improve the time thou halt allow me, to thy glory, and my own everlasting wel

fare,