fences at God's hands. But what fayeft thou, my foul? if I am able to make no reftitution or fatisfaction at all for the injury I have done my neighbour, muft I not come to the Sacrament; provided I acknowledge and confefs my fins to God, and promife in my mind to make amends whenever I am able?

VII. Yes certainly; for as God requires no impoffibilities, fo he expects no more than we are able to do and this being all the repentance we can fhew under an inability of mak ing fatisfaction for the prefent, we may be well affured, that where fuch a refolution of being juft and honeft is attended with a hearty contrition, that will be fufficient till we are able to put it into execution.

VIII. So that the fum of what I have faid is this, that confeffion and reftitution are the two external tokens of repentance; and I am perfuaded, that the rule and measure of confeffion (to the parties injured) is the benefits that would arife by it: and the rule and meafure of reftitution is a man's ability of making it. So that where mifchief and no good would come by confeffion, there I may repent without confeffion, except to God.

And

where I am able to make no reftitution, there I may repent fincerely without it: and fo may come to the holy facrament tho' I have done

See the exhortation to the Communion Service of the arch.

done much wrong and injury. Yet, as the exhortation* directs, in cafes of difficulty. you ought to confult your spiritual guide.

The Hymn for Wednesday Morning.
On confeffion of fins to God.

FI keep filence and conceal

IF

My heavy guilt within my heart,
What torments doth my confcience feel!
What agonies of inward fmart!
I fpread my fins before the Lord,
And all my fecret faults confefs;
ThyGospel speaks a pard'ning word,
Thy Holy Spirit feals the grace.
For this fhall every humble foul
Make swift addreffes to thy feat;
When floods of huge temptations roll,
There shall they find a bless'd retreat.
How fafe beneath thy wings I lie,

When days grow dark, and ftorms appear!
And when I walk, thy watchful eye
Shall guide me fafe from every fnare.

Another.

OW bleft the man, for ever bleft,

HOW

Whofe guilt is pardon'd by his God; Whofe fins with forrow are confefs'd, And covered with his Saviour's blood!

Bleft

* See the exhortation to the Communion Service of the Church.

Bleft is the man to whom the Lord

Imputes not his iniquities; He pleads no merit of reward,*

And not on worth but grace relies.

From guilt his lips and heart are free,
His humble joy, his holy fear,
With deep repentance well agree,

And join to prove his faith fincere.
How glorious is that righteousness,
That hides and cancels all his fins!
While a bright evidence of grace
Thro' his whole life appears and fhines.
The Prayer on Wednesday Morning.
For refignation and affiftance.

GOD, the creator and preferver of all mankind, by thee I have been holden up ever fince I was born; and by thy goodnefs it is, that I have been preserved the night past from all perils and dangers. Grant me a perpetual fenfe of thy goodness; that fo the remembrance of thy paft favours may beget in me fuch an humble reliance on thy fatherly care and good providence, that I may perfectly refign myfelf to thy difpofal in all things, as molt juft and righteous.

O let me never abufe thy patience, nor defpife thy goodnefs; but let thy fear be always before my eyes, that I may not fin against

* Romans ii.

against thee; but that, giving up myself entirely to thy fervice, I may endeavour in all things to obey thy bleffed will, and to keep a confcience void of offence both towards thee, and towards all men.

For which end, O Lord, vouchsafe me the affistance of thy Holy Spirit, for of myself I am not able to please thee; my nature being corrupt, and miferably prone to what is evil. I am every way befet with temptations, and my own experience fadly teaches me, how easily I am drawn away by the deceitful tempter. But, O thou, who art the Saviour of all that put their trust in thee, deliver me, I befeech thee, from that cruel enemy of my foul," who is daily lying in wait to destroy me; “be thou my strong hold, whereunto I may always refort; and evermore mightily defend me; for thou hast been my fuccour ever fince I was born; O leave me not to myself, neither forfake me, O God of my Salvation.”

Lead me, I beseech thee, in the way wherein I should go, guide me by thy right hand, and conduct me fafely through the dangerous fnares and temptations of this wicked world and though thou fhouldft permit me to fall into fevere trials, yet fuffer me not, I beseech thee, to be tempted above what I am able to bear; let no calamity ever drive

* Pfalm /xxi.

me

me from thee, nor any profperity cause me to forget thee. But,

Grant that all thy Providences towards me may work together for my good, and be a powerful means to bring me to thyself, and to an entire dependance upon thee; let not the world get poffeffion of my heart, which has been fo often dedicated to thy fervice: let not thofe pomps and vanities, which I have fo folemnly renounced, become the objects of my foolish defires; but be thou, O God, my only joy and delight, my ftay and fupport, my hope and my truft, my reft and comfort in this world, and my eternal blifs and happiness in that which is come.

In confidence whereof, O Lord, I humbly beg thy bleffing this day upon all my honeft defigns and undertakings; direct me in all my ways, that I may take nothing in hand but what is agreeable to thy blessed will; let no worldly intereft or advantage ever prevail upon me to depart from my integrity; but amidst the varous affairs of this life give me grace to fet thee always before my eyes, that I may not fin against thee; and grant that I may be daily preparing for thofe things that are eternal, tho' Jefus Chrift our blessed Lord and only Saviour, in whofe name and words, I commend to thy mercy and protection myself and all mankind, faying as he himself hath taught us, Our Father, &c.