thily deserve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

God, who sparest when we God, who sparest when we deserve punishment, and in thy wrath rememberest mercy; we humbly beseech thee, of thy goodness, to comfort and succour all those who are under reproach and misery in the house of bondage; correct them not in thine anger, neither chasten them in thy sore displeasure. Give them a right understanding of themselves, and of thy threats and promises; that they may neither cast away their confidence in thee, nor place it any where but in thee. Relieve the distressed, protect the innocent, and awaken the guilty: And forasmuch as thou alone bringest light out of darkness, and good out of evil, grant that the pains and punishments which these thy servants endure, through their bodily confinement, may tend to setting free their souls from the chains of sin; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

nient, may

Here the Minister, as he shall see converead the Prayer for All conditions of Men, the Collect for Ash-Wednesday, and the Collect beginning, Almighty God, the fountain of all wisdom, &c. or any ather Prayer of the Liturgy, which he shall judge proper.

¶ Then shall the Minister exhort the Prison er or Prisoners after this Form, or other

like:

ᎠᎬ

EARLY beloved, know this, that Almighty God, whose never-failing providence governeth all things both in heaven and earth, hath so wisely and mercifully ordered the course of this world, that his judgments are often sent as fatherly corrections to us; and if with due submission and resig

nation to his holy will we receive the same, they will work together for our good.

It is your part and duty, therefore, to humble yourself under the mighty hand of God, to acknowledge the righteousness of his judgments, and to endeavour, that, by his grace, this present visitation may lead you to a sincere and hearty repentance.

The way and means thereto is, to examine your life and conversation by the rule of God's commandments; and whereinsoever you shall perceive yourself to have offended either by will, word, or deed, there to bewail your own sinfulness, and to confess yourself to Almighty God, with full purpose of amendment of life. And if you shall perceive your of fences to be such as are not only against God, but also against your neighbours; then to reconcile yourself to them, being ready to make restitution and satisfaction, according to the uttermost of your power, for all injuries and wrongs done by you to any other: and being likewise ready to forgive others Who have offended you, as you would have forgiveness of your offences at God's hand. And to this true repentance and change of mind you must add a lively and steadfast faith, and dependence upon the merits of the death of Christ, with an entire resignation of yourself to the will of God. Except you repent, and believe, we can give you no hope of salvation: But if you do sincerely repent and believe, God hath declared, though your sins be as red as scarlet, they shall be made white

AVE mercy upon me, Ọ

nesses have gone over your head, yet shall they not be your destruction.

We exhort you therefore in the name of God, and of his dear Son Jesus Christ our Saviour, and as you tender your own salvation, to take good heed of these things in time, while the day of salvation lasteth; for the night cometh, when no man can work. While you have the light, believe in the light, and walk as children of the light, that you be not cast into outer darkness; that you may not knock, when the door shall be shut; and cry for mercy, when it is the time of justice. Now you are the object of God's mercy, if by repentance and true faith you turn unto him: but if you neglect these things, you will be the object of his justice and vengeance: Now you may claim the merits of Christ; but if you die in your sins, his sufferings will tend to your greater condemnation. O beloved, consider in this your day, how fearful a thing it will be to fall into the hands of the living God, when you can neither fly to his mercy to protect you, nor to the merits of Christ to cover you in that terrible day.

Here the Minister shall examine him concerning his Faith, and rehearse the Articles of the Creed, Dost thou believe in God, &c. And the Prisoner shall answer,

All this I steadfastly believe.

Then shall the Minister examine whether he repent him truly of his sins, and be in charity with all the world, and further admonish him particularly concerning the crimes wherewith he is charged; and exhort him, if he have any scruples, that he

would declare the same, and prepare himself for the Holy Communion, against the time that it may be proper to administer it

to him.

Then, all kneeling, the Minister shall say as follows, from the 51st Psalm :

ness; according to the multitude of thy mercies, do away mine offences.

Wash me thoroughly from my wickedness; and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my faults; and my sin is ever before me.

Against thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight; that thou mightest be justified in thy saying, and clear when thou art judged.

Behold, I was shapen in wickedness; and in sin hath my mother conceived me.

But lo, thou requirest truth in the inward parts; and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly.

Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Thou shalt make me hear of joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Turn thy face from my sins and put out all my misdeeds.

Make me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

O give me the comfort of thy help again; and stablish me with thy free Spirit.

Then shall I teach thy ways unto the wicked; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, thou that art the God of my health; and my tongue shall sing of thy righte

ousness.

Thou shalt open my lips, O

Lord; and my mouth shall show thy praise.

For thou desirest no sacrifice, else would I give it thee; but thou delightest not in burntofferings.

The sacrifice of God is a troubled Spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, shalt thou not despise.

¶ Then the Minister shall say, Let us pray.

Lord, we beseech thee,

the sentence and condemnation of the law: You are shortly to suffer death in such a manner, that others, warned by your example, may be the more afraid to offend; and we pray God, that you may make such use of your punishments in this world, that your soul may be saved in the world to come.

Wherefore we come to you in the bowels of compassion; and, being desirous that you

ers, and spare all those who confess their sins unto thee; that they, whose consciences by sin are accused, by thy merciful pardon may be absolved, through Christ our Lord. Amen.

God, whose mercy is everlasting, and power infinite; look down with pity and compassion upon the sufferings of this thy servant; and whether thou visitest for trial of his patience, or punishment of his offences, enable him by thy grace cheerfully to submit himself to thy holy will and pleasure. Go not far from those, O Lord, whom thou hast laid in a place of darkness, and in the deep; and forasmuch as thou hast not cut him off suddenly, but chastenest him as a Father; grant that he, duly considering thy great mercies, may be unfeignedly thankful, and turn unto thee with true repentance and sincerity of heart, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ Prayers for Persons under Sentence of

Death.

When a Criminal is under Sentence of Death, the Minister shall proceed, immediately after the Collect, O God who sparest, &c. to exhort him after this Form, or other like:

EARLY beloved, it hath

his justice, to bring you under

the one hand, and despair on the other, shall plainly lay before you the wretchedness of your condition, and declare how far you ought to depend on the mercies of God, and the merits of our Saviour. Consider then seriously with yourself, in all appearance the time of your dissolution draweth near; your sins have laid fast hold upon you; you are soon to be removed from among men by a violent death; and you shall fade away suddenly like the grass, which in the morning is green and groweth up, but in the evening is cut down, dried up, and withered. After you have thus finished the course of a sinful and miserable life, you shall appear before the Judge of all flesh; who, as he pronounces blessings on the righteous, shall likewise say, with a terrible voice of most just judgment, to the wicked, Go, ye accursed, into the fire everlasting, prepared for the devil and his angels.

Your sins have brought you too near this dreadful sentence: It is therefore your part and duty, my brother, humbly to confess and bewail your great

pent you truly of your sins, as

as he putteth his full trust only in thy mercy, impute not unto him his former sins, but strengthen him with thy blessed Spirit; and when thou art pleased to take `him hence, take him unto thy favour: This we beg through thy merits, O Lord, our Saviour and our Redeemer. Amen. ¶Then the Minister shall say,

Father of mercies and God of all comfort; we fly unto thee for succour in behalf of this thy servant, who is now under the sentence of condemnation. The day of his calamity is at hand, and he is accounted as one of those who go down into the pit. Blessed Lord, remember thy mercies; look upon his infirmities; hear the voice of his complaint; give him, we beseech thee, patience in this his time of adversity, and support under the terrors which encompass him; set before his eyes the things he hath done in the body, which have justly provoked thee to anger; and forasmuch as his continuance appeareth to be short amongst us, quicken him so much the more by thy grace and holy Spirit; that he, being converted and reconciled unto thee, before thy judgments have cut him off from the earth, may at the hour of his death depart in peace, and be received into thine everlasting kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

"Adding this:

Saviour of the world, who

by thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed us, save us and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

shall say,

N the midst of life we are in death: Of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased?

Yet, O Lord God most holy, O Lord most mighty, O holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death.

Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts: Shut not thy merciful ears to our prayers; but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge eternal, suffer us not, at our last hour, for any pains of death to fall from thee.

Then the Minister shall say, THE Almighty God, who is

a most strong tower to all those who put their trust in him; to whom all things in heaven, in earth, and under the earth, do bow and obey; be now and. evermore thy defence; and make thee know and feel that there is none other name under heaven given to man, in whom and through whom thou mayest receive salvation, but only the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

U

¶ And after that shall say, NTO God's gracious mercy and protection we commit thee: The Lord bless thee and keep thee: The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace, both now and evermore.

At the time of Execution, besides all, or such parts of the foregoing Office as the Minister shall judge proper, shall be said the Commendatory Prayer for a Person at the point of Departure, as it is in the Visitution of the Sick.