his own tears, make as it were some amends for their impenitency, is not worthy to be their mediator with GOD.

GOD often grants, to the faith and prayer of others, the conversion of a sinner, who himself doth not think of GOD.

Gracious GOD, look down in mercy upon the miserable case of these whom I now present before Thee. Touch their hearts most powerfully from above, that they may see, before it be too late, the danger of living without GoD in the world, for JESUS CHRIST's sake. Amen.

For a Criminal under Sentence of Death.

O merciful God, our only help in time of need, hear me, I beseech Thee, for this miserable sinner.

Touch his heart most powerfully from above, that he may give glory to Thee in a full and free confession of his crimes, and of thy justice and mercy in bringing them to light.

Give him a true sense and knowledge of all his sins, and true repentance for them, that they may be done away by thy mercy, and his pardon sealed in heaven before he go hence, and be no

more seen.

Grant that with a firm faith and trust in thy mercy, he may lay hold of thy promises, for JESUS CHRIST's sake, to all that repent and believe.

Look upon the work of thine own hands. Let not his sins obstruct Thy mercy. Suffer him not to overlook this day of visitation, nor to die in his sins.

O blessed JESUS, O powerful Advocate! undertake for this sinner by Thy cross and passion; deliver him from the bitter pain of eternal death, as Thou didst the penitent thief, even at the last hour. Amen.

Briefs.

Consider the uncertainty of human affairs. Who knows whose turn it may be next, to suffer by fire, by loss of friends, sickness, &c. so as to want the charity of others?

At the Lord's Supper.

(Before Service begins.)

May it please Thee, O GOD, who hast called us to this ministry, to make us worthy to offer unto Thee this sacrifice for our own sins, and for the sins of Thy people. Accept our service and our persons, through our LORD JESUS CHRIST, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the HOLY GHOST, One GOD world without end. Amen.

O, reject not this people for me and for my sins!

(Upon placing the alms upon the Altar.)

All that we possess is the effect of Thy bounty, O GOD; and of Thy own do we give Thee. Pardon all our vain expenses; and accept of this testimony of our gratitude to Thee, our benefactor, for the LORD JESUS' sake.

(Upon placing the Elements upon the Altar.)

Vouchsafe to receive these Thy creatures from the hands of us sinners, O Thou self-sufficient GOD!

(Immediately after the Consecration.)

We offer unto Thee, our King and our GoD, this bread and this cup. We give Thee thanks for these and for all Thy mercies; beseeching Thee to send down Thy HOLY SPIRIT upon this sacrifice, that He may make this bread the body of Thy CHRIST, and this cup the blood of Thy CHRIST; and that all we, who are partakers thereof, may thereby obtain remission of our sins, and all other benefits of His passion.

And, together with us, remember, O God, for good, the whole mystical body of Thy Son; that such as are yet alive may finish their course with joy; and that we, with all such as are dead in the LORD, may rest in hope and rise in glory, for Thy Son's sake, whose death we now commemorate. Amen.

May I atone unto Thee, O GOD, by offering to Thee the pure and unbloody sacrifice, which Thou hast ordained by JESUS CHRIST. Amen.

But how should I dare to offer Thee this sacrifice, if I had not first offered myself a sacrifice to Thee, my God? May I never offer the prayers of the faithful with polluted lips, nor distribute the bread of life with unclean hands.

I acknowledge and receive Thee, O JESUS, as sent of God, a Prophet, to make His will known to us, and His merciful purpose to save us; as our Priest, who offered himself an acceptable sacrifice for us, to satisfy the Divine Justice, and to make intercession for us; and as our King, to rule, and defend us against all our enemies.

May I always receive the Holy Sacrament in the same meaning, intention, and blessed effect, with which JESUS CHRIST adıninistered it to His Apostles in His last Supper.

Concerning Confirmation.

By faith we receive the Spirit, which is of God. My Spirit with you," saith GOD.

"I will put

We are truly Christians by receiving the Spirit of CHRIST. This is the great blessing of the Gospel, the fellowship of the HOLY GHOST, with the desire of which we conclude our daily prayers, with the grace of our LORD JESUS CHRIST.

The love of GOD will be shed abroad in your hearts, by the HOLY GHOST which is given you, if you do not resist nor grieve Him, but follow the good thoughts He puts in your hearts.

This love of God for you, will lead you to the love of your neighbour. By the same Spirit you will be led to every good work, to be just to all, charitable, &c. &c. The fruits of the SPIRIT are these; Love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,. meekness, temperance.

By the same HOLY SPIRIT, you will be kept from pride, lust, malice, and every evil temper which makes GoD our enemy. It is by this good SPIRIT that you will be taught to pray, and to do every thing which you believe will please God, and avoid what you know will offend Him.

The effect and blessing of Confirmation.

It is to convey the inestimable blessing of the HOLY SPIRIT of GOD by prayer and the imposition of the hands of God's minister, that He may dwell in you, and keep you from the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Confirmation is the perfection of baptism. The HOLY GHOST descends invisibly upon such as are rightly prepared to receive such a blessing, as at the first He came visibly upon those that had been baptized.

Acts viii. 7. "Then laid they (that is, Peter and John) their hands on them, (namely, whom Philip had baptized) and they received the HOLY GHOST."

O GOD, who hast called me to this high office, to confirm and bless the people in Thy name, let Thy blessing be dispensed, not according to my unworthiness, but according to Thine own goodness, and the appointments of Thy Church.

O LORD, graciously behold Thy servants, on whom I am now going to lay my hands.

Possess their hearts with a lively sense of Thy great mercy, in bringing them from the power of Satan, in giving them an early right to the covenant of grace; that with the full consent of their will they may devote themselves to Thee, and to Thy service; that they may receive the fulness of Thy grace, and be able to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil.

Keep them, O LORD, in the unity of the Church; and grant that they may improve all the means of grace vouchsafed them in this Church, of which they are now to be made complete members.

Increase their knowledge, confirm their faith, and strengthen them in all goodness. Preserve in their minds a constant remembrance of that vow which they are going to renew before Thee and Thy Church; that knowing that they are the servants of the living God, they may walk as in Thy sight, avoid all such things

as are contrary to their profession, and follow all such things as are agreeable unto the same.

O LORD, who hast made them Thy children by adoption, bring them in Thy good time to Thine everlasting kingdom, through JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Amen.

The Jews' custom was, when children were thirteen years old, and had learnt the law, &c. and their prayers, to bring them before the congregation, upon which they were declared sons of the precept, and were now to answer for their own sins, &c.

This usage was so reasonable and necessary, that it is probable it had its origin from God himself; as we are sure confirmation had from CHRIST.

Bishops shall confirm in their visitations. pare children for confirmation.

Can. 61.

Ministers shall pre

Ministers shall give the names of such as are to be confirmed to the bishop, and if the bishop approve of them, he shall confirm them. (See Rubrick after the Catechism.)

If you ask where this is ordered, I refer you to the Acts of the Apostles. But if the Sacred Scriptures were silent, the consent of all the world in this particular is instead of a command.

Acts viii. 14. It appears from hence, that even in the Apostles' times, confirmation was necessary, as well as baptism, that persons might become complete members of the Church, and partakers of the grace of CHRIST; and that these graces were conferred by peculiar hands; for though Philip had the power of miracles, yet he could not do that which belonged to an higher order: —so great a regard had the SPIRIT of GOD to order and

discipline.

As the HOLY SPIRIT is present in our baptism, to seal the remission of sins, and to infuse the seeds of Christian life; so is He present in confirmation, to shed further influences on those that receive it, for stirring up the gift of God bestowed in baptism, &c.

Matt. xix. 15.

Prayer after Confirmation.

"And He laid his hands on them."

O HOLY SPIRIT of grace! I make my humble supplication to