THE SAILORS' MANUAL OF DEVOTION. A Prayer for a grievous sinner who has long delayed his MOST holy and merciful God, who wouldest not that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, be merciful to me a miserable sinner. I have too long neglected my duty to thee, I have grievously transgressed thy righteous laws, I have trodden under foot the blood of thy Son, and done despite unto the Spirit of grace. My sins are gone over my head, and are, as a sore burden, too heavy for me to bear. Enter not into judgment with thy servant O Lord, for in thy sight no man living shall be justified: How much less a miserable wretch who am the chief of sinners! I have provoked thy Divine Majesty by a life of wickedness, for which thou mightest justly have long since cut me off, and driven me from thy presence with everlasting destruction. I have been a blasphemer of thy name, a hinderer of thy word, a slave of my ow lusts, and a tempter of my brethren; I have nothing to plead in my defence. I will lay my hand upon my mouth and repent in dust and ashes. But since in the very depth of my wretchedness thou hast looked down upon me with compassion, and awakened me to a sense of my danger and guilt, Oh gracious God, complete the good work which thou hast begun in me; remove the scales from my eyes that I may see all the sinfulness of my ways and the wonders of thy grace; soften this stony heart and change it into a heart of flesh. Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep, day and night for my past transgressions! But accept O Lord, the feeble desires which thy grace has inspired; break not a bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax; but enkindle in me such love towards thee for thy mercy that I may serve thee faithfully for the time to come, and fill me with such an abhorrence of my iniquities that I may sin no more. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me, and as in the time past I have dishonoured thee by my transgressions, so now adorn me I beseech thee with all the gifts and graces of thy Spirit, and number me with thy saints in glory everlasting. Hear me O Lord in these my supplications and prayers, for the sake of my Advocate and Redeemer Jesus Christ. Amen. Another Prayer after a long course of wickedness and impiety GREAT and merciful God, the fountain of wisdom, the source of grace and truth, the giver of pardon, of life, and of salvation, the helper and comforter of all who flee unto thee for succour; look down with pity and compassion on me thy unworthy servant, lying in the pollution of my sins, in the fear of thy wrath, in the shadow of death, and within the very verge of the gates of hell. I confess to thee O God, what thou knowest too well, but I confess it to manifest thy Justice and to glorify thy Mercy who hast spared me so long, that I am guilty of the vilest follies and sins which can dishonour the worst of thy creatures. I have been proud and covetous, envious and malicious, indevout and irreligious, restless in my passions, careless of thy counsels, and weary of the offices of thy holy religion. I can give no account of my time which has been miserably misspent, and I cannot reckon the sins of my tongue. In the remembrance of my misdoings which are intolerable, my imperfections which are shameful, my omissions which are innumerable, what shall I say unto thee O thou preserver of men? I am so vile that I cannot express it, so sinful that I am hateful to myself, and what then must I be in thy sight who art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity! I have weakly yielded to the snares and allurements of the flesh and the devil, and I have sometimes sinned against thee, by courting temptation and shunning the ways of righteousness and peace. But yet O God, since thou hast still left me so much grace as to be humbled by the remembrance of my iniquities, be thou also the lifter up of my head, and suffer me not to continue in sin nor to sink into despair. Let me not perish in my folly nor be consumed in thy heavy displeasure; give me time and space to repent and strengthen me by the aids of thy Holy Spirit, that as by thy gift and mercy I intend to amend whatsoever is amiss, so I may indeed have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same. Support me in my temptations and trials with a holy hope, confirm me in my purposes with an operative faith, and enkindle in my soul a bright and burning charity; that walking in thy light, following thy commandments, and delighting in thy service, I may be delivered wholly from my sin and for ever preserved from thy wrath, and may finally pass from a certain expectation to the actual enjoyment of the glories of thy kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer upon a relapse into sin. GREAT and glorious God, I tremble to come into thy presence polluted and dishonoured as I am by the foul stains of sin, which I have once more contracted after having been cleansed by the blood of thy Son, and renewed by thy grace in the spirit of my mind. But I must come, or I perish. Wretched man that I am! unfit to appear in thy presence, yet not daring to stay from thee; shrinking from thy sight with shame and sorrow, and yet drawn to thee by the hope of mercy and forgiveness. O Heavenly Father, I have sinned against thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. I have grieved thy Spirit and crucified afresh my Lord and my God. But the greatness of my sin brings me to my remedy, and the very sense of my wretchedness fills me with hopes of thy pardon and favour; for a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. It is only because thy compassions fail not, and are renewed every morning, that I am emboldened to hope for thy mercy: for, O my God, what have I done! whither have I fallen! I was called by thy word, instructed by thy wisdom, and strengthened by thy might in the inner man; I was blessed with the light of thy countenance, encircled with thy graces, conducted by thy Spirit, and sealed, as I had hoped, to the day of redemption. Yet |