3. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done : 6. And we those things ought not to have done; ledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me: against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight. Ps. li. 3, 4. We acknowledge, O Lord, our wickedness, for we have sinned against thee, Je. xiv. 20. We have rebelled against him; neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us. Da. ix. 9, 10. In many things we offend all. Ja. iii. 2.-See also, Ps. xix. 7 to 14.Ja. ii. 10. 5. We have dealt very corruptly against thee, and have not kept the commandments, nor the statutes, nor the judgments, which thou commandest. Ne. i. 7. Ye have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy, and faith; these ought ye to have done, and not to leave the other undone. Mat. xxiii. 23. Behold, I will bring evil upon this people, even the fruit of their thoughts, because they have not hearkened unto my words, nor to my law, but rejected it. Je. vi. 19. the Lord; let us 6. They have done that which was evil in my have done sight. 2 Ki. xxi. 15. Whosoever committeth sin which we transgresseth also the law, for sin is the transgression of the law. 1 John iii. 4. Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens; we have transgressed and have rebelled. La. iii. 40, 41, 42. All have sinned, and come short of the glory of God. Ro. iii. 23. See also, 1 Ki. viii. 46.—Ec. vii. 20.-Ro. vii. 14, 15. 7. and there in us. 7. There is no health in my flesh. Ps. xxxviii. is no health 3. The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked. Je. xvii. 9. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Ps. li. 5. Behold, I am vile, what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth. Job xl. 4. The flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary the one to the other; so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. Ga. v. 17. Without me ye can do nothing. John xv. 5. Oh wretched 8. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon offenders. man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? Ro. vii. 24.-See also, Ho. xiii. 9. -Is. lxiv. 6.-Ps. xlix. 7. 8. God be merciful to me a sinner. Lu. xviii. 13. For thy name's sake, O Lord, pardon mine us, miserable iniquity; for it is great. Ps. xxv. 11. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Ps. li. 1. Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak; O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed; O save me for thy mercies' sake. Ps. vi. 2. 4.-See also, xli. 4. I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds. Je. xxx. 17. Indignation and wrath, tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil. Ro. ii. 8, 9. The wages of sin is death. Ro. vi. 23. Is Ephraim my dear son? I will surely have mercy upon him, saith the Lord. Je. xxxi. 20.--See also, Ps. xxxi. 9, 10.—Ha. iii. 2.-La. iii. 22. 9. Spare thou them, O faults. 9. Spare thy people, O Lord. Joel ii. 17. Spare God, which me according to the greatness of thy mercy. Ne. confess their xiii. 22. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to thy mercy, remember thou me for thy goodness' sake, O Lord. Ps. xxv. 7. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Ps. xxxii. 5. If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O Lord, who may abide it! Ps. cxxx. 3. Whoso confesseth and forsaketh his sins shall have mercy. Pr. xxviii. 13. I will spare them as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Mal. iii. 17. 10. Restore thou them tent; 10. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; that are peni- and uphold me with thy free Spirit. Ps. li. 12. Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously. Ho. xiv. 2. Seek thy servant; for I do not forget thy commandments. Ps. cxix. 176. He restoreth my soul; he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Ps. xxiii. 3. Return ye backsliding children, and I will heal your backslidings: Behold, we come unto thee; for thou art the red to thy nkind in : Lord. Lord our God. Je. iii. 22.-See also the parable of the Prodigal Son, Luke xv. 1. Accord- 11. I entreated thy favour with my whole heart; mises de- be merciful unto me according to thy word. Ps. unto cxix. 58. I will be merciful to their unrighteousrist Jesu ness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. He. viii. 12. All the promises of God in him [Christ] are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us. 2 Co. i. 20. To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. Ac. x. 43.-See also, Is. i. 18.-Je. xxxi. 34.-xxxiii. 8.-Ez. xxxiii. 16.-Mat. xii. 31, 32.-Ps. ciii. 3.-Ac. iii. 12. 26. v. 31.-He. x. 17.-Eze. xxxvi. 26, 27.-Zec. xiii. 1.-John iii. 16.-Ac. xiii. 38. 12. And rant, O most her, for his 12. Your sins are forgiven you for his name's erciful Fa- sake. 1 John ii. 12. Having therefore these proake; that we mises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from nayhereafter all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiive a godly, ighteous,and ness in the fear of God. 2 Co. vii. 1. We are his ober life, 13. To the glory of thy workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good 13. Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that holy Name. will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Whatsoever ye do, do all to Son. John xiv. 13. 14. Amen 1. Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, 2. who de the glory of God. 1 Co. x. 31. 14. Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. Mat. vi. 13. All the people shall answer and say, Amen. De. xxvii. 15. Let all the people say, Amen. Ps. cvi. 48. And all the people said, Amen, and praised the Lord. 1 Ch. xvi. 36. Then answered I, and said, So be it, [Margin, Amen.] O Lord. Je. xi. 5. When thou shalt bless with the Spirit, how shall he that occupieth the room of the unlearned say, Amen, seeing he understandeth not what thou sayest. 1 Co. xiv. 16. And the four and twenty elders and the four beasts fell down and worshipped God that sat on the throne, saying, Amen. Re. xix. 4. Surely I come quickly; Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. Re. xxii. 20.-See also, Ps. lxxii. 19. lxxxix. 52. III. The Absolution or Remission of Sins. 1. The Lord appeared to Abram, and said unto Thou him, I am the Almighty God. Ge. xvii. 1. art my son, this day have I begotten thee: and again, I will be to him a Father, and he shall be to me a Son. He. i. 5. Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies. 2 Co. i. 3.-See also, 1 Pe. i. 3.-1 John iv. 9.-Re. xix. 6. 2. As I live, saith the Lord God, I have no death of a pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the sireth not the sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness, and live: wicked turn from his way and live. Ez. xxxiii. 11. Have I any pleasure at all that the wicked should die? saith the Lord God; and not that he should return from his ways, and live? Why will ye die, O house of Israel? for I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord God; wherefore turn yourselves and live ye. Ez. xviii. 23, 31, 32. God our Saviour will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. 1 Ti. ii. 3, 4. If thou shalt seek the Lord thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul. De. iv. 29. The Lord is long-suffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 2 Pe. iii. 9.-See also, Ho. xi. 8, 9. 3. God was in Christ reconciling the world unto given power, himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; mandment, God hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; now then we are ambassadors for Christ. 2 Co. v. 18, 19, 20. As my Father hath sent me, even so being peni- send I you; whose-soever sins ye remit, they are solution and remitted unto them; and whose-soever sins ye their sins: retain, they are retained. John xx. 21. 23. What 3. and hath and com to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, tent, the Ab Remission of 4 He par soever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Mat. xvi. 19. The glory which thou gavest me, I have given them. John xvii. 22. Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature; he that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. Mar. xvi. 15, 16. That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations. Lu. xxiv. 47. Repent, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out. Ac. iii. 19. Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Mat. xxviii. 20. See also Mat. xviii. 18.—Ga. vi. 1.—2 Co. ii. 10.-Ac. x. 43.-Ez. xxxiv. 4. 4. Thou, Lord, art ready to forgive; and plenconeth and teous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee. them that Ps. lxxxvi. 5. Who can forgive sins but God truly repent, absolveth all B 6 |