which follow. The clergy do not require this rule to be strictly kept; nor need they with communicants in general. But when any one comes to the holy Communion for the first time; or comes again after long neglect; or changes his parish or church; or when he has some scruple or doubt about his fitness to come; he ought to make known to the Curate (to him, i.e. who has the cure of souls) his purpose to communicate. This notice often leads to very useful and blessed intercourse between pastor and people; for it is still true that 'the priest's lips should keep knowledge; and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the Messenger of the LORD of Hosts.' -Malachi ii. 7.

5.

Humiliation, Confession, and Prayer. 'He that humbleth himself shall be exalted.' GOD resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.

'Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of GoD, that He may lift you up.' -St. Luke xviii. 14; 1 Peter v. 5, 6.

You have examined yourself by GoD's Commandments; keep in mind the sins of which your conscience chiefly accuses you, and say very thoughtfully and humbly,

A form of Confession.

O Thou great Judge of Heaven and earth, before whose glorious Majesty even the good Angels, who

have never sinned, fall down upon their faces to worship Thee: With what abasement ought I to appear before Thy awful presence, who am but dust and ashes, a poor miserable sinner.

I know, O LORD, that from my birth I have been unclean in Thy sight, sinful and apt to sin; and though it has pleased Thee of Thy infinite mercy to make me Thine own child by adoption and grace, and to give me, by my Baptism, a new and better nature, my own nature is, alas! still strong within me; for I know that in my flesh dwelleth no good thing; for when I would do good, evil is present with me; and I see a law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin.-Romans vii.

LORD, have mercy upon me, and deliver me from this body of death; from this tyranny of sin. My nature, O LORD, is still weak and evil; ready for what is wrong; slow for what is good; my mind is full of errors; my will rebellious; my memory holds fast things that pollute my soul, and easily forgets what cleanses and sanctifies it; my desires are not duly checked; and there is no power of mymind or my body which I do not often use for evil instead of for good. LORD, pity, and cleanse, and forgive, and save me for Thy mercies' sake.

O LORD GOD, I have often broken the vows of my Baptism and my Confirmation, by too eagerly seeking the vanities of this world; by too greedily giving myself to carnal pleasures; by too easily yielding to the temptation of the devil; by too often forgetting the faith which I profess; and by too readily disobeying Thy holy Will and Commandments:

Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and in Thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called Thy son. 1. I have sinned, O LORD GOD; I have sinned against Thee by—

Here confess the sins you have committed, more particularly against God; and then add

Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and in Thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called Thy son; O pity, and cleanse, and forgive, and save me, for Thy mercies' sake.

2. I have sinned, O LORD GOD; I have sinned against Thee and against my Neighbour by—

Here confess the sins you have committed more particularly against your neighbour; and say as before— Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and in Thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called Thy son; O pity, and cleanse, and forgive, and save me, for Thy mercies' sake.

3. I have sinned, O LORD GOD, against Thee, and against my own self by—

Here confess the sins you have committed more particularly against your own self; and say as before—

Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and in Thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called Thy son. O pity, and cleanse, and forgive, and save me, for Thy mercies' sake.

O LORD GOD, my wickedness is great, and my sins are many-so many that my heart would fail me if I did not know that Thy mercies are greater than my sins.

Have mercy upon me, therefore, O LORD, according to Thy great goodness; according to the multitude of Thy mercies, do away my offences.

O remember not my sins, but receive me, O Heavenly Father, into the arms of Thy fatherly compassion, as Thou didst the returning prodigal, and forgive me all my transgressions, for the merits of JESUS, Thy only well-beloved Son, and my Saviour. Amen. Amen.

Prayer for a proper sorrow for sin.

O most gracious GOD, I have confessed to Thee my sins; I confess to Thee now that I do not grieve for them so deeply and so truly as I ought to do. Help me, I beseech Thee, to be more truly sorry for them.

O that with the penitent woman in the Gospels, I could weep much, and love Thee much, having so much to be forgiven !-St. Luke vii. 38.

O that with the erring Apostle, my SAVIOUR would look on me, and His tender look so pierce my heart, that I might weep bitterly for my sins!-St. Luke xxii. 61.

O that Thy HOLY SPIRIT might so move and soften my heart, that my sorrow for offending Thee might never pass away!

How could I be so ungrateful as to disobey so loving, so tender a Father?

How could I repay my SAVIOUR's love in dying for me, by adding to those sins which crucified Him?

How could I grieve the HOLY SPIRIT by resisting the good inclinations, and turning away from the grace and consolation which He would give me?

O forgive me, most gracious God, and may the precious blood of Thy dear Son move me to a lasting

sorrow for my sins, and move Thee to pardon me, for JESUS CHRIST's sake. Amen.

Act of Resolution.

O most merciful God, by Whose grace alone I can truly confess and be sorry for my sins, grant me also the grace of an honest and stedfast resolution to serve Thee faithfully for the future.

O my God, I do now from my heart renew the vows and promises of my Baptism, which, alas! I have so often broken; I do for ever renounce those temptations by which the world, the flesh, and the devil have so often drawn me away from Thy service.

O my GoD, I do stedfastly believe all the Articles of the Christian Faith; and I will henceforth keep Thy holy Will and Commandments, and walk in the same all the days of my life.

For Grace to persevere.

O LORD GOD, I have promised, and I am stedfastly purposed to keep Thy holy laws.

But, alas! I am able of myself to do nothing that is good; and I no sooner shall rise from my knees but I fear I shall be tempted to those very sins I have now so solemnly renounced; and those temptations will certainly overcome me unless Thou, LORD, dost seasonably help me.

But I can do all things through Thy gracious help; and Thou hast promised, O LORD, to give Thy HOLY SPIRIT to them that ask Thee. Behold, Lord, I do humbly, I do earnestly ask of Thee now Thy