O Lord God Almighty, just and true. Thou
Sovereign of the world, on whom is all my
dependence, and in whom is all my hope; I
am ashamed and blush to appear before
Thee, seeing I have highly offended Thy
divine Majesty. I know not how to lift up
mine eyes unto heaven; but am forced to
smite upon my breast, and call upon Thee to
have mercy upon me a sinner.
I have sinned against Thee from time to
time, and have aggravated my sins with
many heinous and dreadful circumstances;
and though I have resolved, and promised,
and vowed amendment, yet have I again
broken my faith, relapsed into my former
guilt, and have therefore cut off myself from
all right to Thy promises.
What can I now plead for myself? From
the bar of Thy justice I flee to Thy throne
of mercy; beseeching Thee to be favorable
unto me, because Thou delightest in mercy.
O let me not be miserable, though I have
taken the road to misery, have perverted my
ways, and have run upon destruction with
open eyes. I acknowledge with shame and
sorrow that I have sinned against Thee,
when I knew myself to be in Thy presence,
and when I was fully convinced that it is an
evil thing and bitter to forsake the Lord my
God. My conscience accuses me; my heart
condemns me; and Thou, who art greater
than my heart, and knowest all things,
mayest justly stop Thine ears, when I now
cry unto Thee, in the anguish of my soul:
Father, I have sinned against heaven, and
before Thee, and am no more worthy to be
called Thy Son. I have sinned against the
light of Thy gospel, and Thine infinite love
to me; against the terrors of Thy threaten-
ings, the drawings of Thy mercy, the rebukes
of Thy Spirit, the checks of my own con-
science, and my most solemn vows and en-
gagements.
Yet, O merciful Lord, my sin is not too
great for Thee to pardon or remove from me,
that I may never more repeat it. If Thou
wilt, Thou canst make me whole. The more
my wickedness has abounded, the more let
Thy grace and mercy abound. Absolve me
from the guilt, deliver me from the power,
cleanse me from the pollution, save me from
the punishment of this and all my other
offences. O reconcile me to Thyself here,
and crown me with immortal glory here-
after: through Jesus Christ Thy Son, our
only Advocate and Mediator. Amen, Amen.