DEVOTIONS.

PRAYER TO THE HOLY GHOST FOR CONVICTION

OF SIN.

BLESSED Spirit of Truth, thou that searchest the

heart and triest the reins, show me the evil and deceits of my own heart, that I may confess them truly with a contrite heart, hiding nothing, excusing nothing, and so may obtain mercy and pardon for them through Jesus Christ.

PRAYER FOR CONTRITION.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting GOD, who hatest noth

ing that Thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent, create and make in me a new and contrite heart, that I worthily lamenting my sins, and acknowledging my wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the GOD of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness, through Jesus Christ our LORD.

EJACULATIONS.

How many are mine iniquities and sins?

Make me to

know my transgression and my sin.—Job xiii. 23.

If I justify myself, mine own mouth shall condemn me: if I say, I am perfect, it shall also prove me perverse.-Job ix. 20.

I said, I will confess my sins unto the LORD, and so Thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin.-Ps. xxxii. 6.

I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin. -Ps. xxxviii. 18.

INSTRUCTIONS IN SELF-EXAMINATION.

SINS OF THOUGHT.

Thou understandest my thought afar off.

Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts.

Ps. cxxxix. 2.

S. Matt. xv. 19.

Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.

The word of God is living

cern the thoughts and intents of the heart.

2 Cor. x. 5.

and quick to dis

Heb. iv. 12.

We are two men,

"Your thoughts are making you. each of us, what is seen and what is not seen. But the unseen is the maker of the other." (Bishop Steere.)

What an unfathomable mystery of iniquity lies in these words, 'sins of thought'! What an awful power of sinning they attribute to man! For what is thought? It is the spirit life of man. The only idea we can have of the spirit within us is that it is something which thinks. Man is a being whose nature it is incessantly to think. In his waking hours his spirit is remembering, reasoning, reflecting, imagining; thought follows thought like sparks from an anvil. Think, then, of the myriads of sins of thought which we must have committed. Think of this awful facility of sinning over and over again, in thought, the deadliest and foulest sins; and then multiply all these sins of commission by those of omission; remember that each evil and impure imagination has usurped the place of some good and holy one, and that every such usurpation is sin." (Archbishop Magee.)

SELF-EXAMINATION ON SINS OF THOUGHT.

Sins of Omission.-Have I missed any opportunity of purifying my thoughts? Have I learnt any Scripture with a view to filling in those times when I have nothing to think about? Am I sanctifying all my thought, whether of study or business, by prayer at its beginning and close? Have I injured any one directly or indirectly by want of thought? Have I omitted using any of the helps GOD has given me, through meditation or books, for knowing more about GOD and my spiritual destiny? Have I omitted thinking carefully about the expenditure of the money, time, or other blessings He has given to my stewardship? Have I omitted thinking before praying, rebuking, or praising?

Sins of Commission.-Have I excited or encouraged unworthy thoughts of GOD or uncharitable thoughts of men? Have I tried to think the best of others? Have I allowed pain or weariness to make me think much of myself? Have I given way to dreaminess, castle building, foolish or impure imaginations, covetous thoughts, depression? Have I spoiled my Sunday devotion by reading anything that makes it hard to believe in GOD'S goodness or man's possibilities?

0

DEVOTIONS.

After examination say the following:

ALMIGHTY Father, I, an unworthy sinner, yet redeemed by the precious Blood of Thy Son Jesus Christ, plead before Thee all the holy thoughts of His life upon earth, when for us men and for our salvation He was made man. And, O most merciful Father, for His sake, I pray Thee to pardon all my sins in thought (espec. ) which since my last Communion I have entertained against Thy will, or caused others to entertain. Amen.

INSTRUCTIONS IN SELF-EXAMINATION.

SINS OF WORD.

Contemptuous language condemned.

Whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council.-S. Matt. v. 22.

Malicious words condemned.

Whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.-S. Matt. v. 22.

Trifling gossip condemned.

Every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.-S. Matt. xii. 36. Irreverence condemned.

Let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God. -Eccles. v. 2.

Timidity rebuked.

Be not afraid, but speak, and hold not thy peace.—Acts xviii. 9.

Hastiness forbidden.

Be slow to speak.

Now, by the aid of the Holy Ghost, try to reckon up the sins of the tongue, only less in number than those of the heart. Think of the profane exclamation, the scoffing speech, the irreverent jest, the cruel slander, the halfhinted calumny, the unkind insinuation, the uncharitable misconstruction, the bitterness and the wrath and the clamour of evil-speaking; think of the taunt and the reproach and the angry retort and the fierce recrimination; think of the deliberate falsehood, and the half-lies and the deceitful pretences and the suppression of truth and the glaring flatteries and smooth hollow compliments of society; think of the foolish talking and jesting that are not convenient,' the light, trifling, frivolous conversations that fill up so many leisure hours; and add to all

these the sins of omission, and so try to form an idea of all the world of iniquity that lies in the tongue, and of the myriad sins of the tongue you must have committed."

SELF-EXAMINATION ON SINS OF WORD.

Omission. Have I refused, from cowardice or false shame. to speak out for GOD and His Church? Have I omitted prayers because I was tired? to speak kindly because I was hurried? Have I neglected warning those I knew to be in danger? Have I failed to give encouragement when it was needed?

Commission.-Have I prayed listlessly, without energy? Have I been hasty or unreal in what I have said to GOD? Have I quoted GOD's word irreverently? Have I spoken evil of my parents, and those in authority? or irritably to my equals, dependents, or servants? Have I deliberately said what I did not mean, to gain favor? Have I repeated a story against any one when not obliged? If I have injured any one's character, have I tried to clear it? Have I spoken for GOD or the Church without meekness and fear? Have I murmured, made others unhappy by discontented words? Have I spoken about myself without occasion? claimed powers and successes without giving GOD the glory?

DEVOTIONS.

Lo, there is not a word in my tongue, but thou, O Lord, knowest it altogether.-Ps. cxxxix. 3.

ALMIGHTY Father, I, an unworthy sinner, yet re

to Thy remembrance all the holy words which for us men and for our salvation, He spake upon earth. And O most merciful GOD, I pray Thee from my inmost heart that Thou wilt, for His sake, pardon me all the evil words (espec. .), which, since my last Communion, I have uttered against Thy will, or caused others to utter.

Amen.