No. 15.

SCRIPTURE TRACTS

FOR THE

FASTS AND FESTIVALS.

Lent.

BY A LAYMAN.

"And Jesus being full of the Holy Ghost returned from Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the Wilderness, being forty days tempted of the devil. And in those days he did eat nothing: and when they were ended, he afterward hungered."- St. Luke iv.

LONDON:

J. G. F. AND J. RIVINGTON.

STRONG, BRISTOL; COMBE, LEICESTER.

PRINTED BY H. AND A. HILL, CASTLE GREEN, BRISTOL.

MDCCCXL.

Price Three Pence, or 2s. 6d. per Dozen.

O merciful Creator! hear

Our prayers, which we devoutly bent Pour forth to Thee, with many a tear, In this most holy fast of Lent.

Thou mildest Searcher of each heart,

Who know'st the weakness of our strength,

To us forgiving grace impart,

Since we return to Thee at length.

Much have we sinned, to our shame ;

But spare us, who our sins confess ;

And for the glory of Thy name,
To our sick souls afford redress.

Grant that the flesh may so be pined,
By means of outward abstinence,
As that the sober watchful mind

May fast from spots of all offence.

Grant this, O blessed Trinity!
Pure Unity! to this incline,
That of our fast the fruit may be

A grateful recompence for Thine.

Translated by Drummond of Hawthornden.

Lent.

COLLECT FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY.

O Lord, who for our sake didst fast forty days and forty nights; Give us grace to use such abstinence, that, our flesh being subdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness, and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

LITANY.

Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers; neither take thou vengeance of our sins: spare us, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and be not angry with us for ever. Spare us, good Lord.

From all evil and mischief; from sin, from the crafts and assaults of the devil; from thy wrath, and from everlasting damnation,

Good Lord, deliver us,

From all blindness of heart; from pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness,

Good Lord, deliver us.

From fornication, and all other deadly sin; and from all the deceits of the world, the flesh and the devil,

Good Lord, deliver us.

From all false doctrine, heresy, and schism,

Good Lord, deliver us.

A COMMINATION,

Or denouncing of God's Judgments against sinners 66 WHAT SAITH THE SCRIPTURE ?"

Woes are pronounced against sinners by Christ himself. St. Matt. xxiii. St. Luke vi. xi. &c.

The power of declaring these woes is given by Christ to His commissioned servants. 66 'Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven." St. Matt. xviii.

Therefore His ministers "shall not be afraid of the face of man; for the judgment is God's.” Deut. i. Neither were they afraid in the primitive times, when they said; "Woe unto them! for they have gone in the way of Cain." St. Jude. "An heart they have exercised with covetous practices; cursed children." 2 Peter ii. "If any man love him be Anathema

not the Lord Jesus Christ, let Maranatha." 1 Cor. xvi.

Thus did they "put away wicked persons from among themselves ;”- delivering them unto Satan that they might learn not to blaspheme," and boldly rebuking them that sinned before all, that others also might fear." 1 Cor. v. 1 Tim. i. v.

66

THE PRAYER-BOOK.

Brethren, in the Primitive Church there was a godly discipline, that, at the beginning of Lent, such persons as stood convicted of notorious sin were put to open penance, and punished in this world, that their souls might be saved in the day of the Lord; and that others, admonished by their example, might be the more afraid to offend.

"Instead whereof, (until the said discipline may be restored again, which is much to be wished,)

it is thought good, that at this time (in the presence of you all) should be read the general sentences of God's cursing against impenitent sinners, gathered out of Deut. xxvii. &c.; and that ye should answer to every sentence, Amen:' To the intent that, being admonished of the great indignation of God against sinners, ye may the rather be moved to earnest and true repentance; and may walk more warily in these dangerous days; fleeing from such vices, for which ye affirm with your own mouths the curse of God to be due." After this address follow the curses, to each of which we answer, 66 Amen."

The minister next preaches the sermon of the day, in which he exhorts us to repentance, by many warnings and encouragements drawn from Scripture especially he reminds us, that "we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous," who was "wounded for our offences and smitten for our wickedness:" and he assures us, that, if we will "take His easy yoke upon us, to follow Him in lowliness, patience, and charity, and be ordered by the governance of His Holy Spirit," then "Christ will deliver us from the curse of the law," and at the last day "give us the gracious benediction of His Father, commanding us to take possession of His glorious kingdom."

Then all kneel down and say the fifty-first Psalm, or Psalm of Confession, which, with the six proper Psalms of the day, makes up the number of the seven penitential Psalms. This is followed by the short litany, Lord's prayer, and versicles, several penitential prayers, and a blessing