for. Lord, give us a godly sorrow which worketh repentance unto life.

And since we have taken upon ourselves the Christian name how often have we fallen, to the dishonour of God, the discredit of religion, the wounding of ourselves, and the grieving of others! How many duties have been neglected; and how many carelessly performed; and in a cold, lazy, and trifling manner! How many of our talents, which might have been improved for the glory of God, our own comfort, and the good of others, have been wrapped up in a napkin, and buried in the earth! How weak is every grace; and how much evil is mixed with all our good! How oft, letting down our spiritual watch, has Satan surprised us, and temptation prevailed! How much have we

con

formed to the world, complied with the sinful customs and fashions of it! How much have we lived contrary to our profession, and below our hopes as Christians! What a slow progress have we made in the ways of holiness; how frequent and strong have been the workings of spiritual sins, as unbelief, pride, passion, envy, and uncharitableness ! Lord, how many have been our sins; how are they aggravated by all that love and mercy thou hast shown to us; and the long experience we have had of thy bounty and goodness.

Art thou our God, and have we offendedthee? our Father and displeased thee? Have we, by these sins, wounded that Redeemer who died for us, grieved that Holy Spirit who has comforted us! What a hearty sorrow and unfeigned grief do these sins call for ! O for a broken heart, and a contrite spirit! O for inward shame, and hearty remorse! O for a melting frame, and a bleeding heart! O that this rock might be broken and this heart, be turned more and more into a heart of flesh!

We ask for repentance, for mercy, for pardon only through the merits and mediation of him who loved us and gave himself for us: in whom we hope to be found living, dying, and for ever. Amen.

HYMN.

Shew pity, Lord, oh! Lord, forgive,
Let a repenting rebel live :

Are not thy mercies large and free?
May, not a sinner trust in thee?

My crimes are great, but don't surpass
The power and glory of thy grace:
Great God, thy nature hath no bound,
So let thy pardoning love be found.

O wash my soul from every sin,
And make my guilty conscience clean,
Here on my heart the burden lies,
And past offences pain my eyes.

My lips with shame my sins confess
Against thy law, against thy grace :
Lord, should thy judgment grow severe,
I am condemn'd, but thou art clear.

Should sudden vengeance seize my breath,
I must pronounce thee just in death;
And if my soul were sent to hell,
Thy righteous law approves it well.

Yet save a trembling sinner, Lord,
Whose hope still hovering round thy word,
Would light on some sweet promise there,
Some sure support against despair.

PRAYER

For Tuesday Evening.

O thou Father of all! who hast graciously promised to deliver "the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper:" we had fainted, unless we had believed in thy goodness! We have been brought low, and thou hast helped us at thy hand we have received our daily bread; and though sometimes our cup of earthly good has been almost dry, yet thou hast again supplied it, and again encouraged us to trust in thee! Hast thou said, the very hairs of our head are all numbered; and may we not

cast our care upon him who thus careth for us! Thou, Lord, hast never försaken them that trust in thee! But, O our God, we thank thee that though poor as to this world's good, we may be rich in faith, and heirs of heaven. We thank thee for that bread which cometh down from heaven-that bread which is the life of the world, and the life of our souls; we would feed upon it till our souls are nourished unto eternal life! We will not complain while we see him who was rich for our sake become poor. Blessed Jesus! how highly hast thou honoured the poor; and how greatly hast thou favoured them with the glad tidings of thy gospel! Blessed poverty, that makes us poor in spirit, and heirs of thy kingdom! Having nothing, we may then possess all things!

May we be thy humble followers in humility and poverty of spirit, be conformed to thine image, and made meet for that world where sorrow and sighing shall flee away, and where all tears shall be wiped away from our eyes, and where we shall be made kings and priests unto our God for ever! Amen.

Meditation for Wednesday Morning.

SPIRITUAL JOY.

"And these things write we unto you that your joy might be full."-1 John i. 3, 4.

The Gospel dispensation is not properly a dispensation of fear, sorrow, and dread, but of peace and joy. Terror and astonishment may well attend mount Sinai, but exultation and joy mount Sion-where appears the eternal word, the eternal life, manifested in our flesh.

The mystery of the Christian religion is directly calculated for the joy of mortals. It should be joy to us that the eternal Son should come to seek and save us, that he made a full atonement for our sins; that he has conquered sin, death, and hell; that he lives as our intercessor and advocate with the Father; and that he will come again to perfect and glorify his persevering believers: and, therefore, they live below the use and end of the christian revelation that are not filled with spiritual joy. Believers should rejoice in their happy relation to God, as his sons and heirs, and his beloved and adopted. In their happy relation to the Son of God as his members and coheirs with himself; in the pardon of their sins, in the sanctification of their na