be no more; but present, complete, and unbounded satisfactions will surround me. My God, my God himself, shall be my infinite, my unutterable joy all the avenues of pleasure shall be open before me, the scenes of beauty and prospects of delight. Everlasting joy shall be upon my head, "and sorrow and sighing shall flee away for ever." There will be no more intervals of grief and sin; sin, that insupportable evil, that worst, that hea viest burden; here the painful and deadly pressure lies; it is this that hangs as a weight on all my joys; but, thanks be to my God, I can say, I sincerely detest and hate this vilest of slaveries, this cursed bondage of corruption; I long for the glorious liberty of the sons of God; I groan under this load of flesh, this burden of mortality, this body of death. But grant, O Lord, I may with patience continue in well doing, and at last obtain glory and immortality through my Redeemer's righteousness. "Sanctify me through thy word of truth," remember this request of my glorious Advocate. XXVIII. A prayer for Speedy fanctification. O LORD God, great and holy, all-sufficient, and full of grace, if thou shouldst bid me form a wish, and take whatsoever in heaven or earth I had to ask, it should not be the kingdoms of this world, • John zvii. nor the crowns of princes; no, nor should it be the wreaths of martyrs, nor the thrones of archangels; my first request is to be made holy; this is my highest concern. Rectify the disorders sin has made in my soul, and renew thy image there; let me be satisfied with thy likeness. Thou hast compassed my paths with mercy in all other respects, and I am discontented with nothing but my own heart; because it is so unlike the image of thy holiness, and so unfit for thy immediate presence. Permit me to be importunate here O blessed God, and grant the importunity of my wishes; let me be favoured with a gracious and speedy answer, for I am dying while I am speaking; the very breath with which I am calling upon thee, is carrying away a part of my life: this tongue that is now invoking thee, must shortly be silent in the grave: these knees are bent to pay thee homage, and these hands that are now lifted to the most high God for mercy, must shortly be mouldering to their origi nal dust; these eyes will soon be closed in death, which are now looking up to thy throne for a blessing. Oh! prevent the flying hours with thy mercy, and let thy favour outstrip the hasty mo ments. Thou art unchanged, while rolling ages pass aJong: but I am decaying with every breath I draw. My whole alloted time to prepare for heaven is be no more; but present, complete, and unbounded satisfactions will surround me. My God, my God himself, shall be my infinite, my unutterable joy all the avenues of pleasure shall be open before me, the scenes of beauty and prospects of delight. "Everlasting joy shall be upon my head, "and sorrow and sighing shall flee away for ever." There will be no more intervals of grief and sin; sin, that insupportable evil, that worst, that heaviest burden; here the painful and deadly pressure lies; it is this that hangs as a weight on all my joys; but, thanks be to my God, I can say, I sincerely detest and hate this vilest of slaveries, this cursed bondage of corruption; I long for the glorious liberty of the sons of God; I groan under this load of flesh, this burden of mortality, this body of death. But grant, O Lord, I may with patience continue in well doing, and at last obtain glory and immortality through my Redeemer's righteousness. "Sanctify me through thy word of truth"," remember this request of my glorious Advocate. XXVIII. A prayer for Speedy fanctification. O LORD God, great and holy, all-sufficient, and full of grace, if thou shouldst bid me form a wish, and take whatsoever in heaven or earth I had to ask, it should not be the kingdoms of this world, ⚫ John zvii. 27 nor the crowns of princes; no, nor should it be the wreaths of martyrs, nor the thrones of archangels; my first request is to be made holy; this is my highest concern. Rectify the disorders sin has made in my soul, and renew thy image there; let me be satisfied with thy likeness. Thou hast compassed my paths with mercy in all other respects, and I am discontented with nothing but my own heart; because it is so unlike the image of thy holiness, and so unfit for thy immediate presence. Permit me to be importunate here O blessed God, and grant the importunity of my wishes; let me be favoured with a gracious and speedy answer, for I am dying while I am speaking; the very breath with which I am calling upon thee, is carrying away a part of my life: this tongue that is now invoking thee, must shortly be silent in the grave: these knees are bent to pay thee homage, and these hands that are now lifted to the most high God for mercy, must shortly be mouldering to their origi nal dust; these eyes will soon be closed in death, which are now looking up to thy throne for a blessing. Oh! prevent the flying hours with thy mercy, and let thy favour outstrip the hasty mo ments. Thou art unchanged, while rolling ages pass aJong: but I am decaying with every breath I draw. My whole alloted time to prepare for heaven is The shortness and vanity of my present being, and the importance of my eternal concerns, join together to demand my utmost solicitude, and give wings to my warmest wishes. Before I can utter all my present desires, the hasty opportunity, perhaps, is gone; the golden minute vanished, and the season of mercy has taken its everlasting flight. Oh! God of ages, hear me speedily, and grant my request while I am yet speaking; my frail existence will admit of no delay. Answer me according to the shortness of my duration, and the exigency of my circumstances. My business, of high importance as it is, yet is limited to the present now, the passing moment; for all the powers on earth cannot promise me the next. Let not my pressing importunity therefore offend thee. My happiness, my everlasting happiness, my whole being is concerned in my success: as much as the enjoyment of God himself is worth, is at stake. Thou knowest, O Lord, what qualifications will fit me to behold thee; thou knowest in what I am defective; thou canst prepare my soul in an instant, to enter into thy holy habitation. I breathe now, but the next moment may be death: let not that fatal moment come before I am prepared. The same creating voice that said, "Let there be light, "and there was light," can, in the same manner, purify and adorn my soul, and make me fit for thy |