A Prayer on the Occasion of our blessed O GOD, the Father of mercies, and of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom every mercy is vouchsafed and derived unto us; thou didst create us after thine own blessed image in a holy and happy state: but we have defaced the work of thy hands, and have brought ourselves into a state of alienation from thee, and of enmity against thee. Yet thou hast not dealt with us as enemies, or left us in the sad ruins. of our fall; but hast pitied us when lying in our blood, and hast bid us live. Thou hast even given thine only begotten Son to die for us, to save us from that everlasting death, which is the due wages of our sins. Him, O most holy Lord God, thou sparedst not, that thou mightest spare us, and make us eternal monuments of thy saving mercy. O what amazing unspeakable love is this, that even, when enemies, we should be reconciled to God by the death of his Son! But O the cursed nature of sin that needed such an atonement; and the inexorable justice of my God, that required it; and the incomprehensible love of my Saviour, who offered it upon the cross! O that we could bear these things always in remembrance! that we could hate sin with a perfect hatred: that we could stand in awe of our God, and fear to offend him; and that we could love that adorable Saviour, who bought us at the inestimable price of his own blood! Most blessed God, we desire to bless and magnify thy name for revealing to us this stupendous mystery. By it we abide; and upon it we depend for the pardon of our sins, and for our whole acceptance with thee, both here and for ever. We believe, O God, that thy dear Son has fully discharged our debt; and that nothing at all remains to be paid by them, for whom thou art pleased to accept his infinite satisfaction. And seeing that there is balm in Gilead, and a physician that is able to heal us, O let not our souls be unhealed; let not the great things which our Lord Redeemer hath done and endured for perishing sinners, be lost unto us: but let the same be mercifully accepted upon our account, as the payment of our debt. O let not the blood of Jesus Christ (as to us) be shed in vain; but let it purge and purify us from all our sins, and make our peace with thee, against whom we have so greatly transgressed; let us be healed by his stripes, and find his death unto us a savour of life. Though we are sinful and unclean, yet what pollution and defilement cannot this fountain, opened for sin and uncleanness, wash and cleanse us from! Having therefore such an allsufficient Saviour to repair to, let us not be faithless, but believing, that Christ is our Lord and our God, who loved and redeemed us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood. that we may know him, and the fellowship of his sufferings, and be rendered conformable to his death! Let the cross of Christ be the means O of crucifying the world unto us, and us unto the world. Pardon, O good Lord, all our forgetfulness of thee; and make us to know more of the love wherewith thou hast loved us; and touch our hearts with such a powerful sense of thy love, that we may make better returns of love to thee, who hast done such great things for our souls. Let us never forget or slight such an unparalleled kindness, but be constrained by it to live unto him who died for us, and rose again. O that the life which we now live, may be by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us, and gave himself for us! Let us more and more abound in thy love. Blessed Lord! let the serving and enjoying of thee be ever preferred above our chief joy. And let nothing in the world ever be so dear to us as the name of our adorable Emmanuel, who has given the highest demonstration of love, that ever could be given to our perishing souls. And for what thou hast done for us, be all possible glory and honour and praise ascribed unto thee, O most blessed Saviour and Redeemer, by all the Israel of God, both now and for evermore. Amen. Prayer and Praise on the Occasion of our blessed Saviour's Resurrection. BLESSED be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his abundant mercy, has begotten us again to a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. Blessed be he who liveth and was dead; and behold, he is alive for evermore; Amen and has the keys of death and of hell. The Lord liveth, and blessed be our rock, and let the God of our salvation be exalted. He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows, and has wrought eternal redemption for us; with his own right hand and holy arm hath he gotten himself the victory; having loosed the pains of death: because it was impossible he should be holden of it. Adored be that glorious Sun of Righteousness who is risen with healing in his wings; and hath showed, that he is able to save himself; and to save to the uttermost all that come unto God through him. Our eyes are unto thee, O Lord, our life, our strength, and our redeemer, who hast all power in heaven and in earth; to whom nothing is impossible or difficult; who quickenest the dead, even souls dead in sin, as well as bodies dead in the grave; and hast life in thyself, to give it to whomsoever thou wilt. O that we may know thee, and the power of thy resurrection! Let us find it effectual to raise us out of the grave of our corruptions, to newness and holiness of life; that having part in the first resurrection, we may never be subjected to the second death. Speak death to our sins, O Lord, that our souls may live, and for ever bless thy name. Thou, O Christ, art our life; and in thee is all fulness of whatever we want; O give us the life which thou camest to impart and let us have it more abundantly. Let us have such life from thee, as may enable us to live unto thee, and that entirely and cheerfully, even as long as we have any life and being. Amen. Prayer and Praise on the Occasion of our blessed Saviour's Ascension. THOU art the King of Glory, O Christ, thou hast ascended on high, and led captivity itself captive; dragging after thy triumphant chariot thy vanquished enemies. Thou art exalted far above all principalities and powers, and enthroned in the highest glory in thy kingdom, where saints and angels, even all the host of heaven, admire and adore thee. Be thou exalted, Lord, and reign in the greatness of thy power and majesty, until thou hast brought all enemies into subjection under thy feet. But, Lord, remember us, now thou art in thy kingdom. O regard the supplications, and relieve the necessities, of thy poor servants here below. Save, Lord, and let the King of Heaven hear us when we call. And O that we may feel the powerful attraction of thy grace to draw up our minds and desires from the perishable enjoyments of this world, to those unspeakable and everlasting glories above, where thou sittest at the right hand of God. O let us lay up our treasure, and have our conversation with thee, in heaven and so love thine appearing, as to be ever looking for, and |