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that walketh to direct his steps a; but our times are in thy hand b.

Thou art the God that hast fed us all our life long unto this day, and redeemed us from all evil c.

It is of thy mercies that we are not consumed, even because thy compassions fail not; they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness d.

If thou take away our breath we die, and return to the dust, out of which we were taken e.

Who is he that sayeth, and it cometh to pass, if thou commandest it not? Out of thy mouth, O most High, both evil and good proceed g.

7. We must avouch this God to be our God, and own our relation to him, his dominion over us and propriety

in us.

Our souls have said unto the Lord, thou art our God, though our goodness extendeth not unto thee h, neither if we are righteous art thou the better i.

Thou art our King, O God k': other lords besides thee have had dominion over us, but from henceforth by thee only will we make mention of thy naniel.

We avouch the Lord this day to be our God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken to his voice, and give ourselves unto him, to be his peculiar people, as he hath promised, that we may be a holy people unto the Lord our God m; and may be unto him- for a name, and for a praise, and for a glory n.

O Lord, truly we are thy servants, we are thy servants, born in thy house, and thou hast loosed our bonds o; we are bought with a price, and therefore we are not our own p; but yield ourselves unto the

a Jer. x. 23.
d Lam.iii. 22, 23.
h Psalm xvi. 2.
Isa. xxvi. 13, 14.
o Psalm cxvi. 16.

b Psalm xxxi. 15.
e Psalm civ. 29.
i Job xxxv. 7.
m Deut. xxvi. 17-19.
p 1 Cor. vi. 12.

c Gen. xlviii. 15, 16.
g Lam. iii. 37, 38.
k Psalm xliv. 4.
n Jer. xiii. 11.

Lord a, and join ourselves to him in an everlasting covenant, that shall never be forgotten b.

We are thine, save us, for we seek thy precepts c: 'tis thine own, Lord, that we give thee, and that which cometh of thine hand d.

8. We must acknowledge it an unspeakable favour, and inestimable privilege, that we are not only admitted, but invited and encouraged to draw nigh to God in prayer.

Thou hast commanded us to pray always, with all prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, and to watch thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints e, to continue in prayer g, and in every thing, with prayer and supplication, to make our requests known to God h.

Thou hast directed us to ask and seek and knock, and hast promised that we shall receive, we shall find, and it shall be opened to ùs i.

Thou hast appointed us a great high priest, in whose name we may come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may find mercy and grace to help in time of need k. Thou hast assured us that while the sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination to the Lord, the prayer of the upright is his delight/: and that he that offers praise glorifies thee m, and the sacrifice of thanksgiving shall please the Lord better than that of an ox or bullock that has horns and hoofs n.

Thou art he that hearest prayer, and therefore unto thee shall all flesh come o.

Thou sayest, Seek ye my face, and our hearts answer, Thy face Lord will we seek p. For should not a peo

a 2 Chron. xxx. 8.

d 1 Chron. xxix. 16.

h Phil. iv. 6.*

/ Prov. xv. 8.

o Ps. lxv. 2.

b Jer. 1. 5.
e Eph. vi. 18.
i Mat. vii. 7.
m Psal. 1. 23.
p Psal. xxvii. 8.

c Psal. cxix. 94.
g Col. iv. 2.

k Heb. iv. 16.
n Psal, lxix. 31.

ple seek unto their Goda? Whither shall we go but to thee? Thou hast the words of eternal life b.

9. We must express the sense we have of our own meanness and unworthiness to draw near to God, and speak to him.

But will God in very deed dwell with man upon the earth c; that God whom the heaven of heavens cannot contain, with man that is a worm, and the son of man which is a worm d.

Who are we, O Lord God, and what is our father's house, that thou hast brought us hitherto, to present ourselves before the Lorde: that we have through Christ an access by one Spirit unto the Fatherf? And yet as if this had been a small thing in thy sight, thou hast spoken concerning thy servants for a great while to come; and is this the manner of men, O Lord God.

What is man that thou art thus mindful of him, and the son of man that thou visitest him, and doest thus magnify him g.

Ŏ let not the Lord be angry, if we that are but dust and ashes, take upon us to speak unto the Lord of glory h.

We are not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth which thou hast showed unto thy servants i; nor is it meet to take the children's bread, and cast it to such as we are; yet the dogs eat of the crumbs that fall from their master's tablek: and thou art rich in mercy to all that call upon theel.

10. We must humbly profess the desire of our hearts towards God, as our felicity and portion, and the fountain of life and all good to us.

Whom have we in heaven but thee: and there is

a Is. viii. 19.

d Job xxv. 6.
g Psalm viii. 4.
k Mat. xv. 26, 27.

b John vi. 68.

e 2 Sam. vii, 18, 19.
h Gen. xviii. 27, 30.
Rom. x. 12.

c 2 Chron. vi, 18. ƒ Eph. ii. 18. i Gen. xxxii. 10.

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none upon earth that we desire besides thee, or in comparison of thee; when our flesh and our heart fail, be thou the strength of our heart, and our portion for ever a: the portion of our inheritance in the other world, and of our cup in this, and then we will say that the lines are fallen unto us in pleasant places, and that we have a goodly heritage b.

The desire of our souls is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee: with our souls have we desired thee in the night, and with our spirits within us will we seek thee only c.

As the heart panteth after the water-brooks, so panteth our soul after thee, O God; our soul thirsteth for God, for the living God, who will command his loving kindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with us, and our prayer to the God of our life d.

O that we may come hungering and thirsting after righteousness e; for thou fillest the hungry with good things, but the rich thou sendest empty away g.

O that our souls may thirst for thee, and our flesh long for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is, that we may see thy power and thy glory; as we have seen thee in the sanctuary. Thy loving kindness is better than life; our souls shall be satisfied with it as with marrow and fatness, and then our mouths with joyful lips shall praise thee h.

11. We must likewise profess our believing hope and confidence in God, and his all-sufficiency; in his power, providence and promise.

In thee, O God, do we put our trust, let us never be ashamedi? yea, let none that wait on thee be ashamed k. Truly our souls wait upon God; from him cometh our

a Psal. lxxiii, 25, 26.
d Psal. xlii. 1, 2, 8.
h Psal. lxiii, 1, 2, 3, 5.

b Psal. xvi. 5, 6.
e Matt. v. 6.
i Psal. xxxi. 1.

c Isa. xxvi. 8, 9. g Luke i. 53. Psal. xxv. 3.

salvation; he only is our rock and our salvation a; in him is our glory, our strength, and our refuge, and from him is our expectation b.

When refuge fails us, and none care for our souls, we cry unto thee, O Lord; thou art our refuge, and our portion in the land of the living c.

Some trust in chariots, and some in horses, but we will remember the name of the Lord our God d. We will trust in thy mercy, O God, for ever and ever, and will wait on thy name, for it is good before the saints e.

We have hoped in thy word; O remember thy word unto thy servants upon which thou hast caused us to hope g.

12. We must entreat God's favourable acceptance of us and our poor performances.

say,

There be who will show us any good? that many but this we say, Lord lift up the light of thy countenance upon us, and that shall put gladness into our hearts, more than they have, whose corn and wine increaseth h. We entreat thy favour with our whole hearts i, for in this we labour, that whether present or absent we may be accepted of the Lord k.

Hear our prayer, O Lord, give ear to our supplications; in thy faithfulness answer usl. And be nigh unto us in all that which we call upon thee for m; for thou never saidst to the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain n. - Thou that hearest the young ravens which cry o, be not silent to us, lest if thou be silent to us, we be like them that go down to the pit p.

Let our prayer be set forth before thee as incense, and the lifting up of our hands be acceptable in thy sight as the evening sacrifice

a Psal. Ixii. 1,2.
d Psal. xx. 7.
h Psal. iv. 6, 7.
/ Psal. cxliii. 1.
o Psal. cxlvii. 9.

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