ment with thy servants: our consciences assure us, that if Thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquity, we could not stand.

But there is mercy with Thee, and with Thee there is plenteous redemption; and therefore, while a sense of our vileness depresses us, we encourage ourselves in thy word. We know that our recovery can never spring from any cause in us. We have destroyed ourselves, but we cannot save. Yet our condition is not helpless. Help is laid on One that is mighty; and infinitely qualified for His work; and who has shown us, in His resurrection from the dead, and ascension into heaven, the all sufficiency and acceptance of His sacrifice on the cross, and proved, that by the one offering of Himself, He hath perfected for ever them that are sanctified.

Informed of this compassionate scheme, may we gratefully fall in with the design; may we unfeignedly believe the record that Thou hast given us of thy Son; embrace Him as our only hope; rejoice in Him as our highest glory; and henceforth, may the life that we live in the flesh, be by the faith of Him who loved us, and gave Himself for us.

And while we live by Him, may we live to Him, and may we live like Him. May we never consider ourselves christians, but as we resemble Christ. May our conformity to His principles, temper, and conduct, be hourly growing, and become more apparent, not only to ourselves but to others. And may we continue in his word, that we may be his disciples indeed; rooted and built up in Him, and established in the truth as we have been taught, and abounding therein with thanksgiving.

May no length of watching or length of waiting cool our love and zeal; whatever discouragements we meet with, may we never grow weary in well doing-yea, may we not only persevere, while

many draw back-but fear God above many who go forward; and hear the Saviour-Judge saying, I know thy works, and the last to be more than the first.

May we not only be blessed; but prove blessings. May we often look closely at our talents, relations, and circumstances in life, to see how we can be serviceable to the bodies and souls of our fellow-creatures, and especially how we may do good to them that are of the household of faith.

We are continually meeting with wants and miseries which we are utterly unable to remove or release; but we rejoice that in our contracted agency, prayer opens a resource to our benevo

lence; we can pray; and prayer has power with God, and can prevail.

Let the leisure and affluence of the rich, afford them means and opportunities of beneficence; and may they be ready to communicate; and be rich in good works.

Let the afflictions of the afflicted render sin hateful, wean them from a vain world, endear to them the word of grace, the throne of grace, and the spirit of grace; and work out for them, a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory.

Let our ignorance of futurity, keep us in a state of constant dependence upon thy providential care; and lead us earnestly to seek large supplies of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, to fit us for all events.

Thou hast redeemed us, O Lord God of Truth; and therefore, into thine hands we commit ourselves, and our interests, beseeching Thee to do for us, exceeding abundantly, above all we are able to ask or think, through our only Lord and Saviour. Amen.

THURSDAY MORNING.

O GOD, help us to approach Thee, under a very lively conviction of thy abundant mercy, and the exceeding riches of thy grace. We ought to admire thy wisdom, to stand in awe of thy power, and to abase ourselves before thy spotless purity. But it is the discovery of thy goodness alone, that can banish our fear, and allure us with humble confidence into thy presence, there to divulge our sorrows, and confess our sins.

And, O, how encouraging is it, under a review of our past guilt, and a consciousness of present unworthiness, to know, that we have to do with a Being who waits to be gracious, and is exalted to have mercy. We therefore bless Thee, that an attribute so essential to our happiness and hope, is not founded on conjecture, or obscurely revealed. Thou hast not left Thyself without witness in the seasons of the year, and the bounties of nature, and Providence. But Thou hast given us thy word, which Thou hast magnified above all thy name. There we see Thee, not sparing thine own Son, but delivering Him up for us all; there we behold the provisions of thy house; there we hear the proclamations of thy servants-Come, for all things are now ready.

Lord, make us willing to be saved, and to be saved in thine own way. Condemned by the law which we have so often transgressed, may we turn for all our relief to the gospel; and perceiving nothing in ourselves, may we find in the hope of Israel, wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. May the message which concerns a dying, rising, interceding Saviour, be received into our very hearts, and become there a well of water, springing up into everlasting life. And may we not only receive Christ Jesus the Lord, but also walk in Him; in a state of dependence upon

Him, communion with Him, and conformity to Him. May we be followers of Him as dear children; imperfect, but still pressing forward; not complaining of labour, but valuing rest; not murmuring under our trials, but thankful for a state. O, that we were sure of reaching it! where our sun shall no more go down, nor our moon withdraw herself, but God shall be our everlasting light, and the days of our mourning shall be ended.

We live in the midst of observation. Many watch for our halting, and wish our good to be evil spoken of. May we walk the more circumspectly; and by well doing, may we put to silence the ignorance of foolish men; yea, by our good works which they behold, may we constrain them to glorify God in the day of visitation.

We appear not alone in Thy presence; but are variously connected in life. Regard those who are dear to us by the claims of nature or friendship. We ask not that Thou shouldst set them upon the high places of the earth; but O, number them with Thy saints in glory everlasting; O, let none of them die without an interest in Christ, and be separated from us in the day when Thou wilt make up thy jewels.

Bless those who are related to us in religious bonds. And such, we are delighted to 'consider all the followers of the Lamb, under whatever name, distinctive or reproachful, they may pass among men; may the Lord add to his people, how many soever they be, a hundred-fold; and may grace and peace be multiplied unto them.

And forget not, we beseech Thee, those to whom we are politically allied. May all who are in places of public trust, be faithful to the public interest. Teach our senators wisdom. May all our magistrates be men fearing God and hating covetousness, terrors to evil doers, and a praise to them that do well; and may all ranks in the com

munity, pursue that righteousness which exalteth a nation; that, being a holy, we may be a happy people, whose God is the Lord.

So we thy people, and the sheep of thy pasture, will give Thee thanks for ever; we will show forth thy praise throughout all generations. Amen.

THURSDAY EVENING

WHEN we enter Thy presence, O God, we see Thee in all the glory of thy perfections, seated on a throne of universal and everlasting empire, thousands ministering unto Thee, and ten thousand times ten thousand standing before Thee. Impress our minds with a consciousness of thy greatness; not to drive us back from Thee, but to inspire us with reverence and godly fear, in approaching Thee; not to diminish our confidence in Thee, but to lead us to admire the vastness of thy condescension, in deigning to open communications with creatures so mean and vile as we are. Lord, what is man, that Thou art mindful of him; or the son of man, that Thou visitest him.

And, yet Thou hast been mindful of us; Thou hast visited us. We have been thy charge from the womb; and Thou hast, in all conditions, cared for us. We have been constantly fed at thy table; and clothed from thy wardrobe. How often hast Thou drawn the curtain of night around us, and ordered creation to be quiet, while thy children have slumbered and slept. Thy mercies have been new every morning. Thy goodness has inspired our relations and friends with all the sentiments of tenderness and respect, they have ever expressed towards us. And we would not overlook the blessings of the life that now is

But, O Lord, suffer us not to forget that we want better blessings than these. We want a hope