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"If ye continue in My word, then are ye My disciples indeed."—John viii. 31.

May I, O Jesus, love the truths of Thy word; make the Gospel my delight; and continue in the practice of them to my life's end.

"If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death."--John viii. 51.

O Jesus, Thou hast made known to us another death, besides that which separates the soul from the body. O may Thy grace and mercy secure us from the bitter pains of eternal death.

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Say the word, and my servant shall be healed." -Luke vii. 7.

I acknowledge, O Jesu, the almighty power of Thy grace, to heal all the disorders of my soul; O deal with me according to the multitude of Thy mercies, and heal my soul of its sad disorders.

"God is a Spirit: and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth."-John iii. 24.

Give me, O Jesus, an inward disposition to holiness, an humble and contrite heart, a dependence on the will of God, and acknowledgment of His goodness, and a zeal for His glory; to which all the ordinances of the law and gospel should lead us.

GOOD USE OF TIME.

Grant, O Lord, that as I have but a short time to live, and an eternal interest depending, I may not

squander away one moment in vanity, or in that which will not profit me in the day of adversity.

"Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in, and so all Israel shall be saved."-Romans xi. 16.

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O God, the God of Abraham, look upon thine everlasting covenant; cause the captivity of Judah and of Israel to return. They were Thy people; O be Thou their Saviour! and may all who love Jerusalem and mourn for her, rejoice with her,† for Jesus Christ's sake, their Saviour and ours.

IN TIME OF PUBLIC DISTRACTIONS.

O sovereign Lord! I prostrate myself before Thee, confessing my own sin, and acknowledging the justice of any scourge which Thou shalt bring upon us; and trembling to think how much I may have contributed towards it; beseeching Thee to have compassion on us, in these days of confusion.

O Lord, prevent the judgments that threaten us; purge this nation from all such crimes as may be the cause of Thy heavy displeasure against us-from whoredom and drunkenness; from swearing, lying, and perjury; from sacrilege, injustice, fraud, disobedience, malice, and uncharitableness. Take from among us the spirit of atheism, irreligion, and profaneness; and in mercy rebuke and convert all such as give encouragement or countenance to any of these vices, which may provoke Thee to give us up

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to infidelity or destruction. O let Thine anger be turned away from us; give us not over unto the will of our adversaries, and unto such as strive to bring all things into confusion. Preserve this church in the midst of all dangers; and restore unto us peace and unity; and grant us grace to make a better use of these blessings, for the time to come, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

We complain of oppression, of our laws being perverted and trampled upon; of arbitrary government, &c. Let us not be wiser than God, Who judges these things to be necessary to exercise the good-to punish the wicked-to reclaim the sinner -to recover those that are going astray, to make all serious. Let us not impeach the ways of Providence, Who brings good out of evil; but reverence and submit to His will, His wisdom, and justice.

"For the transgression of a land, many are the princes thereof."-Proverbs xxviii. 2—that is, it is punished with a confused government.

"Ye that are the Lord's remembrancers, keep not silence; give Him no rest till He establish, and till He make Jerusalem (His Church) a praise in the

earth.”—Isaiah lxii. 6.

"Thy kingdom come."-Though we are altogether unworthy of the good times thou hast promised Thy church, yet be beseech Thee deprive us not of them.

O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken, and do not defer these good days, for Thine own sake, oh! our God.

We hope a day is coming when all the world will come and worship Thee, O God.

See Jeremiah xxxi.-The whole chapter.

SCRIPTURE EXAMPLES.

"Persecuted for righteousness' sake.”—Such the Lord never forsakes.

"But the Lord was with Joseph, and showed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison."-Genesis xxxix. 21.

CHRIST'S PATIENCE.

What sorrows did He undergo, and with what patience did He suffer them! Patient when Judas unworthily betrayed Him with a kiss; patient when Caiaphas despitefully used Him; patient when hurried from one place to another; patient when Herod with his men of war set Him at nought; patient when Pilate so unrighteously condemned Him; patient when scourged and crowned with thorns; patient when His cross was laid upon Him, when He was reviled, reproached, scoffed at, and every way abused. Lord Jesus, grant me patience, after this example, to bear Thy Holy will in all things.

CHRIST'S LOVE AND CHARITY.

Where shall we take our pattern but from Thee? Thou callest Thy followers Thy friends. Thou didst

stoop down to wash their feet who were not worthy to untie Thy shoe. Thou didst forgive and restore Peter, when he had abjured Thee. Thou didst vouchsafe to satisfy Thomas, who would not believe but upon his own terms. Thou didst forgive and pray for Thy bloody persecutors. O Thou fountain and pattern of love, grant that I may love Thee above all things, and my neighbour as myself.

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