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FIFTEENTH MORNING.

O THOU Great and Eternal Being, God of all power and might, giver of every good and perfect gift, and author of all our mercies,-We kneel down, imploring Thee to bestow Thy protection and blessing on this family. Through the bountiful goodness of our Heavenly Father, we have been favoured with innumerable mercies; and we would humbly thank Thee for them: but we beseech Thee to add to all our other blessings the forgiveness of our sins through faith in that Saviour whom Thou hast revealed to us in the gospel. We pray Thee, therefore, to impress deeply on our minds, through the power of Thy Holy Spirit, the great doctrines of Thy word; to give us a clear perception of the evil of sin, a deep conviction of our own guils, a solemn belief in heaven and hell, and a true sense of our obligations to the Lord who bought us. Suffer not that we, who have been baptized into the Christian name, and taught the truths of the gospel, should live in the same manner as unbelievers; but enable us, by applying those heart-affecting doctrines, which we have learnt, to our daily use in life, to become distinguished as the disciples of JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD. May we indeed cleave to the Lord, with full purpose of heart, being pure in our most secret thoughts and imaginations; suppressing those high and self-exalting thoughts which are so apt to rise up within us; and constantly bearing in mind how much we sin in all we do, and how entirely we owe every thing which we either have, or

hope for, to Thy bountiful goodness, and to Thy mercies in CHRIST JESUS.

And being supported by Thy grace, and grounded in the faith of Christ crucified for us, we pray that we may be enabled to practise every good work. May we be just and true in all our dealings; doing unto others as we would that they should do unto us. May we be humble, thankful, and contented; and may we do honour to Thy gospel by the manifestation of every Christian temper.

Give us grace to maintain a constant controversy with all evil-may we ourselves avoid every approach to it; and may we endeavour, according to our opportunities and ability, to persuade all those, over whom we have any influence, to keep at the greatest distance from temptation. O LORD, enable us thus to show that we are Christians not only in general profession, but in all sincerity and seriousness. May we be strict and self-denying; yet kind and liberal to others, candid and charitable, pitiful and courteous. Teach us to understand Thine abounding grace in the gospel, that we may ourselves abound in every work of charity. Enable us to find favour in the sight of those around us; and especially of those who are dearest to us; that so we may improve our influence, for their benefit in this life, and for the furtherance of their everlasting salvation.

Bless us, O LORD, in these Christian purposes, for from Thee alone cometh the strength to serve Thee; and to Thee would we continually look up. Hear us, we beseech Thee, in these our supplications; and grant unto us the help of Thy Holy Spirit, that we may live

this day according to these our prayers; and that all the fruits of holiness may abound in us.

We ask every blessing, in the name of JESUS CHRIST. Our Father, &c.

The grace of our Lord, &c.

SIXTEENTH MORNING.

O LORD GOD ALMIGHTY, who hast made the world, and all things in it, whom all Thy creatures are bound to serve, in whose favour is life, and in whose displeasure is misery insupportable; who hast placed us here for a little season, and wilt ere long call us all to judgment,-We kneel down, O LORD, praying Thee to strengthen our faith in all the promises and threatenings of Thy word; that we may indeed live as those who know themselves to be frail and dying creatures on the brink of an awful eternity.

We bless Thee for having brought life and immortality to light by the Gospel. We thank Thee that Thy Son hath died and risen again, hath broken the bonds of death, and hath opened unto us the gates of everlasting life. We thank Thee for the glorious hopes held out to each believer in His name: and at the same time we would rejoice with trembling; remembering that condemnation which belongs to the despisers of His

Gospel, and to all who receive this grace of God in vain.

O LORD, grant unto us faith in that eternal world to which we are hastening. May we realize these unseen things-may we turn from the love of this vain world: -may we perceive the sin which dwelleth in us, and the evil which lieth around us, and be looking forward to that blessed time when we shall put away the body of this death, and dwell for ever with the Lord. Give us grace to follow the faith and patience of Thy saints, who turned from sin to follow God, and who endured even to the end; whose hearts were estranged from things below, and whose affections were set on things above; who went through trials, and persecutions, and a great fight of afflictions, counting that He, whom they served, was worthy of all obedience, and was able at length to save and deliver them. O may we, who have the example of their faith, be willing to deny ourselves, and take up our cross, and follow CHRIST; not living an idle, careless life, while we call ourselves the followers of them who now inherit the promises. May we daily mortify the body of sin, and daily renew the conflict with our spiritual enemies. May we be looking continually to JESUS, the author and finisher of our faith; who, for the joy set before Him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of God.

May we be so animated by our Christian faith, as to be willing cheerfully to endure the evils of life; and to submit to all Thy righteous will concerning us. If there be any of us who are still strangers to Thee, O

teach us to remember how short and uncertain are all our days on earth :-Or if there be any of us who are indolent and trifling, too much occupied with this present world, O raise our thoughts to those things which are above, that we may be fellow-citizens with Thy saints and with the household of God. May we all give diligence to make our calling and election sure— may we all repent, and forsake our sins, and believe in CHRIST-May we all die daily to the things of time, and rise to newness of life-may we all so pass through things temporal, that we lose not the things eternal. We ask every blessing in the name of JESUS CHRIST our LORD.

Our Father, &c.

The grace of our Lord, &c.

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