And to God only wise, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be ascribed all honour and praise, for ever and ever.

Amen.

THURSDAY EVENING.

GOD, thy greatness is unsearchable. Thy name is most excellent in all the earth. Thou hast set thy glory above the heavens. Thousands minister unto Thee, and ten thousand times ten thousand stand before Thee. We feel ourselves in thine awful presence to be nothing, less than nothing and vanity; nor do we presume to approach Thee because we are deserving of thy notice-for we have sinned-we have incurred thy righteous displeasure; we acknowledge, that Thou art justified when Thou speakest, and clear when Thou judgest.

. But our necessities compel us; and thy promises encourage us. Thou art nigh unto them that are of a broken heart, and savest such as be of a contrite spirit. Thou hast provided and revealed a Mediator, who has not only obeyed, but magnified the law, and made it honourable: and Thou hast made us accepted in the beloved. And we behold an innumerable multitude returning from thy throne, successful, rejoicing, and encouraging us to go forward. They were not, though all guilt and indigence, refused, or upbraided; but freely obtained pardon, and holiness, and righteousness, and strength, and were blessed. with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ.

O look Thou upon us, and be merciful unto us, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name. Convince us of sin in its penalty, and in its pollu tion; and may we mourn over it with a godly sor

row.

Give us that faith by which we shall be enabled to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ: and believing, have life through his name.

And may we not only have life, but have it more abundantly. We often question the reality of our grace; but the imperfections of our religion are too obvious, not to be acknowledged, and too great, not to be deplored. Our souls cleave unto the dust; quicken Thou us according to thy word. Strengthen in us the things that are ready to die. May we not only live in the spirit, but walk in the spirit. By holy resemblances, may we put on the Lord Jesus Christ; may the same mind be in us which was also in Him; and may we feel it to be our dignity and delight to go about doing good.

And as He suffered for us, leaving us an example, that we should tread in his steps, may we learn to suffer like Him. When reviled, may we revile not again, but commit ourselves to Him that judgeth righteously. Whoever may be the instrument of our grief, may we never lose sight of an overruling agency, in preparing and presenting it; but be able to say, The cup which my Father giveth me shall I not drink it? In our patience may we possess our souls, that we may be calm to inquire, wherefore Thou contendest with us; that weeping may not hinder sowing, nor sorrow duty.

We live in a world of changes, and have here no continuing city; may we seek one to come, and have our minds kept in perfect peace, being staid upon God. Be with us to the end of our journey; and after honouring Thee, by the life we have lived, may we glorify Thee, by the death we shall die. When heart and flesh fail, be Thou the strength of our heart, and our portion for ever; at death may we fall asleep in Jesus, and in the morning of the resurrection may He change our vile

body, that it may be fashioned like his own glorious body, and so may we be for ever with the Lord.

Who can understand his errors? Forgive, O God, the sins of the past day, in thought, word and deed, against thy divine majesty. We bless

Thee for our preservation, in our going out and our coming in, and in all our ways—and we bless Thee for all the supplies and indulgences, which thy good providence has afforded us.

And now, O Thou keeper of Israel, we commit our souls and our bodies to thy all-sufficient care. Suffer no evil to befall our persons, and no plague to come nigh our dwelling. May our sleep be sweet-or if Thou holdest our eyes waking, may we remember Thee, upon our bed, and meditate on Thee, in the night watches.

And with the innumerable company, who never slumber nor sleep, and who rest not day and night, we would join in ascribing blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever Amen.

FRIDAY MORNING.

O THOU, whose name alone is Jehovah, the most high over all the earth. When we consider thy majesty and thy purity, and reflect upon our meanness and guilt, how shall we come before the Lord, or bow before the high God? We are unworthy of thy notice, and have rendered ourselves justly obnoxious to the curse of thy holy law-and wert Thou to judge us according to our desertthe most innocent periods of our life, and the devoutest services in which we have ever been engaged, would make us shrink back with dread and despair from thy presence. But we are en

couraged to approach Thee, by the revelation Thou hast given us of thyself, as the Lord God gracious and merciful, the invitations and promises of thy word, and the meditation of thy dear Son. We rejoice that He put away sin, by the sacrifice of Himself, and being raised from the dead entered into the holy place, there to appear in the presence of God for us. We rejoice that we have now an Advocate with the Father to plead our cause, and a great High Priest over the house of God, to introduce our persons and our services.

May we therefore draw near in full assurance of faith believing that all things are now ready; that we are as welcome, as we are needy; and that the blessings we implore, are as gracious, as they are great. Yea, Thou delightest in mercy, and hast not only permitted, but commanded us to ask, and receive, that our joy may be full. O let us not refuse to be comforted; let us not reject the counsel of God against ourselves. Suffer us not after provoking Thee, by our rebellion, to offend Thee, still more by our unbelief. May we honour thy goodness, by our confidence in thy veracity, and come and take of the water of life freely. May we wait for no qualifications, to entitle us to those provi sions, which must be bought without money, and without price; but may we come as we are-guilty to be justified, unholy to be renewed, blind to he enlightened, weak to be strengthened, and indigent to be relieved and enriched. As Thou art presenting to us, in the offers of the gospel, thy unspeakable gift, may we receive Christ Jesus the Lord. May we receive Him immediately without delay, cordially without reluctance, and impartially without exception-feeling our need of, and acquiescing in all his offices, relations, influences, and blessings.

As Thou art well pleased in thy beloved Son, may it appear that we are well pleased with Him; may we love his salvation, and glory in his cross; may we admire his character and pant after his likeness. May we judge of our union with Him, by our being new creatures, and of our freedom from all condemnation, by our walking not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. May we try our principles by our practice, and our faith by our works. May the origin and certainty of our hope, appear in its tendency-may it purify us from sin, wean us from the world, and cause us to live with our conversation in heaven.

And blessed with a well founded persuasion, that when He, who is our life, shall appear, we shall also appear with him in glory; may we bear with patience, the trials attached to this present time; and weep as if we wept not. And knowing our obligations to thy grace, which has delivered our souls from the lowest hell, and is infallibly conducting us to such a vastness of felicity, may we be principally concerned to walk before the Lord in the land of the living, and to show forth all His praise. Whether therefore we eat or drink, or whatever we do, may we do all to the glory of God.

But we cannot trust in our own hearts; we dare not rely upon our convictions and purposes-they have often betrayed us. We can only serve Thee in thy own strength. We can walk no farther than Thou leadest us; we can stand no longer than Thou holdest us. We therefore renounce selfdependence; and desire to be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Let thy grace be sufficient for us in the duties and events of the day, into which we have entered. May we abide with God in our respective callings. Whether