nation to what is displeasing in thy eyes, and destructive to our souls. For besides that we were by nature the children of wrath, a seed of evil doers, the sinful offspring of rebellious parents; we have been daily trespassing upon thee, and still adding to the heavy score of our offences against thee. There is nothing in us, O Lord, but what may provoke thee to reject us: but there is enough in thy beloved Son, of all grace and goodness, to move thee mercifully to accept us. He was made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him; and that we might be saved through faith in his merits, where we could not be saved by any desert of our own works. As the chastisement of our peace was upon him, so let the merits of his righteousness be upon us; and by his stripes let our souls be healed.

Nor do we only beg for pardon of our sins, but also for power against them, and grace sufficient for us to break them off, and to walk more pleasingly before thee, in all the ways and duties of righteousness and holiness, which thy word prescribes to us. O never suffer us to be tempted above what we are able; but make our temptations less, or thy grace in us, and our spiritual strength, still greater than all our temptations; that no iniquities may prevail against us, nor any presumptuous sin have dominion over us. O make us more conformable to the pattern and the precepts of our Saviour, and more transformed into his holy image and likeness. So that our light may shine before men, to the glory of thee our heavenly Father, and to the edification of those with whom we have our conversation.

And together with our own, we commend to thy mercy, O God of the spirits of all flesh, the necessities and distresses of all our brethren throughout the world. O enlighten the ignorant, quicken the careless, awake the secure, convince the erroneous, reclaim the vicious, establish the unsettled, and comfort the dejected. Bring all to the knowledge and love of thy truth, and to the participation of thy grace, and the obedience of Christ;

and so to the blessed hope of thy heavenly glory, and to the eternal salvation of our souls. We pray more particularly for all our magistrates and ministers of the gospel; and all our friends and relations; and all thy servants; and all the afflicted every where; especially those for whose happiness and salvation thou knowest us to be chiefly concerned. O do thou for us, and for them, as thou knowest best, and most needful and expedient, for thy own mercy's sake in Jesus Christ.

*To thee we now render humble and hearty thanks for thy mercy to our family during another week. We thank thee that during its days and nights thou hast watched around our dwelling-hast met our returning wants hast given us food convenient for us, and the protection of raiment, and a home. We praise thee that so many of our friends have been continued to us; and that thou dost still preserve to us the enjoyments of a Christian land. Thou hast in mercy brought us again near to the day of sacred rest. If it be thy good pleasure to keep us through this night—which we humbly implore we pray that thou wilt prepare us for the duties of another holy day. Awake us in the morning with a lively sense of thy mercies; with a spirit of prayer; with hearts fitted to be impressed by religious truth; and with a deep conviction of thy goodness in the resurrection of our Lord Jesus from the grave. Go with us, if we may go, to the house of worship; and meet us in the sanctuary and bless us. Aid all thy ministering servants, that they may declare thy truth with simplicity and power. May thy Spirit descend on the churches; on all Sunday schools; and on all who are engaged in designs of benevolence; and may the morrow be a day long to be remembered in Zion, and the time soon come when thy Sabbath shall be observed by all the family of mankind.*

And now that the night is upon us, and we are ready to betake ourselves to our rest, we commit ourselves to thy gracious protection, who never sleepest nor slumberest, but hast still a watchful eye upon thy people. O watch over us, our God, we pray thee, for good; that

none of the evils or harms which our sins have deserved may befall us. Preserve us from the works, and from the powers of darkness, and from all the terrors and dangers of the night. Let all our sins, to-day or any time heretofore committed, be removed out of thy sight, and show us the light of thy countenance, O Lord, to refresh us with the sense of thy blessed love and favour, in our dear Redeemer; for whom, and to whom, with thy eternal self, and Holy Spirit, be all thanks, and praise, and honour, and glory, ascribed of us and all thy church, from this time forth, world without end. Amen.

THIRD WEEK.

SABBATH MORNING.

Smith.

O THOU who art the Author and Preserver of our lives, unto thee we would now lift up our voice and our hearts. Teach us to approach unto thee with that reverence which becometh all thy creatures; and vouchsafe to draw near unto us, as a God of pity, of mercy, and of grace.

We adore thee, O God, who hast made us for thy service; that thou hast given us thy word to direct us in thy worship; and that one day in every seven of our lives is appointed for this purpose. As the unworthy, but professing disciples of Jesus Christ, who hope for acceptance only through his merits and mediation, we would now offer up our morning sacrifice to the God, and Father, and fountain of all. This is the day which thou hast made; the day upon which thy Son rose from the dead, finishing the work of our redemption; that happy day when the love of God, the grace of Jesus Christ, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, may be humbly expected whereever two or three are met together in the name of the adorable Trinity. Wilt thou then, O most high and in

comprehensible Jehovah! accept of the dedication which we now make thee of our bodies and souls?

We are sensible that we have rendered ourselves unworthy of thy notice, having lost thy image, and broken thy commandments. But, God of all grace, thou art in Christ again reconciling a guilty world unto thyself, not imputing unto men their trespasses; and, therefore, we would now believingly, although humbly, draw near, asking and hoping every thing for his sake. Let those sins which we have formerly committed against much goodness, much love, and much light, be all blotted out of the book of thy remembrance. Let these worthless souls of ours be clothed with the wedding garment of a Redeemer's righteousness, that we may thus be interested in the privileges of his kingdom. O thou Giver of every good and perfect gift, create in us all clean hearts, and renew right spirits within us, that we may love thee -that we may fear thee-that it may be as our meat and our drink at all times to do thy holy will. We thank thee, O God, for that providential care and goodness which thou hast exercised towards us during the past week, and the past night. Prepare us for all the duties in which we are this day to be engaged. When we are allowed to enter into thine earthly temple, let all worldly wishes, worldly cares, and worldly thoughts of every sort, be banished from our minds. Enable us to sing thy praises with gratitude in our hearts. Grant that we may read thy holy Scriptures for our instruction and comfort. · May the prayers which we shall this day offer up for ourselves and others, so far as is consistent with thy glory, be accepted; and let thy word preached enlighten our understandings, spiritualize our hopes, confirm our faith, rekindle our love, and inspire us with new resolutions to live more becoming the professions we make, and the privileges we enjoy.

And when we return from thy house, forbid, O God, that we should spend any part of thy day in thinking our own thoughts, speaking our own words, or minding our own pleasures; but let it be an entire Sabbath of

rest unto our souls, reflecting upon what we have heard, laying up thy doctrines and precepts in our memories, examining by thy word and Spirit, into our state; and renewing, by thine all-sufficient grace, our broken vows, and unfulfilled engagements.

And thus, O Father, into whose hands we have committed our immortal spirits, by thus wisely and profitably spending our Sabbaths on earth, may we all be trained up and prepared for that eternal Sabbath in heaven, where we shall see thee as thou art, feel all thy perfections conspiring to make us happy, join in endless worship with an innumerable company of angels and dignified spirits, be introduced into thy presence, where there is fulness of joy, and be admitted to sit down at thy right hand, where there are pleasures for evermore.

O Lord, might we still intercede in behalf of our brethren of mankind! Thou hast promised by the blood of thy covenant, to speak peace unto the heathen. Soon, O God, give them to thy Son as his inheritance, with the utmost parts of the earth for his possession. Where the gospel is preached and professed, may multitudes be converted, and made a willing people in the day of thy power. Pour out, O God, a double portion of thy Holy Spirit, upon all the ministers of the everlasting gospel; and may they be enabled to discharge the important trust committed to them with fidelity and diligence, with thy approbation, and with abundant success. Let the churches with which we are more immediately connected have rest; and walking together in the fear of the Lord, and comforts of the Holy Ghost, may they be edified and multiplied.

Our relatives and friends, wherever they are, may their bodies be the objects of thy providential care, and all their souls the subjects of thy saving grace. If it be thy will, let us have many comfortable and useful meetings in this world, and may none of us be found wanting in that day when thou countest thy jewels. Such as may now be more immediately under thy afflicting hand, O God, console, support, and in thy due