own, but bought with a price, and are bound to glorify God in their body and in their spirit which are God's.

Work in us to will and to do of thy good pleasure. Uphold us by thy free spirit; and let the joy of the Lord be our strength.

May we be watchful over our ways; may we be jealous over our tempers; and may we keep our hearts with all diligence, knowing that out of them are the issues of life. Divest us of pride, and clothe us with humbleness of mind. Eradicate every root of bitterness, and let the peace of God rule in our hearts.

When we droop, revive us; when we loiter, quicken us; restore us when we go astray; and lead us in the paths of righteousness for thy name's sake.

Yea, though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death may we fear no evil, knowing that Thou art with us, and that thy rod and staff will comfort us.

The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace. Amen.

WEDNESDAY EVENING.

O GOD, Thou art greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints, and to be had in reverence of all that are about Thee. Those glorious beings that never fell, veil their faces, and sink into nothing before the Eternal All, and exclaim, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole carth is full of his glory. With what emotions should we enter thy presence, whose foundation is in the dust; and who have contemned thy goodness, defied thy power, trampled upon thy laws, and rendered ourselves worthy of

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eternal death. Our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is gone up into the very heavens. Enter not into judgment with thy servants: our consciences assure us, that if Thou, Lord, shouldst mark iniquity, we could not stand.

save.

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 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 of fering 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 degree 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 Savior-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 relieve; but we rejoice that in our contracted agency, prayer opens a resource to our benevolence. We can pray; and prayer has power with God and can prevail.

Let the leisure and affluence of the rich in this world af ford them means and opportunities of beneficence; 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; 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 Savior Amen.

9*

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.

own way.

Lord, make us willing to be saved, and to be saved in thy 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 redemp tion. May the message which concerns a dying, rising, in terceding Savior, be received into our very hearts, and be come there a well of water springing up into everlasting life. And may we not only receive Christ Jesus the Lord but alsc walk in Him; in a state of dependence upon Him,

❤ommunion with Him, and conformity to Him. May we be followers of Him as dear children; imperfect, but still pressing forward; not complaining of labor, 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.

Many watch for

We live in the midst of observation. 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. 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 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 community pursue that righteousness which exalteth a nation, that