soul hateth; and this, and this alone separates between Thee and us. Thou canst not contradict the essential perfections of thy nature; and Thou canst not make us happy WITH thyself, till Thou hast made us holy LIKE thyself. O Thou holy God, deliver us from all our iniquities, and make us such creatures as Thou canst take pleasure in, and such creatures as can take pleasure in Thee. While many are asking, Who will show us any good? may the cry of our heart be, Lord, lift Thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. May we consent to the law of God that it is good; may we delight in thy law after the inner man. May we never complain of the strictness of thy demands, but mourn over our want of conformity to them. May we esteem all thy commandments concerning all things to be right, and hate every false way. Put thy Spirit within us, that our practice may spring from principle, and our dispositions be congenial with duty; so that we may resemble Him who could say, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish his work.

We live in a world of changes; but with Thee there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. May we know that Thou, the eternal God, art our refuge, and that underneath us are thine everlasting arms. Creatures die; friends and relations die. The fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live for ever? But the Lord liveth, and blessed be our rock, and let the God of our salvation be exalted.

May we never forget that we are mortal ourselves. May we never put the evil day far off. May we frequentMay we faithfully

ly and seriously think of a dying hour. inquire, What will be its issue with regard to us, and what preparation have we for it. And may we never rest satisfied till we are enabled to view it as the period of our release and the end of our conflict; till we can say with

Paul, Thanks be unto God who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Take us this day under thy protection; and make use Let thy presence go with us; and do

sweeten our comforts, We consecrate ourAccept of our per

of us for thy glory. Thou give us rest. Let thy love and thy grace sanctify all our trials. selves to Thee, body, soul, and spirit. sons and services; and enable us to ascribe blessing and honour and glory and power unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen.

THURSDAY EVENING.

O GOD, all thy works praise Thee, and thy saints bless Thee. By thy mercies we again surround this family altar, and engage in the exercises of devotion. May we be concerned to worship Thee, a holy God, in the beauty of holiness; and to worship Thee, who art a spirit, in spirit and in truth. Such worship alone thy word requires; but such worship thy grace alone can enable us to render For we know from thy word, and from our own experience we know, that without Thee we can do nothing. All our sufficiency is of Thee; do Thou work in us to will and to do of thy good pleasure.

We would call to remembrance our true character and condition before Thee. We would not go about to estab lish our own righteousness, or seek to deny or extenuate our guilt. We are not only unprofitable servants, but condemned criminals; we confess the number and offensiveness of our transgressions, and acknowledge that we deserve to perish. Put we bless Thee for the everlasting consolation and good hope through grace which the gospel affords; for the news of a Mediator between Thee and

us; of a High Priest, who has put away sin by the scrifice of himself; of an Advocate with the Father. who ever lives to make intercession for us; and of a Saviour in whom it has pleased Thee that all fullness should dwell.

Produce in us all the feelings of those who are blessed with repentance unto life. Give us that faith by which we can be justified from all things, and have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. To the shadow of the Redeemer's cross may we retreat, and there find security and relief, refreshment and delight. Assure us of an interest in thy favour, which is life; and clothe us with thine image, which is the beauty and dignity of the soul.

May we

We bless Thee for thy word which we have been reading. May it dwell in us richly in all wisdom. May we yield a suitable attention to its various parts. make it not only our song in the house of our pilgrimage, but the man of our counsel, a light unto our feet and a lamp unto our paths. May we take it along with us, into all the concerns of life; and whether we are rich or poor, whether we are parents or children, whether we are appointed to govern or serve, may we walk by this rule, that mercy and peace may be upon us.

May we ever be willing that the Lord should choose our inheritance for us, and readily and piously accommodate ourselves to the dispensations of thy providence. May we never lean to our own understanding. May we never take a step without asking counsel of the Lord, nor be unwilling to take one at the intimation of thy pleasure. May we never think that Thou art less wise and righteous and good in a cloudy and dark day, than in a shining one; when we cannot trace Thee, may we trust; and walking by faith and not by sight, be fully persuaded that just and right are all thy ways, O thou King of saints.

Regard those who, under the pressure of affliction, are saying, Brethren pray for us. Be with them in trouble

Thou knowest the anxieties of thy people, lest by any of their temper or carriage in the evil day, they should injure the religion they profess; let thy grace be sufficient for them; let faith and patience have their perfect work; let them glorify Thee in all their trials.

Bless all in authority over us, and so rule their hearts and strengthen their hands, that they may punish wickedness and vice, and maintain true religion and virtue.

May all those who are placed above others in condition, go before them in the profession of truthand the practice of holiness, and be examples to all inferior ranks in society.

And may the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with us all, now and for evermore. Amen.

FRIDAY MORNING.

O THOU eternal God! with Thee is the fountain of life. Thou art the Father of men and angels. Thou art the Governor of the universe, and the Judge of all. Thou dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth: and there is not a word on our tongue, or a thought in our heart, but lo! O Lord, Thou knowest it altogether. And Thou art not a God that hast pleasure in wickedness, neither can evil dwell with Thee.

How then can we presume to enter thy presence, who have rendered ourselves guilty before Thee, and have provoked thy righteous displeasure? O wretched creatures that we are! We have wearied thy patience, we have abused thy goodness, we have trampled on thy authority, and we have said unto God, Depart from us, we desire not the knowledge of thy ways. We lie at thy mercy. Thou pity us not we are undone. But Thou art long-suf

If

fering, not willing that any should perish. Hast Thou not sworn by thyself, that Thou hast no pleasure in the death Hast Thou not delivered up thine And wilt Thou not with Him also

of Him that dieth? own Son for us all?

freely give us all things?

Through Him as the way, the truth, and the life, may we return to Thee; and find Thee waiting to be gracious, and exalted to have mercy upon us. Awaken our consciences. Enlighten us in the knowledge of sin and of ourselves. May we feel our personal depravity, misery, and helplessness; and from self-despair, may we be led to value the discoveries of the gospel, and to flee for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us. May we rejoice in the suitableness, the all-sufficiency, and the perfect willingness of the Savior; and find in Him for ourselves individually, wisdom and righteousness, and sanctification and redemption. As our Prophet, may we receive his instructions.

As our High Priest, may we rely on his sacrifice and intercession. As our Prince, may we obey Him. As our example, may we follow Him; and whatsover we do in word or deed, may we do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.

May integrity and uprightness preserve us. May we be Israelites indeed in whom is no guile; and herein exercise ourselves, to have always a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man. May the same mind govern us, and the same spirit actuate us, in prosperity and adversity, alone and in public, in thy house and in May we fulfil our course with diligence and perseverance, and at last finish it with joy. When we have passed the wilderness, and our eyes behold the swellings of Jordan, deliver us from every fear; and give us an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior.

our own.

But, O Lord, we would not reach that felicity alone.