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Invited in the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, we now present ourselves suppli- ants at thy mercy scat, entreating thee of thy great and unmerited goodness to pour out upon us the spirit of grace and supplication, and to do for us far above all that we can ask or think, for his sake in whom thou art always well pleased. Lord, God, Almighty, who art, who wast, and who art to come, the source of all being, perfection, and blessedness, we lift up our souls unto thee in adoration and praise, though with an overwhelming sense of o-ir insufficiency for so high a duty. Thou artfrum everlasting to everlasting, and we cannot number the years of thy duration : the unbounded space of the heaven of heavens cannot contain thee, and we are not able to conceive of thine imm.ensiiy. Whither shall w? go from thy spirit ? or whither <5hall we flee from thy presence ? If we ascend up into heaven thou ai't there : if we make our bed in hell, behold thou ait there. If we take th mgs of the morning and dwell in the uttcrmostp. ts of the sea, even there shall thy hand lead us, and thy right hand shall hold us. If we say, surely the darkness shall cover ns, even the n'ght shall be light about us. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thco,but the night shineth as the day ; the darkness atjJ the light are both alike to thee. Such knowledge is too won- derful for us, it is high wc cannot attain to it- — wc cannot find outihe Almighty unto perfection. But tiiough we cannot fully comprehend the eternity of ihine existence, nor the unlimited range of bine omniscience, nor the thunder of thy powcr,nor the inexhaustibienoss of thy benignity, we nevertheless lidore and bless thee, the unsearchable Jehovah,that f \ 1| we are able to discover numberless outbeamingsof thine infinite and unsearchable glory. We behold it in the splendor of hetwon's cnnopy — in the sun, moon, and stars, which thou hast ordained : wo behold it in this fair and beautiful world, which thou liast crowned with thy riches: we behold it in the groat and wide sea : the mighty and harmonious movements of the systems of the Universe testify of the Creator : all elements are obedient to thy command ; thou makest the winds thy chariot, and the clouds are the dust of thy feet : thou utterest thy voice in thunder, and the nations quake : thou sendest rain from heaven and fruitful seasons, and thy people bless ihee. Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men. But when we con- template thee as the Lord and governor of the world, what reason have we to reverence and fear thee, seeing thou art arrayed in unspotted Justice, not ^:pa- ring the guilty; what reason too have we humbly to confide in thee,seeing thou shewest mercy to thou- sands of them that love thee and keep thy command- ments. Thou hast given thy Son, to be the surely and mcdintor of a lost race ; and when none could deliver his brother from death, or give unto God a ransom for him, thou didst make II im wljo knew no sin, a sin off}^] ing for us, that we might bo made the righteousness of (lod in him. Thus most gra- cious and merciful Father, we bless and adore thee as our Creator and Lord, the God anrl Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of us in him : and while the perpetual and refreshing streams of thy provi- dential bounty call for our constant <:rratiludo and praise, the life-giving stream (lowing from the Re- i deemer's cross demands from us a deeper gratitude, a more fervent hymn. Oh that we were able to comprehend with all saints, what is the length and breadth, and depth and height, and to know the love of God, that passeth knowledge, that we may be filled with all the fulness of God. But, O God most holy, O Lord most righteous, we confess with humility and self-abasement, the blindness of unbelief which sin hath brought over the soul, by which we are rendered forgetful of thee, unconscious of our dcpendancc upon thee, and disinclined to worship and obey thee. Though we live and move and have our being in thee, we do not habitually recognize thee as the source of life : pensioners on thy bounty we are yet daily offending our benefactor : the days that are successively added to our forfeited life are added only through the prevailing mediation of our divine intercessor, vet do we too much forget to love and bless him, as the length of our days: and, Oh, with what guilt are we chargeable through the abuse of thy mer- cies : immoderate in our enjoyment of the good things of this life, we have set our hearts inordi- nately upon them; we have suffered the most precious opportunities of intellectual and spiiitual improve- ment to escape unimproved ; we have not prized, as we ought, fellowship with thee in meditation and prayer ; our sabbaths have been seasons of indo- lence and formality ; we have entered thy sanctuary without due preparation, and returned from it un- blessed : and now after years during which we have professed to know thee, and to walk before thee iii the ways of thine appointment, we cannot eomc U) thy mercy seat but with self upbraiding k h and painfully depressed with a sense of guilt : Lord I am vile, what shall 1 answer thee ? 1 will lay my hand upon my mouth and cry out unclean, unclean. O God, with whom there is mercy that thou may- cst be feared, and plenteous redemption that thou mayest be sought unto — remember not against us our former iniquities : let thy tender mercies speed- ily prevent us for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation^ for the glory of thy name : and deliver us, and purge away our sins for thy name's sake. We are self-condemned^and con- demned of thee : we are prisoners— but, O the depth both of the mercy and forbearance of God, we are prisoners of hope. Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee, according to the great- ness of thy power : preserve thou those that are appointed to die. So wo thy people, and sheep of thy pasture, will give thee thanks forever : we will show forth thy praise to all generations. Give us, O Lord, a true sight of our sins, and a deep sense of our guilt. Set our iniquities in array before us, that we may feel their aggravations and groan un- der their burden ; — that we may discern their odi- ousnessand repent, abhorring ourselves in dust and ashes. Alas, we cannot reckon their number; we cannot estimate their enormity ; we cannot suitably realize the terror of that doom which may justly overtake us at any moment. But, O most gracious and most merciful, we can pray thee in thy mercy to avert it ; to endue us with thy grace that we may henceforth break off our sins by repentance. Spirit of grace, renew our souls m righteousness ; revive within us, and enlighten, the directive power of conscience : lead us to a knowledge of the truth 6 and sanctify us by its power ; Now may the God of hope, fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost: and may the life that we hence- forth live in the flesh, be a life of faith in the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. For implanting and perfecting this spiritual life, WG humbly pray that an especial blessing may rest this day, on the preaching of the word, and tho administration of the sacraments throughout tho whole Christian Church. Let the means ordained far the conversion of the world, and tho editying of the body of Christ, be accompanied in every place with demonstration of the spirit and power. No power but thine could create the world, and no pov^rer but thine can redeem it. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O most mighty : with thy glory and thy majesty : and in thy majesty ride prosperously, because of truth, and meekness and righteousness. Usher the mandate to all the ministers of thy plea- sure, "prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a high way for our God." Every valley shall bo exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low : and the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough places plain : and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together : for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. Fulfil, O Lord, according to the faithfulness of thy covenant, thine eternal purpose of mercy and love. Assert thy rightful sovereignty over the kingdoms of the world, and in the hearts of men. Send forth thy spirit, as once upon the chaos of the material world, but now to brood upon the disorders of the moral ; that supreme . . love and holy obedience may be revived in the soul's that sin hath alienated from thee ; that thine eye may yet behold the earth peopled with a race of regenerated beings sanctified through thy spirit and accepted in the beloved. Most merciful God, our heavenly Father, who hath promised to hear the prayers and intercessions of thy people and hath ordained supplication as a means through which thy blessing shall descend on the suppliant, and on those for whom it is made, we do now in obedience to thy command, and with humble trust in thy great goodness,pray for the peace and prosperity of thy Church. Be a wall of fire around her and the glory in the midst of her. May no weapon formed against her ever prosper. Let not the gates of hell prevail against her ; but may one generation praiwse thy works to another and declare thy mighty acts: may they speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and sing of thy righteousness. Incline the opulent and powerful of the earth to build up her walls ; and to beautify her palaces. Establish her as the pillar and the ground of the truth. Raise up within her a succession of faithful men, who shall be perfec- ted for the work of the ministry and for the edify- ing of the body of Christ ; who, endued with the meekness and gentlenessof Christ shall warn every man and teach every man in all wisdom, that they may present every man spotless before God. Re- move error and corruption from the midst of her. Inspire her members with the spirit of truth, unity, and righteousness. Unite the prayers and the ex- ertions of all who fear thee in behalf of those por- tions of the human family who ere yet sitting in darkness and in the region and shadow of death. Dispose us, according to the ability given us, to send the written word and the living messenger to make known among the heathen the unsearchable riches of Christ. And as from thy sure word of propliecy we conclude that the return of the Jews shall precede the coming in of the fulness of the Gentiles, we pray thee to cast a pitying eye on thine ancient people in their reproachful dispersion: remove the veil of blindness and unbelief from their lioarts : may they look on him whom their fathers rejected, and embrace him as the only hope of Isra- el, the Prince of peace : and may the increasing brightness which their return shall give to that testimony which thou hast borne concerning thy Son, subdue the world to the obedience of the faith, that all the ends of the earth may boho'd the sal- vation of God. Sovereign ruler of heaven and earth, we humbly beseech thee to regard witli favor the United King- dom of Great Britain and Ireland, with all the Col- onies and dependencies thereunto belonging. Over every part of this widely extenJed empire may the sun of righteousness arise and shine for ever with healing in his beams. Alas, O God, wc are not worthy of the high honor and distinction thou hast put upon us as a nation. Bearing the christian name in how many instances have we foully stained iti How much ignorance and depravity prevails among all ranks and classes of the people. And how much heathenism is found on the outskirts of tho empire which we have made no effectual attempt to remove. Lead us, O God, as a people to repent of Hational sin^ that thine anger may be turned away f£ from 113. Lot the nation's intelligence, and wealth und j>o\ver,l)C consecrated to thy glory, and the uni- versal well-being of man. For bleascd is the nation whose God is the Lord : and the people whom he hath chosen for his own inheritance. We fervently pray that our Sovereign may ever seek thy counsel and protecting care, never denied to princes ruling in thy fear. Raised to a high sta- tion may she always be distinguished lor exalted goodness, and may the blessings of her reign extend to distant generations. Encircle the throne with wise, faithful and patriotic men, whose contstant «tudy will be to conduct public affairs according to the law of God, and for the benefit of all. Make our judges just, our exactors righteous, our mag- istrates faithful, the rich among us bounteous, and the poor contented. And O thou King of Kings whose sceptre is a right sceptre, restrain the evil pascions of men, and heal the contentions of a jarring world. Incline the nations of the earth to dwell in amity and peace. Let education and all the arts that tend to improve and embellish our na- ture be advanced, and may pure and undefiled re- ligion shed its divine influence over all. And now, O God, as at all times, we would yield ourselves up to thetender sympathies of the good,and remember th*^m that are in bonds as bound with them ; and them which suffer adversity an being ourselves also in the body. Have compassion on the sons and daughters of affliction. Tn the time of trouble hide them in thy pavilion. Give patience to endure ; submission to await ; and grace to pro- fit by thy chastisements ; — and when the set time is come grant them a happy deliverance out of all their tribulations. 10 \yith an humble and grateful trust in thy mercy nncJ fuithfulncss, we present these our prayers and intercessions unto thee, in the name of our Lord and Saviour ; beseeching thee to grant the good we have failed to ask. and to pardon us wherein wo have asked amiss : summing up our imperfect petitions in the words that our Lord hath tauglit us, we pray, saying — Our Father, &c. II. Almighty and eternal God, grant ns at this time the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that our praises and prayers may proceed from prepared hearts, and be accepted through our great high priest and interces- sor, Jesus Christ. Fill us with deep humility from a full sense of our sin and unworthiness,and from a holy veneration of thine infinite majesty; inspire us also with a joyful confidence in the one mediator be- tweenGod&manahat thus self-abased, and yet hum- bly confiding in thy mercy,our prayers may come up before thee as the morning and the evening^acrifice. What trust and confidence may we not repose in thee, thou creator, preserver and benefactor of mankind : since in all that boundless universe that thou hast called into existence, every element, and every creature, is under thy controul, and when thou com mandest they are the obedient minis- ters of thy pleasure. The*^ thunder and the storm obey thy voice. Thou stillest the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people. By thine unceasing agency all the changea 1 11 4 i of maturinl nature are effected, and day and night, secd-linie and harvest, sunnmerand winter, do not cease. Through thy henignant power myriads of hcings arc ev(;ry moment rising from the bosom of nothing into the enjoyments of existence. Every heast of the forest is thine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills. Thou hast formed the great and wide sea, and all the tribes that people its depths. These all wait upon thee, thou givest them :heir meat in due season ; that thou givest them they gather ; thou openost thine hand, they are filled with good : thou hidest thy face, they are troubled ; thou tak-^^st away their breath, they die, and return to their dust. O Lord, how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all : the earth is full of thy riches. With what fervent gratitude should we adore thee, O thou dispenser of life and happiness, for that elevated rank which thou hast assigned us in terrestrial creation. Endowed with the high dis- tinction of reason, thou hast placed us in this lower world to behold thy glory, to love, worship and o- bey thee. The inheritors of an immortal nature, thou hast so arranged the circumstances of our lot here upon earth, as to render it a school of discip- line and preparation for a more perfect condition of being : every object in creation, every event in life, every page in the records of inspiration, is fraught with lessons of sacred wisdom. For thine eternal power and godhead is made manifest in the things at thou hast made; the changes of life proclaim thy universal dominion ; and all the institutions of the spiritual kingdom of our blessed Redeemer remind us of the end of our being,and prepare us for ful- filling it 12 But, O Lord our God, most holy and just, those very advantages, forgotten as they have been and inisimproved by us, aggravate the guilt of our ig- norance and ungodlinoiis. It is known to thy om- niscient mind, it is known to our own consciences, that in much of our departed lime, thou hast not been in all our thoughts. Our understanding blind- ed by sin did not behold thy manifested glory ; our hearts, debased by corruption, refused the homage which is due unto thy name ; and oven, though in the exercise of a mercy which transcends our highest thoughts, thou hast sent thy Son into our world and revealed through him the path of eternal life, yet have we been choosing death in the error of our ways — since we have not beon persuaded to icek life from him who died for us. Righteous Father, we cannot urge any plea to excuse or extenuate this criminal alienation of what is justly thine. Our inconsideration aggravates our guilt. Our high privileges, while they magnify thymerey in the gift, in the misimprovement they demonstrate our exceeding sinfulness. We are in- deed a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doerp, children that are corrupters : we have for- saken the Lord, we have provoked the holy one of Israel unto anger, wc have gone away backward Though thou hast nourished and brought us up as children, yet we have rebelled against thee. The richest bounties of thy providence abused, the richest overtures of thy grace neglected, testify that Qur iniquities have reached above the heavens. Lord, God, merciful and gracious, long suffering and slow to anger, it is of thy mercies that we are act consumed, ' and because thy compassions fail 13 not. Oh, what an infinitude of mercy that mu?tbo, which has spared us amidst such great and length- ened provocations. Only tho all prevailing inter- cesfc-ion of Flim who is mighty to save and strong to deliver.could thus have stayed the hand of jus- tice. Ke not wroth against us O Lord, neither re- member our iniquities forever, for we mourn over the sins that we have committed, and are ashamed of the pleasures we have chosen. Make us truly penitent, obedient, and watchful, that we may never return agam unto folly : encompassed wiih danger on every side, we tremble for the fu- ture. Spirit of all grace, enlighten, convince, and convert our souls. Cause us to mourn bitterly over our iniquities. May we loathe ourselves, repenting in dust and ashes. May tho remembrance of our past ways so afflict us, that we may return to thv testimonies, and never again forsake them. 6 most righteous God, in reviewing the past, we may well be cloihed wiih self-abasement. Conscious df our own inconstancy and weakness, knowing the enemies with whom we must enter into warfare, aware of the seductive influence of sinful pleasure, and of our own depraved inclinations still unsub- dued, we tremble lest our enemies should complete our ruin. Gracious God, say to the fearful heart, be strong — behold. Make thy grace sufficient for us ; thy strength perfect in our weakness. Enlight- en the dark ; sanctify the impure ; make us wholly a new creation in Christ Jesus. VVhatcver good thou hast wrought in us confirm. The Lord perfect that which concerneth us. Conduct us safe through every danger, and present us at last spotless and with exceeding joy, before God even the Father. \ 11 And that this blessed consununation may be nt« tnincd, let the gracious influence of thy spirit assist and bless us in all the religious exorcises in which we shall this day bo engaged. Enable 'Ui with Fpir- Uual affections to devote the whole day to the f)uh- lic and private exercises of thy worship. When we assemble in the house of prayer, commune witli us fr )m off thy mercy seat. Refresh our memo- ries and hearts with the truths of the gospel. Cause us to discern and feel their importance, that we may experience their saving power. May they be en- graven upon the heart and nourish within us a life of faith in the Son of God ; in whoso name we present our prayers, summing them up in the words that he hath taught us, saying — Our Father, &c. IH. Almiglity and Internal i'^od, the cre'^.tor and pre- server of all things, v '* .a.st formed the various orders of intelligent beings both in heaven and earth, to adore, worship and enjoy Thee, we desire now to draw near unto thy throne of grace with the of- ferings of our praise and adoration. Thy essential presence filleth immensity ; thy duration is from everlasting to everlasting. Thy power no finite creature can resist ; thy wisdom no finite being can fully comprehend ; thy benignity is as unfathom- able as space, and thy loving-kindness is for ever- more upon them that fear Thee. The vastne^s of creation is but an imperfect type of thy majesty. The perpetuity of the everlasting hiils is but a faint W 15 omblcm of thine eternity. Torthoy shall |HMish,but Iliou endureat. After the levolution ot bcied ages, and when tii unnum- red ages, and when ti»e present fabric of nature is at thy fiat destroyed, tijou renin incst the same, without the least variableness or shadow of turning. l>ecausc thou art arrayed in every attribute of perfection, it is our duty and felicity to lo\e, and servo thee. Thou art the constant and omniscient witness of every artection that arises in the soul. No desire felt or uttered by any of thy creatures, can b(j unknown, or unheard by Thee. Thy regard for man, even for sinful man. has prompted thee to every kindness,and thy power is equal to thy regard. And it hath pleased thee in the dispenrsation of thy mercy according to the gos})el of our Lord Jesus Christ, to establish a throne of grace, every where and at every moment accessiDlc,lo which the humble and contrite may repair, and obtain mercy and find grace to help them in every lime of need. Wc revcrenily repose our hope and trust in thy mcrcv and faithfulness We cherish the assurance that through Christ our Mediator, thou wilt do for us far beyond what we are ablo to ask or think ; and we aft'ctionately confido in thine own gracious de- claration — ♦nhat if our earthly parents know to give good gifts unto their children, much more shall our Father in heaven give his holy spirit, and every good gift unto them that ask hinri.'' Encouraged thus to draw nigh unto Thee, as children to a Father, able and ready to help us, wo would humbly entreat Thee, to enable us to form just and worthy conceptions of the holiness of thy character and the justice of thy government. Thy word declares that thou art of purer eyes than to 10 behold evil, and workers of iniquity shaii not dwoll with theo ! it declares that thou art angry with tho wicked every day, and wilt by no means spare the guilty. Those discoveries of what thou art, and of what thou wilt do, are of infinite moment to us; for we are nniserable sinners — committing every day and every hour, that which provokes thy dis- pleasure ; and while in time past there has accumti- lated over our heads a load of guilt that we cannot cancel, and for which we cannot atone, we feel that there is actually existing within us, both an mborn and an acquired depravity which wholly disinclines us to love thee and keep thy commandments : w«; feel a law in our members warring against the law of our minds, so that when we would do good evil is present with us. Oh, that through the teaching of thy holy spirit our conscience were fully enligh- tened that we might feel the extent of our sin and vrreichedness. Oh, that the multitude of our ini- quities were set in array before us in all their ag- gravations and consequences, thai knowing the terrors of the Lord, we might exclaim from ihv. depths of contrition and penitence, wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from this body of sin and death. We do now look up to thee,0 (lod, for grace to work in us this contrite and penitent disposition. Christ is exalted to give repentance unto Israel ; it is the ofTiccor the holy spirit whwin he hath promised to send unto us to convince of sin : Blessed Jesus, bestow on us this gift ; Holy Spirit, work in us this conviction ; that hereafter we may be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto (^)d, through Jesus Christ our Lord. In-'trueted thu-; in tho r:iin that sin liaih wrought n in and around us, may wc also be instructed in the remedy vvliich thy boundless mercy has provided for it. May we receive it as a iaiihful saying and worthy of al! acceptation that Jesus Christ camo into the world to save sinners ;— that having made l)cace by the blood of his cross, lie is now recon- ciling a guilty world unto iiimself not imputing lo them that believe their trespasses ; — that by liim all that believe arc justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Mo- ses. O that wc may he found complete, in him, not having our own righteousness which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by iaith, that v/e may know him and the power of his resurrec- tion, and the fellowship of his suQerings, being made conformable unto his death, il by a'ny means we may attain unto llie resurrection of the dead. For the attainment of this blessed end endue us with a living faith in tfie Redeemer ; engrave tliy law on the fleshly tablet of the heart ; lot divine' trulli exert over us a sanctifying power; may Christ dwell in our hearts by "faith, that we being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend witli all saints, what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that wo may be iiiiod with all the fulness of God. O desirable con- summation ; the perfection of our nature, the com- pletion of ^our bliss ; the fulfilment of the eternal j/urpose of creating and redeeming love Invited on this holy day, the perpetual memorial of the finished work of redemption, to contemp'ate throughout their ample range the bcn!gi7ant purpo- ii 18 If SOS of our morciful Creator, we fervently implore that our souls may be so illumined with heavenly light, and so filled with filial love, that we may be prepared to behold thy glory in the face of Jesus Christ. We adore thee for the earliest promise of a saviour given to the oflending representatives of the human family to mitigate the bitterness of that doom, which on account of their transgression, thou didst pronounce on them and their race ; — we thank thee for the brightening intimations of the coming ahi- loh voucHsafed to the patriarchs ; — we thank thee for the more explicit predictions given to the ancient church, though the inspired prophets, who foretold the deliverance of Israel, and the glory thst should follow ; — we praise and magnify thy name that in the appointed time these predictions met their com. pletc fulfilment in Jesus of Nazareth, declared to bo the Son of God with power by his resurrection from the dead — God manifest in the flesh, justified in the spirit, seen of angels, believed on in the world, received up into glory ; — We praise and bless thee for that success which hath already attended the preaching of his gospel in every region, and for the sure and certain hope that thy saving health shall be known among all nations. Glory and blessing and praise be ascribed to him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb forever. For surely mer- cy will triumph ; sin and death shall bo destroyed ; righteousness and peace shall yet reign upon the earth ; the tabernacle of God shall be with men, and God himself shall be with them and be their God. Filled with these grateful recollections and rejoicing in these exalted hopes, we ascribe the glory to Him, of whom and through whom and to r ■ :l i i > 1^ 19 whom are all things, God over all, blessed for evermore. While thus with grateful hearts we present tho o'hlation of our praise for all the glorious designs of the covenant of mercy, we thank thee that suf- ficient means for their accomplishment have also been provided. The Prince of Peace reigneth,and all things are pui in subjection under him, for Thou hast made him head over all things to the Church. All the changes in the civil kingdoms of the world are subordinate to the interesls of his spiritual kingdom, and the dispensations of providence be- come by thy appointment dispensations of grace. r)Ut we more especially thank thee for the means ordained for the conversion of the world to the faith and hope of our Lord Jesus Christ. Thy gospel is p^reached to our sinful race, the ambassadors of Christ are sent on their high embassy to beseech men in Christ's stead to be reconciled unto God ; thy churc'n opens wide her portals as a place of refuge from the wrath to come ; and tho l)ain:i ap- plied there by the divine physician is ail-pouerful to heal the wound that sin has inflicted on our im- mortal nature. Heavenly FathiM-, v\e thank thco for the human agency that thou hast been pleased to employ in the work of redemption, but more i:oi' that divine influence of the spirit of grace from which all its etTicacy and success proceed. We would render our sincere and heartfelt homage to this Comforter. Let his gracious influence descend in rich effusion, to create a holy nation, a chosen generation, a royal priesthood to oflbr up spiritual sacriflces to God, acceptable through Jesus Christ our Lord. 20 While engaged in the instituted ordinances of tliy house this day we humbly ask the promised succors of thy grace. Meet with us as thou h;ist met with thy people heretofore in thy holy temple. Our sinful nature renders us unfi{ to sustain and unworthy to enjoy the unclouded vision of thy glo- ry ; but reveal to us more vividly such views of thy glory in the face of Jesus Christ, as we arc able to sustain. Let his divine excellencies be so present to our thoughts that our souls may be filled with the highest admiration and holy love. Eternal Father, give a saving efficacy to these sacred insti- tutions as they are observed among us. Inspire our prayers and accept them ; make the reading and preaching of thy word spirit and life; give to divine truth its rightful ascendancy over us ; may our failh give a present subsistence to unseen and eternal realities ; and choosing them for our portion, may we in thine abundant mercy attain to the full pos- session, of them in heaven.' * * * La IV. Most holy and ever-adorable Jehovah, who dvvell- est in the high and the holy place, who yet con- descendest to behold the things that are do'nc upon the earth, and to dwell with the broken and contrite in heart, we now approach thy throne of grace ac- knowleding our unworthiness, and confessing our sins. It is only in the chnractcr of sinful and guilty A 21 beings that we can draw ncai- unto thee : for if we would justify ourselves, our own mouths shall con- demn us; were we to say we are perfect it shall also prove us perverse. Our heart has been polluted, and our life unholy. Nor has this been the charac- ter of a part of our life only, but of the whole. Our recollection cannot extend to any period in which we could challenge thine approbation for motives perfectly pure, or for an obedience exactly con- formable to the law that is exceeding broad. Reach- ing to our thoughts how searchingly does it expose their deplorable vanity; prescribing the government of our tongue how mournfully does it expose our vain and unprofitable conversation ; as the rule of our action, in what terrible array does it set before our conscience the ungodly deeds which we have ungodly committed. O thou searcher of hearts, we would in thy presence open the book of the law out of which we shall in the last day be judged, and craving the assistance of thy spirit, we would now out of it judge ourselves, that we may not be con- demned in the day of the Lord. We plead guilty, because we have not loved thee with our whole heart and soul and mind — for thou art justly enti- tled to the supreme regard of all thy creatures. In- finite, eternal, and unchangeable in thy being and attributes, thou art possessed of every perfection that is fitted to call forthour highest admiration and love. Our existence is derived from thee, and who can estimate the value of the boon ? Our rational and moral powers come of thy inspiration, and how can we prize sufficiently these gifts thai raise us to so exalted a place in the scale of intelligent creation ? Thou hast assigned our birth in an age of 22 high improvement, and in a country possessing pe- culiar advantages ;— above all these,do we rank our Christian privileges, which on this sabbath, and on numerous sabbaths departed thou hast vouch- sated to us, with their rich profusion of benefits con- nected with our present state, and their still richer benefits connected with the world beyond *M p-ravc. Yet, ah Lord God, for these blessings we°have not been duly grateful, nor have we faithfully im- proved them to thy glory. Unmindful of the hand that hath dispensed them, and of the purpose for which they have been bestowed, it is our sin and wretchedness, that in so large a degree we have received the grace of God m vain.— Defective thus in our love and duty to thee, our conduct towards our fellow men has not been less defective. Far very far have we been from acting in conformity with the golden rule of loving our neighbors as ourselves—of loving our brethren even as Christ loved us. We confess that envy, hatred, and un- charitableness, have too often dwelt in our hcaris • that selfishness hath rendered us too indiflerent to the welfare of our fellow-men, and we have not done them good according to our opportunity ; that m numerous instances we have even done them in- jury--especially injury of a spiritual nature by our ungodly example, injury beyond our power of re- pairing. O Lord God, our experience establishes the lact, so mournfully apparent in the history of our race,that when supreme love to thee is extin- guished m the sou],benevoIence to man can have on- iy a very imperfect existence. We come before thee therefore making penitent confession of our great and aggravated sinfulness. We confess not } » 23 merely forgetfujness but disaffection : not merely the omission of duty but the commission of sin ; not merely disloyally in heart but rebellion in act. Surely it is of theLord's mercies that we arc not consumed and because his compassions faiT not : surely we are the monuments of thy lung suffering patience, and if the obligations thence arising could move the soul to repentance then would we repent. But, ah Lord, it is not thy goodness alone that can melt our hearts, else had they never been hardened. Thy spirit must break the rock in pieces ; thy re- generating grace must take the stony out of our hearts and give us hearts of flesh ; the love of Christ, apprehended by a soul having a conscious participation in it, must kindle the fervor of a love within us that shall never die. Reveal thy glory to us in the face of Jesus Christ. In him thy holU ness appears to us in a yet diviner purity ; in him thy justice is displayed in still more awful and un- changeable characters ; in him thy mercy shines with most melting sweetness, and love beams ''un- utterably full of glory and of God." We tremble with holy fear in the presence of thine unspotted holiness ; we are afraid in the contemplation of ihy justice, even though theawfulness of its outbeiiming from the eternal throne is shaded by the rainbow of peace that encircles it : But thy mercy in Jesus Christ our Lord dispels our fears, and with adoring gratitude and humble hope, we set our seals to the covenant of reconciliation. Most gracious and ever merciful Father, receive us in the embrace of thine everlasting love. Thou art the Creator of our bo- dies, be also the redeemer of our souls : be our sustainer in the path of faith and obedience ; a« 21 our fjuido the God of all grace and consolation be _„. Ihi'ongli the viilloy of tears : Be our sun in tho day ot darkness : Do our sliield in the perils of wnrfare : Conduct us by thy counsel while we live: and ad- lujnifnor to us in our departing hour, an abundant entrance into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Out now do we hear thy warning voice, "take heed lest through unbelief yj should come short of the heavenly rest.'' Spiritual enemies surround us ; pe- rils are thickly strewn over our path ; we arc every day in danger of falling among thieves who would wound our peace, and rob us of our crown. But, eternal praise be ascribed to that divine foresight and compassion which has provided for all our dan- gers and wants Thou hast instituted ordinances in thy spiritual kingdom, that the channels of grace might be always open ; thou hast give. and that brethren watch over each other in L. jou hast commanded thy ministering servants ^Z- for the souls committed to their charge as they that mustgive account. Othou master of assemblies grant that thy worshippers waiting upon thee in the an- pointed way may obtain the promised blessing. May they enjoy fellowship with the Father and with the Son Jesus Christ. With holy fervor, with confid- ing humdity may thy people offer their thanksgiv- ings, and make known their wants unto Thee. When thine ambassadors declare their high mes- sage, arm thine own word witk the power of thine own spirit. Let the gainsayer yield to the convic- tions of truth ; let those who receive it be made to love It ; may those who Iiave tasted of the good word of God become rooted and grounded 25 in the faith ; may thy grace be adapted to the va- rious characters and conditions of thy children; and in their several spheres may they bring forth the fruits of rigliic!0usness, and always display the sweet attractions of a lioly life, that through the gospel thus preached and thus exemplified pure and undefiled religion may pervade and bless the world. * * * * * * * V. Almighty and most merciful God we approach the throne of thy grace as sinners, trusting in our Lord Jesus Chri.st, who hath opened up a way of access, having entered into the holiest of all, there to appear in the presence of God for us. Our only hope is in him who is the days-man betwixt us, laying his hand upon both ; reconciling thee to the sinner by his expiatory death, and the sinner lo thee by the dispensation of his spirit, and his own con- tinual and all prevailing mtercession. Eternal praise be ascribed unto thy great and glo- rious name that the joyous tidings of the gospel of reconciliation hath been proclaimed unto us. We have heard them by the hearing of the ear ; may we also receive them with a believing heart En- due us with a wise and spiritual discernment that we may hear thy voice speaking in the scriptures ; and may their sacred and momentous lessons come lo us not in word only, but in power and in the Holy Ghost and in much assurance. While we fervently pray for this saving appre- hension of the word of life, we thank thee for the 20 if it humble trust that wc have that our suit will be heard because thou hast promised to make thy word spirit and If e, and that it shall not return unto thee void, but shall prosper in the thing whereunlo thou hast sent It: and we believe that the same Spirit through whose inspiration it was given, will still accompany It with a divine energy and make it the power of Crod unto s-alvation through faith in Christ Jesus. J-et his gracious influence be shed abroad upon ev- ery worshipper in the observance of the appointed ordinances. Let savinggrace prepare many a heart tor the reception of the incorruptible seed. Wher- ever it IS sown may it be watered with the dew of heaven, and bring forth abundantiv the fruits of righteousness to the praise and glory of God O Lord.we humbly beseech thee, to remove eve- ry hindrance from our souls, that might prevent the entrance, or in any way destroy the influence of the woi-d of life. Corruption produces unbelief, and unbelief rejects thy testimony and leads us away from thee. Overpower this unbelief by the evidence of irresistible truth. Enlighten our un- derstanding and conscience, that their testimony respecting the depravity of man, and our alienation lom the life of God, may correspond with the dec- larations of thy word. Make us tremble under the consciousness of thy displeasure. May the arro a^s ot conviction pierce our spirit, and lead us with a proper solicitude to look forward to the judgment Z tf ?'^''.^"^ forbid, most gracious God, h. L i^ rVf the daughter of thy people should be healed slightly : forbid that any of U should speak peace to ourselves, ere thou hast removed condemnation, and conferred peace. Rather let 27 the soul endure its compunctious sorrow, until sin bo felt in all its bitterness and enormity ; until the cross of Christ be exceedingly endeared as our only hope ; until redeeming love be felt in all its sweet attraction, enabling thy children with unutterable gratitude to exclaim, »I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord."' Holy Father, let those who are living a life of faith in the Son of God, be continually enriched with thy heavenly grace, that they may evermore display the energy of a more abundant life. Let such as have tasted of the good word of God and of the powers of the world to come goon unto per- fection. Reveal to u« more brightly thy glory in the face of Jesus Christ. May devout meditation on thy holiness encrease our holy fear ; may just views of thine inflexible justice as the righteous lawgiver, enfoice upon us the immutable obliga- tions of thy law ; may a grateful sense of thy mer- ciful condescension win our hearts to a more affec- tionate confidence in thee; may theSaviour's media- torial power and glory serve to banish our guilty fears ; let every manifestation of thine infinite love kindle and nourish within us a supreme and ever growing love to thee. Conduct us to a fuller ex- perimental knowledge of that divine truth ♦*God is love ; and they tliat dwell in love dwell in God, and God in them." And as thou hast gathered into one family those whom thou hast called in the gospel of Jesus Christ, we humbly pray that thy grace may be poured out on thy church universal that she may fulfil the ends of her high vocation. May she ever hold fast the truth in righteousness ; may she contend earnestly 28 I V for tho faill, once delivered to the «aint3, nrul com- bine all her prayers, and all her energy, to socL.ro mIv ,1." ''":l"f"'^y /l"-»"gl'out the wide world. May those that lear thy nan.e dwell together in the miity ot the ^nnl and in the bond of peace, and by love serve one another. Let thy priests he clothed with salvanon. May they l.c deeply skilled in the word and doctrine, and ahle to communicate it to the people with altection and power. Uai.s,- up and qualLly those helps and governments who shall pro- serve the order and pnriiy of thy house, ru ing w,th a 1 ddigenee and fidelity in the fear and lovf ol God : and may a teachable, a humble, a sub- missive sp.nt pervade tlie body of Christ, which is bis church, that every member, according to the grace of God given unto him, may glorify tlioe in Ins appointed s|)here. i' ^^ We look forward with humble hope and trust to that glorious era, spoken of in tlio sure word of prophecy when the church shall encircle tho globe Assured that the triumph of the gospel is the tri- umphof truth and righteousnessfthl source of all perfection and felicity to man, wo rejoice in hope of IS glory to bo revealed. Our souls do magnify tho Loi-tl, our spirits rejoice in God our Saviour, on account o every event that betokens tho latter-day of zeal and liberality that has been awa^pned in many portions of thy church, and which has been directed not only to the promulgation of the gospel at home, but to its extension into the yet unenligh tened territories of heathenism O L, ihl! ^ nC !.„(), ..,.„ II I "'^'J'"^n'sm. u let the success ol both run parallel. Let a deeper piety at homo kindle a more earnest desire of imparting to herh- 't- MHH 29 tn- en lands a knowledge of the iinscarclmMc riches of Christ. Lcl ii deeper personal experience of the infinite value of tlie gospel, both to the present and eternal well-hcing of mankind, prompt thy children to communicate it to the destitute ; and if it please thee, O most gracious God, to grant high success to the missionaries of the cross among those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, let that success return in b'essing upon the lands by whoso j)rayers and beneficence, families on families, and tribes on tribes, arc brought within the Christian fold On this hallowed day let these our humble suppli- cations for the church and the world mingle; bc^foro the mercy seat with the prayers of millions and bo presented before thee with acceptance by our exalted redeemer. Mis is the kingdom whose extension wo desire ; his is the power on which we depend ; his is the glory we seek to exalt : and now in the words that he hath taught us would we sum up our imper- fect supplications, *'Our Father &c. VI. Ever blessed and most merciful God, who art to bo had in reverence by all those who would ap- proach unto thee, let thy holy spirit now j)reparo us to draw near unio thee in an acceptable maimer. We feel our unvvorthiness of this privilege ? wo deplore our unpreparedness to enjoy it aright How dark are our views of thy nature and perfections ! Hov/ insensible are we of thino infiniio condescen- 30 sion in deigning to permit sinful men to hold con- verse wjth thee ! Surrounded as thou art with in- cliable glory, and worshipped by those pure and exalted spirits who enjoy the supreme felicity of thine immediate presence, how grateful should we be that thou humblest thyself to behold the things that arc done upon the earth ! Father of lights en- lighten our souls with the revelation of thy mercv and truth in Jesus Christ. God of love, shed abroad thy love in our hearts by the Holy Ghost ffiven to us, that our worship of thee may 'indeed be the su- preme homage of the heart, and not what it has too often heretofore been, the mere utterance of the lips in which the heart was not moved. What O Lord, can give life to our souls, but thine all crea- ting energy ? Say unto us with a voice that shall bo heard, awake thou that slccpest and arise from tho th.'t'.b'!! ^J^''^"«' «h^^" g'vo thee light— light ha shall conduct thee to a sin pardoning God and h ifiTiT ^". '""u^"'' ^'^'' ^^^'' miserable, how da k, ihat life which is spent in opposition to thee and under thy wrath : How sunk our nature when degraded by sinful indulgence ; How ennobled- by every thing which tends to form it anew after its di- vine original : O Lord we come to thee for the grace by which this regeneration is to be effected : with thee IS the i^^sidue of the spirit which thou hast promised to bestow upon all who truly ask his influence ;-for iT our earthly parents know to give good gifts unto their children much more shall our as'k him " n'^'u ^''"' '^' ^""^y ^P''-^'^ "^-^ ^hem that ask him O what reason have we to deplore tho uagratefu entertainment which we have so lonff given to this divine guest. Tho light,which through I -ti 31 divine truth he hath shod into tiic heart we have disregarded. We knew the solemn admonition, if any man defile the temple of God, him will God destroy, yet what vain and hurtful passions have we indulged, which have too often led into actual sin. How unlike has the whole tenor of our life been to that which befits strangers and pilgrims upon earth, and the candidates for a glorious immortality ! Cre- ated for thy glory we have yet dishonoured thy name, and disregarded thine authority. Bought with a price, even with the precious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, we have not glorified God in our bodies and spirits which are thine. O that we felt our guilt, that we could deeply mourn for our unfaithfulness. Till our eyes are open to the true measure and enormitv of it, till we feel that we are indeed poor and miserable, and wretched and blind and naked, exposed to thy wrath and on the brmk of eternal ruin, we shall not come unto Christ, that we may have life. O Lord, let not the day of judgment overtake us unprepared ; but stir us up to make our peace with thee before we go hence and are no more. Death is every day sweeping from around us multitudes to thy judgment seat to re- ceive a sentence which fixes their doom for ever, and yet the living lay it not to heart ; and we also indulgj a feeling of security, as if death were far distant and judgment scarce a reality ! Oh what children of wcaknes, folly and sin, must we appear in thy pure eyes. Thou searcher of hearts, 'from whom no secret is hid, have compassion upon us, we beseech thee, and rescue us from sin and dan- ger. Enlighten our understandings : give us grace to receive the truth in the love of it : May thy truth U t1 32 make us free — free from every erroneous judgment, and every impure affection. 'impl-Hit and mature within us all the graces of the Christian character. From a purified heart may there spring forth all the fruits of a holy life. Enahle us to add to our faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to know- ledge temperance, patience, brotherly kindness and ciiarity. May we set constantly 'before us the bright example of theSaviour's perfections, that con- templating, admiring and imitating them, we may be transformed into the same imnge. Give us grace and ability to perform all the duties of social and relative life, and to adorn the doctiine of God our Saviour in all things. May we s|)end every day and employ every talent in glorifying thy name. May we never weary in thy service. Shall the men of the \vorld toil so unweariedly in the pursuit of perishable good, and shall we weary in the pursuit of the unfading joys of immortality ? Shall they walk in a vain show and disquiet themselves in vain for that which satisfieth not, and shall we not strain o^nward in faith and hope foran incorruptible crown? Gracious and most merciful Lord, our God, lend us such assistances as shall remove allsloih and indif- ference in regard to mailers of so much moment. Saviour of men, light is from thee to preserve the recompense of reward ever in our eye ; strength is from thee to enable us to reach it ; all grace and mercy is in thee to bestow upon us that which through no merit of our own, we are entitled to claim. Lord,quicken us in all spiritual aflections and exercises, until the habit«< and dispositions of a new life become so strong, as to enable us to over- come in the hour of temptation, to advance unwear- * 33 icdly in the Christian course, unsotlucoci by the pica- Hurcs of a sinful world, uninlimidated by"^ the scorn and opposition of ungodly nien. Enjoying thy favor and the fellowship of the Spirit,armdst-ail iU'rt events of life whether joyous or adverse, when the hour of our departure shall come, may we be con- ducted in peace and safety through the valley of the shadow of death, and dwell in the house of the Lord for ever. *#*«»■»* VII. Almighty Lord, on wh^m wo depend for life and breath and all things, and for that grace by which we may be enabled to worship thee aright, be plea- sed in thine infinite mercy now to incline ouriiearis to thy fear and worship. Enlighten our under- standing, quicken our desires after spiritual good, and endue us with a living faith, that we may now cntoc into the holiest by the biood of Jesus,' by a new and living way which he hath consecrated for us, through the vail, that is to say his ilesh ; and having an high priest over the hous(3 of God, hi us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of tailh, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Infinitely great and glorious Lord GodAlmighfy, who wast, who art, and who art to come, reve'nl thyself to us in the glory of thy attributes, that we may render unto thee tiie homag?- that is due unto thy name. No space can hourid thy nature — the ^vhule universe is full of thee. No duralion can ' r. !:!jl I i 34 I'lwAi tliinc existence — from everlasting to everlas- ting thou art God. In the mighty roll of ages thou contmucst the same all perfect and imaiutable be- ing, without the least variableness or shadow of turn- ing. Nothing can resist thy power, or elude thy scrutiny.. Thy spotless holiness cannot endure in" iquity ; thy inflexible justice will not suffer sin to go unpunished. But eternal praise to thy name, thine immeasurable goodness has provided a pro- pitiation for sin and an antidote for its evils, and in thy faithfulness and truth thou art fulfilling all the promises of that covenant of peace, entered iiito before the foundations of the world. Encouraged though we be on the ground of this covenant of peace to worship towards thy holy place and to approach thy mercy seat where thou delightest to dwell, we yet feel our great unworthi- ncss of so exalted a privilege, our entire insufli- ciency to perform so sacred u duty. How feeble and indistinct are our loftiest conceptions of thy nature. Fallen and degraded creatures we are now unfit for that communion with thee our creator and Lord, which in his original condition of innocence man enjoyed. In regard to us, darkness is now thy pavilion round about thee, and thick clouds of the- sky; and now. we are unable to order our .speech aright before thee by reason of darkness. O Lord most holy, O God most merciful, compas- sionate our, miserable condition ; east us not away from thy presence ; nor reject the vqice of our supplications. Lead us to desire those things that are well pleasing jn thy sight, and inspire the pray- er which thy tender mercy will regard. Receiving feuch aid, all sinful and unworthy though wc be,we f ,»3SSS '^^^' 35 f may come before thee with humble confidence ; for our hope is not in our own righteousness but in tliy great mercy : we approach thee as sinners implor- ing pardon, not as faithful servants claiming a re- ward : we confess that we aie worthy of death ; but we plead that Christ gave his life a ransom for us. I]y the Saviour's disrobing himself of his su- preme celestial glory, by his humiliation in the like- ness of sinful flesh, we beseech thee to havemercv on us guilty and oflending children. By all the privations which he endured while sojourning in our world, by his agony m the garden and upon the cross, by his final victory over death and the grave, we beseech thee to pity us miserable sinners. In all the trials of this state of warfare, be at our right hand that we may not be greatly moved. In sorrow be our consolation ; in danger our protec- tion ; in temptation our defence ; be our strength in the duties of life, and in death our exceeding great reward. With our supplications we would offer thanks- giving, because of all thy goodness which has passed before us. Thou hast been our merciful protector al! our life long unto the present day. Thy kind paternal hand has safely conducted us through the perilous stages of infancy and youth. Thou hast borne with the heedlessness and sin of our more mature years, and art still continuing our 6tay in this state where pardon may be found. Ev- er blessed be thy name that we are permitted on this day of holy rest to enter thy courts for the purpose of worship and instruction. Father of lights, reveal thyself to the humble and contrite s^pirit, and cause us. to rejoice in thy house of pray- F ill er. Bari::ur spirits, wo struggle with an inwurd corruption i i i t 45 that deprives us of the power ; spiritual darkness obscures the understanding, spiritual insensibility benumbs the heart ; and often after a laborious ef- fort to draw near to thee, we retire with a pain- ful apprehension that thou hast not heard our pray- er, and that because of pre\ ailing iniquity we have come away cmi)ty and unblessed. O Lord the great and dreadful God, how long shall it thus be ? how long shall presumptuous sins have the dominion over us t We arc assured that thou delightest in mercy, that thy will is even our sanctification ; and if we arc yet in the bonds of iniquity it is not be- cause thou art unwilling to deliver. Upon our- selves therefore must rest the entire guilt of the in- iquity that we have wrought and the mourniu! cf- fects'of which compel us so often to approach Tiiee, with confessions of our most aggravated sinfulness, and under a painful sense of our spiritual weakness and insensibility. Have compassion on us, O Lord our God ; havo pity on us thy suppliant children. We have con- tracted a guilt which we cannot cancel ; we have incurred a penalty which, if exacted, would prove our everlasting ruin ; we labor under a spiritual impotency, which even were the past annihilated, would render us unable to work out our own salva- tion. We feel that we are lost indeed, unless thine onmipotent mercy stretch forth its hand to sav(> us; unless ihine unmerited grace work in us a 5-piritual regeneration which by our own unaided eilbrts we cannot accomplish. Jehovah, the covenant-keeping God, who art plenteous in mercy towards ail tliem tiiat call upon Thee, look upon us, now p rostra 1%* in s«.^if abuse ment and contrition ; grai;! us the rtr itfii 46 '.;!'!■ nijssion of our shu through the peacc-spcjrking blood ot thi3 redeemer; revive us by thine a|]-quick- ening spirit from the deatli of sin to the Vtfb of nghieousness ; uphold our goings in the ways of thy commandments tliat all inconstancy of purpose and of obedience may b3 removed; that the career of spiritual improvement and filial subjection on which we would now enter,may without oiic darken- ing cloud shine brighter and brighter unto the per- fect day. Let our knowledge and faith be ever gain- ing tresh accessions ; let ojr love and admiration of the perfect excellence of our divine master in- cite us with unfailing ardor to copy his example ; may wo never rest until we are transformed into his image, and prepared for thai everlasting kincr- dom of righteousness and peace and joy over which he reigns ; and into which he is gathering his re- deemed from every kindred andpeoi)le and tongue. Ihus breathing before Thee, our God in Christ, these heartfelt aspirations, that we may be mane partakers of a divine nature through the know- iedgo of him who bat!i c-illed us to glory and vir- tue, we earnestly entreat thee to give a divine effi- ciency to the means ordained for that end, and for the observance of which this holy day is speci- ally consecrated. Bless thine own sabbaths, O God, lor the rest and refreshmont of the weary pilgrims ol Zion sojourning amidst this sinful world. Dispose them to embrace with fervent and devout hearts the respite which this sacied day brings from tem')oral cares,and to observe the ordinances which it offers for spiritual improvement and preparation for the Canaan above. May the exercises of the closet and lauiily prepare us for the exorcises of the sanctuary. 47 May the oblations of prayer and praise this dav presented by the church on earth, rise with the sweet odour from the censer of our great high priest in the heavenly temple and be accepted before the throne of God. And as in this world where error so often misleads, and temptation endangers, we need tiie word of thy truth to enlighten, direct, and strengthen us, we humbly implore thy blessing upon it as It may be read and preached. May it prove the savour of life unto !'fe to the multitudes that shall hear it. It is the office of thy holy Spirit, through whose inspiration it is given, to render it cllectual unto salvation. Incline thy servants who declare it to rely on his promised and powerlul aid. Incline those that hear to look up to thee for his di- vine illumination ; and may h's presence in the church be manifested in turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just — that there may be a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, to offer up spiritual sacrifices unto thee, acceptable through Jesus Christ. I # « X. Lord have nierc^^ upon us ; Christ have mercy upon us ; Holy spirit have mercy upon us. Ever blessed and adorable Trinity prepare our hearts for calling upon thy name, for confiding in thy benig- nity, for relying on thy precious promises, and for yielding obedience to that gracious command, *'m all things by prayer and supplication with thank giving make your requests known unto God.'" s<- 1 48 Eternal Lord our God, though thus invited in thine infinite condescension and goodness to ap- proach thy throne of grace as suppliants, tenderly regarded by thee, we acknowledge that thy good- ness appears more benignant, and ourown vileness more vile, by our disinclination and unfitness for this holy duty. Our wants are numerou.s,but how feeble and sickly are our spiritual desires ; how dimly we apprehend the import of our petitions, and ah ! how little do we feel them. Because of this we too often rise from our knees painfully con- scious that thou hast not favored our prayer,coming forth out of feigned lips and from an unfeeling heart. What can we do, thou searcher of hearts'^ for the removal of this spiritual insensibility ? We come to thee asking thy counsel and aid.' Thou didst create us at first ; thou art able to create us anew. From thee we have derived natural life ; spiritual and eternal life also proceed from Thee alone. As we are sustained from sinking into our original nothingness by the constant energy of thine almighty power, we cannot be prevented from sink- ing into the arms of spiritual death but by the con- stant sustaining power of thine omnipotent grace. O thou fountain of all being,perfection and blessed- ness, we are nothing without thee ; we can attain to nothing good without thee : we have made our- selves sinful, but we cannot make ourselves righ- teous : we have wrought our own ruin but we can- not retrieve it : we have of ourselves incurred thy condemnation but we cannot purchase our peace. Yet would we now fervently adore the riches of tliV mercy which hath not left us without the hope of salvation. Thou hast ordained thy son Jqsus Cli:i*t, 0- .*!.■ 1 J 49 ^ited in to ap- snderly good- 'ileness ;s& for ut how ! ; how tition.s, use of ly con- :;oming feeling hearts, ? We Thou 'ate us il life ; 1 Thee ito our f ihine n siiik- le con- grace, lessed- atlain e our- righ- e can- ed thv of t!iy )pe of '^1. .■.: t to be ourLord ond Saviour. We thank thee that by his perfect obedience unto death he hath vindicated the spotless justice of thygovernment and through his endurance of what the law demanded of the guilty, thou canst now be just, and yet the justiiier of them that believe in Him : we rejoice that the holiness of thy character and dominion remains untarnish- ed even while thou misest to the enjoyiTient of thy favor and eternal iife, those who arc by nature the children of wrath, and obnoxious to all th^ mise- ries of the second death. Under the medialorship of Jesus mercy and truth have met together, right- •^ousness and peace have embraced each other : and with the perfect harmony of all thine attributes, thou art now reconciling a guilty world unto thy sell*, not imputing to them that believe their trespasses. Most holy and righleous Father, our Lord nnd God, thy judgments are a greet deep ; ihy mercy reach- oth above the clouds. We humbly acquiesce in iho mysteries of redemption ; with penitent and believ- ing hearts we confide in thy mercy ; we flee for shelter to Christ our ark and refuge— stretch forth ttiinc hand and take us in : we place our feet on this rock of our salvation — may nothing remove ns from so sure and safe a resting' place, but may we abide on it for ever. Return unto thy rest, (i my .soul, for the Lord ha*h dealt bountifully with the e. Whom have we in heaven bci .hco ; and the:e is none upon nil the earth that \\e desire beside thee : conduct us by thy counsel while we live and of:pr- vvards bring us to glory. « * » * * r> 60' XL « I Father of mercies, how inestimable is the privi- lege granted to us the sinful children of the dust, of presenting our supplications before thee at all times, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. How gracious the assurance that thine ear is ever open to the cry of the needy, thine h-^nd" ever ex- tended to afford succor to the destitute and misera- ble who implore thine aid. Mean though we be as compared with the angelic orders who worship be- fore thy throne, we are not overlooked. Insignifi- cant among the innumerable beings who depend on thy bounty, we are not forgotten ; unworthy though we be of the least of thy favors because of our aggravated sinfulness, we are not rejected. But through the mediation of him who died on the cross a ransom for many,thou regardest always the prayers of the penitent ; thou hearest the groaning of the prisoner and freest them that are doomed to die. O most merciful Lord God Almighty, we rev- erently present ourselves before thy mercy seat that we may obtain of thy great liberality the bless- ings purchased through a Saviour's mediation. With an humble faith in thy promises and invita- tions we beseech thee to awaken within us right desires, and graciously fulfil the desires thou awa- kenest. Prepare us by a just examination of our heart and life for the grace of a true repentance. Discover to us the impress of thy seal twi the gospel ftl page, that we believing the record thou hast given of thy son may obtain the remission of our sins through his blood : and help us so to apprehend the glorjous truths of the gospel, and so to observe its ordinances, that we may finally obtain the salva- tion which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. We confess before lbee,0 thou searcher of hearts, that though in a degree we discern the importance of the petitions we offer, our discernment is but dim and our desires feeble. The cares and the pleas- ures of this world equally obscure our apprehension of spiritual things. The occupations of time too frequently diminish our solicitude about eternity ; and even the enjoyments which thvkind providence scatters along the crxirse of our pilgrimage are too often so misused by us as to cause 'us to forget its end. Alienated from the life of God, through the Ignorance that is in us because of the blindness of our hearts, we turn away from thee the centre of immortal rest, and repair to those cisterns of cre- ated good, where we find nought but disappointment, or are betrayed into ruinous pursuits by unreal and delusive phantoms of felicity. O -nost holv God, regard thy suppliant children with compas- sion. Prone to error, do thou guide us. Encom- passed with manifold perils, do thou preserve us. Strongly bent from our depraved affections to sin against thee, do thou remove that depravity, and work in us both to will and to do according to thy good pleasure. And so sustain us through all the scenes of this mortal warfare, that we may wallc as the heirs of glory, and honour, and immortality. And as we move onwards to the eternal worlds may the well founded anticipation of the glory to; I u ,i*i a 53 ft be revealed, animate us in the path of seif-dcnJal and obedience* While our experience convinces us, that godliness has the promise of the life that now is, may our faith lead us to the realizing assurance, that it hath also the promise of the life that is to come. And cherishing the sure and certain hope of future blessedness, may we habitually aspire af- ter that regeneration of nature which will prepare us for its possession. The world above into which we hope to be admitted is the habitation of the pure in heart — O thou sanctifying Spirit, form us to n suitable purity. There are the regions where God is manifested in visible glory — bestow on us the character of the redeemed that we may be pre- pared to behold that glory. There do we mingle with the general assembly of the church of the first born, the spirits of the just made perfect — may we now be prepared for their fellowship by being made partakers of a divine nature. Inclined and supported by thy grace may we dil- igently endeavour to cultivate those excellencies with which sanctified and redeemed natures arc adorned. Help us to maintain a holy mastery over all that is mean or sensual in our nature or condi- tion. Let us be enlightened with all wisdom and spiritual understfn^ng. May we be clothed wt'i humility, filled with that charily which is the bond of perfectness, arrayed in the fine linen clean and white which is the righteousness of the saints, and unmoved by the opposition or ingratitude of men, may we be followers of him who went about con- tinually doing good. Thus may our days on earth be devoted to our own spiritual improvement and the advancement of pure anu undefilcd religion among ; now ancc, 53 mankind— .and,thi-ough divine grace acting the part of wise and faithful stewards, mav we obtain the approbation of our judge, when the son of man Cometh in his glory. * * # # # XII. Most adorable Lord God Almighty, we feel and acknowledge that without the assistance of thy grace we are unable to worship Thee with accept- ance. We are ignorant and unholy ; by nature strongly mclined to that which is evil, and averse to that which is good ; regard us with compassion. Jt is our humble desire and purpose to consecrate this day to thy service in the public and private or- dinances of thy worship. Graciously assist our *eeble and imperfect endeavors. Mav We experience the fulfilment of thy promise, that ^hou art near unto all them that call upon Thee. Commune with us from the mercy seat, from between the cheru- bim, of all things of which thou hast given com- mandment unto the house of God. Permitted of thine infinite condescension to draw near to the throne of grace, what shall we ^say to 1 hee, O thou preserver of men ? Tnou hast pro- longed our days when our neighbors and friends were dropping into eternity on the right hand and on the left. Multitudes of our fellow mortals are every hour separated from earthly connections and enjoyments, and removed into an unchangeable e- ternity, where there is no space for repentance, and where the voice of entreating mercy never falls on ■:i J if,!: 54 the guilty ear ; and had not thy long-sufTerlng pa- tience borne with us, we also had been cut down as cumberers of the ground, and coiidemned to dnnk ihc cup of thy displeasure. When we sit in solemn review and examination on the manner in which our past days have been spent, our own hearts condemn us and Thou art greater than our hearts and knowest all things. We have often dis- regarded the warnings of thy providence, and a- bused its bounties ; we have often resisted the re- monstrances of conscience, and done much to ex- tinguish its light; we have often quenched the influence of thy Holy Spirit, and treated hmi with despite ; though endued with reason, we have yet lived unreasonably ; and though the light of divine truth shone around us, we have too long made the infatuated and dangerous choice of walking in darkness ; threatened with thy displeasure on ac- count of disobedience, we have yet continued to transgress without fear thy holy commandments ; allured to godliness by the promise of an everlasting reward, we have too long sought death in the error of our ways. OThou,who art righteous in the judg- ments that thou executest, we acknowledge that it is of thy mercy that we are not consumed, and be- cause thy compassions fail i,ot. We are the mo- numents of thy mercy when we might have been the monuments of thy justice.— Send, we beseech thee,thy spirit into our hearts to convince us of sin; to work in us a true repentance , to lead us to forsake every evil way, and cleave to that which is good. Lead us to form such conceptions of the guilt and danger of iniquity as shall cause us to regard it with the utmost concern and aversion. We feel 65 that our apprehensions of tho guilt and danger of sin come far short of its demerit and consequences. We fear that we have no adequate sense of our guilt in offending thee, the holiest and best of beings, our benefactor, redeemer and God. Alas, how of- ten have we been disposed to extenuate our sinful- ness in thy sight, as if the Lord did not see and the God of Jacob did not regard it. Make us to understand and fool the true nature of that which excites thine abhorrence and displeasure; of that whichintroduced disorder into thy fair creation, and entailed such disastrous consequences upon the race of man. Teach us to see its evils in the groans of creation, in the cruelties and miseries of mankind, in thine everlasting condemnation that abides upon the unreclaimed sinner. O discover to us its hate- fulness and enormity in the very means thou hast adopted to counteract and remove its evils. In the humiliation, sufferings, and death of our redeemer, endured to reconcile the sinner unto Thee, may we behold the-true nature of sin. From the cross of Christ may we learn humility and be inspired with a deep and tender compunction. Thou madest him to be sin for us. who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Bestow on us redemption through his blood, even the remission of our sins. May he be made unto us of God, wisdom, righteousness, sanctiiication, and redemption. O God, we humbly beseech thee, grant us deliverance from the power as well as from the guilt of sin. Create us anew in Christ Je- sus. Inspire us with pure tastes and holy affections; remove selfishness; implant benevolence; extin- guish the love of the world ; render our. careful- % M 'if k I Ml M 50 noss of eternity predominant ; teach us to live not unto ourselves, but in all things to thy glory; — and in l\n path of enlightened self-denial, and holy dcvotcdncss to thyscrvice,niuy\vo ever enjoythy sus- taining and comforting grace, until, through sove- reign mercy, wo are presented holy and unblamo- able before God, even the Father.' On this holy day, the sacred memorial of ouv redeemer's resurrection and of the acceptance of his expiatory work, wc would not omit our public united thanksgiving for that economy of grace, of which \\G is the distributor as well as the purchaser. For it hath pleased thee, OFather.that in him should all fulness dwell; and, having made peace through the blood of his cross, by him to reconcile all things unto thyself, whether they be things on earth, or things in heaven. Out of his inexhaustible fulness, may we this day receive grace unto grace. Give thy. people every where to enjoy freedom of ac- cess to the mercy-seat. Inspire them with an un- wavering confidence in the efficacyof the mediator's intercession; and restingon it with' fervent gratitude, may they abound in peace, bo strengthened for duty and for trial, and rejoice in hope of the dorv of God. * * * # * ^ # xiir. Almighty and eternal God, our heavenly Father, we draw near unto the throne of thy grace through that new and living way which Christ hath opened up through the veil, that is to say his flesh. Ador- 67 cd be ihy name for the rcveliition of thy mercy through him, the one mediator between God and man, in whom thou art reconciling a guihy world unto thyself, not imputing unto them that believe their trespasses. Amazing discovery of the mer- cy and love of our Creator and God ! Greater love hath no man than this, that u man should lay down his life for a friend, but God hath commen- ded his love towards us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us May it be our sacred employment on this holy day, the memorial of the redeemer's resurrection, to contemplate with rever- ence and humility the lustre which this wonderful transaction sheds upon thy attributes and on the condition of our sinful and miserable race. Thine infinite benignity,Almighty Lord, had been already displayed in ihe creation, not only of angels but of men. IMyriads of pure and happy spirits were en- joying an ineffable bliss arcund the throne of thy glory, the adoring recipients of thy boundless good- ness. f3ut to the fallen race of man thou hast made thyself known as the Lord God, merciful and gracious — delivering up thine only begotten son as a ransom for the world. When there was no eye to pity and no hand to help us, thine eye pitied, and His htmd wrought out deliverance for us. The word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory — the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,full of grace and truth. We adore and bless thee, for his amazing condescension in being found in fashion as a man, in humbling himself to death, even the death of the cross, for our sakes. We thank thee for the heavenly truths he hath re- vealed, both in bis own teaching and through his % J IIP" Hi 1 US apostles, to the world. We thank thee for the per- fect example of moral goodness that he hath setbe- tore us. We thank thee for the fellowship of his church, and its sacred institutions. We thank thee lor his contmual superintendence of all its inter- ests, for his intercession at the right hand of the throne of God in our behalf, for the free distribu- tion of the gifts and graces of his spirit for the conversion of sinners, for the perfecting of the saints, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the son of God, unto the perfection and felicity of our being. Already we may con- template with grateful admiration the glorious tro- phies with which redeeming grace is crowned. The spirits of the just made perfect, are already ten housand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands. The company of the worshippers on earth, who have the name which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it, is larger than our un- believing fears have sometimes imagined. Our faith looks forward to a time not remote,when from the ri- sing of the sun until thegoingdownof the same, the Lord s name will be praised by the oopulation of a regenerated world. Our faith looks' still onward to the period, when time shall be no more, when the number of the elect shall be gathered in, so many as the stars of the sky in multitude,and as the sand which is by the sea shore innumerable, when the new Jerusalem, coming down from heaven,shaH be prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Our souls rejoicing in God our Saviour, would antixiipate the glory of that second advent of the triumph- ant redeemer, when the redeemed shall return toZion 59 with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads, when they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sor- row and sighing shall flee away ; when the taber- nacle of God shall be with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. While our hearts thus throb with exulting hope and joy — we nevertheless feel the risings of soli- citude and fear. Our rest is not gained ; our vic- tory is not won. We are in an enemy's country, amidst scenes of danger and battle. We have in- deed girded on "our harness ; but we would not boast, as they who have finished their course and kept the faith. Omniscient witness of our heart and life, thou knowest the strength of our enemies, and our weakness: the perils of our condition, and our unpreparedness to encounter them ; the trials through which we have to pass and our inabil- ity to endure them ; thou knowest the instability of our faith, the deficiency of our repentance, our very limited knowledge of sacred things, the indifl?erency of our hearts to prayer, and the smallness and inconstancy of our love to thee : — above all, thou seeest how little we our- selves are affected by these evils, and how great- ly our danger is aggravated by our ignorance and insensibility. Heavenly Father, have compas- sion upon us ; dissipate our ignorance by the word of truth ; remove our weakness by the power of God ; clothe us in the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left. Suffer us not to be tempted above that we are able to bear, but with the temptntion make a way for our escape that we may be able to bear it. Endue us more richly with that mi Ill 60 faith which ovcrcometh the world, with that holy ZVll":^: ^ . ""'' rocleemer which consumes ia the soul the last remains of its impurity ; which constitutes an endearing and perpetui bond between Uie Tod of love and its possessor ;— "For they that dwell m love dwell in God and God in them.'' w„ Ml ••'^°'[ "'■"'"'■ ^°'' 5 ^"e"'!' exalt thee, we Will praise thy name : for thou hast done won- fn'd h, .h'"^'-^."'^ """"'"'^ °^ °''' "'-"^ faithfulness ^In, rVu°V!^ S'-eatly to be praised in the mountain of thy hol.ness-in the city of the great For the Lord hath chosen Zion ; he hath desired it for his habitation. We will ever esteem it as a sin- gular token of thy mercy and love ihat wo have been so long permitted to enjoy the fellowship of thy church, and communion with its divine Head m the ordinances of his appointment. We prize it above all earth y distinctions that we have a"^ name ZlVi?'"',/"'''" "'" heritage of God. Forbid .at It should prove a nominal and useless distinc- ?. m . rr"^"u"r.^ '" ''""'' ""^y '^^ really enjoy hfe-that life which is by the faith of the Son of God who loved us and gave himself fo, us. Le this spiritual life find a constant sustenance and in- creasmg growth, from the doctrines of thv word and the fellowship of ,hy saints, and the brewing baths to the place where prayer is wont to be made. chdd ike ?ndtl"' """■'" •"■ ^"^ '^^='"«''' '» 'ha ea dtt with 'V"S '""P"'"' ^^hich thou ever re- ga dest with comp acency and deignest to bless. With enlarged desires and expectalions may we compass thine altar.O Lord, and there obtain Z i 61 Bt :. blessing even life for evermore. May we ever re- pair hither under the deep conviction that we are poor and miserable, and wretched and blind and naked ; yet believing that durable riches and robes of righteousness are with thee, and peace and joy to fill the renewed soul up to the measure of its highest capacity. And often may our expe- rience confirm the universal testimony of the faith- ful, that they who wait upon the Lord renew their spiritual strength, that they mount up on wings as cagles,they run&do not weary,they walk and do not faint. As we journey onward to the regions of im- mortality, may we often be refreshed by the pools in the deseit, and go from strength to strength, un- til every one of us appear before God in Zion. O Lord God of hosts, hear the prayer which we now present unto the throne of thy heavenly grace ; — give ear O God of Jacob to the voice of our suppli- cations. Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. We urge no plea for favorable audience but what is founded on his death and intercession. In this we have an humble and assured confidence, that asking in his name accor- ding to the will of God, our prayers shall return in tenfold blessing into our own bosoms. Be it unto us, most merciful father.accordingto thy word and pleasure. We would lose our will in thine. Fulfil in us all the good pleasure of thy goodness and the work of faith with power ; that the name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in us, and we in him, according to the grace of our Gocj and the Lord Jesus Christ. To the ever-blessed, and adorable Trinity, Father,Son and Holy Gho^t, he ascribed glory, dcminion, and prai.fcc, now and f«.) rover. Amen. li I ::!'r;' u li 62 :1I XIV. Almighty and eternal God, supreme ruler of tfe visible and invisible worlds, we thy sinful and de- pendant creatures desire to acknowledge thy sove reign authority in all we say and do. We were created for thy glory and to this would we dedicate all our powers. No higher dignity hast thou con- ferred on man than that he should' be thy priest and worshipper in this temple of nature ; and we desire ever to be found in the contemplation of thy perfections and the celebration of thy praise In cline, we beseech thee, our wandering and 'slnfiii hearts to this high eniploymont, and^let us sins praises to the Lord as long as we live, let us sinl prajses to our God while we have any being.^ We would ascribe everlasting praise to' Thee! O Tt hmTr ^°/ ""^ ^^"'"' "^«' 'hou hast not shut thine ear for ever against our praises and our p ayers, because of our miserablJ aposlacy from thee, and our foul disobedience to ?hy su- preme authority. In the midst of our p.-eat suilt and miseryThou whose name is goodness^ and love didst reveal a scheme of mercy and redemption, whereby thou migbtesi be justandyetthe ju.tifier of hem who believe in Jesus. O thou divine Head of he church, we acknowledge with unfeigned grati- tude the mamfestation of ,Ky love in every disco- very of t yself and will which thou hast ill ttatik thco for the numerous predictions of a great |J n ^m ear deliverer. We thank thee that in the fulness of time thy Son was made flcsh,assuming that nature for which he was to suffer and to die. And still more would we rejoice and bless thee, that he hath now spoiled principalities and powers, making a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in hi«» cross ; — and that he hath now ascended up on high, having led captivity captive, and purchas- ed gifts for men, even for the rebellious. O grant,, we humbly beseech thee,that each of us now pre- sent, and all with whom we are connected in church fellowship, may participate in every blessing of the Saviour's love. May we obtain true spiritual illu- mination and repentance in his name. May wc obtain remission of sins through his blood and sanctificationofour whole nature through his spirit. Lift O God, upon us the light of thy countenance, and give us peace — a peace that the changes and^ bereavements of time shall not destroy, which, sus- taining us throughout this mortal life and the valley of death, shall be perpetuated in heaven for ever. We earnestly pray thee, O Lord, to bless and preside over that portionof the visible church with which we are connected. Lead us into all truth of doctrine, all purity of discipline, and an affectionate unanimity in promoting thy cause in the world. Naming the name of Christ, jind professing to be his disciples, may we depart from all iniquity. Give us grace, O Lord, so to live in Ihe midst of a crooked and perverse generation that we may shine as the lights of the world. Let our whole temper and deportment, our superiority to all that is sinful and earthly, evince to all around that the spirit of OUT divine redeemer dwells within us,and; (hi ) I 4 ^ I i i 64 is carrying forward our preparation for a state of existence where sin, ignorance and imperfection, are known no more. Grant, O Lord, that each of us feeling our obli- gation to redeeming love, may study to diffuse the knowledge of it in our famiJies &among our friends, and neighborhood. May we each in our respective stations go forth to the help of the Lord against the mighty, and entreat men to be rrconcjlcd to God. And, O Lord, revive thy work ; in the midst of the years make known; in wraih remember mer- cy. May we behold multitudes going and weeping ; enquiring the way to Zion with their faces thither- ward. May we behold thy sabbaths and thy ordi- nances more regarded, and pure and undefiled re- ligion shedding its blessed influence over all our habitations. And O thou universal parent,cause thy way to be known upon the earth, thy saving health among al| nations. May theRedeemer's dominion extend from sea to sea and from the river unto the ends of the earth. Make bare thy holy arm in the sight of all nations, and let all the ends of the earth see the salvation of our God. Incline each of us accord- ing toour opportunity to labour and pray for the hastening on of that period— when the deaf shall hoar the words of the bok, and the eves of the blind shall see out of obscurity and out of darkness ; when theythaterrin spirit shall come to understand- ing, and they that murmured shall learn doctrinr- when the Lord that dnclleth on high shall be e\aN ted; when our Zion sha!i be filled with judgment ^nd righteousness, and cternul prncc. * * * 65 IL U i n XV. ^GENERAL CONFESSION. Most holy, and righteous, Lord our God, with self-abasement and contrition we confess our iniqui- ties and acknowledge our sins unto thee, against whom we have so grievously offended. Conceived w sin and brought forth in iniquity, the thoughts of our hearts have been only evil from our youth up and that continually ; and had not tny grace re- strained we had sunk still lower in the abysses of disobedience and rebelJioa. Nor can we revi-w the peculiar advantages of our condition, without per- ceiving the peculiar aggravation of our offences. For although from our youth up we have been fully instructed in thy law — so holy, just and good — yet have we done that which was torbidden, and ieft undone that which was enjoined. We have trans- gressed not only through ignorance and infirmity, but we have sinned presumptuously against lig'it, against the checks of conscience, and against^tho motions of thy holy spirit, so that we have no cloak for our sins ; — and, oh vijencss beyond our power to estimate ! we have despised the riches of thy goodness, forbearance, and long-suffering; wo have resisted many invitations and offers of grace in the gospel ; we have not endeavored, as we ought, t. f ^'i' •Assembly's Direc y for the Public Worship of God. 6 66 to receive Christ into our hearts by faith, or ta walk worthy of him in our life. We acknowledge our transgression and our sin is ever before us O Lord, most holy, O God, most righteous, against thee, tiiee only have we sinned,and done this evil in thy sight. We bewail our blindness of mind, which prevents us from seeing our aggravated sin- fulness and danger ; we l^ewail our hardness of heart, on account of which wc are not affected as wo ought to be with our spiritual destitution and misery ; we bewail that carnal security in which we arc so apt to repose as if thou hadst spoken peace ; we bewail our feeble and inconstant efforts to crucify the flesh with its affections and lusts, and tne listlessness with which we have sought after righteousness and true holiness. With godly sor- row we confess that we have not walked humbly before Thee, nor kept our garments unspotted from the world, nor zealously devoted ourselves to the advancement of thy glory and the well-being of our fellow-men. Most gracious God, wo are verily g ilty in that we have treated with neglect thy manifold and great mercies, done despite unto the spirit of thy grace and counted the blood of the co- venant wherewith we are redeemed as a common thing : wc have purposed to be on the Lord^s side, but our purposes have failed ; we have vowed unto the Lord but we have not performed : our most so- lemn covenants have been broken, and often and far have we departed from the right way. O Lord, holy and just, our own hearts condemn us, and thou art greater than our hearts and knowest all things. We judge ourselves unworthy of the small- ci^•l benefits, most worthy of the heaviest evils in- to I 67 flictcd on rebellious sinners. In justice tbou might- est take thy kingdom and gospel away from us, and leave us to reap the fruit of our own doings ; thou mightcst justly plague us with all sorts of spiritual and temporal judgments in this life, and doom us in the life to come to that state of darkness and woe, where thy mercy is clean gone and thou wilt be fa- vorable no more. But, O the long-suffering pa- tience and forbearance of God ! We yet hear the voice of beseeching mercy, and in the name of our once suffering but now exalted Mediator, we are invited to draw near to the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy to pardon, and find grace to help us. O Lord God of hosts, hear our prayer ; give ear, O God of Jacob. Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed. Remember us, O Lord, we beseech thee, with the favor that thou bearest unto thy people : O visit us with thy salvation, that we may see the good of thy chosen, that we may rejoice in the gladness of thy nation, that we may glory with thine inheritance. 1: i •! XVI. *GENERAL THANKSGIVING. Most merciful and gracious Lord our God, we ara indebted unto thee for all thfvt wo have enjoyed, for all we now possess, and for all we hope lo ob- •Assembly's Directory for the Public Worship of God. 68 hvi 'IK ' if if it tain. From thr>e,tho Father of lights, cometh down every good and perfect gift. We thank thee that thou hast called us into heing, for the rank thou hast assigned ua, for the capacities with which wc arc endued, and the immortality to which wo are destined : we thank thee for whatever advantages of early education we have enjoyed, for the nu- merous sources of improvement and gratification that have been opened up to us, and for the lioly scrip- tures which reveal to us more fully the glories of thy name, the end of our being, the way of salva- tion, and the duties of our condition : above all we thank thee for thine unsfieakablc gift, Christ Jesus, lor the atonement made by him for the sins of a guilty world, for his prevailing intercession at the right hand of the Majesty on high, a. A the univer- sal empire committed to him until the redemption of a lost world be complete : we thank thee for the establishment of divine ordinances among us, for the communion of saints, and for the promise of the holy spirit to abide with the church : we adore and bless thee for the multitude of the redeemed, who through much tribulation have entered into the heavenlyZion,and for those who now in the church beneath are through divine grace warring a good warfare, and for the generations unborn who shall obtain the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. Author of life and happiness, we adore and bless thee : God of mercy and grace, we mag^ nify thy name : and in humble anticipation we join in the song -of celestial worshippers, worthy art thou, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and pow- er, for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created. Nor would 69 wo fail gratefully to acknowledge thy rich bounty in bestowing on us the manifold benefits which ren- der our condition in the present world so agreeable. We thank thee for the splendor of the starry heav- ens, and for the varied beauties with which our eorth is adorned. We thank thee for a genial cli- mate, for fruitful seasons, for the enjoyments of friendship and domestic society, for the peace and .security derived from a well-ordered government. These benefits temporal and spiritual, are thy gifts, O Lord our heavenly father. Though we have been sinful and disobedient children, thou hast not res- trained thy benignity of any kind ; but with un- wearied hand thou hast shed upon our path bless- ings that perish in the using and such as shall last for ever. Thine,0 Lord, is the greatness, and the power and the glory and the victory and the majes- ty ; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine : thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honor come of thee, and thou reignest over all ; and in thy hand h power and might, and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. Now therefore our God we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name. We will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiv- ing. VVe will extol thee, our God, O king, we will bless thy name for ever and ever. Every day will we bless thee ; we will praise thy name for ever and ever. m r ni'll i m 70 XVII. *LITANY. Lord God, thou saviour of the world, be gracious unto us, and cause us to abide in thy favor for ever. Preserve us, gracious Lord and God, from coldness to thy merits and death, from all errors and misun- derstanding, and from the loss of our glory in Thee. Save us from the influence of the spirit of this world, from undue self-complacency, and from the unhappy desire of becoming great. May we never engage in untimely projects, nor suffer by needless perplexity. But from the murdering spir- it and devices of Satan, from the temptations of the wicked, and the depravity of our own hearts, wo earnestly beseech thee to preserve us, gracious Lord and God. By all the merits of thy life; by thy obedience, diligence, and faithfulness ; by thy extreme pover- ty ; by thy griefs and sorrows; by thy prayers and tears, — bless and comfort us, gracious Lord and God. By thine agony in the garden ; by thy crown of thorns and scourging ; by thy cross and passion ; by thy dying words ; by thy atoning death, — deliv- er us from sin's curse, and sin's dominion. By thy rest in the grave and resurrection from the 'Altered from that of the Moravian Church. 71 dead, may wc be taught to regard death and the grave without dismay, assured that death shall not have power to hurl us, and that thou wilt redeem our dust from the dishonour of the grave. By thy sitting at the right hand of God, by thy prevailing intercession, by thy holy sacraments, by thy divine presence, bless and comfort us, and es- tablish us in thy faith and fear until the day of thy appearance to judge the world, and to receive thy sanctified ones into glory everlasting. Who, with all the angelic ihrong, will ascribe honor and glory dominion and power unto hirn that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb for evermore. XVIII. ADORATION OF OUR REDEEMER. Blessed Jesus, we adore and worship Thee, as our Lord and Redeemer, as the Son of God, and also the Son of man. Thou hast dwelt in the bosom of the Father from eternity — begotten not made — the self-existent, coequal' with the Father. By thee Jehovah the Creator made the worlds, and ever since thou calledst the earth from the un- peopled abyss, thy delights have been with the children of men. Thy divine presence and love overshadowed the innocent bowers of paradise, and Thou gavest to man, while as yet he had not offended thee, the tree of life that grew in the midst of the garden. After thou hadst surrounded it wiih the Vff ilVi [i 72 ilaming swords of cherubim, and driven onr (guilty rcpresentatives from the abode thou hadst prepared for them, ihou didst not desert the work of thy hand nor leave the guilty offenders without hope under the doom of death they had incurred ; but thou didst — O wondrous mercy ! — interpose, offer- ing thyself as our mediator and ransom, that our race should not be destroyed from the orders of the intelligent universe, but might become the objects in whose salvation the mercy of the Godhead'should be illustriously displayed. In the administration of that covenant of peace, entered into with the Fa- ther since the foundation of the world, thou hast successively unfolded this plan of redeeming mercy, declaring the purpose of God to sinful man, insti- tuting the sacrifices typical of thine own atoning death, guiding the faith of patriarchs and prophets, governing thy chosen seed of whom in thy de- scent as man thou wast to come; and in the fulness of time thou wert born of a woman, made under the lawjthatthou mightest redeem those who were under the law, and through thy blood and spirit confer on them the adoption of sons. Son of God, we adore Thee in thy humiliation as our surety and media- tor ; Thou didst leave the throne of thy glory, become bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh; in thine infancy thou didst endure the persecution that sought thy life ; thy youth was spent in the toil and obscurity of lowly estate ; when thou enter- edst upon the work that was given Thee to do, poverty surrounded thy path— for the foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the Son of man had not where to lay his head ; thine own favored nation rejected Thee as their Messiah, 73 and cast out thy name as evil ; and while thou didst manifest all the signs of a prophet sent of God, and a ])o\ver thine own greater than prophet ever manifested, exerted in the most beneficent manner in behalf of the poor and afflicted — the blinded de- scendants of faithful Abraham sought to compass thy destruction ; — they clamored for thy life ; — they beat Thee with rods, hailed Thee in mockery and derision as their king, crowned Thee with thorns, and at last suspended Thee on the cross, on which thou didst poar out thy soul unto death, a propitiation for the sins of a ruined world ! O mysterious expiation, O love unsearchable ! Angels gaze upon the unfathomable depth and arc over- O ' ' , TXT I whelmed with wonder and amazement I What can we, the children of a short and troubled day — what can we do, to comprehend a love that passeth knowledge 1 Blessed Jesus, enable us to follow thee also in the path of thy exaltation. Neither the invisible world, nor the grave could detain thee. Thy soul was not left in sheol; thy holy body did not see cor- ruption. In thy resurrection thou didst conquer death and the grave — and having ascended into heaven, thou hast resumed thy seat at the right hand of God ; angels, authorities, s.A powers being made subject unto thee! We noM' look up to the throne of glory on which thou art seated, and behold all power given to Thee in heaven, and in earth. The sinless orders of celestial beings, render unto thee supreme homage, as the true God and the Saviour of men. The vast multitude of the redeemed, al- ready gathered into the upper sanctuary, adore thee day and night as the Lamb slain — the author of ■UHi ill ' m 74 iii if a if fir their salvation ! Thine omniscient eye rests ever upon this earth, once the scene of thy humiliation, and thou regardest with a brother's sympathy the sinful heirs of immortality who dwell upon it ; thou intercedest in behalf of those whom the Father hath given thee ; thou art dispensing throughout thy church universal, and wherever the word of thy salvation is sent,the grace that is to enlighten, convert, and renew, a peculiar people unto thy- self ; — and with a hand that ne.ver wearies, and an eye that never sleeps, thou art conducting the plan of mercy to its full consummation ; that the whole company of the elect being gathered in, the end may be, when thou shalt deliver up thy mediato- rial kingdom to God, even the Father : then shalt thou thyself be subject unto Him, and God shall be all in all. But this time thou hast reserved in thine own hand,and of it knoweth no man, no, not even the angels of God. Blessed Jesus, we look forward into the hidden depths of the future with jovful antici- pation, when the new Jerusalem shall come down from God out of heaven, upon the new hea- vens and the new earth, when the tabernacle of God shall be with men, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. Rejoicing in this hope of the glory to be revealed, when time is no more, we commit with filial confidence all the interests of our immortal nature into thy hand. Salvation is thy purchase ; it is also thy gift. In the bestowal of it thou sharest not the glory with another. Of thee, and through thee, and to thee are all things— connected with the redemp- tion of our lost world. The ransomed in heaven as- I 75 cribe the undivided glory to the Lamb that sits upon the throne, who hath redeemed them by his blood, and we on earth seek to be filled with their senti- ments, and to adopt their song. What have we done, or what can we do — to purchase the favor of God, which on account of our sins had been with- drawn from us — to secure a title to eternal life, which through our rebellion against God we had forfeited— to obtain a place at thy right hand for which the corruption and ungodfiness of our souls had wholly disqualified us. Blessed Jesus, thou alone art the author of our salvation I Thou alone art the restorer of our hopes ! It is thine to recon- cile us unto God ; it is thine to give eternal life to all them that believe ; it is thine to make us a new creation ; and to place us regenerated by thy spirit in possession of a world where all things shall be made new. Because thou art thus our Redeemer we put our whole trust in thee; wc seek to be cruci- fied to the world ; to live a life of faith in the son of God who loved us and gave himself for us ; and patiently to wait for the day of the revelation of Jesus (yhrist. Blessed Jesus— our redeemer, guide, friend—- ever prevent us from forgetting Thee. How much in time past have we been guilty of this forgetful- ness though every day's experience served to con- vince us, that the spiritual life could be maintained in us only by a believing connection with Thee. As thou art with us always, may we always feel it: in weakness,in affliction,in arduous duty, in our joy-, in our grief, in our living and our dying, be thou our Immanuel, our constant protector, our expectation and our joy. Evenso,corae Lord Jesus. Amen and Amen. -(,, ; \u I 76 XIX. r u PREPARATION FOR THE HOLY COMMU- NION. Infinite and eternal God, who dwellest in the heavens, before whom thousands of thousands of the most exalted intelligences are constantly minis- enng, vve humbly adore thee, who condescendest to behold the things that are done upon the earth, and to dwel with the contrite and lowly in heart ; Thou art not less the Creator, the preserver, the benefac- tor of our vvorld, than thou art of the myriads of worlds revolving throughout the immensity of space. Multitude does not distract thee ; the sustenance of innumerable creatures throughout innumerable worlds does not drain thine inexhaustible fulness ; the upholding of the universe does not weary thine omnipotent arm. Almighty Ruler of the skv, we IZZrT-^- "^^IT""^' '^''^ ^^^^ ^"^* halleluias, teivently desiring all unworthy as we are, to bear a part in the universal hymn, which all intelligent natures should raise m adoration of the Croatorfand 1%"'/ '^'^' ^^^"" ^^^' distinguished 'our r^i /''''^^:'''""^^'^° peculiar and won- deiful as demands hymns such as the ransomed ?L?K'^?r^'r^ can employ. A race of sinners —thou hast forborne the infliction of justice which would have destroyed us. A race of 'ruined crea- tures-~thou hast provideda Saviour to retrieve the ♦? 77 ruin ; thou hast distinguished this glohe of ours, and the beings that inhabit it, by displaying thereon thine attribute of mercy which had not hereto- fore beamed forth to the adoring observation of Iho unsinning orders. By sending thine eternal Son into our world to assume our flesh and dwell among us, as the only begotten of the Father fuii of grace and truth, thou hast magnified thy condescension and goodness by putting the highest honor on the nature least wo'rthy of it, and displaying before the hierarchies of hcaven,that thy mercy is as bound- less and unsearchable as thine other attributes : thou hast manifested the inflexible rigor of thy justice, not indeed upon sin-ful and wretched man, but, O mysterious grace, upon the surety and re- deemer of sinful and wretched man, who was wounded for our transgressions,and bruised for our iniquities. In the depth of his humiliation thou hast displayed thy holiness : in the scorn and contume- ly of men which he endured ; in the poverty and toil to which he submitted ; in the pain and igno- miny through which he passed ; in the dread and mysterious agony of the garden, and the bitter ex- clamation extorted by the hidingof thy countenance from him on the cross ; in his last expiring groan ^Thou hast manifested thy displeasure against sin, and shewn that only the holy one and the ju?^t could atone for man's guilt, and vindicate the honor of thy contemned authority ! O, that the lesson given to all the subjects of thy moral government in the humiliation and death of the redeemer may be rightly understood and felt by us, that we may evermore pavticipaie in the blessings flowing from the cross. Let the Saviour's humiliation deepen m ' ■'ii -In!' m 78 us the sense of our unworthincss ; let his suffer- ings impart a holy tenderness to our contrition; let his ascension to the right hand of the throne of ^^od, as our jntercessor, kindle within us a fervent and purifying hope ; let the victory to which he is by hjs grace and spirit conducting the believer, and the crown of glory which he will bestow upon the victor inspire us with that pure,undying love,beforo which all that is ba.se and earthly will disappear for ever ! Lead us, O thou divine spirit, to the contem- plation of these glorious truths; quicken our un- derstanding ; soften and spiritualize our hearts ; give an all-subduing impress! veness to thine own revealed doctrine-that we daily feeding upon it by a living f^uih may be enlightened and sanctificd,and ftnally prepared for the inheritance of the saints in VVhat are we. Father Almighty, that such glori- ous things should be revealed to us ; that we should be the objects oi such stupendous mercy— should be permitted to present unto thee such supplications, and yetknow assuredly that thou art ready to do lor us far above all that we can ask or think ! God our Creator, have we not received our being from thee / Hast thou not endued us with reason and immortality that we might serve ond love thee foP ever i Hast thou not given thy son to die that we m.g.n be redeemed from death, and obtair. anew eternal life, which we had forfeited, as thy free gift through Jesus Christ our Lord ?-0h then roird "s thy suppliant children with pity and favor ;- deny us not the grace through which we may be prepared to receive all the benefits of redemption. Lowly before thy mercy scat do we now prostrate \ 79 oursclvps, confessing our sins, our very aggravated; guilt, our abject and hopeless wretchedness. Re- gard us with compassion ; redeem and save us. Thou art not willing that any should perish ; there is forgiveness with thee that thou mayest be feared, and plenteous redemption that thou mayest be sought unto ; and now, and in all the residue of our days on earth, we will confide in thy promises and through the assistance of thy grace keep our- selves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life. And now, most merciful Father, that we are invited once more, in the fellowship of thy church, to observe that sacred rite in which the death of our Lord Jesus Christ is commemorated, we fer- vently implore thy gracious assistan/'-e, to enable us to examine otu'selves, lest coming unworthily we should eat and drink condemnation to ourselves. Lay open to us the secrets of our hearts, our sins . and shortcomings, that we may feel and with a true penitence confess our iniquities. How prone are we to forget the past, though there can be no forgetfulness with Thee ! How prone are we in the deceitful ness of our hearts to extenuate our guilt, though all its just demerit is before Thee ! The extent of our indwelling sin we fear we have hardly suspected, and the enormity we have not fully weighed. Yet our own hearts condemn us, ind Thou art greater than our hearts and knowest all things. O that with contrite fervar we could utter the psalmist's petitiou — Search me,0 God,and know my heart ; iry me, and know my thoughts : and sec if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. 'Ill ti M'i 80 O Lorcl,vvlio art longsufTering and slow to anger, may the consideration of thy patience and forbear- a4ico towards us manitest to us our ingratitude and disobedience as the more vile. Thou didst follow us with the richest bounties of thy providence even while we abused them ; Thou didst prolong our days even when wc were wasting them in forgetful- ncss of Thee; Thou didst restrain us from those sins that go open beforehand to judgment, even when we had cast off fear, and restrained prayer before God ; Thou didst preserve to us tlie ordinances of religion snd render them a check on our sinful pro- pensities and unbelief, even when we rv?sisted their entire and saving impression ; and even since wo have known the truth, and have deliberately chosen thy service, our purposes have been inconstant,our love of the world has too often quenched our lovo of the Father ; we have shrunk too much from self-denying duties ; we have, in a degree unbecom- ing the heirs of immortality, entangled ourselves with the affairs of this life, and have not pressed with a suitable ardor towards the mark for the prize of our high calling of God in Christ Jesus ; and even at this moment, in lowly prostration before thy mercy-seat, and when our transgressions bur- den our conscience, we tremble lest our rej)entance should be defective, lest the resolutions we form of abandoning every evil way, sliould as in former in- stances, give way when temptation arises, and we should again be en>laved by the law of sin which is in our members. O God, Thou knowest us alto- gether ; all futurity is in thy sight and nought that shall bofal us can be hidden from Thee. Have cjmpassion upon our ignorance and weakness; L 81 preserve us in the hour of temptation and uphold our goings ; under the shadow of thy wings may we be hidden until the dangers and calamities of life be overpast ; clothe us with the robe of our Redeemer's righteousness,and transform us into his perfect image; inspire us with the faith and patience of the saints, and may we hold fast that which wo have that no man take our crown. And now that we have the near prospect of once more renewing our covenant with Thee at a com- munion table, we fervently implore thy grace to prepare us for the solemn duty. Make us truly to feel our own sinfulness ; give us broken and con- trite hearts; but endue us also with an humble trust in the Saviour's grace and all-sufficiency. Were the invitation not given to the maimed, the halt and the blind, we should tremble lest the master of the feast, finding us there should cast us into outer darkness. But all unworthy though we be the gra- cious invitation has been given to us ; and there is mercy with Thee that Thou mayest be feared and plenteous redemption that Thou mayest be sought unto. Without money and without price we come to participate in those unsearchable rich- es of truth and grace v/hich it hath pleased Thee should dwell in the Saviour of men. Dis- pose us to cleave to him with our whole heart. May we build on this foundation which is laid on Zion, and evermore enjoy its security and peace. Regard in thine infmite mercy these the desires of our heart which we present unto Thee in the name of Christ our Lord — to whom with Thee the Father and the Holy Spirit, we ascribe glory, hon- or and dominion, now and for ever, Amen, 7 m il! • i • |i 1 Hi ttl i M II 82 XX. THANKSGIVING AT THE COiMMUNlON TABLE. Lord, God, Almighty, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, wc would call upon all that is within us to magnify and bless thy holy name. Thou art the Creator of all worlds, the life of all life, the author of all perfection, the foun- ttiin of all felicity. Around thine eternal throne in the heavens, thou hast assembled multitudes of holy and intelligent orders, whom no man can num- ber, who have been since their creation the wor- shippers of thy glory, the objects of thy love. Thougii our race iiath been made lower than the angels, we are not set beneath thy regard, for thou humblest tl yself to behold the things that are done upon the earth. Thou didst create man holy and happy ; thou didst furnish this our dwelling-place with every gratification adapted to sense and soul, and thine own favor shed its joy on paradise. And O boundless benignity, O unsearchable love, when through transgression we had forfeited thy favor, when wo had Incurred the penalty of sin which is death, when sin'had rendered earth a valley of sighs and tears, when eternity held out to the undying culprit nothing but a fearful looking for of indigna- tion from the presence of our offended creator and 88 judge — thcu didst regard with an cyo of pity tin •tal, HCli-ruinca immorrai, ana in mine innnitc mercy, didst reveal the scheme of his recovery. For the wonderful manifestation of thy love in our redemp- tion, \vc, its ohjects, the sinful children of the dur-;t, do now reverently and joyfully adore thee. Met according to thy command to commemor&tc it, wo ask thy spirit to direct our rnedilations, to strength- en our faith, to enliven our alFections, and wholly to prepare us for the solemn remembrance of him, who gave his life a ransom for the world. Wo do now iiumbly adore Thee for the predictions t!mt foretold his advent ; for the revelations of the glory of his person, and the extent and perpet- uity of his dominion. Wo reverently adore thee for the prophetic intimations of his life of propiti- atory suffering. We reverently adore thee for the lowly birth of Jesus, and for the accompanying song of angels, — glory to God in the highest, peace on earlh,and good will towards the children of men. We reverently adore and hless thee for the bene- ficent miracles that he wrought, for the holy and sublime doctrines that he delivered, and for the per- fect example of all goodness that he exhibited to man. Regarding him as the only mediator who came to purchase the redemption of the lost by suf- fering and price, we rcerontly adore thee for ev- ery act of his expiatory endurance — for his life of poverty ; for the scorn and contumely he endured from his countrymen; for his weariness and toil ; for the prayers he presented to the Father on our behalf in the solitude of tho mountains; for hi^ mysterious agony in the garden ; for the sutFering triumph, with which he uttered the exclamation, ill I i i: I* Hi ■ m^m "1 '1 "M 1 ^M 1 m IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 1'^ l''"2 8 |S0 ""'^^ 1-i IM 2.2 iiSi ||||| 2.0 L8 M- !ltt 6" pm /. ^ ^# ^ ^ #'• '^ i^ lS>. Corporation ::3 WiST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (/16) 872-4503 ^^ ^ * «. ^ f> 84 **It is finished." In the bread and wine, the conse- crated emblems of his death and passion,enable us to discern by faith, his broken body, and his shed blood ; may we see Christ our paschal Lamb sac- rificed for us ; divine justice propitiated ; divine mercy beaming from the cross, over all time, upon a ffuilty race ; grace purchased to conduct the countless multitude of the redcemed,from every na- tion, and kindred and people and tongue,lo be kings and priests unto God forever,on the heavenly Zion. God of grace and mcicy, comprehend us and all our fellow-communicants in this number, the pur- chase of the saviour's atoning sacrifice. We now present ourselves in soul, body, and spirit, on this altar of dedication. We trust in a redeemer cruci- fied for the remission of our aggravated guilt. Re- penting in dust and ashes we engage through thy grace to forsake all sin. In the career of new obe- dience on which from this hour we purpose to en- ter, we humbly confide in his prevailing interces- sion and omnipotent guardianship. Engraft us, as branches into the true vine, and may its nourish- ment, as the fruit of the tree of life, preserve us unto a blessed immortality. In this feast of com- memoration we ascribe the glory of our salvation to him that died for us, and we will shew the glory ot his name unto the generations to follow. We look onward to his second coming ; we wait for his ap- pearance ; we are assured, that unto those that wait for him, he shall appear a second time without a sin offering ui.tO salvation,to gather into theking^ dom of his glory those who were redeemed m the kingdom of his grace. Blessed advent of the glo- rious head of the triumphant church ! when the 85 tabernacle of God shall be with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their God : and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying,for the former thingSjhave passed away. Even so,come Lord Jesus. Filled with these bles- sed expectations with holy and affectionate venera- tion we shew forth the Lord's death, until he come again. With penitence and faith and hope may we surround his table, and renew our solemn engage- ment to be his for ever. This is the bread of life that came down from heaven, of which whosoever eateth shall hunger no more. Lord, evermore give us this bread, that we may feed on it by faith with thanksgiving. For in thee, O blessed Jesus, the redeemer of the world,our trust is, and to thee,with the Father and the blessed Spirit, we ascribe all glory, dominion and blessing, now and evermore, Amen. I I •!1 1 . t>i as XXL I ON RETIRING FROM THE COMMUNION TABLE. Almighty and most merciful Father, accept of our humble expressions of gratitude and love for that unmerited goodness which has again permitted us, in the fell wship of thy Church, to commemo- rate the atoning death of our Lord and Redeemer. li \ Ml H 86 \Vc liavc sat in bis banquctting bouse oncl felt it good to be tbcre. Graciously accept of our renew- ed dedication of ourselves to thy i^ervice ; perfect our repentance and sustain us in the pious resolu- tions we have declared in our public profeFsion of faith in his name. May the views of ihy mercy to our ruined world which the sensible emblems of this holyordinance presented to our minds be bright- ened and perpetuated, and constrain us with an un- changing steadfastness of purpose to live to Him who died {\n- us. May we cherish the holy and ever-deepening conviction that we are not our own, that we are bought with a price, even M'ith the pre- cious blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, and may we esteem it not only our- duty but our chief happiness to glorify God in our bodies and spirits which arc thine. lifnceforih may we live by thy grace to thy glory. Give us grace to set our affections on things that are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God : habitually elevated with a sense of our high destination, may we reject the sinful allurements of this transitory life and aspire after those spiritual joys which in thy great mercy are im[)artcd to the faithful even in the present world, as an earnest of the perfect felicity reserved for them who are kept by the power of God unto eternal salvation. But, O Lord most faithful and true, though we would not distrust thee, wo greatly distrust our- selves : we are prone to unbelief, to false security, and to forgetfulness of things invisible. We are in an enemy's country — a world at enmity with Thee,^ and beset with incentives to evil we are too frail of ourselves to overcomo them. Its amusements and 87 fashions, its pleasures and distinctions, are too highly valued by us and too eagerly pursued, while we shrink too timidly from its scorn and opposition. Familiar with its scenes we are prone to forget thot it is in a state of rebellion against its Lord and Governor, and that if any man will be a disciple of Him who came to redeem it he cannot fail to pro- voke its enmity. Thy word declares that if any man have not the spirit of Christ he is none of his ; and yet how deficient are we in that meekness and gentleness, that humility add heavenly minded- ness, which were so conspicuous in his character ; and how far distant our imitation of that benevolent and unwearied activity which he displayed so divinely in his life. Father of mercies, under a deep sense of our great sinfulness and many deficiencies do we this evening bow down before Thee. We call to mind the solemn engagements we this day entered into at thy table. ^^ e entertain a lively sense of the hindrances and dangers that may cause us to fail-— as alas we have too often and very grievously failed in time past in the fulfilment of our sacra- mental vows. We acknowledge the vile ingratitude of acting in any manner that might bring reproach on the holy name by which we are called, and the fearful responsibility of such unfaithfulness. O Lord, look with compassion on our helpless, peri- lous condition. O thou who givest power to the faint and encreasest strength to them who have no might, make thy grace sufficient for us and perfect thy strength in our weakness. Armed in the pa- noply of righteousness, may we acquit ourselves as good' soldiers of the Lord Jesus, and by the Cap- nil i f 3 MS ,1 >.{¥ 85 ! I tain of our salvation, in whom we trust, may we be brought off more than conquerors. Giving utterance before Thee, our Lord and God, to these our fears and hopes, cur desires and purposes, we humbly beseech thee to stir us up to a faiihrul and holy use of all the means appointed for training us to virtue and conducting us to eternal life. May we be constant in the serious and devout reading of thy blested word. May stated religious retirement and prayer advance reason to the mastery, and nurture within us all holy affections and godliness. May the fellowship of saints and the ordinances of thv house ever communicate to us spiritual refreshment and strength ; and while we depend upon thee with a pure heart may we expe- rience that thou hast innumerable channels by which to communicate every necessary blessing to ihe children of thine heritage. And now that we and the brethren who in thy house have broken with us the bread of life, must soon return to the business and perils of the world, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord, to preserve inde- libly upon our hearts the holy purposes which we have this day formed. Maintaining our integrity may we manifest to the world that we are the dis- ciples of Him who was holy, harmless, undefiled, and ecpirate from sinners. Give us grace to dis- charge the duties of cur respective callings : being diligent in business may we also be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord : and so direct and prosper all our temporal affairs that we may have the ability of providing things honest in the sight of all men,and in such measures as befit the station of life in which thy providence has placed us. Prepare us for c 89 coming events which are all known to thee and wisely ordained. May we acquiesce in thy wisdom, rely on thy goodness, and both in life and death vield ourselves up to thy merciful disposal. ' Almighty Lord, our heavenly Father, let the re- membrance of all thy past goodness animate us with a cheerful confidence in thy paternal care; and while we are borne onward to eternity, may U be with the sure hope that we are journeying to the abounding felicities of a better world. Sustain us by thy gracious hand in every step of our pilgnm- ncrc thitherward, and when wo are safely brought to our Father's house may it be cause for songs o. gratitude and joy, that on earth, in profession and life, we have confessed His name, who shall ac- knowledge us before his Father and the holy an- gels. Now unto Him that loved us, and hath washed us from our sins in his own blood ; to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen, ill "\ m ti XXII. FOR A SABBATH SCHOOL. Heavenly Father, who hath endued us with rea- son and rendered us accountable, and destined us for immortality, we adore and bless thee for the rank assigned us in the scale of being, and for the hopes to which we are begotten through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. So dispose us, we be- seech Thee, by thy Holy Spirit, that we may ever 90 i' feci and act as the heirs of glory, honor and im- mortality ; seeking amidst the meaner occupations of the present world to attain the proper distinc- tions of rational and regenerate creatures, that when wo arc removed from earth wc may stand he- fore Thee in thy heavenly kingdom. And since it hath pleased Thee, O Lord, to com- mit to our own care the cultivation and training of the mind, graciou<K"y;=s'wt^^^^^^^^^ r ia^ies of the dead, that we dying dady may no be oCrtaken unprepared by *« last cne„y Let the life of faith conduct us to the death ol laitti , may a holy and useful course procure for us m Ee abuniant mercy a P--^"' ^ !"r''may w" parture ; and when wo pass into eternity, may wo be whei4 Thou art to behold thy glory 14. For Parents. Imoress upon the hearts of all parents their sol- emnTsponsfbility to bring their ch.ldren up m the Z-ture and admonition of the Lord. M. y they rule well their own households with all a ce m thv fear May their proper authont- ■ -• -gtn e/edbythe consistency of their christ.an deport- nvnt Lead them to an affectionate ass;du.tv m r inn-lcation of divine truth upon the minds of t; olWng; give them success in awakemng a^^;^ .• LhrnVthe dispositions of early p.ety, and may h;yth'old the se'eds of holiness sprmgmg up L-iv nnd brineing forth precious fruit m tnese obSts of th irpa"lntal love : and grant, most mej^ e^dFather, thatthe rising generation may be mom eminent than those who have gone before them m nn the Braces and activities of the christian life; that ^iirmay become the instruments of introducmg 109 tbiU purer era of the church to which the sure word of prophecy hath directed our hopes. IB. For Teachers and Schools. Bless all schools and seminaries of learning. May their teachers be pious, enlightened and labo- rious ; instilling by their instructions and recom- mending by their example reverence oi thy name and submission to thine authority. Provide for all classes of men a free access to useful know- ledge ; and ever bestow the accompanymg intlu- cnce of thy grace that their knowledge may be sanctified in all its applications. 16. For our Friends and Benefactors. Lord our God who delightest in the happiness of every creature which Thine hands have formed,who hast so greatly augmented ours by the number ot our friends and of those who do us good, vouchsafe, we beseech Thee, to these the objects of our love and gratitude, the imperishable richesof thy grace; enlighten and sanctify their souls ; bestow upon them every needful temporal blessing; rcquiie them manifold for all the favors and kmdncsses thev have shown to us ; and so preserve them a- midst the snares and dangers of this troublesome world, that they may finally reach the mansions ot everlasting rest. 17, For a Journey by Land. O Son of man, who in the days of thy flesh didst often journey and wast wearied, preserve us in g.i I : *'■''' lil I- no our way. and refresh us in ail our wear n^s^^^ vouchsafe to us an humble sense of thy tavoiablo „oe and bring us to the end of our journey m ^ir^P^nd safety ; and whensoever the journey of noace ana &dici;r » «rim;nl'. s? 1 120 1 s I I I Ihc free unmerited mercy ofourGod has opened to us mmortality, WG should go the portalsof a blessed regions ofeternai death. O suffer us not, down to the in the bh"ndnes of our hearts, to make so ruinous a choice. Expose to us, in all its horrors,the path of ruin, that we may avoid it ; shew us the blessedness of the path that conducts to immortality that we may never depart from it. Enable us to discern the wor- thiest objects, and incline us unceasingly to pursue them ; and above all, may we be constrained by the amazing love of our blessed Redeemer to live no lon- ger to ourselves,but unto him who died for us,and rose again. We confess, O Lord, that the present world holds too exclusive a possession of our thoughts and affections. Its pleasures, and accommodations,and distinctions, attract our desires more strongly than ihey ought to do, and withdraw our attention from spiritual and eternal concerns. Enable us more dis- tinctly to believe, and to feel our uncertain connec- tion wiih.this passingscene,and our sure and intimate connection with the eternity that is at hand. May each closing and returning day deeply affect our hearts, with the flight of time, with the nearness of the hour of dissolution, with the awful solemnity of the judgment day, and the irreversible sentence of joy or sorrow which the impartial and just judge shall then pass upon each one of us. O, that these solemn considerations might arouse us from all in- difference, and strip off those illusions in which this deceitful world invests itself. O, ihat we were taught to esteem as nothing, the fleeting and unsa- tisfactory possessions of the earth, and to seek earnestly after a more durable inheritance in the lieavens. We bless thee, O Lord, that thou hast 121 again opened our eyes to behold the light of a now inorning,that the beauties of creation are again dis- closed, and that an opportunity is onco more af- forded us of uniting in the duties of devotion. Grant that every view of thy works may lead our thoughts to Thee. Forbid that man alone should re- main an insensible unaffected spectator of tho glo- ries that are spread around him ; but may we ad- mire the wisdom that contrived, the power that exe- cuted, and the goodness that is diffuyed throughout all thy works, that our souls may be as altars con- secrated to thee, from which the incense of a ra- tional devotion, the sacrifices of an ardent gratitude and holy obedience, shall perpetually ascend. Throughout this day let a devout sense of thy pre- sence rest upon our minds, and may thy holy spirit direct our steps. Prepare us for the various duties, and events that may occur in its progress. May all our actions be done to thy glory. Give us each a portion of that benevolent spirit which guided the unparallelled goodness of our great master that we may be ready to do good according to our abilities unto all men. Preserve our minds unclouded by prejudice or passion, and our affections pure and heavenly. Snf)ile on all our lawful undertakings. Crown our industry with success. Lei our names be as precious ointment poured forth, and may all around see our good works, and glorify our Father who is in heaven. Convinced of, and humbled by, our own unworthiDess,yet encouraged to put our trust in thy adorable goodness, we desire now to commit ourselves, and all who are dear to us, with cheerful- ness and confidence, to thy protection and guid- ance. As we proceed in the journey of life, may 'W 122 1 hi we advance in preparation for eternity ; that when the dawn of the eternal morning shall open on us, wc may enjoy the fruition of ail our present hopes, encompass thy throne and engage in the holier ex- ercises of those blessed and redeemed spirits, who surround it. Hear, in heaven, thy holy habitation, these our humble prayers, and inspire us with failh in thy gracious promises, that our supplications shall bo heard and accepted, through him whom thou hearest always — to whom, with Thee, the Father, and the blessed Spirit, be ascribed gloryy dominion and praise, world without end, Amen. II. Evening Prayer for a Week Day. Lord, our God, by whose parental guardianship we have this day been preserved from all danger and bountifully supplied with all comfort, bestow upon us, prostrate around this domestic altar, thy grace by which we may present our evening wor- ship with reverence and godly fear. From Thee we have derived our being and all that renders it desirable — O that we may consecrate all that we have and arc to the glory of the Giver. Thy sus- taining arm every moment upholds us — O that every moment we may gratefully acknowledge its beneficent agency. To thy free, unmerited love we owe the gospel of reconciliation with all its hopes and privileges — O that we could sincerely embrace its gracious offers, and evermore glorify Thee in our bodies and in our spirits which are ihine. But, O Lord, we are painfully conscious of our natural tendancy to fail in this the proper end of our being and to live not to Thee, but to ourselves. i 123 We too often uso our powers, as if they wcro not thy gifts to be consecrated to ihy service, and the bounties of thy |)rovidence,as if they did not consti- tute a fresh cliiim upon us to love and obey our hea- venly benefactor. Cou.jteract, O God, we beseech Thccthis sinful forgelfulncss into which wc are so apt to fall,&this feeble sense of accountability,which alas !— is too much our habitual character. Preserve within us a lively sense of our entire dependance upon Thee, and of thy entire property in us. We arc indeed thy creatures ; we live in thy world ; wo subsist on thy bounty ; we are daily refreshed by thy goodness ; our t'ranquillity and our profitable exercis^c of mind and heart, and the religious hopes that soothe and elevate us.all flow from thy unmeri- ted and unceasing beneficence. Borbid, heavenly Father, that any of the means and instruments which Thou usest in the distribu- tion of thy bounty, should stand in the way of our grateful recognition of thy hand which fills and ac- tuates and directs them all. In the various changes of material nature may we see thine omnipotent agency working for our good ; and when our fel- low-men are employed in promoting this end may wc still acknowledge thy providence which inclines them to be the ministers of thy pleasure ; and whe- ther Thou conductest us through scenes of enjoy- ment or suffering, may we siill be preserved by thy mercy, and continually feel the protection ol thine arm,which is always stretched forth to succor the needy and destitute who put their confidence in Thee. t, rr^u r And sanctify our souls, we beseech Thee, tor thine everlasting habitation. Quench within us i> U n W ! . -r- ilff tlii I.;: 124 every impure desire ; subdue every unamiable tem- per ; remove every mean intention and unholy motive that nothing displeasing to Thee may defile the spiritual temple in which thou hast promised to take up ihine abode. Give us grace to continue in the habit of reflection, of prayer, of filial depend- ance on thine all sufficiency. Enlighten our con- science, and endue it with tenderness and the just discernment of reciitude. Enlarge our understand- ing with a wide comprehension of truth. Fill us with a high admiration of moral goodness as expressed in thy law, and embodied in the perfect example of our Lord and master ; and may we so revolve the histories of those in whom divine grace hath been most conspicuously manifested that, by a closer imitation, we maybe followers of them, who through faith and patience are now inheriting the promises. May the close of the day to which we are again brought admonish us to prosecute with greater ear- nestness the designs of a holy and useful life. We trust we are filled with a godly sorrow when we review so many of our past days unimproved, or what is worse, spent in folly and sin. We peni- tently confess, O Lord, that the present world, in the urgency of its cares and business, has too much excluded our concern about the world to come. Rescue us, we beseech Thee, from its delusions : set us free fiom its mean and unholy servitude. Dis- cover more impressively to us the true nature of our present condition, and of that on which we must ere long enter that the deceitful charms that attract us to earth may be dissolved, and our afl^*ections trans- ferred to an unfading inheritance in the heavens. 125 May we never lose sight of that state of being into which ail former generations have passed and whi- ther we shall shortly be summoned : and while wo are solemnly moved by the awful doom of the im- penitent and unbelieving rejectors of thy mercy, may we be encouraged to faith and perseverance by the recompense of reward which infinite mercy shall bestow on all who have overcome the world. Nor would we ever forget the departed whose me- mories are dear to us,and who beckon us to a place in that blessed society to which they are now united. Wherefore, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set he- fore us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith. Forgive us, O Lord, wherein during the day that is passed we have sinned against Thee. We feel that we are loo prone to plunge into the business of the world as if that were our chief concern, and to lose sight of our calling as the heirs of glory, and im- mortality. How often have we thus chilled the ar- dour of our devotion, quenched the aspirations of our hope, and retarded our progress in the spiritual life. Butt O most merciful Father, what can wo thine erring children do but return to Thee in pe- nitence and prayer, to be again restored to thy favor and to a proper sense of the value of everlast- ing things. Pardon our iniquities and hide thy face from our sins; let thy spirit abide upon us : set us free from the entanglements of a present evil world, and raise our afl^ections to their proper rent- ing place on heavenly things. :aii \. I ll 126 Preserve us, O God of Jacob who slumberest not nor sleepest, during the silent watcuesof ihis night. Give us refreshing sleep and raise us in the morn- ing in thy fear. Now unto the King eternal, immor- tal, and invisible, the only wise God be glory ever- lasting, Amen. III. Morning Prayer for a Week Day. O Lord, Thou art very great : Thou art clothed with honor and majesty, dwelling in the light that is inaccessible and full of glory whom no man hath seen, nor can see. Indepondent of every being,all being is dependent on Thee. Thy power, which no creature can limit, created the universe ; thy wisdom which no intelligence can fathom, contri- ved its wonderful and harmonious arrangements ; thy beneficence, which so far exceeds our highest thoughts, diffuses its large and inexhaustible bounty over all that lives. With prostrate and lowly hearts, we this morning adore and worship Thee, O Lord our God. How great thy conneacension in regarding such worship- pers as we are ! We, the children of the dust, oc- cupy an humble place among the intelligent orders who encircle the eternal throne, and not only is our station humble, but our natures are now vc-ry far gone from their original rectitude. VVe have not revered thine authority, we have not obeyed thy law; and such now is the power of iniquity over us, that even our desire to be conformed to ihy will is but weak and inconstant. Yet thou regardest the work of thy hands with compassion, and art not willing that we should perish. Heavenly Father, we draw 127 i I rest not s night. ) morn- immor- •y ever- )ay. clothed ;ht that an hath eing,all ', which 5e ; thy contri- ments ; highest ! bounty norning . How vorship- iust, oc- t orders \y is our (•ry far ave not thy law; us, that 1 is but he work willing ve draw nigh unto the throne of thy grace not because wc are in any wise worthy even of the least of thy mercies, but. because for the sake of thy well-be- loved Son whom Thou hast sent to redeem us from sin and misery,Thou hast promised to the sincere and penitent suppliant the greatest. We will ex- tol Thee, O God our King ; we will bless thy name for ever. Every day will we bless Thee, and we will praise thy name for ever and ever. We will speak of the glory of thy kingdom and talk of thy power. For Thou art nigh to all them that call upon Thee, to fulfil the desire of them that fear Thee, to hear their cry and to save them. About once more to enter upon the duties of the day, fill us, we humbly beseech Thee, with self- distrust, with holy fear, and with reliance on thy sustaining grace. In all our intercourse this day with our fellow-men, may we walk circumspectly. Dwelling amidst a community of sinful and imper- fect beings where offences must needs arise, may we be careful not to give oflfence, may we be pa- tient, gentle, easy to be entreated, ready to forgive, and even to render good for evil. Deliver us from every blameable motive and sentiment; lead us in the path of simplicity and godly sincerity and protect us from the cunning craftiness of men who lie in wait to deceive. In our worldly business may we be diligent, faithful and upright; firm in our resis- tance to evil^decided in our choice of all that is excellent and^|)raiseworthy. Forbid, O God, that our secular engbgemenls should disqualify us for our spiritual exercises ; and if at any time this day, in necessary application to our lawful calling, wo should be so much taken up with present objects as ill i 4\ 1 ! U ! iM 1 t i :< • = 5 t- i m w ■1 i! 128 to losG sight of Thee,0 let thino invisible hand bo upon us tor good, and when we are set free fronn the urgencies of secular care may our souls return to their proper rest in Thee. Enable us to walk by faith even amidst the ordinary avocations of life in which we are too prone to walk by sight. Pre- serve us from the spirit of the world, from the filthy conversation of the wicked, from the seductions of ungodly company, and from the baneful influence of error and passion. Deliver us from the restless and insatiable desire of unnecessary things. May we be clothed with humility and filled with contentment. m Inspire us with such a filial confidence in thy pa- ternal guardianship as shall prevent us from disquiet- ing ourselves in vain about temporal things; and render the exercises of faith and meditation the habit and joy of our life. Make thy grace triumphant in purifying our whole nature, and in elevating our desires and hopes to the regions of immortal exis- tence. Heavenly Father, let the choicest blessings of thy grace descend on all the members of this house- hold. May we all rightly understand and savingly embrace the truth as it is in Jesus. Divine physician heal the maladies of our souls; rectify all their disorders ; and so sustain us by thy grace that we may continually advance to the perfection of our nature, by growing in our resemblance to thine. May the religious discipline of this family be happily maintained by thy servants who are placed at the head of it. May all under this domes- tic roof conscientiously submit to its pious order. United in love may we each study mutual edification, and by bearing each others burdens fulfil the law "I 129 of Christ. Let thy protecting care be over us this day while we are each engaged in our respective duties, and in thy me* cv bring us together again around the domestic altar in the evening, that thy statutes may be our songs in the house of our pil- grimage. The Lord bless us, and keep us : the Lord make his face shine upon us, and be gracious unto us : the Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace. Amen. in. Evening Prayer for a Week Day. « 1 1" m-\ i i ■ Heavenly Father, reminded once more by this season of returning rest of the worship and homage that is due unto thy name, we, thy children, rever- ently prostrate ourselves before thy mercy seat to worship and adore Thee, to be forgiven, and to be • blessed by Thee. How delightful here to acknow- ledge the bounties of thy providence, and the un- searchable riches of thy grace in Clirist our Lord and Redeemer! Oh that our hearts might overflow with gratitude and love, on every review of thine infinite beneficence, which has provided not only for the temporal wants of our frail bodies, but also for the wants and necessities of our immortal nature. What can we render unto thee, O Lord, for all thy benefits to us ? Our all is thine — our capacities, and all the means of enjoyment provided for them, our powers, and the grace whereby we are able to devote them to Thee. Our goodness, therefore, cannot extend unto Thee, since we possess nothing that we have not received from thy free bounty ; and we cannot render unto Thee anything that is not thine own. But though thou art entirely inde» 10 '1 i:-i i: 'rir If? I 1 f 'I! 130 i Jll m i lli pendent of all thy creatures, and .supremely happy in thine own all-sufficient per >. ,and we cannot profit Thee by our service, it . nevertheless, our duty to serve Thee with our whole soul, and mind, and strength. For what service may be compared in honour with thine, and what employment more delightful than the contemplation of thy glory, and the celebi.-iion of thy praise. From Thee, the celestial worshippers derive un- mingled felicity ; and we know that our felicity shall be consummated as we resemble them in char- acter and employment. Endue us, therefore, with thy Heavenly grace, that our souls may be spiri- tualized, that we may behold thy glory as it is re- flected from thy works, and as it beams still more resplendently forth in the face of Jesus Christ; that homage, and love to Thee may be a tribute ever flowing from our hearts, rendered unto Thee, with- out fear all the days of our life. Humbly and penitently do we confess, O Lord, that our regards are apt to be drawn away from Thee, by the engrossing pursuits of this transitory world. The things that are seen intercept our view of things unseen ; and the clouds of dust arising from the path of the pilgrim obscure the vision of the heavenly Jerusalem. Father of spirits, we ap- proach Thee in our hour of weakness, beseeching Thee to have compassion on us, and to raise us above all that is mean and sinful in the pursuit of temporal things ; and endue us with that elevated and sanctified temper which looks on lime in the light of immortality, and regards all its honour and convenience as the comforts of an inn, where, as wayfaring men, we tarry only for a night. Teach us 131 so to estimate the things of this present world, that we may be induced continually to raise our desires to that invisible state, where we shall attain the beatitude and perfection of our being in the pres- ence of thy glory. And since at thy tribunal we must appear to give an account of the deeds done in the body, may the comingjudgmentever be pres- ent to our reflections in all its dread solemnity and eternal consequences. O terrible day, on which the unchangeable destiny of myriads of immortal beings shall be determined, and their condition fixed in end- less woe, or endless felicity, with capacities the full extent of which we cannot now conceive ! Eternnl Spirit, promised to convince the world of sin, of righteousness,and of judgment, lead ustoa just ap- prehension of these dread realities, and keep alivo within us suitable sentiments. As sin is the abomi- nable thing which thou hatest, may we also hate it with a perfect hatred ; as thou delightest in right- eousness, endue us with a just discernment of its nature, and clothe us with the righteousness which is of Christ by faith. As judgment is before us, and hjw near at hand we know not, mav it be our chief concern to prepare for it, watching thereunto with all prayer and supplication, that the sound of the archangel's trumpet may not overwhelm us with dismay. How fearful the dismay of the un- believing and ungodly ! With what piteous and unavailing cries will they call upon the mountains and the rocks to cover them, and hide them from the face of him that sitteth on the throne ! We will flee to thee now, O blessed Jesus, that we may not fear to meet Thee at thy coming. We will trust in thy cross, that we may not despair at thy '■a ( 4 1 : \ n !1 .Ml ■ m f, I 132 tribunal. We will embrace, — O give us faith so to do, the offers of thy mercy, that we may not per- ish in the perdition of ungodly men. May we now, through the power of thy spirit, be created after thine image, that we may be admitted to a place in thine everlasting kingdom, among the immortal trophies of thy grace and power. Heavenly Fa- ther, be graciously pleased to accept our feeble at- tempts to serve Thee this day, in discharging the various duties allotted to us in thy providence. Pros- per our temporal concerns, and teach us to guide all our affairs with discretion. May we rule our families in thy fear. Keep in the hollow of thy hand all who are dear to us, bv whatever ^e. Raise our friends to the enjoyment of thy friendship, that the bonds of grace may render our connection im- mortal, after death has separated us from the pres- ent world. Regard thy afflicted children during their night of weeping, and let joy arise on them, in the morning. Lead us onward to those pure and unclouded regions, where the inhabitants shall no more say I am sick ; where pain does not afflict, nor death bereave ; where the Lord shall be our ev- erlasting light, and the days of our mourning shall be ended. In hope of this glorious consummation, we this night commit ourselves to the arms of thine everlasting love, beseeching Thee to dispose of all that pertains to us in time as may seem Dest to thine infinite wisdom, and to raise us at last to the happy state of those, who are redeemed by thy grace,and made heirs of eternal life through Jesus Christ ouy Lord. # * # 133 IV. For Saturday Evening. Father of mercies and God of all consolation, we return Thee our humble thanks for bringing us to the close of another week in peace and safety, and for blessing us during its passage with so many comforts. Night after night refreshing sleep has embraced us : day after day the richest bounties of thy providence have descended upon us : pain has but slightly impeded the current of our enjoyment, and no distressing event has befallen those who are dear to u?. O Lord,what shall we render unto Thee for all thy benefits to us— benefits so far exceeding all our deserts. Once more, and in prospect of the coming Sab- bath, would we express our heartfelt gratitude for the ample provision which Thou has made for our spiritual wants and immortal nature. And now,that the claims of the world have been conceded for six days, let us through thy spirit be prepared for con- secrating to Thee that portion of time which Thou hast set apart for thy more sacred and immediate service. Give us grace to withdraw our thoughts and affections from the world during this gracious resoite from its more urgent servitude, which through thy mercy we have so long been permitted peace, fully to enjoy. Prevent its distractions from intrud- ing on the hours of the coming day which are ex- clusively thine. Bless us, we fervently entreat Thee, with such impressive views of thine infinite majesty, of the cross of Christ and of eternal realities,as shall counteract the influence of lime and the world. May we each know more fully the blessedness of fellow- U^ 4 w ill III ■i;! 134 ship with the Father and with the Son, that with unfeigned lips we may be able to declare— "one thing have I desired of the Lord that will I seek after, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord and to inquire in his temple. For in the time of trouble, he will hide me in his pavilion, in the secret of his tabernacle will he hide me ; he shall set mc up upon a rock." And grant, most merciful Father,that the church universal may experience thy sabbaths to bo a de- light, holy unto the Lord and honourable — for of Zion Thou hast said, the Lord hath chosen it and desired it for an habitation. Infinite condescension ! — that the Lord Jehovah should so regard a com- munity of sinful and imperfect creatures, as to say of them, **I am married to you," and thus to stand in a relation which unchangeable love cannot permit to be dissevered. Thy faithfulness is pledged not only to preserve thy church but to present it as a chaste virgin unto Christ : but, alas, in its present state of intermixture,how sad her backslidings, how numerous her defections ! How far have large branches of the christian family departed from the right way ! How largely hath the spirit of the world crept into the sanctuary and defaced its di- vine inscription — holiness to the Lord! — and how often has an angry and contentious spirit, and the noise of unholy rivalships drowned the voice of peace and brotherly kindness within the gates of Zion ! Yet, O Lord, long-suffering and slow to anger, Thou hast not cast off thypeople in the midstof these sad provocations. We hear thy voice of mercy above the strife of tongues, saying, "return thou II' 135 backsliding Israel, and I will not cau90 mine anger to foil upon you ; for t am merciful and 1 will not keep anger for ever." Return, therefore, O Lord, and visit thine heritage ; thy vineyard which thine own right hand hath planted ; water it abundantly that her trees may be trees of righteousness— the planting of the Lord thut he may be glorified. And, O Thou divine Head of the church of whom the whole family in heaven and earth are named, unite us reallv as well as visibly to the mystical body of Christ— the church, and inspire us with a true community of feeling and interest with all its members. Partakers of the same hope and fellow- ship of the spirit may our mutual prayers and in- tercessions ascend before Thee with acceptance. Be in all the assemblies of thy saints ; make thyself known in the dispensation of thine ordinances, and let \hy name every where be exalted. Prepare the ambassadors of Christ for their work, and give them success in persuading men to be reconciled unto God. May the backsliding be reclaimed, the wavering confirmed, the doubting resolved, the mourning comforted, and all thy saints established in their most holy ffiith. We rejoice that thy pur- poses of mercy shall be accomplished. Preserve this faith strong and unwavering amidst all the darkness that may now rest on our dim and li- mited vision. # * * ,1 ■fil m fl?':' it: ri = 136 BRIEF SECRET EJACULATIONS TO BE USED THROUGHOUT THE DAY. First Series. On first awakening in the Morning, Author of my being, strength of my life and length of my days, by whose sustaining power and great mercy, I am once more awakened to the full exercise of all my faculties and am called anew to testify my regard and submission to Thee, in many important duties ; endue me richly with thy grace that I may this day be guided by an enlightened un- derstanding and sanctified dispositions, walking be- fore Thee in all well pleasing, being fruitful in ev- ery good work and abounding in the knowledge of God. In all the events which this day may bring, make thy grace sufficient for me and thy strength perfect in my weakness, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Thanksgiving at Breakfast, Our Father which art in heaven, with an unfail- ing liberality Thou suppllest our daily bread : in the enjoyment of the bounties may I cherish a ha- bitual and grateful remembrance of the giver : and may the life sustained by thy power, and so abun- dantly comforted by thy goodness, be spent in thy servjce,and closed in thy favor,through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen, 137 41'^ Thanksgiving at Dinmr. Almighty Lord, I devoutly acknowledge my de- pendence upon Thee for life and breath and all things, and would now express my gratitude for the temporal comforts with which my table is again covered : to thine unmerited benignity I am indebted for all : may the continual stream of thy bounty keep my Benefactor in my perpetual remembrance; and may I find in Thee my everlasting portion and joy, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. Thanksgiving at 8upper, Blessed God, I thank Thee for this renewed sup- ply of the bread that perisheth, fitted for a time to sustain and refresh my mortal body ; in thy mercy bestow on me that bread which endureth unto ever- lasting life, that my soul may never see death, but live continually before Thee in thy heavenly king- dom, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. On lying down to sleep, O Lord, God, preserve continually in my soul an awful and solemn apprehension of death, judgment, and eternity, that I may habitually contemplate the present life, and my conduct in it, in the light of these coming and dread realities : at the close of every day may I endeavor to judge myself as in the last day I shall be judged by Thee : enlighten and guide my conscience in this daily examination : trembling under the conviction of sin may 1 hum- U( 138 bly sue for mercy : unfeignedly may I repent of the sins which I have committed, and may the hopes of forgiveness through a crucified Redeemer which I humbly cherish,incite me on the morrow to more watchful circumspection, and prevent my re- peated disobedience from again provoking thy dis- pleasure, and reviving my fearful apprehensions. Let thy protecting care this night overshadow me, for the sake of Christ Jesus our Redeemer, Amen, Second Series. On first awakening in the Morning, Father of lights, give a sanctifying efficacy to the themes which shall this day employ my meditations. Speak to my soul by the works of Ihy creating power, by the events of life, and by thine inspired oracles. Endue me with the faith which is the sub- stance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Send thy holy spirit to illuminate and guide me. Prevent me from occupying my time and attention in mean and unprofitable pursuits. When so many things of momentous importance are to be done let not my precious moments be was- ted upon trifles. Help me to labor for immortality — to aim at the improvement of my nobler part — and at the end of mycourse mayit appear that I have not laboured in vain. Throughout this day may 1 do justly, love m^rcy, and walk humbly with God, through Jesus Christ, Amen. 139 Thanksgiving at Breakfast. O Lord our God, the dispenser of all good, bless these bounties of thy providence which I am now invited to partake : gratefully received may ihey be moderately enjoyed : and let my soul be nourished by thy grace unto eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. Thanksgiving at Dinner, Most bountiful Creator, thy providence watches over all, thy liberality blesses all : dispose me now to receive with gratitude and moderation these thy gifts, and hungering and thirsting after righteous- ness, may 1 find it a satisfying portion through Jesus Christ, Amen. Thanksgiving at Supper, Heavenly Father, blesfl me in the use of this food,necessary for the sustenance of my frail body, and give me to feast on that spiritual manna which satisfies the soul forever. Amen. On lying down to sleep. As this day hath come to a close, so life itself is hastening to a close and the night is approaching in which no man can work. Lead me to impressive views of the solemnities of the coming judgment that I may be guided to impartial self-examination and assiduous preparation to meet God. May the ii 140 review of my sinfulness awaken penitence; may my numerous short comings fill me with humility,& the remembrance of past failures lead me to greater circumspection : distrusting myself more, may I confide more in Thee : raise me to a greater indif- ferency to the things of time by a juste r discern- ment of their insignificance as compared with the glory to be revealed. Preserve me from all disqui- etude on their account : may I cast all my care upon Thee, who careth for me. Into thy hands I now commend my spirit, and with humble faith in the Redeemer I look for mercy and ascribe glory and honor and pow(}r,unto Him that sitteth on the throne and to the Lamb for ever. Halleluia, Amen. Third Series. On first awakening in the Morning, Eternal God, fountain of all being, intelligence and felicity, whose unslumberingeye hath guarded me during the unconscious hours of sleep, and by whose power I am once more awakened to the du- ties and enjoyments of a new day, mercifully pre- serve me during its progress from all evil, and as- sist me to improve its fleeting and irrecoverable moments, to my own spiritual advantage and the benefit of my fellow creatures. May the painful remembrance of time misapplied quicken my dili- gence in the right use of that uncertain portion which may yet remain to me, that the grand purpo- ses of this mortal life,as introductory to the life im- mortal, may be secured. Enlighten my understan- ding, endue my soul with spiritual sensibility, bes- ^•V 141 tow on me a true repentance, and the faith that justifies the ungodly. May it be my constant desire to attain every virtuous and amiable quality. Ren- der my afFections and manners pure. Let faith encompass me as a shield, and righteousness arm me as a breastplate. Let the law of kindness dwell upon my tongue. Let meekness, moderation and charity appear in my whole deportment— to the praise of the glory of thy grace in Christ Jesus, Amen. Thanksgiving at Breakfast. Dispose me, most Gracious God, to acknowledge with devout gratitude thy hand in the liberal provis- ion made for all my temporal necessities,and wheth- er I eat or drink, or whatsoever I do,may I do all to the glory of God and in the name of Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen. Thanksgiving at Dinner. Most gracious God, whose tender mercies are over all thy works, who dost not withhold thy goodness even from the evil and unthankful, grant that 1 may always receive the blessings of thy providence,with a griteful spirit, and evermore study to glonty thy name by a holy life, trusting in thy mercy,through Jesus Christ our Lord. Thanksgiving at Sujpjper. God of all grace and consolation, may I acknow- ledge thy liountiful hand in all my comforts, and iM Mi S hi k: i' 1 'I 142 evermore love and serve Thee, with my whole soul and mind and strength, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. On lying down to sleep. . O that at this period of solemn review which the close of every day brings, 1 had a more lively impression of the uncertain and transitory nature of this mortal life ! My fleeting moments are ever on the wing : every breath I draw, every throb of my pulse, indicates the lapse of my allotted hours, and hastens on the silence and repose of the grave. The power of the destroyer is seen every where : the generation to which 1 belong is disappearing around me like autumn leaves, and quivering in my place 1 shall soon be numbered in the dust with the fallen. Living in continual remembrance that I am born to die, may the solemnities of death and the dread realities beyond it, keep me free from the entangling snares of the world, and lead me to embark in its pursuits, as one that must shortly withdraw from them ; while in every matter connected with my spiritual improvement may 1 feel a deep and encreas- ing concern. Time speeds away, but the deeds done in time are imperishable in their consequences and affect the souPs destiny for ever. Preserve me, therefore, in a habitual and holy vigilance, that I may never do aught the effects of which may prove injurious to me in the future course of rny being. I commit to thy keeping,Blessed Jesus, that immortal part for which thou gavest thy life a ransom. This night may I rest safely under the shadow of thy everlasting wings. 143 1 .i; Fourth Series. On first awakening in the Morning, Blessed Jesus, the bright and the morning star, by whose intercession I am again raised from sleep, the image of death, and mine eyes behold the won- ders of creation, — now enrich my soul out of that fulness which is treasured up in thee: may the ho- ly spirit, the comforter, abide with me and lead mo to the right interpretation of thy works, thy ways, and thy word : in them may I behold thy reflected image and never cease to contemplate and adore. Let my soul breathe a supreme love to Thee, unsul- lied by creature affection, manifesting itself in a holy obedience, and drawing from thy service its purest enjoyment. Amidst the dim light of this sinful and imperfect state, may I walk humbly with Thee, until the veil of mortality being withdrawn, I behold thy glory without a cloud and be satisfied when I awake after thy likeness. In thee my cre- ator, redeemer and Lord,I humbly trust, waiting in hope for thy second coming to receive into the man- sions of bliss all thy faithful servants : even so come Lord Jesus, Amen. thanksgiving at Breakfast, Father of mercies, whose gracious providence sustains the innumerable tribes dependent on thy bounty, render me duly thankful for the temporal comforts now laid before me, for health of body and tranquility of mind, and may thy blessing now Us 9 m 144 sanctify to my use these temporal refreshments, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. Thanksgiving at Dinner, Accept of my thanks, O Lord, for the various capacities with which Thou hast endued my nature and for the ample means of gratification daily pro- vided forme: entirely dependant as I am on thy free and unmerited bounty for all things, may I never fail to acknowledge it in an universal and af- fectionate obedience, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. Thanksgiving at 8upper, O Lord, our covenant keeping God, we thank Thee for all our social comforts. In our felfowship one with another may we never forget our destina- tion to immortal life, nor fail in rendering mutual aid in preparing for it, that when our present relation- ships are dissolved we may be united in perfect and everlasting bliss through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. On lying down to sleep. Keeper of Israel, who neither slumberest nor sleepest, to whom the dai'kness and the light are both alike — who hath given to man the day for acti- vity, the night for repose — give me also grace to spend my days in obedience to thy holy command- men*s, that in the review,an enlightened conscience may approve, and the peace of God nriay d\vell in 145 rpy breast ere I commit rr.yself to sleep. Help mo to keep in lively remembrance the night of death and the morning of the resurrection, that I may be led diligentlyto prepare for them. OThou who didst translate Enoch without tasting death to enjoy un- interrupted blessedness in thine immediate presence in the heavens,deliver me from the snares and temp- tations of an evil world, and in thine own time ad- mit me to a place among the spirits of the just made perfect :—0 Thou who didst preserve Noah when the fountains of the great deep were broken up, re- ceive me into Christ— iry ark and refuge, and when thy judgments are overpast, may [ appear among the iivino" in the new Jerusalem : — O Thou who didst guide thvpeoplo in a pillar of cloud by day and in a pillar of Yiro by night, vouchsafe me thy guid- ance in all the days of my pilgrimage on earth, and bring me at length to the rest that remaincth for the people of God. DEVOTfON'AL REFLECTIOxNS ON SELECT PASSAGES OF SCRIPTURE. 1. Lordf teach us to pray: Luke 11, 1. PrayeF is the simplest form of speech That infant lips can try ; Prayer the sublimest strains that reach, The Majesty on high. Prayer is the Christian's vital breath, The Christian's native air ; His wat(.h\vord at the gates of death, He enters heaven with prayer. O Thou.by whom we come to God, The Lite, the Troth, the Way ! TJie path of prayer thyself hasl trode :• Loid leach us how to pray. Heavenly Father, we are nothing without Thee, nor can we know, love and glorify thy name unless thy grace be vouchsufed to enlighten and sustani us. For so great is our unbelief and ignorance of spiritual things that we know not what we should pray for as we ought, and oftentimes we ask amiss. But we thank Thee,thatin the days of his flesh, our blessed Redeemer in merciful condescen- sior to the infirmities of his disciples did graciously leach ihem to pray, and through his intercession, thy holy spirit is promised to help our infirmities, that we may know to make intercession according to the will of God. Hearer of prayer, beuto /on 147 us, we beseech Thee, the spirit of grace and suppli- cation, that we may evermore desire wluit 1 hoii hast promised, and repose without wavering on thy iaithfuhiess, knowing that Thou art able to do ex- ceeding abundantly above all that wo can ask or think a ^cording to the power that worketh in us. In the habitual frame of our souls may we reverently acknowledge our dependance upon Thee and conti- nually express it in ' fervent prayer, in gratetul praise, ar.d in the joyful expectation of everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. 1 I?: 2 The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth tosheto himself strong in theOe- half of them, whose heart is perject towards him. 2 Chron. 10, 9. God is oar refuge, tried and proved, Amid a stormy world; We. will not fear though enrth be moved And hills ill ocean hurled. The waves may roar, th-i mountains shake, Our cotnloris shall not cease, The Lord his saints will noi ibrsake : The Lord will give us peace. MmiMitv Lord, whose sceptre ruleth over all worlds,wo putour trust in Thee. Possessed of all wisdom to discern, of all goodness to actuate, ot all power to succor, we floe unto Thee as our refuge and pavilion amidst the griefs and perils ot this sin- ful life Inspire us with that entire and conhding submis'sion which we owe Thee, whose we are andm whose hands are all our ways ;-a submission I.* ,r- m !; 148 which our divino muster so perfectly exemplified during the whole of his sojourn upon earth, and especially in the hour of his mysterious passion. All the elements of nature are under thy controul, and the angels that excel in strength are thy mes- sengers. 1 ho designs and acts of every human being are known to Thcot and no matter to what their passions lead them, they contribute their part to whatsoever Thou hast ordained. VVhy,then, should we faint in adversity or despond in the day of darkness ? For the Lord will command his lov- ing kindness in the day time, and in the night his song shall be with me,andmy prayer unto the Lord of my life. 3. Redeeming the time : Eph. 5, 15. Think, O my soul ! how much depends On the short period of a day ; Shall time, which heaven ill mercy lends, Be negligently thrown away 1 Lord of my life, teach me the skill Euch precious moment to improve; And while my days are shortenmg still, Prepare me for the joys above ! Eternal God, with whom are the issues of life, Thou measurcst it out to us in successive moments, and when it seometh good unto Thee it ceaselh. This period of our being is the spring-time of eter- nity: should it be misimproved and spent in sin, no- thing remains to us but a fearful looking for of judgment and fiery indignation. Alas, how much of this precious gift hrtve we already lost I how many 149 months and years have been wasted in idleness, or abused in feeding the natural worldhness of the heart! Almighty God, the just, tlie righteous, it is becauso Thou ar't very pitiful and slow to anger that our time and the benefits connected w.th it have not ceased,& the endless ages of an unblessed immortality have not come upon us ! Our days are prolonged in this preparatory world, the mediator intercedes in our behalf, thine ear is still attent to our prayers, mercy yet extends its sceptre to us, and \he'gates of heaven are open for our ad.ms- sion '—By the painful remembrance of wasted time and lost opportunities, may we be led to a better im- provement of such time and opportunity as m thy great mercy may hereafter be hestowcd on us. I re- vent us from being led away into sinlul pursuHs or detained with unprofitable employments. W ith im- mortal life in view may we here be devoted to the culture of the spiritual life. And as the feelings and actions of every hour are engraven on a na- ture from which the inscription does not iacle,— as the occupations and fellowship of the scenes around us are affecting the formation of a character which shall hereafter be immutable, doomed to the mise- rics of the lost or raised to the felicities of the upper world,-^Oh that consequences so durab e and momentous, may awaken our solicitude, incite our activity, sustain our diligence, and fill us with a holy dread in the use of those means and ordinances in which preparation is made for eternity. Blessed God,who measurestoutour allotted span upon earth, enlighten, uphold and sanctify us by thy grace,that when we have finished our course we may be re- ceived into everlasting habitations. i 1. [ 150 4. I have chosen thee in Ihe furnace of afflict ion. haiah 48, 10, Oh thou whose mercy cuides my way, Thoiij^h no# it seems severe, Forbid »iiy unl)eliel" to say. There is no mercy here ! Oh ffraut me to desire the pain That comes in kindness down, More ihnn the world's supremest gain Succeeded by a Irown. Then tho* thou bend my spirit low, Love only shall I see : The very hand that strikes the blow, Was woLindud once lor me. As our Father, reconciled to us through Jesus Christ,all thy dispensations are marked with pater- nal regard. Enlighten us and bring our will into confornnity with thine, that we may no more mur- mur at wiiatThou art pleased to appoint,even though it be very contrary to our natural wishes. Guilty have we been,veryguiltyin repining under thy chas- tisements. Our gourds under which we enjoyed a pleasant shelter have been withered by a worm from Thee and in the vexation of our spirit we have said, I do well to be angry. But, God. fountain of all wisdom, are not thy purposes wise ? God of love, dost Thou not pity us,even as a Father pitieth his children, and hast Thou not declared Thou dost not afflict willingly, nor grieve the chil- dren of men ? Endue us with a more becoming spir. it that under every sorrow and bereavement we may say in submission, It is the Lord, let him do I 151 what sccmeth him good ;— the Lord gave and ihc Lord hath taken awuy. Blessed bo the name ol the Lord. Oh giant tliat every trial may moderate our pursuit of temporal things, quicken our dihgencc m our christian course, wean our affections from the world, and advance our preparation for eternity. Let every painful event more deeply convince us that this is not our rest, that we arc only pilgrims in a world on which the curse is resting ; and may we continue to look forward in serenity and hope to that hour when at the command of our mercitul Redeemer wo shall rise from the sins and sorrows of time to the holiness and joy of the upper world. 1 11 5. But some are fallen asleep,' I Cor. 15. 6. ,There is a world above, Where parting is unknown, A long eternity of love, Formed for the good alone : And faith beholds the dying here Translated to that glorious sphere . Thus star hy star declines, Till all are past away ; As rporninp: high and higher shines To pure !»nd perfect day •, Nor sink those stars in empty night, But hide ihemsplves in heaven's own hght. How many are sleeping the sleep of death of those who were once embraced in the circle of our fellow- ship-our friends and brethren are in quick suc- cession dropping to rest in the silent gravelHow dark and gloomy are such events to the eye of unbelief, though not to ours! Praise for ever be ascribed to thy ' V m groat and glorious name for the blessed hope of im- mortalityto which we arebcgotten,tijrough which the gloom that overhangs the valley of the shadow of death is dispelled. Nor can we review the death- bed scenes that we have witnessed without rendering unto Thee our humble thanks for the testimony borne hy de 3urted saints to the power of faith in taking away the sting of death and the terror of the grave ; and for the assurance with which we are inspired that they have exchanged a world of sin and sorrovv for a world of purity and bliss. Halle- luia ; — blessing and glory and victory be unto the Lord God of our salvation for the innumerable tro- phies which divine grace haf h won and placed around the throne on high in everlasting security and beati- tude. Once the children of wrath — now the chil- dren of God ; once the slaves of sin — now redeem- ed and made pariakers of a divine nature ; once exposed to toil and temptation, to suffering and death — now delivered from all evil and blessed with all good. We, yet sojourning in this vale of tears, the humble expectants of the same felicity, beseech Thee evermore to keep us in thy holy governance, to which with humble trust in thy great mercy we commit ourselves and all who fear thy name, look- ing for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the Great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ. 6. Let not sin reign in your mortal body, Bom. 6, 12. The dearest idol I have known, Whate'er that idol be, Help me to tear it from thy throne. And worship only thee. 12. 153 So shall my walk be close with God, Calm and serene my frame : So purer light shall mark the road That leads me to the Lamb. Keep us under thy holy governance, O God, that we may habitually mortify the deeds of the body, and rise to the dignity of a spiritual life— a life re- gulated by thy law, exalted by faith, and always breathing a celestial purity. Teac'^ us moderation and incline us to self-denial in the use of all sensible things, remembering how apt they are to deceive, to enslave, and to debase, by making our members the instruments of unrighteousness and turning us aside from the true ends and proper felicity of our being. Walking humbly before God, fervently de- sirous of entire conformity to the divine will, look- ing for the blessed hope and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ may we deny ourselves to all ungodliness& worldly hisis, and live soberly,righteously and godly in the present world. Prevent sinful habits, at present suppressed, from ever again rising to the mastery: dissipate the erring fancies which in time past may have invested the nleasures of sense with deceitful and ensnaring attractions ; awaken within us just conceptions of the proper good of an immortal nature ; and may we ever seek it in the cross of Christ,in the sanctifi- cation of the soul, and in the consecration of every faculty and possession to the glory of God. 1^ 104 I' i .' Jl 7. God, is a sjnrit, and they that toorship Mm, must ivorship him in spirit and in truth. John 4, 24. We hear thy voice when thunders roll Through the wide fields of air ; The waves obey thy dread controul, Yet stil! thou art rot there. "Where shall I find him, O my soul, Who yet is evtsry where ? Oh, not in circling depth or height. But in the conscious breast, Present lo faith, thouj>:h veiled from sight, There does his spirit rest. Oh come, thou Presence Infinite! And make thy creature blest. Thou fillcst immensity, — all space in thy tem- ple, — the heavens are peopled with thy worship- pers, — the humblesr, equally with the most exalted, stands in the light of thy countenance, — and of each of us, who would take our place among the adoring assemblage that encircles thy throne,every 'hought and feeling is perfectly known to Thee. Of what avail then can it be, nay how sinful and dan- gerous, to come before Thee without a reverential sense of thy presence, — to offer the homage of the lip, enlightened by no intelligence and burning with no love. Oh that we could in all our approaches unto Thee realize thine awful presence and inspec- tion ; — that we could under a holy consciousness of thy scrutiny search into our own hearts — abhor their defilement — be humbled under a contrite sense of guilt — and fall down in afflicted abasement before thine offended majesty ! We are deeply conscious 155 that these sentiments will never arise in !he soul until thy grace siir them up ;— that spiritual igno- ranee and death will reign until Thou makest the day-spring from on high to visit and quicken us lo newness of life :~we cannot take one ,j''«-N tTiisc One is our tuitn aii d one tiur hovd\ One b.)(!y, spirit, lioiu-, rewanl; One God and Father ot u-^all, On whom thy church and iK'opltM-all Oh nuy \ve one i-oininunicn be, One with eac hoiher, one wuh ihec. Awaken within thy church catholic lamentation txm\ mourning, on ac count ot" thoso contentions and schisms llmt have divided it, an< 1 1 lave rie, :'n:u;:i^-wo.lto.Uesoo,,b.andpro. cuUivale the love of futh. u.ity. -' .-"-': J,,^' in asU l-r-rvonlly tlie wisdom wlucli is (lom above vl ch . pure, pcacal^lc, Cull of .mn-cy aud good TuHs wi hout .arliaUty, and without hypocnsy. Oh atho livinc ll.:ad of the chuveh l,e s.Viemoly exa Itod ; let the holy scnptufes be .■cvcred and nn- ^ U P--.11V the te.ehe.-s and rulers in i-- ;^^- ; nc^tlv contend for the faith once delivered .o the ^ain lixtingnish within the eiuu-ch the hres of ;„ unholv rivafship. and the l.oasting ,a any name hot t le name of Jesu.. His i. the kingdom, and r;w;:;.:;nd the glory. M^'y''-^-!';;';-;:; onliMitened determination o( his people to know no oUk^ 1 in-.to aeUnowledgenootlier power, to glory n n -r .vtm3.-0 God, when shall .t onee l>e Uas! toonroyethe day seem, lar dis.aiit bu iVthee it belongs to unite the warring elements and to ;^s the churrh on earth to the harmony of 1G4 heaven. Till then preserve us united in the fellovv- ship of the gospel, in fervent love for the.brother- hood, and in chtiriiy with the whole kimily ol man. O God, are wo not ihy creatures, made of one tlean . Are we not overspread with the same canopy, and nourished on ihe bosom of the same earth ? UoUi not the same ISaviour and Lord bend over us in compassion, und intercede that we may obtam he same salvation] Are we not companions in the same tribulation, and partners in the same hope . Counteract then, O God of peace, every cause ot disunion ; heal the manifold divisions of thy churcn, that all who believe in thy word may be one, that the world may believe on Christ, the sent ot Uoa, the only mediator between God and man. ill 14. GodisfcvlhfnUwliowillnot suffer you o he tempted above that ye are able; but loill ivitU tlie temvtalion also make a way to escape, that yemaij le able to bear it. 1 Cor. 10, 13. Faithful, O Lord, thy mercies are A rock that cannot move: A ibousand promises dechire Thy constancy ol" love. Throiif^hotU the uniTerse it reigns Unalleiablvsure; And while the tn.th of God remains, His goodness must endure. How vast that condecension, how great that love, which hath bound itself in covenant even to our einfu! race, to confer benefits of the most mcstima- fellovv- rolher- if man. (lush ?• y, and Doth L* US in uin the in the hope ? ausc of :hurch, le, that of God, fi to he nth the t ye mat; 105 blc value, that ^vc who have fled for refuge to the hope set before us, might ^'^ve the stronger consoK. ion. 'Phy mcrey, O Lord, shall he huilt up f - eve , thv faithfulness shall thou estahljsh m the vorv I eivens. Lead us to a clear apprehension of his e deuing attribute of thy n.ture, that we may t ouVtrus? in thy prou.ises and P-' -^ ^ hearts liclorc 1 lieu. Ap. as wi. ..i ccrted m season, of tnal, to ho rea.t>.l and cast down in adversity, wc pray thee to .nsc so to us more fnlly the glory of thy great "■""='/' ■''^;'';^ fear may be dispelled, all anxiety tuished, that with filial eon'fuleneo' we may put onr 'n-t n^hy l-fec wisdom and boundless goodness. ,/'"";''". .0 confide in thee, mav we never disbonoi thy mci lif7co descension. -Humbly relying on I ly prom- r e may we ..Iraw from tbein strength -;;-;'-'- tion and wait in the patience of bope (oi ibat day. Winn "ho purchased l-edemption |;-"S ^-"l''?'-!; ' IhM be fully manifested, that ol all which Ihoil hast spoken unto thy clmrch, noc one thing hath failed. hat love, n to our ncstinia- I to the 5. Give none offence, neither iotheJews^^^^^^^^^ Gentiles, nor to the Church oj God: 1 Cor, 10, 32. Give me a sober mind, A quick' discerning eye, The lirst approach ot sin to iina, And all occasions tly. Siill may 1 cleave to ihee, And nevermore depart, But watch with godly jealousy Over ray evil heart. 1G6 Endue us with a calm and enlightened temper that wo may judge aright in the c'vcumstanee^^ which we happen to be placed, nnd o th pei o". with whom we may have mtevcourse; and ma> wc alwavs ho able to maintain our own mtegnty, am, l^y an atreciionate and winning deportment to gam the eLem and conhdence of others. ^^ the testimony that we bear for truth, incline us to every cha tabL allowance for the ignorance and prejudices of man- kind. In our vindication of purity may we regard with compassion those who have never ^J}^^^ way. May we study to remove all asperity fiom oui- address, all unkindness from our speech, and every thini^ from our demeanor inconsistent with the meekness and gentleness of Christ. Incline us to be tender and circumspectin allourconduct, toaim habUuallv at pleasing our brethren for their good to edification, tJ bear compassionately the infirmities o the weak, and with unwearied patience to enduie ho .".vocations of the froward. But while thus stu y- ng to give none offence, may we be careful not to compromise principle, nor connive at iniquity. \V c are by witnesses before the church and the world- atall times maywe bear a true and faithful testimony. Give us wisdom to contend earnestly for the (aith, in our proper sphere, whoever may oppose it and to maintain righteousness ho. v much soever it may be contemned. Weak, erring, creatures, as we arc, wc cannot unite these virtues without thy grace, ta- ther of lights endue us with the wisdom which is first pure? then peaceable. Dispose all around us to a charitable construction of our motives and doings; shield us from all envy, and clamour, and malice, and all evil .peaking. May wc walk in his footsteps 107 who was 'at onco holy and havmlcss-and experience that the work of riglitcousness is; peace, and tne effect of righteousness quietness and assurance tor ever. Fa- 16. God is love. 1 John 4, 16. A sweet but solitary beam, An emanation I'rom above, Glimmers o'er life's uncertain dream,— We hail that beam and call it Love . Bui fainter than the pale starts ray Before Uie mO(iiilide blaze ot day, Is all of love that man can know,— AW that in angel breasts can glo^\-,— Compared, Lord of hosts with ihme, Fiernal— fathomless— divmc ! Divine love is manifested every where, give us eves to behold and hearts to feel it. All animated nlture exists in a state of gratification and even^^^ destruction of its individual lorms dilluses and ex- tends the sum total of enjoyment. But now .mpres slvely is ii. manifested in the nature, condition, ad prospects of man. How fearfully and wonderful y made! how exquisitely adapted to use and enjo - ment every organ of sense ! The eye is fillea with reeable prospects ; the ear is regaled with melo- aLs soun'ds ; ^curiosity is gratified with perpettjal variety ; the understanding has opened up to it a boundle s range of delightful investigation ; every usceptibility of the soul, when -ghtiy cultiva ed becomes an inlet of happiness : even pain, while is connected with many alleviations, is converged by divine grace into an instrument of good ! Heaven, 1' f^ ,!■'- i f if 168 the destined homo of the family of God, opened up to sinful beinL's by the incarnation and death ot the Son of God— ^viU set iorth before all intelligences the infinitude of the love of God! Holy spirit, render us sensible to every touch of the divine be- nevolence ; awaken and perfect in us a correspond- ing affection : when Thoudvvcliost in the soul there is love, and love U heuven. 17, They rest not day nor night : Reu. 4, 8. Now with triumphal palms, they stand Beforo the throne on hij^h, And serve the God they love, amidst The glories of the sky. Hi^ presence fills each he^rt with joy, Tunes every mouth to sing; By day by night, the sacred courts 'Wiih glad hosannahs ring. Blessed worshippers, holy, spiritual intelligences, who know no weaiiness in the uninterrupted wor- ship of Him who sits upon the throne. Ye need not Ihe silence and repose of night— and there is no night in heaven. The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb is thy temple, and ye need no light ot the sun neither of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God and the Lamb is the light thereof. O bright and beatific world! Sinless, happy region, that knows no darkening cloud ; where grief heaves no sigh, and sorrow drops no tear ; where the perfect vision of God difTuses perpetual and unmingled joy. Pity, O God, our ignorance and unbelief, which so much prevent our hopes from being attracted to^ ' ?i 169 w.,-d, those regions of bliss. Alas ! ihe tl.icU and Cv a l.pV.e°e of lirro too of.cn conceals ftom our view the glories of the heavenly world ! Gia- ioVs God take away this evil heart ot unbel.e , and so invigorate onr faith that it n,ay penetrate mto r :orid uieen, and draw from 'ts -ou.,es m- citements to piety and benevolence. t.,ve us g.ace to set ou r alTections on thuigs '^l'"™-;"/ '"^'^^^^ 'Z. T 1 1 p.^^^ nn Tpsus thc3 meclmtor ol tne new cuv T™i'» r«'n° ml Wl«l»»l» -' "• "i;'" deemed bcMngs. Lompaici^ L^\i Henceforth -?j::J:'t:::stratrcTioT;:t..;^ve^.ov. r' Ma we be dead to the world, but ahve un o r^d "nd look forward to the hour m wh.eh this St'nl l!l put on ™--r".-n:"lovrso'l rTt nndOh mav infinite, everlasting love, so lay us hand i)on L that this hope shall not pcnsh, hu receive^i perfect fruition before the throne oi God and of the Lamb. 18. It is finished : John 19, 30. ."Tls finishecV'-Heaven is reconciled. And all the powers ot darkness spoiled. Peace, lo^^e, an.i happiness a-ain Return and dwell with sintul men. ."Tis finished"— let ihe joyful sound Be heard through all the naUons round : tf'TU finished" — let the echo tiy ThTough heaven and hell tbrough earth and sky. ■Hi 170 Words of expiring agony but of delightful signi- ificance, thrilling the bosoms of all intelligent orders with wonder and joy ! Thy expiatory work, bless- ed Jesus, was finished with the utterance of these triumphant words ; divine justice was satisfied, the demands of the law were fultilled, the holy character of God, our Governor, was illustriously vindicated; inercy shone furth in resplendent harmony wiih all the other attributes of the godhead, and divine grace was purchased that, as the final result of the Sav- iour's mediation, man might be reconciled to God, us God by the cross is reconciled to man. Incline us, Spirit of truth, to turn in faith continually to these scenes, since in their midst our hope and peace grow ; let suffering and salvation, the cross and the crown, the work of expiation with the work of sanctification, the death of the redeemer with the eternal life of the redeemed, be inseparably associated in our thoughts. Blessed Jesus, our Re- deemer and Lord, Thou art now exalted to the right hand of the majesty on high, reinvested with that glory which thou hadst with the Father before the world was ; but Thou art still allied to humanity, and we would not forget the design of the alliance ; Thou didst suffer in the nature of man, and rise in triumph to heaven in that nature, to purchase and prepare for it a similar glorification. Contempla- ting this design with reverential gratitude, may wo fervently pray that it may be accomplished in us. Crucified with Christ, may we also reign with him; and when the far extended plan of redempiion is finished in its application, as on the cross it was finished m it.s purchase, may we be found in con- cert with the redeemed, singing the song of Moses and of ilie Lamb. 171 19. Lei palience have Us fcrjeci work: James 1, 4. When darkiv:-ss interccpls ihe skies, And sorrows waves aioumime roll, When hi-h the storms of uouilens^. And hair o'.rwheh.nuysu.kinS soul, Mv scul a -racions caUu shall teul ivheu Jc-.us ^^h.spers-Peace be still. Then In afHiclion's furnace liied, Unhun, on snares and d.aih, 1 11 trend. TM;ghs;na=■.il,.ndh.dlUn•o.n^y.^^ Pour all its names upon m> J»^'i^' \ LikeMo.es'sbu.h,rilmomU.heh.ghe,, And flourish unconsumed m lire. Thesniritcf truth has admonished us Uu^t wo 11 A m^lv hut asainst principalities, againsi ,,o^v hlood ohlv, Dui ng iH« i in-knrss of th s world, reisn 01 SHI IS uruvci»ai mnrcV, • ic M n-irtner of the throne. God ot meicy, pain IS a P^^^ "^ /^^ kingdom of darkness into the translate m out ot the Kinguu ^, n^g,.:,^gs which Ui„gdo,r,ofthycU.ar.on lat^^^^^^^^^^^^^ we may be <^»l''='^ ''>„''™f''L W clmstisen.ents for h i 172 Be Thou, O God, the strength of our heart ; uphold us in the time of trouble ; when the streams of worldlv comfort are dried up, may our consolations in thee abound, Keep in our remembrance that sinful flesh needs painful chastisement; that our in- iquities correct us and wc are filled with the sins of our youth : what are all our griefs and troubles but the bitter fruits of what we have sown? In our ainictions, therefore, may we never upbraid Thee : may we never sink =.0 far in faithless impatience as to doubt either thy justice or benevolence : may we rather be filled with wonder and gratitude, that in fi world where iniquity so much prevails, there should be so much good and so little evil mingled in the sinner's cup, and that even the portion ot evil is to them that fear thee, medicinal. Divine spirit, engrave these sentiments upon our hearts, that in the midst of the fuvnoce we may praise thy name, and come out of it as gold purified by the fire. It 20. For our light affliction which is hut for a mo- ment — 2 Cor. 4, 17, 18. WhateVr thy providence denies I calmly would resign ; For thou art good and just and wise, Oh bend my will to U;ine. Whate'er thy sacred will ordains, Oh give me strength to bear ; \nd let roe know my Fathc^r reigns, And trust his tendsr care. How cheering the light which the gospel sheds upon this scene of tribulation through which we are 173 i„gs of time "-;« ';^'\ '^,S\ :f ; ded ll>e gloom, nllliciea soui*. ,.r.vnMlinP- the true cause ot '"?,'•' ''^''\,Ti;s ccnai, an" to. In that n.o.ncnt sullcnngaiditsccitama i.^jccmcr the t'":i^rV:T;:;?:c:::;L;;.|no.^tj cation, .l>c havn,lcss ^^^^^^J^^'^'Z^ ^h J ^^t^iftU: ;;r;,f :.^^--^^^^^^^^^ a moment, wv.mgln -'t f-- bun -v fat mo.e oxc^ ,^^ '"?r''v:'"™e::ri^ Ltlt:o';thingdi.covencs '" t .;[,:," el- h:alen npon the broken •"'Tn,., andKive a Ibretaste of its bliss to mU.gato in hcait, and b'^^ " "■ . companions in tnb- tho son-ows ol mortahtv , m y c ^^. ulation strengtl,en m 'f «^^, "' '^j ^^ h, fgriefs arc ,,ope by '-™"^'"S"'f\ °''^,, ^s w itoon dis- ^' '°';:dr mr;n 'o aVm'do^uded day be ush- Father in l>eavcn U !''--;''„;";:r;,T ' m , L e^ct 'etn:ah;"io;,%.Terin.oron3.^ing,^ s.^ngu-,;:nr;^::o^:-. -'■--'•■ lowed ot liio. i 174 'r ri 21. Forgive, and ye shall he forglvcn-Luke 6, 37. Pavdon T.ov(l, nnd are tlierc those Who inv il. btiiis are iitnl loes 1— 1, wholjy lursiveness live. Hero ihe.r u-espiisses lorgire. May I {'-.A henealh mv wronccs, Ven;;eiitice lolhf Lord l)f longs ; Nor a '.vorse reii'lilal diUV, Toau Uie meek revenge of prayer. SuiTOundod Willi fi-ail, erring, and selfish beings, iiUe oursolve., so often lalling sh.-rt o( thetv ob l.g.- tions of cUitv, ,T,isconcc,v,ng its claims, ad always disposed to look upon tlK-ir own tbtngs ''-tber th. n upon .he things of another, may we over f ecly l-ovKive those who have done us wrong, whedie l°hrLgh,nadvertenceordesig.Maywenevery,M to unholv resentment ; never render ''^' "S ^^"^ railing, but eontrariwisc blessmg. May we be leady ; forlive all who ,n baekbhing and mtsrepresen a ion .4lign our name ; all who oppose and f.us a on- reasonable endeavours ; all who are unfa, hi ?n satisfying ourjnst elahns "PO" them;-theu k, - nossof our friends, the waywardness of ou cl>i Hrnn the neeligence of our servants, the iudenes„ ".W witi whom we arc brought into casual tntev- cou""e. How frequent these causes of d enc.^and how painful their accompanimonls! leacli us to ^ok upon then, as permitted by Thee fo,- o,n- e a - tiscment and spiritual discphne : the rod ,. th me, mav we meeklv bear it and be formed to a chasten- d Ld s,rmissive temper. Deepen with.n us the conviction that under thy righteous government tl.ty Si who do wiong are in worse case find more to be pitied llum they wiio sufFor it. Above all dispose us to look forward to thy tribunal where every one shall receive according to the wrong he hath done without respect of persons ; and may this solemn anticipaiion inspire the fervent prayer that every thin^ may be counteracted and removed which ini-ht increase the terrors oflhat day. What should ou? condition and prospect be, O God, were '1 hou not slow to anger and of great mercy '? Every day we are olrending Thee and yet Thou retramcst from inHieting the punishment our iniquities de- serve ; nay. Thou dost not only noL punish, but Thou heapest on us bounty upon bounty until thy mercy reachcth above the clouds. O Lord our God, to whom belongelh mercies and forgiveness, when we arc otlonded may we think of our otlences against thee, and bo contrite, meek, and forgiving. Humbly trusting that thou hast blotted out our trans- sressions as a cloud, may we, in reviewing those painful passages of our life which have arisen from the injuries of our fellow men, consign all to the sea oi' a charito.ble oblivion, never to call them up ao-ain but with atK^ctionate prayer for those who hSve done the wrong. Thus may charity re.gn in our hearts—forgiving, even, as for Christ's sake we hope to be forgiven. 17G t » i 90 Thev have healed also the hurl of my v^¥^' ^slightly, saying. Peace, peace, when then is no peace. Jer. 0, 14. Peace is the gift I leave wi'h you My peace to you becineaih, ^ Peace th^t shall comfort you through nfe And cheer your souls in death. I give not as tlie vvorld bestows, "with promise fdlse and vain ; Nor cares, nor fears, shall wour.d the heart In which my vvords remain. Avert from tbv church that most dreadful ofall d unfaithful ministry, w cr. calamities,a corrupt an lor the sake of covctousncss and men.pl(;asnig delude the people with a false poacc.^ t Hi thy 'th a ho!v feartulncss ies hich. hall minis- tering servants wi blood of those whom they may be required at the it " the have deceived should^ hands ; lest the upbraiding^ ot the ruined should augmen t the intolerable angutsl f their own doom o crrace o O God, Giiduc them with the f tbv Holy Spirit that they may 00 faithlul to Thee, and to the peop lo to whom they arc appom ted overseers, their private stu r.M'o 1 the Enlighton and guide ihem at ad limes m dies that thev may be suit'ibly pre- k, ' May they draw from j for their public wo foun tain of inspiration and always p resent unto their peo nlc the pure water of life-warning every man and teaching every m an in all wisdt)m thit they may prese nt every man perfect belorc God. Make them faithfully terrific i^n declaring th dcrments of God against such as do evil ; swee ) th tlv per suasive in beseeching sin ncrs to be icconci a 177 unto God. Gr-'nt unto llicm a lively apinvlunsion of the value of souls, and a burning dcsiro to ro- claim thorn iVotn error and ruin. Oh Ibihid thut tho peace and socuriry that the ungodly srcm horo 10 enjoy should blind tho30 who are appouUcd watch- men "in Zion to tlieir real daiiffc^r or indue.; tluini to suspend warning and entreaty. Teach them to es- timate the dreadful stale of such as are at enmity with Thee, and exposed to thy wrath ; to commisc;. rate the wretchedness and degradation ol those who will not contemplate, ailore and love, the author ot life, the Saviour of men ; let not the thoughtless smile that plays upon the sinner's face conceal Irom their spiritual guardians the worm that begins to prey upon the sinner's heart : enable them to ex- nose tlie superficial and shcrt-lived excellencies with which the natural mind is snmelnnes cNuhcd, and fro.n which it derives a false and nionjentary peacc,&to lead the delinled one away Irom every re- iucTQ of lies, to the blood of sprinkling and the sancti- fcuion of tlic spirit. Thus healed by the physician of souls may tliey daily hear his comforting words: *'Peace 1 leave with you ; my peace I give unto you ; not as the world giveth. give 1 unto you : let not your heart be troubled neither let it be at raid.- t .1; 'i ' 23. Have Iheena tvilderncss vn'o Israel? a land of darkness ? lokerefore say imj^ people, we are lords, loe loill come no more unto thte? Jcr. 2, :31. Lord when we benJ hofore t!;y throne, And our confes- ions i)()'ir, Teach us to feci the sms we own, And shu'j what we deplore. li A/. 0^. *-.^^^^% IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I 1.25 ISO ""' 2.5 156 ON 13.2 ,,,,,22 i^ 1.4 2.0 i.8 1.6 *? /2 c :^/ oh yw w Photographic Sciences Corporation ^^ ^^ 4^ :\ \ ^4^^' ^> '^i* '^^\ ^v^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.y. 14580 (7!6) 873-4503 ^y^ "« gooa ^^^^^^ n^eetest with thy « -^J^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ strife. Tabor away f*'^"^. ^^'^ i nf ^select and .Spiritual and to enter within the veil of a select a _ p^,^.^^^ fellowship waiting foi /.^^^ JJ'^ ^f redeem- 180 h Icousncssv, from which we can doscry afar olT tUe hoavenly Canaiui and the innumerable troj)hies of thy grace, who have entered it, — to know thnt wc have come unto the heavenly Jerusalem and to an innumerable company of angels, are united to the saints of departed generalions by the dearest ties, jjre of the same family with righteous Abel, thot Enoch, who walked with God, aflectionately ac- knowledges our relationship, that we arc of the same spiritual lineage with the noble army of martyrs and confessors, that all in Ihis and every age who have been the best benefactors of mankind are our brethren, that with them we are engaged in the ser- vice of God, and stand on the thresh hold of immor- tality; — above all, to behold Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, not only in the abysses of his humiliation, but in that glory which he had with the Father before the world was, and in which he will come to judge mankind,— oh when we are thus blessed with the vision of spiritual things in heaven- ly places, we can leave the meaner cares of earth beneath us; our hearts throb with pure and happy sentiments, and in the depth of our gratitude we ex- claim, Lord it is good to be here. Bestow upon us, O God, the frequent enjoyment of this blessed fel- lowship. Let us consecrate ourselves unto Thee as tabernacles for ever. In the hallowed retire- ment of the closet, around the domestic altav,within the sanctuary of thy house, make thyself known unto us as Thou dost not to the world ; let the veil which conceals from us eternal things become more transparent before the gaze of faith and holy con- templation; — and may our whole life be fdled with svreet remembrances and joyful anticipations. 181 •25. Except a man he lorn again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 3, 3, Spirit of power and might, behold A world by sin destroyed! Creator spirit, as of old. Move on the formless void. Give Ihoii the word :— (hat healing sound Shall quell the deadly stiif", And earth asiain, like Eden crowned, Produce the tree of life. The kingdom of God, like its King, is holy : nothing unclean can enter into it : when the angels sinned they were banished from its holy precincts : and how could sinful man be permitted to enter within them '?— The pure in heart alone can see thee, O God, and be blessed in the sight. The vis- ion of thy countenance would awaken the torments of hell m the impure and guilty bosom. Unpar- doned, we would tremble to beheld Thee ; unsanc- tified, thy immediate presence would only aggra- vate our wretchedness; unrenewed in heart, the holy exercises of heaven would be totally un- suiled to our tastes and character ; by nature carnal and unholy, condemned by the law, averse from thy service,at enmity with God,and disqualified for any place in his spiritual kingdom, we must be renewed in the spirit of our mind ere we can be ad- mitted there. With Thee, O God,dwells the renova- ling power ; thou hast created the soul, and Thou alone canst renew it; in theo it lives, and from thee must be derived the new spiritual life; all our capacities and powers are thy gift, and it is thine to heal their disorders, and direct them to their proper end and employment. Merciful Father, ^4 182 qui Icken us from the death of sin to the life of righ fei teousness ; create us anew in Christ Jesus . on us the adoption of sons ; and being raised to such a resemblance of the divine image, as our frail nature can bear, may we rise at length into the fellowship of that blessed society of wh^m it is said, -these are they who have washed iheir robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb therefore are they before the throno of God and serve him day and night in his temple. ^G.—making mention of you in our prayers^ 1. Thes. 1, 2. Hast thou not bid me seek thy face 1 And shall I seek in vain l And can the ear of sovereign grace Be deaf when I complain 1, Thy mercy-l^eat is open still. There let my soul retreat; With humble hope attend thy will And wait beneath thy feet. Heavenly Father, reconciled to us through Jesus Christ,so unite us in faith and love,to the whole body of the faithful, that we may have conlinual remem- brance of them in our prayers ; and meeting often at thy throne of grace, may we enjoy the fellowship of the spirit, as a foretaste of the more perfect fel- lowship of the heavenly world. Endue all thy peo- ple with a wise and understanding heart that they may abound in the knowledge of God ; render divmo truth efficacious for their sanctification and comJort, and so direct and uphold their goings that they may never depart from the right path : continuing sted- 183 fast and Immovoablo in the work of the Lm-^' ""^y dW ne grace be magnified in them and by them. ?rparUcular we -vould not fail lo menfon m our nmvers those more nearly related to us, whether TyX ties of nature or of graee. Receive them under thy merciful protection. Redeem them from all their iniquities. Bestow on them all tempora good. Shield them in the hour of dange'- Be the>r insolation in the day of darkness Animated with the sure and certain hope of a wf ^'^'^ /^f " reclion, mav they pass through the valley of death vTh "; fear of e^il! and have an entrance minister, ed to them abundantly into the everlas.ng kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.— We thanK thee O God, and praise thy glorious name, for oui Sive ties 'and e'ndearments. May Jhe P ea^ures nf thpm alvvavs be associated with the duties oi ImTand f in the manifold vicissitudes of life our fellowship should ever be interrupted may our hea ts Kpe's still be one; though we be d.ajun.o- t'r7n:::c; maT'we c'o-ni^tn'/make mention of each other in our prayers. 27. The shadows flee away, Can«. 2, 17. Ye no more your suns descenaing, ^ \Vaning moons no more shall see , Bui, your griefs for ever ending, Find eternal noon in me. God shall rise, and shining o er you. Change today the gloom of n^^^ • He the Lord, shall be your glory. God your everlasting light. - The Sun of righteousness has ari.e" JispeUbg the dense clouds of ignorance and corruption, 184 If ■ding upon and poac the world the beams of truth and purity How long liave lliu clouds linge- our horizon, even vv passing away ed in ten apparently dissolving an .ipp we assured that every spot hall disappear, and the light sldne :e; are of darkness s ,, , hriffhtei and brighter unu! the perfect day re fioen Anticipation of the time when every lorm 1?^ me stilion shall be abolished ; when the gospe :L7bep "claimed in every land ; when the d.sunct votce of the inspired oracles shall neither be m.sun- dc, ood.no dsobeyed, when righteousness a,jd tv sh 1 be the perennial fruits of the tree of hnow- Le ; vhei the cross of Christ sha I. beyond all nrece. ins example, demonstrate itself o be the '^nw,' and the vvisdom of God. Eternal praise to ?ho Uiune Zhe.A, that wo in these latter days have een so much of its blessed power. '1 he thick ntehtTs broken ; nations that sat in darkness have sefnagrea light; in many a benighted soul, not "„ly tfth t dav star arisen but the healing bean^ n? the sun are fe t, and they now walk in the light even as God is in the light. Oh that this numbe weTe multiplied a thous^.d fold. O <>o ; ^ ° ^-ds^ rnmmxnd the liRht to shme out of d.nkne^s, oy who e brooding fpirit the chaos of nature wasre- S to order !xn;i beauty, let thy spint give effica- cy to the appointed menus, that all moral perfec ion mav -n»v up and flourish in thine heritage, VVe ook Sn warden humble faith to the period when the whole earth shall be filled with the knowledge and he 1.-V of God ; when thy f.bernac e shal be whh m'n, and Thou shall dwell with them and be theU' G:>d Hasten it, O Lord, in thy tunc Let thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth even as it is in heaven. ....^^F^^^^d)|^u.A£>^:..