that thou mightest exalt them to holiness and life eternal.

We bless thee, O Lord God of Israel, for sending, in the fulness of time, the messenger of the new and everlasting covenant: for raising up a horn of salvation for us, in the house of thy servant David; as thou hast spoken by the mouth of thy holy prophets, which have been since the world began. We would rejoice in the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited. us, to give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace.

We would fervently praise thy name, O heavenly Father, that thou hast made it our unspeakable privilege and happiness to hear the glad tidings of the gospel revelation, in which we are instructed by the Son, what is the Father's good pleasure concerning us; even to give us the kingdom of grace, and of glory. May we duly prize, cordially embrace, and religiously and faithfully improve these transcendant advantages. Inspire us, we pray thee, with a holy and unshaken confidence in thy paternal love, and the riches of thy grace in Christ Jesus; who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, sanctification and redemption.

And, O Almighty, and ever-merciful God, we pray that the pure, the peace-giving, and heavenly religion of Jesus, may prosper and prevail yet more abundantly, among all people, in all parts of the world. May his kingdom be extended, and established, and rule over all, to the glory and praise of God, and to the peace, joy, and eternal salvation of

entire mankind.

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us in him with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places; having made known

unto us the mystery of his will, which was his from ages and generations, but is now revealed in the gospel; by which most gracious dispensation, we have been delivered from the power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of God's dear Son. In which kingdom and reign of the Messiah we enjoy the reality, and the blessedness of that period which the patriarchs foresaw; which the prophets foretold; and which many righteous men greatly desired to behold, but who died without the sight: who having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise: God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect.

With ardent gratitude, therefore, and unspeakable joy, we would sing-Hosanna to the Son of David, who cometh in the name of the highest to save us! Glory be to God, that there is peace on earth, and goodwill from heaven to men. Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, be ascribed unto our God, for ever and ever. AMEN.

Direct and govern us, O Lord, in all our doings, and especially in our religious devotions at this time, with thy most gracious favour; and further us with thy continual aid and influence, that in all our services, begun, continued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy name, and finally, by thy mercy, ob.. tain everlasting felicity, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

And now, O God, our Father, with an humble and steadfast confidence in thine infinite and unchanging goodness, we close our supplications to thee at this time in the language of that most perfect form, prescribed by Jesus thy Son to his disciples-saying, Our Father, [Repeat the Lord's Prayer.] The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all, evermore. AMEN.

AL

Prayer Before Sermon, for the Commencement of a New Year. LMIGHTY and eternal God-Thou in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thine hands: they shall perish, but thou remainest: and they all shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed: but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

We would adore thy greatness and thine excellency; and we rejoice in thy counsels and purposes, which like thy nature and attributes, are invariable, and infinitely benevolent and glorious. We thank thee, O Lord, for our preservation through the varied seasons of another year; and in view of the constant supplies of thy bounty, well may we exclaim in grateful adoration, with thy servant of old, Thou crownest the year with thy goodness, and thy paths drop fatness. Thou hast even prevented us with the blessings of goodness. What shall we render unto the Lord for all his benefits? We will take the cup of salvation, and will call upon the name of the Lord. We bless thy name, for that measure of health and temporal prosperity with which we have been favoured; for all the enjoyments of domestic and social life, and especially for the continuance of our Christian privileges, and the inestimable hopes of the gospel; which is all our salvation and all our desire.

And, O merciful God, whilst we render thee our humble thank-offerings for the goodness and mercy with which our lives have been crowned during the past year, we would penitently acknowledge our great unworthiness, our neglect of duty, and our multiplied transgressions of thy righteous laws. We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, and have followed, too much, the devices and

desires of our own hearts. Have mercy upon us, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare us, good Lord, spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed; and enter not into judgment with thy servants, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. O cast us not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy Spirit from us; for thou art the health of our countenance, and our God. May we henceforth be more obedient to thy counsels and thy precepts, and more devoted to thy service.

And we pray that the year upon which we have now entered may be an abundantly fruitful one in all temporal and spiritual blessings, and especially for the cause of the Redeemer. May the labourers in the gospel vineyard, be many and faithful, and the harvest plenteous; and may peace on earth and good-will among men everywhere prevail, and be more and more promoted; till the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, and even the wilderness, and the solitary places be glad and rejoice. When all people shall flow together to the goodness of the Lord, and be constrained to say, How great is his goodness: how great is his beauty. May this be truly a year of merciful and gracious visitation to thy church-the church of the first-born, which are written in heaven: may it be emphatically, the acceptable year of the Lord, for the preaching of good tidings to the meek; for the binding up the broken-hearted; for proclaiming deliverance to the captives, and the opening of the prison-doors to them that are bound.

Hear our prayers, O Lord, according to thy tender mercies, and thy loving-kindnesses, which have been ever of old. For doubtless thou art our Father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not. Thou, O Lord, art our Father; our Redeemer: thy name is from everlasting.

And when we shall have passed the few years of our pilgrimage upon earth, which we spend as a tale that is told; receive us we beseech thee to thyself, to enjoy an eternal year of jubilee in thy heavenly kingdom. And to thy name be ascribed all honour, praise and glory, as it was in the beginning, and ever shall be, world without end.

is now,

For a Day of Fasting and Prayer.

ΑΜΕΝ.

ALMIGHTY and incomprehensible Jehovah; the high and mighty King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man can approach unto; whom no man hath seen nor can see: to whom be honour and power everlasting. AMEN.

With all humility and reverence, we would adore thee as the author of our being: our Father and our God the fountain of life, and the centre of all perfection and blessedness. From thy bountiful hand we derive all our capacities and all our enjoyments. Thou hast wonderfully preserved and sustained us, from feeble infancy to our present state; and we acknowledge our equal dependance on thy care and bounty for the time to come. May we be deeply impressed with a sense of that dependance, and of the obligation to gratitude, obedience and submission, which it confers upon us.

On this day, appointed by the civil authority, for a public annual fast, and prayer, we have assembled to offer our religious devotions to the God of our lives, and the giver of all our mercies. It is meet and right, and our bounden duty to confess before thee our numerous transgressions of thy righteous law, and our wide departure from its precepts; which are holy, just and good. We have left the fountain of living waters, and have hewed out to