ruffled by them, when we would wait on thee in thy holy services. Let us not deem thy sabbaths a weariness; but our delight, our privilege, and our great advantage. May the care of our own souls, and of the souls of those who belong to us, sweetly occupy the hours of the day. By selfexamination and meditation on thy word, may we obtain increasing acquaintance with ourselves and our spiritual estate, and with the progress we have made, or the loss we have sustained, in this important concern. Enable us, we beseech thee, to humble ourselves before thee in true repentance, and cordially to renew our acceptance of thy salvation; and, while we wait on thee, may our strength be repaired: may every grace be brought into vigorous exercise; and our knowledge of thy truth and will in all respects enlarged. Assist us in thy public worship, and favour us with thy special presence and blessing. May thy people with whom we worship be refreshed, comforted, and sanctified in thy courts: and grant thy special assistance and blessing to thy ministers, in their work and labour of love. Oh that increasing numbers may be added to thy churches, of such as shall be saved; and many able and faithful labourers sent forth into the harvest! and may the Sun of righteousness diffuse his healing influence, wherever the sun in the firmament enlightens the nations with his beams! Hear us, O merciful Father, in these our supplications; take us under thy protection this night; fit us, both in body and soul, for the duties of the ensuing day, and by them prepare us for thy eternal sabbath; for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our

Lord: to whom, with thee and the Holy Spirit, One God in three Persons, even the God of our. salvation, be glory and honour from all creatures, now and for evermore. Amen!

FOR THE LORD'S DAY MORNING.

O THOU God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of all that truly believe in him; we meet together this morning to thank and bless thee for sparing us to see another day of sacred rest; and to implore thy gracious aid in keeping it holy to thy name. Alas, how many sabbaths have some of us wasted in vanity and folly, in sloth or worldly concerns, in frivolous company, amusement, or animal indulgence! And, since we have known somewhat of thy salvation, how very imperfectly have we obeyed thy command, of sanctifying thy holy day! If thou shouldst enter into judgment with us according to our deserts, our transgressions in this single point would leave us speechless under thy awful sentence of condemnation. But, though we have thus been ungrateful and perverse; though we have robbed thee of thy hallowed time, and of the glory due to thy name; yet, we beseech thee, magnify thy mercy in pardoning our sins, and in giving us thy grace, that we may henceforth walk in newness of life.

We bless thy name, O Lord our God, that thou hast appointed this season of rest from our worldly pursuits; and made this provision for our spiritual advantage and we thank thee if our hearts are

in any degree inclined to avail ourselves of so invaluable a benefit. Help us, we beseech thee, to remember thee as our Creator, who, having in six days made this world, and man to inhabit it, didst pronounce the whole very good; and didst rest on the seventh day, with full satisfaction and ineffable delight, in this display of thine eternal power and Godhead: and didst command man to keep it holy; to contemplate thy glories, to celebrate thy praises, and to rejoice in thy goodness. -But alas, how soon did sin mar thy good work, and derange this happy plan! And how can transgressors rejoice in a holy God, whose wrath they have incurred, and from whom their hearts are alienated? Blessed be thy name, O Lord, for the revelation of thy mercy in Christ Jesus, "the "Lamb slain from the foundation of the world!" Now sinners may approach and rejoice in God their Creator, as their reconciled Father and Friend! We would therefore adore the displays of thy glory in the works which thou hast made, and in the course of thy bounteous providence. All thou doest is worthy to be had in honour; and our obligations to thee as our Creator and Benefactor can never be sufficiently acknowledged. But, when we contemplate the stupendous plan of redemption, and view the incarnate Son of God dying for our sins, and rising again for our justification; we feel that this is, to us sinners, the most interesting and endearing of all the discoveries thou hast made of thyself; as well as the fullest display of the harmonious glories of thy character, in the view of thy whole intelligent creation. Oh enable us, we pray thee, by the

teaching of thy Holy Spirit, so to meditate on these subjects, especially on this season of sacred rest, that our hearts may be humbled in repentance, inspired with confidence, filled with admiring love and animating gratitude, and prepared for rendering thee our tribute of praise and thanksgiving. But, O Lord, the subject is too vast for us! Thy love passeth knowledge! We cannot worthily praise thy glorious perfections. Yet we beseech thee, in thy infinite condescension and fatherly compassion, to accept our feeble efforts, and to help us to love thee more, and praise thee better.

Grant, we beseech thee, that we may hallow this thy sacred day with reverence, devotion, and alacrity. Exclude from our thoughts and hearts all worldly cares; and let no circumstance arise, or person intrude, to interrupt us in its important and delightful duties. May all the hours, which can be spared from matters of real necessity, be spent in works of piety and charity; may a spiritual mind render them pleasant to us; and may our converse and social intercourse be seasoned with piety, and promote mutual edification. Vouchsafe us thy special blessing in studying thy word, reviewing our past lives, calling to mind thy mercies, examining the state of our souls, and pouring out our hearts before thee. May we count a day spent in thy courts better than a thousand; and be glad when it is said to us, let us go into the house of the Lord. Leave us not to admit of any vain excuse for not attending on thine ordinances: but grant that we may ever feel more disappointment when confined from thy

worship, than when prevented from an expected interview with our dearest friends.-We would go, with the desire of our souls, to meet thee according to thy promise: and, we beseech thee, enable us by faith to realize thy glorious and gracious presence, ard solemnize and encourage our hearts. Oh grant us the assistance of thy Holy Spirit in every part of the sacred service: raise us above that dulness and languor which so often oppress us; and preserve us from the intrusion of vain and wandering thoughts. May our confession of sin, our prayers and supplications, our praises and thanksgivings, be the language of our inmost soul, and an acceptable sacrifice through Christ our Lord.

Prepare our hearts, O merciful Father, as good ground to receive the good seed of divine truth: and may thy word, read and preached, be heard by us in humble teachableness, mixed with faith, and applied to our own cases and consciences. Oh deliver us from all our prejudices; remove every veil which closes our understandings, and every bias that warps our judgment. Instruct us where ignorant, rectify our mistakes, convince us of our sins, confirm our faith, encourage our hopes, enliven our affections: and thus fit us for serving thee, with wisdom and zeal, in the several stations in which we are placed. [And when some of us shall meet at thy table, give us thy special help; that in deep repentance, lively faith, and fervent love, we may remember our dear Redeemer's sufferings and death, renew our acceptance of his

On the days when the Lord's Supper is administered.