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of godly life; give me grace that I may always moft thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit, and also daily endeavour myself to follow the bleffed fteps of his most holy life." O moft bleffed and merciful Jefus, Eternal Son of God, who didft fuffer for iniquities not thine own, and by the shedding of thy moft precious blood didst pay the infinite price of our redemption; may the contemplation of thy bitter fufferings, penetrate my heart with the emotions of lively gratitude to thee, my gracious Redeemer, who couldft ftoop from the glory and felicity of the Godhead, and encounter fhame, forrow, perfecution and death to achieve my deliverance and falvation. Contemplating, with frequent and holy admiration, thy infinite condefcenfion and love, may I regard no facrifices too dear, no fervice too exalted to testify my ardent sensibility and gratitude. Let me not incur the awful guilt of contemning the penetrating and affecting motives to repentance exhibited by thy precious blood fhed to atone for my fins. Beholding in the agonies of thy cross, both the fearful difplay of the juftice of God, and the attractive luftre of his infinite mercy, may the emotions of holy apprehenfion and love combine to excite in my heart, the facred resolution of ferving thee. O let me not fink under the awful condemnation of having contemned thy bitter agonies, of having trampled thee under foot, of having put thee to an open fhame, of having crucified thee afresh, by my tranfgreffions. Over the affecting emblems of thy fufferings dif played on the altar, may I fervently refolve to renounce all my fins; and may Ioffer thee a heart deeply penetrated with the emotions of contrition,, gratitude and love. And O thou compaffionate Redeemer, in whofe fuffering life the virtues of humility, patience, and devine charity fhone forth with the most exalted luftremay the hallowed example thou haft fet me, be the

fubject of my conftant and devout meditations; and warmed with the glorious view, may I refolve to imitate thy divine humility, patience, and love. May the contemplation of thy crofs, on which, in the agonies of a cruel and ignominious death, thou didft pour forth the earnest prayer for pardon on thy relentless enemies, difarm in my foul every unhallowed purpose of refentment, and quicken the exalted emotions of forgiveness and kindnefs. Eternal Spirit! quickening fountain of divine love! defcend, and fhed abroad in my heart that facred charity for all mankind, that tender affection and. fympathy for the members of Chrift's mystical body,. by which I fhall be conformed to the likeness of my bieffed Redeemer, and made meet for his eternal king-. dom of peace and joy. Sacred Spirit! when I approach that heavenly banquet, where chriftians com-. memorate their Saviour's mercy, and teftify that they are partakers of the fame bleffed privileges and hopes,, may thy powerful grace fubdue every refentful and an gry paffion, and enkindle the holy flame of divine charity. May my foul, foftened and melted into tendernefs and kindnefs, embrace in its ardent and facred affection, the holy company of the redeemed, who meet at the altar to celebrate the immortal triumphs and bleffings of their Saviour's mercy. May thy quickening grace unite me to them in the indiffoluble bands of fympathy and friendship, and excite me uniformly to exercife towards them the endearing virtues of gentleness, forbearance and love. Thus, O my Saviour! by facredly, fulfilling that law of celeftial kindnefs, which thou didst fo earnestly and repeatedly enjoin, may I exhibit to the world, the engaging and endearing luftre of thy bleffed religion. Thus cherishing the fpirit of divine love in the exercife of kindness, forbearance and forgivenefs, may I ever be acknowleged by thee as an acceptable guest at thy holy table; and

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finally be admitted to the celeftial fupper of the Lamb'; to the participation of the everlasting festival of love in thy heavenly kingdom; to the hallowed chorus of angels and archangels and the fpirits of the juft, celebrating in unceafing strains the majesty and glory of God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, forever and ever. AMEN.

[Then add your usual Evening Devotions.]

Saturday Morning.

MEDITATION.

THE DEVOUT PARTICIPATION OF THE ORDINANCES OF

THE CHURCH THE APPOINTED METHOD OF SALVA-
TION.

NO truth can be more evident to reason than that God has a right to prescribe what method he pleases for the salvation of mankind. Originally dependent upon him as their Creator and their Judge, deriving from him life and all its enjoyments, which they hold by the dependent tenure of his sovereign will, they are bound by every tie of duty, interest and gratitude implicitly to fulfil his sacred injunc

tions. By obedience to his commands, they acknowledge his supreme authority over them, and attain that perfection and happiness for which they were destined. By resistance to his will, they forfeit that purity and bliss which are only to be found in the enjoyment of his favour. When we farther consider man as a fallen creature subject to the avenging punishment of his offended Judge,we shall be compelled to acknowledge, that he can have no hope of forgiveness but on those terms and conditions, which God in his just and sovereign pleasure may prescribe. If then God hath seen fit to dispense his mercy and grace through the ordinances of a church by communion with which guilty and condemned man is to be restored to virtue and happiness-who is he that will resist his will? To dispute the propriety of his institutions, to doubt the efficacy of the means which he hath established, would be a presumptuous contempt of his mercy and power, a wilful rejection of his proffered grace. Contemning the means which he hath instituted for our salvation, we should aggravate to the deepest dye the guilt of rebellion against our Almighty Sovereign and Judge; and without any plea to extenuate our guilt, we should sink under the avenging arm of his justice.

That, in order to our deliverance from the condemnation and wrath which our sins have incurred, and to our restoration to the favour

of God, we must humbly and devoutly participate of the ordinances of the church is a truth, therefore, which rests on the simple fact, whether God hath instituted these ordinances as the means of salvation, the channels of mercy and grace. To be fully satisfied of this fact, and to be rightly informed in the neces sity, the nature and efficacy of the ordinances of the church, deeply concerns us. Our eternal happiness depends on our humble submission to the means and conditions of salvation which God hath prescribed. And the ordinances of the church will appear unnecessary and useless; they will exhibit no claim to our reverence, attention, or obedience, unless we regard them as instituted by God himself, and accompanied, when duly administered and received, by his efficacious grace and mercy.

It must be evident, therefore, that a deep conviction of the sacred necessity and inestimable benefits of the ordinances of the church, is necessary to an humble, enlightened, and submissive participation of them. It will, therefore, be highly useful and proper, that the christian who is engaged in preparing for the reception of the Holy Eucharist, the highest and most sublime act of christian worship, should be deeply impressed with the important truth, that the ordinances of the church are appointed by God, and that they are the instituted pledges of his mercy and grace. He should be deeply impressed with the impor

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