berties, to go on after our own foolish and hurtful lusts, in such ways of living as thy laws and our own hearts disallow and condemn us for. And for these things we desire to pour out our hearts, and to humble our sinful selves here before thee; entreating thy gracious favour, for the sake of that mercy of thine in Christ Jesus, who has moved thee to spare us so long, and to do so much for us. already that thou wilt be pleased to give us repentance and pardon for all that is past, wherein we have offended thee; whether in omitting of our duty, failing in it, or doing contrary to it. However we have transgressed, Ö humble us duly under the sense of it; and, for thy dear Son's sake, absolve us thoroughly from the guilt of it. or And strengthen us, good Lord, with might by the spirit in the inner man, to make us more watchful against,and more victorious over,the corruption of our nature, the temptations of the devil, and the distractions and allurements of this sinful world, wherein we live. O destroy in us every vicious inclination, every evil habit, and rebellious notion, that exalts itselfagainst the knowledge of God, and against the obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ. And increase and confirm in us, still more and more, thy true knowledge and faith, and fear and love; and every grace of thy holy Spirit, which thou knowest to be most wanting in us, and necessary for us: such as may make our lives still more comfortable to ourselves, more profitable to others, and more to the glory of thy name. And however it goes with us,as to the concerns of this present time, O that we may still be found in the way of our duty, fearing God, and working righteousness; that we may secure our interest in the great Saviour of the world, so that when all here shall fail us, thou may est take us up, and be the strength of our hearts, and our portion for evermore. Day by day we magnify thee, O Lord, who mak. est every day of our lives still a further addition to thy mercies. We bless thee for our last night's preservation and protection, and for the rest and refreshment which thou hast given us therein. O cause us to hear thy loving kindness in the morning, for in thee do we trust; cause us to know the way wherein we shall go, for we lift up our souls to thee. Cast us not away from thy presence; take not thy holy Spirit from us; but direct all our ways to please thee our God, that thou mayest crown us with blessing and good success. Help us to see thy power, to own thy presence, to admire thy wisdom, and to love thy goodness in all thy creatures. And by all the comforts of creatures, O draw our hearts still nearer to thyself, the blessed Creator of every comfort; and let our meditations of God be sweet as well as frequent, that delighting ourselves in the Lord, thou mayest give unto us the desires of our hearts. Such thy mercy and grace we beg for ourselves, and all ours, and thine, every where, in our great Mediator's form of prayer, Our Father,&c. A sixth Morning Prayer. E do here present ourselves this morning before thy heavenly glorious Majesty, most blessed Lord our God, with the desire of our souls, to pay unto thee that tribute of homage and service, and prayer and praise, which thou hast made us capable of, and every way obliged us to. We desire to perform the same in such a manner, that thou mayest mercifully accept us and our services,at the hands of Christ Jesus. In his great name we come to thee, at thy command, and worship here at thy footstool, to beg thy pardon and peace, the increase of thy grace, and the tokens of thy love. For we are not worthy that thou shouldst, in any way of mercy, take notice of us, or be entreated by us: but worthy is the Lamb of God, slain to take away the sins of the world, for whose sake do thou, O Lord, mercifully look upon us; for he has fulfilled those holy laws, which we have broken, and perfectly satisfied the justice of heaven, for all our breaches of them. And in him thou art a God gracious and merciful, to poor sinners, who deserve nothing from thee, but to be forsaken and abhorred by thee. Unto us belong shame and confusion of face for our sins, and fearful expectation of all the judgments and miseries which thy holy laws denounce against sinners: if thou, Lord, shouldst be extreme to mark what we have done amiss; if thou shouldst deal with us and proceed against us as in justice thou mightest. But, Ögracious Father, regard not what we have done against thee, but what our blessed Saviour has done for us: nor what we have made ourselves, but what he is made of thee, our God unto us. And O that Christ may be to every one of our souls, what he is to all thy faithful people, wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption: that his precious blood may cleanse us from all our sins; and that the grace of thy holy Spirit may further renew and sanctify our souls, and subdue our iniquities, and mortify our lusts; and quicken us to, and enable us for the performance of all the duties of thy holy service. O let not sin reign in our mortal bodies, that we should obey it in the lust thereof. Let there be no sin in us but what is felt and hated, bewailed and resisted by us: and let us approve our very hearts to thee, the Searcher of them; and all our ways still pleasing in thy sight. O teach us to know thee, our God, and enable us to do thy will as we ought to do. Give us hearts to fear thee, and love thee: to trust and delight in thee, and to adhere and cleave in faithfulness unto thee. That no temptations may draw us, nor any tribulations drive us from thee; but that all thy dispensations to us, and all thy dealings with us, may be the messengers of thy love to our souls, to bring us still nearer to thy blessed self, and to make us still fitter for thy heavenly kingdom. Quicken us, O Lord, in our dulness; that we may not serve thee in a lifeless and listless manner; but may abound in thy work, and be fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. And make us also faithful in all the offices of intercourse with our neighbors; that we may be ready to do good, and bear evil, and forbear revenge; and be just and kind, merciful and meek, peaceable and patient, sober and temperate, humble and selfdenying, inoffensive and useful in the world. That so glorifying thee here upon earth, we may at our departure hence, enter into the joy of our Lord, and be for ever glorified in thy heavenly kingdom. : O thou that hast kept us alive to this day, and hast been still good and kind to us all our days, renew thy mercy to us, we beseech thee, together with this morning light and as thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice, so lift up the light of thy countenance upon us, and make us glad with the tokens of thy love: and thou that art ever present with us, O make us ever well aware of thy presence, that we duly remember thee in all our ways, and wisely and piously demean ourselves in all our affairs. Be with us, good Lord, at our going out, and our coming in: and let thy grace fol low us this day, and all the days of our life. Be thou our guide unto death, in death our comfort, and after death our portion and happiness everlasting. O hear us from heaven, thy dwelling place; and, when thou hearest, have mercy; forgive the sins of our persons, and the sins of our prayers: and do more for us than we are worthy to expect at thy hands, for his sake, who alone is worthy in whose comprehensive words we sum up all our deaires. Our Father, &c. A seventh Morning Prayer. LORD God Almighty, thou art the Sove whom all our sins have been committed, by whom alone they can be pardoned, our iniquities subdued, our souls sanctified, and all our wants and necessities supplied. Thou art able, and also ready, to hear and help, to bless and save thy people, that look up unto thee, and wait, and call, and depend upon thee. We have none to repair to for remedy against the evils of our sins, but unto thee, the great God, against whom we have greatly sinned: who delightest to shew mercy to the miserable, and lovest the occasions of glorifying thy compassion, in helping us out of those straits and perplexities, into which our sins have cast us, from which all the world else cannot save us. We come, Lord, begging that mercy, which thou knowest we extremely want, and grace to help in time of our need. We beg the same for the sake of thy infinitely beloved Son, our most worthy and all-prevailing Advocate, whose blood alone is of virtue and value sufficient, to wash out all the stains wherewith our sins have defiled our souls. D |