and though death is not quite destroyed, yet it is made harmless, and without a sting, and the condition of human nature is made an entrance into eternal glory: thou art become the Prince of Life, the First-fruits of the Resurrection, the First-born from the dead, having made the way plain before our faces, that we may, also, arise again in the Resurrection of the last day, when thou shalt come again unto us to render to every man according to his works.

O that men would, therefore, praise the Lord, &c. O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious, and his mercy endureth for ever.

Q all ye Angels of the Lord praise ye the Lord : praise him and magnify him for ever.

O ye spirits and souls of the righteous, praise ye the Lord: praise him and magnify him for ever.

And now, O Lord God, what shall I render to thy Divine Majesty, for all the benefits thou hast done unto thy servant, in my personal capacity?

Thou art my Creator and my Father, my Protector and my Guardian, through thee have I been holden up ever since I was born. Thou hast cloathed me and fed me, given me friends and blessed them, given me many days of comfort and health, free from those sad infirmities with which many of thy saints and faithful servants are afflicted. Thou hast sent thy Angel to snatch me from the violence of fire and water, to prevent precipices, fracture of bones, to rescue me from thunder and lightning, plague and pestilential diseases, murder and robbery, violence of chance and enemies, and

all

all the spirits of darkness: and in the days of sorrow thou hast refreshed me; in the destitution of provisions thou hast taken care of me, and thou hast said unto me, I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.

I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart, secretly among the faithful, and in the congregation.

Thou, O my Father, hast taken care of my soul, hast pitied my miseries, sustained my infirmities, relieved and instructed my ignorances: and though I have broken thy righteous Laws and Commandments, run passionately after vanities, and was dead in sin; yet thou didst call me unto myself, and wouldst not suffer me to perish in my folly, but didst force me to attend to thy gracious calling, and hast put me into a state of repentance, and possibility of pardon, being infinitely desirous I should live and recover, and make use of thy Grace, and partake of thy glories.

I will give thanks unto the Lord with my whole heart, secretly among the faithful, and in the congregation. For Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, and thy blessing is upon thy servant. But as for me, I will come into thy House, in the mulitude of thy mercies, and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy Temple. For of Thee, and in Thee, and through, and for Thee, are all Things. Blessed be the name of God from generation to generation, Amen.

MEDITATIONS AND PRAYERS

ON VARIOUS

OCCASIONS.

CHRISTMAS DAY.

PRAISE waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.

O thou that hearest prayer, uuto thee shall all flesh come.

Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts he shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy Holy Temple.

By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our Salvation, who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea.

Come, and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

The people that walked in darkness hath seen a great light; and they that dwell in the land' of

the

the shadow of death, upon them hath the fight shined.

O that men would, therefore, praise the Lord for his goodness, and declare the wonders that he hath done for the children of men.

He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into water-springs.

He maketh the barren woman to keep house, and to be a joyful mother of children.

For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulders.

His name shall be called wonderful, counsellor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of peace.

Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end.

He shall sit upon the throne of David to order his kingdom, and to establish it with judgment and justice for ever and ever.

O that men would, therefore, praise the Lord for his goodness, and declare the wonders that he hath done for the children of men.

Almighty God, who hast so loved the world, that, for our Redemption from sin and misery, thou gavest thy Son, that he, taking upon him our nature, and being born of a Virgin, might perform to thee the obedience which mankind owed, and pay the price in which we were indebted, and teach us what thou wouldst have us to do, and convey to us all the

good which thou didst design for us; overshadow us with thy holy Spirit of Grace, that we may conceive Christ in our hearts by faith, rely upon him in a holy hope, and express him in an excellent charity; that as he was pleased to take upon him our nature, so we may be partakers of the Divine nature, that conforming to his image, following his example, and being filled with his Spirit, we may grow in the knowlege and love of God, and live in righteousness; that being thy sons by a holy adoption, we may partake of the inheritance of thy wellbeloved Son, the first-born of all the creatures, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Holy and immortal Jesus, I adore and worship Thee, with. the lowest humility of soul and body, and give Thee thanks for that abundant love which thy Nativity hath demonstrated towards us; for that thy humility expressed in the mean and ignoble circumstances, which Thou didst, voluntarily, choose in the manner of thy birth. And to thy holy humanity inchased in the adorable Divinity, I present my body and my soul; humbly imploring, that as Thou didst clothe Thyself with an human body, Thou wouldst invest me with the robes of righteousness, covering my sins, supporting my weakness, and sustaining my mortality, till I shall finally, in conformity to thy perfections, be clothed with that state of Glory. Amen.

Blessed