thy misery, if thou trifleft with those facred counfels which concern thy reft.

O THOU God of infinite compaffions, look not upon those infinite failings of my finful nature, but behold me in the beauty and perfection of thy blessed Son.

Teach me, O Lord, to fee the rebellion of mine own wicked heart by his perfect obedience, my finfulness by his righteoufnefs, my mifery by his mercy.

Forgive my many and finful compliances of nature, which have made me a stranger to thy graces, and mine own happiness.

The great neglect of mine obedience unto thy commands, hath juftly called for the great and heavy load of mine afflictions; the careless withdrawing of mine affections from thee, my God, hath eccafioned the fad departings of thy holy fpirit from

O that my less of tears might now prevail with thee, to repair the lots of thy prefence in my finful foul: Lord let the greatness of my folly in finning, extol the richness of thy mercy in forgiving.

Reftore me to the joy of thy falvation, and eftablifh me with thy free fpirit; fo fhall I have the comfort, and thou the praife of my deliverance.

If thou, Lord, wilt give me understanding to delight in thy law, I fhall alfo have a iweet affurance, that thou wilt delight in me to do me good.

Accept of my defires, ftrengthen mine endeavours, perfect my performances, pardon my weakness, affist my willingness, forgive my finfulness, nourish the good motions of thy holy fpirit in me, and for thy mercy fake remove all dangers, and temptations from me; that when the fhort and wretched race of my imperfect holiness is ended here, I may folemnize that eternal fabbath with the bleffed faints and angels in thy kingdom, and reft with thee in perfection of true happiness for ever. AMEN.

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"Jesus"

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WHEN I look upon the inestimable value

of that gift which I am this day to receive, when I confider of the Majefty of thee the giver, of the mifery of me the receiver, of the vaft difference between corruption and eternity, of thy ftrict commands for preparation to the paffover under thy law, of thy blessed precepts for due receiving of thy facrament under the gofpel, of thine own example in washing thy difciples feet, and thereby fymbolizing the eternal washing of their fouls; of thy faints. practice in their folemn preparations unto holiness, by pulling off their fhoes when they approached thy prefence; of thy fevere judgments against Uzza, for heedless touching of thine ark; against thofe rash Corinthians, whereof (for want of holy preparation) some were weak, some fick, some fallen asleep; and laftly, of that dreadful fentence againft unworthy comers to thy wedding-feaft, pronounced by thine own mouth, I tremble at my bold approaches to thy bleffed table, I wonder at thy goodness, that I am yet alive to say there is mercy with thee, that thou mayeft be feared.

How many bleffed opportunities of coming to thy table, have I finfully neglected! how many abufed, by my finful resort thither, by my wandering and idle thoughts there, by my wicked and prophane actions after I returned thence.

Lord, wilt thou ftill fuffer me to abuse thy goodnefs? How long, Lord, how long fhall I wander in these woeful ways of wickedness? I am weary of the fins and miseries of this life, and willing to embrace this heavenly comfort for my foul. I confess myself a great and grievous finner, and yet I know Lord, thou cameft not to call the righteous, but finners to repentance: I am hungry, and poor, and blind, and naked, and miferable, deftitute of all hope, of all help, but from thee alone; Lord I am unworthy of thy crums, yet thou admittéît me to thy table; the finfulness of my corrupt nature had made a woeful separation between us, but the richness of thy fufferings hath for ever made a fweet conjunction of us; all my fins are thine, all thy righteousness is miné, thou art now my well-beloved, and I am thy chosen one, and in this bleffed union is my sweet and safe repose for ever.

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Who can enough deplore that no more than woeful feparation? who can enough admire this more than wonderful conjunction? this more than happy reconciliation? Here is juftice undeniable, mercy incomprehenfible, wisdom unutterable, love inimi

table.

O let my foul now loose itself in the unknown paths of heavenly contemplation; let me this day apprehend thee (O my Saviour) fafting, praying, weeping, groaning, fweating, bleeding, fainting, dying for my fake, and now pleading to my God for mercy for me: let me now tafte the fweetness of that mercy by a lively faith, the fulness of this fweetness by a blessed hope, the fruition of this fulness by eternal love.

Lord, how unworthy am I of these embraces, if ay I bewail not, if abhor net, if forfake not all the world wretched failings of my finful life paft; if I rejoice

net with joy unfpeakable, and glorious, to be admitted to so great a mercy; if this inflame not mine affections with unfpotted love to thee my God, with earneft longings for thy prefence of grace in this life, of glory in that to come.

And now, Lord, fince thou in thy rich love haft freely forgiven me my pounds, I will also most willingly and heartily forgive my brother his pence I will have nothing to do with malice, that had fo much need of mercy: I will unfeignedly, and freely and fully forgive all injuries on earth; I will love all thofe that hate me, and pray for all those that despitefully use me; and all this for thy fake who haft freely loved me, and laid down thy life for me, to whom be glory for ever.- AMEN.

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