164 Exhortations to Communicants. "the fields fhall yield no meat; the flock fhall "be cut of from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stall; yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my falvation." Let us go on then to feek our refreshment and happiness in God, for there only shall we find it. Let us watch against every thing that has a tendency to grieve his Spirit, and to interrupt his gracious communications to our fouls. In a word, let me exhort you in the conclufion, in the language of the bleffed apoftle, "Fight the good fight of faith, lay "hold on eternal life, whereunto ye are alfo called, and have profeffed a good profeffion "before many witnesses." witneffes." Work out your own falvation with fear and trembling, relying on the grace of your Redeemer for tual affiftance, and on his merits for AMEN. acceptance. your effec your final DEVOTIONS for the CHURCH. BEFORE SERMON. PRAYER I. O MOST glorious, and highly exalted Lord our God! Thou art greatly to be feared in the affembly of thy faints, and to be had in reverence of all that would draw nigh unto thee. We thy dependent creatures, would present ourselves before thee at this time, with fentiments of humility and profound veneration; adoring thee as the only living and true God, the only proper object of our religious homage and worship. For thou art every where present, to hear our fupplications and praises: and thou art alone poffeft of infinite wisdom to contrive, almighty power to execute, and perfect goodnefs to defire our happiness. We are fenfible O our God, that our goodness cannot extend to thee, and that thy perfections and glory can receive no addition from our imperfect fervices. But it is good for us to draw near to God, for lo! they that are far from thee fhall perish. It is good for us to draw near to thee, to teftify our entire dependence upon thee, and the innumerable obligations we owe thee, to excite and to improve good difpofitions in our minds, that beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, we may be transformed into the fame image, from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord. Affift us, O Lord, we entreat thee, to perform the folemn duties in which we are now engaging, in fuch a manner as fhall render our fervices acceptable to thee through Jesus Christ our adorable advocate and interceffor, and beneficial to our own fouls. O thou, who haft conftant accefs to our minds! we earneftly implore thy divine influence and aid, to put us into a fuitable frame and temper of mind for conversing with heavenly objects, and to excite in us a spirit of genuine piety and devotion. May we |