burden," thou didst enlighten my soul to discern the riches of mercy and grace in Christ Jesus, and enabled me joyfully to rest in him as wisdom, and righteousness, sanctification and redemption, Blessed be thy name, O God. That, I have been excited to chuse thee, O God, as my portion; that my soul has been in any degree inflamed with love and gratitude to thee, with trust in thy power and goodness; that the holy graces of humility, meekness, purity, and love have in any degree established their reign in my heart; that I have been enabled to adorn the doctrine of God my Saviour, by a holy and virtuous life, and to imitate the blessed example of the holy Jesus, by doing good unto my fellow menBlessed be thy name, O God. That when, from the infirmities of my nature, or the predominance of my sinful passions, I am lead to forget thee my God, to violate my vows of duty to thee, and to put my Saviour to an open shame by my sins,thou dost not "cast me off forever," but art still willing to be "intreated," and to " restore to me the joy of thy free Spirit" Blessed be thy name, O God. That thou art graciously pleased to promise to reward, my imperfect and unhallowed services, with the eternal fruition of the glories of thy presence; that, amidst the perplexing cares, the encumbering occupations, and the ensnaring pleasures of the world, I have been enabled to set my affections on the unseen joys of heaven, and with ardour to pant for the fruition of the immortal felicities of that heavenly kingdom, for which, through thy mercy, I am destined, Blessed be thy name, O God. That thou hast provided, for the sustenance and refreshment of my frail nature, while I sojourn in this vale of infirmity and sin, celestial and immortal food, even the body and blood of thy crucified Son, spiritually conveyed under the emblems of bread and wine; and that thou dost now invite me to the glorious banquet of the Lamb that was slain to redeem me by his blood; Blessed be thy name, O God. O while I extol the wonders of thy mercy, and gratefully celebrate the triumphs of thy grace-may I be excited carnestly to aim at the highest degrees of holiness and virtue, as becometh the redeemed servant of the Lord. Evermore, O Lord, refresh me by thy mercy. Evermore, guide and strengthen me by thy grace. TO thee, ever-blessed Jehovah, be ascribed all the glory and praise of my redemption. For, thou, O Almighty Father, didst give for me thine only begotten Son; thou, O eternal Son, wast for me obedient to the death of the cross; thou, O Holy Ghost, dost apply to my soul, the mercies of redemption. Glory be to the Father, the "fountain of mercy. Glory be to the Son, the redeemer of mankind.-Glory be to the Holy Ghost, the guide, the comforter, and sanctifier of the faithful. Blessing and honor, and glory and power be unto our God, forever and ever. ALAS! O God, the songs of praise must be exchanged for the sighs of contrition. For to thee, O Lord, belongeth righteousness; but unto me, confusion of face,-for I have violated thy law. When I have done all, I am bound to confess that I am but an unprofitable servant; and must expect the rewards of heaven, as the free gift of unmerited mercy. How much more then am I bound earnestto deprecate the awful inflictions of thy justice; when the course of my life has been marked by many wilful transgressions of thy laws. I will confess mine iniquity. A CONFESSION OF SIN. (FROM THE LITURGY OF THE CHURCH.) ALMIGHTY GOD, Father of our Lord Jefus Christ, maker of all things, judge of all men; I acknowledge and bewail my manifold fins and wickedness, which I from time to time most grievously have committed, by thought, word, and deed, against thy divine majefty, provoking moft juftly thy wrath and indignation against me. I do earnestly repent and am heartily forry for thefe my mifdoings; the remembrance of them is grievous unto me; the burthen of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon me, have mercy upon me, most merciful Father; for thy Son Jefus Chrift's fake forgive me all that is past. To thee only it appertaineth to forgive fins: fpare me therefore, good Lord, fpare me. My confcience by fin is accufed-O may I be abfolved by thy merciful pardon.— Lamb of God, who takest away the fins of the world, have mercy upon me. Lamb of God, who takest away the fins of the world, grant me thy peace. O God! whofe nature and property it is ever to have mercy and to forgive, receive my humble petitions; and though I am tied and faft bound by the chain of my fins, yet let the pityfulness of thy great mercy loofe me, through Jesus Chrift my Lord and Redeemer. AMEN. THE SUPPLICATION. BLESSED LORD! who art ever merciful and gracious, not willing the death of a sinner, but rather that he should repent and live, and who haft given thine only Son to be a propitiation for the fins of the world, that whofoever believeth in him fhould not perish but have everlasting life; with the deepest humility and reverence I adore thine infinite love.— What is man, O Lord, that thou fhouldeft be thus mindful of him or the son of man, that thou shouldest thus mercifully vifit him. O God, I confefs and lament that I have been infenfible to the claims of thy love, and, by my aggravated fins, have forfeited all title to thy mercy. Bleffed be thy name, that thou haft laid, on Jefus Christ, the iniquities of mankind. Bleffed be thy name that, in him, there is mercy and plenteous redemption. O make me deeply fenfible of my need of the merits and grace of my Redeemer. Penetrate me with a lively conviction of my weakness and depravity, of my guilt and unworthiness, that I may be excited to flee for refuge, from the wrath to come, to the hope fet before me in the gofpel. Bleffed Jefus ! cleanse me by thy precious blood, and fanctify my corrupt nature by thy grace. Difcerning, with lively faith thy all-fufficiency to fave and to redeem, may my truft be stayed on thee alone. O merciful God, inspire, and evermore cherish in my heart, a fupreme concern for the things that belong to my eternal peace. May the falvation of my foul engrofs my higheft, moft earneft and anxious attention. Imprefs on me the folly and the guilt of facrificing my immortal interests, to the tranfitory, unfatisfying, and perishing pleasures of the world. O do thou quicken in my heart, Almighty God, the apprehenfion of my guilt and danger while in rebellion against thee; ftrengthen the defires, which thy grace has awakened, for that fatisfying and undecaying peace which, thou doft confer, on the humble fuppliants for thy mercy. And fince thou haft graciously instituted facred ordinances to be the chan |