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sent Deity in these heavenly places, the Mediator through whom our prayers are offered, the one great subject of all our instruction. Bless God, brethren, for all the spiritual gifts bestowed through Him, and pray that they may be continued to you in all their richness, and make you fruitful in every good word and work; that they may flow down from the Rock of ages smitten for our sake, giving health and life to future generations. And while you supplicate for a continuance of the blessings now opened to you in this place, remember (as in Christian love and duty bound) those who may be appointed to minister here in holy things, through whose hands you will receive the bread of life and the word of salvation. The ministers of Christ are men of like passions, feelings, and infirmities with their brethren; and often, while fulfilling their solemn task in admonishing others, their spirits are ready to fail within them as they carry their reproofs home to their own hearts; often are they ready to sink, in weariness and dejection, under the united feeling of the awful charge laid upon them, and a sense of their own imperfections, and disappointment at the failure of their best intentions. Their actions and motives are scanned and scrutinised with a severe judg ment. And I say not that this should not be, nor desire that they should escape one particle of just censure: but I would beg your kind assistance and support; and especially that, if

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you duly esteem the blessings and graces bestowed, through Christ, in these heavenly places, you would make it your prayer that they may touch the hearts and strengthen the hands of those who minister in them.

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And now, while our hearts are lifted up to meditate on heavenly things, and expect the promised blessing, amid the voice of intercession, supplication, and thanksgiving, “Arise, O Lord, into thy resting-place, Thou, and the ark of thy strength: Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness; and to them that love thy name, that keep thy sabbaths, and choose the things that please thee, and take hold of thy covenant," do Thou "give in thy house, and within thy walls, a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters;" write upon them thine own name, bring them unto thy holy mountain, and make them joyful in thy house of prayer." †

*Ps. cxxxii. 8, 9.

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+ Is. lvi, 4, 5.

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"Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens."

THESE are the words of the faithful, suffering under the judgments brought upon them by God, and calling upon one another to apply to Him for pity and forgiveness. "It is of the Lord's mercies," say they, "that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness." * This is the language of the servants of God, when their flesh (as David saith) "trembleth for fear of Him :" and it will perhaps appear shortly to be not inapplicable in the present and in every age to those who come before the Most High, to worship him in his house; not improper to describe the sentiments and feelings under

* v. 22, 23.

which we should address him in our public as well as our private supplications.

Those who were present in this place last Thursday may perhaps remember that I then remarked how admirably our liturgy is calculated to supply the wants and desires of those who would address God in prayer. Let us now consider what we might desire to find in a form of prayer suited to the necessities of creatures such as we are" the people of God, and sheep of his pasture" (to use the language of David, when he is inviting to public worship): in other words, who look up to God invested with all the greatness, and majesty, and holiness, which become the Maker of the world, and at the same time with the tenderness and watchful care which mark the good Shepherd of his flock. What should there be in a form of prayer suited to our use? (for some form or other I venture to assume to be absolutely necessary.) We should probably desire to have, every time we meet together, first, Prayers for spiritual and temporal blessings; secondly, Thanksgivings, and the means of praising God for favours received; thirdly, some Confession of Faith (this, at least, has always formed part of the services of the church, grounded upon the precept of St. Paul; and though, perhaps, more necessary seasons of persecution, yet highly useful at all times, and honourable to God); fourthly, we must expect large portions of the Holy Scripture to be read; fifthly, some instruction

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given out of it, — some word of admonition, exhortation, comfort ; which must, indeed, be in a great measure left to the will of him who ministers in the congregation; with this guard, however, that it be grounded on the word of God, not merely conformable to it, but actually grounded upon it: no such confidence may be placed in any human teacher, as may release him from the necessity of teaching out of the word of God all things necessary to salvation: lastly, to complete our public worship, we must expect to have the two Sacraments which Christ has ordained in his church publicly administered, and the Lord's Supper as often as may suit the needs of those who sincerely desire to grow in grace, and support their weakness with the bread of life and the cup of salvation. This is a summary of those particulars which may be deemed necessary in the public service, and without which it would manifestly be incomplete. Each of these is capable of division into several heads; and upon each I could desire to make some remarks in succession; with particular allusion to the manner in which our wishes are met by the liturgical services of our own church.

The head of prayer will include several points. We shall require a solemn and devout confession of sins; for we feel that we meet together as sinners before God: a devout confession, not descending to particulars which may be inapplicable to many in

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