John iv. 24. God is a spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Give me, O Jesus, an inward disposition to holiness, an humble and contrite heart, a dependence on the will of God, an acknowledgment of his goodness, and a zeal for his glory; to which all the ordinances of his law and Gospel should lead us.

GOOD USE OF TIME.

Grant, O Lord, that as I have but a short time to live, and an eternal interest depending, I may not squander away one moment in vanity, or in that which will not profit me in the day of adversity.

Rom. xi. 25, 26. Blindness in part is happened to Israel, until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in. And so all Israel shall be saved.

O God, the God of Abraham, look upon thine everlasting covenant; cause the captivity of Judah and of Israel to return. They were thy people; O be thou their Saviour, that all who love Jerusalem, and mourn for her, may rejoice with her, for Jesus Christ's sake, their Saviour and ours. Amen.

IN TIME OF PUBLIC DISTRACTIONS.

O Sovereign Lord! I prostrate myself before thee, confessing my own sin, and acknowledging the justice of any scourge which thou shalt bring upon us; and trembling to think how much I may have contriouted towards it ;-beseeching thee to have compassion on us, in these days of confusion.

O Lord prevent the judgments that threaten us;purge this nation from all such crimes as may be the cause of thy heavy displeasure against us,-from whoredom, and drunkenness; from swearing, lying, and perjury; from sacrilege, injustice, fraud, disobedience, malice, and uncharitableness. Take from among us the spirit of atheism, irreligion, and profaneness; and in mercy rebuke and convert all such as give encouragement or countenance to any of these

vices which may provoke thee to give us up to infidelity or destruction. O let thine anger be turned away from us ;-give us not over unto the will of our adversaries, and unto such as strive to bring all things into confusion. Preserve this Church in the midst of all dangers; and restore unto us peace and unity;—and grant us grace to make a better use of these blessings for the time to come, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

We complain of oppression; of our laws being perverted and trampled upon; of arbitrary government, &c. Let us not be wiser than God, who judges these things to be necessary to exercise the good,-to punish the wicked,—to reclaim the sinner, to recover those that are going astray,—to make all serious. Let us not impeach the ways of Providence, who brings good out of evil; but reverence and submit to his will, his wisdom, and justice.

Isa. lxii. 6, 7. Ye that are the Lord's remembrancers, keep not silence; give him no rest, till he establish, and till he make Jerusalem (his Church) a praise on earth.

Thy kingdom come.-Though we are altogether unworthy of the good times thou hast promised thy Church, yet we beseech thee deprive us not of them.

O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive; O Lord, hearken, and do not defer these good days, for thine own sake, oh! our God.

We hope a day is coming when all the world will come and worship thee, O God.-See Jer. xxxi.

CHRIST'S PATIENCE.

What sorrows did he undergo, and with what patience did he suffer them! Patient when Judas unworthily betrayed him with a kiss ;-patient when Caiaphas despitefully used him ;-patient when hurried from one place to another;-patient when Herod, with his men of war, set him at naught;-patient when Pilate so unrighteously condemned him;-patient when scourged and crowned with thorns ;-patient when his cross was laid upon him, when he was reviled, reproached, scoffed

at, and every way abused. Lord Jesus, grant me patience, after this example, to bear thy holy will in all things.

CHRIST'S LOVE AND CHARITY.

Where shall we take our pattern but from thee ?— Thou calledst thy followers thy friends. Thou didst stoop down to wash their feet, who were not worthy to untie thy shoe. Thou didst forgive and restore Peter, when he had abjured thee. Thou didst vouchsafe to satisfy Thomas, who would not believe but upon his own terms. Thou didst forgive and pray for thy bloody persecutors. O thou Fountain and Pattern of love, grant that I may love thee above all things, and my neighbour as myself!

SATURDAY MEDITATIONS.

PREPARATION FOR DEATH.

Deut. xxxii. 29. O that they were wise, that they would consider their latter end.

John ix. 4. The night cometh, when no man can work.

A very gracious intimation. Lord, grant that I may never forget it; and that now, now is the time, in which to provide for eternity.

What a wise man then, when he comes to die, would wish he had done, that he ought to do forthwith; for death is at hand, and the consequences of a surprise most dreadful. He will then wish, if he has not done it, with all his soul,

First, That he had made a just and Christian settlement of his worldly concerns; so as not to be distracted with the cares of this world, when all his thoughts should be upon another;

Secondly, That he had made his peace with God by a timely repentance;

Thirdly, That he had faithfully discharged the duties of his calling;

Fourthly, That he had weaned his affections from things temporal, and loosened the ties which fasten us to the world;

Fifthly, That he had crucified the flesh with its affections and lusts; so that being weary of this life, ne might be more desirous of a better;

Sixthly, That by acts of justice, mercy, charity, and alms, he may be entitled to the mercy of God at the hour of death;

Seventhly, That he had got such habits of patience and resignation to the will of God during his health, as may render death, with all the train of miseries lead ing to it, less frightful and amazing ;

Eighthly and lastly, That by a constant practice of devotion preparatory for death, he had learned what to pray for, what to hope for, what to depend on in his last sickness.

And this, gracious Lord, is what I wish for, what I pray for, and what I purpose shall be the constant practice of my life. Amen.

2 Kings xx. 1. Set thine house in order; for thou shalt die, and not live.

May God, who has every way provided for me, and put it into my power to be just to all men, charitable to the poor, grateful to my friends, kind to my servants, and a benefactor to the public; may he add this to all his favours, and grant, that in making my last will, I may faithfully discharge all these engagements; and that for want of that, no curse may cleave to myself, or to any thing I shall leave behind me. Amen.

But, above all things, I beg of thee, O God, to enable me to set my inward house, my soul, in order before I

die.

Give me true repentance for all the errors of my life past, and steadfast faith in thy Son Jesus Christ, that my sins may be done away by thy mercy, and my pardon sealed in heaven.

Prov. xxviii. 13. Whoso confesseth, and forsaketh his sins, shall have mercy.

Behold, O God, a creature, liable every moment to death, prostrate before thee, begging, for Jesus Christ's sake, that faith and repentance to which thou hast promised mercy and pardon.

Discover to me, O thou Searcher of hearts, the charge that is against me, that I may know, and confess, and bewail, and abhor, and forsake, and repent of all the evils I have been guilty of.

Have mercy upon me, have mercy upon me, most merciful Father, who desirest not the death of a sinner; for thy Son Jesus Christ's sake, forgive me all that is past.

And, O blessed Advocate, who art able to save them for ever who come unto God by thee, seeing thou ever livest to make intercession for us, I put my cause into thy 1 hands; let thy power defend me; thy blood and merits plead for me; supply all the defects of my repentance; procure for me a full discharge of all my sins before I die; and by thy mighty grace, confirm and strengthen me in all goodness during the remainder of my life, that my death may be a blessing to me, and that I may find mercy at the great day. Amen.

Ephes. iv. 24. Put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. This, O God, is what I desire, and purpose, by thy grace, to do; and do again renew the vows which I have so often made, and too often broke.

I renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the same, and the carnal desires of the flesh; resolving, by thy grace, neither to follow nor be led by them.

And, O God, assist me, that neither sloth nor corruption may ever make me lay aside or forget these resolutions; but that I may live to thee.-be an instrument of thy glory, by serving thee faithfully; and that I may be found so doing when thou art pleased to call me hence, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.