may not come against me, nor the hand of the ungodly caft me down, that fo, admitting no pretence of deviating from thy laws, I may be found in the true way to thy kingdom of glory,

reigneft for ever and ever.

who livest and And to this pur

pose I conclude with the prayer which thou haft taught me.

Our Father, &c.

O

A Prayer for Friday Evening,

Moft holy and eternal Lord God! who inceffantly demonftrates thy unfpeakable mercy towards finners; and fuch is thine unparallell'd love and condefcenfion, that even when they offend and trespass against thee, thou forbearest not to heap thy loving-kindness upon them; I, moft finful wretch, yield thee most humble and hearty thanks for thine incomprehenfible goodness in creating me after thine own image, rendering me capable of everlasting glory, and in providing fo many other creatures for my use and fuftenance.

I bless, I magnify, and adore thy great and holy name; for thine ineftimable love in

in the redemption of the world, by our Lord Jefus Chrift, whereby thou haft graciously delivered my foul from eternal death; and haft purchased for me an entrance into everlafting Glory! I also return thee all poffible praise and thanks, for having fingled me out, amongst so many thoufands, that know thee not, and lie buried in ignorance and error; I gratefully recount this mercy of being thy fervant, and a member of the holy catholick church; of being partaker of thy meritorious and all-fufficient sufferings, and all other thy fpiritual blessings; as alfo for preferving me, fo many times from those inevitable dangers, which my fins would have long ago caft me into, had not thy ineftimable goodness delivered me. For these, and all other thy benefits, namely, for those thou haft this day most bountifully bestowed upon me, [Here call to mind fuch benefits as you have received this day.] O most gracious Father, I offer thee the most fincere, and moft dutiful thanks that my poor heart is capable of affording, befeeching thee to accept of them, as a teftimony of my un feigned gratitude,

And

And now, O moft glorious God, I humbly beg the light of thy grace, to know wherein I have any ways offended thee, either by thought, word, or deed, that I may see my fins with forrow, and thy forbearance and long-suffering with joy, and with a full purpose of amendment of life [Here examine how you have employed the day.] Thou feeft, O Lord, my finfulness, and knowest my mifery, much better than my felf. I am forry with all my heart, that I should still offend fo good a God, and wish that my forrow were far greater, I acknowledge thy mercies to be unfpeakably great, for delivering my foul from the nethermoft hell; thy tenderness is so apparent, that it even aftonishes me; thou wilt not fuffer me to undo myself, but makeft as tho' thou faw'ft not my offences, that thy forbearance might win me to repentance. So full of mercy, are all thy ways, O God, which I now plainly perceive, and have a deep and grateful fenfe of, and am even loft in wonder and amazement at thy kindness, which hath all along watched over me for good, and faved both body and foul from eternal death. Thine therefore be the whole of this, which lives

by

by thy clemency, and every part of me a facrifice of praife: For, thou art a God full of compaffion, long-suffering, plenteous in goodness and truth, and shewing mercy unto thousands in them that love thy name.

Now at length, O Lord my God, I plainly perceive the equity of that command, which enjoyns me to love thee with all my heart, and with all my mind, and with all my foul, and with all my strength; at all times, with a most ardent, and never-ceafing affection: because I should perish each moment, didft not thou renew the gift of life by thy prefervation, and continuance of it, and every moment thou bindest me faster to thee, by the addition of new, and the repitition of former, benefits. As therefore no hour, no minute paffes by, without fome instance of thy bounty; so it is fit that none fhould pafs, without my grateful and affectionate remembrances of fo kind a benefactor; without fuch zealous and conftant love of fo good a God, as my frail nature, and narrow foul can extend to. This is indeed what ought to be; therefore, O most gracious God, from whom every good and perfect gift

cometh,

cometh, and in whom is no variableness nor shadow of change, endue me with the grace of repentance, and amendment of life: O inftil into me better principles of love and obedience; and let me distaste all terreftrial enjoyments, whenever they come in competition with my duty to thee: For if my foul could but get above the mean affections of fuch mutable things as are unworthy of its chief concern, and fix its thoughts and defires on thee alone, it would advance to a nearer resemblance of that fupream perfection, whose likeness it wears, and be at length admitted to a clear vision of the divine majesty in immortal blifs. These are the glories which thou wilt one day confer upon the fouls of the righteous; and in the mean while, by the profpect of them, thou doft fupport and fill thy creatures with joy and comfort inexpreffible. Surely, my God! No eye hath feen, or can fee the things thou hast prepared, for thofe that love ther, unless thou, who haft prepared, do alfo vouchsafe to reveal them. For, as is thy majesty, fo is thy mercy, and infinite are the rewards, which thou haft laid up for them that fear thee; infinite, as thy

Own