Isa. Ivi, 4. Take hold of my covenant. The Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ is indeed a glorious covenant, a rich dispensation of grace and blessing, a better and more excellent covenant than the law of Moses ; effected and ratified by a sacrifice incomparably great and glorious. This covenant is everlasting, complete, and sure. By faith in Jesus, the appointed mediator of this plan of salvation, I would now take hold of it, that all its purposed and promised mercies may be mine. I would take hold of it, as the drowning man seizes the

rope

thrown out to him. Relinquishing every other hope, I desire to win Christ, and be found in him. As the ship-wrecked mariner gladly leaves his sinking vessel, and hastens to enter that life-boat which rises above the stormy waves, and bears him in safety to the shore; so would I, leaving every thing else, enter the true life-boat which will never sink, in full assurance of hope, that it will bring me safe to the heavenly shore. Gladly do I fly for refuge to the only sure hope of man-redemption through the blood of Christ.

Psalm xxxix, 7. And now, Lord, what wait I for?

God has graciously promised, ask, and ye shall hare, I believe his promise; and, while waiting on him at his table, would now implore his grace.

Lord! I wait for the increase of Faith. Lord, help me more clearly to apprehend divine truths, and to be more distinct and firm in my assurance of them. I desire to attend at thy table with a lively faith in the merits of

my

Redeemer. I would look up to, and trust in him with entire and full confidence, as having ransomed me from sin and death, and procured for me life and salvation with his own precious blood. Ogive me faith to trust solely in thy mercy through Christ for acceptance, and earnestly to look for the aid of the Spirit, to teach and to purify me.

Lord, I wait to receive strength to overcome my spiritual enemies. I know myself to be weak, helpless, and insufficient for any good work. But if I abide in Christ, he has said that I shall bear much fruit. Through this ordinance let me be drawn near to him, and led to abide more in him, so that my affections to the world may be deadened, and my whole soul may be refreshed and strengthened.

Lord, I wait hungering and thirsting for THY SALVATION, in all its grace and fulness, O that the blood of Christ may speak peace to my troubled heart! O that the gladdening light of thy countenance may shine on me, and the sense of thy peculiar presence be felt in

my heart! O that here I may clearly see that Christ is mine and I am his--that the Holy Spirit may be largely given unto me, and I may have a full assurance of hope that my sins are pardoned and my soul is saved.

Lord, I wait for the SPIRIT OF ADOPTION. I would come to thy table as a child goes to an affectionate and tender parent, feeling that thou hast a father's love to me, and having the tempers and disposition of a loving child towards thee. O give me a confiding, reverential, obedient, and filial spirit. Let me look up to thee, my Heavenly Father, for the bread of life, in full assurance that thou wilt not send me away empty.

Now, Lord, truly my hope is in thee for the supply of all my spiritual wants. Give me that which thou seest would be good for me: and thus shall I be blessed not only now, but all my life long, and in death, and through eternity.

1 Cor. v, 7. Christ, our passover, is sacrificed for us,

therefore, let us keep the feast; not with old leaven, neither with the leaven of malice and wickedness, but with the unleavened bread of

sincerity and truth. If the Jews were very diligent in putting away the unleavened bread out of their houses before the passover ; O how much more diligent should I be, to put away the leaven of sin from my heart. May I search out, and cast away far from me, that pride and malice which puff up and sour the heart. Let me, looking at this sacrifice, learn to walk in meekness and lowliness, uprightness and integrity of heart, living in holy joy and praise before God, and in sincere kindness and love unfeigned to all my fellow creatures.

1 Pet. i, 5, 6. Salvation ready to be rerealed in the last

tinte, wherein we greatly rejoice, though now for

a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness. “ Most merciful Jesus, although thou reservest the full manifestation of thy love to my soul till the glorious resurrection, yet, as if thou wert impatient of so great a delay, thou here givest me a pledge of thy love, and an earnest of my title to a never-fading bliss. Thou hast dearly bought it for me, and thou hast freely given it to me: wherefore I will vigorously seek it, patiently wait for it, and earnestly expect it. Ah! my gracious Redeemer, here I am vexed with crosses, oppressed

with enemies, troubled with corruptions, and tossed on the waves of a thousand sins and miseries, But it is my comfort, amid all these sorrows, to receive this assurance, that I shall ere long be translated into a blissful staíe, never to know sin, or feel pain; to be in danger of enemies, or fear of evil any more. O how welcome shall be that blessed hour that summons me to enter into the joys of my Lord! While I continue here, let ine behave myself, O my Saviour, as the heir of thy kingdom, crucifying those sins that crucified thee, and would exclude me from those felicities which thou hast offered me. Lord, I wonld hate every thing that keeps me from heaven, and love nothing but what may further me in my way thither. O give me thy grace to live as one that is above all the trifling pleasures and sorrows of this lower world, and to conduct myself as becomes an heir of glory, as one designed to be a companion of angels, and to partake of thy bliss for ever and ever.”*

Psalm xvii, 3. I am purposed that my mouth shall not

transgress. Lord, I come to RENEW MY Vows, (too often, alas ! broken,) and to repeat my baptismal promises, that I would renounce the Devil and all his works, the pomps and vanity of this wicked world, and all the sinful lusts of the flesh. I come to profess my belief in all the articles of the Christian faith, and my resolution to obey God's holy will and commandments.

I desire to come with the lowest SELF-ABASEMENT,

* Comber.

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as sensible that I am unworthy of the least mercy, and am yet admitted to the table of the Heavenly Father, with His children. I would come, feeling that I am poor, naked, and destitute, and admiring the riches of divine

mercy towards so rebellious a creature. I would come, AT PEACE with all the world. I trust there is no one justly offended with me; or if there be such, no one to whom I would not make all Christian submission, confession, and reparation. And I trust that I can appeal to thee, thou Searcher of hearts, that I feel no enmity, or ill will to any human being; but by divine grace, from my heart I do forgive, and will forgive every offence against me, be it more

han seventy times repeated. Should any thing of a contrary temper now, or ever, prevail, O enable me to struggle against it, and overcome it.

I would come with a firm purpose, through thy grace, to forsake every sin, and give myself entirely to thee, to be guided by thy good Spirit, to be directed by thy holy word, to be saved by thy dear Son, and to glorify thy holy name by my whole life, conduct, and conversation.

Luke xxiii, 34. Father, forgive them, for they know

not what they do. O thou gracious Redeemer, the Prince of Peace; thou compassionate Saviour, the Lord of Glory; give me grace so that I may ever hereafter shew myself loving and mild to all my enemies, pardon them from my heart, earnestly pray for them, and seek to do them good.

0 Jesus ! let me never harbour one rancorous, malicious, or unkind thought in that heart, in which I