Daily our mortal flesh decays,
But Chrift our life fhall come;
And bis refiftless pow'r fhall raise
Our bodies from the tomb.

-Another.

THus if
Hus if our hearts embrac'd our GOD,
We should forget all earthly charms,
And wish to die as Simeon * would,
With his young faviour in his arms.

Our lips fhould learn that joyful fong,
Were but our hearts prepar'd like bis;
Our fouls ftill willing to be gone,

And at thy word depart in peace.

Here we have feen thy face, O Lord,
And view'd falvation with our eyes;
Tafted and felt the living word,
The bread defcending from the skies.
Thou haft prepar'd this dying lamb,
Haft fet his blood before our face,
To teach the terrors of thy name,
And fhew the wonders of thy grace.

He is our light, our morning far
Shall fhine on nations yet unknown,

The glory of thine Ifrael here,
And joy of Spirits near the throne.

Luke ii, 29, &c.

The

E

The prayer on Sunday evening. + For ftrength and grace in our fallen state. Ternal GOD, thou alone art he in whom we live and move and have our being; and from whom are derived all the comforts and conveniencies of this life, and all the hopes and expectations of a better. Thou art the author and finisher of every good work; without thee nothing is ftrong, nothing is holy; without thy affifting and preventing grace, we are easily driven away by every flight temptation, as the duft before the wind is carried to and fro.

With what humility, reverence and dread, then ought I thy fervant, (dedicated to thee long ago by moft folemn vows and engagements in my holy baptifm, which I have fince [often] (efpecially this day) renew'd at thy ho

table, where I received the facrament of Chrift's body and blood) to appear before thee, when I confider the greatnefs of thy majesty, and the purity of thy divine nature, whofe fervice is perfect freedom? and without thy favour and love, O Jefu, I muft have been and fhall be the most miferable of all thy creatures. So that,

See the preparatory prayer on page 26.

O Lord, if thou hadft not invited me, I acknowledge, that I was not worthy to come into thy prefence, nor to lift up mine eyes towards the throne of thy mercy-feat: for the corruption of my heart and the finfulness of my thoughts is that abomination which thou abhorreft. Hence,

O my GOD, I am fully perfuaded, that it is my happiness and privilege, as well as my duty, to love, adore, and ferve thee. I am feriously convinced, that there is no pleasure like that of a good confcience; and that the greatest fatisfactions in this world are not worthy to be compared with that fulness of joy that is in thy prefence for evermore. * But alas! I know by fad experience that I am prone to offend thee, and too apt to forget the vows and refolutions, which I have made to serve and obey thee, at the times thy holy spirit hath raised me from the death of fin to a new life of righteoufnefs. Therefore,

O moft merciful father, who knoweft that we are but duft and ashes, vouchsafe, of thy great goodness to pity the weakneffes of me thy poor creature; and continue to me the affiftance of thy grace and holy fpirit, that I may not be tempted above what I am PART II. C

Pfalm xvi. 1I.

able

able to bear. And whereas, this very day, O Lord, thou haft given me an opportunity of ferving thee in thy houfe; grant that I that I may not be accused of coldnefs or indevotion, nor of hearing thy word only; but that I may approve myself a doer of the fame in my faith and practice. Wherefore,

O moft gracious GOD! let me never faint or tire in my duty, nor, for the fake of any thing this world can offer me, be unmindful of the great and important concern of my falvation. Give me fuch a zeal for thy fervice, that the doing thy will may be my greatest joy and satisfaction: and imprint on my mind fuch a lively sense of thy love, as may inflame my heart with the moft devout and ardent affections: that, being every day more and more weaned from this world, I may look upon all its honours, pleasures, and profits, with that coldness and indifference, which becomes the fervant of the bleffed Jefus; who, being GOD, defcended from the heavens, and took upon him the form of a fervant, that he might leave us an example of his great humility: grant this, O father, for Jefus Chrift's fake, our only mediator and advocate. Amen.

3

A con

A concluding prayer.

of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and

THE grace of our Lord

the love of God, and the fellowship of the holy Ghost be with us all evermore. Amen.

N. B. This prayer may properly be used every morning and evening to conclude your demotions.

If time shall now permit, you may proceed to examine yourself and the ftate of your confcience by the particular directions printed on pages 49 and 50 of this Second Part.

When you lie down in your bed.

Will lay me down in peace, and take my reft, for it is thou, Lord, only, that makest me to dwell in fafety; and into thy hands I recommend my spirit, my foul, and my body, for thou haft redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth. Amen.

In the morning when you go out of your chamber.

HE bleffing of God defcend upon me,

THE
Tand all belonging to me, and dwell

in my heart for evermore, and bless my going out and my coming in, now, and for ever. Amen.