figned to mend our corrupt and difor dered nature, they endeavour to obferve thofe rules which he has given them, and which are abfolutely neceffary to make them capable of heaven and happiness.

Let us now, O my foul! reft here awhile, and adore that infinite goodness of God, who did not overlook loft mankind, but fent his only begotten Son to redeem us, when he might, in ftrict juf tice, have required us to have lived up to the law of nature and reafon given in the state of innocence, on pain of being for ever separated from his prefence: but instead of that, he has been graciously pleafed to accept of our fincere, tho' imperfect obedience, and of our hearty repentance, when we have done amifs, and return to our duty.

The Hymn on Sunday Evening. For the great bleffing mankind received in their redemption through Jefus Chrift. MOST dear are thy provifions, Lord, Thy table furnish'd from above; The fruits of life o'erfpread the board, The cup o'erflows with heavenly love. Thine ancient family, the Jews,

Were first invited to the feaft; We humbly take what they refuse, And Gentiles thy falvation taste.

We

We are the

poor, the blind, the lame,
And help was far, and death was nigh;
But at the gospel call we came,
And ev'ry want receiv'd fupply.
From the highway that leads to hell,

From paths of darkness and despair,
Lord, we are come with thee to dwell,

Glad to enjoy thy prefence here.
What shall we pay the eternal Son,
Who left the heav'n of his abode,
And to this wretched earth came down,
To bring us wand'rers back to GOD?
It coft him death to fave our lives,
To buy our lives it coft his own;
And all the unknown joys he gives,
Were bought with agonies unknown.
Our everlasting love is due,

}

To him that ranfom'd finners loft,
And pity'd rebels, when he knew
The vaft expense his love would coft.
Another.

COME now adore th' eternal word, 'Tis he our souls hath fed;

Thou art our living ftream, O Lord,
And thou th' immortal bread.

4

The manna came from lower skies,
But Jesus from above,
Where the fresh fprings of pleasure rise,
And rivers flow with love.

C 3

:n

The

The Jews, the fathers, dy'd at last,
Who ate that heav'nly bread;
But thefe provifions which we taste,
Can raife us from the dead.

Bleft be the Lord that gives his flesh
To nourif dying men,
And often Spreads his table fresh,
Left we should faint again.

Our fouls fhall draw their heav'nly breath,
While Jefus finds fupplies;
Nor fhall our graces fink to death,
For Jesus never dies.

Daily our mortal flesh decays,
But Chrift, our life, fhall come ;
And his refiflefs pow'r shall raife
Our bodies from the tomb.

Another.

THUS if our hearts embrac'd our God,
We should forget all earthly charms,
And wish to die as Simeon would,

With his young Saviour in his arms.
Our lips could learn that joyful fong,

Were but our hearts prepar'd like his, Our fouls ftill willing to be gone,

And at thy word depart in peace. Here we have seen thy face, O Lord,

And view'd falvation with our eyes ; Tafted and felt the living word,

The bread defcending from the skies.

Thou

Thou haft prepar'd this dying Lamb,
Haft fet his blood before our face,
To teach the terrors of thy name,

And how the wonders of thy grace.
He is our light, our morning ftar,

Shall fhine on nations yet unknown; The glory of thine Israel here,

And joy of Spirits near the throne.

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 conveniences 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 eafily 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 bap. tilm, which I have fince [often] [efpecially this day] renewed at thy holy table,

where

* See the preparatory prayer on page 22.

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

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 toward the throne of thy mercyfeat: 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 greateft 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 ferve 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 most merciful Father, who knowest that