be night no more for ever.

Hear and an

swer us in all our imperfect petitions and supplications for the sake of our all-prevailing Intercessor. Amen.

Meditation for Friday Morning.

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord. Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven."-Matt. vii. 21.

In prayer to God, in discourse with men, we must call Christ, Lord, Lord. We say well, for so he is; but can we imagine that this is enough to bring us to heaven, or that he who knows and requires the heart should be so put off with shew for substance. Compliments among men are pieces of civility that are returned with compliment, but they are never paid as real services; and can they then be of any account with Christ? There may be a seeming importunity in prayer, Lord, Lord, but if inward impressions are not answerable to outward expressions, we are but as sounding brass, and a tinkling cymbal. If our hearing is not the means of our obedience, it will be the aggravation of our disobedience, saying and doing are two things, often parted in the conversation of man; he that said, I go, sir, stirred never a

step, but these two things God has joined in his command, and let no man that puts them asunder, think to enter into the kingdom of heaven

It is necessary to our happiness, to do the will of Christ, which is, indeed, the will of his Father which is in heaven. The will of God, as Christ's Father, is his will in the Gospel, for there he is made known as the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and in him our Father: now this is his will, that we believe on Christ, that we repent of sin, that we live a holy life, that we love one another; this is his will, even our sanctification. Those who only hear Christ's sayings, and do them not, sit down in the mid way to heaven, and that will never bring them to their journey's end: they are a light not only to our eyes but to our feet, and are designed not only to inform our judgments, but to reform our hearts and lives; it is not enough to hear Christ's sayings, and understand them; hear them and remember them, hear them and talk of them, repeat them, dispute for them, but we must hear and do them. Those only that hear and do are blessed.

HYMN.

God is a Spirit just and wise,
He sees our inmost mind;
In vain to heaven we raise our cries,
And leave our souls behind.

Nothing but truth before his throne
With honour can appear,
The painted hypocrites are known
Through the disguise they wear.

Their lifted eyes salute the skies,
Their bending knees the ground;
But God ahhors the sacrifice
Where not the heart is found.

Lord, search my thoughts, and try my ways,
And make my soul sincere ;
Then shall I stand before thy face,
And find acceptance there.

PRAYER

For Friday Morning.

FOR HOLINESS.

O most gracious Father, thou hast invited all who feel their need of thy grace to come unto thee; and hast promised, that those who come thou wilt not cast out. Thou fil

lest the hungry with good things, whilst the rich are sent empty away. O that we may feel that hunger and thirstafter thy pardoning and sanctifying grace. May we long for thee more than for our daily food; and may we desire nothing so much as to experience thy peace, thy favour, and thy love. We are brought to the beginning of this day, that therein we may increase in the knowledge of thee, and give thee glory, O grant that this great end of our life may be fully

answered!

Thou, O God, art a holy God: Christ our Saviour is a holy Saviour: thy Spirit is the Holy Spirit: thy heaven is a holy place: thy angels are holy angels: and thy redeemed people are a holy people. O Lord, make us also holy; for without holiness we cannot see thee. May our hearts be separated from sin to thee. May we not only abstain from sin, but really hate it because thou hatest it. May we hate all sin. Whatever is inconsistent with thy will, that may we abhor. May we hate ourselves because we are sinners, and unlike thee. May we make conscience of our words and thoughts as well as of our action. May we desire not so much to appear good in the eyes of our fellow-creatures, as to be so in thy sight. May we labour to approve ourselves to thee, thou heart-searching God.

May thy word be the rule of our own cónduct; and thy glory the end of our conversation. For we cannot enter into heaven, till we are thus made holy.

Keep, we beseech thee, O Lord, both our souls and bodies this day with thy perpetual mercy, and because our weakness without thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable for our salvation. May thy grace always go before and follow us, and make us continually to be given to all good works. Increase and multiply upon us thy mercy, that, thou being our Ruler and Guide, . we may so pass through things temporal, that we finally lose not the things which are eternal. We acknowledge that we can do no good thing without thee; O grant us the help of thy grace, that, in keeping thy commandments, we may please thee both in will and deed.

O Lord, as we are dying sinners, we beseech thee, for the sake of thy dear Son, mercifully to hear our prayers, and to spare us who confess our sins unto thee; that we, whose consciences are accused by sin, by thy merciful pardon may be absolved. Thousands of poor sinners, O Lord, who have been guilty and vile like ourslves, have found mercy at thy hands. Thy ear is not become heavy that it