more and more of that wisdom that is from above, pure and peaceable; of that true and vital faith, by which I may cleave to thee and thy word, be led to abhor all sin, and practice all righteousness and goodness in this kind of singularity. However neglected or derided by the world about me, I most earnestly wish to shine!

HYMN.

O happy soul! that lives on high
While men lie grov'ling here!
His hopes are fixt above the sky,
And faith forbids his fear.

His conscience knows no secret stings,
While peace and joy combine
To form a life, whose holy springs
Are bidden and divine.

He waits in secret on his God;
His God in secret sees:
Let earth be all in arms abroad,
He dwells in heavenly peace.

His pleasures rise from things unseen,
Beyond this world and time;
Where neither eyes nor ears have been,
Nor thoughts of sinners climb.

He wants no pomp nor royal throne
To raise his figure here ;
Content and pleas'd to live unknown,
Till Christ his life appear.

He looks to heaven's eternal hill
To meet that glorious day :
But patient waits his Saviour's will
To fetch his soul away.

PRAYER

For Saturday Morning.

O merciful God and Father; art thou saying to thy poor offending children, "Seek ye my face?" And shall not our hearts reply, "Thy face, O Lord, will we seek," and that with our whole hearts? Blessed are they whom thou choosest and causest to approach unto thee. It is good for us to draw near unto thee, for thou art good to the souls that seek thee, and thou never saidst to any of thy servants, Seek ye me in vain. Thou art rich in mercy unto all that call upon thee, to all that call upon thee in truth. Behold what manner of love is this, that we should be invited to come to thee as thy children. We come to plead those gracious promises on which thou hast caused us to hope. Put thy laws into our minds, and write them in our hearts, and our sins and iniquities remember

no more! It is thine own gracious promise that if we walk in the light as thou art in the light, we shall have fellowship with thee the Father, and with thy Son Jesus Christ. O purify and sanctify these sinful hearts, and dwell in them by the influences of thy Holy Spirit. Give us that lively hope, which may make us purify ourselves even as thou art pure, and that ardent love to thee, that will make us cheerfully do thy will.

With our whole hearts have we sought thee, O let us not wander from thy commandments. Thy word have we hid in our hearts, that we may not sin against thee; we will de light ourselves in thy statutes, and never for get thy word. Thy testimonies have we taken as our heritage for ever, for they are the rejoicing of our hearts; incline our hearts to perform them always, even unto the end.

O thou great rewarder of them that diligently seek thee! help us seriously to engage in thy service, to run without weariness, and to walk without fainting: not slothful in business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; exercising ourselves unto godliness, continuing watchful in prayer, keeping our hearts with all diligence, ordering our conversation with all usefulness, and running the race set before us with all cheerfulness; full of life and spirit in thy work, and full of good

fruit to thy honour; ever labouring to be accepted here to thy favour, and hereafter to thy glory; and for all this duty let us be strengthened, O our God, with all might by thy spirit in the inner-man. Biessed be thy name, who hast inspired our hearts with these holy desires and resolutions; it is an earnest, we hope, of thy never failing love towards us! Heavenly Father, it is our joy and glory, that we know thee, and that we live under the care of thy wise, merciful, and almighty providence at present, and that we have the promise of remission of sins, and of a crown of life in thy presence, where there is fulness of joy, and pleasures for evermore. This is all our salvation, and all our desire. We rejoice, heavenly Father, in thy love. Bless the Lord, O our souls, and all that is within us bless his holy name. Bless the Lord with us ye heavenly host, who rejoice over one sinner that repenteth-ye ministers of his that do his pleasure; and O that this joy may increase continually; and while we increase in grace and holiness, may the joy of the Lord be our strength, and may we go from strength to strength, till at last we shall meet around thy throne, and enter into the joy of our Lord!

With these devout impressions we would go into the duties of this day. Let the doing

of our duty be our pleasure, and to serve thee be a great reward. Let a contented mind be instead of all that we want, and a thankful heart sweeten all our enjoyments. May a humble submission to thy will preserve in us a settled tranquillity of mind, and may our thoughts be much there while we live, where we desire to be when we die. That heaven being our aim, our hope, and the longing expectation of our souls, we may conquer all difficulties in our way to it, and go through honour and dishonour, good report and evil report, prosperity and adversity, with the same cheerfulness and evenness of mind, till at last we come to that place of rest and peace, with the glorified Jesus, who is able to do for us abundantly above all that we can ask, conceive, or think; to wash us from our sins in his blood, to sanctify us by his Spirit, and to make us unto our God, kings and priests: to him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

HYMN.

Lord, I am thine; but thou wilt prove
My faith, my patience, and my love;
When men of spite against me join,
They are the sword, the hand is thine.