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exercise; and a devotional meditation the evening service. Such a variety might be found highly interesting to the servants and younger branches of the family, and lead them, to continue, from inclination, as well as duty, a practice from which they had received both pleasure and profit.

As the few Meditations interspersed may not afford sufficient variety, the Editor begs leave to recommend for this purpose, a small volume of devotional meditations selected from Dr. Watts and Mr. Howe. That this little volume may be attended with the Divine blessing, and be the happy means of promoting a spirit of devotion in the Family and the Closet, is the sincere prayer of the

EDITOR.

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The Editor of the Pocket Prayer Book has been long permitted to watch in retirement, the progress of her little circulating volumes; unknown by name, or place of abode. Their increasing circulation, seems to urge the necessity of giving some efficient place of reference, should any future communication be requested from abroad.

The Editor being the only responsible person, hopes that the friends of evangelical religion, will accept of this apology for the following short statement.

It was a sentiment formed in early years, that every member of society should have in view some leading object of pursuit, so far as may be consistent with the first duties of

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relative and domestic life: free from many of its most important cares, the Editor found herself at liberty to follow the chosen object of her pursuit the abridgment of books.

The devotional writings of Baxter, Hove, Flavel, Allein, Watts, and Doddridge, made a strong impression upon her own mind; and, in the ardour of youthful feeling, she imagined, that the same impression must follow wherever their works were known.

Her plan was to form from the most devotional and practical parts of their works, a few pocket volumes for easy circulation; mere extracts were not her taste. It was her wish to form her little abridgments, as much as possible, into a whole; whether a Volume, a Chapter, or a Meditation: endeavouring to preserve the thoughts and feelings of the respective Authors, and to give all in their own highly spiritual and scriptural language.

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As a sample of what she wished to effect, she begs leave to refer to her little volume of Meditations from Watts and Howe. Happy would she be, should her endeavours encourage some of her pious readers to try the pleasant work. Her feeble pen, employed

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from youth to age, has done little to exhaust these treasures.

Henry's commentary contains rich materials for Bible Meditations; some of them will be found in the Pocket Prayer Book. The devotional parts of Baxter's writings, (particularly his Christian Directory,) afford excellent materials for Prayer, as well as practical divinity. Bishop Patrick, and Jenks, give some of our most spiritual models of prayer: to each of these authors the Pocket Prayer Book is highly indebted.

Should the expense of printing a volume deter some of her young friends from making an attempt, she wishes to remind them, that it is by no means difficult to epitomize a book into a tract, and for a sample, begs leave to refer to the "Saint Indeed," from Flavel.

The union of a few friends might with ease defray the expense of one tract, especially if the Edition be large. If only one important tract be selected, the good which may be accomplished is incalculable.

After so much experience of the Divine goodness, the Editor can with cheerfulness leave her plan with Him who witnessed her

earnest request in early life for its success. He has not turned away her prayer, nor his mercy from her and she indulges the pleasing hope that in some distant land, (perhaps far from her native shores,) or in some distant period of time, this undertaking may be placed in more efficient hands: still under his blessing, without which, a Paul may plant, and an Apollos water in vain.

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To Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that she could ask or think, to Him alone be all the praise of the unworthy Editor,

Rebecca Wilkinson.

Clapham Common, Surrey.
Jan. 20th, 1825.

Applications to be made through the medium of Messrs. Hatchard and Son, 187, Piccadilly, or the Philanthropic Society, London Road, St. George's Fields.

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