sweet foretastes of the happiness of that land of spirits, where formality, and sense, and sin, shall give place to sincerity, devotion, and holiness.

SPRING.

Lord, thou sendest out thy word, and meltest the ice; thou causest thy wind to blow, and the waters flow. Lo! the winter is past, and the flowers appear on the earth: the time of the singing of birds is come: thou waterest the hills from thy chambers; and thy breath maketh the earth fruitful.

O may the returning warmth, the reviving verdure, the gushing waters-the universal joy of emancipated nature, create an echo of sympathy in my heart, and lead my affections and devotions up to thy throne in heaven. Enlarge, and instruct, and sanctify my mind by frequent contemplations of thee in the works of thy hands. May I hear a voice of wisdom, and mystery, and praise from every grain of sand and blade of grass; from every breath of air and cloud of heaven; from every drop of dew and shower of rain; from every beam of light and shade of darkness; from every flowing fountain and rolling river; from every peaceful valley and stable mountain. Blessed Lord, all thy works praise thee. O why should man, who enjoys thy richest blessings, be last and feeblest in his testimony to thy greatness? Grant that my thoughts may meditate on thy wonders,-that my lips may speak of thy worth-and that my life may show forth thy glory.

Fill my heart with love to thee, when I look on the bounty of nature; for thou art by it preserving the life of man and beast, and bestowing on them both gladness and plenty. Let it inspire me with

confidence in thy providence; for if God so clothes the grass, which to-day is in the field, and to-morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe me? And if he feeds the fowls of the air, which neither sow, nor reap, nor gather into barns, will he not also feed me? Lord, thou knowest that I have need of these things; and thou hast promised to add them unto me, if I seek first thy kingdom and righteousness.

O thou that renewest the face of the earth, grant my soul the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Whilst thou art clothing creation with the beauty and vigour of a new life, give me, I pray thee, the beauty of holiness, and make me a new creature in Christ Jesus.

Merciful God, give me wisdom to look on life, as the seedtime of man's estate, and on eternity as its harvest. They that plough iniquity, and sow wickedness, shall reap the same; but they that sow to the Spirit, shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Lord, bless those who are in the springtime of life. May they remember their Creator in the days of their youth. Teach them that though their joy is in its opening bud, thou canst blast it, ere it become a flower-though their hope is full of light, thou canst draw over it the cloud of sorrowthough they are in the morning of life, thou canst speedily bring over them the night of death. O dispose them to give the bud of their being, the brightness of their hope, the dawn of their day, to him who made and seeks their hearts. And then, when time shall be no more, they will dwell where no cold shall wither their immortal bloom, no cloud cast a shadow over their radiant joy, and no night darken their endless day!

SUBMISSION.

Lord, grant me, through the mediation of Jesus, the grace of submission. I pray thee let me never murmur nor rebel against either thy word or providence. Thou hast an infinite right to reign in me, and to rule over me, and to do with me, as seemeth good in thy sight. Thou canst not devise any statute, which is not founded on infinite wisdom and goodness. Thou canst not execute any measure, that is not sanctioned by righteousness and grace.

O strengthen me by faith and love, that I may bow to every token of thy will-which is indeed the perfection of knowledge, holiness, and mercy. I thank thee, Lord, for that full expression of it, which thou hast bequeathed in thy word. There thou hast given line upon line, and precept upon precept, that none may err therein. And yet how often does my heart forget and forsake, and sometimes contend against thy law. How prone is it to be unsubmissive when thou layest thy hand upon me in correction or displeasure.-O God, assist me to recognise thy hand in all the workings of thy providence; and lead me to concur cheerfully, with every intimation which thou givest in these things, of thy sovereign pleasure. Incline me, I pray thee, to receive thy commandment as the law of my language, feelings, and conduct. Let me not despise thy chastenings, nor faint at thy rebukes. May I be still, and know that thou art God.-[See AFFLICTION.]

Saviour of Man, bring the impenitent to submit to thy will. Thou wouldst indeed have them forsake their rebellion, and obey thy law; and thou art seeking to win them to obedience, by the promises of thy grace, and the warnings of thy wrath. O

convince them that thy judgments are round about them, and that the second death is before them. Show them that their unreserved submission to thee, is their only wisdom and safety: for then, instead of being exposed to thy sore displeasure, they will be received into thy favour, and enjoy the perfect peace of him whose heart is stayed on thee.

SUMMER.

Creator of Heaven and Earth, thou hast set a tabernacle in the firmament for the sun. His going forth is from the end of the heaven, and his circuit unto the ends of it; and there is nothing that is hid from the heat thereof.

Lord, if it please thee, preserve my health and life during these months, that are so often marked by the ravages of disease and death. Especially do thou keep my soul from the maladies of sin, and give me the saving health of thy Spirit, through the grace of the Lord Jesus. Be unto me as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land.-Lord, lift up the light of thy countenance upon me, and send me thy Sun of righteousness, with healing in his wings. And through thy tender mercy, let the dayspring from on high, visit those that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, to guide their feet in the way of peace.

Great Benefactor, I thank thee for this season, in which thou art blessing the toil of the labourer, and fulfilling the desire of the husbandman. Disappoint not those who wait for the precious fruit of the earth. Let not the ground be parched with continual and oppressive heat, nor flooded by untimely and destroying rain. Let the heavens give their dewmake thou the earth soft with showers-give the

clear shining after rain, whereby the grass springeth out of the earth-and let the land yield her increase abundantly.

Lord, whilst thou art giving seed to the sower, and bread to the eater, incline men to hunger and thirst after righteousness. Bestow on them that bread of God, which is he that came down from heaven, and gave his life for the world, that whosoever cometh to him, should never hunger, and that whosoever believeth on him, should never thirst.

O thou that givest growth and plenty, bless the good seed of thy word. As the rain cometh down from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it to bring forth and bud; so let thy word be, that goeth forth out of thy mouth: let it not return unto thee void, but accomplish that which pleases thee, and prosper in the thing whereto thou hast sent it.

Lord, when I look on the abundance which covers the earth, may I remember those moral fields that are white already to the harvest; which truly is plenteous, but the labourers are few. I pray thee, for Christ's sake, send forth labourers, who shall gather fruit, unto life eternal.

Gracious Father, regard in mercy, those who, unless they turn from the error of their ways, may soon take up the lamentation-"The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved." Break up the fallow ground of their hearts; sow in them the seed of truth; rain righteousness upon them; and make them as the garden of the Lordfor thy great name's sake.