My only hope therefore is in thy tender mercy, which hath been ever of old; and in that pity and compaffion which thou haft fhewn to mankind, in the redemption of the world by the death of thy dear Son. For thy name's fake, therefore, O Lord! and for thy beloved Son's fake, pardon, I moft humbly befeech thee, all my past fins, and let not iniquity be my ruin. Forgive the deadnefs of my devotion; the coldness of my affections; the wanderings of my prayers; and whatever thou haft feen amifs in me. Oh! pity my weaknesses and forgive my infirmities, and lay not to my charge the imperfections of my religious duties. But enable me, O Lord, by the affiftance of thy good fpirit, to amend whatever has been amifs, and to endeavour more and more after the attainment of all thofe graces and good dispositions, which are neceffary to render our prayers and praises acceptable in thy fight. And, Whereas I have fo lately renewed my baptifmal covenant with thee, in the Lord's Supper, let me never fall into a careless and unconcerned ftate of mind; into a coldness and indifference towards the duties of religion; but animate and enliven my fluggish heart, and cleanse it from all its defilements. Oh! root out of my heart, by the powerful efficacy of thy grace, O God! all pride, envy, and covetoufnefs; vetoufnefs; all bitterness, anger, and malice; and whatever elfe is contrary to the laws and precepts of thy Gofpel; and replenish my foul with the graces of thy holy Spirit, that I may become fruitful in every good word and work, and my whole life may be one continued act of an humble and dutiful obedience to thy divine commands. To which end, O bleffed Jefu! ftrengthen my faith, fortify my mind, and give me an honeft and upright heart, that nothing may be ever able to shake my integrity. Give me fuch a lively fenfe and conviction of the shortnefs and uncertainty of this life, and of the momentous concerns of eternity, that I may not be fo foolish as to waste my precious time in an eager purfuit after the things of this world, but may employ it in fuch a manner, as may best promote thy honour and glory, and fet forward my own falvation. O make me fo wife as to fee, and know, and follow, the things that make for my peace, left they be hid from my eyes, and all opportunities of reconciling myfelf to thee, my offended God, be far from me; let the falvation of my precious foul be my conftant care and concern. Grant that I may never forget the one thing needful, but give all diligence to make my calling Rom. xiv. 19. ↑ Luke x. 42. calling and election fure; that endeavouring in all things to approve myfelf thy faithful fervant, I may from ferving thee here upon earth, be admitted, in thy good appointed time, to the praifing thee eternally in thy kingdom, through the merits of my compaffionate Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen. A Prayer before Examination. LMIGHTY Lord God the fearcher of A hearts, and difcerner of the very thoughts, in whofe fight all things are naked and open, be pleafed to impart a ray of thy heavenly light, to difcover all the fins and infirmities of my paft life, that henceforward no fecret fin may lie undiscovered and corrupted in my foul; that by examining my life and converfation by thy law, the rule and measure of my duty, I may understand the true ftate and condition of my foul; and from a juft fenfe and fight of all my tranfgreffions, thro' the affiftance of thy grace and heavenly benediction, I may be enabled to reform: my life and to turn my feet unto thy teftimonies; fo faithfully to fearch and examine my own confcience, that I may return holy and clean to that heavenly feaft, and be received as a worthy partaker of that holy table which thou haft called me to grant this for thy mercies' fake in Chrift Jefus. Amen. Short "TH Short Heads of Examination for the Evening. HAT your whole life may be more "conformable to the Gofpel of Jefus "Chrift, by which we must be judged at the "divine tribunal in the last day; and that you "may fet a time apart for more folemn exa"mination, it has been advifed by wife and "good men, that we fhould every evening 86 put fome fuch queftions as these to our"felves." In what company have I spent this day paft? What good have I omitted? In what manner have I performed my morning devotion? What mercies have I received? how thankful have I been, and am I for them? What temptations have I refifted? What ground have I got of my habitual fins? How have I governed my paffions? have I not been eafily provoked by little accidents which daily happen? What opportunities have I had of doing good, and how have I improved them? What opportunities have I had of difcouraging evil, and how have I oppofed it ? "To thefe queftions you may add fuch others, as you find neceffary. If you recollect the whole "time of the day from your rifing, (for which "a few minutes before your evening devotions C 3 " will "will fuffice) you will very easily be enabled to "anfwer the preceding queftions, and when you "have done this, you must heartily beg God's pardon for any fin you have been guilty of, "and fhew yourself thankful for thofe bleffings, refpecting either this or another life, which he "hath beftowed on you. 66 66 "Some have written down the fins they have "been guilty of, that they might again humble "themselves at the time of their more folemn hu"miliation; which may be farther used; for, by "comparing one time with another, you will bet"ter difcern the amendment of your life, and "growth in Chriftian virtue: but this is only "advice; for every perfon is left to judge for "himself of the usefulness and expediency of this " method." The Sinner's Complaint. N deep diftrefs and troubled thoughts, If thou feverely mark our faults, No flesh can stand before thine eyes. But thou haft built thy throne of grace, Free to difpenfe thy pardon there; That finners may approach thy face, And hope and love, as well as fear. As the benighted pilgrims wait, And long and wish for breaking day; So waits my foul before thy gate; When will our God his face difplay? *Pfalm cxxx. 3. My |