felf, and to an entire dependence upon thee: let not the world get poffeffion of my heart, which has been fo often dedicated to thy fervice: let not thofe pomps and vanities, which I have fo folemnly renounced, become the objects of my foolish defires; but be thou, O God, my only joy and my delight, my stay and my fupport, my hope and my truft, my reft and comfort in this world, and my eternal blifs and happiness in that which is to come,

In confidence whereof, O Lord, I hum bly beg thy bleffing this day upon all my honeft defigns and undertakings; direct ine in all my ways, that I may take nothing in hand but what is agreeable to thy bleffed will; let no worldly interest, or advantage, ever prevail upon me to de part from my integrity; but amid the va rious affairs of this life, give me grace to fetthee always before my eyes, that I may not fin against thee; and grant that

may be daily preparing for thofe things that are eternal, through Jefus Chrift our bleffed Lord and only Saviour, in whose name and words I commend to thy mercy and protection myself and all mankind, faying, as he himself hath taught us, Our Father, &c.

The

The Meditation for Wednesday Evening. Upon a firm purpose of amendment and a new life.

In Christ Jefus, neither circumcifion availeth any thing, nor uncircumcifion, but a new creature; therefore we should walk in newnels of life. Gal. vi, 15. Rom. vi. 4.

I.

SE

Eeing now, O my foul, that we have taken all the fteps for a reconciliation with a provoked God, and by his facrament and repentance hope to make him a loving father; let us then, in the next place, steadfastly purpose to lead a new life for the time to come; I mean, that we refolve in good earnest to amend in all particulars wherein we have found ourfelves, upon examination, faulty. This is the most effential part of a fincere repentance, and the chief condition of finding mercy with God. For,

2. The preceding parts of repentance, on which we have meditated in this courfe of our devotions, must be efteemed only as preparative to this; that which muft complete and finish the work of a true convert, is to become a new creature, to turn from our evil ways, and to break off our fins by righteoufnefs. This certainly must be our defire and intention, if ever we hope or expect any benefit or advantage from this folemn rite or covenant, inftituted by Chrift himself; for he that H 2

comes

comes with a defign or intention of continuing in his former fins, may moft properly be compared to Judas, who came and received, and at the fame time continued his refolution of betraying his master.

3. If then, my foul, we refolve to live in the conftant and habitual practice of any known fin, without the leaft defire or intention of amendment, we shall be unfit to receive the holy facrament; and our approach to the holy table, no doubt, will be to eat and drink our own damnation, since it is a plain mocking of God, and a great contempt and abufe of his divine authority. We muft, therefore, (by the help and affiftance of God's grace) refolve to lead a new life, following the commandments of God: for thus we read in the word of God, he that covereth his fins fhall not profper, but whofe confeffeth, and forfaketh them, thall have mercy. Let the wicked man forfake his ways, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, and let him return unto the Lord, and he will have mercy upon him, and to our God, and he will abundantly pardon.

4. If any man, fays the apostle, be in Chrift, he is a new creature; and, on the conif we ftill continue in our finful ways, trary, if we ftill join with wicked company, and

are

are as yet delighted with immodeft objects, and irreligious books, or difcourfe, we may be fure that our former examinations were but flight and fuperficial, our fight and fenfe of fin trivial and indifferent, our forrow and contrition of fpirit forced and hypocritical, and our confeffions formal and odious in the fight of God.

5. Remember then the direction of the holy apoftle, and let me refolve as he advifes, faying, Let them that fole, fieal no more: If I have been guilty of lying, flandering, fwearing, blafphemy, drunkennefs, intemperance, or impurity, I will henceforward ftudy to fpeak the truth, and to avoid thofe fins, and all occafions of falling into them, and be continually. upon my guard against all the prevailing. and ufual temptations to them.

The Hymn for Wednesday Evening..
The character of a worthy communicant.

HE fall afcend thy heav'nly place,

Great God! and dwell before thy face,

Who here minds thy religion now,
And humble walks with God below;

Whofe hands are pure, whofe heart is clean,
Whofe lips till Speak the thing they mean;

H 3

No

No flanders dwell upon his tongue ;
He hates to do his Neighbour wrong.
Scarce will he trust an ill report,
Nor vent it to his Neighbour's hurt:
Sinners of state he can defpife,
But faints have honour in his eyes.
Firm to his word he ever food,
And always makes his promife good;
Nor dares to change the thing he fweurs,
Whatever pain or lofs he bears.

He never deals in bribing gold,
And mourns that Juftice fhould be fold:
While others gripe and grind the poor,
Sweet Charity attends his door.
He loves his enemy, and prays
For thofe that curfe him to his face:
And doth to all men ftill the fame,
That he would wifh or hope from them.
Yet when his holiest works are done,
His foul depends on grace alone.
This is the man thy face fhall fee,
And dwell for ever, Lord, with thee.

The Prayer on Wednesday Evening. For a full purpose of amendment and to lead a new life. God! the great creator, gracious preferver, and wife governor of the world, I thy unworthy fervant, falling down