look down from heaven, the habitation of thy holiness, and the throne of thy glory, and behold with pity the poor remnant of thy heritage, who are yet upon our warfare and pilgrimage in this present world; beset with many and mighty malicious enemies of our souls, and groaning for deliverance from the bondage of corruption, that we may be brought into the glorious liberty of the children of God.

The good Lord pardon every one of us, that now prepare and set ourselves to seek thy face, and to meet and enjoy our God in the ordinances of thy worship: though we be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary, accept us in thy beloved Son, according to what we have, and fill us with thy good spirit, to make us what we would be. O give me a devout soul, and a praying heart; that I may not only go over the words of prayer, or rest in any forms of godliness; but may I serve thee with my spirit, and lift up my heart to the Lord, and as much as is possible converse above.

It is good for men to draw nigh to God, in whose service consists all our honour and bliss. O let my heart rejoice in seeking the Lord; and with great liveliness, and love, and cheerfulness, let me frequent thy ways, and study thy word, and admire thy works, and praise thy name. I bless thee, my God, that thou hast given me an understanding to know thee, a heart to love thee, and a soul capable to wait upon thee in the duties of thy holy immediate service here, and capable of enjoying thee in

thy eternal heavenly glory hereafter. I bless thee for all opportunities and advantages which I have to serve thee, and to work out my salvation; for the ministry of reconciliation committed to thy servants for all their labours, and writings, and preachings; and for all other means of grace and helps heaven-ward.

O give me also such a love for thy word, that I may value it above all the wealth of the world, and relish it better than all the pleasures of the flesh; esteeming the words of thy mouth more than my necessary food: and receiving it not only in the light, but in the love of it, that I may be saved. And give me, Lord, a heart to fear thee, and keep thý commandments always, that it may go well with me, both now and for ever. O let me so make thy word the rule of my life, that it may also be the ground of my hope and while it is sounding in my ears, O be thou also teaching my heart to make it efficacious and saving to my soul. And let there be such a transcript of the gospel in my life, that I may not only hear what it says, but be such as it pescribes. O gracious God! continue the light and joyful sound of thy gospel amongst us: and help us so rightly to use it, and to make our due benefit of it, that we may find cause, to bless and praise thee for it. Ó that every Sabbath may add still to our stature in Christ Jesus; and that we may so sanctify thy Sabbaths-now while we are on the way, that in the end we may attain to the blessed Sabbath of thy everlasting rest; there to live in the sight and love, and in the enjoyment and praises of thee our God, blessed for evermore.

Amen.

A Confession of the Sins forbidden, with Prayer for Grace to perform the Duties enjoined in the Commandments: preparatory to the Sacrament, or at any Time of Humiliation.

O

LORD, the great and glorious God! against whom I have grievously offended, and who for my sins art justly displeased; I know not where to begin or end with the rehearsal of all my transgressions, which are more than I can remember, and greater than I can

express.

Thou art God alone, and there is none beside thee, that hast absolute sovereignty over me, and that can be ful! and final happiness to me. But, O Lord, my God, other lords have had dominion over me. I have idolized things in myself, and in this present world; and have set them in the stead of God: either disbelieving thy being, or forgetting thy presence, or disliking to retain thee in my thoughts; and living without thee in the world. I have not improved in thy knowledge, answerable to the means of instruction wherewith thou hast blessed me. And that I have no more and better knowledge of my God, it is my shame, and owing to my sinful dulness and negligence in that which does most of all concern me. I have not had all my expectations from thee, nor my whole dependence upon thee, nor my chief hope and delight in thee: but have stuck and trusted to creature comforts and worldly enjoyments: things short of thee, my God, to make me happy. O how I have hardened my heart against the fear of

thy glorious Majesty; who canst whenever thou pleasest, kill and cast sinners into hell! Making bold to sin against the clear light which thou hast caused to shine upon me! And how have I shut my heart against the love of my chiefest good; who hast still been doing me good, and laying fresh obligations upon me, with thy renewed favour, every day! Loving the creatures and any sensual pleasures more than the God blessed for ever.

I have conceived injurious unbecoming thoughts of thy infinite greatness and goodness, till I have become vain and wicked in my imaginations; thinking the most high and glorious God to be even such a one as myself. one as myself. And instead of worshipping thee in spirit and in truth it has been after my own fancy and humour, in a formal and customary manner.

O what light account have I made of thy great name! and what little zeal have I shewed for thy honour and glory! how have I disregarded thy word and works, thy mercies and judgments, thy calls and warnings, and all thy offers and invitations; and either neglected the offices of thy worship; or profaned the holy things, and abused religious duties, to cover my offences; drawing nigh to thee with my mouth while my heart has been far from thee.

Thy day I have not remembered as I ought to keep it holy; but have used as common what thou hast set apart for sacred; and borne the holy season as a burden, and made bold with thy hallowed time, to spend it upon my sloth, and lusts, and worldly trifles, and carnal impertinencies.

H

O how have I failed and sinned in all my relations. As a superior, in pride and vanity; as an inferior, in ftubbornness and envy; as a parent and child, a master and servant, friend and neighbour; not discharging my duty in any capacity as I ought.

How careless have I been of my own and others' souls! how passionate and unmerciful, contentious and revengeful! bitter in my words and malicious in my heart, tempting some into soul-ruining sins; and not doing what in me lies to keep others from the wicked undoing of themselves; not exerting my desires and endea vours to do good unto all.

O Lord! I am unclean, unclean! defiled with filthy imaginations rolling in my head, and luftful desires harbouring in my heart, and breaking out in corrupt communication, and carnal carriage, and intemperate living after the flesh. Yea, I have been guilty of the spiritual whoredom, in forsaking the blessed bridegroom of my soul, to cleave to lying' vanities: and to keep up that friendship with the world, which is enmity with God.

I have been unfaithful in the unrighteous Mammon, and not honoured thee with my subftance; nor done the good which thou hast made me capable of doing, with the world's good but by idleness and injurious entrenching on the rights of others, or by profuse consuming my portion on my own lusts, I have been a sacrilegious usurper of thy good crea

tures.

O! what vicious liberties have I taken to my