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grateful sense of the kindness of benefactors, whom thou hast rendered capable of serving me from inclination and choice, I hold myself bound to look beyond all second causes whatever to thee, the first, ever-acting, and universal cause, and to adore and magnify thy skill and benevolence, manifested in the contrivance and disposal of those causes, and in their operation for my benefit. By whatever means the preservation of my life, health, ease, or comfort has been immediately effected, I most thankfully ascribe it to the constant agency of thy invisible hand.

I bless thee, the great fountain of all intelligence and father of lights, for all the helps and advantages granted me for attaining knowledge and goodness. I thank thee more especially for the light, consolation, and hope, which thou hast put it into my power to obtain by a frequent and attentive perusal of the contents of the sacred volume, by serious meditation upon them, and by an impartial and diligent use of them in the regulation of my faith, temper, and practice. O adorable Fountain of wisdom and love! my lips cannot express the gratitude I feel for being brought acquainted

with the discoveries relating to thy glorious perfections, thy supreme and unrivalled dominion throughout the universe, the principles of thy moral government, and the duties and prospects of mankind, which thou hast condescended to make by Revelation. Graciously deign, omniscient God! to accept the thankfulness for all thy mercies, with which thou beholdest my heart to be now filled, but which I have no words adequately to describe. that to cherish this thankfulness, and to act upon all occasions as becomes one who feels it, may be henceforth my uniform endeavour and delight.

With deep remorse I confess unto thee, O compassionate Father! that in past life I have been far from taking due pains to cultivate an habitually grateful frame of mind towards thee, and a constant disposition to yield an unreserved obedience and submission to thy will. In the midst of thy favours my mind has frequently been but little impressed with a sense of thy goodness. I have lived too much as if I had been independent of thy care and bounty, and had been indebted for the blessings I have enjoyed to my own skill, labour, and

prudence alone. I have acted in many instances as if I had thought that I was not accountable to thee for my conduct, or obliged to be satisfied with thy allotments, but had a right to follow my own inclinations and the device of my own heart in the use of thy favours, and to murmur at thy dealings when any of them have been withdrawn. Many are the circumstances, by which the guilt of my ingratitude and disobedience has been highly aggravated. Thou hast been prolonging my life, at the very time that I have been forfeiting it by my transgressions; crowning that life with thy loving kindness, at the very time that I have been unmindful of thy benefits and abusing them; and continuing to speak to me by the voice of conscience, providence, and revelation, at the very time that I have been refusing to listen to the advice and warnings suggested by either. O merciful God! accept the sacrifice of a broken and contrite heart, which I now offer unto thee, and remember not against me my numerous offences.

May I retire from this act of devotion fully resolved to make it appear by my future be haviour, that thy goodness, in bearing with

me so long, has led me to sincere repentance. May the light, in which, at this moment of solemn intercourse with thee, the just and holy God, and the great searcher of hearts, I view all sin, inspire me with an invincible and permanent abhorrence of it, under whatever disguise it may assume. And as in the precepts which Jesus taught, the pattern which he exhi bited, and the motives by which he was influenced, thou hast clearly shown me, in what manner and with what views I must act in order to please thee, may I carefully attend to his instructions and example. Acknowledging his divine authority, may I cheerfully submit to be governed by his laws; contemplating the illustrious character, which, made in all things like unto his brethren and tempted in all points as they are, he uniformly supported, may I feel myself raised above all the allurements and terrors of the world; and firmly believing his advancement to a state of glory and happi ness to be a pledge of the advancement of his genuine disciples to a similar state, may I be steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work which thou hast set me to do, confident that I shall then be glorified, with my exalted forerunner, by thee, the impartial rewarder of

all thy faithful servants. Seeing in the life and conversation of Jesus the efficacy of those prin ciples, by which he was actuated, may I be induced to cultivate the same. May a supreme love and reverence for thee, a constant zeal for thy glory, an inviolable attachment to the cause of truth and righteousness, and an unbounded and inextinguishable benevolence to mankind rule in my mind, as they did in his. Following the impulse of these pure, sublime, and ennobling principles, may I pass through all the scenes of remaining life and the conflict with death, rejoicing in thee, as the infallible judge of what is best for me, and my future everlasting portion.

O benevolent Father of the whole human race, and righteous Governor of the earth! so order the affairs of this world by thy wise and good providence, that the knowledge, virtue and happiness of its inhabitants may be every where increasing. For this purpose, open a way for the universal propagation of unadulterated Christianity and of all important truth, and cause them to be accompanied every wher in their progress with their proper and genuine fruits.

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