with abilities suitable to their great work, that they may fitly apply themselves to the capacities, and to the necessities of their several hearers. And grant, Lord, unto us, and unto all the hearers of thy holy word, humble and teachable spirits; to receive thy truth in meekness, and in the love of it, so as to profit and grow by it. O do thou remove all the hindrances of our spiritual growth and improvement, that thy word may have free course and be glorified among us. And let us this day go forth in the strength of the Lord God; and prosper and increase with the increase of God, by thy grace and blessing accompanying our desires and endeavours; till from serving thee imperfectly here upon earth, we may attain to glorify and enjoy thee our God, in the perfection of holiness, and in those everlasting joys and glories of thy kingdom, which thou hast prepared for them that love thee.

And let thy grace and blessing, thy love and fellowship, thy direction and assistance, O heavenly Father, Son and Holy Spirit, be with us and with all whom we ought to beg thy mercy for in our prayers, this day, and for evermore. Amen.

Another Morning Prayer for the Lord's Day.

LORD, the great Almighty God, thou art

the giver of life and strength, and of all grace and goodness; without whom we can do nothing ; and through whose gracious assistance it is, that we are enabled to do all things belonging to thy service and our duty: We humbly pray, that thou wilt be graciously present with us, and powerfully assistant unto us this day, to direct and quicken, and enable, and further us in all the ways and duties of thy holy service. O forgive our iniquities that separate be

tween thee and our souls; and rememberitted to sins against us, which may justly provoke the thy hide thy face from us. But according to thy mercy, remember thou us, O Lord, and accept us, and our poor imperfect services, for the sake of Jesus Christ. O leave us not to the dulness and hardness, the vanity and deceitfulness of our own depraved hearts : but shew the power of thy heavenly grace, in working mightily upon these hearts of ours to bring and keep them in such a holy frame, that we may be fitter to attend upon thee, and perform more faithful and acceptable service to thee, and enjoy more of that heavenly communion with thee, which thou hast made us capable of; and which our souls will be for ever restless without. O let us not serve thee in formality and hypocrisy, making any duties of course the cover of a vain licentious life: But let our hearts and souls, and all that is within us, be taken up in a revered, faithful and affectionate attendance upon thee. Nor let us serve thee of constraint, only because we must; but with all readi ness and gladness, and love and delight to be so engaged: Making thy pleasure to be ours, and the Sabbath and service of our Lord, the joy and solace of our souls. O help us so to sanctify thy day, that thy day may be a means to promote the sanctification of our souls. Let us bestow ourselves in exer. cises befitting the holy season; and not profane it to any vain and vicious purposes. But on the Lord's day may we abound in the work of the Lord; and not do our own work, nor find our own pleasure, nor speak our own words, in the day which thou hast hallowed for thyself; But rest from all our sinful ways, as well as from our common labours: and so delight ourselves in the Lord, that thou mayest give us the desires of our hearts,

And bless to us thy word, O gracious Father, and all the means of grace, which through thy favour we do enjoy, that we may not use the same in vain, nor to our hurt but for the further informing of our minds, the reforming of our lives, and the saving of our souls; still growing in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; till we attain to be such as thy holy word requires we should be, in all holy conversation and godliness.

Great peace have they that love thy law, and nothing shall offend them. O dear Lord, increase our love to thy word, which the angels desire to look into, and make our souls pliable and submissive, to be turned and ruled by it, till we become in all things agreeable to it.

Bless us, our Father, and command a blessing upon all our pious designs and performances this day: and bless thy servants whom thou hast appointed to bless us in thy name, and to break the bread of life to our souls, that they may speak thy word as they ought to speak and give to every one their portion in due season. And that thy word, which they deliver, may be to our conviction, edification, and comfort, and the savour of life to our souls. O thou that hast the key of David, and openest and no man shutest, thou that speakest to the heart, and givest the increase; open to our understandings to receive thy truth, both in the light, and in the love of it. And set it home so powerfully upon our hearts, and root it so deep in our souls, that the fruits may be seen in our lives: We being not forgetful hearers but faithful doers of thy word.

And grant, O good God, that our services this day may be such, as may tend to our advantage and rejoicing, in the great day of thy appearing and glory: That we may so hallow these Sabbaths here

upon earth, that hereafter we may be admitted to the joyful celebration of the eternal Sabbatism in thy kingdom of heaven: there with all the church triumphant, to laud and magnify thy glorious name, and to enjoy thy love, and sing thy praise for ever. And for the addition of this Sabbath to all the rest, for the benefit of thy word, and the ordinances of thy worship, and all the means of grace, and hopes of thy eternal glory, to thee, the God of all grace, be the praise, and honour, and glory rendered by us, and by all thine, and from this time forth, and for evermore. Amen.

Evening Prayer for the Lord's Day.

LORD, our God! thou art infinitely good, and thou hast shewed us what is good, and what thou requirest of us for our own greatest good always; that it may go well with us, both now, and to all eternity. Thou sendest out thy light and thy truth amongst us, to make the way of life and salvation plain before us; and thou givest us many op portunities and advantages to quicken and further us in thy knowledge and service, and in that way of our duty which leads to the kingdom of thy glory. We have line upon line, and precept upon precept; thy messengers early and late, to open and apply thy word; and to give us calls and warnings, directions and exhortations, for the promoting of our edification here, and our salvation for ever. Thou hast not been wanting to us, O Lord, but we have been exceedingly wanting to ourselves, and to the duty which we owe unto our God! And O how little is it to be seen in our lives, how good and kind the Lord has been to our souls! How have we loved darkness rather than light, and chose to follow the

suggestions of our own foolish and hurtful lusts, rather than to be guided by the rules and prescriptions of thy holy blessed word, that has no design upon us, but to promote our present peace and our eternal bliss! And, because we have so little improved all the precious talents which thou hast put into our hands, thou mightest, O Lord, justly take away the gospel of thy kingdom from us, and give it to another people, that would bring forth fruits more worthy of it, and more answerable to it, than we have done. Because thou hast called, and we have refused; thou hast stretched forth thy hands, but we have not regarded; thou mightest therefore leave us to our own perverseness and impenitence,to add sin unto sin, till our iniquities became our ruin!

But, O Lord God, merciful and long-suffering! we humbly beseech thee that thou wilt not so enter into judgment with thy servants: but in mercy pardon all our contempt of thy word, and our not profit. ing by it, and all the means of grace that we have had. And teach and help us for the time to come, better to use and improve such gracious opportuni. ties set before us, to the glory of thy name, and the true benefit of our souls. As the rain descends from heaven and returns not thither, but waters the earth, and makes it fruitful, so let not thy word return unto thee void; but accomplish thy good pleasure, and prosper in that whereunto thou art pleased to send it. O make it instrumental and effectual to work thy grace, where it is not: and to establish and increase it, where it is; to edify and build us all up in the true fear and love of God, and in the right knowledge and faith of our Lord Jesus Christ.

And though we cannot now find, upon the review of our services this day, that we have duly kept a day holy to the Lord; yet let not thy day, O