men, grant unto us that we may love the thing that thou commandest, and desire that which thou dost promise; that so, among the sundry and manifold changes. of this world, our hearts may surely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found. Suffer us not to be deceived by lying vanities. Suffer us not to deceive ourselves by the form of religion without its power; but grant us thy Spirit to think and do always such things as are right; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will. Let us not put our trust in any thing that we do; for, alas all our doings are nothing worth: but may our dependance be in him who bore our sins and carried our sorrows. May his blessed name become every day more precious to us. May we always most thankfully receive this thine inestimable gift, and also daily endeavour to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life. And at length may we, through his merits and mediation, attain those blissful regions whither he has gone before to prepare a place for his people; that where he is, there we may be also, to be with him, and behold his glory. In him may we be found, and accepted, in life, in death, and for ever. Amen. MEDITATION For Wednesday Morning. "Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound." Psalm lxxxix. 15. The joyful sound of their deliverer and their Saviour. Such was thy God, O Israel! and such is thy God, O believer! The Gospel is indeed a joyful sound: a sound of victory over the powers of darkness, and of liberty from the slavery of sin: a sound of pardoning mercy for rebellious mortals. A joyful proclamation that God will indeed dwell with men, and that they shall have fellowship with him and with his Son Jesus Christ. A proclamation of the gracious and sanctifying influence of his Holy Spirit to renew their hearts to holiness, and help them to do his will; and of a heavenly crown and eternal glory to him that overcometh. Blessed are the people that hear this joyful sound. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance; in thy name shall they rejoice all the day. They shall order their steps by thy word, be guided by thine eye, and delight them selves in thy consolations. They shall go through all the exercises of a holy life, under the powerful influences of God's loving-kindness. Blessed is the believer who thus derives his comfort from God's favour, and abides in his love. HYMN For Wednesday Morning. Bless'd are the souls that hear and know Their joy shall bear their spirits up The Lord, our glory and defence, PRAYER For Wednesday Morning. O Lord our God, thy name is most excellent in all the earth: thou hast set thy glory unto Give above the heavens, and art worthy to be celebrated with the everlasting praises of men and angels; for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are, and were created. Thy hands, O Lord, have made and fashioned us, and thou hast breathed into our nostrils the breath of life, yea thou upholdest our souls in life. As we are the workmanship of thy power, O make us likewise the children of thy grace, created anew in Christ Jesus, righteousness and true holiness. proof that thou hast formed us for thyself, by causing us to shew forth thy praise; and by enabling us to live unto thy glory, as we are hourly sustained by thy bounty. But, we must confess, O Lord, that we have not yielded thee that glory which thou hast made us capable of rendering unto thee. We are prone to forget thee, who art never unmindful of us; and to disobey thee, whose goodness to us is unwearied. For these things, O Lord; for the sinfulness of our nature and of our lives, we desire to pour out our hearts, and to humble our guilty selves before thee entreating thee, for the sake of thy dear Son, and of thy mercies in him, to work in us true repentance, and to grant us full and free forgiveness. Strengthen us, O Lord, with might by thy Spirit, in the inner man; and make us watchful against, and victorious over the corruptions of our hearts, the temptations of Satan, and the sinful cares and allurements of the world. Destroy in us every root of bitterness, every plant which thy grace hath not planted; exterminate every evil habit and rebellious emotion which exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and against the obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ. Increase and confirm in us more and more thy true knowledge, and faith, and fear, and love, and every grace of thy holy Spirit. Let not one grace of thy holy Spirit be wanting; let not one be weak: but grant us such manifestations of thyself; and so conform us to the image of thy holiness, that our lives may be comfortable to ourselves, profitable to others, and honourable to thee ourGod. And,whatever may befal us, as to the concern of this life, may we still be found in the path of duty, fearing God and working righteousness; making it evident to all around us, that we have been with Jesus; that we have learned of him; that we are influenced by his Spirit, guided by his example, and are pressing forward to his kingdom. Day by day we magnify thee, O Lord, who crownest every |