know we have done wrong. And our prayer is to thee, O thou gracious God, for thine assistance, and the influence of thy Holy Spirit, to establish all our good purposes, and render all our endeavours in the practice of holiness successful and effectual. May thy grace be always sufficient for us, and thy strength made manifest in our weakness; that so we may be enabled to be faithful unto death, and at last obtain a crown of life.

And now, O Lord, to thee we most solemnly commend ourselves, and our family, for the ensuing year. If thou seest fit to spare us all through it, may it be in mercy to every one of us. And if it be thy holy will, we pray that we may be let alone another year. That if there should be any here who as yet have been quite cumberers of the ground, they may at last bring forth some fruit; and that others of us may become more and more fruitful, and so glorify our Father who is in heaven. would not desire life, merely for the sake of living in this world; but chiefly, as it is an opportunity for honouring thee, our God; for promoting the interests of the Redeemer, and doing good to our fellowcreatures. For these purposes we pray, O Lord, that thou wouldest spare us.

We

And, O that we may not contradict such desires and purposes by our after conduct! All our worldly concerns we commit to thy care; and beg, that we may pass this year in those circumstances which thou knowest to be best for us. If it be so, may we have health, and the comforts of life continued without any interruption. If not, prepare us for sickness, and every change through which thou shalt think proper to lead us. And if thou shalt think proper for us to make our great change before this year shall end, may we be ready for it and all the days of our appointed time may we be waiting till this most important change shall come.

We desire to fix all our schemes, as to time, with an humble submission to thy will. O Lord, so teach us to number our remaining few and evil days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom! We praise thee, O Lord, for national mercies the year past, and humbly implore the continuance of them! We are, indeed, the land which thou, the Lord our God, hast cared for. O may we still be the object of thy care and kindness! Blessed be God for temporal and spiritual mercies; for the health and plenty of our land; and for the continuance of thy Gospel among us, after all our

past abuse of the riches of thy goodness, and forbearance and long-suffering. May we at last be reformed. Continue to bless to us our civil government: spare our Queen and all the Royal Family to us; and succeed all her counsels for the increasing welfare and happiness of the land. May our poor be satisfied with bread, and let there be no just cause of complaining in our streets. May thy Gospel still continue, and be more successful on the hearts of ministers and hearers.

And O that this may be the acceptable year of the Lord to those nations that have hitherto sat in darkness and in the shadow of death. How long, O Lord, holy and true, shall ignorance blind, and error and superstition pervert the minds of reasonable creatures! O that the year of thy redeemed may come! Hasten the blessed time, we pray thee, when they shall no more hurt or destroy in all thy holy mountain.

To thee, O Lord, we earnestly commend our friends and relations, and all we are concerned for. Mercifully regard them all; and make this year a truly happy one to them, as well as to us. Graciously accept our offering, and bless the offerers, through Jesus Christ, our only mediator

and advocate, who ever lives to make intercession for us.

Now unto Him who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords; who only hath immortality, dwelling in the light which no man hath seen nor can see; to him be honour and power everlasting! Amen.

HYMN

FOR THE NEW YEAR.

The Lord, our salvation and light,
The guide and the strength of our days,
Has brought us together to night,
A new Ebenezer to raise.

The year we have now passed through,
His goodness with blessings has crown'd;
Each morning his mercies were new:
Then let our thanksgivings abound.

Encompass'd with dangers and snares,
Temptations, and fears, and complaints,
His ear he inclin❜d to our pray'rs ;
His hand open'd wide to our wants.
We never besought him in vain,
When burden'd with sorrow or sin;
He help'd us again and again,

Or where, before now, had we been!

His Gospel throughout the long year,
From Sabbath to Sabbath he gave ;
How oft has he met with us here,
And shewn himself mighty to save!
His candlestick has been remov'd

From churches once privileg'd thus;
But though we unworthy have prov'd,
It still is continued to us.

For so many mercies receiv'd,

Alas! what returns have we made!
His Spirit we often have griev'd,
And evil for good have repaid.
How well it becomes us to cry,
Oh! who is a God like to thee!
Who passest iniquities by,

And plungest them deep in the sea!

To Jesus, who sits on the throne,
Our best hallelujahs we bring :
To thee it is owing alone,

That we are permitted to sing.
Assist us, we pray, to lament

The sins of the year that is past :
And grant that the next may be spent
Far more to thy praise than the last.

A Prayer under Spiritual Decay. Eternal and unchangeable Jehovah! thy perfections and thy glories are like thy being, immutable! Jesus, thy Son, is the