A PRAYER FOR SATURDAY EVENING. 535 ingenuous and unreserved sorrow and shame; to own that they are more in number than the hairs of our head, and a sore burden too heavy for us to bear; and to present ourselves, in deep contrition at thy throne of grace, in humble faith and reverent boldness, through our great and compassionate High Priest, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need. And as a proof, that our former attempts to come before thee, in this new and living way, through the mediation of thy incarnate Son, have not been unavailing; help us this evening to apply the atoning blood to our consciences, to purge away the guilt of the past week; that we may go to rest in peace, and not carry the guilt of any unrepented, unpardoned sin, into the ensuing week, to mar our comfort, or blast our endeavours to glorify thy name. Q thou Author and Finisher of Faith, help us against all the incursions of unbelief: leave us not to a dead faith and presumptuous hope; and let us not be discouraged by needless fears and scruples. Grant us peace and joy in believing; and let the love of God, shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit, warrant that our hope shall never cause us to be ashamed.. While we would thus seek forgiveness of all that is past, through the blood of sprinkling; enable us also to return thee our unfeigned thanks for the mercies of the past week, and of our whole lives. Blessed be thy name, O Lord our God, for the continuance of our lives; the preservation,[or recovery] of our health; exemption, [or relief,] from pain; the use of our limbs, senses, and faculties; the plentiful supply of our wants; the kindness of our friends, and the restraints put upon our 536 A PRAYER FOR SATURDAY EVENING. t enemies and wicked men; our domestick comforts; and our privileges in this land, still favoured with liberty, peace, and the light of heavenly truth. O that we were more disposed to bless the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works towards the children of men. We thank thee, for our abundant opportunities of religious improvement; for every degree of inclination to attend on them; and for all the benefit we have 'thus received. We ascribe it to thy special grace, that we have ever attended to thy gospel; and that we have been kept from turning back into the world, or aside into any destructive or injurious delusion: nay, that we are not at this moment sitting in the seat of the scornful, or walking in the paths of vice and impiety. Another week has now been added to the season of thy long suf fering,and our season of preparation for eternity! through another week we have obtained help of God, and been in some measure enabled to cleave to thee! Accept our cordial thanks and praises, and grant that our future lives may evidence their sincerity. But we can no more enumerate thy mercies, than our own transgressions; but must sum up all in ascribing glory to thy name, for thy mercies, general and particular, in addition to all thy former loving-kindnesses. Whatever any of us, O gracious Father, have attempted in thy service during the past week, do thou render effectual by thy blessing. If [by conversation, or letters, or] in any way we have endeavoured to be useful to our brethren, or our fellow-sinners; give we beseech thee the desired success. Though the seed sown may have been "as bread cast upon the "waters;" let it not perish, but "be found after A PRAYER FOR SATURDAY EVENING. 537 many days." And prosper the labours of all those, who with greater zeal and ability, or more favourable opportunities, have sown the good seed of divine truth, in every part of the world. If, O Lord, we have presented any believing and fervent prayers before thy throne of grace; either in the closet, the family, or in publick worship; for ourselves, our beloved relatives and friends, and our Christian brethren dispersed abroad in the world; for our country, our rulers or teachers, and the different orders and ranks of men in the community; for the distressed in mind, body, or estate, or the oppressed and enslaved; for the peace of the world, the success of the gospel, and the establishment of thy kingdom: do thou graciously remember and answer all these our supplications, pardoning the sinfulness cleaving to them, and far exceed them all, for the sake and honour of thy beloved Son. Bless to us, we beseech thee, the means of grace we have this week enjoyed and grant that, through thine assistance, we may remember, and be edified by all we have read or heard from thy holy word. Sanctify also to us the dispensations of thy providence: teach us to profit by all thy chastisements; and to learn gratitude and confidence in thee, by all thy mercies: and may even the experience we have of our own weakness and folly, excite us to more fervent prayers for wisdom, strength, and grace, according to thy precious promises. And now, O merciful God, we beseech thee, to prepare our hearts for the approaching season of sacred rest : and teach us so to arrange all our temporal concerns, that our thoughts may not be occupied, our attention distracted, nor our minds ruffled by them, when 538 A PRAYER FOR SATURDAY EVENING. we would wait on thee in thy holy services. Let us not deem thy sabbaths a weariness; but our de-. light, our privilege, and great advantage. May the care of our own souls, and of the souls of those who belong to us, pleasantly occupy the hours of the day. By self-examination, and meditation on thy word, may we obtain increasing acquaintance with ourselves, our spiritual estate; the progress we have made, or the loss we have sustained in this important concern. Enable us, we beseech thee, to humble ourselves before thee in true repentance, and cordially to renew our acceptance of thy salvation; and, while we wait on thee, may our strength be repaired; every grace brought into vigorous exercise; and our knowledge of thy truth and will in all respects enlarged. Assist us in thy publick worship, and favour us with thy special presence and blessing. May thy people, with whom we worship, be refreshed, comforted, and sanctified in thy courts; and grant thy special assistance and blessing to thy ministers, in their work and labour of love. O, that increasing numbers may be added to thy churches, of such as shall be saved; and many able and faithful labourers sent forth into the harvest; till the Sun of righteousness shall diffuse his healing influence, wherever the sun in the firmament enlightens the nations with his beams. Hear us, O merciful Father, in these our supplications; take us under thy protection this night; fit us, both in body and soul, for the duties of the ensuing day, and by them prepare us for thy eternal sabbath, for the sake of Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Spirit, One God in three Per A PRAYER FOR THE LORD'S DAY MORNING. 539 sons, even the God of our salvation, be glory and honour from all creatures, now and for evermore, Amen. A Family Prayer for the Lord's Day Morning. O THOU God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of all that truly believe in him; we meet together this morning to thank and bless thee, for sparing us to see another day of sacred rest; and to intreat thy gracious. assistance in keeping it holy to thy name. Alas, how many sabbaths have some of us wasted in vanity and folly, in sloth or worldly concerns, in frivolous company, amusement, or animal indulgence! And since we have known something of thy salvation; how very imperfectly have we obeyed thy command of sanctifying thy holy day! If thou shouldst enter into judgment with us according to our deserts, our transgressions in this single point would leave us speechless under thy awful sentence of condemnation. But though we have thus been ungrateful and perverse; though we have robbed thee of thy hallowed time and the glory due to thy name, and our own souls of the benefit: yet, we beseech thee, magnify thy mercy in pardoning our sins, and in giving us thy grace, that we may henceforth walk in newness of life. We bless thy name, O Lord our God, that thou hast appointed this season of interruption to our worldly pursuits; and made this provision for our spiritual advantage and we thank thee, if our hearts have been in |