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A Family Prayer for the Lord's Day Evening.

THOU most holy and merciful God, we, thine unworthy servants, desire this evening to review, as in thy presence, the day past; humbling ourselves for our sinfulness, and thanking thee for all thy loving kindnesses, with which we have been favoured.

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When we endeavour to examine any part of our conduct, and the motives whence it sprang; or to compare it with thy holy law: we never fail to discover abundant cause for humiliation. Alas, not only have our actual transgressions and omissions been innumerable and aggravated: but each of us has cause to exclaim, when contemplating thy glories, "Woe is me, for I am ❝ undone, because I am one of unclean lips, and mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts!" For our very worship is so defiled and defective; that instead of atoning for our past sins, or recommending us to thy favour, it needs thy gracious forgiveness, and must be washed in the blood of Christ. Pardon, therefore, we beseech thee this evening, whatever thy holy eyes have seen amiss in the duties of the day: the wanderings of our hearts, the coldness of our affections; our want of reverence, love, and gratitude; the weakness of our faith, the wavering of our hope; the mixture of selfseeking and regard to men, with which our religious services have been contaminated. And grant, that all our supplications and thanksgivings, as far as they

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A PRAYER FOR THE LORD'S DAY EVENING.

have been uprightly presented before thy throne of grace, under the influences of thy Holy Spirit, may be mercifully accepted, through the mediation of our heavenly Advocate. We desire also, O Lord our God, to crave thy fatherly forgiveness of every thought, word, or action, by which we have grieved thy Spirit, dishonoured thy name, or counteracted the gracious designs of this thy holy day. Wash us thoroughly from all our sins, in the fountain of atoning blood; that we may have the comfort of thy pardoning love, and the enjoyment of thy peace, before we close our eyes in sleep.

Suffer not, O merciful Lord, the ordinances of this sacred season to rise up at last in judgment against us, to our confusion or condemnation : let not thy word of grace be a savour of death to any individual now before thee. But, O thou giver of every good gift, teach us to improve our advantages: and render the transient seasons of publick ordinances a permanent blessing to our souls. Let us not rest satisfied, with having been serious, impressed, affected, or comforted, when hearing thy word; or with conscious sincerity in our worship: [or in our engagements at thy table :] but may we so meditate upon these things with self-application, and fervent prayer; that our judgment may be matured, our spiritual wisdom and discernment increased, our faith and hope established, our affections purified and invigorated, and our wills rendered more submissive, by every attendance on the means of grace. Thus enable us to "give the more earnest heed to the things we "have heard; lest at any time we should let them "slip." Suffer us not to be as "children tossed to " and fro with every wind of doctrine:" but make us

A PRAYER FOR THE LORD'S DAY EVENING.

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such Christians, as 66 by reason of use have their "senses exercised to discern good and evil.” [And may we also remember that the vows of God are upon us and in all the transactions of life duly consider, that we have avouched the Lord to be our God; and ourselves to be his people, as redeemed unto him by the blood of his Son.] May we carry the instructions of thy word, and the savour of thy holy ordinances, along with us, into all the secular affairs of the ensuing week; to teach us wisdom and circumspection, to arm us against temptation, to be the light of our steps, and the strength of our heart. O grant that as the face of Moses shone, when he came down from the mount; so when we go from communion with thee in thy solemn worship; our light may shine before men, to the glory of thy name, and the adorning of the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

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Prosper, we beseech thee, the labours of all those, who have any where, this day, preached the word of truth in simplicity and godly sincerity. May thy people be edified in their most holy faith, and sinners in great numbers converted unto thee. And where serious impressions have been made, let them not be effaced, but rendered effectual unto eternal salvation. Hear all the supplications, which have this day been presented before thee by thine assembled people; for themselves, their children and relatives; for thy whole church, for all ranks and orders of men, and for the whole human race; according to their several wants, trials, or circumstances. May thy cause every where prevail; may thy truth run and be glorified. O stop the progress of false doctrine, and lift up a standard

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against infidelity, impiety, and licentiousness: and let peace, and the gospel of peace fill the whole earth.

And now, O heavenly Father, we commend ourselves to thy keeping this night. Watch over us and our habitation. Give us the comfort of refreshing sleep; and defend us against all our enemies, especially those that would injure our souls. And grant, that, by hallowing thy sabbaths on earth, we may be rendered more and more meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light. May all our days and weeks be thus begun, continued, and ended with thee: and grant that all we, who now unite in prayer on earth, may at length meet before thy throne in heaven, to sing thy praises and triumph in thy love, through the righteousness, atonement, and intercession of our great High Priest, and to the honour of his name; who is, with thee, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, God over all, blessed for evermore. Amen.

THE END,

INDEX.

A

Access, to God, way of revealed in Scrip-
ture, 6, 7.

Address, to the self-confident, 59-61.
To those who stifle conviction, 61.
To the desponding, 62, 112, 465. To
the presumptuous, 63. To young per-
sons, 130. To those who object to the
doctrine of regeneration, 135. To weak
believers, 136, 381. To rulers, 143.
To poor believers, 231, 353. To the
rich, 352. To new converts, 380.
Affections, must be addressed, 500.
Afflictions, beneficial to believers, 83. 88.
The hand of God to be acknowledged
in them, 386-392.

Angels, holy and fallen, doctrine of
scripture respecting them, 7. Their
worship, 43, 47: Are the creatures
and servants of Christ, 167. Their song
of praise at the nativity of Christ con-
sidered, 336-351. Delight in minis-
tering to believers, 355.

Apostacy, from God, the source of all mi-
sery, 280.

Ark, a type of Christ, 120.

Assurance, how obtained, 135, 312.
Atheism, its absurdity, 15.
Atonement, doctrine of, the centre of re-
velation, 427, 444. Of Christ, of infi-
nite value, 428. applied to the con-
science, 429. the grand display of
God's character, 437. its acceptance
attested by the resurrection of Christ,
444.

B

Baptism, of the Holy Spirit, 55.
Believers, experience of, 7, 292, 366-
374. Love of God to them, 81. Their
privileges, 122, 150, 152, 159, 509.
and happiness, 224-227. Are bles-
sings to their connections, 228.
Enabled to persevere only by grace,371
-374.

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Candour, false, 243.

Will

Charity, false notions of, 158.
Christ, and his gospel, the great subject of
revelation, 5. and the grand display of
God's glory, 146, 437. Why rejected,
140. His mediatorial kingdom, 150.
The only way of access to God, 152.
Unreserved obedience to him required,
154. and divine worship, 155.
judge the world, 166. Angels are his
creatures and servants, 67. Why called
the Lamb of God, 419,-424. Our sins
imputed to him, and his righteousness
to us, 425. Infinite value of his atone-
ment, 428. His condescension and
sufferings, 432-435. His resurrection
considered, 443-466. In Christ,import
of the expression, 117–122.

Christianity, its establishment, 146,
457. The only true religion, 149.
Danger of neglecting or rejecting it,
141-144, 148-151. Its beneficent
effects on society, 347. Evidences of,
445-458.

Christmas-day, sermon for, 330.
Church, state of, 473–481.
Consolation, how to be administered,
153. The work of the Holy Spirit, 54.
Effects of genuine, 57, 58.
Contentment, its connection with godli-
ness, 211–218. Not possessed by the
ungodly, 219.

Conviction, of sin, produced by right
views of God, 44-46. How eluded,
369.

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