cannot hear, nor is thy hand shortened that it cannot save. O may we be added to the number of those who shall be monuments of thy grace for evermore !

We have nothing to plead in our own behalf, but that Christ died to save sinners. We lie entirely at thy mercy; and have no hope but in the name of that gracious Lord and Saviour, whom thou hast anointed to be a Prince and a Saviour, to give repentance and remission of sin; to him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

HYMN.

The Lord receives his highest praise,
From humble minds and hearts sincere,
While all the loud professor says,
Offends the righteous Judge's ear.

To walk as children of the day,
To mark the precept's holy light,
To wage the warfare, watch and pray,
Show who are pleasing in his sight.

Not words alone it cost the Lord
To purchase pardon for his own :
.Nor will a soul by grace restor'd
Return the Saviour words alone.

Easy indeed it were to reach

A mansion in the courts above,'
If swelling words and fluent speech
Might serve instead of faith and love.

But none shall gain the blissful place,
Or God's unclouded glory see,
Who talks of free and sovereign grace,
Unless that grace has made him free.

PRAYER

For Friday Evening.

O Lord, thou hast revealed thyself to us as the Lord God, merciful and gracious, abundant in loving kindness, goodness, and truth; keeping mercy for thousands; forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin! O the height, and depth, and breadth of the love of God, in sending Christ into the world to be a Saviour! Glory be to God in the highest, on earth peace, and good-will towards nien ! All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; but thou hast laid on him the iniquities of us all. He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was laid upon him; by his stripes may we be healed.

He poured out his soul unto death, and

made intercession for the transgressors: O let transgressors be received into thy favour. Our sins have abounded, let thy grace much more abound! O that thou wouldest become a God in covenant with us and a reconciled Father to us; and let us be the sons and daughters of the Lord Almighty!

We would be earnest with thee for that new heart which is promised in thy new covenant. Our hearts are deceitful above all things; who can know them? they are seldom melted by thy mercies, or tremble at thy judgments they are proud and worldlyminded. How far have we been from loving the Lord our God, with all our soul, with all our mind, with all our strength; and our neighbours as ourselves. Lord, we have not received thy gospel as we ought to have done; thou hast offered infinitely better things than the world can; thou hast offered pardon, grace, nay, glory, honour, immortality; and yet, O our God, with what coldness do we receive them! The Lord Jesus is the best of masters, but we have refused to obey him; we have called him Lord, Lord, but have not done the things that he says. We have refused to take his yoke upon us, though his yoke is easy, and his burden light. His service we have not liked, though it is perfect freedom.

K

We have broken his bands asunder, and cast away his cords from us. His righteousness is a perfect and everlasting righteousness, yet we have gone about to establish our own righteousness. We have placed a confidence. in our own strength, though it be but mere weakness; we have relied upon our own duties, though they cannot stand before thee. Thou hast smitten us, but we have refused to return. Thy spirit has striven with us, but we have resisted. O Lord, we have known thy will, and have not done it. We deserve to be beaten with many stripes. But there is forgiveness with thee and plenteous redemption. The returning prodigal was embraced by his father; he rejoiced, saying, this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found. Olet the arms of thy love be open to embrace us, though we are not worthy to be called thy children. Remember, O Lord, thy tender mercies, and thy lovingkindness, for they have been ever of old.

Have mercy upon us, O Lord, according to thy loving-kindness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies, blot out our transgressions; wash us thoroughly from our iniquities, and cleanse us from our sins: take away all our iniquity and receive us graciously; heal our backslidings, and love us freely,

and let thy anger be turned away from us. Our sin has abounded, let thy grace much more abound. Turn thou us, and we shall be turned; and keep us, O keep us, by thy mighty power, through faith unto salvation! Amen.

Meditation for Saturday Morning. "A peculiar people."-1 Peter ii. 11. Distinguished from the rest of the world, not barely by their general profession of christianity, but by the peculiar grace of God bestowed upon them, their peculiarly lively faith in the Redeemer's sacrifice and mediation, and divine union with him through his spirit; by their peculiarly affectionate attachment to him, and delight in him, as their only Saviour, their trust and hope in his promises, and obedience to his will; by their peculiar seriousness and constancy in the worship of God, love to one another, and good will to all men; in a word, by their peculiar likeness to God, relish for the pleasures of religion, and regard to their duty in this world and their infinitely superior interests in another.

Lord grant me thy grace, that I may be indeed one of these peculiar people, give me