enable us to run the ways of God's commandments with more conftancy and delight than we have done before: it being certain that God well never caft any man into eternal flames, for ftriving to do his duty as well as he can. If there be first a willing mind, it is accepted according to that a man hath, and not according to that he hath not. And confequently, fuch as account themselves most unworthy, are thofe very perfons who are deeply fenfible of their own unworthiness. They that are whole have no need of a physician, but they that are fick.

3. This being the cafe of all mankind, with refpect to their spiritual life, there is, my foul, no other way to free ourselves from this death of fin, but speedily to apply ourselves to this heavenly phyfician, who came into the world to feek and to save those that are loft and ready to perish. And let us truft in God, that as often as we come to the holy communion with such an honest and true heart, as to exercise our repentance towards God, our faith and hope of his mercy through Chrift, for the forgivenefs of our fins, and our love and charity for all mankind, that fuch a temper and refolution of mind will doubtlefs render us worthy partakers of these holy myfteries, and prevent

our

our eating and drinking damnation to ourfelves."

4. But that our preparation may be well performed, let us remember the end, and we fhall never do amifs; let us search our heart and examine our confcience; not only till we see our fins, but until we hate them; and inftead of thofe filthy rags of our own righteoufnefs, let us adorn our mind with pure and pious difpofitions to fear God and to keep his commandments: let us endeavour to be accepted of by God, as worthy communicants; thathe, who knoweth all the fecrets of the heart, may approve of the fincerity of our repentance and the king, who comes in to view the guests, may count us worthy of his favour and countenance; which never can be hoped for without he finds us cloathed with the marriage garment of finçere repentance.

The Hymn on Tuesday Evening.

The true penitent's confeffion and petition.
Lord! few pity; Lord! forgive;
Let a repenting rebel live.

Are not thy mercies large and free?
May not a finner truft in thee?
My crimes are great, but not surpass
The pow'r and mercy of thy grace:
Great God! thy nature hath no bound,
So let thy pard'ning love be found.

Ob'

Ob! wash my foul from ev'ry fin,
And make my guilty confcience clean.
Here on my heart the burthen lies:
And paft offences pain my eyes.
My lips with fame my fins confefs
Against thy law, against thy grace:
Lord, fhould thy judgment grow fevere,
I am condemn'd, but thou art clear.
Should fudden vengeance feize my breath,
I must pronounce thee just in death;
And if my foul was fent to bell,
Thy righteous law approv'd it well.
Yet fave a trembling finner, Lord!
Whofe hope, ftill bov'ring round thy word,
Would light on fome sweet promife there,
Some fure fupport against despair.

The Prayer for Tuesday Evening.
For a true and fincere repentance.

Thou great and glorious God! father of

all mercies and comforts, who takest pleasure in those that come unto thee with faith, and willeft not the death of a finner, but rather that he should be converted and live; look down, I beseech thee, with pity and compaffion upon me, who fall low on my knees before thee, confeffing that I have provoked thy divine majesty, in divers inftances of my finful life. But now I flee unto the arms of thy mercy, for pardon and forgiveness. O let the

5.

infi

infinite merits of my dear redeemer make fatisfaction for me, in the pardon and forgivenefs of all my fins.

Lay not to my charge, O Lord, the fins that I have this day been guilty of; but let those and all the other follies of my life paft be for ever blotted out of thy remembrance; and receive, me, I beseech thee, into thy favour, which Ivalue above all the happiness of this world; for, what would it profit me to gain the whole world and lose my own foul? Oh! grant me a lively fenfe of the folly and danger of fin, that I may truly and fincerely abhor that which is evil, and cleave to that which is good; and with an unwearied diligence follow after the things which make for my everlasting peace and happiness. And whereas, O Lord! I am a weak and frail creature, and am encompaffed about with many temptations, vouchfafe to ftrengthen and affift me with thy grace, that through thy moft mighty power I may be enabled to withstand all the allurements of the world, the flesh, and the devil: [particularly, here mention the fins you are moft guilty of.] Let thy holy spirit direct and rule my heart, that I may think and do always fuch things as be rightful and pleafing in thy fight. And,

Give me fuch a fortitude and resolution, as

will fupport me under all difcouragements, difficulties, and dangers in my christian warfare, that will carry me through all trials, and enable me to triumph over the great enemy of my falvation: that having, by thy divine affifftance, fought the good fight, and finished my course, I may at laft receive that crown of glory,* which thou haft promised to thy faithful soldiers and fervants, + thro' the merits and for the fake of the great captain of our falvation, Jefus Chrift the righteous, who is the propitiation for our fins.

And now, O father of all mercies! in an humble fenfe of thy great goodness, I adore and praise thy glorious majefty for all thy manifold bleffings and mercies, particularly for thofe of the day paft; I bless thee, O Lord, for whatever good I have done, and whatever evil I have escaped; for preferving me in health and fafety; for providing fo plentifully for me; but above all I praise and magnify thy holy name, for the redemption of the world, by the death and paffion of thy dear fon.

O give me grace to make a right use and improvement of these and all thy other mercies: be thou pleased, O Lord, still to continue to

me

1 Tim. vi. 12. 2 Tim. iv. 7. † Matt. xxv. 21, 23. 1 John ii. 2. iv. 10.