to verify the holy effects of Baptism to me and all thy servants, whose names are dedicated to Thee in an early and timely presentation, and enable us, with thy Grace, to fulfil all our promises, by which we were bound, when Thou didst first adopt us into thy family, through the means of that heavenly Covenant. O be pleased to pardon whatever has been unworthy of that state of favor, in which Thou didst plant us by thy Grace, and admit us through the gates of Baptism: and let that Spirit, which moved upon those holy waters, never be absent from us; but call upon us and incite us to holiness by arguments applied to our reason, and solicitations addressed to our heart; that we may never return to the slavery of sin; but by the answer of a good conscience, may glorify thy name, and do honor to thy Religion in this world, and may receive the blessings and rewards of it in the world to come, being presented to Thee pure and spotless, in the day of thy power, when Thou shalt lead thy Church to a kingdom, and endless glories. Amen.

O BLESSED Jesus, who art become to us the fountain of peace and sanctity, of righteousness and charity, imprint in our spirits these glorious characters of Christianity, that we, by such excellent dispositions, may adorn that holy Religion L

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which Thou camest to reveal and exhibit to mankind. Make us meek, patient, and resigned in all accidents, changes, and issues of Divine Providence. Mortify all inordinate, anger in us, all wrath, strife, contention, murmurings, malice, and envy; suppress and eradicate all peevish dispositions and unevenness of spirit, or of habit, that may hinder us in our duty. Oh, teach me so to hunger and thirst after the ways of Righteousness, that it may be meat and drink to me to do thy Father's will. Raise my affections to heaven, and heavenly things; fix my heart there, and prepare a treasure for me which I may receive in the great communications of thy Glory. And in this sad interval of infirmity and temptations, strengthen my hopes, and fortify my faith, by such emanations of light and Grace from thy Spirit, that I may so delight in those blessings which Thou preparest for them that love Thee, as to despise the world and all its gilded vanities, and may desire nothing but the crown of righteousness, and the paths that lead thither, the graces of thy kingdom, and the glories of it; that having served Thee in holiness and true obedience, I may reign with Thee in the glories of eternity: for Thou, O holy Jesus, art our hope, and our life, and glory, and our exceeding great reward. Amen.

O HOLY

O HOLY Jesus, who wert pleased to lay asidé the glories and incomprehensible majesty which cloathed Thee from eternity, and wert invested with the imperfect robe of human nature, commanding devils not to publish Thee, and men not to proclaim thy excellences, and the Apostles not to reveal those glories which they discovered encircling Thee upon Mount Tabor in thy transfiguration; and didst, by thy instruction and example, engrave humility into the spirits of thy disciples, and the discipline of Christianity. Teach us to approach near to these thy glories, which Thou hast so covered with a cloud, that we might, without amazement, behold these thy excellences; make us to imitate thy gracious condescension. Take from us all vanity and overweening complacency in our own persons or actions; and when we might be flattered by the performance of any part of our duty, make us to reflect the glory upon Thee, appropriating nothing to ourselves but shame at our own imperfections, and thankfulness to Thee for all thy assistances. Let us never seek the praise of men, nor entertain the praise with delight, however laudable the principles from which it may proceed; but fear and tremble, lest we deserve punishment, or lose a reward which Thou hast assigned to all them that seek thy glory, and despise their own, that they may be induced to imitate the example of their Lord. Thou, Lord, didst triumph over sin and death: subdue also my proud understanding, and my prouder affections,

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affections, and bring me under thy yoke; that I may do thy work, and obey my superiors, and be a servant of all my brethren in their necessities, and esteem myself inferior to all men, by a deep sense of my own unworthiness, and in all things may obey thy laws, and conform to thy example, and enter into thine inheritance, O holy and eternal Jesus. Amen.

WEDNESDAY.

THY judgments, O Lord God, are declared in thunder, and with fear and with dread thou shakest all my bones, and my soul trembles when I consider that great Day in which thou shalt judge all the world, and that infinite justice which will not spare the mighty for his greatness, nor the poor for his poverty; and thy unlimited power, which can mightily destroy all them that will not have thee to reign over them.

O most dreadful Judge, I stand in amazement when I consider that the heavens are not pure in thine eyes, and if thou foundest perverseness in thy angels, and didst not spare them, what shall become of me? The stars fell from heaven; and what can I presume, who am but dust and ashes? They, whose life hath seemed holy, are fallen into an evil portion, and after they have eaten the bread of Angels, they have been delighted with husks, designed only for swine.

There

There is no holiness, O God, if thou withdrawest thy hand; no wisdom profits if thy go. vernment ceaseth. No courage can abide, no watchfulness keep us safe, unless thou dost continue to strengthen us, to purify us, to make us stand. When thou leavest us, we fall and perish; when thy Grace and mercy visits us, we are lifted up and stand upright. We are unstable, and insecure, unless we be confirmed by thee; but we seek to thee for thy help; and yet depart from the ways of thy commandments.

O how meanly and contemptibly do I deserve to be thought of! how little and inconsiderable is the good which I do? and how vast, how innumerable, how intolerable are the evils which I have done? I submit, O God, to the depths of thy righteous and unsearchable judgment; for I have been searching for a little, some little good in me; but I find nothing. Much, indeed, of good I have received; but I have abused it; thou hast given me thy Grace; but I have turned it into wantonness: thou hast enabled me to serve thee; but I have served myself; but never but when I was thy enemy; so that in me, that is, in my flesh dwelleth no good thing.

I am a deep abyss, O God, of folly and calamity; I search my heart, and can find no good thing; I search, and I cannot find out all the evil. Thou didst create in me a hope of glory; but I have lost my confidence; and men have, sometimes, spoken good things of me; but I know not where they are: Who shall raise me up, when I fall down before thy face in the eternal Judginent?