and Glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen.

I have often begun to return to Thee; but I turned short again, and looked back upon Sodom, and loved to dwell in the neighborhood of the horrible regions. Now, O my God, hear; now let me finish the work of a holy repentance. Let thy Grace be present with me, that this day I may repent acceptably, and to-morrow, and all my days; not weeping over my returning sins, nor deploring new instances; but weeping bitterly for the old, loathing them infinitely, denouncing war against them hastily, prosecuting that war vigorously; resisting them every hour, crucifying them every day, praying perpetually, watching assiduously, consulting spiritual guides and helps frequently, obeying humbly, and crying mightily, I may do every thing by which I can please thee, that I may be rescued from the powers of darkness, and the sad portions of eternity which I have deserved.

MEDITATIONS AND PRAYERS.

O ETERNAL God, give me leave to speak for myself before I die I would fain live and be healed, I have been too long thine enemy, and would not be so for ever. My heart is broken within me, and all my fortunes are broker without; I know not how to speak, and I must not, I dare

not continue silent.

O my

Omy God, can yesterday be recalled, and the fying hours be stopped? In my youth I had not the prudence and caution of old age; but is it possible that, in my old age, I may be restored to the hopes and opportunities of youth? Thou didst make the sun to stand still at the prayer of Joshua, and return back at the importunity of Hezekiah. O do thou make a new account for me, and reckon not the days of my youth; but from this day reckon the beginnings of my life, and measure it by the steps of duty, and the light of the sun of righteousness now rising upon my heart.

I am ashamed, O God, I am ashamed that I should betray my reason, shame my nature, dishonor my understanding, and baffle all my faculties for so base, so vile affections, so unrewarding interests. O my God, where is all that vanity which I sucked as greedily as the wild asses do the wind? Whither is that pleasure and madness gone which so ravished all my senses, and made me deaf to the holy charms of thy divine Spirit? Behold, O God, I die for that which is not; and unless thy mercy be my rescue, for ever I shall suffer torments insufferable, still to come, still to succeed, for having drunk of unsatisfying perishing waters, which had no current, no abode.

O my God, smite me not yet; respite me one portion of time, I dare not say how much, but even as much as thou pleasest. O stay awhile, and try me but this once. I is true, O God, I have lost

my

!

my strength, and given my vigorous years to that which I am ashamed to think on. But yet, Q Lord, if thou pleasest, my soul can be as active, and dutiful, and affectionate, and humble, and sorrowful, and watchful as ever. Thou dost not save any for his own worthiness, but eternal life is a gift; and thou canst, if thou pleasest, give it unto But why does my soul run thither, with all its loads of sin and shame upon it? That is too great yet to be thought of. O give me pardon, and give me sorrow; and give me a great, a mighty Grace, to do the duty of a whole life in the remaining portion of my days,

me.

0 my gracious Lord, whatever thy sentence be, yet let me have the honor to serve thee. Let me contribute something to thy glory; let me converse with thy saints and servants in the intercourses of piety; let me be admitted to be a servant to the meanest of thy servants, to do something that thou lovest. O God, my God, do what thou pleasest, so I may not for ever die in the sad and dishonorable impieties of the damned. Let me but be admitted to thy service in all the degrees of my soul, and all the days of my short life, and my squl shall have some comfort, because I signify my love and duty to thee, for whom I will not refuse to d'e. O my God, I will not beg of thee to give me comfort, but to give me duty and employment. Smite me if thou pleasest, but smite me here kill me if thou pleasest, I have deserved it; but I would fain live to serve thee, and for no

other

other reason, but that thou mayst love to pardon and to sanctify me.

O blessed Jesus, do thou intercede for me; thy Father hears thee in all things, and thou knowest our infirmities, and hast felt our miseries, and didst die to snatch us from the intolerable flames of hell; and although thou givest thy gifts in differing proportions to thy servants, yet thou dost, equally, offer pardon to all thy enemies that will come unto thee and beg it. O give me all faith, and all charity, and a spirit prudent and indefatigable in holy services. Open thy fountains, gracious Lord, and bathe my stained soul in thy blood. Wash the Ethiop, cleanse the leper, dress the strangers' wounds, and forgive thy enemy.

I will not, O my God, I dare not distrust those infinite glories of thy mercy and graciousness, by which thou art ready to save all the world. The sins of all mankind together are, infinitely, less than thy mercy, and thou who didst redeem the heathen world, wilt also, I presume to hope, rescue me who' am a Christian. This is my glory and my shame, my sins had not been so great if I had not disgraced so excellent a title, and abused so mighty a Grace; but yet, if the Grace which I have abused had not been so great, my hopes had been less. One deep, O God, calls upon another. O let the abyss of thy mercy swallow up my impurity: wash me who come to thee to be cleansed and purified. It is not impossible to have it done, for thy power hath no

limit. It is not unusual for thee to manifest such glories of an infinite mercy; thou doest it daily, O give me a fast, a tenacious, hope on Thee, and a bitter sorrow for my sins, and an excellent zeal of thy glory; and let my repentance be more exemplary than my sins, that the infiniteness of that mercy, which shall save me, may be conspicuous to all Saints and Angels, and may endear the return of all sinners to Thee the fountain of

holiness and mercy. Mercy, O God, pity thy servant, and do thy work of Grace speedily, and mightily upon me, through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.

Ejaculations and Prayers to be used in Illness after a wicked Life.

O ALMIGHTY Father of men and angels, I have often been taught that thy mercies are infinite, and I know they are so; and if I be a person capable of comfort, this is the fountain of it; for my sins are not infinite, only because they could not be so, my desires were only limited by my ną, ture; for I would not obey thy Spirit.

Thou, O God, gavest mercy to the thief upon the cross, and from pain thou didst bring him to Paradise, from sin to repentance, from shame to

glory,