Let those then, O God, apply themselves to other delights, to other exercises, as if tired and cloyed with thy fervice, who are indifferent to the light and favour of thy countenance; who experience not the joys, the holy enravishments of holding communion with thee the Father of spirits, and God of all confolation. Let them bufy their time with other employments, and wafte this holy day in negligence and omiffion of duties, who think they can do too much for God and their own fouls, too much for the securing to themselves a blesfed eternity. As for us, give us grace, 0 Lord, to be wifer and better, to be unweary'd and indefinent in thy fervice. All the day long of this confecrated season give us to have our delight, our meditation in thy word, that all the week after we may find the fpiritual comfort and benefit thereof.

The day appointed in memory of a less divine favour and mercy, ought to give place to that held in celebration of, and thankfulness for, a much greater a&t of God's goodness; confequently the Jewish fabbath ought to be fuperfeded by that of the chriftian.

Arife then, O my foul, and put on a dress suitable to the meeting of thy Lord. Put on the wedding-garment of righteoufnefs, of devout and zealous affection, and go to the efpoufals, to the marriage-feast of the Lamb Chrift Jefus; there, with an holy reverence, and awful humility, worfhip thou before him in his facred temple: he will greet thee with love, his banner over thee will be love; he will entertain thee with the good things of his house; he will regale thee with fpiritual dainties, and fill thee with the graces, with the joys and comforts of his bleffed Spirit. But fee, that thou goest to meet him prepared; put off then thy fhoos from off thy feet; put off thy corrupt, fenfual, terrene affections, for the place whereon thou art to ftand is holy ground, is a place peculiarly confecrated and fet apart for religious worship, and for thy holding communion with thy God and Saviour. O may no vain and wandring thoughts, no base and finister ends, no carnal, earthly and fenfual defires, no coldness and deadnefs of affection toward holy duties, hinder thy fpiritual communion with the Father of fpirits, with the God of all joy and heavenly confolation.

Ccc 2

Sufpend

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Sufpend then, O chriftian, who art about to approach the temple of thy God, fufpend thy mean employments of this world; lay aside thy distracting earthly cares, purify thy heart, cleanse thy felf of all irregular appetites, come to the courts of thy Saviour all holy and pure, that thy foul and body may be a fit temple for the fpirit, the spirit of holiness to refide in: that being prepared according to the preparation of the fanctuary, thou mayeft be in the fpirit on this the Lord's day; may'st pray with believing, and with zeal and ardour of devotion; may'st praise God with joyful lips, and, with the best praise, an holy and exemplary life; may't hear with attention, and receive the word of God in the love thereof, with a defign to practise it; may'ft approach the table of thy Lord with fome degree of worthiness; and may'st feast there, and confirm thy faith and hope, and all other thy graces, with that delicious fpiritual banquet.

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A Prayer for Sunday Morning.

14.

Most holy and eternally blessed: The Deut. x. heaven, and the heaven of heavens is thine, the earth alfo with all that therein is. Thou art every where, and canst not be excluded from any place; but art present to the greatest secrets of my foul, and seest the clofeft and moft retired thoughts of my heart. Thou knoweft very well with what defigns and affections I now bow myself before thee, and canft not be deceived by any words, that I am able to fpeak in thy praife, whilft my heart is far from thy fear and love.

Behold, O Lord, my heart is full with defires to be poffeffed with a mighty reverend sense of thee, and all the benefits thou haft bestowed on me; and to be lifted up to heaven in love to thee, and joy in thee, whilft I blefs and praise thee, and fpeak good of thy name. I here remember, with all humility and thankfulness, that thou art my Creator; and acknowledge thy care and providence over thy ancient people in bleffing and fanctifying a day, Ccc 3 where

wherein thou thy felf reftedft from thy works, that they might cease from all o ther imployments; and admire thy wonderful works, extol thy power, bless thy goodness, and am astonish'd at thy wisdom, in making, preferving, adorning, and governing this excellent frame of the world. The heavens declare thy glory, O God, and the firmament fheweth thy handy-work. The fun, the moon, and all the host of heaven proclaim the greatness and fplendor Pfal. civ. of thy majefty. The whole earth is full of thy rich goodness: fo is the great and wide fea, wherein are things moving innumerable, both small and great living creatures. There is nothing but what fpeaks of thee; and above all, the children of men, whom thou haft wonderfully made, and curiously wrought, and impreffed with thine own image, that they might understand thee, and love thee, in all and above all things.

24.

The variety, the order, the ftedfastness of all thy works in this great world, abundantly utter thy adorable perfections: but thou, O Lord, by thy goodness in giving thy Son for me, and then raising him up from the dead, and fetting him at thy