and tread in thy steps, who being reviled, didst not revile again.

When it rains. Thou, O God, of thy goodness visitest the earth with the former and the latter rain, that it may bring forth fruit; send down the refreshing showers of thy Spirit upon my soul, that I may go from strength to strength, and appear before thee in the heavenly Zion.

When it thunders. God thundereth marvellously with his voice; he directeth the sound of it under the whole heaven, and his lightning unto the ends of the earth. O that the world may take notice of this voice of the glorious God, and the inhabitants of the earth learn righteousness!

When it snows. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean! wash me, O Lord, and I shall be whiter than snow.

When you go to a feast, or entertainment. Lord, grant that I may taste the good things which thou hast given us, with thankfulness and temperance, that I may never be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and that nothing may proceed out of my mouth, but what is innocent, and becoming a Christian.

When laughed at for going to church, or performing any religious duty. O blessed Jesus, let me rejoice that I am counted worthy to suffer shame and reproach for thy name sake.

When dejected and cast down. Why art thou so heavy, O my soul: and why art thou so disquieted within me? O put thy trust in God, for I will yet give him thanks, which is the help of my countenance, and my God. O cast thy burden upon the Lord and he shall nourish thee.

When you think on your baptismal vow, to

repent, believe, and obey. O Lord, as in baptism I was born again of water and the Spirit, and entered into the covenant of grace in Christ, which holy covenant by my transgressions I have often and shamefully broken, so let me now die from sin, and rise again unto righteousness; and always remember that the washing of regeneration will· not avail, without the renewing of the Holy Ghost. Let nothing be seen in me but Christ; his charity, humility, meekness, and purity, his modesty, patience, and whatever has any relation to the holiness of his manners.

When thinking upon your being a member of an Apostolic Church. O God, I bless thee that thou hast called me into the fold of salvation. May I reverently attend upon the ministry and ordinances of the church; never indulge a vain curiosity for hearing unauthorized teachers, who have not been called by a valid, external commission, as was Aaron; and may I never be guilty of the heinous sin of schism, in separating from the ministrations of Bishops, Priests, and Deacons, whom thou hast constituted by thy providence and Holy Spirit, and in communion with whom I maintain the unity of the Church.

When thinking upon the wise virgins who trimmed their lamps. O Lord, as I know neither the day, nor the hour, when the Son of Man cometh, give me grace therefore to watch, and never, like the foolish virgins, suffer my lamp to go out, but be always trimming it; that my heart may be full of faith and good works; that when the cry is made, "Behold, the Bridegroom cometh," I may be ready with joy to go out to meet him and enter with him to the marriage.

Consider every night, that possibly you may never see day-light again, till the morning of the resurrection. Consider, that when you are folded in the arms of sleep, perhaps you may never awake, till you hear the voice of the archangel, and the sound of the last trumpet; and that you may never lift up your head, till you see the Saviour of the world coming in the clouds with power, and great glory. Examine, therefore, carefully the thoughts, words, and actions of the past day. Return thanks to God for what you have done well, and be heartily sorry for what you have done ill, and pray for grace that you may do so no more. Learn this safe and easy way of judging yourself, and then you will not be judged of the Lord. As prayer was the key to open the morning, so should it be the lock to shut in the evening: therefore fall down upon your knees, and pray. He is fool-hardy that dares to lie down to sleep, who knows he has offended God, and is not reconciled to him. Always sleep as if one whispered in your ears, saying, O remember you must die; this night shall thy soul be required of thee.

When you undress. Grant, Lord, that when I am unclothed of this body, I may be clothed upon with a house which is from heaven.

When you lie down in your bed. I will lay me down in peace to take my rest. O my God, under the shadow of thy wings make me to dwell in safety.

If you cannot sleep. Thou Lord, hast granted thy loving kindness in the day-time; and in the night season I will sing of thee, and make my prayer to the God of my life. In the night I

will lift up my hands towards thy sanctuary, and bless the Lord. O do thou give me grace to watch, and pray always, that at thy coming, thou mayest say to me, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord." Amen, blessed Lord, Amen.

When thinking upon the many transgressions and iniquities which you have committed against God. O remember not the sins of my youth, nor of my riper years, but receive me, O heavenly Father, into the arms of thy fatherly compassion, as thou didst the returning prodigal; and forgive me all my wickedness, for the merits of Jesus thy only well-beloved Son, my Saviour.

Consider often that the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and punishing them with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power. Meditate on the day of the Lord, which St. Peter informs us will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat; the earth also, and the works that are therein, shall be burned up. Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, looking for, and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? Think often that you hear the last trumpet sounding, Arise ye dead and come to judgment. And may this

awaken all who are dead in sin to a life of right

eousness.

When thinking on these words of Christ, to the goats, i. e. the wicked, on the left hand, at the last great day, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels. O God, who can think without fear and trembling on this certain punishment of all unrepenting sinners, to be shut out of heaven, to be cast into hell, where there is weeping, and gnashing of teeth, where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched? Grant, Lord, that all unbelievers, as well as those who confess Christ with their tongues but renounce him in their lives, and deny him in their works, Christians outwardly, but heathens, and worse than heathens in their hearts and conversations, may consider their latter end, and pray for grace to repent, believe, and obey, that they may not be plucked away suddenly. From these bitter pains of eternal death, good Lord deliver us.

When thinking on Christ's words to the sheep, i. e. the good, on his right hand, Come ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. O comfortable words! O happiness which cannot be conceived, or sufficiently valued! what tears ought not this hope to wipe from our eyes? Hear, O my God; and breathe into my heart that spirit, which renews me after thine own image, in righteousness and true holiness. Set up thy kingdom, O Jesus, in my heart; for to become thy faithful servant is more to me than ten thousand worlds. O let me hear at last this joyful sen.ence, these ravishing words, "Come, ye blessed