tor of heaven and earth, our Father everlasting, our Saviour and our Friend, hearken, we beseech thee, to the prayers of thy poor creatures, who have hitherto lived under the dominion of sin, the slaves of our own lusts, and of various evil passions, which will assuredly briug us to everlasting destruction, unless thou, O Lord our God, wilt lift up the light of thy countenance upon us, and dispel the darkness of our minds. To thee, o God the Father, we look up, as to Him who loved us ere yet we entered into being, and planned our salvation ere yet the foundations of the world were laid. To thee, O God the Son, we apply, as to our brother in the flesh, whose infinite merits and precious death have procured for us the inestimable blessing of justification. And to thee, O God the Holy Ghost, we address our imperfect petitious, knowing that from thee proceed the incalculable privileges of regeneration and sanctification. Blessed and holy Lord God, make us, we beseech thee, new creatures; regenerate and sanctify us, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, give us power to contend with the corruptions of our vile nature, conform our wills in all respects to thine, and enable us to say on every occasion of trial, • Tly will, O God, be done.' Teach us to consider self, and its inbred corruptions, as the enemy which we have reason above all others to dread, and assist us to detect its wiles, under however specious a form it may appear to act. Leave us not to ourselves, we earnestly entreat thee; leave us not with our worst of foes ; neither take account of our past sins, nor of the countless number of our evil thoughts, our wayward tempers, and corrupt desires. Impute to us, we earnestly pray thee, that righteousness of Christ, which is without spot or stain of sin. Wash us in his blood, feed us with the bread of heaven, give us power to trample upon our lusts, renew and sanctify our polluted hearts, and enable us finally, triumphing over sin, to enter into everlasting glory. O blessed Lord God, hear the voice of our humble supplications, for the sake of him who shed his blood for us upon the cross, and render us acceptable to thyself, through the sanctifying and purifying power of thy blessed Spirit. And now to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, be all glo |