mercy grant that this sacred institution may raise my heart to my ascended Saviour, and lead me to look and diligently prepare for, his second coming.

WHIT-SUNDAY.

Acts xix. 2. Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed?

Where true faith is, there are also the gracious influences of the Spirit. O may I so believe as to receive the Holy Spirit, which is the seal of God, (Eph. i. 13.) shewing who are his redeemed people. Give unto me all the evidences that distinguish those who have received this gift. They are born of the Spirit. O Lord, produce in me the new heart and the new spirit, the daily turning from darkness to light, from sin to holiness, and from the world to God my Saviour. They have the spirit of prayer. O raise my heart constantly to thee in holy aspirations through the day, and give me real desires after thee in public, family, and social worship, so that I may never be content with a formal round of duties. They mortify the deeds of the body. The Lord grant that I too may strive against every temptation, resist sin, and never yield to carnal indulgences. They bring forth the fruits of righteousness. Oh that I may manifestly bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, gentleness, goodness, meekness, long-suffering, faith, and temperance.

O Lord, my heavenly Father, I would feel and acknowledge that though, through thy great mercy, I am not, I trust, wholly barren of spiritual fruit, yet there is little indeed brought forth that may glorify

God, and adorn the doctrine of my Saviour. O thou who hearest prayer, and givest good things to them that ask, give me, give thy church, give unto all flesh, largely and fully, that best gift-thy Holy Spirit.

Behold, thy Spirit hath converted and sanctified millions; let me therefore, together with thy whole church, receive here such portions of thy Holy Spirit, as may suppress our evil affections, revive our dead hearts, comfort our dejected minds, and turn our ignorance, disobedience, and sorrow, into knowledge, and practice, and holy joy. Let the Spirit rest upon me, and dwell in me for ever, so that I may always have cause to bless thee for so incomparable a gift.

TRINITY-SUNDAY.

Ephes. ii. 18. Through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.

Jesus our Lord, having reconciled us to God by the cross, may I practically know what it is to have access unto him, through Christ, by the Spirit. I desire to know the great and glorious doctrine of this day, not as a matter of theory, or belief merely, but as a thing of experience, and daily practice. Deliver me from a proud and presumptuous spirit, that would cavil at thy truth. Deliver me from a too curious and prying spirit, that would attempt to comprehend that which it has not pleased thee fully to reveal. Give me grace in all simplicity of heart to receive what thou hast declared, and feeling my own ignorance and nothingness, to adore thee in

thy incomprehensible Majesty and unsearchable glory.

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, I come to thee as one who spared not thy beloved Son for us, and art now reconciled by him; and I beseech thee, receive, provide for, and bless me.

Blessed Redeemer, thou art the Way, the Truth, and the Life; my Mediator, and my Advocate, my hope is in thy merits and thy intercession.

Holy Spirit, the Comforter, who shewest the Saviour to sinners, I look to thee to teach and guide, to purify, strengthen, and console me.

U

CHAPTER VIII.

TEXTS SELECTED FOR MEDITATION, AND ARRANGED

UNDER DIFFERENT HEADS.

THE frequent recurrence of the duty of attending at the Lord's table, makes it desirable to have a greater variety in the subjects of pious reflection, than the preceding meditations furnish; still, however, keeping in mind the main point to be dwelt upon at the Lord's table, the death of Christ as a sacrifice for sin. In this view, the following passages of scripture have been selected, that the communicant may from time to time choose those subjects of contemplation, which may be most adapted to the present state of his mind, and yet have his eye chiefly fixed on Christ. Younger Christians may find it advantageous to commit to their memory some of these passages. David says, Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against thee.

I. THE LOVE OF GOD.

John iii. 16. God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

1 John iii. 16. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us.

1 John iv. 10.

Herein is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.

Rom. v. 8. God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

Rom. viii. 32. He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things. Isaiah lxiii. 7. I will mention the loving-kindness of the Lord, and the praises of the Lord, according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.

Isaiah xlix. 15, 16. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee.

Behold, I have graven thee on the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

John xv. 13.

2.-THE LOVE OF CHRIST.

Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay

down his life for friends.

Rom. v. 10. When we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son.

Eph. iii. 18, 19. To comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height, and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge.

Eph. v. 2. Christ hath also loved us, and hath given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God, for a sweet-smelling savour. John xv. 9. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: my love.

continue ye in

2 Cor. v. 14. The love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead.

John xiii. 1. Having loved his own which were in the world, he loved them unto the end.

Rev. i. 5, 6. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father, to him be glory and dominion, for ever and ever. Amen.

3.-THE SUFFERINGS OF CHRIST.

Isaiah lii. 14, 15. His visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men so shall he sprinkle many nations.

Isaiah liii. 3. He is despised and rejected of men ; a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.

Isaiah liii. 10. It pleased the Lord to bruise him; he hath put him to grief; when thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed.