kind of evil. And grant that, in the morning, we may all awake in health and increased vigour, and arise, thankfully and cheerfully disposed to bless and praise thee; and determined to call upon thee, and to live to thee, as long as we live! And O! that the close of every future day which thou shalt vouchsafe to afford us, may find us more disengaged from the present world, and more engaged to, and desirous after a better! May we be dying daily to the pleasures, the profits, and the honours of this life! May we glorify thee on earth, finish the work thou hast given each of us to do; and then, in thine own due time, receive us to thyself, to behold thy glory, and to be everlasting partakers of it, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

And with regard to the time and circumstances of our departure out of life, with submission to thy will, O Lord, we most humbly pray thee, to all the grace and favour which thou hast shewed us all along in life, to grant us this request; not to remove us hence, but with all advantage for eternity; when we shall be in the best preparation of mind, and in the most holy constitution of soul, in a perfect renunciation of the guise of this mad and sinful world; when we shall be entirely resigned up to thee, when we shall have clear acts of faith in God by Jesus Christ, high

and reverential thoughts of thee in our minds, and enlarged and enflamed affections towards thee! And, at that awful period, when we are to enter the conflict with the king of terrors, afford us, we beseech thee, O Lord, such a mighty power and presence of thy good spirit, that we may be delivered from all consternation of mind, all doubtfulness and uncertainty concerning our everlasting state; and, at length, depart in the wellgrounded persuasion, that when we shall be absent from the body, we shall be present with the Lord. Amen.

Meditation for Thursday Morning.

THE BREAD OF LIFE.

"I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world." John vi. 51.

The flesh and blood of the Son of Man is the Redeemer incarnate and dying; it is Christ and him crucified, the redemption wrought out by him, with all the precious benefits of redemption; pardon of sin, acceptance with God, the adoption of sons, access to a throne of grace, the promises of the covenant, and eternal life; these are

called the flesh and blood of Christ, because they are purchased by the breaking of his body, and the shedding of his blood. Well may the purchased privileges be denominated from the price that was paid for them, for it puts a value upon them; they are meat and drink to our souls; meat indeed! and drink indeed! most pleasant and delightful. This spiritual eating and drinking, begins with hungering and thirsting, earnest and importunate desires after Christ; not willing to take up with any thing short of an interest in him, and application of Christ to ourselves; give me Christ or I die! a delight in Christ and salvation, and a dependance upon him, for the support and comfort of our spiritual life, and the strength, growth, and vigour of the new man. To feed upon Christ is to do all in his name, in union with him, and by virtue drawn from him. It is a sign that we have no spiritual life in us if we have no desire towards Christ, nor delight in him. If the soul doth not hunger and thirst, it certainly doth not live; we are dead indeed if we are dead to such meat and drink as this: Faith in Christ is the first living principle of grace; by faith we have a close and intimate union with Christ; he in us, and we in him; he sups with us, and we with him. Whoso

E

eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, as it is prepared in the Gospel to be the food of souls, he hath eternal life, he hath it now, he has the foretaste of it, and the hope of it, and the assurance of it, "because I live ye shall live also!" "I know thy poverty." Your heavenly Father hath wherewith to supply all your need; he loves and pities you, and is ready to help you away with all disquieting thoughts and cares; go to thy Father, tell him he knows thou hast need of such and such things; though he knows our wants, he will know them from us; and when we have opened them to him, let us cheerfully refer ourselves to his wisdom, power, and goodness for our supply, casting all our care upon God who careth for us!

HYMN.

O happy Christian! who can boast
The Son of God is mine,
Happy, though humbled in the dust,
Rich in this gift divine.

He lives the life of heav'n below,
And shall for ever live ;

Eternal streams from Christ shall flow,
And endless vigour give,

That life we ask with bended knees,
Nor will the Lord deny ;
Nor will celestial mercy see,

Its humble suppliants die.

That life obtain'd for praise alone,
We wish continued breath;
And, taught by blest experience, own
That praise can live in death.

PRAYER

For Thursday Morning.

TO KNOW MORE OF CHRIST.

O thou Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and God of all glory, who hast so loved the world, as to give thine only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life; thou seest how slow of heart we are to believe the record thou hast given of thy Son.

Though we have read of his glory, how little does it affect us! though he has a name which is above every name, in heaven or earth, how little do we love him for all that he has done and suffered! have compassion upon us, O Lord, and help us. Give us what thou hast most graciously promised, the spirit of truth, to open our understanding, that we may understand the things which are