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Pardon, O Lord, I moft humbly befeech thee, all my Indifpofitions; accept my imperfect Services; and grant that my Attendance upon the publick Service of the Church, may difpofe me to be more cir-. cumfpect and watchful in the whole Course of my Life; more diligent and industrious in thy Service, and more forward and zealous in the Performance of every Part

of

my Duty: that being led by thy Coun fel, governed by thy Spirit, and preferved by thy gracious Providence, I may at last be admitted into the Company of the bleffed; there to perfect my Praises and Acknowledgments, and to receive the Reward of patient Continuance in well-doing, thro' Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

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Short Heads of Examination for every
Evening.

• THAT your whole Life may be more 'conformable to the Gospel of Jefus Christ, by which we must be judged ; ' and that you may have lefs to do, when you fet a Time apart for more folemn Examination, it has been advifed by wife and good Men, that we fhould every

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Evening

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Evening put fome fuch Questions as these ⚫ to ourselves, which are chiefly tranfcribed out of that excellent Book, entitled, "A Companion for the Festivals and Fafts of "the Church."

66

How have I spent the Day paft? What Sin have I committed?

Have I performed my Morning Devotions and how?

Have I refigned myself to the All-wife Government and Difpofal of God, to be ordered and ruled by him, and to do or fuffer his Will ?

Have I converfed with Candour Affability, and Sincerity?

Have I kept at a Distance from Detraction, Slander, and Evil-speaking?

Have I had fufficent Care in my Commendation of others, fo as to give no Encouragement to any evil Practice?

How have I employed or improved my Time?

With what Honefty and Fidelity have I discharged the Affairs in which I have been engaged?

If I have diverted myself, have I done it innocently, and in fuch a Manner and Mea

fure

fure as is fuitable to my Christian Profeffion?

Have I been guilty of any Excefs in Eating, or Drinking, or Sleep?

What Mercies have I received? How thankful have I been, and am I, for them? What Temptations have I refifted?

What Ground have I got of the Sin that doth most easily befet me?

How have I governed my Passions ? Have I not been too eafily provoked by little Accidents which daily happen?

What Opportunities have I had of doing Good? and how have I improved them? What Opportunities have I had of dif couraging Evil, and how have I opposed

it ?

To these Questions, you may add fuch ' others as you find useful. If you recol. 'lect the whole Time of the Day from your rifing (for which a few Minutes be

• fore

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your Evening Devotions will fuffice) you will very easily be enabled to anfwer 'the preceding Queftions; and when you have done this, you must heartily beg 'God's Pardon for any Sins you have been guilty of, and fhew yourself thankful for thofe Bleffings, refpecting either this or

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another Life, which he hath bestowed on

you.

Some have written down the Sins they have been guilty of, that they might again humble themselves at the Time of their ⚫ more folemn Humiliation; which may be farther ufeful: for by comparing one Time with another, you will better difcern the • Amendment of your Life, and Growth in Chriftian Virtue; but of the Usefulness and Expediency of this Method, every Perfon is left to judge for himself!'

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A Prayer for Sunday Evening.

O MOST Great, moft Glorious, and Eternal God! Thou art the Sovereign Lord of Heaven and Earth; in whom we live, and move, and have our Being, and from whom are derived all the Comforts and Conveniencies of this Life, and all our Hopes and Expectations of a better.

With what Awfulnefs and Humility, with what Fear and Reverence, ought I to appear before thee, when I confider the Greatness of thy Majefty, and the Purity of thy divine Nature; that thou haft no Pleasure in Wickednefs, but hateft all the Workers

Workers of Iniquity, and that fuch as be foolish thall not ftand in thy Sight.

Cord! I acknowledge that I am not worthy to come into thy Prefence, nor to lift-upy y Byss towards the Tone of thy Mercy-feat. My Sins and Tranfgreffions are many, and divers of them have been often repeated; the Corruption of my Heart, and the Sinfulness of my Thoughts are perfectly known to thee; and the Punishment due unto my Sins, is greater than I am able to bear.

I confefs, O Lord, that I have not loved thee with that Sincerity, nor ferved thee with that Faithfulness that I ought to have done. The Interefts of this Life have been fo much my Care and Concern, as to make me negligent and remifs in the great and important Work of my Salvation.

How many Duties have I omitted, or performed with Coldnefs and Indevotion ! How often have I been a Hearer of thy Word only, and not a Doer! How often both in publick and private, have I prayed, when my Heart has been far from thee? This very Day, O Lord, thou haft given me an Opportunity of ferving Thee in thy Houfe; but alas! my Services there have been accompanied with fo many Failings,

fo

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