and by the sanctifying influences of thy Spirit; and having in all things done thy holy will in time, may I at låst be presented faultless and blameless before thy heavenly throne, for Christ's sake. Amen.

PRAYER

TO BE SAID BY A PERSON WHO HAS FALLEN

INTO SIN.

PSALM li. 11. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

HAVE mercy upon me, O God, according to the multitude of thy tender mercies,-and for my Redeemer's sake blot out my great transgressions.

I am ashamed, O Lord, to lift up my face unto thee, for thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity; thou canst not look upon sin but with abhorrence. The heavens are not clean in thy sight, -thou chargest even thine angels with folly,-and how then shall I, who am laden with iniquity, venture to speak unto the most High God? or how shall I presume to hope for thy forgiving mercy ? Thou knowest, O Lord, how far I have erred, and by what fearful steps I have been led into sin;

for there is not a thought in my heart but thou knowest it altogether. Thou compassest my path, and art acquainted with all my ways,—all things, O Lord, are naked and open before thee.

Yet, O Lord, I have presumed to act as if thine eye had not been upon me, or as if thou wouldst not call me into judgment for every secret thing. I know that, in the days that are past, thou hast punished me for my transgressions, for thou hast covered my spirit with fears when I went astray; and, even in that wherein I sinned, thou hast signified thy displeasure by causing me to reap sorrow instead of joy.

I also know, O Lord, that, in the solemn declarations of thy word, thou hast revealed thy wrath against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men, -and I have often vowed, when suffering for my transgressions, that henceforth I would do so no

more.

And, O Lord God, how fearful is the thought, that I, who have voluntarily called myself by the name of Christ, and have taken, before all thy people, the vow which bound me to thy service, should have so far dishonoured my Christian voca

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tion. If thou hadst been quick to punish sin, I had not now, O Lord, been lifting up my prayer in thy presence, but thou mightest have cut me off in my sin, and assigned me my portion with those who are lost to hope.

Blessed be thy name that thou hast still preserved me from this awful fate, that I am yet in the land of the living, and in the place of hope,— that I still hear the invitations of thy blessed word, and listen to the gracious promise, that when the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness, and ⚫ doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive.

O deny me not thy grace; cast me not away from thy sight, though I have rebelled against thee. Take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Thou desirest not sacrifice, else would I give it thee,—thou delightest not in burnt-offering,-thy sacrifices are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Grant me, O Lord, that truly contrite heart which thou desirest. It is to thy grace and good Spirit alone that I must look for this gift; for thou knowest that my heart is full of all vanity,—and

that my affections are dead, without thy quickening Spirit, to all that is good. But blessed be thy name that thou wilt not withhold thy Spirit from them that ask it.

O take away from me all those delusions which have hitherto misled me. Grant me a constant and deep impression of thy presence, in which I am continually placed; and may I have such a sense of the sanctity of thy laws, that, in all circumstances, I may fear to provoke thine indignation.

And lead me not, O Lord, into temptation. Thou only canst keep me from the evil that is in the world; without thy guidance I must constantly go astray. Lord, look in mercy on mine infirmity,-and direct all my ways. Suffer me not to be tempted above what I am able to bear, but with every temptation do thou also make for me a way of escape.

And grant, O Lord, that the experience I have had of my own sinfulness may make me more attentive to my conduct in all future time. May I live in a habitual dependence upon thy grace, and consider it as my chief ambition in all things to do thy holy will.

For Christ's sake, O Lord, blot out my trans