Thy main plan, and the end of thy will
      is to make Christ glorious and beloved
        in heaven
  where he is now ascended,
  where one day all the elect will behold his glory
  and love and glorify him for ever.
Though here I love him but little,
  may this be my portion at last.
In this world thou hast given me a beginning,
  one day it will be perfected in the realm above.
Thou hast helped me to see and know Christ,
  though obscurely,
  to take him, receive him,
  to possess him, love him,
  to bless him in my heart, mouth, life.
Let me study and stand for discipline,
    and all the ways of worship,
  out of love for Christ;
  and to show my thankfulness;
  to seek and know his will from love,
  to hold it in love,
  and daily to care for and keep this state of heart.
Thou hast led me to place all my nature
    and happiness
  in oneness with Christ,
  in having heart and mind centred only on him,
  in being like him in communicating good
    to others;
This is my heaven on earth,
But I need the force, energy, impulses of thy Spirit
  to carry me on the way to my Jerusalem.
Here, it is my duty
  to be as Christ in this world,
  to do what he would do,
  to live as he would live,
  to walk in love and meekness;
  then would he be known,
  then would I have peace in death.

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Help me.
    I am so slow to learn,
      so prone to forget,
      so weak to climb;
I am in the foothills when I should be
    on the heights;
I am pained by my graceless heart,
  my prayerless days,
  my poverty of love,
  my sloth in the heavenly race,
  my sullied conscience,
  my wasted hours,
  my unspent opportunities.
I am blind while light shines around me:
  take the scales from my eyes,
  grind to dust the evil heart of unbelief.
Make it my chiefest joy to study thee,
  meditate on thee,
  gaze on thee,
  sit like Mary at thy feet,
  lean like John on thy breast,
  appeal like Peter to thy love,
  count like Paul all things dung.
Give me increase and progress in grace
    so that there may be
  more decision in my character,
  more vigour in my purposes,
  more elevation in my life,
  more fervour in my devotion,
  more constancy in my zeal.
As I have a position in the world,
  keep me from making the world my position;
May I never seek in the creature
  what can be found only in the Creator;
Let not faith cease from seeking thee
until it vanishes into sight.
  Ride forth in me, thou King of kings
    and Lord of lords,
  that I may live victoriously,
    and in victory attain my end.

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I thank thee for the holy Scriptures,
    their precepts, promises, directions, light.
In them may I learn more of Christ,
  be enabled to retain his truth
  and have grace to follow it.
Help me to lift up the gates of my soul
    that he may come in
  and show me himself when I search
    the Scriptures,
  for I have no lines to fathom its depths,
  no wings to soar to its heights.
By his aid may I be enabled to explore
    all its truths,
  love them with all my heart,
  embrace them with all my power,
  engraft them into my life.
Bless to my soul all grains of truth garnered
    from thy Word;
  may they take deep root,
  be refreshed by heavenly dew,
  be ripened by heavenly rays,
  be harvested to my joy and thy praise.
Help me to gain profit by what I read,
  as treasure beyond all treasure,
  a fountain which can replenish my dry heart,
    its waters flowing through me as a perennial river
    on-drawn by thy Holy Spirit.
Enable me to distil from its pages faithful prayer
  that grasps the arm of thy omnipotence,
  achieves wonders, obtains blessings,
  and draws down streams of mercy.
From it show me how my words have often been
    unfaithful to thee,
    injurious to my fellow-men,
    empty of grace, full of folly,
    dishonouring to my calling.
Then write thy own words upon my heart
    and inscribe them on my lips;
So shall all glory be to thee
    in my reading of thy Word!

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I know that I often do thy work
        without thy power,
  and sin by my dead, heartless, blind service,
    my lack of inward light, love, delight,
    my mind, heart, tongue moving
      without thy help.
I see sin in my heart in seeking the approbation
    of others;
This is my vileness, to make men’s opinion
    my rule, whereas
  I should see what good I have done,
    and give thee glory,
  consider what sin I have committed
    and mourn for that.
It is my deceit to preach, and pray,
  and to stir up others’ spiritual affections
    in order to beget commendations,
  whereas my rule should be daily
    to consider myself more vile than any man
      in my own eyes.
But thou dost show thy power by my frailty,
  so that the more feeble I am,
    the more fit to be used,
  for thou dost pitch a tent of grace
    in my weakness.
Help me to rejoice in my infirmities
    and give thee praise,
  to acknowledge my deficiencies before others
    and not be discouraged by them,
  that they may see thy glory more clearly.
Teach me that I must act by a power supernatural,
  whereby I can attempt things above my strength,
  and bear evils beyond my strength,
    acting for Christ in all,
    and have his superior power to help me.
Let me learn of Paul
  whose presence was mean,
  his weakness great,
  his utterance contemptible,
  yet thou didst account him faithful and blessed.
Lord, let me lean on thee as he did,
    and find my ministry thine.

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Four evils attend my ministry —
      The devil treads me down by
  discouragement and shame
    arising from coldness in private meditation.
Carelessness possesses me
  from natural dullness and dimness of spirit;
    because in the past I have met with success
      and been highly regarded,
    so that it does not matter if I have now failed.
Infirmities and weakness are mine
  from want of spiritual light, life and power,
    so that souls have not been helped,
      and I have not felt thee to be near.
Lack of success has followed even when
  I have done my best.
But thou hast shown me that the glory of everything
  that is sanctified to do good
    is not seen in itself,
    but in the source of its sanctification.
Thus my end in preaching is to know Christ,
    and impart his truth;
  my principle in preaching is Christ himself,
    whom I trust,
  for in him is fullness of spirit and strength;
  my comfort in preaching is to do all for him.
Help me in my work to grow more humble,
  to pick something out of all providences
    to that end,
  to joy in thee and loathe myself,
  to keep my life, being, soul, and body
    only for thee,
  to carry my heart to thee in love and delight,
  to see all my grace in thee, coming from thee,
  to walk with thee in endearment.
Then, whether I succeed or fail,
    nought matters but thee alone.

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Singing thy praises uplifts my heart,
    for thou art a fountain of delight,
      and dost bless the soul that joys in thee.
But because of my heart’s rebellion
I cannot always praise thee as I ought;
Yet I will at all times rest myself in
  thy excellences, goodness, and loving-kindness.
Thou art in Jesus the object of inexpressible joy,
  and I take exceeding pleasure in the thought
    of thee.
But Lord, I am sometimes thy enemy;
  my nature revolts and wanders from thee.
Though thou hast renewed me,
  yet evil corruptions urge me still to oppose thee.
Help me to extol thee with entire heart-submission,
  to be diligent in self-examination,
  to ask myself
    whether I am truly born again,
    whether my spirit is the spirit of thy children,
    whether my griefs are those that tear
      repenting hearts,
    whether my joys are the joys of faith,
    whether my confidence in Christ works
      by love and purifies the soul.
Give me the sweet results of faith,
  in my secret character, and in my public life.
Cast cords of love around my heart,
  then hold me and never let me go.
May the Saviour’s wounds sway me more
    than the sceptre of princes.
Let me love thee in a love that covers
    and swallows up all,
  that I may not violate my chaste union
    with the beloved;
There is much unconquered territory
    in my nature,
  scourge out the buyers and sellers
    of my soul’s temple,
  and give me in return pure desires,
    and longings after perfect holiness.

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Let not my ministry be approved only by men,
      or merely win the esteem and affections
        of people;
But do the work of grace in their hearts,
  call in thy elect,
  seal and edify the regenerate ones,
  and command eternal blessings on their souls.
Save me from self-opinion and self-seeking;
Water the hearts of those who hear thy Word,
  that seed sown in weakness may be raised
    in power;
Cause me and those that hear me
  to behold thee here in the light of special faith,
  and hereafter in the blaze of endless glory;
Make my every sermon a means of grace to myself,
  and help me to experience the power
    of thy dying love,
  for thy blood is balm,
    thy presence bliss,
    thy smile heaven,
    thy cross the place where truth
      and mercy meet.
Look upon the doubts and discouragements
    of my ministry
  and keep me from self-importance;
I beg pardon for my many sins, omissions,
    infirmities,
  as a man, as a minister;
Command thy blessing on my weak,
    unworthy labours,
  and on the message of salvation given;
Stay with thy people,
  and may thy presence be their portion
    and mine.
  when I preach to others let not my words
    be merely elegant and masterly,
  my reasoning polished and refined,
  my performance powerless and tasteless,
  but may I exalt thee and humble sinners.
O Lord of power and grace,
  all hearts are in thy hands,
  all events at thy disposal,
Set the seal of thy almighty will
    upon my ministry.

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I am desired to preach today,
      but go weak and needy to my task;
Yet I long that people might be edified
    with divine truth,
  that an honest testimony might be borne
    for thee;
Give me assistance in preaching and prayer,
  with heart uplifted for grace and unction.
Present to my view things pertinent to
    my subject,
  with fullness of matter and clarity of thought,
  proper expressions, fluency, fervency,
  a feeling sense of the things I preach,
  and grace to apply them to men’s consciences.
Keep me conscious all the while of my defects,
  and let me not gloat in pride over
    my performance.
Help me to offer a testimony for thyself,
  and to leave sinners inexcusable in neglecting
    thy mercy.
Give me freedom to open the sorrows of thy people,
  and to set before them comforting considerations.
Attend with power the truth preached,
  and awaken the attention of my slothful audience.
May thy people be refreshed, melted, convicted,
    comforted,
  and help me to use the strongest arguments
    drawn from Christ’s incarnation and sufferings,
    that men might be made holy.

I myself need thy support, comfort, strength,
    holiness,
  that I might be a pure channel of thy grace,
  and be able to do something for thee;
Give me then refreshment among thy people,
  and help me not to treat excellent matter
    in a defective way,
  or bear a broken testimony to so worthy
    a Redeemer,
  or be harsh in treating of Christ’s death,
    its design and end,
  from lack of warmth and fervency.
And keep me in tune with thee
    as I do this work.

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When I am discouraged in my ministry
        and full of doubts of my self,
  fasten me upon the rock of thy eternal election,
    then my hands will not hang down,
    and I shall have hope for myself and others.
Thou dost know thy people by name,
  and wilt at the appointed season
    lead them out of a natural to a gracious state
      by thy effectual calling.
This is the ground of my salvation,
  the object of my desire,
  the motive of my ministry.
Keep me from high thoughts of myself
    or my work,
  for I am nothing but sin and weakness;
    in me no good dwells,
    and my best works are but sin.
Humble me to the dust before thee.
Root and tear out the poisonous weed
    of self-righteousness,
  and show me my utter nothingness;
Keep me sensible of my sinnership;
Sink me deeper into penitence and self-abhorrence;
Break the Dagon of pride in pieces
    before the ark of thy presence;
Demolish the Babel of self-opinion,
    and scatter it to the wind;
Level to the ground my Jericho walls
    of a rebel heart;
Then grace, grace, will be my experience and cry.
I am a poor, feeble creature when faith
    is not in exercise,
  like an eagle with pinioned wings;
Grant me to rest on thy power and faithfulness,
  and to know that there are two things
    worth living for:
  to further thy cause in the world,
  and to do good to the souls and bodies of men;
This is my ministry, my life, my prayer, my end.
Grant me grace that I shall not fail.

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I live here as a fish in a vessel of water,
      only enough to keep me alive,
  but in heaven I shall swim in the ocean.
Here I have a little air in me to keep me breathing,
  but there I shall have sweet and fresh gales;
Here I have a beam of sun to lighten my darkness,
  a warm ray to keep me from freezing;
  yonder I shall live in light and warmth for ever.
My natural desires are corrupt and misguided,
  and it is thy mercy to destroy them;
My spiritual longings are of thy planting,
  and thou wilt water and increase them;
Quicken my hunger and thirst after
    the realm above.
Here I can have the world,
  there I shall have thee in Christ;
Here is a life of longing and prayer,
  there is assurance without suspicion,
    asking without refusal;
Here are gross comforts, more burden
    than benefit,
  there is joy without sorrow,
    comfort without suffering,
    love without inconstancy,
    rest without weariness.
Give me to know that heaven is all love,
  where the eye affects the heart,
    and the continual viewing of thy beauty
    keeps the soul in continual transports
      of delight.
Give me to know that heaven is all peace,
  where error, pride, rebellion, passion
    raise no head.
Give me to know that heaven is all joy,
  the end of believing, fasting, praying,
    mourning, humbling, watching,
      fearing, repining;
And lead me to it soon.

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Thou art our Preserver, Governor, Saviour,
        and coming Judge.
Quieten our souls to call upon thy name;
Detach us from the influence of the flesh
    and the senses;
Impress us with the power of faith;
Promote in us spirituality of mind
  that will render our services acceptable to thee,
  and delightful and profitable to ourselves.
Bring us into that state which attracts thine eye,
  and prepare us to receive the proofs of thy love.
Show us our danger, that we may fly to thee
    for refuge.
Make us sensible of our sin’s disease,
  that we may value the good Physician.
Placard to us the cross, that it may slay
    the enmity of our hearts.
Help us to be
  watchful over our ways,
  jealous over our tempers,
  diligent over our hearts.
When we droop, revive us,
When we loiter, quicken us,
When we go astray, restore us.
Possess us with more of that faith
  which is the principle of all vital godliness.
May we
        be rich in faith,
        be strong in faith,
        live by faith,
        walk by faith,
        experience the joy of faith,
        do the work of faith,
        hope through faith.
Perceiving nothing in ourselves,
  may we find in the Saviour
    wisdom, righteousness,
    sanctification, redemption.

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We cannot escape from thy presence
        and control,
    nor do we desire to do so.
Our privilege is to be under the agency
    of thy omnipotence,
  righteousness, wisdom, patience, mercy and grace;
For thou art Love with more than parental affection.
We admire thy goodness,
  stand in awe of thy power,
  abase ourselves before thy purity.
It is the discovery of thy goodness alone that
    can banish our fear
    allure us into thy presence,
    help us to bewail and confess our sins.
We review our past guilt
  and are conscious of present unworthiness.
We bless thee that thy steadfast love and attributes
  are essential to our happiness and hope;
Thou hast witnessed to us thy grace and mercy
  in the bounties of nature,
  in the fullness of thy providence,
  in the revelations of Scripture,
  in the gift of thy Son,
  in the proclamation of the gospel.
Make us willing to be saved in thy own way,
  perceiving nothing in ourselves but all in Jesus.
Help us not only to receive him but to
  walk in him,
  depend upon him,
  commune with him,
  follow him as dear children,
  imperfect, but still pressing forward,
  not complaining of labour, but valuing rest,
  not murmuring under trials, but thankful
    for our state.
And by so doing let us silence the ignorance
    of foolish men.

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We bless thee,
        our Creator, Preserver, Benefactor, Teacher,
  for opening to us the volume of nature
    where we may read and consider thy works.
Thou hast this day spread before us the fuller pages
    of revelation,
  and in them we see what thou wouldest
    have us do,
  what thou requirest of us,
  what thou hast done for us,
  what thou hast promised to us,
  what thou hast given us in Jesus.
We pray thee for a conscious experience
    of his salvation,
  in our deliverance from sin,
  in our bearing his image,
  in our enjoying his presence,
  in our being upheld by his free Spirit.
Let us not live uncertain of what we are,
  of where we are going.
Bear witness with our spirit that we are thy children;
And enable each one to say, ‘I know my Redeemer.’
Bless us with a growing sense of this salvation.
If already enlightened in Christ, may we see
    greater things;
If quickened, may we have more abundant life;
If renewed, let us go on from strength to strength.
Give us closer abiding in Jesus
  that we may
    bring forth more fruit,
    have a deeper sense of our obligations to him,
  that we may surrender all,
    have a fuller joy,
  that we may serve him more completely.
And may our faith work by love
  towards him who died,
  towards our fellow-believers,
  towards our fellow-men.

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We commune with thee every day,
        but week days are worldly days,
  and secular concerns reduce heavenly impressions.
We bless thee therefore for the day sacred
    to our souls
  when we can wait upon thee and be refreshed;
We thank thee for the institutions of religion
  by use of which we draw near to thee
    and thou to us;
We rejoice in another Lord’s Day
  when we call off our minds from the cares
    of the world
  and attend upon thee without distraction;
Let our retirement be devout,
  our conversation edifying,
  our reading pious,
  our hearing profitable,
    that our souls may be quickened and elevated.
We are going to the house of prayer,
  pour upon us the spirit of grace and supplication;
We are going to the house of praise,
  awaken in us every grateful and cheerful emotion;
We are going to the house of instruction,
  give testimony to the Word preached,
    and glorify it in the hearts of all who hear;
  may it enlighten the ignorant,
    awaken the careless, reclaim the wandering,
    establish the weak, comfort the feeble-minded,
    make ready a people for their Lord.

Be a sanctuary to all who cannot come,
Forget not those who never come,
And do thou bestow upon us
  benevolence towards our dependants,
  forgiveness towards our enemies,
  peaceableness towards our neighbours,
  openness towards our fellow-Christians.

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Every perfection adorns thy nature
      and sustains thy throne;
The heavens and earth are thine,
The world is thine and its fullness.
Thy power created the universe from nothing;
Thy wisdom has managed all its multiple concerns,
  presiding over nations, families, individuals.
Thy goodness is boundless;
  all creatures wait on thee
    are supplied by thee,
    are satisfied in thee.
How precious are the thoughts of thy mercy
    and grace!
How excellent thy lovingkindness that draws men
    to thee!
Teach us to place our happiness in thee,
    the blessed God,
  never seeking life among the dead things of earth,
  or asking for that which satisfies the deluded;
But may we prize the light of thy smile,
  implore the joy of thy salvation,
  find our heaven in thee.
Thou hast attended to our happiness
    more than we can do;
Though we are fallen creatures thou hast not
    neglected us.
In love and pity thou hast provided us a Saviour;
Apply his redemption to our hearts,
  by justifying our persons,
  and sanctifying our natures.
We confess our transgressions, have mercy on us.
We are weary, give us rest,
  ignorant, make us wise unto salvation,
  helpless, let thy strength be made perfect
    in our weakness,
  poor and needy, bless us with Christ’s
    unsearchable riches,
  perplexed and tempted, let us travel on
    unchecked, undismayed,
      knowing that thou hast said,
‘I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.’
Blessed be thy name!

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Thy goodness is inexpressible and inconceivable.
      In the works of creation thou art almighty,
  In the dispensations of providence all-wise,
  In the gospel of grace all love,
And in thy Son thou hast provided for
  our deliverance from the effects of sin,
  the justification of our persons,
  the sanctification of our natures,
  the perseverance of our souls in the path of life.
Though exposed to the terrors of thy law,
  we have a refuge from the storm;
Though compelled to cry, ‘Unclean’,
  we have a fountain for sin;
Though creature-cells of emptiness
  we have a fullness accessible to all,
  and incapable of reduction.
Grant us always to know that to walk with Jesus
  makes other interests a shadow and a dream.
Keep us from intermittent attention
    to eternal things;
Save us from the delusion of those
  who fail to go far in religion,
  who are concerned but not converted,
  who have another heart but not a new one,
  who have light, zeal, confidence, but not Christ.
Let us judge our Christianity,
  not only by our dependence upon Jesus,
    but by our love to him,
      our conformity to him,
      our knowledge of him.
Give us a religion that is both real
    and progressive,
  that holds on its way and grows stronger,
  that lives and works in the Spirit,
  that profits by every correction,
  and is injured by no carnal indulgence.

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May I arrive where means of grace cease
        and I need no more to fast, pray,
    weep, watch,
    be tempted, attend preaching and sacrament;
  where nothing defiles,
  where is no grief, sorrow, sin, death,
      separation, tears, pale face, languid body,
      aching joints, feeble infancy, decrepit age,
      peccant humours, pining sickness,
      griping fears, consuming cares;
  where is personal completeness;
  where the more perfect the sight
    the more beautiful the object,
  the more perfect the appetite
    the sweeter the food,
  the more musical the ear
    the more pleasant the melody,
  the more complete the soul
    the more happy its joys,
  where is full knowledge of thee.
Here I am an ant, and as I view a nest of ants
  so dost thou view me and my fellow-creatures;
But as an ant knows not me, my nature,
    my thoughts,
  so here I cannot know thee clearly.
But there I shall be near thee,
  dwell with my family,
  stand in thy presence chamber,
  be an heir of thy kingdom,
    as the spouse of Christ,
    as a member of his body,
    one with him who is with thee,
  and exercise all my powers of body and soul
    in the enjoyment of thee.
As praise in the mouth of thy saints is comely,
  so teach me to exercise this divine gift,
  when I pray, read, hear, see, do,
  in the presence of people and of my enemies,
  as I hope to praise thee eternally hereafter.

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Another week has gone and I have been
          preserved
        in my going out,
        in my coming in.
Thine has been the vigilance that has turned
    threatened evils aside;
Thine the supplies that have nourished me;
Thine the comforts that have indulged me;
Thine the relations and friends that have
    delighted me;
Thine the means of grace which have edified me;
Thine the Book, which, amidst all my enjoyments,
    has told me that this is not my rest,
    that in all successes one thing alone is needful,
      to love my Saviour.
Nothing can equal the number of thy mercies
  but my imperfections and sins.
These, O God, I will neither conceal nor palliate,
  but confess with a broken heart.
In what condition would secret reviews
    of my life leave me
  were it not for the assurance that with thee
    there is plenteous redemption,
    that thou art a forgiving God,
      that thou mayest be feared!
While I hope for pardon through the blood
    of the cross,
  I pray to be clothed with humility,
      to be quickened in thy way,
      to be more devoted to thee,
      to keep the end of my life in view,
      to be cured of the folly of delay and indecision,
      to know how frail I am,
      to number my days and apply my heart
        unto wisdom.

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May the close of an earthly sabbath
        remind me that the last of them
    will one day end.
Animate me with joy that in heaven praise
    will never cease,
  that adoration will continue for ever,
  that no flesh will grow weary,
      no congregations disperse,
      no affections flag,
      no thoughts wander,
      no will droop,
  but all will be adoring love.
Guard my mind from making ordinances
    my stay or trust,
  from hewing out broken cisterns,
  from resting on outward helps.
Wing me through earthly forms to thy immediate
    presence;
May my feeble prayers show me the emptiness
    and vanity of my sins;
Deepen in me the conviction that my most fervent
    prayers,
  and most lowly confessions, need to be
    repented of.
May my best services bring me nearer to the cross,
  and prompt me to cry, ‘None but Jesus!’
By thy Spirit give abiding life to the lessons of
    this day:
May the seed sown take deep root and yield
    a full harvest.
Let all who see me take knowledge that I have been
    with thee
  that thou hast taught me my need as a sinner,
    hast revealed a finished salvation to me,
    hast enriched me with all spiritual blessings,
    hast chosen me to show forth Jesus to others,
    hast helped me to dispel the mists of unbelief.
O great Creator, mighty Protector, gracious
    Preserver,
  thou dost load me with loving kindnesses,
  and hast made me thy purchased possession,
  and redeemed me from all guilt;
I praise and bless thee for
  my sabbath rest,
  my calm conscience,
  my peace of heart.

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Day and night are thine; they are also
        mine from thee —
  the night to rid me of the cares of the day,
      to refresh my weary body,
      to renew my natural strength;
  the day to summon me to new activities,
      to give me opportunity to glorify thee,
      to serve my generation,
      to acquire knowledge, holiness, eternal life.
But one day above all days is made especially
  for thy honour and my improvement;
The sabbath reminds me
  of thy rest from creation,
  of the resurrection of my Saviour,
  of his entering into repose.
Thy house is mine,
  but I am unworthy to meet thee there,
    and am unfit for spiritual service.
When I enter it I come before thee as a sinner,
  condemned by conscience and thy Word,
For I am still in the body and in the wilderness,
  ignorant, weak, in danger,
  and in need of thine aid.
But encouraged by thy all-sufficient grace
  let me go to thy house with a lively hope
    of meeting thee,
  knowing that there thou wilt come to me
    and give me peace.
My soul is drawn out to thee in longing desires
  for thy presence in the sanctuary, at the table,
  where all are entertained on a feast of
    good things;
Let me before the broken elements,
    emblems of thy dying love,
  cry to thee with broken heart for grace
    and forgiveness.
I long for that blissful communion of thy people
  in thy eternal house in the perfect kingdom;
These are they that follow the Lamb;
May I be of their company!

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My heart is drawn out to thee
        for thy amazing grace and condescension.
Thou hast kept my conversion fresh before me,
  that season of my first spiritual comfort
    when I passed through the Red Sea
    by a way I did not expect.
I rejoiced then for that unthought-of passage,
  that delivered me from the fear of the Egyptian
    when I had almost despaired of life.
I rejoice now as these things are fresh and lively
    in my mind.
My soul melts when I think of thy days of old
    with me,
  when a poor worthless creature
    without wisdom to direct or strength
      to help myself
  was laid under the happy necessity
    of living upon thee and finding thy
      consolations large.
Thou art my divine treasury in whom
    all fullness dwells,
  my life, hope, joy, peace, glory, end;
May I be daily more and more conformed to thee,
  with the meekness and calmness of the Lamb
    in my soul,
  and a feeling sense of the felicity of heaven,
    where I long to join angels free from
      imperfections,
    where in me the image of my adored Saviour
      will be completely restored,
  so that I may be fit for his enjoyments
    and employments.
I am not afraid to look the king of terrors
    in the face,
  for I know I shall be drawn, not driven,
    out of the world.
Until then let me continually glow and burn out
    for thee,
  and when the last great change shall come
  let me awake in thy likeness,
  leaving behind me an example that will
    glorify thee
  while my spirit rejoices in heaven,
  and my memory is blessed upon earth,
  with those who follow me praising thee
    for my life.

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I approach thee with encouragements
    derived from thy character,
  for I am not left to feel after thee
    in the darkness of my nature,
  nor to worship thee as the unknown God.
I cannot find out thy perfections,
  but I know thou art good,
    ready to forgive, plenteous in mercy.
Thou hast displayed thy wisdom, power,
    and goodness in all thy works,
  and hast revealed thy will in the Scripture
    of truth.
Thou hast caused it to be preserved, translated,
    published, multiplied,
  so that all men may possess it and find
    thee in it.
Here I see thy greatness and thy grace,
  thy pity and thy rectitude,
  thy mercy and thy truth,
  thy being and men’s hearts;
Through it thou hast magnified thy name,
  and favoured mankind with the gospel.
Have mercy on me,
  for I have ungratefully received thy benefits,
    little improved my privileges,
    made light of spiritual things,
    disregarded thy messages,
    contended with examples of the good,
      rebukes of conscience,
      admonitions of friends,
      leadings of providence.
I deserve that thy kingdom be taken away from me.
Lord, I confess my sin with feeling, lamentation,
  a broken heart,
  a contrite spirit, self-abhorrence,
    self-condemnation, self-despair.
Give me relief by Jesus my hope,
  faith in his name of Saviour,
  forgiveness by his blood,
  strength by his presence,
  holiness by his Spirit:
And let me love thee with all my heart.

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Thou hast made summer and winter,
      day and night;
  each of these revolutions serves our welfare
  and is full of thy care and kindness.
Thy bounty is seen
  in the relations that train us,
  the laws that defend us,
  the homes that shelter us,
  the food that builds us,
  the raiment that comforts us,
  the continuance of our health, members,
    senses, understanding, memory,
      affection, will.
But as stars fade before the rising sun,
  thou hast eclipsed all these benefits
  in the wisdom and grace that purposed
    redemption by Jesus thy Son.
Blessed be thy mercy that laid help on
  one that is mighty and willing,
  one that is able to save to the uttermost.
Make us deeply sensible of our need of his
    saving grace,
  of the blood that cleanses,
  of the rest he has promised.
And impute to us that righteousness which
  justifies the guilty,
  gives them a title to eternal life,
  and possession of the Spirit.
May we love the freeness of salvation,
    and joy in its holiness;
Give us faith to grasp thy promises,
    that are our hope,
  provide for every exigency,
    and prevent every evil;
Keep our hearts from straying after forbidden
    pleasures;
May thy will bind all our wishes;
Let us live out of the world as to its spirit,
    maxim, manners,
  but live in it as the sphere of our action
    and usefulness;
May we be alive to every call of duty,
  accepting without question
    thy determination of our circumstances
      and our service.

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Thou hast made and upholdest all things
      by the word of thy power;
  darkness is thy pavilion,
  thou walkest on the wings of the wind;
  all nations are nothing before thee;
  one generation succeeds another,
  and we hasten back to the dust;
  the heavens we behold will vanish away
    like the clouds that cover them,
  the earth we tread on will dissolve
    as a morning dream;
But thou, unchangeable and incorruptible,
  art for ever and ever,
  God over all, blessed eternally.
Infinitely great and glorious art thou.
We are thy offspring and thy care.
Thy hands have made and fashioned us.
Thou hast watched over us with
    more than parental love,
    more than maternal tenderness.
Thou hast holden our soul in life,
  and not suffered our feet to be moved.
Thy divine power has given us all things
  necessary for life and godliness.
Let us bless thee at all times and forget not
    how thou hast
  forgiven our iniquities,
  healed our diseases,
  redeemed our lives from destruction,
  crowned us with lovingkindness and
    tender mercies,
  satisfied our mouths with good things,
  renewed our youth like the eagle’s.
May thy Holy Scriptures
  govern every part of our lives,
  and regulate the discharge of all our duties,
  so that we may adorn thy doctrine
    in all things.

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There is no blessing we implore
      but thou art able to give,
  hast promised to give,
  hast given already to countless multitudes,
    all unworthy and guilty like ourselves;
Make us willing to receive the supply
  of our need from thy bounty.
To this end convince us of sin,
  soften our hard hearts,
    to bewail our folly, ingratitude, pride,
      unbelief, rebellion, corruption.
Through the law may we die to the law,
  then look with wonder, submission, delight,
    to the provision thou hast made
    for the glory of thy Name
      in the salvation of sinners.
Give us a hope that makes us not ashamed,
  a love that excites to holy obedience,
  a joy in thee that is our strength,
  a faith in thy Son who loved us and died for us.
May we persevere in duty
    when not fully conscious of thee,
  wait upon thee and keep thy way,
  be humble and earnest suppliants at thy feet,
  live continually as on the brink of eternity.
Let us be at thy disposal for the duties
    and events of life,
  submit our preferences to thy wisdom and will,
  resign our enjoyments if thou shouldest require it
    as our absolute Proprietor and best Friend.
In our unworthiness and provocations
  make us grateful for the means of grace
    and the ordinances of religion
  and teach us to profit by them
    more than we have done.
Help us to be in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day,
  to enter upon the sabbath mindful of its
    solemnities, duties, privileges,
  setting all things worldly aside
    while we worship thee.
May we know the blessedness of men
    whose strength is in thee,
  and in whose hearts are the highways
    to heaven.

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Thy will is supreme in heaven and earth,
      and all beings are creatures of thy power.
Thou art the Father of our spirits;
  thy inspiration gives us understanding,
  thy providence governs our lives.
But, O God, we are sinners in thy sight;
  thou hast judged us so,
    and if we deny it we make thee a liar.
Yet in Christ thou art reconciled to thy
    rebellious subjects;
  give us the ear of faith to hear him,
    the eye of faith to see him,
    the hand of faith to receive him,
    the appetite of faith to feed upon him;
  that we might find in him light,
    riches, honour, eternal life.
Thou art the inviting One,
    may we hearken to thee;
  the Almighty Instructor,
    teach us to live to thee;
  the Light-Dweller,
    inaccessible to man and angels,
    hiding thyself behind the elements of creation,
      but known to us in Jesus,
Possess our minds with the grandeur
    of thy perfections.
Thy love to us in Jesus is firm and changeless,
  nothing can separate us from it,
  and in the enjoyment of it nothing
    can make us miserable.
Preserve us from hypocrisy and formality
    in religion;
Enable us to remember what thou art
    and what we are,
  to recall thy holiness and our unworthiness;
Help us to approach thee clothed with humility,
  for vanity, forwardness, insensibility,
    disorderly affection, backwardness to duty,
    proneness to evil are in our hearts.
Let us never forget thy patience, wisdom,
    power, faithfulness, care,
  and never cease to respond
    to thy invitations.

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We hope in thy Word.
        There we see thee, not on a fearful throne
  of judgment,
But on a throne of grace
  waiting to be gracious and exalted in mercy.
There we hear thee saying,
  not ‘Depart ye cursed’,
  but ‘Look unto me and be ye saved,
    for I am God and there is none else.’
They that know thy name put their trust in thee.
How many now glorified in heaven,
  and what numbers living on earth,
    are thy witnesses, O God,
  exemplifying in their recovery from
    the ruins of the Fall
  the freeness, riches and efficacy of thy grace!
All that were ever saved were saved by thee,
  and will through eternity exclaim,
    ‘Not unto us, but unto thy name give glory
    for thy mercy and truth’s sake.’
Thou hast chosen to transact all thy concerns
  with us through a Mediator
    in whom all fullness dwells
    and who is exalted to be Prince and Saviour.
To him we look, on him we depend,
    through him we are justified.


May we derive relief from his sufferings
    without ceasing to abhor sin,
    or to long after holiness;
  feel the double efficacy of his blood,
    tranquillizing and cleansing our consciences;
  delight in his service as well as in his sacrifice;
  be constrained by his love
    to live not to ourselves but to him;
  cherish a grateful and cheerful disposition,
    not murmuring and repining
    if our wishes are not indulged,
    or because some trials are blended
      with our enjoyments,
But, sensible of our desert,
  and impressed with the number and greatness
    of thy benefits,
  may we bless and praise thee at all times.

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Creator of the ends of the earth,
    Governor of the universe,
    Judge of all men,
    Head of the church,
    Saviour of sinners;
      thy greatness is unsearchable,
      thy goodness infinite,
      thy compassions unfailing,
      thy providence boundless,
      thy mercies ever new.
We bless thee for the words of salvation.
How important, suitable, encouraging
  are the doctrines, promises, and invitations
    of the gospel of peace!
We are lost: but in it thou hast presented to us
    a full, free and eternal salvation;
  weak: but here we learn that help is found in
    One that is mighty,
  poor: but in him we discover unsearchable riches,
  blind: but we find he has treasures of wisdom
    and knowledge.
We thank thee for thy unspeakable gift.
Thy Son is our only refuge, foundation, hope,
    confidence;
We depend upon his death,
  rest in his righteousness,
  desire to bear his image;
May his glory fill our minds,
  his love reign in our affections,
  his cross inflame us with ardour.
Let us as Christians fill our various situations
    in life,
  escape the snares to which they expose us,
  discharge the duties that arise from our
    circumstances,
  enjoy with moderation their advantages,
  improve with diligence their usefulness,
And may every place and company we are in
    be benefited by us.

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This is thy day,
      the heavenly ordinance of rest,
    the open door of worship,
    the record of Jesus’ resurrection,
    the seal of the sabbath to come,
    the day when saints militant and triumphant
      unite in endless song.
I bless thee for the throne of grace,
  that here free favour reigns;
  that open access to it is through the blood
    of Jesus;
  that the veil is torn aside and I can enter
    the holiest
      and find thee ready to hear,
      waiting to be gracious,
      inviting me to pour out my needs,
      encouraging my desires,
      promising to give more than I ask or think.
But while I bless thee, shame and confusion
    are mine:
I remember my past misuse of sacred things,
  my irreverent worship,
  my base ingratitude,
  my cold, dull praise.
Sprinkle all my past sabbaths with the cleansing
    blood of Jesus,
  and may this day witness deep improvement
  in me.
Give me in rich abundance
  the blessings the Lord’s Day was designed
    to impart;
May my heart be fast bound against worldly
    thoughts or cares;
Flood my mind with peace
      beyond understanding;
  may my meditations be sweet,
  my acts of worship life, liberty, joy,
  my drink the streams that flow
      from thy throne,
  my food the precious Word,
  my defence the shield of faith,
    and may my heart be more knit to Jesus.

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I bless thee for the means of grace;
    teach me to see in them thy loving purposes
      and the joy and strength of my soul.
Thou hast prepared for me a feast;
  and though I am unworthy to sit down as guest,
  I wholly rest on the merits of Jesus,
  and hide myself beneath his righteousness;
When I hear his tender invitation
  and see his wondrous grace,
I cannot hesitate, but must come to thee in love.
By thy Spirit enliven my faith rightly to discern
  and spiritually to apprehend the Saviour.
While I gaze upon the emblems of
    my Saviour’s death,
  may I ponder why he died, and hear him say,
    ‘I gave my life to purchase yours,
    presented myself an offering to expiate
      your sin,
    shed my blood to blot out your guilt,
    opened my side to make you clean,
    endured your curses to set you free,
    bore your condemnation to satisfy
      divine justice.’
O may I rightly grasp the breadth and length
    of this design,
  draw near, obey, extend the hand,
  take the bread, receive the cup,
  eat and drink, testify before all men
    that I do for myself, gladly, in faith,
      reverence and love, receive my Lord,
    to be my life, strength, nourishment,
      joy, delight.
In the supper I remember his eternal love,
    boundless grace, infinite compassion,
    agony, cross, redemption,
  and receive assurance of pardon, adoption,
    life, glory.
As the outward elements nourish my body,
  so may thy indwelling Spirit invigorate
    my soul,
  until that day when I hunger and thirst
    no more,
  and sit with Jesus at his heavenly feast.

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Teach me the nature of a sacrament
        as a seal and pledge of love,
  that Christ is faithful to make himself
    a present reality to his own who are guests
      at his table.
Assure me by it
  that his Word is made good to my faith,
  that he by sacramental union is given to me,
  that I shall have strength not to fall into sin,
  that his life begun in me will be perfected
    hereafter,
  that my covenant with him is confirmed,
  that he gives himself to all who take him
    thankfully.
As I come to the feast, help me to recall
  my neglect of duties towards myself,
  my family, church, friends,
  by not instructing, exhorting, being
    an example.
Grant me to see my ignorance,
    not knowing how or what to pray,
  my unsavouriness, not delighting in,
    but loathing to speak for thee,
  my pride, because I would not speak
      what I could from fear of not doing it well,
  my lukewarmness, in not reaching for thy glory,
  my idleness and sloth,
  my want of tender love,
  my apprehension of unfruitfulness
    in case I should attempt and do no good,
      and hence sow seed upon rocks.
Let me know
  that even if I have done right, yet I must
    lament the principles that caused my neglect,
  that good duties might be done or omitted
    out of ill principles or motives,
    and only when these are dealt with shall
      I know what is my duty and its extent.
Heal me now, as I approach thy table,
  and fill me with all grace, with thyself.

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True God, everlasting Life,
      Redeemer of sinners,
I give my body, soul, intellect, will, affections
    to thee.
I call the day, sun,
  earth, trees, stones,
  wind, rain, frost, snow,
  my home, bed, table, food,
    books, drink, clothes,
  to witness that I come to thee for rest of soul
  from the thunders of guilt and dread
    of eternity.
Grant me
  a circumcised heart that I may love thee,
  a right spirit that I may seek thy glory.
  a principle within which thou wilt own,
  an interest in the blood that cleanses,
    the righteousness that justifies,
    the redemption that delivers,
  that I may not be found a hypocrite on
    Judgment Day.
For the sake of thy cruel death take my time,
    strength, gifts, talents, usefulness, piety,
  which in full purpose of heart I consecrate to thee.
Let not sin find a place in my heart to becloud my
    vision,
  and may no foolish act wither my gifts.
Preserve me from the falls by which others stumble,
  that thy name may not be blasphemed or wounded,
  that thy people may not be grieved,
  that thine enemies may not be hardened,
  that my peace may not be injured.
Give me a heart full of love to thyself and to others.
Let me discover in this life what I am before thee,
  that I may not find myself another character
    hereafter.
Prepare me for death,
  that I may not die after long affliction or suddenly,
  but after short illness, with no confusion or
    disorder,
  and a quiet discharge in peace, with adieu
    to brethren.
Let not my days end like lumber in a house,
  but give me a silent removing from one world
    to another.
Inscribe these petitions in thy book, present them
    to thy Father,
Set thine Amen to them, as I do on my part
    of the covenant.

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The universe with all its myriad creatures
      is thine,
    made by thy word,
    upheld by thy power,
    governed by thy will.
But thou art also the Father of mercies,
    the God of all grace,
    the bestower of all comfort,
    the protector of the saved.
Thou hast been mindful of us,
    hast visited us, preserved us,
    given us a goodly heritage —
      the Holy Scriptures,
      the joyful gospel,
      the Saviour of souls,
We come to thee in Jesus’ name,
  make mention of his righteousness only,
  plead his obedience and sufferings
    who magnified the law both in its precepts
    and penalty, and made it honourable.
May we be justified by his blood,
  saved by his life,
  joined to his Spirit.
Let us take up his cross and follow him.
May the agency of thy grace prepare us
    for thy dispensations.
Make us willing that thou shouldest
  choose our inheritance and
  determine what we shall retain or lose,
    suffer or enjoy;
If blessed with prosperity may we be free
  from its snares,
  and use, not abuse, its advantages;
May we patiently and cheerfully submit
    to those afflictions which are necessary.
When we are tempted to wander,
  hedge up our way,
  excite in us abhorrence of sin,
  wean us from the present evil world,
Assure us that we shall at last enter
    Immanuel’s land
      where none is ever sick,
      and the sun will always shine.

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It is the flame of my life to worship thee,
    the crown and glory of my soul to adore thee,
    heavenly pleasure to approach thee.
Give me power by thy Spirit to help me
    worship now,
  that I may forget the world,
    be brought into fullness of life,
    be refreshed, comforted, blessed.
Give me knowledge of thy goodness
  that I might not be over-awed by thy greatness;
Give me Jesus, Son of Man, Son of God,
  that I might not be terrified,
    but be drawn near with filial love,
      with holy boldness;
He is my Mediator, Brother, Interpreter,
Branch, Daysman, Lamb;
    him I glorify,
    in him I am set on high.
Crowns to give I have none,
  but what thou hast given I return,
  content to feel that everything is mine
    when it is thine,
  and the more fully mine when I have yielded it
    to thee.
Let me live wholly to my Saviour,
  free from distractions,
    from carking care,
    from hindrances to the pursuit
      of the narrow way.
I am pardoned through the blood of Jesus —
  give me a new sense of it,
  continue to pardon me by it,
  may I come every day to the fountain,
  and every day be washed anew,
  that I may worship thee always
    in spirit and truth.

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It is thy duty and privilege to rejoice in God:
He requires it of thee for all his favours of grace.
Rejoice then in the Giver and his goodness,
Be happy in him, O my heart, and in nothing
    but God,
  for whatever a man trusts in,
  from that he expects happiness.

He who is the ground of thy faith
  should be the substance of thy joy.
Whence then comes heaviness and dejection,
  when joy is sown in thee,
    promised by the Father,
    bestowed by the Son,
    inwrought by the Holy Spirit,
    thine by grace,
    thy birthright in believing?

Art thou seeking to rejoice in thyself
  from an evil motive of pride and self-reputation?
Thou hast nothing of thine own but sin,
  nothing to move God to be gracious
  or to continue his grace towards thee.
If thou forget this thou wilt lose thy joy.
Art thou grieving under a sense of indwelling sin?
Let godly sorrow work repentance,
  as the true spirit which the Lord blesses,
  and which creates fullest joy;
Sorrow for self opens rejoicing in God,
Self-loathing draws down divine delights.
Hast thou sought joys in some creature comfort?
Look not below God for happiness;
  fall not asleep in Delilah’s lap.
Let God be all in all to thee,
  and joy in the fountain that is always full.

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I praise thee continually for permission
    to approach thy throne of grace,
    and to spread my wants and desires
      before thee.
I am not worthy of thy blessings and mercies
  for I am far gone from original righteousness;
My depraved nature reveals itself in disobedience
    and rebellion;
My early days discovered in me discontent, pride,
    envy, revenge.
Remember not the sins of my youth,
  nor the multiplied transgressions of later years,
    my failure to improve time and talents,
    my abuse of mercies and means,
    my wasted sabbaths,
    my perverted seasons of grace,
    my long neglect of thy great salvation,
    my disregard of the Friend of sinners.
While I confess my guilt, help me to feel it deeply,
  with self-abhorrence and self-despair, yet
  to remember there is hope in thee,
  and to see the Lamb that takes away sin.
Through him may I return to thee,
  listen to thee,
  trust in thee,
  delight in thy law,
  obey thee,
  be upheld by thee.
Preserve my understanding from error,
  my affections from love of idols,
  my lips from speaking guile,
  my conduct from stain of vice,
  my character from appearance of evil,
    that I may be harmless, blameless, rebukeless,
    exemplary, useful, light-giving, prudent,
    zealous for thy glory
      and the good of my fellow-men.

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I bewail my cold, listless, heartless prayers;
    their poverty adds sin to sin.
If my hope were in them I should be undone,
But the worth of Jesus perfumes my feeble
    breathings, and wins their acceptance.
Deepen my contrition of heart,
Confirm my faith in the blood that washes
    from all sin.
May I walk lovingly with my great Redeemer.
Flood my soul with true repentance
  that my heart may be broken for sin and unto sin.
Let me be as slow to forgive myself
  as thou art ready to forgive me.
Gazing on the glories of thy grace
  may I be cast into the lowest depths of shame,
  and walk with downcast head
  now thou art pacified towards me.
O my great High Priest,
  pour down upon me streams of needful grace,
  bless me in all my undertakings,
    in every thought of my mind,
    every word of my lips,
    every step of my feet,
    every deed of my hands.
Thou didst live to bless,
  die to bless,
  rise to bless,
  ascend to bless,
  take thy throne to bless,
  and now thou dost reign to bless.
O give sincerity to my desires,
  earnestness to my supplications,
  fervour to my love.

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Author of all blessings I enjoy,
      of all I hope for,
Thou hast taught me
  that neither the experience of present evils,
  nor the remembrances of former sins,
  nor the remonstrances of friends,
  will or can affect a sinner’s heart,
  except thou vouchsafe to reveal thy grace
  and quicken the dead in sin
  by the effectual working of thy Spirit’s power.
Thou hast shown me
  that the sensible effusions of divine love
    in the soul are superior to and distinct from
    bodily health,
  and that oft-times spiritual comforts are
    at their highest when physical well-being is
    at its lowest.
Thou hast given me the ordinance of song
    as a means of grace;
Fit me to bear my part in that music ever new,
  which elect angels and saints made perfect
  now sing before thy throne and before the Lamb.
I bless thee for tempering every distress with joy;
  too much of the former might weigh me down,
  too much of the latter might puff me up;
Thou art wise to give me a taste of both.
I love thee
  for giving me clusters of grapes
    in the wilderness,
  and drops of heavenly wine
    that set me longing to have my fill.
Apart from thee I quickly die,
  bereft of thee I starve,
  far from thee I thirst and droop;
But thou art all I need.
  Let me continually grasp the promise,
  ‘I will never leave thee nor forsake thee.’

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Thou hast led me singing to the cross
      where I fling down all my burdens
        and see them vanish,
  where my mountains of guilt are levelled
    to a plain,
  where my sins disappear, though they are
    the greatest that exist,
  and are more in number than the grains
    of fine sand;

For there is power in the blood of Calvary
  to destroy sins more than can be counted
    even by one from the choir of heaven.
Thou hast given me a hill-side spring
  that washes clear and white,
    and I go as a sinner to its waters,
      bathing without hindrance
        in its crystal streams.
At the cross there is free forgiveness
    for poor and meek ones,
  and ample blessings that last for ever;
The blood of the Lamb is like a great river
    of infinite grace
  with never any diminishing of its fullness
  as thirsty ones without number drink of it.

O Lord, for ever will thy free forgiveness live
  that was gained on the mount of blood;
In the midst of a world of pain
  it is a subject for praise in every place,
    a song on earth, an anthem in heaven,
      its love and virtue knowing no end.
I have a longing for the world above
  where multitudes sing the great song,
  for my soul was never created to love
    the dust of earth.
Though here my spiritual state is frail and poor,
  I shall go on singing Calvary’s anthem.
May I always know
  that a clean heart full of goodness
    is more beautiful than the lily,
  that only a clean heart can sing by night
    and by day,
  that such a heart is mine when I abide
    at Calvary.

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It is thy will that I should love thee
    with heart, soul, mind, strength,
    and my neighbour as myself.
But I am not sufficient for these things.
There is by nature no pure love in my soul;
Every affection in me is turned from thee;
I am bound, as slave to lust,
I cannot love thee, lovely as thou art,
  until thou dost set me free.
By grace I am thy freeman and would serve thee,
  for I believe thou art my God in Jesus,
  and that through him I am redeemed,
  and my sins are forgiven.
With this freedom I would always obey thee,
  but I cannot walk in liberty,
  any more than I could first attain it, of myself.
May thy Spirit draw me nearer to thee
  and thy ways.
Thou art the end of all means,
  for if they lead me not to thee,
  I go away empty.
Order all my ways by thy holy Word
  and make thy commandments the joy
    of my heart,
  that by them I may have happy converse
    with thee.
May I grow in thy love and manifest it
  to mankind.

Spirit of love, make me like the loving Jesus;
  give me his benevolent temper,
  his beneficent actions,
  that I may shine before men to thy glory.
The more thou doest in love in me and by me,
  humble me the more;
  keep me meek, lowly,
  and always ready to give thee honour.

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Streams upon streams of love overflow my path.
      Thou hast made me out of nothing,
      hast recalled me from a far country,
  hast translated me from ignorance to knowledge,
      from darkness to light,
      from death to life,
      from misery to peace,
      from folly to wisdom,
      from error to truth,
      from sin to victory.
Thanks be to thee for my high and holy calling.
I bless thee for ministering angels,
  for the comfort of thy Word,
  for the ordinances of thy church,
  for the teaching of thy Spirit,
  for thy holy sacraments,
  for the communion of saints,
  for Christian fellowship,
  for the recorded annals of holy lives,
  for examples sweet to allure,
  for beacons sad to deter.
Thy will is in all thy provisions
  to enable me to grow in grace,
  and to be meet for thy eternal presence.
My heaven-born faith gives promise of eternal sight,
  my new birth a pledge of never-ending life.
I draw near to thee, knowing thou wilt draw near
    to me.
I ask of thee, believing thou hast already given.
I entrust myself to thee, for thou hast redeemed me.
I bless and adore thee, the eternal God,
  for the comfort of these thoughts,
    the joy of these hopes.

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My lot is to approach thee with godly fear
        and humble confidence,
  for thy condescension equals thy grandeur,
  and thy goodness is thy glory.
I am unworthy, but thou dost welcome;
  guilty, but thou art merciful;
  indigent, but thy riches are unsearchable.
Thou hast shown boundless compassion towards me
  by not sparing thy Son,
  and by giving me freely all things in him;
This is the foundation of my hope,
  the refuge of my safety,
  the new and living way to thee,
  the means of that conviction of sin,
    brokenness of heart, and self-despair,
    which will endear to me the gospel.
Happy are they who are Christ’s,
  in him at peace with thee,
    justified from all things,
    delivered from coming wrath,
    made heirs of future glory;
Give me such deadness to the world,
  such love to the Saviour,
  such attachment to his house,
  such devotedness to his service,
    as proves me a subject of his salvation.
May every part of my character and conduct
  make a serious and amiable impression on others,
  and impel them to ask the way to the Master.
Let no incident of life, pleasing or painful,
  injure the prosperity of my soul,
  but rather increase it.
Send me thy help,
  for thine appointments are not meant
    to make me independent of thee,
  and the best means will be vain
    without super-added blessings.

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If I should suffer need, and go unclothed,
    and be in poverty,
  make my heart prize thy love,
  know it, be constrained by it,
  though I be denied all blessings.
It is thy mercy to afflict and try me with wants,
  for by these trials I see my sins,
  and desire severance from them.
Let me willingly accept misery, sorrows,
    temptations,
  if I can thereby feel sin as the greatest evil,
  and be delivered from it with gratitude to thee,
  acknowledging this as the highest testimony
    of thy love.
When thy Son, Jesus, came into my soul
    instead of sin, he became more dear to me
    than sin had formerly been;
  his kindly rule replaced sin’s tyranny.
Teach me to believe that if ever I would have any sin
    subdued
  I must not only labour to overcome it,
  but must invite Christ to abide in the place of it,
  and he must become to me more than
    vile lust had been;
  that his sweetness, power, life may be there.
Thus I must seek a grace from him contrary to sin,
  but must not claim it apart from himself.
When I am afraid of evils to come,
  comfort me by showing me
    that in myself I am a dying, condemned wretch,
      but in Christ I am reconciled and live;
  that in my self I find insufficiency and no rest,
    but in Christ there is satisfaction and peace;
  that in myself I am feeble and unable to do good,
    but in Christ I have ability to do all things.
Though now I have his graces in part,
  I shall shortly have them perfectly
  in that state where thou wilt show thyself
    fully reconciled,
  and alone sufficient, efficient,
    loving me completely,
  with sin abolished.
O Lord, hasten that day.

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Grant me the favour of being led by thee,
      under the directions of thy providence
      and thy Word.
Grant me thy blessings with bitter things,
  to brighten and quicken me,
  not to depress and make me lifeless;
Grant me, like Gideon of old, way-tokens,
  by removing things that discourage me;
Grant me succour beneath the shadow
    of thy sympathy when I am tempted.
Accept my unceasing thanks
  that I am not cast off from thy hand
  as a darkened star or a rudderless vessel.
Suffer not my life to extend
    beyond my usefulness;
Cast me not under the feet of
    pride, injustice, riches, worldly greatness,
    selfish oppression of men;
Help me to wait patiently, silently upon thee,
  not to be enraged or speak unadvisedly.
Let thy mercy follow me while I live,
  and give me aid to resign myself to thy will.
Take my heart and hold it in thy hand;
  write upon it reverence to thyself with an
  inscription that time and eternity cannot erase.
To thy grace and the care of thy covenant
  I commit myself, in sickness, and in health,
    for thou hast overcome the world,
    fulfilled the law,
    finished justifying righteousness,
    swallowed up death in victory,
    and taken all power everywhere.
Mark this covenant with thine own blood
    in the court of forgiving mercy;
Attach unto it thy name in which I believe,
    for it is sealed by my unworthy mortal hand.

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I bless thee that thou hast given me the eye
      of faith,
  to see thee as Father,
  to know thee as a covenant God,
  to experience thy love planted in me;
For faith is the grace of union
  by which I spell out my entitlement to thee:
Faith casts my anchor upwards
  where I trust in thee
  and engage thee to be my Lord.
Be pleased to live and move within me,
  breathing in my prayers,
  inhabiting my praises,
  speaking in my words,
  moving in my actions,
  living in my life,
  causing me to grow in grace.
Thy bounteous goodness has helped me believe,
  but my faith is weak and wavering,
    its light dim,
    its steps tottering,
    its increase slow,
    its backslidings frequent;
It should scale the heavens, but lies grovelling
    in the dust.
Lord, fan this divine spark into glowing flame.
When faith sleeps, my heart becomes
  an unclean thing,
  the fount of every loathsome desire,
  the cage of unclean lusts
  all fluttering to escape,
    the noxious tree of deadly fruit,
    the open wayside of earthly tares.
Lord, awake faith to put forth its strength
  until all heaven fills my soul
  and all impurity is cast out.

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Thou hast revealed to me myself
      as a mass of sin,
  and thyself as the fullness of goodness,
    with strength enough to succour me,
    wisdom enough to guide me,
    mercy enough to quicken me,
    love enough to satisfy me.
Thou hast shown me that because thou art mine
    I can live by thy life,
    be strong in thy strength,
    be guided by thy wisdom;
  and so I can pitch my thoughts and heart in thee.
This is the exchange of wonderful love —
  for me to have thee for myself,
  and for thee to have me, and to give me thyself.
There is in thee all fullness of the good I need,
  and the fullness of all grace to draw me to thyself,
  who, else, could never have come.
But having come, I must cleave to thee,
  be knit to thee,
  always seek thee.
There is none all good as thou art:
With thee I can live without other things,
  for thou art God all-sufficient,
  and the glory, peace, rest, joy of the world
    is a creaturely, perishing thing
      in comparison with thee.
Help me to know that he who hopes for nothing
    but thee,
  and for all things only for thee, hopes truly,
  and that I must place all my happiness in holiness,
    if I hope to be filled with all grace.
Convince me that I can have no peace at death,
  nor hope that I should go to Christ,
    unless I intend to do his will
  and have his fullness while I live.

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The world is before me this day,
        and I am weak and fearful,
  but I look to thee for strength;
If I venture forth alone I stumble and fall,
  but on the Beloved’s arms I am firm
    as the eternal hills;
If left to the treachery of my heart
    I shall shame thy Name,
  but if enlightened, guided, upheld by thy Spirit,
    I shall bring thee glory.
Be thou my arm to support,
        my strength to stand,
        my light to see,
        my feet to run,
        my shield to protect,
        my sword to repel,
        my sun to warm.
To enrich me will not diminish thy fullness;
All thy lovingkindness is in thy Son,
I bring him to thee in the arms of faith,
I urge his saving Name as the One who died for me.
I plead his blood to pay my debts of wrong.
Accept his worthiness for my unworthiness,
  his sinlessness for my transgressions,
  his purity for my uncleanness,
  his sincerity for my guile,
  his truth for my deceits,
  his meekness for my pride,
  his constancy for my backslidings,
  his love for my enmity,
  his fullness for my emptiness,
  his faithfulness for my treachery,
  his obedience for my lawlessness,
  his glory for my shame,
  his devotedness for my waywardness,
  his holy life for my unchaste ways,
  his righteousness for my dead works,
  his death for my life.

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Thy cause, not my own, engages my heart,
      and I appeal to thee with greatest freedom
  to set up thy kingdom in every place
    where Satan reigns;
Glorify thyself and I shall rejoice,
  for to bring honour to thy name is my sole desire.
I adore thee that thou art God,
  and long that others should know it, feel it,
    and rejoice in it.
O that all men might love and praise thee,
  that thou mightest have all glory
    from the intelligent world!
Let sinners be brought to thee for thy dear name!
To the eye of reason everything respecting
    the conversion of others is as dark as midnight,
But thou canst accomplish great things;
  the cause is thine,
  and it is to thy glory that men should be saved.
Lord, use me as thou wilt,
  do with me what thou wilt;
    but, O, promote thy cause,
  let thy kingdom come,
  let thy blessed interest be advanced
    in this world!
O do thou bring in great numbers to Jesus!
  let me see that glorious day,
  and give me to grasp for multitudes of souls;
  let me be willing to die to that end;
  and while I live let me labour for thee
    to the utmost of my strength,
    spending time profitably in this work,
    both in health and in weakness.
It is thy cause and kingdom I long for,
    not my own.


O, answer thou my request!

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Hear me for Jesus’ sake.
      I am sinful even in my closest walk
        with thee;
  it is of thy mercy I died not long ago;
Thy grace has given me faith in the cross
  by which thou hast reconciled thyself to me
    and me to thee,
  drawing me by thy great love,
  reckoning me as innocent in Christ though
    guilty in myself.
Giver of all graces,
I look to thee for strength to maintain them in me,
  for it is hard to practise what I believe.
Strengthen me against temptations.
My heart is an unexhausted fountain of sin,
  a river of corruption since childhood days,
  flowing on in every pattern of behaviour;
Thou hast disarmed me of the means
    in which I trusted,
  and I have no strength but in thee.
Thou alone canst hold back my evil ways,
  but without thy grace to sustain me I fall.
Satan’s darts quickly inflame me,
  and the shield that should quench them
    easily drops from my hand:
Empower me against his wiles and assaults.
Keep me sensible of my weakness,
  and of my dependence upon thy strength.
Let every trial teach me more of thy peace,
  more of thy love.
Thy Holy Spirit is given to increase thy graces,
  and I cannot preserve or improve them
    unless he works continually in me.
May he confirm my trust in thy promised help,
  and let me walk humbly in dependence
    upon thee,
  for Jesus’ sake.

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