was the reprefentation of fome mementous thing to men, when they were awake, in oppofition to dreams, which were reprefentations made to them, when their external, fenfes were afleep; that were either God's calling to Men from on high as he did to St. Paul) or his immediate converfing with them (as he did with Mofes) and that infpiration was an inwward incitement of the foul of man, by the operation of the Holy Ghoft without any bodily perfection or fenfation.

Cannot God Almighty, by fome visible appearance, convince man of his immediate prefence, bey nd the poffibility of a doubt? Cannot he, with or without fuch vifible appearances talk as familiarly, as one man converfes with another? Cannot he who formed our minds and knows all the ways of access to them, draw fuch clear ad bright scenes and pictures of things on our fancy and imagination, whether fleeping or waking, as fhall need no other proof of divinity, but themselves. In fhort, why cannot he fo enlighten and make clear the understanding by a beam of light let in from above, be as evident a proof of its divine original, as it is that the light proceeds from the fun, the fountain of it.

However reft affured, that there was in the prophetic fcheme, that powerful representation, on the part of the perfon infpired, as would abundantly make good thofe phrafes of vifion and fpeaking, by which it was defcribed in the fcripture, infomuch that fuch a perfon after fuch illumination might as well queftion what he heard and faw by natural organs of fenfe, as doubt of what was revealed to him, by the impreffions made upon him through the agency of the divine fpirit.

To conclude, I defire the reader to perufe without prejudice the following difcourfes, and confider feriously the ths contained in them, and of courfe he will glorify God, and moft likely receive fpecial benefit to himself, and the bleffings of heaven attend his endeavours,

PSALMS

Pfalms, Prayers, and Hymns,

FOR MORNING AND EVENING,

BE

ADAPTED TO EVERY DAY IN THE WEEK,

Proper to be used in all Families.

EJACULATION.

Eye fure that the Lord he is God, it is he that hath made us, and not we ourfelves, we are his people and the sheep of his pafture. O go your way into his gates with thanfgiving and into his courts with praife; be thankful unto him and fpeak good of his

name.

PRAYER FOR SUNDAY MORNING.

OOK down from heaven, thy dwelling

place, O Lord God of hofts, upon thy finful fervants proftrate before thee: Pityour infirmities, and lend a favourable ear to our petitions. We acknowledge with confufion. of face, that the mercies thou haft already be ftowed upon us infinitely exceed our deferts.,

We

We have no righteoufnefs of our own to plead; all our hopes are placed in the merits of our dear redeemer. Thele we offer before thee: O may they be accepted, and procure our pardon.

Thou art a tender and compaffionate Father, to all the children of men. Thou haft protected us from our birth until now, and delivered us from innumerable dangers. Thou haft been our refuge, our hiding place, our fortrels, when afflictions compaffed us round about. We, therefore, praife thee, O God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord,

We return thee, O thou great preferver of men. our unfeigned thanks, for thy great kindnefs in adding one day more to our lives, and caufing the chearful light of the morning to enlighten our eyes. Thou knoweft the frail nature of the human frame: Thou remembereft that we are but duft; that we are utterly unable to fupport ourselves, or procure the fubfiftence neceffary to our being; thou haft, therefore, kindly provided for us. Thy goodnefs caufes the rain to fall from heaven; and it is thou that covereft the earth with golden harvefts. To thee we owe the fattening thowers that rejoice the thirty foil, and the fruitful fealons that have fo often bleffed our land. From our youth up, even until now, thy favours and loving kindnefs have refted upon our fouls and bodies.-What fa-"

crinces:

crifices of praife and thanfgiving are we bound to offer to thee, for thine abundant mercies; for the affiftances of thy holy fpirit, for thy holy word and ordinances, and for thy many calls and invitations to lay hold on eternal life: O make us thoroughly fenfible of thy goodness! fenfible of thy mercy! fenfible of thy continual care! and let this conviction work in us a perpetual hatred to fin, and a fervent love for the ways of holiness.

O thou great fearcher of the human heart, difcover to us the error of our ways; eftablish us with thy grace, and uphold us with, thy free fpirit. Enable us, O God of our falvation, to do thy will; affift us in the difficult task of cleanfing ourfelves from all filthiness of flesh and fpirit; and in practising whatever duties are pleafing in thy fight. Give us an earnest desire of imitating the examples of those holy men, who have paffed before us through this howling wilderness of fin and forrow to the happy regions of reft and peace. Let us delight always in thy commandments, and in thy loving kindnefs only make our .boaft.

Open, O heavenly Father the eyes of our understanding, that we may behold with greater fervency, the fpiritual riches thou haft laid up for us, in the happy manfions of eternity; and thence be lead to defpife all the fleeting vanities of this deceitful world. Let us fet

out

our affections on things above that we may at laft obtain the end of our faith, and fit down with the Lamb in the habitations of unfading glory.

Vouchfafe, O heavenly father, to continue with us the remaining part of this day. And let no worldly bufinefs, no worldly pleasures, divert us from the thoughts of the life to come. Give us. O Lord, courage, wisdom, difcretion and refolution, in our behaviour towards God and man; keep our thoughts fixed upon a better life; then whenever thou fhalt call us hence, we may be prepared to obey thy will; and receive the fummons with joy, and not with grief.

Bleis. O Lord, the holy Catholic Church; efpecially that part of it which thou, of thy infinite mercy, haft thought proper to plant in thefe kingdoms, that by the purity of its doctrines and the pious examples of its paftors and teachers. we may be able to ftop the mouths of ignorant and wicked men, and fpread the glory of thy name to the utmoft parts of the earth.

1

Shower down, we moft humbly befeech thee great father of mercies, the choiceft of thy bleffings upon the head and heart of our molt gracious Sovereign.* & grant that he may above all things feek thy honour & glory: give

hum

* These words are adapted to any nation, where there is a Sovereign or King.