thorny path safely travelled over, many a want overcome. God, has through this night and day covered me with a shield, saved me from many a peril which threatened my life, and averted many a misfortune from me. But here his goodness does not stop; he has conferred more goodness upon me than I am able to describe, or that I can boast, that I am worthy of. Every morning did I receive a fresh proof of his goodness; every evening was it renewed to me. All the paths, on which he has led me from my infancy, were the best, and dark as they might sometimes appear to me, they have still always terminated in the brightest light. I know it as a certainty from the whole course of my life that is past, and from the accidents which have hitherto befallen me, that God, the beneficent father of all mankind is affectionately inclined towards me, and that my welfare has been the principal object of his care. O that I was not able to discern so much folly and levity in the days of my life that are past. O that I had always so acted that I could recall the past to my memory with delight and satisfaction, and that I could look forward to the future with consoling courage. But as the former is irrevocably past, and the latter is too far distant and enveloped in uncertainty, I will therefore employ the present moment, which alone I can call my own for those purposes, for which it was given to me.

Raise thyself aloft, O my soul, above every thing that is terrestrial and perishable, and bend thy thoughts on him, who is, and will remain eternal, on God. In that alone, wilt thou find tranquillity, there thou wilt find the highest good, which can fully and everlastingly satisfy thy immortal and noble inclinations and desires.

O thou eternal and adorable Being! with reverence and humility, I prostrate myself before the throne of thy Majesty and grace, and worship thee, as the Creator of my life-the deliverer of my soul, and the founder of my eternal blessedness. I implore thy forgiveness for everything which I may have done against thy laws-or against my conscience in thoughts, words, or deeds, knowingly or unknowingly, with

design, or from weakness, or precipitation at any previous period of my life. O how my heart rejoices within me, when I think, what thou O God, hast done for me. Where is there such a God as thou art, who so willingly and readily forgivest our sins? Yes, thou art all love, that, my existence tells me, as well as all the dispensations of thy overflowing goodness. By thy compassion am I still permitted to live. Thou createdst me, thou supportedst me-to thee were all my wants known, and to thy power were all my days entrusted. Thou art the first and the last thought of my soul when I awake, and when I lay myself to sleep. Thou hast hitherto helped us O Lord, and thou wilt continue to help us.

JANUARY IV.

THANKS FOR OUR SALVATION.

My God! what wonderful things hast thou done for me —and what astonishing proofs hast thou given me of thy goodness and love. Great was thy love to the world and myself, that thou gavest thy only begotten Son, that all who believe in him might not be lost, but that they might have eternal life.

This is a thought, which as well as the peace which it bestows, surpasses all comprehension. Where is the understanding that can fathom it? But where is the heart that does not feel in it something divinely great; something divinely consoling? The work of salvation is certainly concealed from the dim vision of our mind by a sacred veil, but as far as I am capable of examining this great mystery of religion, I am inspired, O my Creator, with the most sublime ideas of thy majesty and love, and it is equally satisfactory for my wants, as it is for my wishes and hopes. On the same principle, that I cannot fully explain to myself the construction and the peculiar nature of the light of the sun, but still am perfectly sensible of the influence of its warmth in the preservation of my life, so can I not wholly penetrate

thy high decree for the redemption of a sinful world through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, but on serious reflection, I find in it a divine power and wisdom, which in itself is able to improve my heart and pacify my conscience. Deprive us of the high consolation, that Jesus is our Redeemer, that he has borne, our iniquities, that he has acquired for us eternal happiness, and we then become miserable and pitiable creatures, deprived of all hope for the future, and a prey to the visitations of despair. We should then go astray in the most important concerns of our life; we should not know who God is, nor what we are, nor what we shall eternally be.

No, this belief and consolation of Christianity, are to me too indispensable, and important, as that I should relinquish them on account of a few doubts and objections. The scorner may call it folly-to me it is the supreme of divine wisdom--the proud man may ridicule it, I will always consider it as my greatest blessing and my greatest happiness. Yes, O my God, confirm and strengthen my heart in the divinity of my faith amidst all the incredulity of the present times. I know that by the death of Jesus, I am reconciled to thee, and rendered acceptable in thy eyes. I now know that I am thy property and the heir of eternal life. Nothing shall rob me of this belief, nor of this consolation, in it will I live and die. When I pray to thee, I now know that thou dost not reject my prayer-when the weight of my sins presses heavily upon me, I know, that thou wilt pardon them. If I serve thee with a pure and holy heart, and endeavour to do thy will to the utmost of my power, I know, that my filial obedience, notwithstanding my remaining weakness, is agreeable to thee. When sufferings sorely afflict me, I know that they are not punishments of an incensed deity, but that they are trials, to which a good and beneficent father subjects me. When I look with anxiety towards the future, I then know, that I shall live although I may die, that all things will contribute to my advantage, and that thou, my God, who hast sent to me thy

only Son, wilt with him bestow upon me whatever is bene ficial for me.

Rejoice then, O my soul, and my soul be thou joyful in the Lord. Heaven is mine-and the earth, a trifle. Every thing by which I am surrounded is a proof of the love of God against my own dissatisfied and discontented heart. Why has the all merciful God preserved me through this day, and protected me from a thousand evils? Why does his spirit at this evening hour excite me to prayer, whilst others thoughtlessly retire to rest, ungrateful for the gift of their heavenly Father? But I rejoice in the God of my Redeemer, who came on earth to save me, and by my faith in whom, I am rendered the heir of immortal life.

JANUARY V.

THE DUTY OF EVENING PRAYER.

FATHER in Heaven! Father of light! from whom all good gifts spring forth, and in whom there is no change of light and darkness-thou unwearied guardian and benefactor of the human race, although thousands of thy rational creatures may heedlessly lay themselves to sleep, yet will I belong to the small number of those, who offer up their thanks to thee for all the blessings which they have enjoyed during the day, who supplicate thy pardon for their transgressions, and implore thy protection for the coming night. But how often have I even gone to sleep without having performed those necessary occupations? I, to whom thy goodness is every morning renewed; over whom, as over all other creatures, it beams forth in the mid-day sun, and over whom it falls during the night, like a gentle refreshing dew. How great, how culpable would be my ingratitude, if at any time I should forget thee. Accept graciously, O God, the offering of my thanks, which I now with a joyous and grateful beart lay before thee, for the preservation of my health,

for thy protection in danger, for thy blessing in all my undertakings. Forgive, O my Father, all my transgressions. O thou great Shepherd, who never slumberest nor sleepest watch through this night, I implore thee, over me, and over those who are dear to me-let no accident nor injury befall them. O how rapidly does my life hasten away. Let me on every evening consider, that a morning, a day, an evening, an hour, a moment must come, which will be my last. But let it come when, how, and where it will, I shall be able to die with comfort, if I have lived in a firm reliance on thee, my God, and in the fullest faith in my Saviour Jesus Christ. As the night with its shadows conceals from me all surrounding objects, but at the same time opens to me the prospect of the starry heavens, and their innumerable worlds, so will also the night of death conceal from me this world, which must soon vanish before my breaking eyesight, but at the same time it will elevate me to the hope and the enjoyment of the bliss, which I have never yet experienced, of a better and a happier world. Lord of my life, be thou with me, as long as there is breath in me. Lead me continually on the pleasant paths of true piety, then will my faith be one day changed into the actual beholding of thee, and thy Heaven. I pray not however, solely for myself, but for all my fellow-creatures; grant to them, O Lord, the same goodness which I ask for myself. Thou art the great Father of us all, thou knowest all our wants, and thou possessest as much grace as power to assist us all, and to lead us, although on different paths to the great aim of our existence. Let, however, not one of us forget, that we are not created solely for this earth, but also for Heaven, that we are not born for a few years or hours of time, but for all eternity.

O thou God of love and mercy-and perhaps most merciful, when I complained of thy severity, how much goodness and compasion hast thou shown towards me during the whole of my life. I behold on the throne of Heaven, a