he opens

the eyes of the honest and fincere; but hides his grace and knowledge from the proud and wife in their own fight. Human reafon may both deceive and be deceived: but faith hath God for its foundation, and cannot err; because depending upon one who is truth itself, incapable of mistaking, or of impofing upon others.

8. "Tis therefore highly fit, and in matters of religion, abfolutely neceflary, that these two principles fhould know their order, and respective stations; and each contain itself within its proper fphere. Faith (which fuppofes a revelation received and acknowledged) challenges the highest place; and reafon ought to keep her distance, to ferve and follow after, not to set bounds to, or affume, and encroach, and ufurp over the other. For,

9. Faith and charity are the two pillars, upon which christianity ftands; the two governing principles of a good man's opinions and actions. And their authority and influence are, in no one inftance, more confiderable, than in this of the bleffed facrament. God is infinite and eternal, his power unbounded, and incomprehenfible, he does whatfever pleafeth him in heaven and earth: and who

can

can underland his council, or find out all his methods?

IO. If the works of God were fuch, as hùman reafon could penetrate with ease, they would lofe great part of their glory. We fhould foon abate of our awe and veneration for their author, if his dealings were not above the power of our tongues to exprefs, and the utmost extent of our imaginations to conceive. O that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness, and confefs the wonders that he doth for the children of men! for great and marvellous are thy works, O Lord God almighty; how unfearchable are thy judgments, and thy ways paft finding out? Pfalm cvii. Rev. xv. Rom. xi.

A prayer of thanksgiving, in our retirement, after we are returned home, from the Lord's table. Behold thou art made whole, fin no more, left a worse thing come unto thee. John v. 14.

Lord

my God! I acknowledge with all thankfulness of heart thy great mercy and goodnefs, in giving me an opportunity of approaching thy holy table, in difpofing my mind to commemorate the infinite love of my crucified Saviour, to render him thanks and praife for laying down his life as a facrifice for the fins of the world, and to represent unto

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thee that facrifice as a full fatisfaction for them; whereby thou dost incline me humbly to hope for all the benefits of his death and paffion. But,

What thanks, moft gracious God, can I return unto thy divine majefty, for impreffing a fenfe of my duty upon my mind; and for that ftrength and power, whereby thou haft, in fome measure, enabled me to perform it? I will praise and magnify thy great and glorious name, and I will entirely devote myself to thy fervice, as long as I have any being.

Bleffed be thy name for those fresh fupplies of grace I have received; grant that they may make me run the way of thy commandments with delight and pleasure, that I may never more faint, or droop, or tire in my duty. Bleffed be thy name for thofe comfortable affurances thou haft given me of pardon and forgiveness.

Let this thy compaffionate goodness be a perpetual obligation to love and gratitude. Let it put me upon my guard, that I may watch over all my ways, and do always that which is well-pleafing in thy fight.

Bleffed be thy name, for that peace and quiet thou haft restored to my foul; for those resolutions thou haft wrought in me to perse

vere in thy fervice to the end of my days; make them firm, vigorous, and conftant; and never let any finful paffions any more ruffle and difcompofe my mind.

Bleffed be thy name for that relish thou hast given me of fpiritual delights, that defire of poffeffing the eternal inheritance: Let the enjoyments of fenfe appear mean and contemptible; and let not the pleasures of the world henceforward any more prevail upon me to tranfgrefs thy holy laws.

Grant, O Lord, that I may walk worthy of these thy distinguishing mercies, and live as it becomes the redeemed of the Lord. Without thee, O bleffed Jefus, I can do nothing; without thee, who art the fun of righteoufnefs, I fhall walk in darkness; without thee, who art the phyfician of fouls, I fhall languish and die;thout thee, who art the joy of all devout minds, I fhall confume my days away in fadness. Remain therefore, O Lord, and abide with me for ever; I fhall then be enabled to do thy will in this life, and thereby be qualified to partake of thy glories to all eternity in the next. Amen. Amen.

Directions.

Thus having complied with the duties of the morning, you may refresh yourself with a temperate and chearful meal, and thankfuly enjoy the good things of this life, which God hath bleffed thee with. As

to the afternoon of this, and all other Lord's days, you are pioufy and prudently to divide it between the publick fervice, family duties, private devotions, offices of charity, if they present themselves; and, for I am not

I will add your own necessary refre day, to uno strict as

totally to forbid you fome time upon that day, to unbend your mind, and relax your thoughts, by any company and conversation that is inAructive, and innocently diverting; but I abfolutely forewarn you against all places of publick refort, all gaming, and fportful exercises, as giving offence to fome, and bad examples to others; for they are unfuitable to the seriousness and folemnity of the day, and indeed favouring too much of levity and profaneness and for the further improve ment of thy foul, read a leffon out of the New WHOLE DUTY OF MAN, Sunday 2. Section III.

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N. B. After thefe good inftructions and devotions, if thou wouldst, my devout chriftian! perfevere in thy duty, and defireft to lead an boly and godly life for the future, I would advise thee, by all means (after you have ended the foregoing meditation) to make the fecond part of this New Week's Preparation to be thy companion for the week enfuing; for beginning with the devotions for this Sunday's evening, it will furnish thee, through the courfe of another week, with fuch devotions, meditations, and hymns, as will be acceptable to Almighty God, after thou hast been a worthy partaker of the Lord's fupper.

Thofe fervants and others, who have not the command of their own time and therefore cannot employ as much of it in these exercifes as they could wish and defire; they may reft ajjured that GOD approves and accepts their willing mind, provided they go on in a fincere' refolution to avoid and forfake fin, and live in the fear of GOD; ánd behave themselves with confcience and honefly in thofe feveral stations of life which bis providence has appointed them.

N. B. The fecond part of the New Week's Preparation (as well as the firft part) published by the KING's AUTHORITY, is printed only for JoHN HINTON, at the King's Arms in Pater-nofter Row, near Warwick-lane, London.

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