Finally, we beseech thee, O God, to incline our hearts to sanctify this whole day. Make it our delight to employ our time in reading thy word, in meditation and privacy, not yielding to the sinfulness of our hearts, or the custom of the world, in speaking our own words, in thinking our own thoughts, and finding our own pleasure on thy holy day. And grant us grace so to use this day of rest and of public worship in this life that we may none of us fail of having a part in the everlasting adoration, praise, and love of thy name in the life to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A FAMILY PRAYER ON THE EVENING OF THE LORD’S DAY. O Lord, thou art great, wonderful, and holy. Thou art exalted far above all blessing and praise which can ever be afforded to thee by the angels of light; yet such is thy condescending mercy, that the door of thy house has been open this day to us, vile dust and miserable sinners. We have been waiting on thee in the ordinances of thy own appointment; and as we implore the comfort and help of thy spirit before we present ourselves in thy courts, so now, as becometh us in bounded duty, we desire to return thee our most hearty thanks and praise, if we have found any deliverance from the hardness, unbelief, distraction, and deceitfulness of our depraved hearts, whilst we were offering our vows unto thee. Not unto us, but to the influence of thy Spirit be the praise, if we have confessed our sins this day with any self-loathing, and being melted into contrition for our offences; if the forbearance thou hast shown towards us, and thy tender pity in sparing us though so richly deserving damnation, have been sensible to our hearts, whilst we were accusing ourselves before thee. We praise thee if we have sanctified this day, and our holy services in it, to the honour of our Lord Jesus Christ, by looking only to the virtue of his atonement for the remission of our sins. We bless thee if we have found thy word sweet unto us, and the increasing discovery of thy love delightful to our hearts; if we have been filled with faith, and experience in our hearts the Spirit of Grace, of prayer and supplication; so that instead of saying, When will the Sabbath be gone, that we may buy and sell and get gain? we have found the spiritual provisions of thy house a feast indeed to our souls. We thank thee if thy word preached hath searched us, making any hidden corruption; if it has been for our edification, exhortation, and comfort in Christ Jesus. We thank thee, if it has been a pleasant and joyful thing to us to be thankful, to speak good of thy name, and to declare thy goodness towards the children of men.