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O Lord, we thy people are now drawing near to thee, even in the nearest degree of familiarity that can be in the external means; thou canst get no further honor in external means, nor can we get further comfort than is to be gotten now, if we use the means according to the warrant of thy Word, and they be accompanied by thy Spirit. Lord, send down thy Spirit upon every heart that is here, and work powerfully upon them all, and strengthen them for this work: and bestow now these things upon us, which may tend for our spiritual nourishment to life everlasting. Lord, we acknowledge that this thy dispensation towards us is wonderful, for it is thou, Lord, who art our maker, and it is thy providence that upholds us; and when this is known to thy people, it is a blessing to them. And besides all these things, we acknowledge that it is of thee we have that great benefit of our redemption, and indeed we cannot wonder enough at the depth of it—that thou shouldst shew such a favor to any people, that thou thyself shouldst find out a way how thy justice should be satisfied, and thy people should find the taste of thy mercy. And we acknowledge, O Lord, that it was of thy great mercy that thou didst send the light of the gospel here; and when the sun thereof was at the setting, that thou made it to stand, yea turn back by so many degrees. We might justly have been in darkness of superstition, and been drowned in Popish idolatry; yet thou hast not done it. And how is this, Lord, that thou hast made a tryst1 between the gospel and us? This indeed is thy providence, and we bless thee for it. And we bless and praise thee, who hast made thy light in any measure to shine into our minds, and hast entered us here into the estate of grace, and so given us any hope of glory hereafter. We ascribe this praise to thee, that it is of thy great mercy that thou hast done this, and we acknowledge, O Lord, that there is no righteousness nor merit at all in us; only the righteousness of Christ, which is by faith, must do our turn; for he is the tree of life, and has enough to bestow on all who come to him. Therefore, we beseech thee out of his fullness to send down grace into our graceless souls. Our hearts should break for this, when we hear that there are such treasures in heaven, and yet we should be perishing for hunger, and have not grace to seek. We think not the offer of Christ to be a mercy, till we get grace into our hearts; and if we had grace, and made use of it, then we would be assured that we are the people of God. Lord, we beseech thee to sanctify these means to us which we are to be about, that so they may represent Christ to us, and we may remember of the bitterness of his passion; that thereby we may be assured of the pardon of our sins. And grant, Lord, that now by faith Christ may be made ours, and we may be made his; and so let a union be made up now that shall never be dissolved again. We cannot tell how long we shall have the use of the means, or we shall be with them; therefore we beseech thee, O Lord, let not our souls go away empty now; and we beseech thee to give us a testimony of the presence of thy Spirit; and let us find thy Spirit working, albeit secretly, yet sensibly in our souls. And because faith is greatly requisite now, good Lord, banish unbelief, and hold our souls in a holy and heavenly temper till this action be ended, and all the rest of our time, to thy glory and honor, and to the comfort of our souls through Jesus Christ. To whom, etc.