blessing the efforts of all who have been employed in ministering instruction to the ignorant, and especially may the young be brought to thyself. Upon the youthful members of our family let thy richest grace descend, so that each of them may say from this time, My Father, thou art the guide of my youth. The power, great God, is thine. Bring every member of our household to the obedience of faith, and may all that pertain to us, present or absent, consecrate themselves to thee, belong to the household of faith, and be at last gathered with those whom in the great day thou wilt own as thy jewels. We think of those whom affliction has detained this day from thine house of prayer. Make up to them the loss of the public means of grace. Give them resignation. Help them to regard their sorrows as proofs of their Father's love, and let the effect be to take away sins, and to make them fruitful in every good word and work. O Lord, we thank thee for our enjoyments to-day. The lines have fallen to us in pleasant places, we have a goodly heritage. Permit us to retire to our rest to-night under thy merciful protection. Let no plague approach us. Let no distressing dreams disturb our repose, nor any danger befall our dwellingplace. May our sleep be peaceful and refreshing, and may we be prepared by it for coming toil. Thus may our days be crowned with thy goodness and our nights filled with the tokens of thy parental care, till the vicissitude of day and night shall cease, and we shall be ever with the Lord. We ask all in the Redeemer's name, ascribing to him, with thee, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, all honour for ever. Amen. ACTS III. MORNING HYMN. "It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High." THOU, who art enthroned above, Sweet the day of sacred rest, From thy works our joys arise, All our powers, with all their might, ACTS IV. EVENING HYMN. "He shall bear their iniquities." GREAT High Priest, we see thee stooping, Nothing but thy blood, O Jesus! Cán relieve us from our smart ; Nothing else from guilt release us, Nothing else can melt the heart: Law and terrors do but harden . All the while they work alone; But the sense of blood-bought pardon Can dissolve a heart of stone. Jesus, all our consolations Flow from thee, the sovereign good; Love, and faith, and hope, and patience, All are purchased by thy blood: From thy fulness we receive them, We have nothing of our own; Freely thou delight'st to give them To the needy who have none. O GOD, thou art our God. Early will we seek thee. In all generations thou hast been nigh unto them that call upon thee, to all that call upon thee in truth. The idols of the heathen are silver and gold; they are the work of men's hands. They have eyes, but they see not; ears have they, but they hear not; and they that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them. The portion of Jacob is not like unto them, he is the Creator of all things, and Israel is the rod of his inheritance, the Lord of hosts is his name. O Lord our God, thou art very great, thou art clothed with honour and majesty, thou coverest thyself with light as with a garment. Thy greatness is unsearchable; yet dost thou look to him that is of a humble and contrite spirit. We come before thee this morning with hope, for though we have sinned, thou art merciful and gracious; though we are helpless, thou hast laid help on One that is mighty. We thank thee for Christ, and for access to thy throne through him. For his sake we beseech thee, O Lord, pardon our transgressions, for they are great. If thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquity, O Lord, we could not stand. Let the advocacy of Christ avail for us. Wash us throughly from our sin, and cleanse us from our defilement. Oh grant us a heart renewed by thy Spirit. Let us be justified by thy grace in Jesus Christ. Thou, Lord, art good and ready to forgive, and rich in mercy to all them that call upon thee. Heal us and we shall be healed; save us and we shall be saved, for thou art our praise. Cause us to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning, for we trust in thee; and deliver us from the power of sin, Enable us this day, and every day, to resist the devil, that he may flee from us. Like as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, so may we also walk in newness of life. Increase our knowledge of thyself, strengthen our faith, inflame our love to thee, and whatever temptations the world may offer to us to-day may we overcome. With the temptation Grant to us, we beseech thee, O Lord, a wise and understanding heart. In business let integrity and uprightness preserve us. In social and friendly intercourse may we seek to do good, or to receive good. Make us content with such things as we have. Hide pride from our eyes. Take away from us all envy, and covetousness, and impatience. May Christ be in us the hope of glory, and may we never be moved away from the hope of the gospel. We commend to thy care the poor, the afflicted, the orphan, and the prisoner. Let the sighing of the needy come before thee, and send help, O God, from thy sanctuary. Let thy word have free course, run and be glorified in the earth. In our own country let real godliness grow and extend. May our neighbours be converted unto thee. Accept our feeble services, and help us to walk all day in the light of thy countenance. We ask these mercies, O Lord, in the Redeemer's name. Amen. |