tection of thy good providence, and make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy name. Sanctify our affections and desires. Suffer us not to grieve thy Holy Spirit, nor to quench his gracious influences, but may we attentively listen to his voice, and be in all things guided by his counsel. Hide thy face from our sins, and blot out our iniquities. Cast us not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from Restore unto us the joy of thy salvation, and uphold us with thy free Spirit. us. And as we implore and hope for forgiveness from thee, help us to forgive all who trespass against us. In the world we meet with much to try our temper, and we often do that to others which tries theirs. O Lord, we would forgive wherever we may have had cause of offence. Enable us to watch more carefully against giving offence. Make us merciful and pure and upright, and let integrity preserve us. Let the law of kindness be in our mouth, and may our acts to others be those which a grateful, loving sense of thy goodness to us will inspire. O Lord, enable us always to tread in His steps whose meat and drink it was to do thy will, and who went about doing good to all. We beseech thee, have mercy on us as a family professing to know and to love thee. May we all walk in thy fear, and enjoy the comfort of the Holy Ghost. Surround our friends with thy protection, and sanctify them by thy grace. We commit them, we commit ourselves in all our interests, and in all that appertain to us, to thy loving care, thou God of our salvation. Never leave us, never abandon us, for his sake, through whom we address thee as Our Father who art in heaven, &c. But hereafter, when light on the darkness shall break, My spirit, in full satisfaction, will wake Its glad hallelujahs to Thee. Yet why should I wait for the light, To speak of thy mercy and truth? O thou, that art wont to give songs in the night, And happy I am in the trust, That, tried by a method divine, At length thou wilt bring me again from the dust, And happy I am in the faith, That the way which thou knowest I take, The sunbeam of glory, the joy of the bless'd, ACTS XIV. EVENING HYMN. "And when the cloud was taken up from the tabernacle, then the children of Israel journeyed." How beautiful the lessons taught Have we no ark in this our day? What if these outward signs are fled, Such, when the cloud has veil'd from sight, But when the fire with brightness burns, In hope and gladness journey on. O LORD, teach us how to pray, and what to pray for. Brought by thy mercy to this morning, we would renew our approach to thee, and worship in spirit and in truth. Bow down thine ear and listen to our petitions. We offer them in the name of Christ. For his sake pardon our transgressions, grant us access to thy throne, and let our prayers come before thee. We thank thee for the record which thou hast given of Christ. We acquiesce in thine own terms of mercy, and gratefully receive the gospel of thy grace. Help us, O Lord, to surrender ourselves entirely to the service of the Redeemer. We take him for our instructor; we glory in his sacrifice ; we revere and yield to the authority with which he rules his saints. Make us ever the happy subjects of his kingdom. While our consciences are relieved by his atonement, may we learn the lessons of self-denial, of patience, and of gratitude which his cross teaches. May it be our meat and drink to do his will and to show forth his praise. We acknowledge the mercies of another night. Thou hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day. Defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger. Let thy presence be with us. Keep far from us every temptation. Into thine hands we commit our bodies, our souls, and all our interests; be with us in our going out and coming in. From evils meeting us in the world, from the seductions of sin, O Lord, mercifully preserve us; and help us to do good in furthering thy cause and promoting the interests of truth and piety. Our days pass rapidly away; help us to improve them, so that when our last day on earth shall come we may have nothing to do but to commend our spirits to thy hands. Teach us to live not to ourselves; to feel as strangers and pilgrims here. May we love the things above, and delight in employments and associations tending to fit us for the world to which we hasten. Let every part of our family be sanctified by thy Spirit. May our friends and relations partake of the blessings of thy salvation, and let all who appertain to us be members of thy family and heirs of the kingdom. Be merciful to the afflicted, instruct and comfort them. Sustain the bereaved; succour the tempted, and let the effect of the discipline through which thy people pass, conform them to thy holy will. O Lord, we ask for thy Spirit upon the ministers, that they may understand the truth, and set it forth with faithfulness, simplicity, and affection; and let great good be done by the preaching of thy word. Let the dark places of the earth be enlightened with the light of life, and may Jews and Gentiles of every name hear the gospel of salvation, and so hear that their souls may live. Let the word of the Lord in this country run, have free course, and be glorified, and may the church of Christ be united, zealous, and increasingly useful. Oh for a large outpouring of thine Holy Spirit's influences, that thy name may be honoured. We ask all for the Redeemer's sake. Amen. |