often ask ourselves, How dwelleth the love of God in us? If we say that we have faith, what can it profit us if we have not works? Can a faith so merely nominal, a faith that is dead, save us? May we keep our heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Keep it, O Lord, right with Thee. Heal the fountain of its bitterness, and that will heal the streams. Let us not by word, by mood, by tone, by look, mar our household's cheerfulness and peace. Let us walk in wisdom towards them who are without. Let them see nothing in us to discredit our profession, or to tempt them to say, This man's religion is vain! May our temper be gentle, and pitiful, and courteous. May grace be poured into our lips. Forbid that we should hide iniquity in our heart. Forbid that we be ever overtaken with a fault. When evening returns may it bring with it the happy consciousness, that though most imperfect, the day has not been wholly unimproved! 簪 Remember in mercy our kindred and friends. Let us have joy of them, such as angels feel over the good and the penitent. If strangers to Thee, bring them nigh. May Jesus look upon them all and say, The same is my brother, and my sister, and mother! Thou hast long established Thy Gospel here, and Christ Jesus is evidently set forth crucified among us. Thou hast set before us an open door. Thou hast planted a goodly vine. May we ever set store by such invaluable privileges. May we never incur the upbraiding denounced upon them who believed not, though wonderful works were done among them sufficient to have constrained Tyre to clothe itself in sackcloth, and Sodom to turn the cry of its wickedness to heaven into a cry of contrite prayer. But we would look beyond the border of Israel, and pray for lands where there is no vision. Have respect to Thy Covenant, for the dark places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. How beautiful would be the feet of them, who publish glad tidings of peace, upon those mountains! How great would be the joy in those cities, if Christ was preached to them! When shall it once be? Oh that we felt as we ought our debt to all the world, that we consecrated our gain to the deliverance of men from idolatry! Oh that Zion stirred up her strength, her untold resources, her power of faith, her might of prayer, for the salvation of the human race! Forget not the labourers in the heathen field, whose hand is more frequently on the plough than on the sheaf -who have more commonly to drag the share through a sterile soil than to thrust their sickle into the whitened harvest! Cheer them when most depressed: Guide them when most embarrassed: Keep them when most prospered: Fortify them when most opposed! Forget not the congregation of Thy poor. Our prayer shall be in their calamities. Judge the widow. Take the orphan up. Comfort all who are broken in heart. Revive the spirit of the humble. According to the greatness of Thy power, preserve Thou those that are appointed to die. Let not a groan escape Thine ear, nor a tear fall but for Thee to wipe away! Still keep us, and continue Thy loving- kindness towards us. blameable in holiness. May our whole spirit, and soul, and body, be preserved blameless, not only through this day, but unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. So we Thy people, and sheep of Thy pasture, will give Thee thanks for ever; we will show forth Thy praise to all generations. Accept our homage and gratitude in the name of Thy Only Begotten and Well-Beloved Son; and through the same Mediator we ascribe to Jehovah in Trinity of co-equal Persons, and in Covenant of saving offices, everlasting glory. "Our Father," &c. "The Lord bless us," &c. TUESDAY EVENING. To LORD who art Most High for evermore! whom all hearts are known! Who fillest heaven and earth! There is no darkness in which the workers of iniquity can hide themselves from Thee! and the deepest shade of night cannot conceal from Thee Thy people! Thine eye is continually upon them. Thou followest us with a jealous care. And thus assured, we bend before Thee! We pay Thee our evening rite. We, as Thy servants, would serve Thee; as Thy saints, we would bless Thee; as Thy children, we would honour Thee. We approach Thee with thanksgiving. Thou art the Author of all good. We are the pensioners on Thy bounty, and the dependents of Thy love. Night unto night showeth not only Thy wisdom, but attests Thy pity. Merciful Guardian, to Thee we owe safety; Adorable Allsufficiency, to Thee. we ascribe our support! Each moment of each minute, each minute of each hour, each hour of this day, has borne witness to Thy mindfulness of us, and of the covenant which Thou hast set round about us. Angels have ministered to us. All things have worked together for our good. The heavens have heard the earth; the earth has heard the corn, the wine, and the oil; and they have heard us. Having food and raiment, we would be content, we would be thankful. What should we receive didst Thou give us only what we might claim, didst Thou divide the goods which fell to us? Thine is God-like love. Thou dost grant exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think. As the lifting up of the hands of Thine ancient people was at the time of the evening sacrifice, and the kindling of the incense, so we present before Thee the Lamb for this evening, the continual burnt-offering: so we plead His intercession for us! We sinners, beseech Thee to hear us. We are guilty and perishing. Our only hope is, that Christ has died for our sins according to the Scriptures. We would believe the Scriptures and the power of God. Still let it not be according to our faith, but according to Thy Word! Be very favourable to this family. Make it of one heart and mind. Let love continue among it, and abound more and more. Suffer no root of bitterness to spring up, lest any be defiled. May we have no heart for the pleasures of the world. O that the youngest may live before Thee! Have Thou the dew of their youth, and the first-fruits of their increase! Let us not be parted in different states of the saved and the lost through eternity. We would have great heaviness and continual sorrow in our heart for our kindred, if we must |