Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

mercy's sake, for the sake of Thy dearly beloved Son in Whom Thou art well-pleased, pardon, I beseech Thee, all my sins and infirmities; and create me again after Thy likeness in righteousness and true holiness, that I may walk henceforward in newness of life, and with perfect health and vigour of soul may serve and glorify Thee for ever.

I come now before Thee, O Lord, to make a new dedication of myself to Thy service, and to implore the assistance of Thine Almighty grace to enable me to perform my religious vows and engagements. To Thee, O glorious Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, Three Persons in one Godhead, I desire to devote myself, my soul and body, and all the powers and faculties of both. I desire utterly to abjure every sinful practice; and I purpose by Thy gracious assistance from this time forth for evermore to pay sincere obedience to all Thy commandments. This, O Lord, in the sincerity of my soul I do here humbly and heartily promise before Thy divine Majesty. O Thou, Who alone workest in us both to will and to do of Thy good pleasure, and Who hast declared that Thou wilt never leave nor forsake those who are truly desirous to serve and please Thee, let Thy Holy Spirit, I beseech Thee, be so powerfully and so continually present with me, that I may faithfully perform what I have solemnly promised. Inspire me more and more with patience and constancy of mind, that I may stand fas in all good resolutions, in despite of every temptation I may meet with to the contrary.

And since I know that Thou art present with me wheresoever I am, and dost always behold me whatsoever I am doing, O do Thou possess my soul with such a lively sense of this important truth, as may be a constant check to all sinful inclinations, and make me afraid of ever offending Thee, and incessantly careful and solicitous to please Thee.

Let Thy Blessed Spirit be my constant monitor to put me frequently upon the consideration of my ways,

and the serious examination of all my actions; that so whenever I go astray, I may by a speedy and unfeigned repentance recover myself before I have gone too far from my duty. And grant, I beseech Thee, that the sense of my past failings may render me more watchful and circumspect for the future; that whereinsoever I shall discover that I have done amiss, I may thenceforth be more strictly upon my guard, and more vigilant against those temptations that have been the occasion of my falling.

Remove from me, I beseech Thee, all unprofitable sadness, and give me an even tranquillity of mind, and a becoming cheerfulness of spirit: inspiring me with an earnest desire and expectation of the blessings, which Thou hast promised to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto Thee: and grant good Lord, I pray Thee, that having this glorious prospect always in mine eye I may run the way of Thy commandments with delight; and forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, may be still pressing forward toward the mark for the prize of Thy high calling in Christ Jesus.

:

Finally, that I may be more and more strengthened and confirmed in the good resolutions I have now made, stir me up, I beseech Thee, to a diligent attendance on Thy public ordinances. Let it be a constant delight to me to wait on Thee in the assembly of Thy saints and give me grace always to come before Thee with awful apprehensions of Thine infinite Majesty; to hear Thy word with reverence and attention; to offer up my prayers and thanksgivings with fervency and devotion; and to approach Thy holy table with that humility, and love, and gratitude, and resignation both of soul and body, which become the solemn remembrance and representation of my Saviour's dying love.

In these things, O Lord, and whatsoever else is needful to secure my perseverance in the faith and

obedience of Thy Gospel, and the final salvation of my immortal soul, I humbly beg that Thou wouldst be graciously pleased to assist me, for Jesus Christ His sake; to Whom with Thee, and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

Now God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ', Fill me with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; that I may walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God, strengthened with all might, according to His glorious power, unto all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness. Amen.

SECTION IV.

DEVOTIONS FOR THE AFTERNOON,

containing the pious Christian's daily preparation for death and eternity; in meditations thereon wholly taken from Scripture, and divided into six portions for the several days of the week; with prayers suited to each portion,

MONDAY AFTERNOON.

On Man's Mortality:-the certainty of a future judgment:-and the necessity of being always prepared for it.

GOD created man to be immortal, and made him to be an image of His own eternity. Nevertheless,

1 Col. i. 3.

2 Ibid. ver. 9-11.

through envy of the devil came death into the world, and they that do hold of his side do find it'.

The serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty 2.

And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

And unto Adam God said, because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life ‘.

In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken, for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return 5.

By one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned.

It is appointed unto men once to die'.

All go unto one place; all are of the dust, and all turn to dust again.

For when the breath of man goeth forth, he shall turn again to his earth; and then all his thoughts perish.

All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; because the Spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it surely the people is grass 10..

11

For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away' O that they were wise; that they understood this; that they would consider their latter end 12. Truly the light is sweet; and a pleasant thing it is

[blocks in formation]

12

3 Gen. iii. 6.

6 Rom. v. 12. 9 Psal. cxlvi. 3. 12 Deut. xxxii. 29.

for the eyes to behold the sun; but if a man live many years, and rejoice in them all, yet let him remember the days of darkness, for they shall be many : all that cometh is vanity. Rejoice O young man in thy youth; and let thy heart cheer thee in the days of thy youth; and walk in the ways of thy heart, and in the sight of thine eyes but know thou, that for all these things God will bring thee into judgment'.

For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil 2.

Because He hath appointed a day, in the which He will judge the world in righteousness by That Man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead 3.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up

Watch therefore, for ye know not what hour Lord doth come 3.

your

At midnight there was a cry made, behold, the bridegroom cometh, go ye out to meet him".

And the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the marriage; and the door was shut. Afterward came also the other virgins, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us. But He answered and said, verily, I say unto you, I know you not 7.

Be ye therefore ready.

And take heed to yourselves, lest at any time your hearts be overcharged with surfeiting and drunkenness, and cares of this life, and so that day come upon you unawares'.

1 Eccl. xi. 7-9.
4 2 Pet. iii. 10.
7 Ibid. ver. 10-12.

2 Ibid. xii. 14.
5 Matt. xxiv. 42.
8 Luke xii. 40.

3 Acts xvii. 31.
6 Ibid. xxy. 6.
Ibid. xxi. 34.

« AnteriorContinuar »