and causing me to see and enjoy the light of the morning. Let my praise come up before thee as the morning sacrifice, and let my prayer ascend to thy mercy seat with renewed fervour of devotional feeling, and with renewed confidence and hope in thy mercy. Hear me when I call, O God of my salvation, thou that art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and who hast promised to send none empty away who come to thee in thy Son's name. In this prevailing name I approach thee, not trusting in my own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies as they are exhibited in him. Pardon my sins, heal my backslidings, love me freely, and save me for thy mercy's sake. Create in me a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within me; make me thy child by adoption and grace, and always look upon me with the favour that thou bearest unto thy children. Give me a child-like temper and disposition toward thee, my heavenly Father, that I may love thee, worship thee, serve thee, and obey thee as I ought to do. Let my behaviour also among my companions and friends, be agreeable to my christian profession, behaving myself lowly and reverently to all around me, and following peace with all men. May I be dutiful to my parents, obedient to my superiors and those in authority, affectionate to my relatives, and kind to all. Enable me in all things to adorn the doctrine of God my Saviour, and as he was, so may be in the world,-holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners: and let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be always acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. Amen. Our Father, &c. The grace of our &c. I FOR FRIDAY EVENING. O EVERLASTING GOD, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, I thy frail and fleeting creature, who, as soon as I was born, began to draw to my end, approach thee this evening, with a thankful remembrance of thy mercy, which has hitherto followed me. Thou hast visited me with goodness, and poured down thy blessings upon me: for whatever I enjoy or possess, I am indebted to thy bounty, even for life, breath, and all things. Under this prevailing sense, may my gratitude overflow, as my cup runneth over. As every morning and evening of my days supply some memorial of thy goodness, may each period of my time be marked by a suitable tribute of praise; and may I, with my whole heart, say with the psalmist,—It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praise to thy name, O thou most Highest; to tell of thy lovingkindness early in the morning, and of thy truth in the night season. But while I thus record thy goodness, I am ashamed of my own unworthiness, and of the many ways wherein I have offended. O Lord, lay not this to my charge as unpardoned guilt, but blot out as a thick cloud my transgressions, and as a cloud my sins: O! remember that Jesus died and rose again, and that he ascended into heaven, where he ever liveth to make intercession.-Let his intercession for me prevail, that my sin may be pardoned, and my pardon sealed in heaven, before I go hence to be no more seen. As a penitent sinner, to thee I cry for mercy and forgiveness; shut not thy merciful cars to my prayers, but spare me, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy Judge Eternal, suffer me neither to fall from thee, at my last hour, nor to perish everlastingly: on the contrary, let that merciful kindness, which has followed me hitherto, follow me all the days of my life, that I may keep the faith, finish my course with joy, and lay hold on eternal life. To thy keeping I commit myself this night, and commend to thy mercy all that are connected with me, (my &c.) beseeching thee to deal with us in mercy, and watch over us with care. These praises and prayers I humbly offer up to the throne of grace, in the name of Jesus Christ, through whose merits and mediation I further address thee, saying, Our Father, &c. The grace of our &c. |