HYMN. Afflicted saint, to Christ draw near, Let not thy heart despond and say, That as thy day, thy strength shall be. Thy faith is weak, thy foes are strong, Still as thy day, thy strength shall be. When ghastly death appears in view, PRAYER For Thursday Evening. O Lord, we desire to seek thy face and to wait upon thee in the duties of thy worship. To whom should we make our applications but unto thee, the Father of mercies and the fountain of all goodness, who art able to do exceeding abundantly for us, even above all that we are able to ask or think: O let our prayers be set forth in thy sight as incense; and may the lifting up of our hands and hearts be a spiritual evening sacrifice, acceptable to thee in the Son of thy love. It is in his blessed name alone, that we dare to request of thee all that thou knowest to be needful and expedient for us: seeing that there is in us no good thing to recommend us to thy favour and acceptance; but a proneness and inclination to what is displeasing unto thee and destructive to our souls: for, besides that, we are, by nature, children of wrath, and a seed of evil doers; we have been daily adding to the heavy score of our offences against thee. There is nothing in us, O Lord, but what may provoke thee to reject us ; but there is enough in thy beloved Son of all grace and goodness to make thee well-pleased with us for his sake.. He who knew no sin bore our sins, and was made a sin-offering, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us near unto thee. For his sake blot out our manifold transgressions, and enable us, O Lord, to walk in the light of thy countenance ! To the care and protection of thy Almighty Providence, we humbly commend ourselves this night. Take charge of us and ours, O, thou Keeper of Israel, who never slumberest nor sleepest, watch over us for good. Gracious Lord, shower thy blessings upon us, the unworthy family now before thee: let the voice of joy and health be heard in this dwelling: let thy peace be within these walls, and the plenteousness of thy salvation within these doors; make this an house of prayer, and every soul within it a living temple of thee, the living God, through Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen. Meditation for Friday Morning. "The morrow shall take thought for the things of itself."-Matt. vi. 34. If wants and troubles are renewed with the day, there are aids and provisions renewed likewise! compassions that are new every morning, and fresh every evening. Let us refer it to to-morrow's strength to do the morrow's work, and bear the morrow's burden. To-morrow, and the things of it, will be provided for without us. What need we then anxiously care for that which is so wisely cared for already. The present day has trouble enough attending it; we need not accumulate burthens by anticipating our cumber, nor borrow perplexities from to morrow's evils to add to those of to-day. It is uncertain what tomorrow's evils may be, but whatever they be, it is time enough to take thought about them when they come. What a folly it is to take that trouble upon ourselves this day by care and fear, which belongs to another day, and will be never the lighter when it comes; let us not pull that upon ourselves all at once which providence hath wisely ordered to be borne by parcels. We are not forbid a prudent foresight, but a perplexing solicitude. It is the will and command of our Lord Jesus, that his disciples should not be their own tormentors, nor make their passage through this world more dark and unpleasant by their apprehensions of troubles than God has made it by the troubles themselves. By our daily prayers we may fetch in strength to bear up under our daily trials, and to arm us against the temptations that attend them; and then let none of these things move us. Let us mind present duty, and then leave the event to God, casting all our care upon him who careth for us. HYMN. Quiet, Lord, my froward heart, Make me as a weaned child: What thou shalt to-day provide, As a little child relies, On a care beyond his own; Knows he's neither strong nor wise; Fears to stir a step alone : Let me thus with thee abide, As my Father, Guard, and Guide. Thus preserv'd from Satan's wiles, Safe from dangers, free from fears, May I live upon thy smiles, Till the promis'd hour appears ; When the sons of God shall prove, All their Father's boundless love. |