Thee, our Lord, whom we adore, PRAYER. O thou that inhabitest eternity, whose name is holy; thou dwellest in the high and holy place, and around thee the spirits that have never sinned do ever dwell, crying one unto another, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty; unto thee, thou ever blessed God, do we come, for thou dwellest also with him that is of a humble and a contrite spirit, and that trembleth at thy word; look upon us and bless us we beseech thee while we bow humbly at thy mercy seat. Family response. For unto thee, O Lord, do we up our souls. lift We come at this hour of evening quiet and retirement to thee our rock, our strength, our father, and our all; glad to lay aside every weight, and to forsake our necessary and lawful labours for awhile; we thank thee that thou hast kindly helped us through another day, that our morning prayers have been heard and answered, and that thou hast had pity on us even as a father pitieth his children. Family response. For thy mercy endureth for ever. But because we cannot have passed another day without sin; because we are weak and ignorant and oftentimes turn away from thee, our Father, into our own ways of thoughtlessness, and folly, and wilfulness; we come to thee and ask, that before we retire to rest this night, each one of us may know the happiness of those whose sins are forgiven; through him, who is the way, the truth, and the life, we come freely but penitently to thee; and now for his sake we beseech thee to bid us rise in peace, because thou hast accepted us in Christ our only mediator. Family response. And unto thy name will we give thanks for evermore. For the many mercies thy kind hand has bestowed we bless thee, our heavenly Father: thy loving kindness never ends; thy forbearance is never exhausted; thy compassions are infinite; what could we have done without thee this day? thy hand has supplied our wants; thy wisdom guided us; and now thy love has brought us as a family loving thee and loving one another, to thy mercy seat. O Lord, by these things we live and in thee is the life of our spirits; now do thou condescend to keep us through another night; give us safe and calm repose; preserve us from troubled dreams; as a little child relies on his father's protection, so may we lie down in peace and sleep, for thou Lord makest us dwell in safety. Family response. We beseech thee to hear us, O Lord. be Be pleased, for thy goodness sake, O Lord, to waken us in the morning, that we may not sleep the sleep of death; with bodies refreshed and with minds invigorated may we arise to undertake willingly and wisely the duties of our station, and do thou give us grace each day to discharge those duties conscientiously; and so we may live that for us to live may Christ, that when we die it may be our gain. These mercies we ask for ourselves and all we love; should any be absent who ought to be remembered by us, we would now in silent thought lift up our prayer to thee for them; and thus may we all at last be saved with an everlasting salvation. Family response. Now to God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, be praise and glory for ever and ever. Amen. For Saturday Morning. SCRIPTURE. Fret not thyself because of evildoers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. And he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him; fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. A little that a righteous man hath is better than the riches of many wicked. For the arms of the wicked shall be broken; but the Lord upholdeth the righteous. The Lord knoweth the days of the upright; and their inheritance shall be for ever. They shall not be ashamed in the evil time; and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied. Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O Lord, thou preservest man and beast. How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures. For with thee is the fountain of life: in thy light shall we see light. O continue thy lovingkindness unto them that know thee; and thy righteousness to the upright in heart. HYMN. O God of Bethel, by whose hand Who through this weary pilgrimage Hast all our fathers led. Our vows, our prayers we now present Through each perplexing path of life Our wandering footsteps guide: Give us each day our daily bread, And raiment fit provide. O spread thy covering wings around Such blessings from thy gracious hand Our humble prayers implore; And thou shalt be our chosen God And portion evermore. |