"Most Merciful Father, we seek Thy presence at the close of the day. We might have that presence in fullness all day long; but we are so forgetful of Thee, and so carried away on the stream of passing things, or so drawn and hither and thither by the distractions of life, that we are glad when Thou dost spread the calm shadow of Thy presence, and invite us to come within its stillness and solemnity. Be a little sanctuary to us here to-night. May we hear the voice of the Lord God at the cool of the day. May our souls be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, and our mouths shall praise Thee when we remember Thee upon our beds.
We thank Thee for the many and rich mercies of this day, for the goodness of Thy house, even of Thy holy place. How precious have been Thy thoughts to us-ward, and how great has been the sum of them! May the good seed of divine truth find in our hearts “good ground” in which to grow, and in our lives a field in which to ripen. Preserve in us every holy impression and helpful memory. Nourish us still by the bread of life; and take us from one Sabbath to another, “as from strength to strength,” until we appear in the heavenly Zion before Thee. Save us from hardness, and coldness, and spiritual indifference; and as Thou art ever about us in Thy tenderness, and Thy love in its many and merciful ministrations is preventing us on every side, O make us tender, and receptive, and contrite, and humble, that we may thus grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
We praise Thee for Him: for all He has told us of Thy fatherhood, for all He has done for us in His atonement, and for all He continues to be and do for us still, in Heaven as our High Priest, and here on earth as an ever-present friend, we praise Thee. Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift. May we rejoice in the Lord alway. May His blood cleanse us everyday from all sin. May His love be a conscious and homefelt reality in our hearts. May His suffering explain and sanctify ours, so that all things shall work together for our good.
We especially beseech Thee to grant unto us a deeper and more abiding loyalty to Him as our only rightful Lord, and a more fervent and steady zeal for the service of His kingdom. Ah, how slack have we been, how careless, how unprofitable! How timid our confession! How scanty our toils! Oftentimes we have almost betrayed our Master, and we have never given Him a full and undivided consecration. Help us now to yield ourselves unto God through Christ our Saviour, without reserve. May we now present the living sacrifice, and, overcoming by our faith and resolution the fear of the world and the reluctance of the flesh, may we follow and serve the Lord wholly, and unto the end. O grant us thy Holy Spirit as a Spirit of power, to vitalize our convictions and strengthen our principles, and to set our will more fixedly to the duty of each day, until the day of life shall come to its close, and the duty of life shall be all done, By His indwelling may we know the things of Christ in all their clearness and beauty, and be led so to come to Him not only in faith, but in daily consecration and active service, that we may find His yoke to be easy and His burden to be light.
Help us to bear our troubles and perplexities as those who know that they are appointed, and that they are swiftly passing away. Stay us so with grace that we may not weary of the chastening that is for our profit, that we may not fail of the far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory which all our suffering should work out. As our mortal days and nights come and go, may we look with a brightening hope to the everlasting and unclouded day of heaven; and when at length, in Thine own good time, we leave the earthly toil and sorrow behind, may we through grace enter into the city where already are gathered together the pilgrim people who have lived and died before us.
May all who are dear to us be of that pilgrim company. May none be left to set their affection on things on the earth. May none despise, or even neglect, the good part. May they hasten to be wise. May they seek the Lord while He is to be found, and call upon Him while He is near. May religion open to them its joys and adorn them with its beauty, and may they and we go, henceforth, in the ways which are pleasantness, and in the paths which are peace.
Bless our native land, and our most gracious sovereign, and all the royal family. Give peace in our times, and turn away Thy judgments. Make known thy truth, and let Thy glory shine over all the earth, and may Thy will, speedily, be done on earth, even as it is done in heaven.
We now humbly and trustfully commit ourselves to Thee for the night, and even for evermore, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen"
The Home Preacher or Church in the House edited by Rev Norman Macleod D.,D,.
William MacKenzie,Howard St.
22 Paternoster Row, London pages 240-241 |
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