Saturday Evening — Week 2 (William Jay)

O God, Thou hast made and Thou upholdest all things by the word of thy power. Darkness is thy pavilion Thou walkest upon the wings of the wind. All nations before Thee are as nothing One generation passeth away and another cometh; and we are hastening back to the dust whence we were taken. The heavens we behold will vanish away like the cloud that covers them, and the earth we tread will dissolve like a morning dream; but Thou, incapable of change, independent of the vicissitudes of time, and the perishing of worlds, art from everlasting to everlasting, God over all, blessed for evermore.

Infinitely great and glorious as Thou art, we are thy offspring and thy care. Thy hands have made us and fashioned us. Thou hast watched over us with more than parental, more than maternal tenderness. Thou hast holden our souls in life, and not suffered our feet to be moved. Thy divine power has given us all things, not only necessary for life, but godliness. Bless the Lord, O our soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgiveth all our iniquities, who healeth all our diseases; who redeemeth our lives from destruction, who crowneth us with loving-kindness and tender mercies; who satisfieth our mouth with good things, so that our youth is renewed like the eagle's.

We raise this evening a fresh memorial, and inscribe it to the God of our salvation. Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. We have passed not only through another day, but through another week. The sun has not smitten us by day nor the moon by night. We have been preserved in our going out and coming in. But thine has been the vigilance that turned aside the evils which threatened us. Thine have been the supplies that have nourished us. Thine the comforts that have indulged us. Thine the relations and friends that have delighted us. Thine have been the means of grace which have edified us; and thine the book which amidst all our enjoyments has told us that this is not our rest; and that in all our successes, one thing is yet needful.

Nothing can equal the number of thy mercies, but our imperfections and sins. These, O God, we would not conceal nor palliate, but confess them with a broken heart and a contrite spirit.

In what a condition would our closet-reviews leave us this evening, were it not for the assurance that there is forgiveness with Thee, that Thou mayest be feared, and with Thee plenteous redemption. Yet while we hope for pardon through the blood of the cross, we pray to be clothed with humility, to be quickened in thy way, and to be more devoted to the things that belong to our everlasting peace.

How soon has the week rolled away! Its days have fled like a dream, a vapour, a shadow. So will all our days flee; so will they all appear when the end arrives. O help us to keep that end in remembrance, and endeavour to view things now as they will appear from the borders of the grave. May we know how frail we are, that we may be cured of the folly of delay and indecision; and so number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

May we call the approaching sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord honourable; and may we honour Thee in not doing our own ways, nor finding our own pleasures nor speaking our own words. May the private moments of the day be sacred, and the social innocent and edifying. And may we keep our foot when we go to the house of God, and offer not the sacrifice of fools Let us not go as thy people go, and sit as thy people sit, and hear thy words, but do them not.

Preserve us from trifling with the things of the soul and eternity, or trusting in those privileges which unimproved will only augment our guilt and our misery.

Thy people, the Jews, were distinguished by thy favours above all the families of the earth; but wrath came upon them to the uttermost. The churches of Asia provoked Thee to remove the candlestick out of its place, and they were left in darkness. We have awful examples still nearer. How many who once heard and professed the gospel, have been turned by the abuse of it into apostate. and infidels, blasphemers and persecutors—tenfold more the children of hell than before; while numbers who yet maintain the form of godliness, are too hardened to feel the power of it.

While therefore we go to thy house in the multitude of thy mercies, may we in thy fear worship towards thy holy temple; for Thou art greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints. O let us not perish under means designed to save us—O let not the savor of life unto life prove to us only the savor of death unto death.

Make the place of thy feet glorious. Bring us to thy holy mountain, and if we are not made joyful in thy house of prayer—for we would not dictate to thy goodness—convince us, alarm us, humble us, banish the spirit of the world from our hearts, and fill us with all the fulness of God. So we thy people and the sheep of thy pasture will give Thee thanks for ever; we will show forth thy praise throughout all generations. Amen.