Friday Evening (Second Week)

O GOD, we again desire to draw near into Thy sacred presence, thanking Thee for the mercies of another day. There is one day’s journey less between us and death—may we be nearer Heaven and better prepared for it.

Many souls this day have passed into eternity, their season of grace fled forever. We are still spared. The shadows of another evening have gathered around us. The living—the living—we shall praise Thee, as we do together this night.

We bless Thee especially for the tokens of Thy mercy in JESUS. We bless Thee for His full, free, everlasting salvation.

O set us in the Cleft of the Rock.—Hide us there. Let us feel the blessed security of reposing in His covenant love. “ All fulness ” is a blessed assurance to us—that for infinite want there is infinite sufficiency —that for infinite danger there is an infinite salvation.

LORD, give us grace to live worthy of our calling—to adorn the doctrine of our GOD and SAVIOUR. Let His love be the grand animating principle in all our actions. Let us live for His glory. Let our chief desire and delight be to serve Him—our greatest pain to vex and grieve Him. May Heaven be begun within us on earth. Make our affections more elevated —our eye more single—our lives more consistent—religion more the one thing needful. May we rest in the confident persuasion that GOD does all things well, and nothing but what is well. May we exercise a child-like acquiescence in present dealings. These may at times be mysterious and chequered, but when we awake in glory—when Thy purposes of love shall be unfolded we shall dwell with adoring gratitude on all the way by which Thou hast led us, and say, on the joyful retrospect, “ Righteous art Thou, O LORD. ” Give us grace meanwhile to be living and acting as dying creatures. Let us never lay aside our pilgrim attire or forget our pilgrim character. Let us not be lingerers— dreaming away in guilty unconcern our fleeting moments. May we never turn a deaf ear to the monitory voice—“ Work while it is called to-day.”

Look in kindness on this household ; may they all have the rich and enduring heritage of those that fear Thy name. [Bless the children, may they be taught of GOD.] Bless the servants, may they serve the LORD CHRIST. Bless all our absent friends. Be Thou ever present with them. If there be any still at a distance from Thee, LORD bring them nigh through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Let not one be found wanting at the great day.

We pray for the Church universal. O Thou Great High Priest, who art continually feeding the golden candlesticks with the oil of Thy grace, may every lamp shine only in Thee and for Thee. May CHRIST be “ the all in all ” of every church as of every believer. Without Thee, any light that is in us is only darkness. Do Thou promote union among Thy true people. Let them no longer live apart, and act apart, looking coldly and distantly on one another. Feeling that we are all one in CHRIST JESUS, may we love one another with a pure heart fervently ; that thus the Church on earth may be a dim reflection of the glorious Church of Thy redeemed in Heaven, where the voice of discord is no more heard. And all that we ask is for JESUS sake. Amen.

Our Father, &c.

The Grace of our Lord, &c.