EIGHTH WEEK.—TUESDAY. — Evening

“IT is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O Most High: to show forth thy loving-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night.” Accept, O Lord, our united thanks for the mercies of this day. Thou hast preserved our going out and our coming in. Thou hast given us “bread to eat, and raiment to put on,” and to these Thou hast added numberless other comforts. Many, O Lord, are thy wonderful works which Thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to usward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto Thee; if we should declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. “Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with his benefits, even the God of our salvation.” “Give us that due sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly grateful.”

We bless Thee for the Holy Scriptures, and ask Thee to give us the aid of thy Spirit, that we may be guided into all truth. We are encouraged by thy Word now read to ask Thee to dwell among us. We know we are not worthy that Thou shouldst come under our roof, but Thou art not a respecter of persons. Oh, make our hearts thy home. “Abide with us; for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent;” then “our tabernacle shall be in peace.”

We confess with shame, O Lord, that we have ill requited thy favours. How little have we loved Thee in return for all thy love to us! Instead of daily remembering how much we owe Thee, we are prone to forget thy benefits. Oh, teach us the sinfulness of ingratitude, and of all our other sins, that we may confess and forsake them. We plead thy abundant mercy in Christ Jesus, “in whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace.” Let each one of us hear thy voice saying to-night, “Thy sins are forgiven thee;” “thy faith hath saved thee;” and, having had much forgiven, may we love much.

Be with us during the night. May we lie down in peace with our fellow-creatures and with Thyself; may no plague come nigh our dwelling; may we have sleep and be refreshed; and when we awake, cause us to hear thy loving-kindness in the morning, and with all diligence to give ourselves to the work which in thy providence thou hast placed in our hands.

We present these petitions and thanksgivings, O Father, “in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,” to whom “blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be ascribed for ever and ever.” Amen.