First Week. Friday. Morning

O LORD, our God! our Creator, our Preserver, our Redeemer, our Judge! We are unworthy to take thy holy Name upon our lips, to enter into thy presence, and to supplicate thy favour. We are guilty sinners: unholy and unclean. We acknowledge our iniquity: we confess our vileness. O God, have mercy upon us!

Thy wrath, O God, is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men. Thy just sentence is—“The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” We are “worthy of death.” Lord! we read thy power, thy wisdom, thy goodness, in the glorious works of thy Almighty hand: we discern them in our own bodies, so fearfully and wonderfully made: we see them in the returning day, in the revolving seasons, in the fruits of the earth, and in the wonders of the great deep. But, alas! too often have we forgotten Thee, our Maker and Preserver, in whom we live, and move, and have our being: too often, while we have professed with the lip to serve Thee, have we in our lives denied Thee, and “held the truth in unrighteousness.” We confess with shame and confusion of face that too often, since we have known Thee, have we “glorified Thee not as God, neither have we been thankful:” we have “worshipped and served the creature,” idolising the very comforts and blessings Thou hast given us, rather than thyself, our Creator, “who art blessed for ever.” Blessed God! Thou hast further revealed thyself to us in thy Holy Word as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ: we have heard thy gracious message, but how coldly have we received the message! how little have we been affected by the manifestation of thine infinite love towards us thy sinful creatures! Great, indeed, is our guilt in forgetting Thee our Almighty Creator and gracious Preserver! Oh, how much greater our sin in forgetting thy redeeming love in the Lord Jesus Christ! “Have mercy upon us, O God, according to thy loving-kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out our transgressions.” Oh, may the precious blood of Jesus cleanse us from all sin! Shed abroad in our hearts the love of Jesus, by thy Holy Spirit!

Help us this day to live under the abiding influence of thy goodness, grace, and love. May the love of Christ constrain us to live not to ourselves, but to Thee our God. Teach us, by happy experience, that thy service is perfect freedom. May it be the resolve of our hearts, as well as the profession of our lips—“O Lord our God, other lords beside Thee have had dominion over us; but by Thee only will we make mention of thy Name.” Amen.