FOURTEENTH WEEK.—THURSDAY. — Morning

WHO knoweth the power of thine anger, O God? who can stay thine hand, or say unto Thee, What doest Thou? Keep us, by thy grace, from hardening our hearts against Thee; and may we never, by our own sins, bring down thy judgment on ourselves or others. Hast Thou not, on account of sin, cursed the ground? Have mercy upon us, O God, miserable sinners. Bring not thy plagues upon our hearts. Make us not, by reason of our continued rebellion, examples of thy power and wrath. Give us to see what an evil and bitter thing sin is, and may we turn from its first approach as from the bite of a serpent or the sting of an adder. Oh that we may never be found amongst them who regard not thy Word; and keep us ever in mind that it is a fearful thing to fall into thy hands, O thou holy and righteous God!

We bless Thee that Thou hast ever mingled mercy with judgment. Thou dost not smite without warning, nor threaten without showing a way of escape. Thou willest not the death of a sinner, but rather that all should turn to Thee and live. Give us true repentance. How often have we, like Pharaoh, when thy hand was upon us, confessed our sin, and vowed to serve Thee; but no sooner has the burden been removed than we have turned again to folly. Grant us thy Holy Spirit, that we may forsake sin as well as mourn for sin; and may the future of our lives be in strict obedience to thy commands. Thou hast, in the Son of thy love, provided a refuge from the storm and a covert from the tempest. May we fly to Him. Pardon us for his sake. Thou canst, through the atonement which He has made, be just, and yet the justifier of the ungodly. Accept us in the beloved; and when thy fierce anger burns in the judgments which are abroad, may we hide ourselves in Him till the indignation be overpast.

We bless Thee, O God, for raising up a prophet like unto Moses, and that Thou hast appointed Him to give deliverance to the captive and freedom to them that are bound. Unto Jesus may we hearken; and oh grant that by faith in Him we may be freed from spiritual bondage, from the passions of the flesh, the allurements of the world, the temptations of Satan, and be led to rejoice in the glorious liberty of the children of God. May we know the truth, and the truth make us free.

For the mercies of another day we thank Thee. Thou hast preserved us while we slept, and raised us in health and safety. Now, as we go forth to our duties, take us under thy protection, and make use of us for thy glory. We consecrate ourselves to Thee, body, soul, and spirit. Do for us exceeding abundantly above all we are able to ask or think, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.