FOURTH WEEK.—WEDNESDAY. — Morning

O GOD, most mighty and most merciful, behold us, thy creatures, thy children, as we draw near thy throne. We adore Thee as our Creator and Upholder: Thine eye has again watched over us, and thine arm protected us. We praise Thee for the rest of the night, and the new mercies of the morning. We reverence Thee as our King and Lord; we acknowledge that thy government is supreme, thy commandments righteous and true. We approach Thee as our Father, to whom we have been reconciled in Jesus Christ, and made nigh by his precious blood. Thou hast pitied us; Thou didst remember us in our low estate, and bear long and patiently with our sin. And now Thou lovest us; every day we believe Thou art bending down to help and heal our weakness, to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. We say together, “Bless the Lord, O our souls, and forget not all his benefits!”

Teach us, then, O our Father, to live this day as thy forgiven children. Forbid that we should be hasty and uncharitable with others, when Thou art so forbearing and long-suffering to us. Help us always to remember that it is only by thy great love that we are saved; that Thou hast saved us in order to make us like thyself. May the thought of thy purity, therefore, make us pure; the recollection of thy truthfulness keep us from being false in lip or in life; may thy mercy make us merciful. In the company of others this day, oh! may we be indeed thy followers, as dear children. Keep Thou the door of our lips, of our hearts. Enable us to adorn the doctrine of our Saviour in all things. In our intercourse together at home, may we be careful to speak and act the truth; to avoid all offence; to be patient if we are provoked; to forgive freely if we are injured. And in our own hearts give us thy Holy Spirit; make them thy dwelling-place, that so we may have friendship with Thee, and be in the fear of the Lord all the day long. Oh, that this day, each of us, from the youngest to the oldest, may do some good in the great world where we live!

Take care of us to-day, O God. Keep us from disease, we pray, from accident, from strife, and, above all, from sin. Draw the hearts of the children before Thee to Jesus, that they may be his now in the days of their youth, and his for ever and ever. Give us wisdom and strength for every duty; sanctify to us every pleasure; uphold us under every burden; and may the evening, when it comes, find us at thy footstool, with a new song upon our lips!

We present our praise and our prayer in the name of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.