SEVENTEENTH WEEK.—MONDAY. — Morning

GLORY be to Thee, O Lord, for all thy goodness to this family and household. Thou hast graciously heard and answered our prayers, and hast not withheld thy mercies from us. Thou hast kept us in quietness and peace, and hast renewed us in life and health this morning. We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we glorify Thee, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.

Yet, O God, we confess that we do not love Thee as we ought. We mourn before Thee over the weakness of our faith and the coldness of our affections. To Thee we look for help. Thou hast promised to give thy Holy Spirit to them that ask Thee, and we beseech Thee to pour down his gracious influences upon us, that we may love Thee more and serve Thee better. Especially we beseech Thee to give us that due sense of all thy mercies that we may show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to thy service, as a holy, lively, and reasonable sacrifice.

And now, O Lord, be with us during the day, and amid the labour and duties of the week upon which we have entered. Enable us to follow in all things the guidance of thy will. Make it our object not to please ourselves, but Thee; not to do our own will, but thine. Make us strong in faith and firm in hope, diligent in our daily callings, fervent in spirit before Thee, and kindly affectioned one towards another. Enable us to fight the good fight against sin, the world, and the devil; and to approve ourselves the faithful soldiers and servants of our Master. Enable us to stand in every time of temptation—sober and vigilant, and watching unto prayer. Strengthen our weakness, teach our ignorance, supply our wants; comfort us in sorrow, uphold us in every trial, and make us more than conquerors through Him that loved us.

Thou knowest, O Lord God, that we are not sufficient of ourselves to think anything as of ourselves, but our sufficiency is in Thee. Bestow upon us the spirit of grace and supplication, that earnestly asking help at thy hands, we may abundantly receive it. If Thou art with us, we are safe; if Thou leave us, we become like them that go down into the pit. Leave us not, neither forsake us, O God of our salvation. Bless us both in our bodies and our souls this day, and evermore.

Bestow upon our friends and relatives all the blessings we have asked for ourselves. Give thy special grace to all who are afflicted in mind, body, or estate. Bless all that shall be done in thy name during the week, either by ourselves or others; and hasten the coming of thy kingdom. We ask every blessing for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.