THIRTEENTH WEEK.—LORD’S DAY. — Morning

O LORD God Almighty, no man hath seen Thee at any time; no man can see thy face and live. But verily God is in this place, though we cannot see Him. Wherever two or three are gathered together in thy name, there art Thou; for, “the only-begotten of the Father, He hath revealed Thee.” And, lo; He is with us alway, even unto the end of the world.

We bless and magnify thy name that we have had fathers in thy Church, who now, by faith and patience, inherit the promises. They saw the Redeemer’s day, and were glad. They waited for thy salvation, O Lord. We beseech Thee to grant unto us, by thy Holy Spirit, like precious faith, that we may trust to a Mediator whom we have not seen, as they also did before He came. Lord, we believe; help Thou our unbelief.

Thanks be unto thy mercy and goodness for another of the days of the Son of Man. We rest from our labours, as Thou, O Lord, didst rest, when thy work was done. We would be in the Spirit of the Lord on the Lord’s day. Take us up to thy courts with thanksgiving, and to thy gates with praise. It is good for us to draw near unto God. Endue thy ministers with righteousness, and make thy chosen people joyful. Satisfy thy poor with bread. May thousands hear the joyful sound of thy Gospel, and be blessed. Let thy Word prosper, being mixed with faith in them that hear it. Our fathers wandered in deserts, and in caves of the earth; they resisted unto blood; they were persecuted, afflicted, tormented; but we, this day, sit every man under his own vine and under his own fig-tree, none daring to make afraid. What hath God wrought! God help us to walk this day according to our high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

And now we beseech Thee, O our Father, to accept our acknowledgments for the safe slumber of another night. The Shepherd of Israel, who never slumbers, never sleeps, has been with us. We laid ourselves down in peace, and slept, for Thou, Lord, only madest us to dwell in safety.

Let thy Word, which we are about to hear, sink deep in all our souls, and bear fruit unto everlasting life. Send thy blessing upon all thy churches. Heal the divisions of the body of Christ. Let great grace be upon Israel.

And now will we go, if Thou permit us, to the altar of God—to God, our exceeding joy. We will worship and bow down, and kneel before the Lord our Maker. Strengthen us, we beseech Thee, out of Zion. And, unto the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, be the kingdom, the power, and the glory, now and evermore. Amen.