TWENTY-FIRST WEEK.—FRIDAY. — Evening

ALMIGHTY God, who hast revealed thyself to us in Jesus Christ, through Him, the Son of thy love, we now approach Thee, bowing down in humblest adoration at thy footstool. Day by day Thou renewest thy mercies. Thou openest thy hand, and fillest us with good.

We thank Thee, O our God, that Thou hast preserved us amidst the temptations and dangers of the day. Forgive us, we pray Thee, the sins which this day we have committed; and enable us by thy grace, in the blessed experience of thy pardoning mercy, to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world, glorifying Thee in our bodies and our spirits, which are thine. We ask Thee, O gracious and bountiful God, to impart to us now a sustaining sense of thy favour. May we know Thee to be our God and Father in Jesus Christ. May the joy of the Lord be our strength. Give us, we pray Thee, that peace which passeth all understanding, and which the world can neither give nor take away.

And whilst we praise and bless Thee, O Father, for thy past lovingkindness, we would remember also thy goodness and grace manifested in the bestowment of the light of the Gospel. Thou hast been gracious unto our land. Thou hast given us, and continued among us, the knowledge of thy truth. Unlike other nations, who sit even now in darkness and the shadow of death, we enjoy all the blessings of Gospel teaching and Gospel privilege. Make us thankful for thy distinguishing mercy, and dispose our hearts to render ceaseless thanks unto Thee, our God, for all thy benefits towards us.

We rejoice, gracious God and Father, at all the comforting assurances of thy Holy Word. We pray Thee, great God, to hasten the coming of thy kingdom. Let the light break speedily through the thick darkness of a guilty world, and let the Sun of righteousness arise upon the nations with healing in his wings. Bless, we humbly beseech Thee, the labours of all those who labour for Thee. Strengthen the hands of thy missionary servants; and enable them, amid all their difficulties and discouragements, to believe that in due season they shall reap if they faint not. We bless Thee, gracious God, because thy Spirit hath so often clothed their word with power. We bless Thee because Thou hast already gathered out from among the Jew and Gentile a people to the glory of thy name. O Lord, put forth thy power. Make bare thy holy arm in the sight of a gainsaying world; and hasten the time when salvation, and strength, and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ, shall have finally come. We ask all for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.