TWENTY-SECOND WEEK.—SATURDAY. — Morning

O LORD, who art merciful to us in our penitence, and patient towards us in our sin, let thy great love constrain us, let thy long-suffering subdue our hearts. We mourn our waywardness and wilfulness towards Thee. By the provisions of thy grace, and by the appeals which Thou hast addressed to us, Thou hast made our sin to be exceeding sinful. Thou hast sent thy Son, but we have not reverenced Him. Thou hast delivered Him to die for us, but we have not crucified the sins which crucified Him. Thou hast set before us his perfect life, faithful in all things, and delighting to do thy will; but we have not walked in his steps. Him Thou hast exalted to thy right hand, crowned with glory and honour, the head of all principality and power; and for this we praise Thee. Mercifully help us to consider the Apostle and High Priest of our profession, and to hold fast the rejoicing of our hope firm unto the end. Dispose our hearts to obey as He obeyed, to be faithful as He was faithful, to endure as He endured, so that we may be partakers of his heavenly honour and joy.

O merciful God, save us, we beseech Thee, from that hardness of heart which disregards his voice, which disbelieves his threatenings, and which is ever growing harder still through its own unbelief. Oh, may we hear what the Holy Ghost saith, and, while it is called to-day, accept thy proffered mercy; lest, like thine ancient people, we weary out thy patience, and be excluded from thy rest. It is thine to soften hard hearts. Help us to unbare ours to the influences of the Saviour’s cross, to the approaches and strivings of the Holy Spirit. Keep us from the evil heart of unbelief, and from the way that leads from the living God. Let these solemn words of Holy Scripture, of signal warning and Divine entreaty, make us very humble before Thee, and fill us with sacred fear, lest we, too, because of our unbelief, should not enter into thy rest. From hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word and commandment, good Lord, deliver us.

Let the impressions and purposes of this our morning worship abide with us through the day, and shed a hallowing influence on all we do. May we strive to be as holy as we pray to be. Keep us from bodily evils, and, above all things, from sin. And when the evening shall come, may it be to us a preparation for the Sabbath; and by quiet thoughts and communings with Thee, may we anticipate its rest and the joy of thy house. We ask these and all needful mercies for ourselves, our friends, and for all mankind, in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom, with Thyself and the Holy Spirit, be everlasting praise. Amen.