TWENTY-THIRD WEEK.—SATURDAY. — Morning

O LORD, we adore Thee as the God who in times past didst speak unto the fathers by the prophets, but hast in these last days spoken unto us by thy Son. For all the deliverances granted to thine ancient people we humbly thank Thee; and we praise thy name that in Christ Thou hast saved us from a worse bondage than that of Egypt, having broken the yoke of our burden, and the rod of our oppressor. Give us grace continually to sing aloud unto God our strength; and being redeemed out of the hand of our enemies, may we serve Thee without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Thee all the days of our life.

Thou, Lord, in the days of old didst bless the families of thy people, feeding them with food convenient for them, and giving them water out of the rock. Thou, in thy manifold mercies, didst not forsake them in the wilderness; and when they called in trouble, Thou didst deliver them. We humbly beseech Thee to bless us as a family with bread from heaven, and to feed us with the heritage of Jacob our father. May every one of us be satisfied abundantly with the provisions of thy house; and may we hunger and thirst after righteousness, that we may be filled. Suffer none of us ever to err from thy ways, or harden our hearts from thy fear, lest Thou shouldest be turned to be our enemy, and fight against us. We confess and deplore the strength of evil and the weakness of our good resolutions. Assist us, O God of our salvation, with thine almighty grace, that we may evermore hearken unto Thee, and walk in thy ways.

O merciful God, be favourable also to our beloved country. Thou hast highly exalted us, like Israel of old, placing amongst us thy testimony and thy law, and answering us in the secret place of thunder. Forbid that there should be among us any strange god, or that we should listen to any voice but thine. Deliver us as a people from all unbelief and pride, from all hardness of heart and contempt of thy holy Word and commandment. Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, and let the righteous be established. Remove from the midst of us everything that offendeth and worketh iniquity; and let not our lukewarmness and coldness of heart grieve thy Holy Spirit. Teach us wherein we have fallen, to remember and do our first works, lest our candlestick should be removed out of its place. O our God, we are verily guilty; but thy compassions fail not; and we implore Thee to renew us to repentance, that thy covenant may be still with us. We ask all through Jesus Christ, our Saviour and Redeemer, to whom, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be glory for ever and ever. Amen.