Good Friday — Evening

O Thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, the Most High over all the earth : we desire to adore thy perfections and to admire thy works, which are sought out of all them that have pleasure therein.

Thou art the only wise God. Thy power is almighty : Whither can we go from thy presence, or whither can we flee from thy Spirit ? Thou art holy in all thy ways. And such is thy purity, that even the heavens are not clean in thy sight.

How shall we come before the Lord, or bow before the high God? We have no offering of our own to bring. No man can redeem his brother, or give to God a ransom for him. The blood of bulls and of goats could not take away sin. The law itself made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did, by the which we draw nigh to God.

Yes, blessed be thy name, Thou hast shown us what is good ; and we behold the Lamb of God, who is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.

Here a foundation is laid for our hope, in connexion with the highest glory of all thy perfections ; and we rejoice to think that while pleading for salvation by the blood of the cross, we ask Thee not to deny thyself, or to trample on thy holy law; for here thy law is magnified and made honorable ; here all thy attributes are developed and harmonized ; mercy and truth meet together, righteousness and peace kiss each other.

Here, weary and heavy laden, may we come for relief, and find rest unto our souls. May we take fresh views of this adorable sacrifice under a sense of our constant unworthiness and desert ; and in all our approaches to Thee may we have boldness and access with confidence by the faith of Him.

May we not only rely upon his cross, but glory in it Yea, may we joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. And may we be able, individually, to say, I am crucified with Christ; nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me ; and the life that I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me.

We are thankful that as He atoned for our guilt, so He procured for us the grace of life, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles, and that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith. May we never separate the pardon and sanctification which Thou hast joined together. May we prove that He gave Himself, not only for our sins, but that He might deliver us from this present evil world; yea, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

And O, that in every future moment of our existence, we may be constrained to live, not to ourselves, but to Him that died for us and rose again. As He so loved us, may we also love one another; and never deem any thing too great to do or to suffer while endeavoring to seek and to save that which is lost.

May the hearts which are too hard to be broken by terror, be melted by love, and gained by confidence. May none of those who are desirous of returning to Thee, be discouraged by a fear of rejection ; but calling to remembrance and belief the infinite proof which Thou hast already exhibited of thy benevolence, thus judge, — He that spared not his own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall He not with Him freely give us all things.

Smile upon our country. Let all the churches of the faithful be edified and multiplied. Bless all the ministers of the everlasting gospel ; and may they increasingly determine to know nothing, save Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Increase the number of those who love his salvation ; and as He gave Himself a ransom for all, may it be testified in due time ; that He may have the heathen for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for his possession, and reign King of kings, and Lord of lords.

In his words we conclude our devotions. Our Father who art in heaven ; hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread ; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation ; but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.