Friday Morning — Week 1

O Thou, whose name alone is Jehovah, the most high over all the earth! When we consider thy majesty and thy purity, and reflect upon our meanness and guilt, how shall we come before the Lord, or bow before the high God? We are unworthy of thy notice, and have rendered ourselves justly obnoxious to the curse of thy holy law: and wert Thou to judge us according to our desert, the most innocent periods of our life, and the devoutest services in which we have ever been engaged, would make us shrink back with dread and despair from thy presence. But we are encouraged to approach Thee, by the revelation Thou hast given us of thyself as the Lord God gracious and merciful; the invitations and promises of thy word; and the meditation of thy dear Son. We are assured that He put away sin by the sacrifice of himself; and being raised from the dead, entered into the holy place, there to appear in the presence of God for us. We rejoice that we have now an Advocate with the Father to plead our cause, and a great high Priest over the house of God, to introduce our persons and our services.

May we therefore draw near in full assurance of faith, believing that all things are now ready; that we are as welcome as we are needy; and that the blessings we implore are as gracious as they are needful. Yea Thou delightest in mercy, and hast not only permitted, but commanded us to ask and receive that our joy may be full. O let us not refuse to be comforted; let us not reject the counsel of God against ourselves. Suffer us not, after provoking Thee by our rebellion, to offend Thee still more by our unbelief. May we honor thy goodness by our confidence in thy veracity, and come and take of the water of life freely. May we wait for no qualifications to entitle us to those provisions which must be bought without money and without price: but we may come as we are—guilty to be justified, unholy to be renewed, blind to be enlightened, weak to be strengthened, and indigent to be relieved and enriched. As Thou art presenting to us, in the offers of the gospel, thy unspeakable gift, may we receive Christ Jesus the Lord. May we receive Him immediately without delay, cordially without reluctance, and impartially without exception; feeling our need of, and acquiescing in all his offices, relations, influences, and blessings.

As Thou art well pleased in thy beloved Son, may it appear that we are well pleased with Him. May we love his salvation, and glory in his cross; may we admire his character, and pant after his likeness. May we judge of our union with Him, by our being new creatures; and of our freedom from all condemnation, by our walking not after the flesh but after the Spirit. May we try our principles by our practice, and our faith by our works. May the origin and certainty of our hope appear in its tendency; may it purify us from sin, wean us from the world, and cause us to live with our conversation in heaven.

Blessed with a well founded persuasion that when He who is our life shall appear, we shall also appear with Him in glory, may we bear with patience the trials attached to this present time, and weep as if we wept not. And knowing our obligation to thy grace, which has delivered our souls from the lowest hell, and is infallibly conducting us to such a vastness of felicity, may we be principally concerned to walk before the Lord in the land of the living, and to show forth all his praise. Whether therefore we eat or drink, or whatever we do, may we do all to the glory of God.

But we cannot trust in our own hearts: we dare not rely upon our convictions and purposes—they have often betrayed us. We can only serve Thee in thy own strength. We can walk no further than Thou leadest us; we can stand no longer than Thou holdest us. We therefore renounce self-dependence; and desire to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his might. Let thy grace be sufficient for us in the duties and events of the day into which we have entered. May we abide with God in our respective callings. Whether we are alone, or in company, may we be anxious to gain good, and to do good. May we be serious without gloom, and cheerful without levity, and use the world as not abusing it.

And now unto Him that is able to keep us from falling, and to present us faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy; to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen.