Saturday Morning — Week 2 (William Jay)

O God, Thou art glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders. And it is not one of the least of thy wonderful doings towards the children of men, that we are on this side an awful eternity, and not reaping the due reward of our deeds. Our whole life has been a series of provocations against thy divine majesty. Our offences have not only been countless but aggravated. Conscience has rebuked us; friends have admonished us; the examples of the wise and good have reproached and encouraged us. Thou hast often called us to reflection and repentance by the smart of the rod, and invited and allured us by a profusion of kindnesses. Our iniquities are increased over our head, and our trespass is gone up into the very heaven. And Thou hast seen all our sins, and Thou hast abhorred all: and Thou couldst have easily and justly punished us; yet Thou hast spared us; and instead of finding ourselves this morning in the place where even God has forgotten to be gracious, and lifting up our eyes in hopeless torment, we can lift up our eyes unto the hills from whence cometh our help.

In ourselves we are poor, and wretched, and miserable, but Thou whom we have offended, even Thou, hast provided every supply for our souls; and with the announcement we have the invitation, Come, for all things are now ready. O Lord, we thankfully obey thy call; we accept of thy goodness; we acquiesce in all the appointments of the gospel. We believe the record Thou hast given of thy dear Son—that there is salvation in none other, but that in Him there is plenteous redemption; and apply to Him for all the benefits resulting from every office he sustains in the church. We give up our minds implicitly to his instruction; in the sacrifice he once offered, we trust and glory; we revere, we love his authority, and pray that his grace may reign in us through righteousness unto eternal life. We would not—we will not—love a world that crucified Him. We will not cherish or endure the sin that put Him to grief, or suffer Him to be wounded in the house of his friends. At the same cross which relieves our consciences from a burden too heavy for us to bear, we would learn lessons of self-denial, forgiveness, and submission; we would feel motives to obedience, and find resources for all the exigencies of the divine life.

For we rejoice to think that by his being made a curse for us, the blessing of Abraham comes upon the Gentiles, and that we can receive the promise of the Spirit by faith. For his sake, give thy Holy Spirit to them that now ask Thee—as a spirit of grace and of supplication, of truth and of holiness, of peace and of consolation: and may we not only possess, but be filled with the Spirit.

May we never consider ourselves as detached individuals. May we look not every man on his own things, only, but also on the things of others. Never may we ask with Cain, when reproved for unkindness or urged to beneficence, Am I my brother's keeper? But may we love our neighbor as ourselves. May we do good even to the unthankful and the unworthy; may we teach transgressors thy ways, and be the means of converting sinners unto Thee: and may none of our efforts be rendered fruitless by inconsistency of character and reproachfulness of conduct. May we be what we profess; and do as well as teach. May all our connexions see as well as hear our religion, and be constrained to acknowledge that we are the seed which the Lord hath blessed.

We bless Thee that again we have laid us down in peace and slept, because Thou, Lord, only makest us dwell in safety. Into thy hands we commit our bodies, and spirits, for our going out and coming in this day. We are more exposed by day than by night; more surrounded with evil, and more liable to the seductions of sin. May we ever regard sin as our greatest foe, and holiness as our noblest attainment. And whether we are in solitude or society, 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.