Thursday Morning — Week 2 (William Jay)

We would address Thee, O God, in the language of the publican, which so well becomes us, and say, from our hearts, God be merciful to me a sinner. Sinners we are by nature, and practice; sinners thy word proclaims us to be; sinners we hope we feel ourselves to be; and acknowledge that Thou art justified when Thou speakest, and clear when Thou judgest.

Yet Thou hast not left us to despair; nor have we a mere peradventure to encourage us—who can tell if God will return and repent, and leave a blessing behind him that we perish not? We have all the assurance we could desire, that with the Lord there is mercy, and with Him plenteous redemption. Conscious of the number and heinousness of our offences, we could not have approached Thee with confidence without a previous token for good. But Thou hast stretched forth the golden sceptre, and said, Touch and live: I will be merciful to thy unrighteousness, and thy sins and iniquities will I remember no more. May we encourage ourselves by a sense of thy all-sufficiency, by faith in thy promises, by views of the experience of others; and ask and receive, that our joy may be full. To that dear refuge in which so many have been sheltered from every storm, may we repair; and in that fountain for sin, always open and free for all, may we be cleansed from every defilement.

Lord, we believe—help Thou our unbelief—that sin is exceeding sinful; it is the abominable thing which thy soul hateth; and this, and this alone separates between Thee and us. Thou canst not contradict the essential perfections of thy nature; and Thou canst not make us happy with thyself, till Thou hast made us holy like thyself. O Thou holy God, deliver us from all our iniquities, and make us such creatures as Thou canst take pleasure in, and such creatures as can take pleasure in Thee. While many are asking, Who will show us any good? may the cry of our heart be, Lord, lift Thou up the light of thy countenance upon us. May we consent to the law of God that it is good; may we delight in thy law after the inner man. May we never complain of the strictness of thy demands, but mourn over our want of conformity to them. May we esteem all thy commandments concerning all things to be right, and hate every false way. Put thy Spirit within us, that our practice may spring from principle, and our dispositions be congenial with duty; so that we may resemble Him who could say, My meat is to do the will of Him that sent me, and to finish his work.

We live in a world of changes; but with Thee there is no variableness, nor shadow of turning. May we know that Thou, the eternal God, art our refuge, and that underneath us are thine everlasting arms. Creatures die; friends and relations die. The fathers, where are they? And the prophets, do they live for ever? But the Lord liveth, and blessed be our rock, and let the God of our salvation be exalted.

May we never forget that we are mortal ourselves. May we never put the evil day far off. May we frequently and seriously think of a dying hour. May we faithfully inquire, What will be its issue with regard to us, and what preparation have we for it. And may we never rest satisfied till we are enabled to view it as the period of our release and the end of our conflict; till we can say with Paul, Thanks be unto God who has given us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Take us this day under thy protection; and make use of us for thy glory. Let thy presence go with us; and do Thou give us rest. Let thy love sweeten our comforts, and thy grace sanctify all our trials. We consecrate ourselves to Thee, body, soul, and spirit. Accept of our persons and services; and enable us to ascribe blessing and honour and glory and power unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever. Amen.