Tuesday Evening — Week 3

May we approach Thee with all the encouragement derivable from a conviction that Thou art the blessed God — happy in thyself, and the source of happiness to thy creatures. The eyes of all wait upon Thee, and Thou givest them their meat in due season. Thou openest thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing. Thou art our Maker and benefactor. Thou hast not only produced us, but sustained; not only supported us, but indulged ; yea, Thou hast given us all things richly to enjoy. Thou hast provided for the welfare of our souls as well as our bodies ; Thou hast answered the awful question, How shall I come before the Lord and bow before the High God? Thou hast told us what we must do to be saved. May we follow the light of life which Thou hast given us, till it brings us to Him who appears in every attribute, and in every attitude of power and pity to meet all our wants and miseries. And as we draw near, may we hear his gracious voice saying, Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out. May we commit our eternal all into his hands ; and being reconciled by his death, may we be saved by his life. May we live by Him, live to Him, live like Him. While we behold Him as rich for our sakes becoming poor, and dying that we may live, may his unexampled love constrain us into all holy obedience and zeal, and render our duty our delight.

May we never wait for the company of others, or feel their approbation necessary to induce us to follow him who is all our salvation, and ought to be all our desire. May we go forth to Him without the camp, bearing his reproach. And if our faith is deemed folly, our hope delusion, our meekness meanness, our zeal madness ; may we rejoice that we are counted worthy to suffer shame for his name ; and binding it as a garland around our brow, say, If this be to be vile, I will yet be more vile. Thus, blessed Redeemer, wast Thou treated in the days of thy flesh; thus was thy name cast out as evil, thy actions misrepresented, and thy spirit blasphemed. O let the servants be willing to be as the master, and the disciples as the Lord.

We hope in thy word ; but it is because it assures us that Thou waitest to be gracious; and dost not break the bruised reed nor quench the smoking flax. How poor and pitiable, how maimed and dying a thing has our religion been under every advantage to promote it. Lord, hide pride from us; enable us to walk humbly with our God, and ask and receive that our joy may be full. Hast Thou not promised to supply all our need from thy riches in glory by Christ Jesus? Thou knowest all our welfare, all our work, all our trials; and Thou knowest the degree and extent of our weakness; and yet Thou hast said, My grace is sufficient for thee. Lord, we believe ; help Thou our unbelief.

While we rejoice in our privileges, we would remember the way in which they have become ours. We have nothing to glory in before Thee. We ourselves also were once foolish and disobedient ; and we would ever look to the rock whence we were hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence we were digged. Thou hast made us to differ; and we have nothing but what we have received.

And this encourages us with regard to others. What Thou hast done for us, Thou art able to do for them ; and Thou art willing. Thou hast therefore commanded us to pray for all men. O let none of those perish whom we love as our own souls. Keep them as the apple of the eye ; hide them under the shadow of thy wing.

Let grace and peace be multiplied to all who have obtained like precious faith with us; and if Thou art pleased to try that faith, may the trial be found unto praise and glory and honor at the appearing of Jesus Christ.

But we would not forget even the ignorant and profligate. Teach transgressors thy ways, and let sinners be converted unto Thee.

Dethrone the god of this world. Destroy the works of the devil. And may our globe, which has so long groaned beneath the curse, be as the smell of a field which the Lord hath blessed. Send out thy light and thy truth, thy servants and thy laborers; and for them may the wilderness and the solitary place be made glad, and the desert rejoice and blossom as the rose.

Amen — Blessing and glory and power and might be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.