Saturday Evening (Fourth Week)

O GOD, Thou art the King eternal, immortal, and invisible. The Heaven of Heavens cannot contain Thee. Myriads of pure and holy spirits cease not day nor night to celebrate Thy praises. All their adorations cannot add to Thy glory; all their homage cannot augment Thine ineffable blessedness.

What are we that we should be permitted to approach the presence of a GOD, so great and so glorious. Every day and every hour condemns us. Thou seest more deficiency and defilement in our best deeds than we see in our worst. We are apt to palliate sin—but no sin is trivial with Thee. We are apt to forget sin—we are too willing to hide it from Thee, and hide it from ourselves—but we cannot evade Thy righteous scrutiny. We cannot screen our guilt from the great Heart-searcher :—all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with whom we have to do.

But blessed be Thy name, we have “ to do” with such a GOD as Thee. “ Who is a GOD like unto our GOD that pardoneth iniquity ?” Sinners, and the “ chief of sinners”—guilty—tempest-tossed—seeking rest and finding none—we find it, LORD, in the blood, and work, and merits, and righteousness of Thy dear Son. Casting our eternal all on Him, we can rejoicingly say—“ Return unto thy rest, O our souls, for the LORD hath dealt bountifully with us.”

Bring us to live more constantly and habitually under the constraining influence of Redeeming love. May these souls of ours ransomed at such a price be wholly dedicated to Thy service. Let us not dream of reconciliation if we still cleave to unmortified sin. Let us not deceive ourselves with the form of godliness. Let us not rock ourselves asleep, saying—“ Peace, peace, where there is no peace.” Let us know more and more that this is Thy will concerning us, even our sanctification. May grace be waxing stronger and stronger, and sin waxing weaker and weaker. May this struggle against corruption issue in the confirmed habit of holy life. May Thy Spirit—the Spirit of grace, and peace, and love, “ garrison” our hearts. Cast out every rival; keep us from pride—the great master-passion of our fallen and corrupted hearts; from vain glory and hypocrisy; from envious, uncharitable, unforgiving frames and tempers. Keep us from the secret atheism which refuses to own Thy hand, and which calls that “accident” which is the solemn and deliberate decree of a wisdom which cannot err. O may we be preserved in body, soul, and spirit, ready to be presented faultness at last before the presence of Thy glory with exceeding joy. Be Thou with us this night. Be the Guardian of our unconscious hours. Whether we wake or sleep may we live together with Thee.

Thou hast brought us to the end of another week. We are on the eve of another Sabbath;—oh may we be nearer Heaven, and better prepared for an everlasting season of Communion with Thee. We would desire especially, as the week is closing, to remember before Thee all our beloved friends. God of all grace, dispense to them Thy richest blessings. May those ties which on earth are so precarious and liable to be dissolved, be rendered indissoluble by grace—that so when we part on earth, it be only to meet in glory everlasting.

Have mercy on all who are in affliction. O Thou Healer of the broken-hearted, Thou Helper of the helpless, may every wounded spirit be bound up by Thee. May the lonely and unbefriended feel that in the loneliest solitude they are not alone, if Thou, their God and Father, art with them. Spare valued and valuable lives, and may those who are appointed to death, have the valley-gloom lighted with Immanuel’s love.

And now, Lord, what wait we for ? our hope is in Thee;—our wishes, our desires, our interests, our joys, our sorrows, our friends, we leave entirely to Thy care and disposal. Prepare us for the solemn duties and services of another day of the Son of Man. Give to all of us a double portion of Thy Holy Spirit, that our souls may be fitted for holding nearer and more intimate fellowship with Thee. And all that we ask is for the LORD JESUS CHRIST’S sake. Amen.

Our Father, &c.

The Grace of our Lord, &c.