Page:The Book of Family Worship.pdf/150

 138 NINETEENTH WEEK.

SABBATH EVENING.

0 LORD God almighty. King of kings and Lord of lords, who is like

unto Thee; who among the sons of the mighty can be compared unto Thee? Thy ways are not as our ways, nor Thy thoughts as our thoughts. The perfection of Thy nature, the fulness of Thy love, and the excellency of Thy wisdom, at once attest Thy divine prerogatives, and convey to us the assurance that it is because of the unchangeableness of Thy nature that we are not consumed. When we reflect upon our multiplied transgressions, we are lost in wonder at the extent of Thy forbearance unto us. O, what shall we render unto Thee for all Thy benefits! Burnt offerings and sacrifices Thou desirest not; but thus hast Thou commanded us, " Obey my voice, and I will be your God, and ye shall be my people, and walk ye in all the ways that I have commanded you, that it may be well with you."" O Lord, help us to observe these Thy reasonable commands, and grant that from henceforth we may keep them continually before us, and testify our obedience by following Thee, and learning " of Thee as Thou hast desired."

Lord, we thank Thee for the abundant blessings we have this day enjoyed. We have united in the services of the sanctuary, and have joined the company of those who keep Thy holy day. We feel these seasons of public devotion as among the greatest of our Christian privileges. And now we desire to acknowledge, in this our family temple, that great as are the privileges we have enjoyed, so are the responsibilities we have contracted. O how shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation! Amen.

Our Father, etc.

HOLY, holy, holy. Lord God Almighty, heaven and earth are full of the majesty of Thy glory; the heaven, yea, the heaven of heavens cannot contain Thee, and yet such is the extent of Thy condescending love, that Thou takest pleasure in abiding with the poor, the humble, the meek, and the lowly; with these takest Thou up Thine abode, and in the hearts of the contrite ones dost Thou pour out Thy love.

Lord, we humbly bow ourselves to the earth before Thee: O Lord! do Thou bow the heavens and come down unto us.

For so darkened are our understandings by error, and so polluted are our affections by evil, that we dare not presume to call ourselves internal men. Our thoughts and affections have been towards the earth and that continually, and when we have striven to turn ourselves in spirit unto Thee, there appears, as it were, a thorn in our flesh, which still keeps us suffering under the pains of sensuality. Again, then, O Lord, we pray, "Bow Thy heavens, and, according to our states, come down."

"O righteous Father," unworthy as we are, what can we do shouldest Thou forsake us? whom have we in the heaven but Thee? and who can be so mighty for our deliverance from the spirits of darkness and evil as Thou? Oh, by the power of Thy love and truth deliver us from the infestations of evil, for Thy name and mercy sake. Amen.

Our Father, etc.