Page:The Book of Family Worship.pdf/152

 140 NINETEENTH WEEK,

TUESDAY EVENING.

N OST merciful Lord God. Thou art the Creator of all worlds, and by

Thy power They are all sustained; and by the continuance of Thy love, the myriads of living beings they contain are continually fed, protected from danger, and preserved in existence.

We adore Thee for the blessings and protection extended towards us this day, and we desire to draw near to Thee, and to prostrate ourselves before Thee in profound humility and reverence. Thou. Lord, hast made us, and we are the people of Thy pasture and the sheep of Thy hand. We live and move and have our being in Thee. But Thon art not only our Creator, but our most beneficent Father: with every needful blessing hast Thou sustained both our souls and bodies; and though we have rebelled against Thee, and have been unmindful of Thy favours, yet still Thy goodness and mercy has followed us and Thy compassions fail not. O most merciful God and Saviour, we cannot set forth all Thy love. When we were enemies unto Thee, and the whole earth was filled with violence, when iniquity abounded, and sin held such dominion over us as to threaten universal desolation, then didst Thou, in the infinity of Thy love, take upon Thee our nature, become incarnate, wrestle with our spiritual enemies, and by overcoming death, and him who had the power of death. Thou didst reconcile the world unto Thyself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. We glorify Thee, our redeeming Lord and Saviour. Amen. .

Our Father, etc. '

INFINITE and eternal Jehovah, who art the Father of eternity, the Mighty God, the Prince of peace, whose omniscient eye hath watched over us during the past night, and by the continuance of whose infinite goodness Thy creatures awake to the light of another day; who shall not fear Thee, and glorify Thy name who alone art holy? Infinite in purity and perfection, Thine exalted nature who can approach? Even the most exalted of Thy creatures—those who have passed from a merely natural to a spiritual state of existence, those who surround Thy glorious throne,—even these are not pure in Thy sight, even these are charged with folly, and the all of perfection which they possess is wholly derived from Thee. Thou dwellest in the high and holy place, which the most exalted intelligences find to be unapproachable; and yet though Thou art thus high. Thou regardest the poor and needy. Heaven and earth are full of Thy majesty; yet the broken and contrite heart is also the habitation of Thy glory. Thine eyes behold, Thine eyelids try, the children of men. Whither can we go from Thy Spirit, or whither can we flee from Thy presence? If we ascend up into heaven Thou art there; if we make our bed in hell, behold Thon art there; if we take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there shall Thy hand lead us, and Thy right hand sustain us. We commit our way unto Thee, O Lord. Go before us this day, we beseech Thee, that we sin not. Amen.

Our Father, etc.