Page:The Book of Family Worship.pdf/170



LORD, let Thy will be our will. "Blessed are the people who hear the joyful sound of Thy truth; they shall walk in the light of Thy countenance; in Thy name shall they rejoice all the day, and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted, for Thou art the glory of their strength, and in Thy name shall their horn be exalted."

O may we this day experience the inestimable blessings which flow from an entire surrender of our souls to Thy guidance. May we taste and see that the Lord is good; may we feel the blessings of those who put their trust in Him. As we engage in our temporal duties, may the fear of Thee keep us from that which is evil. May a principle of conscience pervade our every thought, word, and deed. May the property of our employers be sacred in our eyes; may we waste neither the time nor the substance that is intrusted to us; but may we be diligent in business, labouring with our hands, not with eye-service as men pleasers, but as the servants of Thee, O Lord Jesus Christ, doing Thy will from the heart; and may the substance of our earthly employers be blessed and increased, that they may have wherewithal to feed the hungry, to assist and comfort the weak, and to be useful as stewards in Thy hand, rendering to every man his due, and adorning the doctrine of Thee, our God and Saviour, in all things. Finally, O Lord, lift up the light of Thy countenance upon our engagements. May they be "begun, continued, and ended in Thee." Amen.

Our Father, etc.

ORD as the works of Thy hands speak to us the language of praise and adoration, the Word of Thy truth urges us onward to acquire the knowledge of our spiritual and eternal destiny.

O may we consecrate ourselves, soul and body, to Thy service. When our affections and thoughts are offered unto Thee, chastened by a sense of the unworthiness of the offering; when we desire nothing so much as to be led, guided, and directed by Thy providence, submitting ourselves unto Thee in all things, and knowing no will but Thine, then "we may eat our bread with joy, and drink our wine with a merry heart," because "Thou, Lord, wilt accept our works." And to whose care can we with greater certainty of safety commit ourselves? The eye of Thy providence, O Lord, oversees all our actions, watches over all our motions, tells all our steps; and since Thou art pleased thus to notice us, how great, ought to be the pleasure we should feel to walk with Thee, in whom alone we live, and move, and have our being! Lead us, therefore, O Lord, we beseech Thee, to what end it pleaseth Thee; with grateful and humble duty we resign ourselves to be disposed of by Thee, and desire to wait paticutly and thankfully the issue of Thy divine dispensations. For all the benefits and blessings of the past week, O Lord, we desire to adore and praise Thee. And now, Lord, as we retire to rest, may our thoughts repose on Thy goodness. If permitted to behold the coming Sabbath, may it be unto us a season of spiritual refreshment, of peace, love, and joy, through the influence of Thy Holy Spirit. Amen.

Our Father, etc.