Page:The Book of Family Worship.pdf/175



OST holy, most righteous, and adorable Lord God, the return of the morning calls for our devout acknowledgments and gratitude, not only because of the blessings we have enjoyed during the night season by sound and healthy sleep, but because of Thy divine protection; for it is Thou, O Lord, who hast protected us against the assaults of our spiritual enemies, and by Thy goodness alone are we permitted to behold the light of another day; thus is the truth of Thy divine words ever in course of verification: "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

O God, while we know that Thine eye neither slumbers nor sleeps, may we be watchful over our own conduct, that the great end of our being be not defeated. We are indeed too prone to fall into evil and to prefer evil to good. A spiritual leprosy seems to have attached itself unto us from which there can be no deliverance without an abandonment of evil and an humble and penitent return unto Thee. O impress us with the spiritual meaning of the words, "Many lepers were in Israel in the time of Eliseus the prophet, but none of them was cleansed save Naaman the Syrian." O Lord, if Thou wilt, Thou canst make us clean, and if we repent, Thy divine Word will be uttered, Go in peace, and be whole of thy plague. Amen.

Our Father, etc.

THOU "who art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity," before whom the ungodly cannot stand, and whose tender love and watchful providence is ever seeking to turn evil from man, behold us, Thy sinful creatures, now bowing in prayer before Thee. O look upon us in our low estate, for we have estranged ourselves from Thee; we have nearly destroyed ourselves by our iniquities, and if Thou shouldest cease to be gracious, we have no hope of pardon and salvation.

But Thou art never weary in befriending us; Thy love knows no ebbing tide; Thou art good and doest good, and notwithstanding all the evils we have committed, Thy goodness and mercy follows, and will continue to follow us all the days of our life.

Thou didst create us in Thine own image and likeness, and didst so endow us with rationality as to enable us to hold communion with Thyself, and to feel and know the blessedness of so heavenly an intercourse. But we turned to ourselves, forsook Thy communion, made light of Thy most sacred injunctions, and turning from Thee, the fountain of living waters, hewed out to ourselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water; we separated ourselves from Thee, and instead of walking with Thee in the path of life, turned backward into the way of death. Lord, help us, save us from our sins, for without Thine aid we must perish. Amen.

Our Father, etc.