Page:The Book of Family Worship.pdf/186

 course without confusion, and without endangering or interfering with each other: and when we call to remembrance that there is not one of these many worlds but is watched over and provided for by Thy love,—we are lost in astonishment at Thy marvellous greatness as well as at Thy inexhaustible goodness. O Lord, what is man, that Thou art mindful of him! Thou hast spread before us, in freshness and beauty, the world on which we live. We admire the work of Thy hands. The beauty of Thy creation is ever before us, and the perfection to which everything is brought in the animal and in the vegetable world calls for our adoration and praise; and, as the beauty of the whole calls forth our wonder and admiration, we humbly confess in Thy presence, as the work is thus glorious, how glorious is the divine Creator! He has ordained all for wise and good and useful purposes, and be His holy name adored. Amen.

Our Father, etc.

LORD God Almighty, merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and of great goodness, the return of the evening brings us again into Thy presence, and the continuance of Thy innumerable benefits calls for our gratitude and thanksgiving. Hitherto Thou hast spared us and blessed us with health and strength: but we know not how soon we may be called to surrender these temporal blessings, and give an account of the opportunities Thou hast afforded us to prepare to meet Thee our God and Saviour.

Lord, we confess our evils: we have erred from Thy ways like lost sheep, and if Thou shouldst mark our iniquities who among us could stand before Thee? We know not how long opportunities may be afforded us for repentance. O how unmindful have we been! how thoughtless of our eternal state! dwelling in a land of natural delights and gratifications, we have entered upon their enjoyment with as much ardour as if we were to live for ever in this world. Lord, pardon us; spare us yet that we may have time to repent, before we go hence, and are no more seen. Impress upon us the uncertainty of all things here below. And may we be rescued from the snares which the enemy of souls spreads for our entanglement and destruction. Amen.

Our Father, etc.

LORD, give ear to our words, consider our meditation; hearken unto the voice of our cry, our King and our God, for unto Thee will we pray. Our voice shalt Thou hear in the morning, O Lord; in the morning will we direct our prayers unto Thee, and will look up. Thou art the Lord and Giver of life, and there is no blessing needful for us but Thou wilt bestow.

We desire to adore Thee that Thou hast revealed Thyself in human form, and thus approached man in his low estate, and by the glorification of Thy humanity hast opened a new and living way of approach to Thy divine essence or to the Father. We acknowledge that there