Page:The Book of Family Worship.pdf/196

 examine ourselves, that we may ascertain whether we have any well grounded hope of our own salvation. All may be saved by coming unto Thee, but all will not be saved, because all will not come unto Thee. With this important truth before us, O Lord, let Thy presence go before us this day and every day, that we sin not. May we avert our eye from the broad path, and keep it steadily on the narrow way. And may the words of Thy eternal truth be constantly sounding in our ears, "This is the way, walk ye in it," so shall we, ultimately, at the end of the way, find admission into Thy heavenly kingdom. Amen.

Our Father, etc.

LORD Jesus Christ, when we fell from Thee, the compassionate voice was heard calling unto us, "O man! where art thor?" Truly were we afraid, for we had sinned and we hid ourselves. But who can escape Thy penetrating eye? When we had given up ourselves for lost, and hope had entirely forsaken us, even then Thy love sought us out. Thou didst not leave us to perish; Thou didst devise a way whereby the path to happiness might be again opened up; and O, amazing love! in the very depths of our degradation Thy sacred Word went forth, that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head, and the sensual principle in man brought again under the government of the spiritual principle. Adored be the infinitude of Thy mercy, 0 Lord! Thou hast not forgotten us in our low estate. In Thy love and in Thy pity Thou hast visited and redeemed Thy people, and hast become their Saviour; and now all that come unto Thee may drink of the water of life freely, and eat of the bread that endureth unto everlasting life.

Deeply humbled at the remembrance of our former evils, we glorify Thee that Thou hast yet raised us to newness of spirit. We rejoice in Thy presence this night, and magnify Thy name, for it is holy. Aid us to make our hearts into living temples, in which Thou mayest take up Thy abode, so shall we dwell in safety beneath the shadow of Thy wings, and shall ultimately enter into Thy rest. Amen.

Our Father, etc.

LORD our heavenly Father, Thy wisdom is past finding out; while we can only conjecture what transpires in other worlds, and feel that they could not have been created but to be peopled, and that Thy wisdom and providence are exercised in every world to "render conscious beings blessed," Thou hast revealed plainly to us who dwell on this earth, all the wonders of Thy providence, all the wisdom of Thy power, all the glories of the heavens, and all the happiness of the angels inhabiting them; and even these, in consequence of the imperfection of our nature, are but dimly beheld, being seen as through a glass darkly; yet do the works of Thy creative energy, and the wonders of Thy revealed trath, speak to us a language which nowhere has a parallel. "The heavens declare the glory of God, the firmament showeth His handiwork." "They that go down to the sea in ships see the wonders