Page:The Book of Family Worship.pdf/264

 252 'TRIRTY-FIFTH WEEK.

sities is to ain against Thee; and although Thou permittest temptation to assail us, that evil may thus be made manifest. Thou yet endowest us with strength equal to conquest; Thou dost not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able, but strengthenest ug at all times, and keepest ua from falling. Even in the direst assaults, and those which appear to bow us down and leave us to the mercy of our enemies. Thy compassions fail not. Thy mercy is from everlasting to everlasting, and Thy forgiveness not until seven times, but until seventy times seven. O God of all consolgtion, be with us in this our wilderness state, and work in us both to will aud 'to do Thy good pleasure, that we may hold Thee all in sl.

en. Our Father, ete.

LORD Jesus Christ, we confess our adversary is so subtle that we more frequently work for him than against him; and thus we strengthen the hands of our spiritual enemy while we weaken our own. Bemoaning the power of evil, wailing over our own weakness and sin, we mistake the mode of resisting it, and become more and more entangled in the meshes of the wicked one.

Yet do we feel we must labour. O heavenly Father, leave us not without Thy countenance. How shall we conquer sin; how shall we work out our own salvation? Alas! our greatest difficulty is to work out our salvation under the acknowledgment that it is God that worketh in us both to will and to do of His good pleasure. We must be brought to as well as to see that there is only One stronger than the strong man armed; and that one is Thyself, O Lord God omnipotent! Thou, as the Redeemer and Saviour, was manifested that Thou mightest destroy the works of the devil. Lord, help us practically to realize this oft-repeated, but little understood truth. If a succession of triumphs from our spiritual enemies have been permitted, it must be to teach us the lesson of self-abasement; designed to lead us with humility to the throne of mercy, where alone we can find help in every time of need.

Lord, help us to see that our whole existence is designed to be one of conflict and labour; there is no immunity from the assaults of our enemies; but he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. Amen.

Our Father, etc.

TUESDAY EVENING.

LORD Jesus Christ, we acknowledge the Word of Thy truth, '* Blessed

isthe man whom Thou chasteneth, that Thou mayest teach him out

of Thy law. Thy divine chastisements tead to the practice of virtue;

and as all commands from Thee originate in good, and obedience to Thy

commands fills the soul with good, so does obedience to Thy will fortify

us in the hour of trial, give us confidence in the justice of our cause, and

fill us with satisfaction that nothing ordained by Thee can terminate

ultimately in anything but the peace and happiness of the whole human race.