Page:The Book of Family Worship.pdf/291

 spiritual, may enter into conjunction with Thee, and be one with Thee, as Thou art One with the Father.

O blessed Lord and Saviour, how great is the privilege we enjoy in being permitted to know Thee as Thou art; to behold Thee as a God of love and truth, "keeping mercy for thousands, and forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin;" and, O still greater privilege, to bear Thine own, divine image, and to be capable of becoming a likeness of Thee! to know that because Thou livest we shall live also; and to feel that we shall become Thy friends if we do whatsoever Thou commandest us.

We adore Thee, O Lord, for the gift of Thy holy Word. In it Thou hast revealed Thy own perfections, and hast made known to us our own condition. By Thy Word shall we be condemned, and by the Word shall we be acquitted. "The Word which Thou hast spoken unto us, the same shall judge us at the last day." Teach us, we beseech Thee, a due reverence for Thy divine truth. May we never sully it by using it lightly or irreverently. May we never profane it by introducing it into vain and frivolous discoure.

Impart unto us meek, lowly, and contrite hearts; and aid us so to walk by Thy truth, that men may see our good works, and glorify Thee our Father in the heavens. Enable us to be watchful, to keep our hearts with all diligence, and to gird about us the living principles of holiness, that we may be endowed with power to resist the attacks of our spiritual enemies. Amen.

Our Father, etc.

. MONDAY EVENING. 0 LORD Jeaus Christ, we worship Thee as the Eternal Trath. It is by Thy truth that we are admonished against the pollutions of evil. Thy truth addresses us in the words, " Arise ye, and depart; for this is not your rest." Bebold, the carth is filled with violence; it is polluted; tarry not in all the plain of evil but escape to the mountain of the Lord's holiness; 60 iniquity shall not be your ruin,

O God, we desize to humble ourselves before Thee, and to acknowledge our transgression; while we at the same time offer our devout gratitude that Thou hast addressed us in so many and in such varied precepts of Thy Word, warning us not to tarry in the valley of our own unhallowed. Joves—that shadow of death, in which, if wa continue, will but too surely introduce us into eternal misery. O aid us to shun evil in every alluring garb in which it presents itself; thereby shall we escape that pain and anguish which ever waits upon the commission of sin. We confess, 0 Lord, that it is not enough that we know Thy truth; we can BE HAPPY ONLY IF WE DO 17; until it enters into our affections and influences our lives, it can have no abiding place. Loxp, as Taou arr tas Trurs, we humbly pray Thee to assist ua in possessing it. And as Thou art willing to abide in us, may we be willing to abide in Thee; and thus become of the number of Thy faithful disciples, and be enabled to bring forth much froit. Amen,

Our Father, ets. -