Page:The Book of Family Worship.pdf/292

 280 THIRTY-NINTH WEEK.

TUESDAY MORNING.

0 LORD Jesus Christ, who art the Father of eternity; in the performance

of the duties of thie day, may we keep before us THE ETERNITY OF vintvE; and in no one natural action sully the vitality of the principle which ought to give it life. Hast Thou, 0 Lord, raised us to honour? © let vintve render it lovely and benignant. Hast Thou given us riches? may wetvE render them abundantiy useful. Hast Thou given to us intelligence and knowledge? may virTvx act as the soul, and give life to every truth that we utter; so that in each thing that we do or put our hangs to, we may not only glorify Thee in our spirits, which are Thine, but in our bodies also.

'Thon has created us. O Lord, to be cternally happy; but Thou hast given usa capacity for happiness, even in this world; and as we engage in oar duties from a principle of love to Thee, and of charity to our neighbour, so will peace and tranquility and happiness attend us. And if prosperity, in @ natural sense, do uot accompany or reward our Jabour, we shall know that Thou. O Lord, who orderest all things well, hast 60 arranged that our eternal happiness may be the better secured.

'We adore Thee. O gracious Father, for the mercies of the past night. Thou hast not only protected and defended us, but, by giving rest to our bodies, bast rendered us strong to labour; and in this strength, and under the eye of Thy providence, we go forth to our work and to our labour till the evening. Amen.

Our Father, etc.

LORD Jeans Christ, we humbly pray that we may be brought entirely under submission to Thy divine providence. We confess, O Lord, that we have frequentiy rebelled when Thy dispensations have visited us. We have murmured that we cannot attain to the joys of Thy kingdom in the way that would be most pleasant to ourselves. We would enjoy the beatitudes of heaven, but would not be put to the labour necessary to become purified. We would indulge in the dissipations of the world, and yet profess ourselves to be Thy disciples. If Thy hand visit us and afliction is permitted to assail us, how impatient we are! How difficult do we find it to bless them that curse us, to do good to them that hate us, and to pray for them who despitefully use us and persecute us. When those whom we have esteemed our friends turn from us in the season of our adversity; when all our supports are taken from beneath our feet, and our hearts are steeped in bitterness, how hard do we find it to say, "Thy will be done."

O Lord, increase our faith; give us to feel a devout resignation to Thy will. Open our eyes to behold the love which permits our afflictions; teach us that the stroke is lightened when we draw near to the Hand that wields the rod. Preserve us, Lord, from ourselves, and aid us this night and every night to repose in humble confidence on Thy love, truth, and mercy. Amen.

Our Father, etc.