Page:The Book of Family Worship.pdf/32

20 We ask this in Thine own name, O Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our Father, etc.

THURSDAY EVENING,

GRACIOUS Lord, the sanctifier and regenerator of the world, behold this family assembled before Thee, and grant unto them a fulfilment of Thy gracious promise, "where two or three are assembled together in Thy name, there art Thou in the midst of them." Be spiritually present with us, we beseech Thee! Lift up the light of Thy countenance upon us, cause Thy face to shine, and we shall be saved.

We desire. O Lord, to humble ourselves before Thee, to confess our transgressions, to acknowledge our sins, for they are many. Forgive our iniquities. O Lord, we beseech Thee! Have mercy upon us! O let Thy gracious accents whisper peace and pardon to our souls.

O Lord. Thou art our hiding-place from of old. Thy name is a strong tower of defence, we enter into it and are safe. On Thee do we rely in every time of need. To Thee do we look in all our afflictions, for Thou hast at ail times preserved us; and our songs of deliverance arise from Thy victories over our spiritual enemies. O how great is Thy goodness! how great Thy mercy! how unbounded Thy love! Help s us to feel the force of Thy divine commandment, and to love one another as Thou hast loved us.

May we study to promote each other's happiness; relinquish our own imaginary rights, if by so doing we can add to the comfort and convenience of our brethren. As was Thy temper, aa was Thy spirit, O Lord, when inhabiting an earthly tabernacle, so may we strive to be like Thee. Thou didst become the least of all and the Servant of all. Help us, we pray Thee, to become like Thee, for Thine own name and mercy's sake. O Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Our Father, etc.

THOU who art the bright, the morning star, let the day-spring from on high dawn upon us. Thou hast unsealed our eye-lids; and by the refreshing repose that Thou hast blessed us with, Thou hast renewed our bodily existence and made us strong for labour.

Glorified be Thy name, O Lord! We will praise and bless Thee at all times. We will speak of Thy marvellous loving-kindness; we will magnify and exalt Thy name for ever and ever. Open Thou our lips, we beseech Thee, so shall we speak of all Thy wondrous works. May we, by a happy experience, know that Thou art good to all; blessed are all they who put their trust in Thee!

O Lord, we acknowledge that Thou often addressest Thy children in Thy Holy Word in the seeming language of anger, for it is only by awakening our fears, that, wicked as we are, we can be brought to a knowledge of our evils; and we are thus led to see the necessity of repentance. Thou hast declared that "the face of the Lord is against them that do evil, to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth." O