Page:The Book of Family Worship.pdf/383

 We desire. O Lord, to express our heartfelt gratitude for Thy wondrous display of love and mercy. Amen.

Our Father, etc,

HE day has again called us to our labour, and we humbly thank Thee, O Lord, for the refreshing influences of sleep, which have renewed our existence and rendered us again fit to perform our daily duties. We pray Thee, 0 Lord, let Thy presence go with us this day. Pour into our affections and thoughts the influences of Thy good spirit, that Thy fear may be ever before us, and that Thy love and truth may dwell in oar inmost parts. May we be invested in the armour of the Spirit of truth. May the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit, and the helmet of salvation, be our defence aguinst Satan and his agents, those evils and falses, which so frequently imprison the soul, and alienate if from its rightfal sovereign. O grant us a safe delivarance from their wiles, and enable us to serve Thee with singleness of eye and purity of heart. May the members of this family, while they see Thy hand in their daily preservation, and enjoy the blessings so unremittingly bestowed upon them, display a spirit of humble and grateful love. May they die unto self and live unto Thee; may Thy light so shine in their lives as to render them patterns unto others, glorifying Thee our Father in the heavens. Finally, O Lord, help us, that we may always be found running in the way of Thy commandments, and that our latter end may be peace. Amen.

Our Father, etc.

GOD, the Creator, Redeemer, and Protector of Thy people; Thou art great, and greatly to be praised. There is none equal unto Thee, O Lord God of truth. Thou art infinite in goodness, wisdom, and power, and in Thy name shall all the families of the earth be blessed.

We Thine unworthy servants approach Thee this evening, knowing that Thy goodness and mercy have followed us all the days of our life; we feel confident that Thou wilt be our guide even unto death. We acknowledge our trangressions, and our sins are ever before Thee; but O Lord most merciful, O God most holy, let Thy gracious pardon be extended towards us, and assist us to perform the great work of repentance. Preserve us from ungodliness and worldly lusts; preserve us from scepticism and infidelity; prevent us from following a multitude to do evil, and in all things assist us to recover the image and likeness in which we were originally created. In our return unto Thee, O let the Word of Thy truth be our increasing joy and delight. May its solemn warnings bring to our remembrance the uncertainty of our present existence, and keep us in a constant state of preparation to meet Thee, our God and Saviour. Amen.

Our Father, etc.