Page:The Book of Family Worship.pdf/71



LORD Jesus Christ, through Thy holy word Thou instructest us to be temperate in all things. And Thine apostle has warned us "not to be overcome with wine, wherein is excess." O help us, Lord, we beseech Thee, to keep our hearts with all diligence, to watch over our corrupt inclinations, and to guard against the indulgence of our passions. He that gives himself up to wine or intemperance is not wise. He layeth bare all the hideousness of his former evils, and those of which he is then guilty; too frequently he repents not. Help us, therefore, we beseech Thee, to uphold ourselves in temperance. Intemperance is a sin which debilitates our bodies; it vitiates and gradually destroys us; it deadens the faculties of our souls, and throws around us the chains of the most debasing slavery. O how should we avoid all that tends to enslave either our souls or bodies, and sin is the most abject of all slavery. And we can only escape the slavery of sin by looking constantly unto Thee for aid. May we take up the language of a good man of old and say, "Though I were sure man could never know it, and that God would certainly pardon it, yet I would not intentionally commit a sin, on account of the baseness and dishonesty of the sin itself."

0 Lord, Thou hast brought up our souls from the grave. Thou hast kept us alive that we should not go down into the pit.

We thank Thee for the blessings of the past night, and for the cheerful light of this another day. Keep us, we beseech Thee, this day from evil, preserve us in the path of holiness and duty, sustain us in our trials and bring us safely through them, for Thine own name's sake. Amen.

Our Father, etc.

FRIDAY EVENING.

LORD Jesus Christ. Thou didst at all times set Thy disciples an example of humility. Thy counsel was, '" Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly, and ye shall find rest to your souls." _ Teach us therefore, we humbly beseech Thee, to subdue pride, and to live in the spirit of humility. May the example of what pride led to in ancient times teach us the constant lesson of lowly-mindedness.

"Come let us build us a city, and a tower, whose top may reach unto heaven," was the impious exclamation of the proud men of old. Alas! how closely are the builders of Babel imitated by degenerate men of the Present day. How do we fancy our own power the all-suflicient principles of our support; how do we plan and determine what we shall do, and how we shall accomplish it! In our self-sutliciency we fail, and it is Just that our arrogance should be so punished.

0 God of love, we confess this great sin, and again we humbly supplitate Thee, aid us to "learn of Thee, that we may find rest to our souls."

We feel and know that our pride alone divides us into innumerable sections, and Thy professing Church is a complete Babel, speaking many languages. We all think we know Thee well, and yet where is the humility found among us, which stamps us as Thy true disciples? Alas! nowhere. God be merciful unto us, for we have very grievously erred. O


 * Seneca.