Second Week: Monday Morning
O Thou King eternal, immortal, and invisible — we would adore Thee, and take shame to ourselves: and though allowed to approach thy divine majesty, we would never forget the sentiments of humiliation and contrition, which become such creatures as we are. Father! we have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and are not worthy to be called thy children: we are not worthy of the least of all thy mercies. Yea, we have merited thy displeasure; and thy rigteousness would be completely acquitted in our destruction.
O, for hearts of flesh! Lord, produce in us that sensibility of soul, which will lead us to feel our vileness, to deplore our guilt, and to cast ourselves at thy feet, abhorring ourselves, and repenting in dust and ashes. And impart to us that faith, which will enable us, to hope, in thy word, and derive strong consolation from the invitations and pro* mises of the gospel. We are come to implore the greatest blessings the God of love cjin give; but our application is not presumption: w are come to call Thee, Abba Father, to enter thy house, to sit clown at thy table, to lean on thy arm, to walk with God; but we are not come unbidden or uncalled: Thou hast called us by thy grace; and it is thy commandment that we should believe on the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, we assent, we submit, we depend, we apply. Since He came into the world to save sinners, we take Him as our Saviour; and glory in Him, as made of Thee, to us wisdom and righteousness, sanctification and redemption.
And (), may our minds be fixed and filled with admiring thoughts of his person and offices; may our hearts be inflamed with a sense of his boundless compassion and love. By the new and living way which he has not only revealed but consecrated for us, may we come to Thee; and enjoy all the advantages of a state of reconciliation and friendship with God. May the most open and familiar intercourse, be maintained, between Thee and our souls. To Thee may we commit our way and our works; and in every thing by prayer and supplication make known our requests unto God; and be Thou always near, to guide us and to defend; to relieve us in trouble, and to help us in duty. And may we walk humbly with our God; wondering at the condescension, that designs to regard our mean affair”:^; f ^atience- that bears witn our manners; and the kindness, that employs so many means to advance our everlasting welfare.
We grieve to think, that a world so full of thy bounty, should be so empty of thy praise. O, that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men. Bless the Lord, all his works, in all places of his dominion, bless the Lord, O my soul.
Again thy visitation hath preserved our spirits Through the dark and silent watches of the night, Thou hast suffered no evil to befall us, nor any plague to come nigh our dwellinir. And we are not only the livins to praise Thee, this morning, but the distinguished, and the indulged. Many who have seen the light of the day, as well as ourselves, are encompassed with wa!it, and pain, and wretchedness; but we have all things richly to enjoy.
Thou takest pleasure in the prosperity of thy servants; may we always take pleasure in the advancement of thy glory. Thou art never weary in doing us good; may we never grow weary in well doing. Thy mercies are new every morning; every morning, by thy mercies, may we present our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable, which is our reasonable service.
And to the God of our salvation, the feather, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be ascribed, the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Jlmen.