Fast Day: Evening
O God, Thou hast established thy throne in the heavens, and thy kingdom ruleth over all. We prostrate ourselves before Thee, deeply impressed with a sense of the vastnesg of thy ag’ency and dominion. Thou changest the times and the seasons, Thou removest kings, and settest up kings Empires rise and fall, and fade and flourish, at thy bidding: and all nations are in thy hand, but as clay in the hand of the potter.
IJut none of thy dispensations are arbitrary. Whatever
Thou doest, is done, because O Father, it seemeth good in
thy sight; and thy judgment is always according to truth.
Thou art holy in all thy ways, and righteous in all thy works
and Thou af good- evet in wrath Thou rememberes* mercy, and dost not afflict wllling-ly, nor grieve tlte children of men.
Therefore it is, that we have been this day humbling ourselves in thy presence.
For we acknowledge that we have been deeply guilty. Thou hast nourished and brought up children, but we havirebelled against Thee. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master’s cribi but we have not known, we have not considered. Thou hast given us our corn, and wine, and cii, and multiplied our silver and gold; and we have piepared them for Baal. Because of swearing, the land has mourned. Pride has compassed us about as a chain. Discontent has rebelled against thine appointments. How has the love of money, which is the root of all evil, abounded among us. How have lliy sabbaths been profaned, and thy ordinances disregarded. How has tlve gospel been undervalued, neglected, despised.
And all our transgressions have been more aggravated than those of any other people, because Thou hasl favoured us unspeakably more than all the families of the earth.
Therefore, Thou couldst easily and justly have destroyed US; but Thou bust not stirred up all thy wrath In all that has come upon us, for our evil deeds. Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve. Yet thou hast testified thy displeasure, and visited us with thy judgments; so that when we looked for light and peace, we have seen darkness and trouble.
O, let us not be inattentive to the design of thy dealings, or insensible under thy rebukes. O, let it not be said of us, as it was of the Jews, The hai-p, and the viol, and the tabret, and pipe, and wine are in their feasts, but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hand. Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction; they have made their faces harder than the rock, they have refused to return.
In the way of thy judgments, O Lord, may we wait for Thee. Thou hast said. Is any afflicted.? let him pray. Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me. Fulfil the word unto thy servants, upon which Thou hast caused us to hope. And O, let not the calamity be removed only, but above all sanctified: let it appear that we have heard the rod, and Him that appointeth it: and be able to say. It is good for us that we have been afflicted.
For uliich purpose, bless, we beseech Thee, the word of Ihy gTAce, which has been spoken and g-rant that the professed humiliation of the day, may be real — for Ihou lookest to the heart And let it also be universal, may it extend from the hi.^hest to the lowest: may it pervade every part of our country: may it enter c ery church, and every family — let none of us lose sig-ht of oiu’selves, in the public calamity. May each individual retire and ask. What have I done? — and what wilt Thou have me to do? And tlioug-li other lords have had dominion over us, hencefoitii, by Thee only, may we make mention of thy name,
Reg-ard the g-overnment vuider which we live; and the mag-istracy of the land — may all be wise in counsel, exemplary in conduct, and faithful to their trust.
And thus may we be reformed, and not destroyed Thus may we be a holy, that we may be a happy people, whose God is the L© ‘d ‘Return O Lord, how long? and let it repent Thee c <ncerning thy servants. O, satisfy us early with thy mercy, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us g-lad, according to the days wherein Thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy woi-k appear unto thy servants; and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; and establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands, establish Thou it.
And to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be rendered the kingdom, power and glory, for ever and ever.
Amen.