MONDAY MORNING. FROM THE GOSPEL OF ST. MATTHEW. O HEAVENLY FATHER! who in wonderful love to mankind didst send Thine only Son into the world, to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin", and also an ensample of godly life, fill our hearts with gratitude and love to Thee. We desire to praise Thee for Thy preservation of us through the past night, for Thy daily mercies, for Thy long-suffering towards us, and very particularly for the inestimable gift of the Holy Scriptures. O may we, with earnest prayer, make them our constant study. May the pure doctrines, and heavenly precepts that proceeded from the lips of our adorable Redeemer, sink deep into our hearts, convince us of our utter unworthiness, and bring us, in prostration of soul, to the foot of the Cross. Heb. ix. 26; x. 12. Ephes. v. 2. + 2 Tim. iii. 14-17. Lord! of ourselves we perish! we cannot stand before Thee because of our trespasses. Every day, every hour, every moment of our lives, we are transgressing the holy purity of Thy law. Yet O for the sake of Him who was bruised for our iniquities, and by whose stripes we are healed ‡, look not upon us in anger, neither chasten us in Thy hot displeasures. Look upon us in the Son of Thy Love. Look upon us in Him whom Thou hast called Jesus, because he should save His people from their sins. Enable us truly to Matt. i. 21. believe in Him, as Thy beloved Son in whom Thou b art well pleased, and through faith, may we bring Ch. iii. 17. forth fruits meet for repentance. O Heavenly Father! who hast promised to give c Ver. 8. good things to those who ask Thee, pour upon d Ch. vii. 11. us the spirit of fervent, humble, persevering prayer. Teach us Thyself to pray. May we so ask, that Ch.vi.5-13. it may be given unto us; so seek, that we may find; so knock, that it may be opened unto us. O Lord! our hearts by nature are proud, f Ch. vii. 7. * John iii. 15. + Ezra ix. 15. Isa, liii. 5. Psal. xxxviii. 1. h Ver.3. i Ver. 4. k Ver. 6. 1 Ver. 7. m Ver. 8. n Ver. 9. P Ch. v. 44. uncharitable, carnal, unholy. Make us, we pray Matt. v. 5. Thee, meeks and lowly as our Blessed Saviour; poor in spirit, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven. May we mourn for sin, that we may be comforted by Thee. May we hunger and thirst after righteousness, that we may be filled. May we be merciful, that we may obtain mercy'. May we be pure in heart, that we may see God". May we be peacemakers" amongst our brethren, • Ch. vi. 14,15. forgiving, as we would be forgiven. If there be any that hate us, may we do good to them; if any that despitefully use us, or persecute us, may we pray for them, that we may be the children of our Father which is in Heaven, for He maketh his sun to rise on the evil, and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just, and on the unjust. Suffer us not to retain any thing in our hearts which is offensive to Thee; but should it be dear to us as a right eye, let us pluck it out, and cast it from us. May our light so shine before men that they may see our good works, and glorify our Father which is in Heaven. But let us not be eager for the applause of men. May we remember that no man can serve two masters'; that the world and heaven cannot together hold possession of our hearts; and since we are strangers q Ver. 45. r Ver. 29. $ Ver. 16. * Cho vi. 24. and pilgrims on the earth, may we earnestly seek to have our treasure and our hearts in Heaven". u Matt. vi. 21. Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way that leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Ch. vii. 14. O let us not be excluded from it. Let us not Too w Ver. 13. go through that wide gate; let us not follow that * Ch. xviii. 11 -13. but he that doeth the will of our Father which is in Heaven. O God, who knowest that of ourselves, y Ch. vii. 21. we can do nothing, pour out abundantly Thy Holy Spirit upon us, that we may both perceive and know what things we ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to perform the same, through Jesus Christ, in whom alone we hope for acceptance both now, and in eternity. Amen. *Heb. xi. 13. MONDAY EVENING. FROM ST. PAUL'S EPISTLES TO THE CORINTHIANS. LORD, teach us to pray! May we approach Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear+, and worship Thee in spirit and in truth, through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. O God, Thou knowest that the natural man receiveth not the things of the spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; neither can he know * 1 Cor. ii. 14. them, because they are spiritually discerned. Give unto us therefore, we beseech Thee, the light of Thy Holy Spirit, that we may be enabled to receive Christ Jesus into our hearts as our wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption. It is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither hath it entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love b Ch. i. 30. *Luke xi. 1. + Heb. xii. 28. + John iv. 23. |