Supplication: A Sigh For Holiness

A Sigh for Holiness

O God, we are often ashamed of ourselves to find how vehemently our affections will turn toward earthly loves, how soon we are carried away by a sort of spiritual harlotry after other things. Oh, make us to be chaste to Thyself; our whole heart being given up to the one ever-blessed God, in the Trinity of divine Persons, whom we would worship this morning with all our heart and soul and spirit. We ask of Thee, most blessed Father, that Thy Holy Spirit may repeat in us the life of Christ. Especially, we pray that we may know the fellowship of His suffering, and the power of His resurrection. We know that He has suffered that we may not suffer, and has taken upon Himself our griefs, that we may be filled with joy. Yet, let the shadow of His blessed grief fall over our spirits now. May that shadow begin in our souls the consciousness of the darkness, the blackness, the heinousness of sin. May we see it in its true colours, and loathe ourselves to think we ever should have loved the wages of unrighteousness, and the pleasures of transgression. What pleasure can there be in disobeying our Father, in revolting against One who loves us so infinitely? May we feel the misery of sin, and chasten our hearts as with a scourge, to think that ever they should have gone aside from the infinite purity of love. Lord we would feel the shame of sin. We would count it as a thing that is not fit to live. Oh that it might be perfectly crucified in us, and the flesh out of which it comes. Would to God the whole power of evil within us, the very embodiment of evil might be slain; and that we might be delivered from its power entirely, to serve God in holiness all the days of our lives. Saviour, help us to mortify the flesh with its corruptions and lusts. May that which was our pride become our shame; that which was our love become our hate. May every form of sin for which we have been so ready to make excuse and apologies, be condemned by us, and taken out to die a felon's death. Let not our hands spare, nor our eyes have pity upon any one of our sins; but may we smite them till we have been clean delivered from their dominion, and even from their intrusion. We sigh for holiness, we pine for it. Lord grant we may attain to it, aye, to the very fullness of it by Thy sanctifying Spirit. Amen