10. The true Believer prays God to wean him away from the world

EXHORTATION.

"And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect will of God."—Rom. xii. 2. When the Christian reflects that the love of the world, like a weed, is of spontaneous growth, in the soul, but the love of God, like a fragrant plant, requires care and trouble, he will see how much labor and pains are needed. 1. He must therefore remember that the world is within and without him. Within he has sinful thoughts, lusts, and desires; and without, the example of bad men, temptations and seductions. 2. This two-fold enemy the believer must oppose; the rising desires and thoughts by prayer and supplication, and the charms of the world by avoiding its society, manners and fashions. 3. As this is not in his own power, he must pray diligently to God for his aid and assistance.

4. This renouncing of the world does not consist in an abandonment of human society, and our becoming recluses; but in our not yielding to the sinful example and ways of the world. For, as Paul says, if we are not to associate with wicked men at all, we must needs go out of the THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS GOD TO world. We must live in the world as Joseph lived in Egypt, Lot in Sodom, and Daniel and his companions in Babylon, who all avoided the evil manners and deeds of the people among whom they lived. 5. We must thus renounce the world not a little season only, or upon especial occasions, when we are about to confess our sins to God, or to prepare for the celebration of the Lord's supper, but it must be done constantly. When the world is turned out of our hearts, Jesus enters in. Most merciful God! thou lover of men! how loving to us art thou that thou hast patience with our many errors and short comings, and will not punish us in the act, and according to our deserts. Through the truth of thy word, thou hast opened my eyes, and enabled me to know myself, and understand the deep depravity of my own heart. I feel the world within me and without me. I feel the world within me, in the shape of lusts, passions, and evil desires; and without I feel the world in the shape of wicked men, who seek to allure and to seduce me by their sinful examples and temptations. Alas! my sinful heart finds more pleasure in the world and its ways, than in thy holy word and a life led according to its precepts. O woe is me that so long, so often, and so much, I have WEAN HIM AWAY FROM THE WORLD.

permitted myself to be deluded and led astray by the world! I am ashamed to lift up my eyes to thee, when I remember the sins and follies of my youth. Alas, I favored the world more than thee, clung to the world more than to thee, served the world more than thee, my God, but thereby also offended thee, damaged my conscience, and aroused thy anger. Behold, my God! I return, and repent in dust and ashes. May thy holy spirit sanctify me through and through, and drive the world out of me. Present to my view the lamentable condition of the children of this world. that I may love thee and not the world, follow thee and not the world, hear thee and not the world. Draw me back when I offer to run after the world, and sin with it again; keep me always in the fear of thee, and remind me that thou hast created me for thy service; that I must daily put on the new man, who is created after God's image, in righteousness and holiness. Grant that I may constantly despise the fleeting pleasures of the world, and flee it, because its pleasures and joys are succeeded by dread, and evil conscience, and the perdition of the soul. Pluck from my heart what worldly seeds still linger there, and plant thy holy fear therein. Thou creator of all things, thou fatherly power! that ruled from the beginning to the end, powerfully in one strength, turn our hearts to thee, and turn THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS GOD away our thoughts that they stray not away from thee. Amen.

The true Believer prays God to direct and guide him.

EXHORTATION.

'Teach me thy ways, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth, unite my heart to fear thy name.' Psalms, lxxxvi. 11.—

Life is nothing more nor less than a way; when we are born we enter on the way, and when we die the way ceases with life, and we find ourselves in eternity. The question is, which way to take in this life of ours. If we choose the good way of faith, piety, and godliness, it will end in the glories of heaven. But if we take the broad road of infidelity, malice and ungodliness, it will lead us to hell and eternal damnation. 1. In consideration of this the Christian must reflect that in this life he has two ways before him, the narrow way to heaven and the broad way to hell, but he must diligently pursue the way to heaven. 2. In order to remain upon this way, he must often pray to God for his direction and guidance.

3. If he prays God for his holy guidance and direction, he must not stop to look around him

TO DIRECT AND GUIDE HIM.

to see how the other people of the world live, and on what ways they travel, for if he undertakes to follow them, the spirit of God will cease to lead him, yea it will even depart from him. Now, just as a traveller needs a guide to show him the true road, so a true believer is in need of the Spirit of God to point him on the way, in which he should walk. But for this purpose the indwelling of the holy Spirit is required in the heart, that it may be said, "know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of God dwelleth in you;" 1 Cor. iii. 16. If we have this faithful guide in us and with us, he will also direct our thoughts, lips, minds and desires. 4. The true believer never resists this holy guidance, but suffers himself to be led, encouraged, and guided, assured that he will be well directed here below, and above eternally. O happy guidance! Happy he, who is led by God. Lord! thou searchest me, and knowest me; thou knowest all my ways. O thou seest and knowest well, also, beloved Father, that I heartily desire to walk in thy ways, and so, as thou hast enjoined upon thy children, and whereof Jesus has given us his blessed example. But alas! experience shows me how, now here, now there, temptations lead me astray. Sometimes the evil 7*

THE TRUE BELIEVER FRAYS GOD desires of my own heart seduce me; sometimes

I am tempted by the evil examples of the world, if I follow the one or the other I anger thee, my

God and Lord; I offend my conscience, and the more I approach the world, the farther I remove from thee. O, therefore, I beseech thee to guide me and lead me after thy counsel. Thou hast said, I will lead thee with mine eyes. Lord, here

I am; let thy good spirit lead me on an even path.

Lo, I surrender myself unto thee wholly, my God!

who hast led thy people dry shod through the

Red sea, and unharmed through the wilderness into the land of promise. Oh guide me through the dangers of this life with a good and unsullied conscience, to eternal life. I resign unto thee my heart, my lips, my limbs, and all my life.

Govern thou my heart, and fill it always with holy thoughts. Govern my limbs, that my hands may not reach forth after forbidden things, nor my feet walk the ways leading to sin and to hell.

Govern my mouth and my lips, lest they utter curses or unchristian or unseemly words. Govern all my life, that from henceforth I may not knowingly sin against thee, that I may be called and may be in truth a true and pious Christian. O do not leave me if in my weakness and folly I contend against thee, and do not leave me to my own will and guidance. When I lead myself I am misled. Yea, lead me with thine eyes, and

TO DIRECT AND GUIDE HIM.

constantly direct all my life according to thy wish, and when I am called on to surrender it into the jaws of death, when it is over with me here, let me die happy, and after death inherit the mansions of eternal life. Amen. 1. Give me what, most loving Father,

Thou wouldst have all men receive;

I would have this bounty rather

Than all else e'en thou canst give,

'Tis the gift I chiefly covet,

O'er all else my heart doth love it,

What it is thou truly know'st,

Father, send thy Holy Ghost.

2 Let him teach me well the sentence,

While I wander here below,

Which shall teach me true repentance,

And the way that I should go.

Which would never let to dwindle,

What thy word in me doth kindle,

Which would give me faith and make

Faith alive for Jesus' sake.

3. In the days of dread and sorrow,

This good spirit shall be near;

Ever show a hopeful morrow,

When my heart would sink with fear.

When the tempest roars around me,

And the thunder peals confound me,

It shall whisper, small and still,

That my Saviour loves me still.

EVENING PRAYER FOR WEDNESDAY.

4. And, as oft my soul with double

Strife and contest, must be tost,

Thou shalt on my crowding trouble,

Doubly shed the Holy Ghost.

Then my heart shall surely vanquish

All the woes that feed its anguish,

And the hopes that never fail,

Help me stem each rising gale.

5. From thy throne, O Holy Spirit,

Where thou and the Father's Son

Do the Father's power inherit,

One in three, and three in one,

Come to me, my heart's endeavor

Is that thou shalt dwell for ever,

In its chambers all alone,

E'en as on thy heavenly throne.

EVENING PRAYER FOR WEDNESDAY.

Holy, gracious, and only wise, God! the experience of another day has shown me that thou art the true father over all that have the name of children, in heaven and on earth. In thy infinite bounty, thou hast cared for me, that I have been in want of nothing good. O Lord, I am too lowly for all the kindness thou lavishest upon me. What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits, I, who am but dust and ashes? Despise not the humble thank-offering I bring thee, and continue to look on me with favor. Forgive, O gracious God, whatever thine EVENING PRAYER FOR WEDNESDAY.

eyes have seen amiss in me this day in thoughts, words and deeds; help me to lay aside with my daily apparel, every remaining sin and evil habit, to put off the old man with all his corrupt lusts and deeds, never to put him on again. Let me and my house to-night sleep softly and sweetly under thy gracious protection. The sun has concealed his face, but do thou, O Jesus, thou sun of righteousness, never permit the light of thy countenance to be hid from my soul. May

I be invigorated by sleep, so that in the morning

I may arise refreshed and cheerful. As the shepherd watches over his flock, so do thou watch over my repose in soul and body. But shouldst thou see fit to send any affliction or distress upon me this night for the trial of my faith, patience and hope, give me the obedient mind of

Abraham, and the pious patience of Job. Let thy omnipresence and all-seeing eye preserve me daily from sin. At the coming of night, mine eyes are directed to the hills whence my help cometh; my help cometh from the Lord who made heaven and earth. Lord, another day of my life hath fled; teach me now to see whether

I have been pious, and thyself show unto me if I have done anything amiss, and help me in all things to have a clear reckoning at close of day

Amen

THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS THAT THE