12. MORNING PRAYER FOR THURSDAY

"Give ear to my words, O Lord; consider my meditation. Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my king and my God: for unto thee will I pray."—Ps. v. 1-3. O thou good and most merciful God, I would praise and adore thee in this morning hour, not only that thou hast vouchsafed unto me thy fatherly protection from my youth up, but also that thou hast so kindly and faithfully watched over me during the past night, and hast again brought me to behold the welcome light of this new day. O thou Lever of Life! what is man that thou art mindful of him, and what is the son of man that thou visitest him? I lay and slept in unconsciousness; but thy sleepless eye preserved my breath, and thine MORNING PRAYER FOR THURSDAY.

angel guard was around me and my house, to preserve us from every harm and danger. Thou hast refreshed me by a soft repose, while many others have been sick, and in pain, want and distress, when I perhaps deserved chastisement as well as, yea, more than they; for I have not been so thankful for the unspeakable mercies received at thy hands as my duty would have required. At this early hour I promise to serve thee with body and soul. I will forbid my feet to walk in sinful paths; mine eye shall not look upon evil, nor my hands do that which is displeasing to thee. Mine ear I will turn away from loose doctrine and idle speech, which corrupts good manners. On the contrary, O Thou triune God, I will consecrate myself wholly to thy service. O dwell in my heart, enlighten my mind, and sanctify my soul more and more by thy grace. Let me be associated with the pious and good to-day; and if, in the discharge of my duties, I should be brought into contact with the wicked, preserve my heart and conscience from their evil deeds. Smile upon the labor of my hands, so that I may perform it with childlike reliance upon thy providence, and experience thy blessing. Now mine eyes are directed to the hills whence my help cometh; my help cometh from the Lord, who made heaven and earth, who shall bless me here in time until I attain eternity. THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS GOD TO

Bless, O Lord, my going forth,

Bless, O Lord, my homeward wending,

Save from hunger and from dearth

My beginning and my ending.

Bless my death with thy endurance

Giving me of heaven assurance. Amen.

The true Believer prays God to inspire him with love to his neighbor.

EXHORTATION.

"If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, that he who loveth God loveth his brother also."—1 John iv. 20, 21. "A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another; by this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." Thus does Christ designate the true mark of his disciples, in St. John xiii. 34. Let no one imagine that he may stand in the love of God, if he hate his neighbor. O no! 1. Our neighbor means our friend, benefactor, or kinsman.

2. Also our neighbor, stranger and fellow-citizen, even if he envies, overreaches and hates us

INSPIRE HIM WITH LOVE TO HIS NEIGHBOR.

3. As against our enemies we should banish from our hearts all bitterness, implacability, hatred or malice, and should prove by words and works that we have a loving heart towards them, and should do in deed and in truth what Christ says: "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven."—Matthew v. 44, 45. O thou loving God! who dearly lovest us, but hast also commanded us to regard our neighbor with the same love with which thou lovest us. O I lament before thee that my heart has not yet surrendered itself to this sincere and perfect love to my neighbor. According to thy commandment I ought to love my neighbor as myself, I ought to rejoice when thou givest him happiness, health, and prosperity, as if the same had been accorded to me. I ought fervently to love my enemy, who hates, despitefully uses, persecutes, and oppresses me. I ought to wish him well, and to pray that thou wouldst grant every blessing to his body and his soul. But, omniscient God! thou seest and knowest how my heart is enstranged from these duties, how, 8*

THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS GOD TO alas! when thou doest good unto my neighbor, when thou givest him happiness, honor and benefits, and not to me, I am ill content that thou doest not the same to me. Thou seest how feeble and how tardy are my prayers for my enemies. O my God and Father! I recognize herein the sinful depravity of my heart, and how far I am from that true condition of a disciple of

Jesus which is known by this, that they have love to one another; not only to their friends and benefactors, but also to those that envy them, to their enemies and persecutors. Therefore I beseech thee to change my revengeful and rebellious heart, that through thy favor I may love my neighbor heartily and sincerely, as myself. Give me strength to see with pleasure the good gifts thou vouchsafest unto my neighbor, and not to repine if thou dost not rejoice me with a like favor. Preserve me from being false, that I may not pretend to be his friend and kiss him, like

Judas, and yet betray him, but that I may be sincere with him. And if I must experience the persecution, the spite, and the wrongs of enemies, give me strength to overcome with gentleness, not returning evil for evil, and revilement for revilement, but wishing them prosperity and every happiness. Lord, my God! thou seest how hard this duty is to the flesh, but by thy favor and assistance I shall succeed. Amen.

INSPIRE HIM WITH LOVE TO HIS NEIGHBOR.

1 And must I see indeed that love and truth have vanished

From the fair Christian world, and from all hearts are banished?

Are these the latter days when every heart grows old,

And youth and age alike grow fickle, dull and cold?

2 Once truth and charity on every forehead hovered,

Where now are love and truth or works of love discovered?

What rankles in the heart leaps not upon the tongue,

And words of smoothest sound to wicked thoughts belong.

3. O false, deceitful world! God knows thy wiles and cunning—

Smooth spoken, while thy heart with thoughts of crime is running.

Knowest thou not that he who loves his neighbor not

God loves not, and of God will surely be forgot?

4. Lord! purify my heart, that like thyself, most truly

I may love even those who hate me most unduly;

The image of thy love keep still before my view,

That I may do to all, as I would have them do.

THE TRUE BELIEVER

5. And let thy Holy Ghost, of love and truth the spirit,

Dwell in my heart, that naught beside may move or stir it.

The angel of thy love still hold my hand in his,

Until he bears me up to thy eternal bliss.

The true Believer resolves to follow Christ.

EXHORTATION.

"Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me."—Matt. xvi. 24.

"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."—Ps. cxxxix. 23, 24.

A careful traveller enquires frequently whether he is still in the right road; and so the Christian traveller often asks whether he is still in the path to heaven. Many deceivers have gone out into the world, says St. John, and therefore we must constantly watch that we be not deceived. 1. A believer must not follow the world, which would entice him into its sinful ways and manners. Nor dare he follow the desires of his own sinful and corrupt heart. But whenever some thing presents itself to his mind, he asks himself, Is it right? 2. But he must follow the sacred Scriptures,

RESOLVES TO FOLLOW CHRIST.

which tell him what he must believe, experience, avoid, and do. This is his rule of faith and practice. What it forbids he carefully avoids.

3. He especially sets before him and labors to imitate the holy example of the blessed Saviour, Lord Jesus, who hath set us an example, that we might follow in his footsteps. His footsteps are his benevolence, humility, patience, meekness, sincerity, friendship, purity and zeal. 4. He also observes the pious example of other Christians. If he sees in them zeal, devotion, charity, and other virtues, he strives to imitate them.

5. He must follow Christ until death, and then he shall be taken to heaven and numbered among those who follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth.—Rev. xiv. 4.

O Lord my God! my only desire is that I may so live that after death I may attain to the joys of thy heavenly kingdom. I greatly rejoice when I read in thy word, that in heaven all thy dear people shall follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth; but I well know that all those who would follow him in glory, must also faithfully follow him here in time, while yet they live upon the earth. This fills me with anxiety for the safety of my own soul: for I am surrounded by THE TRUE BELIEVER numerous advisers, and know not which of them to follow. Satan by his seductions invites me to follow him, and the world spreads its riches, honors, and pleasures at my feet. But I fear that if I follow them now, I will also have to follow them hereafter to hell and to perdition. Therefore, Jesus, help me to follow thee, and then I know that I shall be on the safe and happy way. I will follow thee in faith, love, humility, obedience, piety and chastity. Christ has set us an example, that we should follow in his footsteps, and this example shall be constantly before my eyes. After the holy example of Jesus, I will strive to love the Lord my God with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and will do his holy will. After his example, I will love my neighbor and do good unto him. After his example, I will heartily forgive all my enemies. After his example, I will be lowly, for he says, "Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart." O give me grace to fulfil these solemn and holy resolutions. Whenever I look upon the wicked works and ways of the world, may I remember whither these things lead. May I constantly reflect upon what I am, and what I ought to be. I ought to be a child of God and a follower of Jesus. I ought to keep myself untarnished by the world. Help that I may persevere in following thee, unto death. Amen. RESOLVES TO FOLLOW CHRIST.

1. Jesus is my flowery meadow,

Where no desert heats extend,

Jesus like a cooling shadow,

Overhangs me to the end.

When I long for joys to cheer me,

Jesus' glad'ning smile is near me;

He alone shall ever be

My diversion and my glee.

2. When all else is dark and dreary,

Jesus brings the light of day;

Still he shineth, never weary,

When the sun has passed away.

If, upon my night of sorrow

He, my sun, brings back the morrow,

Nothing can disturb my peace,

I am full of perfect bliss.

3. Troops of friends may crowd around me,

He is still my dearest friend;

Hosts of enemies may wound me,

He will never me offend.

Unto him my faith is plighted,

With his heart my heart united;

Where he calls my wishes tend,

Where he sends I gladly wend.

4. Therefore, let us cling to Jesus

Where we go and where we stand,

Nought but he alone will please us,

In this cold and bitter land.

EVENING PRAYER FOR THURSDAY.

Let the world despise and chide us,

What from Jesus can divide us?

Care and suffering will fail

If we follow Jesus well.

EVENING PRAYER FOR THURSDAY.

When I lie down at night I think of thee, and when I awake I speak of thee, O thou loving God and Father! here I come again, loaded with thy mercies, with a thankful heart, before thy face, at this evening hour. O how graciously hast thou looked upon me in permitting me to reach this evening unharmed; thy long suffering has spared me, that thou hast not punished me according to my deserts. O pardon all the transgressions with which I have secretly or openly offended thee. I ought to grow stronger, to contend against sin, to be more zealous in good things, more devout in prayer, more pious in my walk; but who can see how oft he errs! Forgive me also my hidden faults. May I be enabled hereafter carefully to avoid whatever was wrong or sinful in me to-day. My sin is great, but thy mercy is greater; if thou wert not so merciful a God, who, Lord, would yet be living! I now retire to rest; O do thou thyself lock the door behind me, as at Noah's ark, that the waters of tribulation may not overwhelm me. Give thy

EVENING PRAYER FOR THURSDAY.

holy angels charge concerning me, that no evil, seen or unseen, may befall me. Help me to remember that as I now lay my body upon my bed of sleep, so I will soon have to be covered with earth, but waked again on the morning of the resurrection. Let every day of my life be spent in such a manner that I may enjoy the consolation of a loving God and a good conscience, so that I may be prepared to depart. O triune God! under thy shield no dread of death can assail me. Thy love and providence, O Father! thy wounds, O Jesus! thy favor, O Holy Ghost! are the sure defence wherein I softly rest and am well secured. Before them Satan must flee and depart. I would crave the same blessings for every member of my family, and for all that are near and dear to me, that I ask for myself. Remember graciously all the sick and afflicted, and administer to their wants. May I be invigorated and refreshed by sleep, so that if it be thy will, I may behold the coming morning. Amen. THE TRUE BELIEVER UNDERSTANDS