April 4

Thursday after Ash Wednesday

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord. Lamentations 3:40.

LOOKING back at the way in which you have met temptation, think what opportunities you have lost; how you have yielded when you might have stood firm; how often forfeited your inward peace, and brought self-reproach and defilement when you might have won a glorious crown; how seldom given yourself to prayer, and the pleading the promises of God; how often were self-trustful, careless, or rash; how constantly tending to wilfulness, and in wilfulness falling into the snare, or listened readily to the tempter, and thought not of your Lord and your hope in Him, your vows, your resolutions, when yet a moment's thought, or one ejaculation of prayer, or a look at the Cross, or the re-signing of the Cross upon your brow, one look to heaven, or one renewal of your past resolves would have insured your safety. And think what you might have attained now; what in purity, in spiritual illumination, in supernatural power; what in unearthly brightness; what in the fruitfulness of good works; what in the favour of God, if you had been faithful.

I come to Thee once more, my God!

No longer will I roam.

O Lord, forgive my sin,

And deign to put within

A calm obedient heart, a patient mind,

That I may murmur not,

Though bitter seem my lot,

For hearts unthankful can no blessing find.

Do Thou, O Lord, with me

As seemeth best to Thee,

For Thou wilt strengthen me to bear the rod.

For this alone I pray,

O cast me not away,

For ever from Thy grace, Thou pitying God.