Morning devotions for the Lord's day. HYMN 24. C. M.-St. George's. 1 LORD, in the morning Thou shalt hear, My voice ascending high; To Thee will I direct my prayer, 2 Up to the hills where Christ is gone, 3 Thou art a God, before whose sight 4 But to thy house will I resort, 5 0 may thy Spirit guide my feet “If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day, and call the Sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words; then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord."-Is. 58. 13. Almighty God, Maker of heaven and earth! Most merciful Father and Author of all good! Inasmuch as Thou hast set apart one day of the week and dedicated it to thy service, how reasonable is it that all mankind should honour the Sabbath, and keep it holy unto Thee; as it is incumbent on all creatures to hearken unto Thee, and obey thy commandments. But alas ! I must confess, that I have profaned many Sabbaths; that I have often been a hypocritical professor of thy name; a forgetful hearer and an awful despiser of thy word; for which, Thou mightest justly have given me over, to hardness of heart and blindness of mind. But Thou, O God! hast hitherto, in much mercy spared me, and permitted me to enjoy the light of another Sabbath; grant, therefore, O Lord, that I may duly appreciate this distinguished favour ; and as Thou hast permitted me, to behold the light of this day, even so may the rays of the sun of righteousness illuminate the eyes of my understanding. Enlighten and govern me by thy good Spirit, that I may walk in all holiness of life and conduct before Thee, this day; teach me to realize, that Thou hast not set this day apart and commanded us to keep it holy, to indicate that Thon hast pleasure in idleness, or to lead us to imagine that thy service consists in resting our bodies; but that we may thereby be freed from all hindrances, so that we may devote our bodies, souls and spirits to thy service. Grant, O Father, that I may ever call the Sabbath my delight, and spend it in thy fear; that I may not do mine own works, or follow mine own will, or speak mine own words, but devote it wholly to thy service. For this purpose, pour out thy Holy Spirit, O God, upon me, that he may illuminate my mind, and turn my heart entirely unto Thee, and thus draw off all my thoughts and desires from earth and earthly objects, and elevate them to Thee, and serve Thee with my whole heart, as a Spirit, in spirit and in truth. Bless all the means and ordinances of thy grace, which I may this day enjoy, to my salvation. Permit me to exercise a profound reverence in prayer, before thy divine majesty, to realize my misery as a sinner before God, and to exercise an unshaken faith in thy divine promises, a grateful remembrance of all past favours, and a sincere love towards my neighbours. Open Thou mine eyes when hearing thy word, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law; unstop mine ears, that I may hear it for eternity, and grant me an obedient heart, that I may receive the truth in the love of it. Strengthen and sanctify my memory in such a manner, that I may seriously meditate upon what I hear, and treasure it up in a good and honest heart, and make it the rule of my faith, life and conduct, so that I may increase in knowledge, grow in faith, and be quickened as to the inner man, and bring forth all the fruits of good living, and improve this Sabbath, (which is a type of that rest which is eternal in the heavens,) as a blessed means of conducting me thither. O Thou great Lord of the Sabbath! sanctify unto me this day of rest. Let thy good Spirit rest upon me, that my soul may find rest in Thee, amidst the fiery trials and temptations, with which I am surrounded; in that dread which fills me with terror, so that I may devote all the powers and faculties of my soul and body to the contemplation of thy works, obeying thy commandments, calling upon thy name, exalting thine almighty power, praising thy condescension and grace, and in exercising Christian sympathy, love and benevolence towards all my fellow creatures. Grant, O God, that I may walk this whole day before Thee, and be perfect; that I may be meek in all my conversation like Moses; that I may seek thy holy face like him, and so regu late my whole life, as to be acceptable in thy sight, here on earth, and when this life shall have been terminated, be introduced into that rest purchased and prepared for me, by Christ my Redeemer, to spend an eternal Sabbath in the enjoyment of unspeakable pleasures atthy right hand, for evermore.-Amen. HYMN 25. 7's.-Hotham. 1 SAFELY through another week, 2 While we seek supplies of grace, 3 Here we come thy name to praise, 4 May the gospel's joyful sound, Conquer sinners, comfort saints; |