pure desires, and to seek communion with things above. In the hour of weakness and peril, when temptation is gathering about us, and the cloud within us is hiding Thy face, O send forth the blessed radiance of Thy truth, that all wrong may be banished, all passion subdued, and only light be all around us, and holiness within. In the day of adversity and trial, when darkness and clouds are round about Thee, casting our way into shadow, may faith ascend into the pavilion of Thy mercy, and learn the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. When the burden of sorrow and suffering is upon the heart, and every pulse is with pain, may the ministry of tenderness come from Thy presence, in the comforting words of Thy fatherly love. And at last, when the day of life is drawing to its close, and the windows are darkened, may the light of immortality shine within, and our souls pass serenely into the kingdom of peace, to praise Thee for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Hymn. Sermon. Prayer. Hymn. Benediction. THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, keep you in the knowledge and the love of GOD, and in the blessing of the Comforter, world without end. Amen. Prayers after Sermon. LORD our Salvation, whose goodness and mercy have continually followed us: Grant us Thy helpful grace, that our souls may continually follow Thee. Enable us to make religion the daily experience of our lives. May the morning be ordered in prayer, that the noon may be passed in praise, and the evening in peace. And when the evening of life shall fade away into the night of death, may we trustfully look for the morning of Thy glory, in a day without night, and a life without end, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. WE ́E beseech Thee, O LORD, to follow with thy richest blessing the religious meditations of this hour. May Thy holy word sink deep into our minds, that our souls may take hold of it as the hope of everlasting life. May we feel its transforming power, and be doers of its heavenly lessons, lest the living sense of Thy favor die away from our affections and our thoughts. Grant us Thy continual grace, that we may walk as children of light and of the day, adorning the doctrine of GOD our Saviour in all things; and of Thy great mercy preserve our going out, and our coming in, from this time forth, and for evermore. Amen. G OD of Truth, let Thy blessing for ever rest upon us, in the assurance of Thy perpetual presence. Thou goest by, and we see Thee not: Thou passest on also, and we perceive Thee not: yet art Thou very nigh to every one of us. The darkness hideth not from Thee, but the night shineth as the day, and all things are open unto Him with whom we have to do. Make us sensible, we beseech Thee, that Thy glory is in the goodness Thou art ever making to before us; pass and may our sense of Thy loving-kindness, and our trust in Thine overruling purpose, constrain us to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly before Thee. And at last, when the shadows of the long night shall have fallen on our path, may our souls dwell together in the blessed land, where there is no forgetfulness of Thy presence, neither any more death. And to Thy holy name, through the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, shall be everlasting praise. Amen. G1 RACIOUS and Merciful Father: Thy thoughts toward us have ever been thoughts of peace and good-will, and all Thy ways are faithfulness and truth. Every day brings to us renewed testimonials of Thy goodness, and every new opening of Thy counsel unfolds fresh tokens of Thine infinite love. Father of All, grant us the guidance of Thy heavenly wisdom, that we may set our heart on no object, and put our hand to no work, upon which we cannot invoke Thy blessing. So shall the light of the morning be celebrated in the joy of the day, and our hearts and our hands be lifted up in the evening sacrifice of praise, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. WE E praise and bless Thee, O LORD, for the joy of thankfulness and devotion, and for the peace which ever flows through patience and comfort of Thy holy word. The earth is full of the riches of Thy goodness; the gospel is full of the riches of Thy grace: and all Thy perfections, and all our blessings, meet in the commandment to love Thee with all the heart. O let Thy mighty power descend and inspire us, that our spirits may become emblems of Thine; and endue us, we beseech Thee, with wisdom from above, that we may turn many to righteousness, and shine as the stars of the firmament for ever and ever. Amen. 6 BL LESSED LORD, who art ever calling us into the life and peace of communion with the Holy Spirit: Help us to look up, with hearts prepared to receive Thy blessing. Open our thoughts to the solemn joy of Thy heavenly presence, and grant that our pilgrimage may be so ordered from on high, as to be a serene experience of Thy love. And when time shall be no more, bring us, we beseech Thee, into the glorified company of the redeemed, to join the sublime anthem which celebrates Thy praise, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. FATHER of Mercies, in the dew of whose favor is life for evermore: May the times of refreshing to our thoughts be the times of renewal to our souls, that our lives may not be idle nor unfruitful in the work of righteousness. Let the voice of welcome come to us from the midst of the light, that the heavenly vision may inspire the prayer, LORD, what wilt Thou have me to do? Help us, we beseech Thee, to make the kingdom of heaven a reality upon the earth, ascribing to the only wise GoD our Saviour, the glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen. W E humbly beseech Thee, our Father, that the good seed of Thy word, now sown among us, may take such deep root, that neither the burning heat of affliction may cause it to wither, nor the cares of this world choke it, but that, as seed sown in good ground, it may bring forth the fruit of righteousness. Let the gentle showers of Thy mercy visit it, and the light of heaven be upon it as the clear shining after rain, that the germ, and the blade, and the ear, and the ripe harvest, may alike show forth Thy praise, through Anniversaries. On the occasions herein provided for, omit the introductory service in the Order of Public Worship, and insert the following. NATIVITY-CHRISTMAS. EAR NOT: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great FE joy, which shall be unto all people: For unto you is born this day, in the city of David, a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. Through the tender mercy of our GoD, the day-spring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace. [LET US PRAY.] OW excellent is Thy loving-kindness, O LORD! High as the heavens are above the earth, so are Thy ways higher than our ways, and Thy thoughts than our thoughts. Thou hast lifted the light of Thy countenance upon those who sought Thee not: Thou hast revealed Thine infinite goodness unto those who loved Thee not: Thou hast glorified Thyself in the sermon and the psalm of angels: Thou hast breathed upon us the lesson of Thy heavenly law, that only by furthering peace upon the earth, by hearty good-will toward men, can we truly celebrate Thy praise. Thanksgiving be to Thee, O God of Salvation, for the mercy that dawned upon the world in the birth of the Friend and Redeemer of souls. Blessed be the infancy and lowliness which have consecrated manhood and dignity to the memory of Thy holy name. Honored be the day-spring that shall brighten into the glories of thousands of years of renown. We praise Thee, O LORD, that the song of the heavenly choir has sounded throughout the ages, and that the fear of the shepherds has been lost in the triumph of the redeemed. We praise Thee that our thoughts, reaching forth |