We desire to thank Thee, O Lord, that Thou hast added another day to our existence. We thank Thee that Thou hast brought us safely through its duties. O grant Thy blessing upon our labours, and may they result in good for our fellow-creatures.
With humble confidence we commit our souls to Thy gracious keeping this night. May Thy peace pervade our hearts and minds, and may Thy blessing be with as, and be felt by us and by all mankind, now and for evermore. Amen.
Our Father, ete.
THURSDAY MORNING.
IT is a good thing to give thanks unto Thee, O Lord, to show forth Thy loving-kindness in the morning, and Thy faithfulness every night. Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and of the evening to rejoice. Thou hast preserved us alive amidst the dangers of the past night, and the morning has brought us into Thy presence to offer our humble duty and gratitude. "We will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall be continually upon our lips;" "we will make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation, for He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand," Glory be unto Thy holy name, O Lord Jesus Christ.
Lord, enable us to express our gratitude in Thy presence with becoming humility. While every day renews Thy goodness, and we see it displayed in all the wondrous acts of Thy providence, may a deep conviction of our own unworthiness still possess us. May we remember that there is nothing we have done or can do, that can at all merit Thy favour. We make humble confession that if it had not been for the Lord, our enemies had been too strong for us. But the Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad. O may the many mercies we have received at Thy hands, fill our hearts with adoring gratitude, and incite us to obedience to all Thy just and wise commands. Amen.
Our Father, etc.
THURSDAY EVENING.
GREAT and merciful Jehovah, whose exalted perfections are unapproachable, but who in Thy transcendent glory hast opened a way, through the medium of Thy word, in which Thy creatures can hold communion with Thee; we now humbly bend before Thee, and through the humanity which Thou hast glorified, we humbly hope to be introduced to suck a knowledge of Thy glorious person, as may be best adapted to advance us in the path of the regeneration,
O keep us, we beseech Thee, from every species of idolatry, not merely from the worship of dumb idols, wood and stone—which have eyes, and see not, ears, and hear not—but from the idolatry of self, from the adoration of our own talents and abilities. Hast Thou bestowed upon us great and valuable talents; O keep us humble in the exercise of them. We are taught by Thy holy Word, that if we suffer ourselves to be inflated by pride, or lifted up by self-conceit, this is to worship the talent We possess instead of the God who bestowed it. O Lord, we give the glory
