Page:The Book of Family Worship.pdf/21

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MONDAY MORNING.

O LORD, we approach Thy mercy seat, and implore Thee to implant within us holy desires and thoughts, and may we delight ourselves in Thee, and be enabled to do Thy will from the heart.

As we are again about to enter upon our various avocations, O may we be endowed with strength faithfully to pursue them, not for the purpose of heaping up wealth to ourselves, but that a life of usefulness may enabie us to preserve the health of our bodies, conduce to the peace of our minds, and diffuse to our fellow-creatures their portion of the blessings of which Thou alene art the supreme giver. To this end, O Lord, prosper the labour of our hands, yea, the labour of our hands, prosper Thou it; for without Thy blessing our labour is vain.

O Lord, Thou searchest the heart and triest the reins; Thou knowest the real state of all who now kneel before Thee. Thou knowest whether we are mere formalists, or seeking Thee in truth. Reveal to us, we beseech Thee, our true condition. Discover to us our secret faults, show to us the hideousness of hypocrisy, and may the solemn truth be deeply impressed upon our hearts, that without inward holiness no man shall see the Lord.

As a family, O Lord, we beseech Thee, knit and bind us together in love; establish us in charity towards each other. May we labour to promote the good of all, and whatsoever we do, may it be done under the influence of Thy love and fear. Amen.

Our Father, etc.


MONDAY EVENING.

LORD Jesus Christ, our adorable Saviour! May the work of Thy

love be ever before us, and may we constantly look unto Thee for assistance to acquire more aad more of the temper and spirit by which Thou wert distinguished whilst tabernacling in the flesh, accomplishing the great work of our redemption.

With an abhorrence of all that is evil, may we steadily contend against it. Knowing how frail we are, and how prone to turn aside to wickedness, may we keep Thee ever before us. O make us meek and lowly of heart, endue us with patience under suffering, and aid us to acquire perfect resignation to Thy will. Teach us to ba kind, charitable, and forgiving, ss Thou hart been kind unto us and hast blotted out our tranagressions as a thick cloud from before Thee.

May anger, jealousy, envy, and discontontmeat be removed from us, with all malice; and aid us, we beseech Theo, to be true, just, snd upright in all our dealings with our fellow-men.

Nor would we pray for ourselves alone, but for all the families of the earth, In Thy name may they be blessed. May those who sit in darkness be brought te the light of Thy truth, and may the prophecy of Thy Holy Word find its speedy accomplishment: 'In that day, the Lord shul] be King over all the earth; in that day there shall be one Lord, and His name One." Amen,

Our Father, etc.