Prayers: Oh, To Be Like Christ!
Oh, to be Like Christ!
O God, we feel the hands of Thy love holding us fast, and the cords of Thy love drawing us towards Thyself. Oh, that every one now in this house felt the same! Let every one now become truly a suppliant, and out of all this company may there not be one wandering heart, nor one spirit that does not now draw nigh unto God. Our Father which art in heaven: here at Thy footstool we confess that our hearts are full of evil. We are always going astray from Thee; and though we have tasted of Thy love, and know something of its constraining power, yet is our soul as full of vanity as a cage that is crowded with unclean birds. Even when we would pray, our distracted thoughts are flying hither and thither. How little of our time do we spend in Thy service. How few are the words that we speak about Thee, or for Thee. How little is the savour of Christ upon our garments. How seldom do we rise to God, or taste of joy above! We are of the earth, earthy; and though we hope that in some degree we are spiritual, yet alas, we are compelled to feel that we are carnal. We acknowledge, O God, our sins of omission. We have all of us forgotten Thee and forsaken Thee, times without number. Nor are we without sins of commission too, for we have erred and strayed from Thy ways like lost sheep. We have done those things which we ought not to have done, as well as left undone those things which we ought to have done.
Oh, that Thou wouldst have mercy upon us and blot out all our sins. Father, we do not love these things, our souls strive against them; and though we do not fight with the powers of darkness as we ought, neither are we adversaries as we should be, yet there is a something within us which pants after holiness. The divine spark which we have within us cannot be content till it has burned up sin. Thou hast been pleased to quicken us by Thy grace, and to make us Thy children; and nothing ever will content our spirits till we are wholly given up to Thy service; till the very being and power of sin shall be cut out root and branch, and we shall be made in all things like unto Thyself. This is our longing desire; and we feel that we shall never have any rest till we attain to it; and since we know we shall never attain to it on earth, we are convinced that there remaineth a rest for the people of God, and towards that rest we would push forward with earnestness of desire. Our gracious God and Father, since Thou hast taught us to hate these wandering thoughts and these sins, wilt Thou not give us grace to overcome them? Oh that we could be what we want to be! We are well aware that even our model which we have painted in our own mind, is not a perfect one, for we have not fully understood the perfection of the Lord Jesus, so as to set Him before us as our example. We do complain, gracious God, that even in trying to draw the picture of that example we fail, and that our thought makes an imperfect Christ out of Him who is altogether matchless. Yet, even to that poor ideal of Christ we never have as yet attained. Oh that we could reach it! Oh that we could be like Christ! We feel that we want to be some use in the world. We would not live here selfishly, merely to be ourselves saved, and ourselves to enjoy the pleasures of this life. Lord, help us to honour Thee. By some means or other do Thou get glory out of us. Put as much grace into us as we can hold, and put us to as much service as that grace can make us perform; or to as much patient endurance as that grace can enable us to sustain. We would be used to the utmost. We would not be laid by the side of the altar, but would be put upon it and be utterly consumed, till the caul and the fat and inwards and every part of us, shall be wholly given up to the Lord's own work.
Lord, help us to think nothing of toil, of contempt, of ignominy; but may we be prepared by evil report, good report, by honour and by dishonour, as deceivers and yet true, by being all things to all men, by some means, or by any means, to glorify Thy name, and to bring sinners to Thyself. We come to Thee now, having asked that the power of sin may be subdued, and we humbly pray for a perfect cleansing in the precious blood. Just as we are come to that cross of Calvary, and where the blood drops, we hide ourselves.
"Other refuge have I none;
Hangs my helpless soul on Thee."
Jesus, once the dying Saviour, but now risen and ascended, wilt Thou not look down on us? We do believe that Thou canst save. Thou art very God of very God; there is nothing impossible with Thee. Here on Thy cross we hang; into Thy hands we commend our spirits without reserve. We have no hope but in Thyself; but we believe that Thou art mighty to save, and that Thou canst save us, even us. Let each man say—"Even me; even me," and may there be, this morning, in every individual, a distinct and personal putting himself into the hands of the great Surety, by an act of simple faith. "Lord save me, or I perish." "God be merciful to me, a sinner." Let this be the prayer of each heart this morning.
Now, great Father, hear a pastor's prayer for his people. Thou knowest that at the thought of this multitude, our soul is bowed down within us. Thy servant Moses could not carry the burdens of the people which Thou broughtest up out of Egypt; much less can we carry the burden of this host upon us. O God, Thy servant feels His own inability every day, more and more, till sometimes his heart is ready to break with a sense of the overwhelming responsibilities which Thou hast laid upon one of the weakest creatures whom Thou didst ever honour in Thy service. But O God, wilt Thou not be the Pastor of this people? Wilt Thou, Jesus, not be the great Shepherd and Bishop of these souls?
Help the brethren who help us. Stand by the church officers in all that they seek to do for Christ, and grant to them that they, being good shepherds of the flock, may have a good reward. Keep our members. Some of them are very poor. Oh let them not be too much cast down. Let them not lack any good thing. Supply their wants out of Thy fullness. Some of them are very young. Keep them; let not early temptations be too strong for them. Many of them are very weak in faith: comfort and strengthen them. Some, Thou knowest, are very much tempted; every day they are tempted; and perhaps they are tempted by their besetting sin. Oh keep them! Some of them are going back: they are backsliding. Gracious Father, rouse them. Besides these, there are some that are sick, and some that are desponding in spirit, and there are some who have lately had to mourn over sad bereavement. Do Thou visit every aching heart, and give consolation to every troubled spirit this day. Feed the whole company of Thy children with bread to the full.
We feel even more anxiety for the unconverted part of our congregation. O God, save them we pray Thee. Those who listened to the Gospel till it has become an old thing with them; those who listen to it, and yet never feel its power—by the blood of Christ, we beseech Thee, to save them. Oh, by Thy promised blessing upon the Word, let these be gathered in unto Christ: let these be made part of His purchase, the reward of His soul's travail. Save them! aye, save them this day!
Bless the services of last Sabbath-day. Let the brother who then filled our lack of service have a blessing upon himself and upon his people.
Bless to-day all the works that are going on: the Sabbath-schools, and all who are preaching the Gospel. Throughout all England, let the Spirit of God be seen in His great power. Throughout the world, let the Kingdom of Jesus come. But here, this morning, clothe the minister with salvation, and make Thy people shout aloud for joy.
We have nothing, Lord; give us Thyself. We have no power, Lord; clothe us with Thy power. And as of old Thou didst make Thy prophet speak words that moved the heart, and made men feel the terror of Jehovah's presence, so do Thou speak to-day through us. Take us into a divine rapture, a holy enthusiasm. Let the glowing coal touch our lips, uncircumcised though they be. And now to-day, even to-day, let Thine ancient Gospel be as a two-edged sword in Thy mighty hand, to cut, and pierce and divide; to slay, to kill, and to make alive. And unto Thee shall be the glory, world without end. Amen.