Prayers: The Blesser and the Blest

The Blesser and the Blest Our Father, we feel unworthy to go into Thy holy presence and to take Thy name upon our lips, yet in Christ we have a worthiness which is perfect. Making mention of His name we are not afraid to stand before the blessed throne of Deity. For Christ's sake hear us, we pray Thee. But we are also impotent in prayer. Thy servant feels that to pray for such an assembly as this is far beyond his power. Who can pray aright for himself without the teaching of the Spirit of God? Who can pray for all this mass of people? My Lord, I am as unable as I am unworthy; nevertheless hear and help. First would we praise Thee. The last week was a week of signal blessing with many of us, and if we did not praise Thee we could not pray, for he that does not remember favours received, can hardly ask for more. Thou hast done great things for us, whereof we are glad. Thou hast daily loaded us with benefits, our cup runneth over. "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name." Let not Thy people spare their praises; may they pour them out like rivers of oil. As the incense rose in clouds from the holy altar, so may praise go up to God like the smoke of the morning sacrifice.

But, Lord, we also adore as well as praise. We worship Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, the one God of Israel. We wish every blessing to the God of blessing, to whom be glory, and honour, and power, and light, and might, and dominion for ever and ever. We wish we could be always adoring. It is our heaven on earth, and it will be our heaven in heaven for ever to glorify God. This is our chief end, and we only find our bliss as we are able to reach unto it. But, Thou blessed God, words cannot speak our reverence; praise sits on our tongue while we adore the God of the Covenant, the God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, our God for ever and ever, who shall be our guide even unto death. And now look upon Thy people here and bless us. There are many workers in the midst of this house to-day. O God, help us. We are very weak, and if we get a little strength, it only adds to our weakness. We grow more and more dependent upon an Almighty arm. If we had not God, we had nothing. Bless Thy servants who preach the Gospel. May they never dream that they can save a soul. May they leave salvation with the Saviour whose work it is. May we be instruments in the hands of God, and be content to give Him all the praise when we have the largest success. Lord, if Thou would save everybody in the Tabernacle we can take no credit for it, but lay it down at the feet of the divine Spirit, who rules the will of men, and leads men to put their trust in Christ. Yet would we work as if all depended upon us; throw our whole soul into every sacred exercise, and with all our might and main, plead with men and warn them, and entreat them to flee from the wrath to come. O God, the Holy Spirit, work in every congregation, in every Sunday school, and work in the private houses of men and women who do not come out to public worship, and bring them while they read Thy Word at home; or work by Thy providence and bring them to Christ somehow, that He may see of the travail of His soul.

Bless Thine own people, especially, by giving us more faith. May we believe up to the hilt. May we believe, and believe, and still believe! May we never stagger at a promise through unbelief, and may no affliction ever stagger us. If we are in the cave may we sing David's cave-song: "O God, my heart is fixed, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise." Lord save us from unbelief, which brings misery, but a childlike trust brings happiness. Give us greater love to Thee; shame that we should need to pray the prayer, but we do. Inflame us with Thy love; may all our hearts be taken up with love to Christ; may we live love to Him and so to our fellow-men.

God bless His dear people with patience; make patience have her perfect work that we may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. The Lord give us perfect consecration, and a holy waiting for His coming. May we be looking for the appearing of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, and so be kept ever on the watch for the setting loose of earthly things, finding our joy not here nor there, but in Him and waiting for His appearing. Revive Thy Church at this time. O that there would come a heavenly wind to blow over Thy fainting Church! Lord, she has been ill-fed of late; she has eaten ashes with her bread, false doctrine with Thy truth. Come and purge away false doctrine and error, and may Thine own truth be proclaimed again. Then men, feeding upon it, shall have the old gladness, the old holiness, the old service of God. The Lord remember this our beloved church. Lord we cannot keep it, it has long ago outgrown all our ability. Come Thou and be the Shepherd of the flock, and preserve Thy sheep, even to the end. At this hour remember our many dear friends who are away. The Lord grant that their holiday may do them good, and oh grant that to-morrow, none of the feebler sort may be tempted into sin. We sometimes dread the effect of holidays upon some who get into company and are allured into sin. Lord keep them to-day, and to-morrow. And now as there are many strangers here to-day who fill up the places of our own friends, give them a blessing. Remember the stranger that is within Thy gates, for many of them are no strangers to Thee, though they may be to us. God bless them, and the churches to which they belong. Give them a good meal to-day. May they have a square meal of Gospel food, and go away greatly refreshed. And if any have come to the Tabernacle this morning who are not converted, may this be their birthday. This day, may they confess their sin and flee to Christ, and believe in Him, and know their sin forgiven, and go away with a heart full ready to leap with joy because the Lord has met with them. Thy servant feels very unfit for preaching: do Thou help him. Oh, give us souls this morning. If we speak feebly, yet do Thou work mightily. Bring many to Christ's feet. Do it Lord; we have a simple desire for Thy glory. While we thus pray, honour Thyself, honour Thy truth, honour Thy Son, indulge Thy mercy, magnify Thy name in the conversion of men. We ask it all in the name of the Well-beloved. Amen. May 25, 1890.