04. EVENING PRAYER ON THE SABBATH

Lord, remain with me, for evening draws nigh and the day has departed. O thou living,

Almighty God! how inscrutable are thy works, how unspeakable is thy goodness which thou hast displayed unto men. I cap speak of grace and truth, of love and mercy, inasmuch as thou hast vouchsafed many favors unto me throughout this day in soul and body; thou hast fed my soul with the bread of life, and given me to drink of the living fountain. Thy word was sweeter in my mouth than honey and the honey comb. O let my word remain through all my life a light upon my path, that I may direct my walk in accordance with it, then shall I never stumble nor fall from thy grace. Thou hast been my preserver, my support in corporeal things, so that I have reached this evening in health. I am unworthy of all these mercies which thou hast done me. When now my limbs shall lie down to rest, stand thou by me, watch over me, and enclose me in thy protection. Let thy word which I have this day heard and learned, spring up within me as a holy seed, whose fruit shall be seen in my life in piety, in fear of God, and indifference to the world. May I hereafter live for God, for heaven, and for souls. Shield and defend me against the machinations and the fiery darts of Satan. The Lord is my light and my health, of whom shall I be afraid? The Lord is the vigor of my life, whom shall I dread? Turn away every misfortune from me and mine, and let all the sick, the distressed and the dying taste of thy grace abundantly; so shall all our lips be filled with thy grace, and we will proclaim the good thou hast done us in body and in soul in the morning. Pardon me, if I have not served thee with such fervor as I should have done, and do not therefore take thy grace from me. Let all things become new with me during this new week. Give me new love and longing after thee, and a new desire to serve and obey thee. Let me avoid and flee from all the sins committed during the last week, so that all may perceive that I have not spent my Sunday in vain. Help me daily to consider that I have an immortal soul, so that I may be more concerned for the soul than for the body. Retire then thou, my body, to re pose in thy chamber, but thou, my soul, into the wounds of Jesus.

Keep me from all vacillation,

Jesus, let me sleep in thee;

Be thy holy meditation,

E'en in dreams revealed to me.

When I sleep and when I wake;

Let the spirit never slake,

Up to thee to raise its yearning,

Till the morning dawn's returning. Amen

1. Me often Jesus has invited,

Upon his wounded breast to sleep,

There shall I be with him united,

And he his watch will o'er me keep;

No terrors of the night I dread,

While Jesus watches at my bed.

2. In sleep my soul with God converses,

My thoughts he never shall forsake,

I'll meditate upon his mercies,

Long after I have ceased to wake;

My spirit and my mind shall be,

With God in converse endlessly.

3. Oh, never let thy presence vanish,

My Lord and Saviour, from my head,

Be with me while I sleep, and banish

All care and sorrow from my bed;

Let fear nor sorrow, care nor pain,

Come near me till I wake again.

4. I fear not Satan's darkest cover,

Nor all the prowess of his arms,

For God himself will o'er me hover,

And Jesus hold me in his arms;

He may not harm a hair of me,

So well shall I protected be.

5. My lips break out in joyous numbers,

At every well-spent Sunday's end,

I give my limbs to peaceful slumbers,

When the dark shades of night extend;

Jesus brings back the morning's ray,

And thus I pass from day to day.

6. Where Jesus me has oft invited,

Upon his breast, I go to sleep,

My faith to him for life is plighted,

And even in death he will me keep;

When from my last deep sleep I start,

The marriage feast shall be my part.

The true Believer Gives thanks unto the Lord, after having heard His Holy Word. EXHORTATION.

"But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."—Jas. i. 22. As all the good gifts of God are abused by the children of this world, so is it also with the hearing of God's Word, wherein they differ greatly from the true children of God. THANKSGIVING TO THE LORD.

1. The world's people think the Sabbath instituted for their luxury and amusement, in which, being free from labor, they shall seek the comforts of the flesh, which is manifestly wrong. 2. The world's people at best go to church in the morning, but amuse themselves in the afternoon with hunting, gaming and sinful recreations, and then come home, if not intoxicated, at least, with silly thoughts, sinful distractions, and worldly follies. 3. The world's people give no heed to the word which is preached, and if they were to be asked on Monday, what their going to church had profited them, and what they had heard and learned, they would not know; the devil has already snatched the word out of their hearts, to prevent them from believing and being saved. Luke viii. 12. 4. And if they do remember anything, they do not put it into practice.

But the true children of God, who have begun the day with God and with prayer, do otherwise. 1. They hear the Word of God with devout attention.

2. They repeat at home what they have heard, write it down, and rejoice over it, as over a great treasure 3. They think of it all the week, and endeavor to practise it.

THANKSGIVING TO THE LORD.

In the Old Testament the Lord had chosen those animals for sacrifice which chewed the cud; and those souls also are after his heart, which ruminate on the word they have heard and read, and derive new nourishment from it, for the sustenance of eternal life. O thou, gracious God! how shall I love and praise thee sufficiently for having spared my life to see the close of this Sabbath, on which I have heard thy blessed Word? How shall I believe, how live, and how die? Thou hast suffered to be made known to me thy gracious will, and taught me what to avoid, and what to do. Thou hast not left thyself without witness, so that all are without excuse. Thou givest us thy holy Word and sacraments, so that we may use them as means of grace for our salvation. Thy holy Spirit will enlighten, teach, sanctify, strengthen and ground us. Oh, merciful God, preserve me that I may not be a forgetful hearer, but a diligent doer of thy Word! What avails all I hear, if I do not do as I hear? Therefore, do thou thyself seal in my heart, what I have heard and read, and make it living, active, and powerful within me. Oh, thou Guardian of the portal! lock up my heart, when the word of life has entered for my edification, lest Satan rob me of it, and I return home empty. THANKSGIVING TO THE LORD.

Let me take warning by the example of so many thousands of men, who hear thy Word, O God! but do not repent. Of what use to them is their going to church, their singing, their hearing, their praying? Will not the Word condemn and accuse them all the more, that they have heard the will of the Lord, known it, and yet not done it? O my God! let me, this week, become more pious and godly; let me daily repeat the word I have heard, speak of it with those around me, rejoice in it, and always act up to it. Have I heard from thy Word, that I ought to become humble, meek and merciful: O give me grace that I may always remember it, and never lapse into anger, revenge, pride, and hardness of heart, but may love my enemies, deny myself, and gladly do good unto the poor and needy. Have I heard that I should lay off the old man and put on the new, and should struggle against my evil thoughts and desires, live soberly, righteously, and deny myself after God's will in this present evil world: O give me power and strength that I may daily exercise myself in these things, and fulfil thy commands. Though at first it be done in great weakness, let me still continue in sanctification, and purify myself more and more of every stain of body and soul. Oh, let me handle thy Holy Word as the children of the world handle their treasures, which they lock up and keep THANKSGIVING TO THE LORD.

safely; so do thou give me power to preserve in my heart as a cherished treasure, the sacred truths, the precious doctrines, the vigorous admonitions unto sanctification, and to increase them day by day, so that I may draw forth from them, consolation upon consolation in dark and bitter hours, in trials and tribulations, sickness and death. Yea, Lord! Let me daily increase in age, wisdom, piety, godliness, knowledge of thy will, and grace before thee and before men. Holy Lord! we worship thee,

That thy Word to us was given;

Give us grace that we may see,

How it points the way to heaven.

And, lest thou the off'ring spurnest,

Let our works of faith give earnest.

1. Who hears the Word of God, must shape his conversation,

His walk and all his life by its divine dictation;

Hearing availeth nought, if still the heart be left,

Godless and full of sin, and of all grace bereft.

2 If in God's Word thou seest that to avoid the sentence,

Repentance needed is, go, quickly do repentance;

Become another man! Remain not as thou art,

Yea, mend while yet 'tis time, live after Christ's own heart.

THANKSGIVING TO THE LORD.

3. If with the sinful thou art told not to assort thee,

Then where they congregate beware how thou resort thee;

What sinners scruple not thou yet shalt never do,

But walk as knowing well God has thee in his view.

4. If thou art told the Lord himself has set example,

To live in dread of sin, and God give service ample;

Then follow thou the Lord's example evermore,

And always strive to be what Jesus was before.

5. A Christian, thou art told, must silence fleshly longing,

And raise his soul to thoughts, unto his soul belonging;

Then treasure in thy heart this most divine command,

And never do the works that flesh and blood demand.

6. If thou art told e'en as thyself to love thy neighbor,

And do for him what thou for thy own self would'st labor,

Then love him as thyself, and never do him ill.

And what the word commands implicitly fulfil.

7. Oh, Lord, grant what my heart so earnestly beseeches,

That it may ever do the works thy gospel teaches;

That while I walk below, and when I rest above,

I may enjoy the fill of thy enduring love.

MORNING PRAYER FOR MONDAY.