6. God from eternity hath willed, The Saviour's sufferings crowned through Thee. Minister. Let us Pray. [All kneel.] Minister.-Almighty Father, Lord of heaven and earth, graciously look down upon us at this present time, for we are assembled in thy name, and to supplicate at thy throne of grace. Lord, look down upon us, and bless us. All-Graciously look down upon us, O Lord, and bless us. Minister.-Lord God, at this time, and at all times, we approach thee through that one, that great and effectual atonement made for sinners by the Lamb that was slain. Through our Lord Jesus Christ who died for our sins, and who rose again for our justification, through him who entered into heaven with his own blood, and who ever liveth to make intercession for us,—through him, O God, we approach thy throne of grace. O may we now obtain from thee, mercy for ourselves, and mercy for all for whom we shall now plead and supplicate before thee. All.-Lord God, through the Lamb that was slain we come unto thee. O have mercy upon us, and upon all for whom we shall now plead before thee. Minister-Almighty God, Father of glory, we praise thee and adore thee for that gift unspeakable which thou gavest unto the world, even thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ. Glory to thy name, O God, that our ears have heard of thy salvation. Glory to thy name, O God, for opening our understandings, and our hearts to receive the Truth, and for making us to rest in it, and to rejoice in it. K All.-Glory to thy name, O God, for thy unspeakable gift, and for the blessed hope which thou hast given us. Minister. O God, may we, one and all of us who now wait on thee in this place, may we increase in the knowledge of Jesus Christ. May we be rooted and grounded and built up in him; and O may we never be moved away from the hope of the gospel. All-O Lord, grant us this grace, for the Lord Jesus' sake. Minister. O Lord, may the fruits of righteousness and true holiness be found in us all, and be abundant in us all, to the glory of thy most holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. All.-O Lord, may we bring forth the fruits of holiness through our Saviour Jesus Christ. Minister.-O Lord our God, be pleased to preserve us all unto the end in the faith of Christ, and in the holiness of the gospel; and finally do thou bring us to thy eternal glory through our only Saviour and Mediator Jesus Christ our Lord. All-O Lord, preserve us unto the end, and crown us at last with glory. Minister. O Lord, pour out thy Spirit upon all thy people, that they may be enlightened and sanctified. All.-Lord, enlighten and sanctify all thy people. Minister.-O Lord God of Truth, of Peace, and of Love, be pleased, we earnestly beseech thee, most fully to unite all thy people in the Bond of Truth, Peace, and Love. O may we all, in Christ Jesus be one-one in loving thee, one in worshipping thee, and one in serving thee-in all things, and in all places, and at all times, and may we be one in our love to each other according to thy most holy commandment. All-O Lord God, most fully unite all thy people in one-and in the bond of Love. Minister.-O Lord be pleased to grant a double portion of thy Spirit to all the Ministers of the Gospel of thy Son Jesus Christ. O enable them all to preach the cross of Christ, clearly, and faithfully, and with all diligence; and may they show forth the sanctifying effects of the Truth in their own lives. All.-O Lord, bless all thy servants in the ministry with an abundant measure of thy Holy Spirit. Minister.-O Lord God, pour out a spirit of prayer upon us who are here assembled, and upon all thy people. All.-O Lord, grant unto us, and unto all, a spirit of prayer. Minister.-Lord God Almighty, enlarge thy Church, increase the number of those who believe in thy Son Jesus Christ, and who follow him in holiness and righteousness. All-O Lord, be pleased to build up and enlarge thy Church upon earth. Minister. O Lord, have mercy on the world lying in wickedness: have mercy upon it, we earnestly beseech thee. Arise, O Lord, gird on thy sword, and ride forth conquering and to conquer through the Truth. All.-O Lord, arise and have mercy on the world. Minister.-Almighty God, we take shame to ourselves for having grievously neglected to carry into effect the blessed injunction of our Lord and Saviour, who in his benevolence and love, commanded the gospel to be preached to every creature under heaven. O Lord, forgive the sin which we and all thy people have committed in this matter, and lead us all to deep repentance for our past misconduct, and cause to spring up in us those holy and compassionate feelings for the salvation of the world which have been taught us by our Blessed Redeemer. All-O Lord, forgive our neglect in not extending the kingdom of Christ. Minister.-Lord God of compassion and love, have mercy upon all the Heathen. Alas! O Lord, that there should be so many at the present day still bowing down to stocks and stones. O God, arise and have mercy upon all who are thus acting. Stir up thy people, O Lord, upon this subject, and lead them to pray, and lead them to labour, and to make sacrifices, and to use every endeavour, and every exertion and means, to make known the salvation of Christ through all the earth, and to bring the blessed message to the ear of every heathen throughout the world. All-O Lord, send forth thy light and thy truth unto all the heathen nations. Minister. O Lord God, not only arise and have mercy upon the heathen, but let thy mercy come upon them very speedily. Long enough, alas, and too long, to the shame of thy people, have the heathen continued in ignorance of the Creator and Redeemer of the world. O Lord God of mercy, let that ignorance continue no longer. O let the day dawn upon them, and let the shadows of darkness and of death flee away, and that most speedily. All.-Lord God, most speedily have mercy upon all the heathen. Minister. O Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob, graciously look down, we beseech thee, on thine Ancient People. Forgive them at length, O God, their great sin in rejecting and crucifying the Messiah promised to their Fathers. Lead them, O Lord, to understand thy word which they daily read, and in which they think they have eternal life. Alas! O Lord, there is a veil upon their hearts whilst they read Moses and the Prophets. That veil, thou hast graciously promised, shall be taken away. Take it now away, O God of Abraham and of David, and let thy people see the fulfilment of the promises made unto them, in thy Beloved Son Jesus Christ.-Thou hast said, O God, in thy word of faithfulness, that this blindness which lieth now, and hath long lain upon Israel, is not for ever,-thou hast said that all Israel shall be saved, and that they shall be brought in with the fulness of the Gentiles. O God, be thy word and promise fulfilled, and speedily. O let the Deliverer come out of Zion, and turn away ungodliness from Jacob. O may there soon be a rejoicing among Jews and Gentiles over this glorious event, like the rising from the dead. O Lord, may thy people the seed of faithful Abraham, be saved with a full and everlasting salvation. All-O Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob thy Servants, raise up thy people from the dead, and save them speedily with a full and everlasting salvation. Minister-Lord God of Light and of Truth, be pleased to dispel every delusion which prevails in this dark world on the great subject of Religion and the Salvation of the Soul.-Have mercy, O God, we beseech thee, on the thousands and millions who pay their devotions to the False Prophet. Lord, let these votaries see and know the God of Abraham whom they profess to worship; and may they see Him in the brightness of his glory, and in the express Image of his Person, in the Lord Jesus Christ. Lead them, O God, by thy word which they in part acknowledge, O lead them thereby, and by thy Spirit to believe in the Son of God as the only Saviour and Lord, and may they yield themselves up entirely to Him. All —O Lord, have mercy on all the votaries of the False Prophet, and bring them to the Lord Jesus Christ. |