Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning and ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when He will return from the wedding, that when He cometh and knocketh, they may open unto Him immediately. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord, when He cometh, shall find watching: verily, I say unto you, that He shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them. And if He shall come in the second watch, or come in the third watch, and find them so; blessed are those servants". Be ye therefore ready also; for the Son of Man cometh at an hour when ye think not. REMEMBER not, Lord, mine offences, nor the offences of my forefathers; neither take Thou vengeance of our sins: spare me, good Lord; spare Thy servant whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy most precious blood; and be not angry with me for ever. Spare me, good Lord. Lord have mercy upon me. Lord have mercy upon me. Our Father, Which art in heaven &c. 2 Luke xii. 38. a Ibid. ver. 40. N Prayer for grace to live in a constant dependence upon God, and an habitual preparation for death and judgment. O ALMIGHTY God, the Father of the spirits of all flesh! Whose never-failing Providence ordereth all things both in heaven and earth, I desire with the deepest humility and reverence to prostrate both soul and body before Thee, begging that Thou wouldst give me grace to make a right use and improvement of all Thy dispensations towards myself and all mankind. I acknowledge it of Thy bounty alone that I had my being and I adore Thy mercy and long-suffering for preserving me thus long in the land of the living. My many days and years of health and comfort were Thy gift; and my deliverances out of the troubles and dangers wherewith I have at any time been afflicted, as well as the prevention of those which I have never felt, are owing to Thee alone. Man doth not live by bread and care, but by the word and blessing which proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Grant me, I beseech Thee, a due sense of mine entire dependence upon Thee; and grace to behave myself in conformity thereto. Inspire me with that true and heavenly wisdom, which may help me to discern aright the rea sons, and enable me to answer the ends of all Thy dealings with me; that in all conditions I may submit myself entirely to Thy good pleasure; and glorify God in the day of visitation. And since it is appointed for all men once to die, and after that the judgment; suffer me not, I pray Thee, to forget that I am a stranger upon earth; but help me to disengage my heart from the things here below, which cannot profit in the day of wrath; that my hopes and mine affections may be unalterably fixed upon those better things above, those eternal treasures which Thou hast prepared for them that love Thee. Let the thoughts and certain expectation of death and judgment be so constantly, so powerfully present to my soul, that in what hour soever my Lord shall come, I may be found ready to meet Him, and to go in with Him to the marriage. Even so, O blessed Jesus, grant me in such manner to pass through things temporal, that I finally lose not the things eternal, but may faithfully use and improve Thy grace here, till grace at last be consummated in glory, and I translated to my Master's joy. All which I beg for Thine own merit's sake, mine only Mediator and Redeemer; to Whom with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, be ascribed, as is most due, all honour and glory, dominion and power, thanksgiving and praise, and humble adoration, henceforth and for evermore. Amen. O Almighty Lord, Who art a most strong tower to all them that put their trust in Thee; to Whom all things in heaven, in earth, and under the earth, do bow and obey, be now and evermore my defence; and make me to know and feel that there is none other Name under heaven given to man, in Whom, and through Whom I may receive health and salvation, but only the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Unto God's gracious mercy and protection I commit myself: Lord bless me and keep me : Lord make Thy face to shine upon me, and be gracious unto me: Lord, lift up Thy countenance upon me, and give me peace, both now and evermore. Amen. TUESDAY AFTERNOON. The shortness and vanity of this life. No possibility of dying in peace, and reconciliation with God, without a timely repentance of all the sins of our life. 1. Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble. He cometh forth like a flower, and is cut down; he fleeth also as a shadow, and continueth not ". Man dieth and wasteth away; yea, man giveth up the ghost; and where is he? His days are determined; the number of his months are with Thee; Thou hast appointed his bounds that he cannot pass o. Lord, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what is it; that I may know how frail I am. Behold, Thou hast made my days as an handbreadth, and mine age is as nothing before. Thee: verily every man at his best estate is altogether vanity. For a thousand years in Thy sight are but as yesterday, seeing that is past as a watch in the night. a Job. xiv. 1, 2. b Ibid. ver. 10. • Ibid. ver. 5. |