Dispose me, O Heavenly Father, so to obey the precepts, that I may inherit the promises of the Gospel. Bless me, O Lord, with all spiritual blessings in Christ. Bless me in forgiving my iniquities: and bless me in turning me from all iniquity. O let the blood of Jesus, the Lamb of God Which taketh away the sins of the world, cleanse me from all sin; and purge my conscience from dead works to serve Thee the Living God. Give me, O Lord, so to know Christ and His life, that the same mind may be in me which was in Christ, and that I may be in the world as He was in the world. Give me so to know Christ and His death, that I may feel the virtue and power of the cross of Christ within me, in being crucified to the world and having the world crucified to me, and in crucifying the flesh with the affections and lusts; that the body of sin may be destroyed, and that henceforth I may not serve sin, nor obey it in the lust thereof. Give me also so to know Christ and the power of His resurrection, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, so I also may walk in newness of life, and may mind and seek those things that are above, where Christ sitteth at the right hand of God. Lord, make me ever mindful that I am not mine own; but am bought with a price, even with the precious blood of Thy beloved Son. And O that the consideration of this astonishing instance of the Divine love and mercy may so powerfully affect my heart, that I may be persuaded thereby to glorify Thee in my body and in my spirit, which are Thine; and to live henceforward not unto myself, but unto Him That died for me. While I live, O Lord, I will praise Thy Name: I will sing praises unto my God while I have my being. O let me shew forth Thy praise, not only with my lips, but in my life: let me praise and glorify Thee by ordering my conversation aright, by devoting my heart to Thy fear, and by offering up myself a living sacrifice, holy, and acceptable unto Thee, O God, which is my reasonable service. Now the God of all grace, Who hath called me unto His eternal glory by Christ Jesus, stablish, strengthen, settle me: to Him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen. FRIDAY NOON, The practice of Christian holiness enforced from a consideration of the redemption of the world by Jesus Christ; of His death upon the cross for us ; and of the duty and reward of taking up our cross, and following Him. IN the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not any thing made that was made 1. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the Only-begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth 2. 3 In this was manifested the love of God towards us, because that God sent His Only-begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us, and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins 3. And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness; even so must the Son of Man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have eternal life *. But those things which God before had shewed by 2 Ibid. i. 14. 1 John i. 1-3. $ 1 John iv. 9, 10. 4 John iii. 14, 15. the mouth of all His prophets, that Christ should suffer, He hath so fulfilled1. For the Son of Man was betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they condemned Him to death and delivered Him to the gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify Him. And they took Jesus, and led Him away. And He bearing His cross went forth into a place called the place of a skull, which is called in the Hebrew Golgotha; where they crucified Him, and two other with Him, on either side one, and Jesus in the midst 3. After this, Jesus knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled, saith, I thirst. Now there was set a vessel full of vinegar: and they filled a sponge with vinegar, and put it upon hyssop, and put it to His mouth. When Jesus therefore had received the vinegar, He said, It is finished; and He bowed His head, and gave up the ghost *. Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: but made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: and being found in fashion as a man, He humbled Himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross 5. But He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him; and with His stripes we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all. He was oppressed, and He was afflicted; yet He opened not His mouth He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He openeth not His mouth. He was taken from prison, and 1 Acts iii. 18. 2 Matt. ix. 18, 19. 3 John xix. 16-18. from judgment: and who shall declare His generation? for He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of My people was He stricken. And He made His grave with the wicked, and with the rich in His death, because He had done no violence, neither was any deceit in His mouth. Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him; He hath put Him to grief: when Thou shalt make His soul an offering for sin, He shall see His seed, He shall prolong His days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in His hand. He shall see of the travail of His soul, and shall be satisfied: by His knowledge shall My righteous servant justify many; for He shall bear their iniquities. Therefore will I divide Him a portion with the great; and He shall divide the spoil with the strong; because He hath poured out His soul unto death and He was numbered with the transgressors: and He bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors Thus God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto Himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them. For He hath made Him to be sin for us, Who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him 2. Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow His steps; Who did no sin, neither was guile found in His mouth: Who, when He was reviled, reviled not again; when He suffered, He threatened not; but committed Himself to Him That judgeth righteously 3. And beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you; but rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when His glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy. If ye be reproached for the name of 1 Isaiah liii. 5-12. 2 2 Cor. v. 21. 3 1 Pet. ii. 21-23. Christ, happy are ye; for the Spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you'. We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God 2. Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution3. Yet if any man suffer as a christian, let him not be ashamed 1. For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ. And if we suffer, we shall also reign with Him; if we deny Him, He also will deny us 6 Whosoever will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for My sake and the Gospel's, the same shall save it. For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of Me and of My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be ashamed, when He cometh in the glory of His Father with the holy angels'. Remember the word that I said unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord; if they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you". In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world'. He that endureth to the end shall be saved 10. Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life". God be merciful to me a sinner. Our Father, Which art in heaven &c. 1 1 Pet. iv. 12-14. 41 Pet. iv. 16. 7 Mark viii. 34-38. 2 Acts xiv. 22. 5 2 Cor. i. 5. 8 John xv. 20. 3 2 Tim. iii. 12. 6 2 Tim. ii. 12. |