dim, our faith feeble, and our love cold, then send into our hearts that holy influence which shall bring to our minds the words of Christ, the eternal words which shall endure when heaven and earth have passed away, and let those words be the rock on which we build, whence we may see, with unclouded eyes, the heavenly land; let those words fill us with that love and peace and charity which is our foretaste of the heaven to come.

Bless us, O God, and all those for whom we would pray, with these gifts of thy grace; let thy kingdom come in all the earth; let thy will be done here below as in heaven above. For thine is the kingdom and the power; thine be, through Christ our Lord, the glory evermore.

Amen.

LVI.

CONSIDER YOUR WAYS.

Thus far on life's perplexing path,

Thus far the Lord our steps hath led;
Safe from the world's pursuing wrath,
Unharmed though floods hung o'er our head;

Here then we pause, look back, adore,

Like ransomed Israel from the shore.

MONTGOMERY.

Now, therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, Consider your

ways.

I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue.

Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established.

There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the ends thereof are the ways of death.

O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.

Blessed are the undefiled in the way, who walk in the law of the Lord.

Let us remember our way, and where we are, and keep our garments girt up; for we walk amidst thorns and briers, which, if we let them down, will entangle and stop us, and possibly tear our garments. — Leighton.

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

Trust in the Lord with all thy heart.

In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Hold up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways.

Search me, O God, and know mine heart; try me, and know my thoughts;

And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.

MORNING.

A

LMIGHTY God, by whose gracious ordinance man goeth forth to his work and his

labor until the evening, assist us, we humbly beseech thee, before we engage in the duties and labors of this day, to call to remembrance the benefits we have received at thy hand in days past, to ponder the paths our feet have trodden, and to consider our thoughts and our ways, whether they have been ordered according to thy word. Expose unto us, O God, the things that are hidden in our hearts, that we, seeing our guilt, may bring unto thee the sacrifice of a humble and contrite spirit, and by the prevalency of our prayers may obtain grace to help in every future time of need. Enable us to search ourselves, as in thy sight, and from all the evil of our wicked desires and unrighteous doings, good Lord deliver us. Let not our transgressions be brought into judgment against us, nor separate us from thy love in Christ Jesus our Lord. Kindle our hearts to thankfulness and our lips to praise in the remembrance of thy mercies; and let thy long-suffering to us-ward, while it shows to us that thou art slow to anger and abundant in goodness, make us heartily ashamed to abuse thy patience by more disobedience. O Thou who seest our every act and thought, let thine eye be upon us; and wilt thou direct our steps this day? Let us not wander into by and forbidden paths, but keep in the straight and narrow way which leadeth to thee. Thus may each day bring us one day's journey nearer to heaven. So may evening and

morning, as in turn they manifest thy goodness and declare thy glory, lead us wisely to consider our way before thee, and devoutly to show forth thy praise. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honor and glory, through Jesus Christ, for ever and ever. Amen.

A

EVENING.

GAIN, O God, thy mercy has brought us to the close of day. Softly thou hast drawn around us the folds of night, and dost permit us to look for its welcome repose. Yet, O our Father, we would not thoughtlessly resign the hours of this day, but would look back upon them in solemn and reverent thought. Another period of deep responsibility and of precious opportunities has gone, never to return. Another portion of life's great tablet has been written through, and its abiding record is with thee. In thy sacred presence, we would dwell upon the lesson it has taught. Thou knowest whether we have improved the opportunities which it brought, whether we have performed its duties and accepted its discipline aright. Infinite and Holy One, we seek shelter under the wings of thy compassion, as we recall our manifold neglects. Our own hearts condemn us for our ingratitude and sin. And thou art greater than our hearts, and knowest all things. Lord, be merciful to us,

and may the consciousness of thy overflowing goodness, daily and hourly renewed, quicken our love for thee, and animate us with new desires to do thy will. Help us, O God, to feel the solemn mystery of life. Give us a new sense of our infinite capacities and our eternal hopes. Give us new confidence in prayer, increased faith in the divine mission of Jesus, and more fixed and solemn purposes of duty. And grant that thus we shall not be homeless and aimless wanderers upon the earth, but may have ever the rod and staff of a guiding and sustaining faith. And now unto thee, our kind Guardian and Defence, we commend ourselves anew. Keep us, if it be thy will, to see another day. And grant that the life we shall henceforth live in the flesh, we may live in the faith and love of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.