Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

from the seat of pride-by the little things of this world often confounding the very greatest;

For the rich and the full He will send empty away, but the poor and the hungry He fills with His good things; and opens to them an incorruptible treasure.

Let them all, they that rest on their own legs, be mightily shaken; and let the proud, O God, be scattered by the imaginations of their own hearts:

But let all that seek Thee be established for ever; and make Thy little ones rejoice and sing,

Knowing their lots are in the hands of Thy providence, which will draw much better for them than they can for themselves.

Yea, our lots are in Thy hands, O wonderful God and therefore will we rest satisfied in Thee, and bless Thy name for ever and ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, shall be, world without end. AMEN.

and ever

NOT

glory.

PSALM.

OT unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but to
Thine own blest Name give all the

When we have applied our utmost cares, and used all the diligence that is in our power,

What can we do but look up to Thee, and second our endeavours with prayers for Thy blessing.

We know, and Thou Thyself hast taught us, unless Thou defendest the city, the guard watches in vain ;

We know, and our experience tells us, unless Thou reach forth Thy hand we are presently in danger of sinking.

Every moment of our day subsists by Thee, and every step we take moves Thy strength. Even the life we renew must beg its breath of Thee, and stop if thou deniest it.

If Thou deniest it, who can compel Thy will; or call in question Thy decrees?

Are we not all Thy creatures, O gracious God, and as helpless children hanging on the breasts of Thy providence?

Are we not all as clay in Thy hands, to frame us unto vessels of what use Thou pleasest? Behold, we confess, O Lord, in Thee we live, in Thee we move, and have our being;

All our sufficiency proceeds from Thee, and all our success depends on Thy favour.

Others may tell us the way we should go, but Thou alone canst enable us to walk;

Others may tell us the way, but even they must first be taught by Thee;

They must be moved by Thee to act that charity; and so, at last, all is resolved into Thee.

Should we, O Lord, presume to divide Thy grace, and proudly challenge any share to ourselves,

Thy mighty truth stands up against us, and our own infirmities plainly confute us;

Shouldst Thou severely examine our hearts, and ask who worked all those actions in them, Sure we must needs bow down our heads, and, from our low dust, humbly say:—

Nothing are we, O Lord, but what Thou hast made us; nothing have we but what Thou hast given us;

Only our sins are entirely our own, which, oh may Thy grace extinguish for ever.

Oh may all self-presumption die in us, and our whole confidence live only in Thee.

May even our frailties make us more strong, and our being nothing teach us to be humble.

So shall Thy power, O Lord, be magnified in our weakness, and Thy mercy triumph in relief of our misery.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

AMEN.

PRAYER.

GOD, who at the price of Thine only Son's blood upon the cross, hast won our hearts from this life and all the goods of it, to the sole pursuit and hopes of Thyself in eternity; possess, we beseech Thee, and absolutely dispose of what Thou hast so dearly paid for; mortifying us to the world, and confirming our courage to fight manfully under the banner of our crucified Saviour; that we may be able to stand the shock of all temptations, and that nothing, either in life or death, may ever separate us from Thy love in Him, our glorious Redeemer; who, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, liveth and reigneth, one God, blessed for ever. AMEN.

« AnteriorContinuar »