LAUDS.

SUNDAY and preserves all things both in heaven and earth; by whose goodness my father and two of my brothers were, as on this day, delivered from sudden and untimely deaths: accept of my hearty thanks and praise for this great mercy vouchsafed to the whole family; and grant that none of us may, while we live, forget these wonderful expressions of Thy lovingkindness to us, the most undeserving of all Thy people.

[1st ed. p. 26+; M.H.

xxi.]

[1st ed. p.

265 M.H. xxii.]

We had sinned many ways against Thee, O Lord, and this was a loud, a distinct, and merciful call of Thine, to every one of us, to repentance, which I most humbly beseech Thee give us grace to hear, to remember, and obey.

The greatest happiness, O merciful Father, which I can. desire, either for myself or those who were sharers in this great deliverance, is what I now humbly beg for; that we may all of us gratefully acknowledge Thy great love to us; meditate on Thy tender mercies; magnify Thy great and good providence; and by these mighty favours be reduced to an obedience becoming our redemption.

Pass by and pardon the ingratitude we have any of us been guilty of; and give us grace to consider, that by the merciful goodness of God we are delivered from a world of dangers, which would otherwise overwhelm us.

And according to Thy wonted mercies preserve us for the time to come, to serve Thee. May the same watchful providence, which has aforetime defended us from such imminent dangers, guard us the remainder of our days, through all the changes and chances of this mortal life. This I most humbly beseech Thee to grant, for Thy own goodness' sake, and for the merits of our Saviour Christ Jesus. Amen.

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me praise His holy Name.

Praise the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits, who saved thy life from destruction.

Lord, what is man, that Thou art mindful of him; or the sons of men, that Thou so regardest them?

But what is my father's house, that Thou shouldst have such respect to so poor, so sinful a cottage?

I am oppressed with the load of mercies we have received from Thee.

SUNDAY

LAUDS.

PROVIDENCE.

GOD has more ways of providing for us, of helping us, than [1st ed. we can possibly imagine; it is infidelity to desire to confine P. 265.] Him to our ways and methods.

Matthew viii. 25. Lord, save us, we perish.

Nothing can better express our own inability, and our whole dependence upon God: two sure conditions of obtaining help.

Since Thy mercy, O God, is ever ready to help all that call upon Thee in time of distress, let Thy goodness answer my wants.

Keep me under the protection of Thy good providence, and make me to have a perpetual fear and love of Thy holy Name, through Jesus Christ".

The more destitute we are of human aid, the more ought we to trust to that providence which God is pleased to exert in extreme necessity.

O God, give me grace never to condemn Thy providence; let me adore the wisdom of Thy conduct, the holiness of Thy ways, and the power of Thy grace.

How many sins should we commit, if God did not vouchsafe to oppose our corrupt will! Blessed be His holy Name, for not leaving me to my own choices.

Lord's Day. Amos viii. 5. When will the Sabbath be gone, [1st ed. that we may sell wheat?

Deliver us, gracious God, from this sin of covetousness,from being weary of Thy Sabbaths, which are ordained to preserve in our hearts the knowledge of Thee, and of Thy Son Jesus Christ.

O that we may desire, and rejoice in the return of this day, and serve Thee faithfully on it; and that we may enjoy an everlasting Sabbath with Thy saints, for Jesus Christ His sake. Amen.

O that I may be glad when they say unto me, Come, let us go to the house of God!

Second Sunday after Trinity.

p. 266.]

[i. 56: ii. 29; iii. 69.]

MONDA Y.

MONDAY.

HOLY SCRIPTURES.

Q. Are you persuaded that the Holy Scriptures contain sufficiently all doctrine required of necessity to eternal salvation through faith in Jesus Christ? And are you determined out of the same Holy Scriptures, to instruct the people committed to your charge, and to teach or maintain nothing as required of necessity to eternal salvation, but that which you shall be persuaded may be concluded and proved by the same?

A. I am so persuaded and determined by God's grace.

Q. Will you then faithfully exercise yourself in the same Holy Scriptures, and call upon God by prayer for the true understanding of the same; so as you may be able by them to teach and exhort with wholesome doctrine, and to withstand and convince gainsayers?

A.-I will so do by the help of God.

O GOD, the fountain of all wisdom, enlighten my mind, [i. 56; ii. that I myself may see, and be able to teach others the 29; iii. 72.] wonders of Thy Law; that I may learn from Thee, what I

ought to think and speak concerning Thee; and that whatever in Thy holy word I shall profitably learn, I may indeed fulfil the samed.

Direct and bless all my labours; give me a discerning spirit, a sound judgment, and an honest and a religious heart, that in all my studies, my first aim may be, to set forth Thy glory, 'by setting forward the salvation of men.

And if, by my ministry, Thy kingdom shall be enlarged3,

let me, in all humility, ascribe the success, not unto myself, MONDAY. but unto Thy good Spirit, which enables us both to will and to do what is acceptable to Thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

[The original draft of this prayer is in M. H. iii. as follows.]

Before Study. James i. 5. "Will you diligently exercise yourself in the same Holy Scripture," &c. Vid. Consecration.

O God the Fountain of all Wisdom, in a deep sense of my own ignorance, and of the great charge which lies upon me, I am constrained to come often before Thee, from whom I have learned whatever I know, to ask that help without which I shall disquiet myself in vain: most humbly beseeching Thee to guide me with Thine eye, to enlighten my mind, that I may see myself, and teach others, the wonders of Thy Law; that I may learn from Thee what I ought to think and speak concerning Thee. Direct and bless all the labours of my mind; give me a discerning spirit, a sound judgment, and an honest and a religious heart; and grant that in all my studies, my first aim may be to set forth Thy glory and to set forward the salvation of mankind; that I may give a comfortable account of my time at the great day when all our labours shall be tried. And if Thou art pleased that by my ministry sinners should be converted, and Thy kingdom enlarged, give me the grace of humility, that I may never ascribe the success to myself, but to Thy Holy Spirit, which enables me to will and to do according to Thy good pleasure. Grant this, O Father of all light and truth, for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.

Acts vi. 4. But we will give ourselves continually unto [i. 56; iii. 69; ii. 30.] prayer, and to the ministry of the word.

2 Tim. iv. 2. Preach the word, be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all long-suffering and doctrine.

N.B. We deceive ourselves, if we fancy that we have done our duty when we have given our people a sermon one day in seven: we must try all ways to gain a soul.

Luke vi. 39. Can the blind lead the blind? Shall they not both fall into the ditch?

hom. iii.

MONDAY.

1 Timothy iv. 13. Give attendance to reading, to exhor[i. 57; iii. tation, to doctrine. 69.]

[i. 57; ii. 30; iii. 69.]

iQuesnel. Not to read, is to tempt God; to do nothing but study, is to forget the ministry. To read in order to appear more learned, is a sinful vanity. But to read in order to exhort and to instruct with wholesome doctrine, this is according to God's will and word.

James i. 5. If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, who giveth to every man liberally, and upbraideth not, and it shall be given him.

Wisdom being the gift of God, and this gift the fruit of prayer; a prayer that is humble, earnest, and persevering, will assuredly be blessed with this excellent gift.

St. Luke xxiv. 45. Then opened He their understanding, that they might understand the Scriptures.

KO Jesus, cause me to read, to understand, to love, to practise, and to preach Thy word.

1

John vii. 17. If any man will do (that is, is disposed", desires to do,) His will, he shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I speak of Myself.

"Light and truth discover themselves to such as desire to follow them.

Psalm xxv. 14. The secret of the Lord is among them that fear Him, and He will shew them His covenant.

It was the saying of a learned man, saith Dr. Lightfoot, that he got more knowledge by his prayers than by all his studies".

citur, restat ut ejus prædicatio contemnatur." St. Greg. [Mag. in Evang. Homil. xii. sub init.]

[ii. 33 inserts], Matt. x 16. Behold, I send you forth as lambs in the midst of wolves, be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as dores.

St. Luke xii. 42. Who then is that faithful and wise steward, whom his Lord shall make ruler over his household, to give them their portion of meat in due season?

Blessed is that servant whom his Lord when He cometh shall find so doing. [Also 1 Tim. iv. 13; and a reference to 1 Thess. iv. 9; both given elsewhere.]