.-. ,.^ PUBLIC -WORSHIP * PRIVATE * DEVOTION PERSONAL- MINISTRY m&m «; 2i5bie C.Morrow HP mm V"- -■•■■■.::.• • :•'■•■ •:•'■•'•'- - ...:-.-■ ■•; 1 ,•-- ■■"■■: gH ;;:.-■■■.. S|I | j ■':■•■.' : . ■ . . 3 ' ■ J. ■' t fffilf — ""''"'■ Class. Book. Copyright N° COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. PRAYERS FOR p UBLIC WORSHIP RIVATE DEVOTION ERSONAL MINISTRY BY / ABBIE C. MORROW AUTHOR OF Bible Morning Glories, Bible B's, The Old, Old Story of the Holy Child, Christian Science, " Falsely So Called," Life of Madame Guyon, Life of George Muller, Lite of Jerry McAuley, etc. "Men ought always to pray, and not to faint." Luke 18 : /. ,?> ' > M. E. MUNSON, Publisher j j Bible House New York. THE" LIBRARY <*F 0CNGRE8S, Two Oopibs Heceiveb APR. II 1902 - COPYRttHT ENTRY CI AS* 0/ XXc No. COPY 8. ^> ,n/^ 5 t4^ Copyright, 1902, by M. E. Munson. To THE LORD JESUS CHRIST The Divine Head of the Church AND TO Thomas J. Morrow The Human Head of our Home This Book is Lovingly Dedicated INTRODUCTION. When the publisher of this little volume first spoke to me of preparing it I turned away from the suggestion, thinking it was not a right thing to do, that people ought to pray without the aid of forms of prayer. Months passed, and one day I learned that the reason why the publisher wished to issue such a book was that for two years many requests had been received, asking for such a help to devotion. So I said : "If the people need such a help to pray, the people should have it." This was my Providence. But was it Scriptural ? In answer to the ques- tion came the remembrance that both Jesus and John the Baptist gave to their disciples a form of prayer ; so to prepare such a book would be to fol- low Jesus. Luke n : 1-4. Then I recalled how my own soul had often been refreshed by putting up such petitions as the "In- vocation for Life and Light," page 172, and a " Prayer for Humility/' page 146. Soon after this, one morning, at my personal devotions, I asked the Heavenly Father to speak to me out of my regular daily chapter about editing a Book of Prayers, and I marked these words in the following order: "Because thou hast — relied INTRODUCTION on the Lord thy God therefore — the book — written — with sweet odours." 2 Chron. 16:7, 11, 14. That this Scripture was given to me for a Book of Prayers was precious to me. I remembered that it was written : "Odours — are the prayers of saints. " Rev. 5 : 8. And as Hugh MacMillan says : "There is a Divine fitness in odors being regarded as prayer. Perfume is the breath of flowers, the sweetest ex- pression of their inmost being, and the exhalation of their very life. It is a sign of purity, health and vigor; it is a symptom of full and joyous existence; for disease, decay, and death yield not pleasant but revolting odors. And fragrance is in nature what prayer is in the human world. Prayer is the breath of life, the expression of the soul's best, holiest, and heavenliest aspirations; the symptom and token of its spiritual health, and high and happy relations with God." A day or two after the Lord gave me my Scrip- ture for the book, I waited upon Him for the still, small voice of the Spirit in my heart as I asked: "Shall I write the book?" and there came the tender, positive answer : "Yes, my child." Then God made it possible for me "through the earnestness of others," 2 Cor. 8 : 8, R.V., and their timely help, to quickly prepare the volume. I desire to express my gratitude to Thomas J. Morrow, Lily Lathbury, Mrs. L. S. Pridgeon, Miss Mary H. Rossiter, Mrs. S. E. Levy, Mrs. Mary E. Wright, Edgar K. Sellew, Helen Tagart, Miss Amy INTRODUCTION A. Swankie-Cameron and others for their help in the work. And now we send the little volume forth, in His name, with the intense conviction that it is to lead many precious ones close to their Lord and eventually teach them how to pray, without any out- ward help, to the Father, Eph. 3 : 14, in the name of the Son, Jno. 14: 13, 14, by the power of the Holy Spirit, Rom. 8: 26; Eph. 3: 14, with a sure faith that will bring gracious answers. Mark 1 1 : 24. Abbie C. Morrow. CONTENTS. I. PUBLIC WORSHIP ii II. BIBLE BENEDICTIONS 30 III. WEEKLY MEETINGS 32 IV. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL 49 V. GATHERINGS OF WOMEN 54 VI. GATHERINGS OF YOUNG PEOPLE 66 VII. SPECIAL PRAYERS 90 VIII. FAMILY PRAYERS 100 IX. SPECIAL DAYS 112 X. YOUNG PEOPLE'S PRAYERS 129 XL CHILDREN'S PRAYERS 132 XII. PRIVATE DEVOTIONS 137 XIII. BRIEF CLOSET PRAYERS 149 XIV. QUIET HOUR OF THE PENTE- ' COSTAL PRAYER UNION 157 XV. PRAISES 165 XVI. PERSONAL PRAYERS 171 XVII. "OTHERS." 177 CHAPTER I. PUBLIC WORSHIP. SUNDAY MORNING PRAISE MEETING. How lovely are Thy Tabernacles, O Jehovah of Hosts. Blessed are they who dwell in Thy House ; they are continually praising Thee. O Jehovah, I have loved the habitation of Thy House, and the place where Thine honor dwelleth. I will come into Thy House, in the multitude of Thy mercy. In Thy fear will I worship toward Thy Holy Temple. Our Heavenly Father, we come to praise Thee with grateful songs. Thou hast been good to us with infinite grace. Thou hast spared nothing from our lot that would brighten and sanctify it, and for Thy mercy we now bow down ourselves to Thee and worship Thee. We pray Thee for a clearer knowledge of the truth as it is in Jesus; for the spirit of sympathy with the heart of Christ ; for the tenderness of soul that responds with penitence to the blood which He shed in atonement for the whole world. Bind us to Him; put both our hearts and our hands upon His cross, and so, bound to that sacred symbol of Thy love, may we live the rest of our 12 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP time in the very spirit and under the very blessing of Christ. Amen. INVOCATION -SUNDAY MORNING. O Thou Father of lights, the Author of every good and perfect gift, we thank Thee that with Thee there is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. We may forget Thee, but Thou dost never forget us. Thou hast watched over us and pro- tected us during the week and brought us again to the assembling of the saints and we praise Thee. Be manifestly present in our service and bless us and may we be so quiet, so reverent, so thoughtful, so devout, so praiseful, that we shall please Thee. We ask it for Thy glory. Amen. PRAYER BEFORE THE MORNING SERMON. Oh, Thou tender and compassionate Father, Thou who didst give Thine only Son to die upon the cross for us, grant us this once again a conscious- ness of Thy forgiving love. We have not been as mindful of Thee this last week as we should have been; we have not been as faithful to our closet prayers ; not been as earnest in our Christian living, not been as thoughtful in the reading of Thy Word, not been as patient and loving with those about us as becomes the lowly followers of Jesus. Forgive us, Oh, God, and cover us with Thy blood, and put us by Thy grace where just now we can offer Thee PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 1 3 the acceptable worship which is Thy due and which, with all our waywardness, we long to give Thee. We praise Thee that Thou art so gracious and long suffering and kind ! We thank Thee that Thou hast spared us to meet again in Thy house! We adore Thee for Thy great goodness to us, Thy chil- dren. Thou hast brought us out of darkness into Thy marvelous light; Thou hast redeemed us from the thraldom of Satan and given us a love for Thee and for Thy Son and for Thy Holy Spirit and for Thy Word and for all saints. Intensify our knowledge of the truth; give us an intense desire to obey it. Multiply Thy grace and deepen Thy love. Since it is Thy pleasure that we should pray for all men, we humbly beseech Thee that the Word of God may be preached everywhere; that the sin- ful may be saved, the ignorant taught, the weak strengthened, the sorrowful comforted, the back- slidden reclaimed, the wicked held back from vio- lence. Since it is Thy pleasure that we pray for all saints, we ask that ministers and missionaries may be faithful in rightly dividing the Word of truth; that those who teach may live as they teach; that those who are burdened may leave their trials at the feet of their Redeemer ; that those who are sick may know Thee as the great Physician; that those who are anxious may by supplication and prayer 14 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP make their requests known unto Thee and have the peace of God which passeth all understanding; that those who weep for departed friends may look for- ward to the day when those who sleep in Jesus shall leave their graves and those who are alive and re- main shall be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and thus be ever with the Lord; that those suffer- ing chastisement for sin may not consider it griev- ous but joyous, and may let it work in them the peaceable fruits of righteousness ; that those suffer- ing persecution may remember that tribulation worketh patience and patience experience and expe- rience hope and hope maketh not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who is given unto us. Since it is Thy pleasure that we pray for la- borers, we ask Thee to thrust them forth into the harvest. Give them divine courage to meet danger and great grace to withstand peculiar temptations and infinite love for the lost and perishing to whom they carry the Gospel of God. Strengthen them in spirit, soul and body and preserve them blameless unto the coming of the Lord. And now we ask Thee to keep us during the service from listlessness, drowsiness and wandering thoughts. Quicken our sensibilities and intensify our desires. May we listen to the preaching of Thy Word with prayerful hearts; may we hear Thee speak to our inmost consciousness; may we have an intense purpose that Christ shall light us and PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 1 5 lead us in the way of His steps, for His own name's sake. Amen. OFFERTORY. We thank Thee, oh, Heavenly Father, for the privilege of giving to Thee of that which Thou hast given to us. Help us to understand how to give as becometh those who receive so richly of Thy bounty. May this money be wisely spent and carry a blessing with it. We ask it for Thy glory. Amen. PRAYER AFTER THE MORNING SERMON. Our Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that Thou hast graciously vouchsafed us the consciousness of Thy holy presence and we earnestly beseech Thee that we may cherish Thy Word spoken to our hearts and may go out of this house to be better citizens, better neighbors, better relatives, better in every way, as a result of this service. We ask it that Thy name may be glorified and Thy Word not return unto Thee void, for the sake of Thy Son our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. INVOCATION—AFTERNOON. Our Creator, Our Redeemer, Our Father, Our Shepherd, we come to Thee as helpless, dependent ones, seeking Thy favor, trusting the merits of Thy Beloved Son, and longing to worship Thee in Spirit and in Truth. l6 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "We commend ourselves, blessed Lord, to Thee, and to the word of Thy grace. Do Thou hear, answer and accept of us, for the sake of Him whom Thou hearest always, and to whom with Thee, the Father, and Thee ever-blessed Spirit, Three in One in covenant for our Redemption, be ascribed all blessing and honor and glory and praise, world without end." Amen. PRAYER BEFORE THE AFTERNOON SERMON. "We come unto Thee, our Father, in the name of Thy dear Son. All our hope is in Him. A dying, risen Jesus is the only secure shelter for the weary and heavy laden. Oh, give us to know the blessed- ness of that one Gospel word, 'No condemnation/ Our sins reach unto the clouds — we cannot answer for one of a thousand; but we rejoice that we can look up to One who has answered for us. "Blessed Saviour, Thou canst make every mountain of sin a plain. We can bury all in the ocean-depths of Thy forgiving mercy. We seek no other refuge and need no other refuge but Thee. We would no nothing and be nothing that Thou mayst be all in all. Relying on Thee, we can look calm and undismayed on all the unknown and chequered future. We can cast all our own cares as they arise on Thee, feeling not only that Thou carest for us, but that Thou makest these very cares Thine own. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 1 7 "Sanctify to us all the dealing of Thy Provi- dence. May these prove heart-searchers, quicken- ing our footsteps heavenward. Let us follow the leadings of the Great Shepherd of the flock. Let us repose in the blessed assurance we shall not want. Thou dost not overburden us — all is gentle leading, gentle guiding. We have known Thee in the past ; we will trust Thee in the future. Thou wilt lead us in the right way. "Be also pleased graciously to preserve and govern all Thy Christian Churches spread over the face of the earth, in unity of true faith and in god- liness of life, until Jesus comes to set up His king- dom and that of Satan be destroyed. "Sustain the faith of those who amid manifold discouragements are laboring in heathen lands ; may Jehovah send His Angel to stand by them and shut the mouth of every gainsayer. Oh, hasten that glorious time, when the year of Thy redeemed shall come and the whole earth shall be filled with Thy glory. "Particularly we pray for these United States of America ; keep them under Thy holy protection ; prosper them in their agriculture, manufacture, commerce and literature ; and let their civil and re- ligious rights be preserved inviolate. "Bless and long preserve thy servant, the Presi- dent of the United States. Bless the Vice-Presi- dent; the Senate and House of Representatives, when in Congress assembled. Bless all placed in l8 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP authority throughout the States, and especially in the State in which we reside; the Governor, the Magistrates and all others entrusted with powers, either legislative or executive. Replenish them all with Thy grace and heavenly gifts, each in the respective calling and state wherein Thou hast placed him, that they may wisely govern and strenu- ously protect the people whom Thou hast com- mitted to their care, that they may faithfully de- fend Thy worship and rightly administer justice. Preside with Thy Holy Spirit in their assemblies, that in all cases they may resolve nothing but what is good and becoming, and let the laws be happily executed; that these United States being preserved from all enemies, the evil doers punished and the just protected, Thy name thereby may be praised and the spiritual kingdom of the King of kings, Christ Jesus, promoted: and that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. "Bless all here assembled. Known unto Thee are our several wants, trials, and perplexities. Make Thy grace sufficient for us. May a sense of Thy presence hallow all duties, and lighten all trials. And all we ask is for Jesus' sake." Amen. OFFERTORY. Oh God, Our Father, the author of every good and perfect gift, we bring Thee of that which Thou hast so graciously given us. We praise Thee for the privilege of offering that PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 19 which shall set forward Thy holy work in this place. We trust Thee to multiply our seed sown and in- crease the fruits of our righteousness. For Thine own name's sake. Amen. PRAYER AFTER THE AFTERNOON SERMON. "We thank Thee, Heavenly Father, for Thy Word to us. Send us out with the lasting desire that Thy Divine love may be a holy incentive to every duty. Let us feel that we never can be happy but when pleasing Thee. Let us be aiming ever at a conquest of self ; subordinate all we do to Thy service. "Thou sympathizing Father, may the friendless and the bereaved know Thee as Friend and Com- forter. There are nameless sorrows on earth which are beyond the reach of the tenderest human sym- pathy. What man cannot touch, the God-man can. This is Thy sublime prerogative. "Let all Thy tried people with joy anticipate that gladsome morning, when the shadow of death shall melt and merge into eternal glory. For Jesus' sake. Amen. INVOCATION— EVENING. "O God, Thou art the King eternal, immortal, and invisible. The Heaven of Heavens cannot con- tain Thee. Myriads of pure and holy spirits cease not day nor night to celebrate Thy praises. "What are we that we should be permitted to 20 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP approach the presence of a God, so great and so glorious ? "But blessed be Thy name through the merits of a crucified Redeemer we may come to Thee sheltered by the blood of the everlasting covenant. And so we dare to uplift our hearts and voices to Thee in adoring worship and loving praise. And so magnifying Thee, we bless Thee, we thank Thee, we adore Thee for all Thou hast been, for all Thou art and for all Thou art going to be. "Bless us as we sit together. Make us con- scious of Thy loving presence. Fill us with Thy Holy Spirit. And may our gathering be for our good and for Thy glory." Amen. PRAYER BEFORE THE EVENING SERMON. "Almighty and most merciful Father, Thou art great and greatly to be feared; everything with Thee is infinite ; infinite wisdom, infinite power, in- finite love; Thy justice is as the great mountains; Thy judgments are a great deep ! "Give us a lowly estimate of ourselves — and lofty views of Jesus. Keep us in the knowledge that all that is good in us comes from Thee in Him ; we can confidently repose our everlasting interests on His finished work ; it is all that sinners require. "Forbid that we should presume on Thy mercy — that we should take encouragement to sin from abounding grace. May we feel that Thy pure eyes are upon us, that Thou triest us not according to man's fallible judgment, but according to the stand- PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 21 ard of unerring rectitude and holiness. And may we hate sin in ourselves as deeply as we hate it in others ; may every bosom-traitor which has usurped the throne of our affections be cast down, that God Himself may be our all in all. May we seek to im- bibe more of the spirit, and copy more of the exam- ple of our Divine Redeemer. May we feel it to be our joy to serve Him, our privilege to follow Him, our sorrow to grieve Him. Take us and use us for Thy glory ; sanctify our affections — elevate our de- sires ; may we have more of the character of holiness and breathe more of the atmosphere of Heaven. Keep us from being careful and troubled about earth's many things ; enable us to be more solicitous about the one thing needful. May we be covetous only for the riches of Thy grace and the riches of Thy glory. "Look down on Thy church everywhere throughout the world. Purify her more and more. May no weapon formed against her prosper ; may her ministers be men of God, and her saints and people shout aloud for joy. Do Thou satisfy Zion's poor with bread. May every afflicted one receive out of the wells of Thine own consolation, and be led to constantly desire Thy perfect will above everything else." Bless any who are deterred from assembling with us by sickness, or by the care of the sick, any who are kept away by the care of little children or the pressure of household duties, any who because 22 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP of worldliness have lost their relish for the place of prayer, any who have backslidden and need restoring grace. Heal the sick, comfort the sorrowful, be with the caretakers. "Let Thine own hand be around all our beloved friends, present or absent. Inscribe their names in the Lamb's Book of Life; may they be Thine on that day when Thou makest up Thy jewels. Sanc- tify sorrow to the sons and daughters of affliction ; let them not murmur under Thy Fatherly chastening hand ; may they come out from the furnace purified as the gold — vessels of glory meet for the Master's use. "Lord, bless each and all of us now assembled ; make us Thine own; put Thine own seal upon us. May we, and all near and dear to us, have the herit- age of those that fear Thy name. May we be bound up in the same bundle of spiritual life, that at the appearing and kingdom of our great Lord and Sav- iour we may enter with His ransomed people on glory everlasting; and all that we ask is for His sake !" Amen. OFFERTORY. O Thou God of all blessing, we pray Thee to accept what we offer Thee with grateful hearts. May we learn always to give cheerfully, since the Lord loveth a cheerful giver. May our offering be blessed as it is passed on in Thy name, and we all as a people go on from PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 23 glory to glory till we all come into the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. Amen. PRAYER AFTER THE EVENING SERMON. "Almighty God, Our Heavenly Father, we put our trust in Thee, the Living One. Death is writ- ten upon all other securities. Thou remainest ever- more the same, and in Thy righteousness is no change. We hasten therefore unto Thee as men hasten to the rock in which they can be protected against the storm. Thou art indeed a refuge from the tempest. Thou dost hide Thy people in Thy pavilion from the strife of tongues ; Thou dost call them into the chamber in the rock until the storm be overpast. Enable us to take refuge in the Son of God, to find our home and our heaven in His protection; and thus shall our life be spent wisely, and our strength shall go out from us to return again abundantly enriched. "We would live in Thy fear, we would work in Thy love, we would be comforted with Thy consola- tions. Heal our diseases ; direct our steps ; keep us in the time of strife, and give us solidity of confi- dence in the day of distress. We bless Thee for all Thy care, so patient, so tender, so minute, covering all things, and attending to each as if it were a soli- tary concern. This is Thy greatness, Thou Infinite One, that nothing is too little for Thy notice. We 24 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP put ourselves into Thy hands. We would have no will of our own; we would listen for Thy voice morning, noon and night, and answer it with the readiness of love. "We own our sins. We will not count them nor name them, for we cannot state them as they are in Thy sight ; but we will look toward the Cross of Christ • we will fix our attention upon the Son of God as He expires in agony. When sin torments us most, we will remember what Jesus, Son of man, Son of God, did in Gethsemane and on the Cross, and therein shall we find perpetual comfort. Enable Thy servants to work better than they have ever done. Enable all to whom the ministry of suffering is entrusted to suffer patiently, unmurmuringly, and hopefully; yea, may they so suffer as to awaken wonder because of gentleness, meekness, and pa- tience. When we read Thy Book, utter the music in our souls; then shall we see Thy meaning, and answer it instantly and lovingly/' For Jesus' sake. Amen. PRAYER BEFORE THE LORD'S SUPPER. "Almighty God and everlasting Father, we bless Thee for the return of another day of the Son of man. Pour out upon us a double portion of Thy grace ; fill our hearts with Thy love. May all vain, wandering, sinful thoughts be repressed; may our communion and fellowship be with the Father and with His Son and with His Holy Spirit. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 2$ "We bless Thee, O most gracious Lord, for the prospect we have of anew commemorating the dying of our risen and exalting Redeemer — of surround- ing once more the table in the wilderness and partak- ing of the bread of everlasting life. "Give to each of us the garment of praise. Let us prepare to meet God. May we feel that the place whereon we stand is holy ground. May we rejoice at the renewed opportunity of testifying in the pres- ence of angels and men our unaltered and unalter- able attachment to our blessed Lord and Master. In a strength greater than our own may we be enabled to resolve that He will be henceforth ours only, ours wholly, ours forever. "Give us quickening apprehensions of the great love wherewith He hath loved us : may we see, in some feeble measure, into its depths. May these lukewarm souls of our be quickened into newness of life. May our faith be invigorated, our loved deep- ned and our graces strengthened. May this be the grateful aspiration of all of our hearts, 'What shall we render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward us? We will take the cup of Salvation and call upon the name of the Lord ; we will pay our vows unto the Lord now in the presence of all His peo- ple. ' "We pray for all who are to break with us this day the bread of life. Give to each some special token of Thy covenant love. May they see the King in His beauty. Keep back all presumptuous and 26 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP unworthy guests. Encourage all misgivings, trem- bling, faint-hearted ones. While feeling their own unworihiness may they remember they are com- memorating the infinite worthiness of him who is all-worthy. May they hear Thy voice of encourage- ment, saying: 'Fear not, for I know that ye seek Jesus who was crucified/ "Go forth this day everywhere with the preach- ing of Thy holy Gospel. May wanderers be re- claimed; may mourners be comforted; may saints be edified; may Thy name be glorified. Stand to Thy ministering servants. May they hide them- selves behind their Lord, pointing away from the excellency of their own speech and their own wis- dom to Him, who alone by the attractive power of His Cross can draw all men unto Him. We com- mend to Thy paternal keeping our beloved friends. May they be among the number of Thy sealed ones. Sanctify them in spirit, soul and body, that they may at last be presented faultless and unblamable before Thy dear Son, at His appearing and king- dom. "Look in kindness on Thy church universal. Revive Thy work in the midst of the years. Re- turn, O Lord, and visit this vineyard which Thine own right hand hath planted ; may every branch be laden with fruit; found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of the Lord Jesus. "We put ourselves at thy disposal. May the everlasting arms ever be around us for good, guid- PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 27 ing through life till we are safe in glory — through Jesus Christ, our only Saviour." Amen. PRAYER AFTER THE LORD'S SUPPER. "Most gracious God, Our Heavenly Father, who hast in Thy good Providence brought us to the close of another communion, we entreat Thee to accept of our unfeigned thanks for all Thy loving kindness and tender mercy. May the benediction and blessing of the Master of the feast rest upon us. May we descend the holy mount rejoicing in the presence and love of Him, who brought us into His own banqueting house, and caused His banner over us to be love. Gracious God, give us grace to pay the vows which our lips have this day uttered ; fulfil in us all the good pleasure of Thy goodness, and the work of faith with pow T er, that the name of the Lord Jesus Christ may be magnified. As w T e have named His precious name anew, may we henceforth depart from all iniquity. Grant us the desires of our hearts, and fulfil all our petitions. May this communion service diffuse a hallowed glow over all the duties and engagements of the week; may we show to the world that w T e have been with Jesus, and that it has been no vain thing for us to draw near unto God. Our own strength is weakness ; we cannot follow out one single resolution depending on ourselves. May we be kept by Thy mighty power. May we exercise a holy jealousy over our- selves. 28 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "Keep us from the beginnings of sin ; preserve us from wandering on debatable ground ; may we ever be where we should wish to be found by our Lord when He cometh. Our cry would be, 'More grace! more grace!' Our trust would be in that God who, as the God of all grace, can impart all- sufficiency in all things. Sanctify our hearts by the indwelling of Thy blessed Spirit. May they become temples dedicated to His glory. May this be their motto and superscription : 'Holiness to the Lord.' "We pray for those who have joined with us in the solemn, sacred ordinance. We commend each and all to the great Shepherd of the sheep, who, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, will make them perfect to do His will. Regard in Thy great mercy, any who may have been prevented from waiting upon Thee in Thy house and in Thine or- dinances. Compensate by an increased supply of Thy own promised grace for the want of public services. Transform every sick chamber and every death-bed into the house of God and the gate of heaven. May valuable lives be prolonged. May the bereaved be comforted ; may they repose their bleed- ing bosoms on Him who bare their sorrows and knows their sorrows. "Take the charge of us; watch over us; may we all come at last to the eternal blessedness of an uninterrupted communion in glory, around which no shadows shall fall; for there shall be no night there, and they need no candle, neither light of the PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 29 sun, for the Lord God giveth them light and they shall reign forever and ever." Amen. PRAISE AFTER THE LORD'S SUPPER. "O Christ, what love divine Is in this cup of wine, This broken bread! For us Thy flesh was torn, For us the cruel thorn Did pierce Thy head! "Our sins wrought all Thy woe; Our hatred pierced Thee so, And broke Thy heart ! And yet Thou dost forgive — Dost bid us come and live — How good Thou art I" 30 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP CHAPTER II. BIBLE BENEDICTIONS. "Stand before the Lord to bless in His name/' Deu. 10 :8. AARON1C BENEDICTION. "The Lord bless thee, and keep thee : "The Lord make His face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: "The Lord lift up His countenance upon Thee, and give thee peace." Num. 6: 24-26. APOSTOLIC BENEDICTION. "The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all. Amen/' 2 Cor. 13 ;i4. PASTORAL BENEDICTION. "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleas- ing in His sight, through Jesus Christ : to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen." Heb. 13:20-21. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 31 BLESSED BENEDICTION. "Unto Him that loveth us, and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests unto His God and Father: to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen." Rev. 1 : 5, 6. New version. $2 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP CHAPTER III. WEEKLY MEETINGS. OFFICIAL MEETING. To Thee Our Heavenly Father, we render thanks, that as officials of this church Thou dost permit us to meet again to consider its interests, temporal and spiritual. So impress each of us with an exalted idea of our responsibility as its office bearers that we may consider the business before us, as work assigned by Thee, our great Master, every detail of which Thou expectest to be done with an eye single to Thy honor and glory. Though some of us may hold office in name dif- ferent one from another, yet we are all in the truest sense stewards, whose office is to be pillars and bur- den bearers in Thy church militant; therefore help us each, O Lord, to act wisely in dealing with mat- ters material, giving to each financial proposition our best sanctified business judgment; and to mat- ters spiritual, when right doctrines are at stake, a judgment absolutely sound, and in all, may we like true masters in Israel, be infused with the wisdom of God, by His Holy Spirit. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 33 We ask Thee, O Lord, to bless our pastor. May he not only grow in the knowledge and love of God, but may he continue to grow in favor with the mem- bers of this church and congregation; aye, Father, with the people in this entire neighborhood, that many may through his faithful and loving ministry be drawn to love Thy church and, as in Apostolic times, be added to it daily. Heavenly Father, be not unmindful of our peo- ple here whose names are inscribed on our church roll; may they indeed be accounted by Thee, true members of the spiritual body of Christ. May we, as their representatives in these busi- ness meetings, so faithfully perform our duties that this church in name may become indeed, "The Lord's House/' where He may be found to dwell, to the ex- clusion of all gatherings of every character, which are not fundamentally in furtherance of the old, old story, that Christ died for the ungodly. May we the officials, and our pastor, so min- ister to the church that grace may become exalted, and Thy name be glorified, and the Holy Spirit so enshrined in the midst of pastor, officials and mem- bers that each and all may find Thee a Comforter in time of trouble, a cure for every care. Forbid, O Lord, that we as a Board be dismayed because of any discouragements in our pathway as a church ; but may w r e resolutely follow where Thou leadest us, through tribulations as well as through joys, believing that Thou who hast begun this work 34 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP in this community will continuously carry it on to the saving of many souls. All of which we ask in the name of Jesus, our blessed Saviour. Amen. PRAYER MEETING OPENING- PASTOR'S PRAYER. "Heavenly Father, we come to Thee as breth- ren, the children of one Father, and the kindred of Thy Beloved Son. "We praise Thee for all the way Thou hast blest us as a people, and pray that Thy continued grace may be upon us. We thank Thee for Thy manifold gifts and favors, and for the supply of everything we have needed. We thank Thee for the health and strength by which we have been able to perform our duties; for kind friends who have cheered us; for a quiet mind that has enlivened us ; for precious promises and prevailing grace; for our nuture and guidance; for call and recall; for Thy forbearance and long suffering; for all the good received and success granted; for the use of things present and the hope of good things to come. "We would make humble and honest confes- sion of our sins to Thee this night. Thou hast com- forted us by saying, if we confess our sins, Thou art faithful and righteous to forgive them. We know that though we have confessed Thee with our tongues, we have oftentimes denied Thee by our acts. Our eyes have been often opened to let in PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 35 sin ; our ears have been ready to receive sinful dis- course ; we have let loose our tongues ; we have yielded our members as instruments of sin ; we have defiled our hearts by vain, foolish and impure im- aginations; we have wasted our time and have not lived answerably to our means of grace. If Thou, Lord, shouldst be extreme to mark what we have done amiss, we should have no hope. But there is mercy with Thee ; let Thy mercy rest upon us now, henceforth and forever. "Heavenly Father, let the blood of Thy dear Son wash away our sins. Let His righteousness hide our unrighteousness. Let His deservings com- mend us to Thee. Let not our faith waver nor our hope stagger, nor our love wax cold. Let us not be cast down by any fear; let us not be anxious or troubled by any care, any burden, any pain. Thou hast commanded us to cast them all upon Thee, be- cause Thou carest for us. So we come to Thee, O loving Christ, and in humble confidence and meek submission do cast them upon Thee. Let us never take them back again, but quietly trust and know that all things work together for our good because we love Thee. "May Thy Holy Spirit in all things direct and rule our hearts. Increase our faith, and enlarge our sense of Thy love. May our thoughts be contin- ually replenished and contented with a steadfast hope of the good things Thou hast prepared for them who love Thee. May the blessed hope of ever- 36 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP lasting life lodge always in the secret of our hearts, to be unto us a defence against the cares of this world, the deceitfulness of riches, and the allure- ments of vain things which cannot help or profit. "Instruct us both to be full and to be hungry, to abound and to suffer need, and in whatsoever state we are, therewith to be content. Make us grateful and liberal in prosperity ; patient and cheer- ful in adversity; for the love of Jesus Christ, our Lord. "Free our hearts from envy, jealousy, covetous- ness, pride, anger, impatience and all sin. Give us kindness, gentleness, purity, truth, integrity and every virtue ; and daily may we grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. "Almighty Father, raise up unto the church on earth men full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, mightly in the Scriptures, able ministers of the New Testament, to go forth with glad heart and ready mind to preach the Gospel to all nations. Be with them, and so bless them in their work that Thy word may have free course and be glorified, the fulness of the Gentiles come in, and all Israel be saved; and we with them, being built upon the foundation of the chief corner-stone, may grow together into an holy temple in the Lord, who livest and reignest with Thee and the Holy Ghost, world without end. "O Lord, Our Heavenly Father, Thou Ruler of the universe, who dost from Thy throne behold PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 2>7 all the dwellers upon earth, we beseech Thee, for the people of the United States, especially for the President, the Governor of this State, and all in judicial and executive authority. Incline them to Thy will, and lead them in Thy way. Replenish them with the grace of Thy Holy Spirit, and endue them with heavenly wisdom and righteousness. "We beseech Thee also for our Senate and Rep- resentatives, as well as for the Legislature of our State, that Thou wouldst be pleased to direct all their consultations, to the advancement of Thy glory, the good of Thy Church, the safety, honor and welfare of Thy people. "May all things be so ordered and settled by their endeavors, upon the best and surest founda- tions, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety may be established. "Grant Thy blessing also upon Thy servants, the missionaries, who are extending the knowledge of Thy Cross in the dark places of the earth. Pre- serve them from every danger to which they may be exposed, from perils by land or sea, from perse- cution and pestilence, from discouragement in their labors and from the devices of the adversary. May they see Thy work prospering in their hands ; and do Thou hasten the promised times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. May Jesus take to him- self His great power and reign. Arise, O God, and let Thine enemies be scattered. "Visit with Thy blessing, we pray Thee, our 38 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP Sunday school. Inspire the teachers with a proper sense of their solemn duties, and with grace and strength to fulfill them. May our youth be trained up in Thy nurture and admonition. Implant in their hearts that fear of the Lord which is the beginning of wisdom and that faith which worketh by love and overcometh the world. Fill their memories with the words of Christ. Open their understandings to the truth, as it is in Jesus ; so that, made wise unto sal- vation, they may escape the pollutions of error and sin, and become strong in Thy hands for blessing to the world." And now we ask Thee for this service. May the reading of the Word, and the message, and the prayers, and the testimonies, all be in the Spirit. May this hour prove a time of refreshing from the presence of the Lord, and may we go to our homes strengthened for Thy service and ready for anything which Thy providence brings to us. We ask it in the name and merits of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen. PRAYER MEETING— LAYMAN'S PRAYER. We thank Thee for the privilege of assembling once again with the saints to worship Thee. May the hour be one of real devotion and bless- ing. May we remember that this is the place of prayer and the hour of worship. May every heart realize that God is present in power. We ask it for Thy glory. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 39 We praise Thee, we bless Thee, we adore Thee, Thou all-wise, all loving, all tender, all beneficient God. Bless our pastor. Endow him with the riches of Thy grace and the riches of Thy glory. We thank Thee for the blessing Thou dost make Him to this people. Be with him as he goes in and out among us. May he be our inspiration to holy living, our comfort in the hour of trouble, our example in all righteousness. Bless us as his people ; may we cherish him and never criticise him ; may we listen to him and pray for him and assist him in all the lines of work as God shall show us. May we teach our children to love and reverence him, for so may they learn to love and reverence Thee. Bless any detained at home by sickness or the care of the sick. May rays of glory from this place reach them and brighten and bless them. Bless those who are kept at home by the care of the aged or of little children. May they realize that God is a Spirit omnipresent, omniscient, as able to comfort them at home as in the house of God. May we take back to them some word of cheer from this place, and if next w r eek we ought to remain at home and let them come to prayer meeting remind us of it and make us glad to do it. "Most merciful Father, whose most blessed Son, Jesus Christ, came forth from the bosom of Thy love to seek and to save those who were lost ; 40 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP, Who was lifted up that He might draw all men unto Him ; in His name we commend unto Thy mercy all men everywhere, both those who have heard and those who know not the saving power of His cross. Make the light thereof to shine in the dark places of the earth, and with its might throw down the kingdom of Satan in the world. Wherever Thy Gospel is preached, let there be those who will hear and believe. Enlighten them who are yet groping in the darkness of a legal spirit, and give them to see the righteousness which is of Thee by faith. Show unto all believers the fulness of their salva- tion in Christ, and that they are complete in Him." Reveal to us the riches of Thy grace and grant that we, seeing our privileges, live up to them. We ask it in the name of Jesus. Amen. CLASS MEETING— LEADER'S PRAYER. What shall we render unto Thee for all Thy benefits toward us, we ask ourselves, O God, as we gather here, a company of Thy children, journey- ing hand in hand and heart to heart to the New Jerusalem. Shall the thought of another week of our lives passing into eternity with the long line of weeks preceding it, make us sad because of the reminder that time is fleeing and that we are growing older? No, Heavenly Father, far from it. The vanished week, though gone forever, and which humanly we felt loath to part with as from a valued friend, has carried with it such a precious history of Thy gra- PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY- 41 cious dealings with us, that the solemnity of an eter- nal past is completely banished, being overshadowed by blessings so much greater. The rapidity with which these precious weeks are passing, cause us to think of the never-ending years, and the perpetual pleasures which await, in the eter- nity of the future, those who to the end endure; and better still, O God, to meditate that those fleet- ing weeks are hastening the day when Jesus shall appear, whose blessed presence we so long to meet in the flesh. So, Lord, we joyously say: Pass away thou years of our youth, hurry thou white hairs of old age, let time speed on and eternity hasten, that we may be ever present with Thee who hath saved us and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to Thine own purpose and grace. But some here, O Father, have walked through thorny paths since last we met. Through sore trib- ulation they have forced their way to this meeting. They have borne real crosses; have been scorned for righteous doing. Shall they render unto Thee for all Thy benefits? Yes, they will, Lord. They come to drink of that deep well of joy which Thou providest for Thy children, and from which we have drank here so often. A taste to us of heavenly bliss. Help them to rejoice in Thee and experi- ence their delight now, because of that river, "The streams whereof make glad the city of our God." 42 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP, Among Thy benefits we glory that Thou art now in our midst. Thy Spirit assures us Thou wilt truly honor and bless the two or more gathered in Thy name. We claim Thy blessing now. Thou dost bless us. Glory to Thy holy name! Lord we have often petitioned Thee in this class and Thou hast heard us and sent us home re- joincing in Thee as a bounteous giver. But now we engage in a praise which will be a delight to Thee. Give us a quick eye to perceive occasions for gratitude. Let not thanklessness allow Thy favors to pass unnoticed. Help us to think of even Thy little mercies of the days just passed and sing of thy goodness. If these little mercies are beneath our notice. Thou wilt remove even these. Who hath better reason to praise Thee than we? Therefore we give Thee our united praise and with one accord exclaim, with David: "I will praise Thy name for Thy loving kindness and for Thy truth/' If any here have yielded to Satan's seductions, and feel humiliated because of their sin, and are truly sorry, let them rejoice in Thee now as the God of their salvation; and praise Thee not alone for not withdrawing Thy Spirit; but tenderly "drawing them by Thy cords of love" to this hal- lowed place where a fresh start may be taken for the Kingdom. Holy Spirit, lead all of our people here to praise Thee. Should one tongue be silent, one with- PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY. 43 out praise? Shall even the pains of pinching pov- erty or distress felt from afflictions to which man is heir cause us to hang our harps upon the willow ? No, Lord, we will sing Thy praises and render unto Thee for all Thy benefits. If too blind to perceive temporals, let us bless Thee for spirituals. And if too depressed to barely do this, then let us render to Thee for what the Saviour is to us, "In that while we were yet sin- ners, Christ died for us; and being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him." O Lord, inspire us now to bless Thee. Blend our testimonies in such praise as is Thy due, that we may all, as the result of this meeting, feel anew the love of God spread abroad in our hearts. And while meditating on Thy goodness, ban- ish unbelief, and provoke our love to the intensity of a firebrand snatched from the altar of praise, that burns before the throne. Make this hour the beginning in us of more practical deeds of kindness, benevolence and works of praise to Thee, to whom be never ending praise and glory. Amen. CLASS MEETING— MEMBER'S PRAYER. "O Lord, we desire to draw near to the foot- stool of Thine Eternal Throne. We have been per- mitted to discharge the duties of another week. We bless Thee for all the renewed proofs we have had 44 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP of Thy care and kindness. Multitudes have been pining in sickness and racked with pain, laid on beds of languishing and death — we are still among the living to praise Thee ! But far above all Thine other gifts we bless Thee for Thine inestimable love in the Redemption of a lost and fallen world, for the means of grace and for the hope of glory. We bless Thee that Jesus, Thy well-beloved Son, has brought in an everlasting righteousness — that He has magnified Thy law, and made it honorable — that even the dark valley has been lighted with Thy love, and the gate of Heaven opened to all believers. "Discover to us the depths of our depravity, unveil to us the secret pride, selfishness, and world- liness of our hearts. Show us our besetting sins. Let us see their vileness in the cross of Thy dear Son. May our hearts become living altars, and our lives living sacrifices ; that yielding our members as instruments of righteousness unto holiness, may we serve Thee in newness of spirit. "Lord, we know the proneness of the natural heart to put ofif the solemn consideration of the one thing needful. Many have lived with good inten- tions and yet have perished; let it not be so with us; let us live with the conscious feeling that im- mortality lieth before us. "Let us not be slumbering and sleeping; let us not be among the number of the presumptious ones, who are saying, 'The Lord delayeth His com- ing/ Let us be ever ready, ever watching with the PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 45 girded loins and burning lamps, so that when the summons shall come, 'Arise, let us be going/ we may be ready with the response, 'Lo! this is our God, we have waited for Him/ "We commend, Holy Father, to Thy gracious care and providence our families and households. May each be a member of the household of faith. Do Thou long continue unbroken our home-circles on earth, but let our true home be above. Let the watchword of each near and dear to us be this, 'We are journeying unto the place of which the Lord has said, I will give it to you/ "Bless the young; train them early for glory. Preserve them from the countless temptations of a world lying in wickedness. "We pray for the afflicted; we commend them to Him who knows their frame; who did Himself pass through the wilderness of discipline, and Who having suffered, being tempted, is able to succor them that are tempted. "Let Thy kingdom come. Stand by Thy mis- sionary servants ; may they have many heathen souls for their hire — many who shall be to them as a crown of joy and rejoicing, on the great day. "We pray for Thy cause throughout the world. Bless our nation, may she be the honored instrument among the kingdoms of the earth in greatly promot- ing the glory of her God. Bless our President, may he evermore have affiance in Thee, and ever seek Thy honor and glory. Bless every rank and con- 46 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP, dition. May Thy favor encompass all as with a shield. "Be Thou with us, blessed Lord, this day. May Thine angels encamp round about us and keep us in all our ways. "May we all be found unto praise, and honor and glory, at the appearing of Jesus Christ. And all that we ask is for His sake." Amen. BIBLE READING. Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the privi- leges of this hour. To gather round Thy Book is our chief delight ; this is the very jubilee of time, the hour of joy and growth and liberty. May no man miss the sacredness of the opportunity; may every moment be begrudged that is not spent in eager attention, and may the one desire of every listener be to know what God the Lord hath spoken — the invisible God in Heaven, or the visible and human Christ on earth. Give us to see more and more of the grace that is in Christ Jesus, Son of man, Son of God. He was the express image of his Father, the very brightness of His glory. May we study His words profitably, lovingly, seeking out their meaning with earnest hearts and receiving the same in all its usefulness. May we no longer live as those who have no centre, no altar, no God ; but live the deep life and PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY, 47 the true, feeding ourselves upon the bread sent down from Heaven, lost in wonder, love, and praise as we gaze upon the truth of God ; and thus may our life, being divinely nourished, express itself in human beneficence: may we go about doing good, knocking at the doors that are shut upon us, that in opening them we may find an op- portunity of preaching Christ and exemplifying the light of Heaven. His words are full of love, full of mystery, full of grace. We wonder at the gracious words which proceed out of His mouth — the words themselves so gracious and made doubly gracious by the tender- ness and majesty of His tone. Give us at all times when Christ is the speaker, the hearing ear, the understanding heart, and the obedient will; then shall our hearing be a means of grace, and the sight of Christ by the vision of the soul shall be a ministry of transfiguration: then shall we be like Him when we see Him as He is, CHURCH SOCIABLE. Heavenly Father, we have gathered as mem- bers of this church and community to get acquainted with each other and have a good time. May we do nothing or say nothing which our Lord Jesus Christ would not approve, if He were present as the Son of man in our midst. May we put away frivolity as unbecoming a gathering of professedly Christian people. May we not speak the multitude of words in 48 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP which there is sin, nor idle words for which men are to be called to account, nor the slanderous, back- biting words which Thou dost hate. May our speech be with grace seasoned with salt, and our words be words of life which shall edify and help each other. May something be done which shall make us richer and the world better for our gathering to- gether. If there are lonesome strangers here may they feel that they are in Father's house and Father's family. Bless the poor of our church and community. May we as a church remember the old apostolic days and be among those who earn money not to spend it selfishly, but to have to give to him that needeth. Bless the children. May we be tender and thoughtful of them and lead them into the fold of God. Bless our committee of arrangements. May they always have in mind and choose for our enter- tainment those things which will not only please, but prove a lasting benefit to us all. Do for us as a church and people exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think, for Thine own gracious name's sake. Amen. PRIVATE DEVOTION,, PERSONAL MINISTRY 49 CHAPTER IV. THE SUNDAY SCHOOL. PRAYER FOR A SUNDAY-SCHOOL TEACHERS' MEETING. "Almighty God, be with us in our meeting; and may all our counsels be ordered in heavenly wisdom, and crowned with Thine abundant bless- ing. Graciously instruct us, that we may know the mind of the Spirit in Holy Scripture. Qualify us in heart and soul for the work committed to our trust, that so we may impart of that which we have received, and be Thine instruments in leading many into the way of life. "And we beseech Thee of Thine infinite mer- cies to bless the children who are given to our charge. Open their understandings and dispose their hearts to receive Thy truth, which is able to make them wise unto salvation. Awaken in their minds by Thy Spirit a deep sense of their sinfulness, and bring them to ask and receive the mercy which is in Christ Jesus. Let us fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger of soul or body. Grant, if it be consistent with Thy wisdom, that their lives may be prolonged on the earth. Prepare them, 50 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP by Thy grace, to fill with honor to themselves and usefulness to the world every station of life to which Thy Providence shall call them; and let it please Thee, O Lord, to raise up from among them those who shall testify for Thee in the gospel of Thy Son. "Give Thy grace, we implore Thee, to all par- ents and guardians, that with all diligence and af- fection of heart they may train up the children of their charge in the way in which they should go. "Bestow Thy special blessing upon Thy servant whom Thou hast appointed to minister to us in the gospel of Christ; that he may be led by the Spirit, and faithfully serve before Thee to the glory of Thy name; and that his labors may be abundantly blessed in winning souls to righteousness, and crowned with acceptance in the day of the Lord Jesus. These things, and whatever else Thou shalt see necessary and convenient for him, for us, and for Thy whole Church, we humbly ask through the merits of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ." Amen. PRAYER OF A SUPERINTENDENT. Our Heavenly Father, we gather in Thy name, to study Thy Word and learn of Thee. May we remember that this is the house of God and the place of prayer, and be quiet, thoughtful, attentive and prayerful. May we who teach realize our individual re* sponsibility to speak in the Spirit, as the oracles of God. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY. 5 1 May we be faithful in the preparation of the lessons. May we consider that no office in the church is more important than ours; that to us is committed the training of plastic minds that will be holy missionaries, goodly ministers, righteous business men, and true, devoted Christian wives and mothers if we are faithful, but who may be godless, prayerless, men and women if we are not faithful. May those who listen and learn know that God requires them to have open ears and receptive hearts. May they love the truth and learn here how to obey it and go out to follow the blessed teachings of the Word of God. Be with any absent teachers. Bless any who are ill, and who are hindered from coming by any cause which they could not control. If any are absent because of indifference or backsliding, quickly restore them or take them out from us. Give us in this school a corps of teachers who are God's faithful minute men, true to Him and true to their trust. Bless any absent pupils. May the teachers learn the cause of their absence and never rest in love or in prayer until they are back again in the school with us. Bless our Pastor. May he have food for the lambs in every sermon, and may we love him and love to listen to him. 52 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP Bless us specially in this service to-day, and grant that when Jesus comes we may be among the white-robed throng who shall go into the marriage supper of the Lamb. For Jesus' sake. Amen. TEACHER'S PRAYER FOR A CLASS OF GIRLS. Dear Father, I pray for these girls which Thou hast given me, that they may not love the world, neither the things that are in the world, but may love Thee supremely and one another as Thou hast loved them. May they be so yielded to Thee that Thou canst cleanse each one and make each one a fit temple for the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. May the Holy Spirit come in and take entire possession, revealing the deep things of God to them as they study their lessons this week. May they stop their ears from hearing and shut their eyes from seeing evil, may they keep their lips from speaking guile, remembering what our Lord has said that not that which goeth into the mouth defileth, but that which cometh out of the mouth. Sanctify them through Thy truth, we beseech Thee, for Jesus' sake and in Jesus' name. Amen. TEACHER'S PRAYER FOR A CLASS OF BOYS. Heavenly Father, bless the class of boys Thou hast graciously committed to my keeping. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 53 Shield them in the hour of danger; enable them to overcome in time of temptation ; forbid that they should go from my instruction into the down- ward path of sin. Give me time and strength and grace to visit my pupils and pray with them as well as for them. Help me to be patient and persevering in my efforts to lead them to Christ. Help me to study my Bible more faithfully that I may know better how to teach it. Help me to attend the teachers' meeting regu- larly that I may help others and learn how to in- struct my class more perfectly. Amen. PRAYER FOR CHILDREN OF THE PRIMARY CLASS. "Father ! bless our school to-day ! Be in all we do or say ! Be in every song we sing! Every prayer to Thee we bring! Come and with Thy children meet ! And while waiting at Thy feet ! May we in the lesson see Something teaching us of Thee." Amen. 54 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP, CHAPTER V. GATHERINGS OF WOMEN. WOMAN'S FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY- OPENING PRAYER. Our Heavenly Father, Thou who dost desire to show Thyself as a Father to all Thy children, be with us at this time and show Thyself strong in our behalf. We are but women, but Thou hast said, "The Lord gave the word; great was the company of women that published it " (Ps. 68: 1 1) ; and we are in Thy hands that Thou mayest work through us for the "publishing" of Thy Word to the "utter- most part of the earth." To do this, our Father, wilt Thou completely possess each one of us here. Possess our members, that we may speak, see, and give as Thou directest. Possess our possessions that we may count ourselves but as stewards of all we have. Possess our lives that we hold ourselves in readiness to do Thy will at any time, at any cost and in any place. We ask, our Father, to bless us, that we may be a blessing to the world. We ask Thee to remember all missionaries PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 55 and especially those who are separated from all other missionaries in loneliness on hard fields. We ask Thee to remember the missionaries recently sent out ; help them to quickly learn the language and quiet their hearts in this waiting time. Re- member, our Lord, those that have patiently worked a long time in their field without visible fruit, help them not to be weary in w r ell doing. Strengthen and establish the native Christians and multiply them. Give w 7 isdom to all Missionary Societies. Give a spirit of supplication and sacrifice to those at home, and begin, our Father, with us in this meet- ing. Keep us true to the trust that Thou hast given us ; the trust of knowing Thy Word, of hav- ing in our control some of Thy money and of having the Holy Spirit to empower us for anything Thou dost require. We not only ask for these things, but we ac- cept them at Thy hand, knowing that it is Thy will that "all men should be saved," thus, we praise and adore Thy blessed name. All that we have omitted to ask for wilt Thou give. In the name of Jesus. Amen. WOMAN'S FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY- CLOSING PRAYER. We thank Thee, our Heavenly Father, that Thou hast manifestly fulfilled Thy promise to us and as we have gathered together in Thy name, Thou hast been in our midst. 56 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP, We thank Thee for all we have heard of the horrors 'of heathendom, not because of their horrible state, but because we can be more in touch with Thee, for we now see what Thine eye can observe the whole day long. Our heart can now conceive of the weight of the command to, ' ' Go and disciple all nations," for Thou dost see their great need. Without a vision the people perish and therefore we thank Thee for the Vision and its impression on our hearts. We thank Thee for what we have heard of the accomplishment of Thy grace in heathen fields. It still further encourages us to continue in prayer and to continue in giving that the good work may go on. As we separate we ask Thee not to let the im- pressions fade from our minds, but deepen them into convictions and then enable us to act according to our convictions. Keep us in a spirit of prayer, and so in touch with Thee, that we may ask for those things that Thou dost wish to work out in connection with the evangelization of the world. Thanking Thee again for Thy presence amongst us, and taking it with us, we praise Thee through Jesus Christ. Amen. WOMAN'S HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY- OPENING PRAYER. Our Heavenly Father, we come before Thee, asking Thee for guidance and for wisdom in this PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY, $? meeting, and that we may catch the thought Thou hast for us at this time. We cannot do everything in this great work of missions, but we can do something and Thou hast set each one of us, even women as we are, in the place where we find ourselves, that we may look from that place over Thy vineyard and hear Thy call to go and work. Thy command to go first to Jeru- salem before going to the uttermost part is before us and we pray Thee, that this meeting may prove a clarion call to all to do more for Thee in their Jerusalem and Judea, our home land. We pray Thee to take all things into Thy hand, control, guide and bless our leader, give us all hear- ing ears and an open heart to receive Thy word. Bless the messages that shall be given, and may there be living and energizing words spoken. Bless our hymns of praise and our supplications that all things in this meeting may redound to Thy glory. Help us to be not only Home Missionaries, but missionaries at home, beginning Thy work in our own families and from hence in ever widening circles until our eternal service shall be before the throne. We pray Thee to let our service be a service of love, so fill us with Thy Spirit that we may feel with the heart of Christ and be constrained to live and move in that love. We pray Thee to take the man-fearing spirit 58 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP from us, if any suffer so, help us to see "J esus only" in our service, and depend on "J esus only" in our- selves. Enable us to look only for Thy approval, yet may our ways be winsome for Thee. We pray for that which Thou seest we need and that we see not. Open Thou our eyes that we may behold also. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen. WOMAN'S HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY- CLOSING PRAYER. We thank Thee, our Father in Heaven, that Thou hast had charge of this hour. We thank Thee that Thy promises for the workers for Thee are so manifold in Thy Word. We receive Thy faith to take hold upon them, and lean on Thee as we go forth from this place, that Thou mayest work them out in our lives. We pray for all workers all over our land, that they may be blessed in their souls and strengthened for their work. We ask for all societies for Home Work, that Thou mayest prosper them. We ask Thee now as a society that Thou wilt baptize us afresh for the work that lies at our doors and give us a spirit of unselfishness for other work in our own country. Let the words of this hour be indelibly wrought in our lives that we may as Thou didst, go about doing good. As we go forth wilt Thou go before and open PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 59 the way that we may be of some service to Thee. All we ask is in the name of Jesus and our praise is to His name. Amen. MOTHERS' MEETING— OPENING PRAYER. Heavenly Father, we come to Thee as children feeling the need of strength and counsel. Oh ! wilt Thou hear us in our prayers for our community, our church and our home? Thou who art as a Shepherd among us, help us to follow Thee. We want to put ourselves in Thy hands, for they art well kept whom Thou dost keep. Lead us and guide us in all things. Thou knowest our lives, forgive all that is not right in Thy sight, and fill us with Thy Holy Spirit that we may make them perfect before Thee. Bless our church and help us to show others how Christians should live. Keep us from discouragement, and bring to our remembrance the source of our strength and hope. May we take hold of the work Thou givest us to do with both hands and be faithful unto death. Be with us in our homes that Thy presence may make us wise in bringing up our children, kind and patient with their youth and ignorance. May Thy love in us bring obedience and love from them and all our lives together be happy, and sweet, and good in Thy sight. We thank Thee for Thy Book, may its words be the law of our church, our state and our country. 6o PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP Grant that our rulers be men who love God and deal kindly and justly with all; who love the truth above all things, and who have no fear, who spread light and dispel darkness; who study Thy will and Thy way, and bring safety and strength to the land. We thank Thee for Thy love, for Thy tender mercies ; for the gift of Thy Son Jesus Christ ; for Thy Word ; for every blessing which has come from Thy hand. Strengthen us by Thy Holy Spirit, and to Thee be all glory and honor forevermore. Amen. MOTHERS' MEETING— CLOSING PRAYER. We come to Thee, O Thou Divine Lover of the human race, at this closing hour, to pray that the words we have heard may sink deep into our hearts and go with us to our homes and be carried out in practical, patient, dutiful living. Make us better wives, better mothers, better neighbors, because we have gathered here. Bless our husbands and may each one of us as wives learn to be subject to the one whom Thou hast placed over us as our head, may we not scold him, not argue with him, not contradict him, but defer to his judgement, and say "yes" to his every request and so live that Thou can't fulfill to us Thy promises and our home be a little Paradise of God. Bless our children. May we set them ever a holy example, and never say anything, never do PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 6l anything we would not like to have them say or see them do. May we be tenderly patient with them, careful not to threaten, yet true to fulfill every promise. May we look not on our own things, but al- ways in all circumstances look at events from the standpoint of "others." Work in us to will and to do of Thy good pleas- ure along every line, as we have asked of Thee, that Thy name may be glorified in our homes and in our neighborhood. Amen. LADIES' AID SOCIETY— OPENING PRAYER. Our Heavenly Father, we gather in Thy name with the object of furthering the cause of Christ in our church and community. We desire to be a blessing to the sick, to visit the stranger, to help the poor, to comfort the sor- rowful. We would be instrumental in bringing those who attend our church or Sunday School into our sanctuary and into the fold of Christ. We ask Thee to direct all our deliberations, to the furtherance of the gospel of Christ in the church and in the world. Bless our homes. May our church work in no wise hinder our necessary work at home. Speed us in all we do that we may make the most of time and opportunity. Bless our pastor and make us of real assistance to him in the different departments of his work. 62 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP Bless our officiary. May they be remarkable for godliness and faithfulness to every duty. Bless our Sunday School. May the truth be taught and accepted and lived out. Bless us as wives and mothers who desire to be true to God's best for us, that Thy perfect will may be wrought out in us, both in our church work and in our home duties. Let us live the life of faith, the noble eternal life of trust in the living God; saying daily until our very voice becomes musical by the exercise, "The will of the Lord be done." Amen. LADIES* AID SOCIETY— CLOSING PRAYER. Bless us, Heavenly Father, as we go to our homes. "We will leave all the way to God. We will not take our life-course from our passion, our im- agination, our selfishness; we will have nothing to do with it, except in God and through the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Then our thirst shall be a bless- ing, our hunger shall be a means of grace, our diffi- culties shall be elements of delight, and the strain that is put upon our weakness shall be the begin- ning and the assurance of power. "Bring us into the inner places of God's house ; take us from chamber to chamber until we see the innermost centre possible to earthly vision ; give us to feel the warmth of the sanctuary — its tender, hos- pitable glow; give us to feel assurance of God's PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 63 nearness and God's love and God's almightiness to save. "Protect us from impressions made through the senses only, and undertake for us that we shall learn wholly from Thy Spirit, disregarding appearances which we can neither understand nor control. En- able us to trust Thee, and love Thee, and serve Thee : and when the enemy's hand is mighty upon us, may the hand of God be mightier still ; and when the discouragement of the way is very severe, may our gift in prayer be greatly enlarged, and our souls see an open gate to the throne of the heavenly grace." Amen. W. C. T. U.— OPENING. Our Heavenly Father, we come in the name of Him who offered Himself a sacrifice for all man- kind. We have given ourselves to Thee to be specially used in the cause of temperance, to train the chil- dren, to educate the ignorant, to lift up the fallen, to rescue the perishing and to comfort the sorrow- ful. We ask Thee to keep us in Thy perfect will for us in the work, to guide our steps in the way of peace and holiness. Give us courage to speak the truth, but may we speak it in love. While we hate the traffic with divine hatred, may we love the traffickers with divine love, a love that will be true at any cost. 64 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP Direct our deliberations and our work this hour. May we have God's highest thought for us about everything. Keep us in our social relations, may we remem- ber the words of our beloved leader, Frances Wil- lard, never to say anything discouraging about the work nor disparaging about the workers. May the love in our midst draw others to the work so dear to our hearts. Comfort the wives and mothers who have intem- perate husbands or sons or daughters. Bless those whose hearts ache for fear of what may be because of the moderate indulgence of stimulants. Bless the drunkard who is seeking to be delivered from bondage and bring him out into liberty. We ask it that God may be glorified and souls may be saved to the honor and praise of Jesus' name. Amen. W. C. T. U.— CLOSING. "Heavenly Father, we beseech Thee in behalf of this great and crying evil of intemperance in our land. O, be merciful and deliver us from it ! "Tongue cannot tell the sorrow and pain re- sulting from this sin, but Thou, O omniscient God, Thou knowest, and to Thee only, all powerful, all merciful, do we look for help. "To those already enslaved by this vice, we pray Thee give strength to overcome it. May they fight valiantly against it and win the victory through Jesus Christ. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 65 "O, God! inspire all mankind with fear and distrust toward this insiduous foe. Turn public sentiment against it everywhere. May Christian people especially stand courageously opposed to it. Give us wisdom as to the means to employ to defeat it. May those of us who are strong abstain from it lest w T eaker ones be offended or made to stumble through us. May we take no undecided stand in regard to it, but being fully persuaded that it is wrong throw all the strength of our influence against it and strive earnestly, though gently, to win back those who have become ensnared by it. "All this we ask in the name and for the sake of Christ our Saviour." Amen. 66 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP CHAPTER VI. GATHERINGS OF YOUNG PEOPLE. Y. M. C. A.— OPENING PRAYER. Heavenly Father, as a band of young men, we gather in Thy name to receive blessing that we may be a blessing. Speak to us Lord, reveal the truth as it is in Christ Jesus. May the message from Thy Word find a deep lodgment in our hearts and be wrought out in our lives. "We need Thee now; we would see a light above the brightness of the sun; we would stand very near to God and feel His breathing upon our hearts and His gentle touch upon our whole life; and we would answer that conscious nearness by new service and new loyalty. "We would say again, with new strength of words and thought, that the Lord shall have all we are; for we are Thine not our own, bought with a price ; therefore to glorify Thee shall be our one work, our soul's desire, our one delight. "We bless Thee for those who have gone up nearer the light, nearer the throne, nearer the love that casts no one out who will put forth one trem- PRIVATE DEVOTION,, PERSONAL MINISTRY 67 bling hand toward its great security. May we fol- low them as they followed Christ. "We would carry out Thine instructions to the letter ; in all our ways we would acknowledge God, that our paths may be directed. We bless Thee for this consciousness that Thou art always speak- ing to us. We will listen for Thee; we will hush almost the beating of our heart, lest we miss one tone of Thy gospel. When we do not know which way to go, let us hear a voice in our ear saying: This is the way, walk ye in it. And when the roads are many in number, crossing one another in thick perplexity, let a light shine upon the road we ought to take, and we shall know that light to be the finger of God. "Be with those who are in difficult places — who are standing outside barred against progress and liberty. Look upon those who are fighting ill- fated battles, to whom the morning brings no hope and the night no rest — baffled, disappointed, sorely stricken. "The Lord grant unto the soldier in the day of battle, and of fear, and of death too certain, confidence in right and truth and God. Pity those whose homes are battle-fields, though the war be fought mpny a mile away, for at home men die over again, and still worse death is died because of distance, imagination, and aggravated trouble. Comfort those to whom men may not speak, because of the sacredness of sorrow. Regard those who are 68 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP on the sea, as if pursued by the winds, as if the storm were wreaking vengeance upon them, and tearing their frail ship to pieces; the Lord plant His footsteps on the sea, and make the storm a trumpet softening into gospel tones and filled with meaning which the heart alone can comprehend. Bring back the traveler ; make his face radiant with joy; take the age out of his limbs, and let him run with the vigor of youth. Speak to the dying, and they shall not die. Touch the old man, and he will forget his earth-age in the hope of heavenly youth. "We speak our prayer in the sweet name of Jesus crucified once, crowned for evermore. He died for us — the just for the unjust; He rose again for us to show that death can snatch but a brief triumph, the final and eternal victory being on the side of life. God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and cause His face to shine upon us; and in the shining of that face, we shall for- get all the pale and mocking glory which once made us glad." Amen. Y. M. C. A.— CLOSING PRAYER. "We bless Thee for the holy time, for the holy place, and for the holy Book — a time that is separ- ate, a place that is made a sanctuary, a Book that stands above all other books, alone in its complete- ness and authority. May we understand these appointments, and respond to all their meaning: PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 69 may the time be as a jewel among the days; may the place sanctify our habitations; may the Book inspire and direct our thought and feeling and action. Thus, may we be the better — not the worse — for our meeting together in Thy name: may we feel the mystery of sympathy; may we enter into the joy of fellowship ; may w T e have communion one with another and with our Lord Jesus Christ by the power of the Holy Ghost. Thus, united in Thy love and worshipping at Thine altar, we shall be prepared to endure the burden and the suffering of life, and to wait with expectancy and hope the day of Thine appearing. "We bless Thee for the flowers in the wilder- ness, for water among the rocks, for a cooling breeze at noonday ; for all the mercy and loving kindness, so tender and abundant, which have fol- lowed us all the days of our life, and made it a time of sunshine and liberty. That we have not lived up to all this call of Thine, enforced by provi- dences so tender, and ennobled by a pathos so wondrous as the sacrifice of Thy Son, is our bitter- est complaint : we accuse ourselves ; we know that we have come short in all things, and that we have offended against Thee. But Thy mercy is great to forgive as well as to provide ; Thy loving kindness is a redemption as w T ell as a providence ; so we come to the Cross, owning our sickness of heart, our rebellion of will, our whole evil-mindedness, asking for the pardon of God. yo PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "Comfort us according to our necessities ; how many they are Thou knowest, how bitter and sharp Thou alone canst tell. Withhold not Thy consola- tions : let Thy solaces be more in number than our sufferings ; then shall we magnify God in the house of our affliction. Regard our loved ones for whom it is our delight to pray. Some are not here : they are far away upon the sea, or beyond the sea, in strange lands, in difficult places ; or they are in the chamber of sickness, or in the shadow of a great sorrow, counting their loss, and not able to find the gain which Thou hast hidden amid its tears; the Lord look upon them, be tender and gracious unto them, comfort them with stimulus, that they may be stirred up to nobler service and not be allowed to sink under the burden of their grief. "Teach us that we are children of heaven and not of earth, of eternity and not of time, and that there are no good things to be found below which can satisfy the capacity of the soul. "Hear us in these things. Hear us for the land we love, for the throne to which we are bound, for all the institutions that represent the highest thought and best ambition of life; and overrule all things to the inbringing of the kingdom which is all purity and sunshine and music." Amen. Y. W. C. A.— OPENING PRAYER. "Heavenly Father, we come to Thee in the name of Him who is the Way, and the Truth, and the Life. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 71 "We would see Jesus, we would fix the at- tention of our love and expectation upon Thy Son, and receive from Him what He alone can give — life, pardon, peace. Without Him we can do noth- : ing. We are powerless when cut away from the Vine and the upper life, the divine and eternal; then we fall back into the dust: we are without spirit or force or goodness of will. We can do all things through Christ which strengthened us — yea, we can bear much fruit and make the Father glad. May me abide in Christ; may we look to the Son of God; may we fix our whole love upon Jesus, and obey Him with a consenting will. We thank Thee for all the words spoken by the Son of God ; they are spirit, they are life, they are full of tender- est love ; they lift the cloud from the outlook of the mind and shed eternal glory on things beyond. "We bless Thee for this service, its security, its quietness, its spirit of holy peace. Be near us, every one. Touch the sad heart, and give it one hour's release from burdensomeness. Look upon the strug- gling life, and the glance of Thine eye shall be as a guarantee of hope and conquest. "We pray for one another : for the young, and the bright, and the tuneful, that they may rise up into nobleness and usefulness of life; for the sad and the weary; for the one who has just seen life's emptiness, and turned away with discontent from the place where she meant to find pleasure. "We pray for the friends we love, and with- J2 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP out whom we could not live — the hearts we look for, the travelers we expect with joy, the souls that light every room of the house with tender glory; for our friends who are far away, across the great sea, wanderers in places they have not yet known. We pray for those in trouble on the sea — that great and terrible waste. We pray for all who are visit- ing us from distant places : may they feel at* home ; may there be some touch in Thy house that they shall recognize with ardent love and thankfulness. We pray for our sick ones : some nigh unto death ; some are sick of body — weary, utterly exhausted: others are ailing in mind; they are disappointed, they are mortified, they have not found what they expected. "We pray for those whose graves are quite new, for the grass has not yet had time to grow upon them, there is not a flower upon the mould that hides the dead; be Thou the resurrection and the life in the hearts of such ; turn that last resting- place into a garden of flowers, and make it a place where they will keep appointments with those who from death would learn how to live. v The Lord be with us now; and we need no other presence." Amen.N Y. W. C. A. CLOSING PRAYER. "Our Heavenly Father, we praise Thee that Thou knowest us altogether, what we need and what we want. "Our whole heart is laid bare before Thee, like PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY, 73 an open page, and Thyie eye can see the secret springs of our thought. Grant unto us some assur- ance that our emptiness shall be filled up, that our desire shall be construed into a sacred prayer and answered with largest blessing ; may our aspirations be regarded as uttering the necessities of the soul, at least in hint, how feeble soever, and may they return upon us with great benedictions. "May we always be faithful to the altar, may our inquiry go deeper and deeper every day, and may our love burn until perfectly disinfected of all selfishness, earthliness and limitation, until it be- come a great flame, aspiring in continual hope and sacrifice to the very throne of God. We bless Thee for all Christian fellowship, for communion in Christ Jesus, that we can speak through Him and with Him, that He is our Advocate and Intercessor : our Priest, eloquent through His own blood, mighty through the weakness of the Cross, the greater for us because so pained in Gethsemane and unable to save Himself on Calvary. "We love the Cross because of its representa- tion of God's love, God's pity, God's omnipotence — may we cling to it, glory in it, magnify it, and die under the inspiration of its holy mystery." Amen. YOUNG WOMAN'S FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY— OPENING PRAYER. Our Father we thank Thee that Thou hast watched over us and cared for us since we last met. 74 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP We praise Thee for the privilege of gathering again in Thy name to be workers together with Thee to bring blessing to those who have never heard the gospel and to those who are giving the gospel to a lost and perishing world. We thank Thee that we believe Thou art here in our midst to guide us and instruct us in all we aim to do for the good of our fellow men. Bless the little orphan in India (or China, or Africa) that Thou art permitting us to support and educate. May the child be brought up to know Thee, love Thee, serve Thee and rejoice in Thee. Bless the native substitute that Thou art per- mitting us to support. May he (or she) be divine- ly directed and blessed, upheld and preserved from danger, and kept from sickness and given strength to overcome Satan and sin, and enabled to declare the glad tidings of the unsearchable riches of Christ. Bless us and enable us to be fruitful in our work, generous in our gifts, unselfish in our devo- tion to Thee and to those Thou art permitting us to befriend. Help us in our homes to be loving, patient and gentle. May we there and everywhere gladly fol- low Jesus who came not to be ministered unto but to minister. Grant us all this that we may be a blessing to the world and that Thou mayest be glorified. Amen. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 75 YOUNG WOMAN'S FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY— CLOSING PRAYER. Heavenly Father we thank Thee that Thou hast fulfilled Thy promise to be with those who meet in Thy name. We believe Thou hast given us wisdom and understanding in the work Thou hast given us to do. We praise Thee that Thou in Thy great mercy dost count us worthy to minister to others in Thy name, and ask Thee to keep us through the month (or week) until we meet again. May we remember that private duty is quite as important as public service; that to be thought- ful, faithful in all the home cares ; that to improve opportunities to help father, mother, brother, and sister is real missionary work and acceptable in Thy sight. Bless our community, our neighbors and those we come in daily contact with, and may our ex- ample and influence lead them to better appreciate our Lord and Saviour. Help us always to think of others before our- selves, and follow the example of Him of whom it was truly said: "He saved others, Himself He cannot save." We ask it all for Jesus' sake. Amen. YOUNG WOMAN'S HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY— OPENING PRAYER. Our Heavenly Father, we praise Thee for Thy great goodness to us since we last met in the name of Jesus. j6 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP We thank Thee for home and friends and com- forts and opportunities to serve Thee in blessing others. Bless the little ones Thou are letting us feed and clothe. Bless the aged to whom we send papers and flowers and fruit. Bless the sick in the hospital whom Thou dost permit some of us to visit and cheer by our sym- pathy and prayer. Bless the poor prisoners in the jail to whom some of us minister. Bless our work on the frontier, and especially the minister's family whom we love to help with gifts and letters. Bless the teachers and missionaries in the South among the colored people and the poor whites. Give them wisdom, courage, love and patience. We ask all for the sake of suffering humanity, and in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. YOUNG WOMAN'S HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY— CLOSING PRAYER. Heavenly Father, we ask Thee that we may be conscious of Thy Divine presence as we return home from our little gathering in Thy name. May the influence of the hour remain with us. May we be better daughters and better sisters be- cause we have spent this hour in definite work for Thee. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY JJ May we be more loving and thoughtful and patient in our homes. Help us to minister faith- fully to any in the household who are weary or ill or troubled. Make us ever thoughtful in little things. May our highest aim be to please Jesus and follow Him fully. We ask it all in His name and for His glory. Amen. KING'S DAUGHTERS' AFTERNOON CIRCLE— OPENING PRAYER. "Our Heavenly Father, be with us this after- noon as we kneel together at Thy throne of grace and ask Thy blessing on our Band, and direction from Thee in our work. Help us to do Thy will cheerfully and gladly, ever putting aside our own selfish pleasures to minister to Thy poor and needy ones. "Be pleased to bless the little baby whom we are supplying with food for its body. If it can con- form with Thy will, grant that she may strengthen and improve day by day, but, above all, may her life be blessed to all around her, and that so long as it continues it shall be spent in Thy service. "Bless Thy aged servant to whom we have ministered. Dear Father, supply all her needs, and be very near to her in her declining years, and grant that she may safely enter into the harbor of heavenly rest when the end shall come. j8 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "Bless all our sick friends. Be with them on their beds of languishing, restore them to health if it can conform with Thy holy will, and if any are appointed to die, save them everlastingly. "Bless this city in which we live, and make us a godly people. Deliver us from pestilence and public disaster. "We thank Thee for all Thy goodness to us as a community, and as individuals, and may we ever give Thee all the praise, honor and glory due to Thy holy name. "O God, bless us. Help us each day to be able to say, 'Less of self and more of Thee.' Make us more watchful and prayerful, remembering that each day may be our last. "Watch over us during the ensuing month while we are absent one from another, and bring us all together again, for Christ's sake." Amen. KING'S DAUGHTERS' AFTERNOON CIRCLE— CLOSING PRAYER. "Our Heavenly Father, help us not to feel that when we have come here one afternoon in each month that we have done all we ought to do, but fill us with such love for Thee that we may con- stantly be looking for something to do whereby we may express that love. "Enable us to withstand temptation. Oh, God, Thou knowest the besetting sins of each one of us here, especially guard us against those. Check in us ugly tempers, malice, unholy pride, envy and PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 79 all unkind feelings. Help us each morning, as we repeat our motto, to endeavor to live up to it, and strengthen us to do so. "Help us to be unselfish. May we remember that Jesus gave Himself for us, and may we be willing to sacrifice some of our time, our pleasures, and our means to help our fellow creatures. "Help us to seek opportunities of serving Thee, and never to neglect them when we find them. Make us kind, gentle and patient with all — 'in honor preferring one another/ "Bless all those for whom we are accustomed to pray. O God, make us more zealous. Help us to remember that Thou lovest a cheerful giver, and bring our gifts gladly to Thee. May we be ready to 'weep with those who weep,' and 'rejoice with those who rejoice.' Make us willing to put aside our own pleasure to do for others, remembering that 'even Christ pleased not Himself.' "Bless our beloved city. Deliver her from pestilence and disaster. Prosper her interests and industries ; but, above all, make her citizens a godly people, fearing and serving Thee. "Bless those members of the Band who may be absent. Bless me, Thine unworthy servant, and help me conduct these meetings to the pleasure and profit of these young girls. "All we ask, dear Father, is in Thy name, and for the sake of our dear elder Brother, Jesus Christ," Amen, 80 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP KING'S DAUGHTERS' EVENING CIRCLE- OPENING PRAYER. "O God, we thank Thee for the existence of an organization, bound together by the ties of Chris- tian love and charity, without regard to sect or denomination, and doing Thy service in Thy name who died for all mankind. Grant, Our Father, we pray Thee, that it may be perpetuated through all time, and grow in numbers and usefulness. "Bless each individual member, and help them as they go forth on their errands of mercy and kindness, giving the cup of cold water here, the encouraging word there, the needed help yonder; to realize that in due season they shall reap if they faint not. "May they remember their watchword, and each kindly act and word be consecrated. Help them to keep ever in mind their royal birth, and always walk as becomes the daughters of so kingly a Father. "Make them keep very near the elder Brother, walking in His footsteps and imitating His most blessed example. "O God, we ask this, and all else, in Thy name, and for His sake who gave His blood for us." Amen. KING'S DAUGHTERS' EVENING CIRCLE- CLOSING PRAYER. Heavenly Father, send us home, we pray Thee, to our homes with a tenderer love for the father and mother whose love and sacrifices make ii pos- PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 8l sible for us to enjoy so many of the good things of this life. Send us home, we beseech Thee, with a kinder thought for the younger members of our family, to make life bright and useful to them. Send us home, we ask Thee, with a thoughtful remembrance to be polite and helpful to those who serve us in any capacity. May we lighten their labor in any possible way. Send us home with a greater love for all man- kind, and a firm determination that the world shall be better and brighter because we live in it. We ask it for Jesus' sake. Amen. BAND OF WORKING GIRLS- OPENING PRAYER. "Oh, God, bless us of Thy children whose lines have fallen in busy places, and who go forth each day to face the battle of life, and labor for ourselves and our dear ones. "Heavenly Father, make us brave and cour- ageous, faithful to the interests of those who em- ploy us, and, above all, true to ourselves. "Help us to be watchful of our conduct, gentle in our words and unselfish in action. Make us mind- ful that the eyes of the worldly are upon us, seek- ing defects in our character, and so may we be jealous and careful of the honorable title we bear. "Be with us in all the temptations of our daily lives, and make us strong to resist them. 82 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "Help us each to improve such talents as we may have and use them to Thy honor and glory. "And, O God ! when sorrows, trials, vexations, or perplexities come to us, and the heart grows weary, be Thou our Comforter, our Guide, our Sup- port, our Director, and give us grave to bear what- ever Thou dost send as becomes Thy children. "Show us, O God, in our busy lives what serv- ice we can render Thee, and may we most gladly and cheerfully do Thy bidding. "All this we ask, dear Father, in His name who died for us." Amen. BAND OF WORKING GIRLS- CLOSING PRAYER. "Heavenly Father, as we go out from this sacred house give us the quietness of the sanctuary in our own souls ; breathe the peace of heaven upon us, everyone; give release from anxiety, from tor- menting memory, from foreboding fear; and in vision of better things and heavenly gladness we may bury sorrow and recover ourselves, and claim the future with all the conscious ease of strength divinely sustained. Let thy mercy be our inner day; let thy love in Christ Jesus be our secret thought; let Thy peace which passeth all under- standing guard our hearts and minds ; let Thy ten- derness pervade our actions; let Thy grace sustain us in the hour of temptation; let all Thou art to us, and all Thou art doing for us, make us glad PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 83 and grateful and true and faithful; let the Lord's light be on us a perpetual summer, Our Father's blessing be upon us a continual delight, and the Cross of Christ ever magnify itself above our sin, and the blood of Jesus Christ Thy Son ever show- its preciousness as applied to the sins of the soul. "This is our prayer, our psalm of adoration and thankfulness, our anthem of triumph and hope ; whilst we say, on earth, Amen, do Thou, in heaven, say Amen." YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES— C. E. AND E. P. ETC.— OPENING PRAYER. "As Thy children, our dear Heavenly Father, we come together to Thee. We are holding this meeting for the sole purpose of glorifying Thee, to help one another so that each of us may glorify Thee more. Bless, Oh Lord, our leader, and endue him (or her) with Thy wisdom and make him (or her) brave because of Thy mighty Spirit within. "Make us, our Lord, to understand more and with more clearness the subject for our considera- tion, and give Thy words to every member of this Society, who shall have a part in our meeting, that they may be used of Thee to help us all. "Show us what Thou wouldst teach us for our daily life, during this coming week, in this medita- tion. "Show us as young people how our daily life, constrained by the Word of God and filled with the Holy Spirit, can influence our companions. 84 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "Show us how Thou dost long to fill each young life, that they may have a brighter crown up yonder and a more blessed life here, and how Thou art young even now, and canst feel in unison with every young heart. "Show us, our Lord, that Thy life within us is not morose, unhappy or gloomy, but Thou art a risen Christ, and Thy glad salutation of 'All hail!' can fill our hearts with brightness now and ever. "Show us the brevity of the world and worldly pleasures, and the eternal pleasure which are at Thy right hand forever more. "Show us that the giving up of all things for Thee is but a making room in our hearts for Thy entrance, and that Thy coming into our hearts gives us the supply for every need and the satisfaction for every true desire. "At this time, Our Father, meet with us in the power of the Spirit that we may learn more of the 'good and acceptable and perfect will' Thou hast for us, and make the message personal words from Thy heart to ours. "We ask all this in the name of Jesus." Amen. YOUNG PEOPLE'S SOCIETIES- CLOSING PRAYER. "Lead us forth Thyself, Our Father, from this place, where Thou hast spoken to us and mani- fested Thyself to us. We cannot live to glorify Thee unless Thou abide with us. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 85 "We thank Thee that Thou art ever true to Thy promises, and Thou hast been in our midst as a Society of young people, and now, as we separate one from another, go with each one of us. "We thank Thee that Thou hast made it pos- sible by Thy Holy Spirit, not only to be with us, but to dwell in us — in our hearts ; that the messages we have heard this hour may be lived out in our lives. "Keep in our remembrance, oh Lord, the re- solves we have made, the steps we have taken, the things we have committed and the promises we have claimed, that we may go from grace to grace, from strength to strength, and from glory to glory. "Be present with us in every place we are called to go this coming week, and so strengthen us that we may shine for Thee always. Let us not be drawn away from Thy way, but lead us in the way everlasting. "We now go forth trusting in Thy ever faith- fulness to keep us in all our ways, to let our hands perform Thy bidding, and to let our feet walk in Thy ways. "When Thou dost say: 'Run, speak to that young man,' or anyone else, help us to do Thy bid- ding, and all our praise is to our Lord and our prayer in His dear name." Amen. 86 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "Y" BRANCH, W. C. T. U.— OPENING PRAYER. Dear Heavenly Father, we come to Thee as Thy children, bought with the blood of Jesus Christ Our Saviour, sanctified by Thy Holy Spirit. We would know to whom we belong ; we would see Thy signature written upon our lives ; we would feel Thy peace within our hearts, and Thy claim on us urging us by sweetest persuasion of love, to do some nobler deed. Draw us closer to Thyself; speak, as we are able to hear it; and when we would pray, Lord teach us great words to express great desires. Qualify us every day for broader service, for deeper and more loving obedience to Thy will. Bless with a mighty uplifting the great Cause to which we have promised our lives, and use us in it more and more every day. We ask it all, with forgiveness for all short- comings, in the blessed name of Thy Son Our Saviour. Amen. "Y" BRANCH, W. C. T. U.— CLOSING PRAYER. "We come to Thee, most blessed Heavenly Father, as we go from this place for a parting blessing. "We thank Thee for this lifting up of the heart in sacred rapture : it makes us feel Thy near- ness when we yield to Thy power, and it gives strength to our confidence when we hear the voice of Thy grace. Surely Thou art nigh unto them PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 87 that call upon Thee, and Thine hand is outstretched to those who put their trust in Thee. It is our joy to believe in Thy nearness, in the tenderness of Thy love, in the long-suffering of Thy patience, in the all-helpfulness of Thy power. "Speak comfortably to those whose hearts are sore with a bitterness they cannot explain, and come Thou, as Thou only canst come, to hearts that are bowed down in self-distrust, in utter penitence and contrition, and are crying for the rest than can only come through pardon. Send messages, sweet sing- ing gospels, to our loved ones at home, whether well or ill, but with special tenderness to those who are shut up in the chamber of sickness. The Lord com- fort those who are weak, and when heart and flesh do fail be Thou more than ever to the faith that has hung upon Thee in simple love. Double the joy of those who are drinking deep of gladness to-day, but chasten their delight lest they forget God. Lead, Kindly Light — go before us, Spirit of Peace, make us quiet with Thine own security, make us strong with Thine own power filled with Thine own Divine love, to live out the lessons we have learned. "We ask it all in Jesus' name and for His sake." Amen. JUNIOR SOCIETY— OPENING. Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for the com- ing together of the children to learn about Jesus and His love. 88 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP Help us to be so quiet that we may be conscious that Thou art with us by the peace and joy in our hearts. We thank Thee that the children are well and happy and able to come to the place of prayer. Help them all to love to hear about Thee, to give their little hearts to Thee and let Thee save them. Help us to teach them how to obey their parents, and help mamma and be gentle with the little ones, and be true, honest and faithful little Christians. Help them to think of others and learn to live for others and not for themselves. We ask all for the sake of Jesus. Amen. JUNIOR SOCIETY— CLOSING. Heavenly Father, we ask Thee that Thou wilt help us to realize that Thou art with us as we go to our homes. May we remember some of the true things that we have heard and live them out at home. May somebody be better or happier because we have been here to-day. May we speak more gently and kindly and love others more. May we be thoughtful in helping others who are busy or in trouble. May we be kind to the poor, to animals, to servants, and to our brothers and sisters. May we be polite and respectful to all who are PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 89 older than we are, and always be thoughtful and reverent in the house of God. We ask it all that others may know that we love Jesus and want to love Him, too. Amen. go PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP CHAPTER VII. SPECIAL PRAYERS. PRAYERS AT THE LOSS OF A RULER. The Prayer at President McKinley's Funeral. Offered by Pastor Henry R. Nay lor. O Lord God, our Heavenly Father, a bereaved nation cometh to Thee in its deep sorrow. To whom can we go in such an hour as this but unto Thee ? Thou only art able to support and comfort the afflicted. Death strikes down the tallest and best of men, and consequent changes are continually occurring among nations and communities. But we have been taught that Thou art the same yesterday, to- day and forever ; that with Thee there is no variable- ness nor the least shadow of turning. So in the midst of our grief we turn to Thee for help. We thank Thee, O Lord, that years ago Thou didst give to this nation the man whose loss we mourn to-day. We thank Thee for the pure and unselfish life he was enabled to live in the midst of so eventful an experience. We thank Thee for the faithful and distinguished services which he was enabled to render to Thee, to our country, and PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 91 to the world. We bless Thee for such a citizen, for such a lawmaker, for such a governor, for such a President, for such a husband, for such a Chris- tian example, and for such a friend. But, O Lord, we deplore our loss to-day; we sincerely implore Thy sanctifying benediction. We pray Thee for that dear one who has been walking by his side through the years, sharing his triumphs and partaking of his sorrows. Give to her all needed sustenance and the comfort her stricken heart so greatly craves. And under the shadow of this great calamity may she learn as never before the Fatherhood of God and the matchless character of His sustaining grace. And, O Lord, we sincerely pray for him upon whom the mantle of presidential authority has so suddenly and unexpectedly fallen. Help him to walk worthy the high vocation whereunto he has been called. He needs Thy guiding hand and Thine inspiring Spirit continually. May he always pre- sent to the nation and to the world a divinely illumined judgment, a brave heart, and an unsullied character. Hear our prayer, O God, for the official family of the administration, those men who are associated with Thy servant, the President, in the adminis- tration of the affairs of government ; guide them in all their deliberations to the nation's welfare and the glory of God. And now, Lord, we humbly pray for Thy bless- 92 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP ing and consolation to come to all the people of our land and nation. Forgive our past shortcomings, our sins of omission as well as commission. Help us to make the Golden Rule the standard of our lives, that we may "do unto others as we would have them do unto us," and thus become indeed a people whose God is the Lord. These things we humbly ask in His name. Amen. The Prayer at President Lincoln! s Funeral, Of- fered by Pastor Stephen H. Tyng. O God, who art the God of the spirits of all flesh, in whose hand our breath is and whose are all our ways, in Thine infinite wisdom we bow be- fore Thy righteous will with deep humiliation, sub- mission, confidence and faith. We revere and acknowledge Thee as the high and lofty One who inhabitest eternity, whose name is Holy, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. We look up to Thee as a Father of infinite tenderness, reconciling us unto Thyself in Thy dear Son; and as a father pitieth his own children, so have com- passion on all them who fear Thee. We confess Thee as the Saviour and defence of Thy people, Who hast put away their sins by an infinite sacri- fice, and as far as the east is from the west, and rememberest our iniquity no more. We acknowl- edge Thee this day the God of all comfort and con- solation, Whose gracious command in Thy Word PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 93 is : "Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God; cry unto them that their warfare is accom- plished and their iniquity is pardoned." O God, we would bow with deep humility before the righteousness of Thy will, and with unfeigned gratitude acknowledge the fullness of Thy grace. A mourning and bereaved people gather together at Thy feet; we would come with the deepest feeling of thankfulness for all the influ- ence, example, wisdom, and fidelity of the loved and exalted ruler whom Thou didst set over us. We praise Thee that Thou hast made him the instru- ment of saving this nation from overthrow and ruin — that Thou hast made him Thine agent in sub- duing a rebellion terrific and atrocious, whose con- demnation is recorded by Thee. We bless Thee that Thou hast spoken peace by him to the op- pressed and suffering, proclaiming liberty to those held in bondage, and bidding millions of the help- less and despairing lift up their heads with joy among Thy people. We thank Thee for the remembrance of all his fidelity in government, ruling in equity as the morning which ariseth without a cloud, and for all that meekness, gentleness, faithfulness and love, so attractive and so conspicuous in his example. And while with the deepest sense of our loss we bow, as bereaved and mourning ones at Thy feet, with the most humble thankfulness for all that the nation has gained through his instrumentality and faith- 94 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP fulness, we adore and glorify Thy name. We meet throughout this land to-day in the spirit of accord- ant supplication and praise. We implore Thy blessing upon this whole nation, that this chastisement, painful and mysteri- ous as it appears, may be Thine instrument for uniting this people in bonds of fellowship and love, and bringing the hearts of all in full accord in the support of the government which Thou hast set over us, and in seeking the things which make for peace and the things whereby one may edify an- other. We pray that in the midst of Thy judgments this whole nation may learn righteousness. We implore Thy gracious blessing upon the sorrowing and the suffering, upon the wounded and the bereaved, who have given their joy on earth, their health in early life, as a service and a sacrifice for their fidelity to us and their obedience to Thee. We unite in supplication for Thy blessing upon the widow and fatherless, who stood in the tender- est relations to our honored and exalted ruler, and while from them, as from us, Thou hast hidden lover and friend in darkness, we implore Thee to be the everlasting ruler of this people and make them to remember and feel that the Most High ordereth all things among the nations of the earth, putting down one and setting up another. We implore Thy blessing upon him whom, in Thine own providence, Thou hast exalted to be the present ruler of the nation. Guard his valued PRIVATE DEVOTION", PERSONAL MINISTRY 95 life from outward violence and from fear of wrong ; guide him by Thine own wisdom and judgment, and succor and defend him by Thine own protecting power. Give him wise and faithful counsellors who shall combine to rule this people in equity and truth; prosper all their efforts for a speedy, stable and righteous peace throughout this nation. O God, in the sorrow of this day, hasten the coming hour when this people shall desire to learn war no more ; when they shall speak peace to all the nations of the earth, and North and South, East and West, dwelling in concord and harmony, we shall be one people, known by one name and feeling, and that w r e have one interest forever. Set up Thy glorious gospel through all this land ; make it Emmanuel's land ; and as Thou wast our fathers' God, be Thou our God and the God of our seed afterward, from generation to genera- tion, through successive Presidents of fidelity, use- fulness and honor ; that this people may be a pros- pered people, a thankful people, a useful people, a holy people, under Thy government and by Thy blessing. And this day we ask for all the nations of the earth a dominion of righteousness and peace — Thine everlasting dominion — may be set up, and the kingdom of the world may become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. Amen. PRAYER IN TIME OF PUBLIC CALAMITY. "Almighty God, the Father of mercies and the God of all consolation, our only help in time 96 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP of need, we flee unto Thee for succor in this season of tribulation and distress. Out of the depths we call unto Thee, O Lord. O let Thine ears consider the voice of our complaint. "We acknowledge, O God, that for our iniqui- ties we are visited and for our sins we are troubled. And if Thou shouldest be extreme to mark what we have done amiss, our present sorrows would only be the beginning of sorrows which should know no end. "Thou afflictest us to humble us, and to prove us, and to know what is in our hearts, and to see whether we will loye Thee and keep Thy command no. "Give us grace, therefore, to consider, in this day of our adversity, wherefore Thou contendest with us. Let us not despise Thy chastening, nor faint when we are rebuked of Thee, nor be weary of Thy correction. Let us be still, and know that Thou art God. In patience enable us to possess our souls. Grant that our tribulation may work patience, and patience experience, and experience hope; and our hope, let it not make ashamed, but let Thy love be shed abroad in our hearts, through the Holy Spirit given unto us. Let us not cast away our confidence which hath great recompense of reward. Though troubled on every side, let us not be dis- tressed ; though perplexed, let us not be in despair ; though cast down, let us not be destroyed. And be pleased to cause our light affliction, which is ^PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY. 97 but for a moment, to work out for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we look not at the things that are seen, but at the things w r hich are not seen; for the things which are seen are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal. Though no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous, yet afterward let it yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto us who are now exercised thereby." Teach us all the lessons Thou wouldst have us learn from this affliction, and then graciously, entirely and quickly remove this (plague, epidemic, scourge, drought or whatever the affliction may be). Comfort the hearts that mourn; restore those who are ill and suffering, help those who are tempted to despair, turn the curse into a blessing unto every one of us because Thou dost love us. We ask it because Thou Thyself has taught us that in all our afflictions Thou art afflicted, and Thou dost love to deliver Thy people for the sake of Thine own beloved Son who died for us. Amen. PRAYER FOR THE LOVE THAT KEEPS THE LAW— Ex. 20 : 3-17. I. "Remove, O God, all irreligion and pro- faneness, superstition and hypocrisy, false and un- worthy conceits of Thee. And, of Thy goodness, give us grace constantly to serve and please Thee, 98 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP in reverence and godly fear, in worthy apprehen- sions of, and a rational obedience to, Thee. II. "Keep us from all image worship and idolatry. May all bodily adoration and all spiritual worship be confined to Thee. III. "Keep us from perjury and vanity, curses and bitter imprecations. May we swear not at all. May our yea be yea and our nay, nay. Keep us in truth, and cautious conversation, in blessings, intercessions and good wishes. IV. "Keep us from neglect of public worship, irreverence in Thy house, abuse of the times set apart for Thy service. May we be diligent in at- tendance at religious assemblies, in devotion and decency, and exemplary zeal, through every part of Thy service; and conscientious in improving the time set apart for religious exercise. V. "Keep us from pride and disobedience, faction and schism, unnatural coldness to relations and inordinate love of self. May we be dutiful in demeanor and submission to superiors. May we live in peace and unity, with regard to Church and State ; in tender affection to kindred and allies. VI. "May we never know fierceness and con- tention, malice and cruelty, anger or revenge. But may we be gentle, meek, patient and forgiving. VII. "Keep us from lust and uncleanliness in deed, word or thought. Keep us in chastity and sobriety, in modest behavior and irreproachable dis- course, and in moderate use of pleasures, even those PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 99 that are innocent and lawful. VIII. "Keep us from idleness and extrava- gance, dishonesty and fraud. May we be frugal, industrious, just, conscientious, contented and com- passionate to the poor. IX. "Keep us from false testimony and lying, reviling and slandering, censuring and causeless suspicion. Keep us in truth and integrity, good nature and candor, and a charity that believes and hopes, and always speaks the best. X. "Keep us from all corrupt and impure imaginations, all ungoverned and unbecoming de- sires. Keep us in moderate and virtuous affections, holy and clean imaginations, and perseverance in good works." May we remember Christ's new commandment : "Love one another as I have loved you." Jno. 13:34. May we remember that Thou dost say: "Love is the fulfilling of the law," and now receive the Spirit of love to drive out all evil propensities and bring in with Himself the love that worketh no ill to his neighbor, but "suffereth long and is kind, envieth not, vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not with iniquity, but rejoiceth with the truth; bear- eth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things, and never faileth." For Jesus' sake. Amen. IOO PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP CHAPTER VIII. FAMILY PRAYERS. MORNING. "Almighty God! we desire to approach Thy sacred presence, blessing and praising Thy Holy name, that Thou hast again in the multitude of Thy mercies permitted us to see the light of another day of the Son of man. This is the day which the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it. Draw Thou near to us as we draw near to Thee. Inspirer of all good thoughts ! do Thou preoccupy our souls with Thyself. May we walk all the day under the sunshine of Thy gracious countenance, and experience the blessedness of filial nearness to our covenant God and Father in Christ. "Thy favor is life. Compared with this, all other happiness is shadowy and vain. Nothing but the conscious possession of Thine own infinite love can satisfy the longings of our immortal spirits. Whom have we in the heavens, O God, but Thee; and there is none in all the earth that our souls would desire beside Thee. "We draw near to Thy footstool, under a deep sense of our unworthiness. We reflect with shame PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY IOI and confusion of face on unrequited love, on re- jected kindness, on resisted warnings, on unim- proved providences. For Jesus' sake, have Thou mercy upon us. We bring our guilt to the great propitiation. We bring the burden to the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world. "We disown all other grounds of confidence — all other plea for mercy. We would stake our eternal all on the everliving and exalted Redeemer ! Seal to us a sense of pardon. Give us the renewed pledge that Thou art loving us with an everlasting love. May we see this day Thy glory, as we have seen Thee heretofore within Thy Holy Temple. May we be enabled to pitch our tents near the gate of Heaven. May our manifold privileges issue in our more complete sanctification. May we attain greater heavenly mindedness, greater weanedness from earth, greater singleness of eye to Thy glory. May every temporal mercy which gladdens our lot be sweetened and hallowed, and endeared by the thought that it comes to us through Jesus. May blessings and trials, comforts and crosses, health and sickness, joy and sorrow, bring us only nearer to Him, and redound to the glory of His great name. Subdue whatever is inconsistent with His mind and will. Put a sanctified restraint on our thoughts; repress all vain imaginations; crucify every lingering sin. May our hearts become holy temples, and our lives living sacrifices. May the incense and fragrance of a sanctified walk and obe- 102 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP, dience be known and seen of all men. Fit us for glory. Let our eye be ever upward, and heaven- ward, and Godward. Let eternity exercise a more commanding influence over us. May we grow in more meek and child-like submission to our Heavenly Father's will. Breathing a perpetual Sabbath spirit on earth, may we be fitted for that rest which shall never be broken, which awaits us in the Kingdom of the Redeemed. "We pray for all who are to minister to us this day. Give them an unction from the Holy One. May they be valiant for the Truth. May they hide themselves behind an exalted Saviour; and may every impression on the minds of those who hear, be rendered permanent and saving. Bless us, even us, O God, who are now surrounding Thy footstool. As Thou hast knitted us together in the same earthly ties, do Thou unite us in the better bonds of the everlasting convenant. Make us all par- takers of the resurrection-life of Thy people. "We pray for the poor, the afflicted, the be- reaved, and the dying. O Thou comforter of all that are cast down, do Thou heal their sorrows, bind up their wounds. To the friendless, do Thou prove a friend. In the multitude of their thoughts within them, may Thy comforts delight their souls. "We commend our friends, and all belonging to us, implicitly to Thy Sovereign care. Undertake Thou for them. May the pillar of Thy presence go continually before them. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY t IO3 "We commit ourselves to Thy care. May the Lord God this day be to us a sun and shield. May the Lord give grace and glory, and withhold from us nothing that He sees to be truly good. And all that we ask is for Jesus' sake." Amen. EVENING. "Heavenly Father ! we desire to close this, Thy holy day, with Thee. As the shadows of night are falling around us, do Thou, the Unsetting Sun of our Souls, be near us — dispersing all the darkness of sin, and giving us the inner sunshine of Thy presence and love. May the Holy Spirit of love be manifested throughout the week, hallowing, sanctifying, and pervading all its duties. "May Thy love reign paramount ; may there be no competing affection ; may we show by our holy lives, and unselfish feelings, and consistent walk, that we have been imbibing deeply of the Saviour's Spirit. Take these unworthy hearts — sanctify and seal them for Thyself; make them Thine only, and Thine wholly, and Thine forever. May w r e be clothed with the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left ; may we exercise a jealous eye on our daily avocations, lest things temporal should exer- cise an engrossing power to the exclusion of things eternal. May it be our grand aim to be progressing in the Divine life. "We pray for a world lying in wickedness. Save Thy people, bless Thine inheritance, feed them 104 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP also, and lift them up forever. Bless abundantly of the preaching of Thy Holy Word. Glorify Thy- self in the salvation of sinners. May the stout- hearted tremble ; may He whom they persecute meet them in the way. May Thy ministering servants be made strong by the hands of the Mighty God of Jacob; may the bows which this day have been drawn at a venture carry the arrows of conviction to many hearts; may we all feel that this Sabbath must have solemn bearings on our eternity. "We entreat Thee to take under Thy merciful protection this night all our beloved friends. It is our privilege to bring them in prayer to Thee. Though unable to meet under the same tabernacle, it is our comfort to know that no distance can es- trange from Thee. We commend both present and absent ones to the gracious Shepherd of Israel. Be Thou to them all, as the shadow of a rock in a weary land. "Draw near to the sons and daughters of sor- row. Give them everlasting consolation and good hope, through grace. Let them bow to Thy will. Let them see no hand in their trials but Thine ; say- ing, in lowly submissiveness, with regard to all crea- ture comforts — the Lord gave, and the Lord hath a sovereign right to take them all away. "We thank Thee for Thy many mercies still vouchsafed to us. Watch over us during this night. Grant us the sleep of Thy beloved. When we awake may we still be with Thee. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY IO5 And all that we ask, is in the name and for the sake of Him, whom Thou hearest always, and to whom with Thee, the Father, and Thee, O Eternal Spirit, one God, be ascribed all blessing, and honor, and glory, and praise, world without end." Amen. MORNING. "Almighty God ! we desire on this morning of a new day, to approach the footstool of Thy Throne of grace. Thou art glorious in Thy holiness, fear- ful in praises, continually doing wonders. Thine eternity is a depth which no finite mind can fathom. Thy purposes no accident can alter — Thy love no time can impair. We adore Thee as the God of our life ; moment by moment we are hanging upon Thy goodness; if Thou withdrawest Thy hand we per- ish. "And yet, O Lord, we have not been living habitually mindful of Thee. We have too often taken our blessings as matters of course. We have had unthankful spirits in the midst of daily recurring tokens of unmerited mercy. We desire to bury our sins in the ocean-depths of Thy love. May we be enabled to advance in holiness as we follow the foot- steps of Thine unsullied life — to reflect Thy purity. May religion penetrate with its leavening power every daily duty. May we act under the feeling 'we are not our own' — Consecrated soul and body to the Lord who died for us, may life become one tribute and offering to Thy praise. May we leave nothing 106 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP, to a dying hour, but to die at peace with Thee, and to have our souls filled with hopes of Heaven. "Lord bless our friends — reward our bene- factors — forgive our enemies. May our household ever have Thy gracious benediction resting upon it. May every member of our family, near and at a dis- tance, have the seal of God on their foreheads, and be numbered with Thy saints in glory everlasting. Pour Thy rich grace into the hearts of the young. Oh let them not suffer golden moments to pass by misimproved. Preserve them from the snares of a wicked world. Let them know the happiness of liv- ing at peace with Thee. "Look in kindness on the sick, the sorrowful, the aged, the bereaved, and the dying. Accommo- date Thy grace to the varied wants and trials. Let them take refuge in the very arms that are chastising them, rejoicing that the thread of life is in Thy hands. "Lord Jesus, bless our friends that are absent ; Lord be near them — Those that are in distress, Lord comfort them. Those that know Thee not, Lord ar- rest them. Those that are Thy children, do Thou in- crease their devotedness; give them more of the Pilgrim character, prepare them for the Pilgrim's rest. Prosper Thy cause and kingdom everywhere. Let Satan's kingdom be destroyed — the kingdom of grace advanced — the kingdom of glory hastened. Save thy people — bless Thine inheritance, feed them also, and lift them up forever ! Give to each of us PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY IO7 this day Thy gracious benediction; and when the days of Earth shall merge into the ages of Eternity, may it be ours to spend them in the full vision and fruition of Thee, our God, through Jesus Christ." Amen. EVENING. "O Lord, our Heavenly Father, by whose good providence we are spared from day to day, — enable us to come this night into Thy sacred presence, with hearts filled with gratitude and thankfulness for all Thy mercies, and deeply humbled on account of our own unworthiness. "Adorable Redeemer, we flee anew under the covert of Thy wings — we take refuge anew in the clefts of the Smitten Rock; — hide us there from that wrath and everlasting condemnation, which we have justly merited. "Oh what encouragement we have to trust Thy atoning grace and love. What a Saviour-God art Thou ! — the feeblest of the flock — tended, guid- ed, guarded by Thee. We can fear no evil when Thou art with us. The roughest part of the wilder- ness will become smooth if the Shepherd be at our side. We rejoice to think that Thou art choosing our pasture for us. All is meted out — arranged — provided for. The thread of life is in Thy hands. All that concerns us and ours is at Thy disposal. Infinite wisdom and love are pledged to see to it, that all is the best and for the best. Give us lowli- 108 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP ness and gentleness of heart. May self be crucified and Jesus exalted — may we be moulded after His blessed image — may existence become one life-long consecration to His service — may we feel that to be holy is to be happy — that to be with God is the lofti- est joy of which our natures are susceptible. To be with God, and like God, is the happiness of angels — may it be ours in part here, and in full fruition here- after. "Bless all the family of the afflicted. The God of all consolation, bind up their wounds. Keep them from a hasty spirit, under dark dispensations. Let them know and believe that infinite love is in all Thine arrangements, that finite wisdom has no place in Thy dealings, that He with whom they have to do, cannot do wrong. Lord, give us all this lowly spirit of submission to Thy will. Whether Thou chasten us, or gladden us, whether prosperity or adversity be our portion, oh, bring us nearer Thee. May Thy dealings serve to trim the lamp of faith and keep it brightly burning. We ask for Jesus' sake." Amen. MORNING. "Our Heavenly Father, we come to ask as a family that this day Thou wilt work in us to will and to do of Thy good pleasure. "Whatever be the discipline Thou employest to fit us for this, may we meekly submit to it. May we watch all Thy varied teachings and get profit and sanctification out of it all — all bringing us nearer Heaven and nearer Thee. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY IO9 "Bless this household — unite us as a family in bonds of holy love. May the blood of the everlast- ing covenant be sprinkled on the portals of every heart. We commend our children to Thy care, be- seeching Thee early to instil the dew of Thy grace into their hearts; give them each a niche in Thy Holy temple; preserve them from all danger and sin; may they be Thine on that day when Thou makest up Thy jewels. Bless our President, bless all rulers, and judges and senators, may they be a terror to evil doers, and a praise to them that do well. Bless the ministers of the everlasting Gospel, may they be workmen needing not to be ashamed. Whatever our station in life may be may we seek to do something for the glory of Thy holy name, and feel that Thy service is self-rewarding and self- recompensing. Give us grace to work while it is called to-day. May our loins be girded and our lights burning, may we live as servants who are waiting for their Lord when He returns from the wedding, that when He cometh and knocketh, we may be ready to open to Him immediately. May we be found prepared to wake up in Thy likeness at the day-break of glory, found of Thy dear Son, in peace, without spot and blameless. And all that we ask is for the sake of Him whom Thou hearest always, and to whom, with Thee, the Father, and Thee, O blessed Spirit, one God, be everlasting praise, honor, and glory, world without end." Amen. IIO PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP EVENING. "We come at the close of another day to confess our shortcomings. We have been too forgetful of Thy dear Son. We have not been remembering as we ought, that but for Him and His wondrous grace we must have perished everlastingly. We have not felt as we ought the attractive power of His cross. Other lords have had dominion over us. The love which ought to have reigned paramount has been displaced and superseded by other affec- tions. We have been minding earthly things; we have been defying earthly pleasures and earthly passions ; careful, and troubled and concerned, about what will perish with the using ! "We mourn the feebleness of our faith, the fit- fulness of our love, the mingled motives in our holiest duties. We come anew, casting ourselves on the infinite fulness of our adorable Redeemer. Give us out of His inexhaustible treasury, even grace for grace. Let us walk as Thy children, ad- vancing in conformity to Thy blessed mind and will. Let us not only be jealous of losing what we have, but may we be covetous of greater spiritual attainments — laying aside every weight, and running with patience the race that is set before us. "May we see that it is no light matter to sin against God, and to be living in daily unconcern of His great mercies, and flee to a waiting and willing Redeemer, who is waiting to be gracious. All the mighty load of our guilt we transfer to this adorable PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY III Surety. He has already borne it all. He has satis- fied all the holy requirements of Thy righteous law. As our Kinsman and Elder Brother He is now with- in the veil as willing as He ever was to save to the uttermost. "While we look to Him as the Lord our righteousness, may we know Him also as the Lord our strength. May we imbibe more of His blessed Spirit. May we be learners at His feet — learning to deny ourselves — to bear all that He chooses, with- out a murmuring word. Blessed Jesus ! Thou hast all art all and canst do all for us. Be Thou every- thing to us — and everything for us — and every- thing in us, For Jesus' sake." Amen. 112 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP, CHAPTER HE. SPECIAL DAYS. NEW YEAR'S MORNING. "We humbly ask, dear Master, That our New Year gift may be, All meaner things forsaking, Rich fellowship with Thee. Our hearts at rest and tranquil, Thy blessed will our own, Until we know Thee fully In Thy eternal home." O Heavenly Father, our hearts swell with grat- itude to Thee for permitting us to greet this, the first day of another year. With regret we parted with the old year, so full of eventful experiences. We would it had lingered longer. We regret the stains we made upon its once spotless pages. But in Thy inestimable wis- dom, time must move on and wait for none to undo the foolishness of mis-spent lives. In the year flown we made our record. What is written is written. If evil, unrepented, it will face us at the Great Judgment Day unless effaced by the Blood of Jesus — which cleaneth from all sin. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY II3 But need our enjoyment of the New Year be destroyed by sad recollections of the old ? No, Lord, when Thou hast said, "I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I suc- cored thee; behold, now is the accepted time; be- hold now is the day of salvation." Thanks to Thy name ; this first day of the New Year is Thy accepted time and shall be our day of salvation. We surrender to Thee now, our minds, our hearts, our being, beseeching Thee to accept them to be used in any way in our varied stations in life, as Thou canst, to Thy honor and glory. For- bid that this surrender of our evil affections and am- bitions to Thee, be other than a deep seated resolve of our lives, which shall be remembered, felt, and continued through every day of the year. May we learn to so value the time which Thou dost graciously add to our probation, so that we may greet with gladness and thanksgiving to Thee, the coming of each new day of this New Year, as thankfully as we now step out and face the New Year. "So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." For as Thy servant has said, "Our years will be as a tale that is told/' But, O Lord, we have more reason for gladness than sadness on this suggestive day. Thou so open- est our vision, inspireth us with Thy Holy Spirit, that we see successes in the days to come outnumber- 114 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP ing the failures of the days gone by. We see our- selves "anointed with the oil of gladness," rather than afflicted in our souls, with heads bowed down as a bulrush. We see Thy three dear handmaids Faith, Hope and Charity, walking with us all through the year, because of Thine own abiding presence with us, and the love of Jesus shed abroad in our hearts at this moment, which we accept, never more to let depart, by Thy grace and help. O God, we close our petition by earnestly ask- ing Thee to help us to flee evil things during this next New Year; and follow after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness; and to fight the good fight of faith, laying hold on the life eternal, wherewith Thou hast called us, having pro- fessed a good profession before many witnesses. And grace be with us all to the end. Amen. EASTER MORNING. "Oh let me know The power of Thy resurrection; Oh let me show Thy risen life in calm and clear reflection; Oh let me soar Where Thou, my Saviour Christ art gone before; In mind and heart Let me dwell always, only, where Thou art. Oh let me give Out of the gifts Thou freely givest; Oh let me live With life abundantly, because Thou livest; PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 115 Oh make me shine In darkest places, for Thy light is mine; Oh let me be A faithful witness for Thy truth and Thee. Oh let me show The strong reality of gospel story; Oh let me go From strength to strength, from glory unto glory; Oh let me sing For very joy, because Thou art my King; Oh let me praise Thy love and faithfulness through all my days." EASTER EVENING. "O let our lips a gladder message bear! O let our lives a sweeter fragrance wear ! For we in Him — Our risen Head — Are risen now, Our sins are dead. With resurrection-garments, pure and white, We walk henceforth as children of the light." THANKSGIVING MORNING. Oh, most blessed Heavenly Father, we adore Thee, we magnify Thee, we rejoice in Thee, we praise Thy Holy name, we lift up our hearts in glad Thanksgiving this morning for all the mercies and blessings of the past year. We thank Thee that everything Thou hast per- mitted to come into our lives shall work together for our good for we love Thee. We thank Thee that during the year neither plague nor pestilence has come nigh our dwelling. Il6 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP Thou hast given the angels charge over us to keep us in all Thy ways. Thou hast preserved our lives and supplied all our needs, and taught us precious lessons, and given us a strong desire to follow after righteousness. We thank Thee for a bountiful harvest, and for freedom from famine; for home and friends and comforts ; for health and hope and heavenly aspira- tions; for many tokens of Thy favor and oppor- tunities of service. May we gladden Thy heart of love as we offer to Thee just now a song of Thanksgiving. "For mercy without measure, For love's unceasing flow, For all of God's good pleasure That marks our path below, "For gifts like snowflakes falling, By which our lives are blest; For words the weary calling To peace and joy and rest; "For hope in time of sorrow, That spanned the darksome cloud; For thought of brighter morrow That cheered the night's deep shroud; "For grace o'er sin abounding, For each temptation slain, For angel hosts surrounding, Who constant watch maintain: PRIVATE DEVOTION., PERSONAL MINISTRY 117 "For Marah's wondrous healing. For Elim's wells, and shade., For strength vouchsafed when kneeling, Our prayer to God we made; "For all with glad thanksgiving Our Father Thee we greet; While day by day thanksliving Shall be our incense sweet." Amen. THANKSGIVING EVENING. "Oh, eternal, everlasting God, fountain of all happiness, God of all grace, we desire to acknowl- edge with grateful hearts Thine undeserved mercies. Thou hast made our cup to overflow with blessings. From the very threshold of our being, Thou hast been our Protector and Guardian — Thou hast shield- ed us from unknown dangers — Thou hast warded off unseen calamities — Thou hast exempted us from bitter trials — no earthly friend could have loved us and cared for us like Thee — we are the monu- ments of a kindness as amazing as it is undeserved. "We acknowledge our sins. We have not been exhibiting a holy consistency of w r alk and conversa- tion — we have not been declaring before the world that as for us and our house we will serve the Lord. Thy word has not been prized as it ought. The flame of love and devotion has not burned brightly on the domestic altar as it ought. The leaven of vital godliness has not been pervading with its hal- lowed influences our engagements, occupations, and Il8 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP duties. We have not done what we might have done for Thee. "Give us grace this day, while we mourn the past, humbly, but earnestly, to resolve to live more devotedly to Thee in the future. Accept of our unworthy confessions for Jesus' sake. Sprinkle these guilty hearts with His precious blood. Let us seek in all time to come to walk before Thee in holiness and righteousness of life to the glory of Thy name. "We commend ourselves and all belonging to us to Thy care and keeping. "Give us all grace to trust Thee implicitly even when Thy dealings cross our own purposes and frustrate our wills. Thou lovest us too well to let us have our own way. Let us know no will but Thine — following Thy guiding footsteps, may we say, 'The Lord is our Shepherd, we shall not want/ Watch over us, blessed Lord, this night. May Thy good angels encamp round about us. Give us re- freshing sleep, even the sleep of Thy beloved ; may we lie down to rest in Thy fear, and awake in Thy favor to the duties of a new day with our minds stayed on God. "And unto Thy great name, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we ascribe blessing, honor, and praise, as we offer Thee a song of Thanksgiving. "For all Thou dost in mercy send, For health and children, home and friends; For comfort in time of need, PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY, II9 For every kindly word and deed, For happy thoughts and holy talk, For guidance in the daily walk; For everything we thank Thee. "For beauty in this world of ours, For verdant grass and lovely flowers; For song of birds, for hum of bees, For the refreshing summer breeze; For hill and plain, for stream and wood, For the great ocean's mighty flood; For everything we thank Thee. "For the sweet sleep which comes with night, For the returning morning light; For the bright sun that shine on high, For the stars glittering in the sky; For these and everything we see, O Lord ! our hearts we lift to Thee ; For everything we thank Thee." Amen CHRISTMAS MORNING. "Almighty and everlasting God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we desire on this sacred anni- versary to draw near, in His name, to Thy holy foot- stool. Our souls would magnify the Lord — our spirits would rejoice in God our Saviour; for he that is mighty hath done great things, and holy is His name. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He hath visited and redeemed His people, and hath raised up for us an horn of salvation in the house of His servant David. "We look back with devoutest gratitude and joy to that memorable night when the angels ap- 120 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP peared over the Plains of Bethlehem, proclaiming that the promised Child was born, the promised Saviour was given — that through Him, while glory was secured to God in the highest, peace was pro- claimed on earth and good will to the children of men. We adore the amazing condescension which brought the Lord of life and of glory from His Throne in Heaven to that manger of humiliation; 'God over all/ dwelling in union with an infant of days ! "We desire this morning to present ourselves before the Holy Child Jesus, like the wise men of old, with the gold and frankincense and myrrh of our best affections and deepest love. Had it not been for this inconceivable stoop from the infinite to the finite, where would we have been this day? Well may we join in the angelic song, and say 'Glory! eternal glory be to God in the highest for His best — His unspeakable gift, without which not one ray of hope or joy could have visited our doomed world!' As we gather in thought around His unhonored cradle, may our souls rise in lively gratitude to Him who spared not His only Son, but freely gave Him up to the death for us all. We will sing unto the Lord a new song for He hath done marvellous things ; His right hand and His holy arm have gotten Him the victory. Thanks be unto God who giveth us the victory through the Lord Jesus Christ. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 121 "May we seek by holy, righteous, and consistent lives — by holy living and holy walking — to show that we are not insensible of all His unmerited love and kindness. May every thought and affection, and feeling, and temper, be brought into captivity to the obedience of Jesus. May we love what He; loves and hate what He hates. May we know the happiness of true holiness, and experience somewhat of the joy of angels, in doing Thy holy will on earth as they do it in Heaven. Fill us with all joy and peace in believing, that we may abound in hope through the power of the Holy Ghost. "We pray for a whole world. Pity the nations that are sunk in heathen darkness. Hasten the Pentecostal effusion of the latter day. When the enemy is coming in like a flood, may the Spirit of God lift up a standard to resist him. Bless all Thy faithful missionaries. In lands where Christian sanctuaries are not, be Thou a little sanctuary to all Thy true servants — may they feel that the pleasure of the Lord is prospering in their hands — may they be the honored instruments in preparing many gems for Immanuel's crown. Direct their hearts into Thy love, and into the patient waiting for Christ. "We pray for the afflicted — lead them this day to Bethlehem's manger and Bethlehem's Saviour — show them all that He was willing to do for them, and may this reconcile them to bear patiently what- ever trial He may see meet to appoint. 122 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "We praise Thee with all saints, for Thy Christ- mas gifts to the world. "For all darkness — Jesus light; For all feebleness — His might; For all faultiness — His grace; For earth's frowns — His smiling face. "For all doubts — the Truth of God; For all sin — Christ's precious blood; For all pain — His pity's dower; For all falls — His raising power. "For all conflicts — Jesus peace; For earths chains — His sweet release; For all poverty — His store; And Himself for evermore/' Amen. CHRISTMAS EVENING. "O Holy and merciful God, who wrought out redemption for us and sent Thy Son into the world not to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. "We bless Thee for revealing to us this great mystery, which was hid from ages and generations, but is now made manifest unto the sons of men. "We rejoice that unto us was born, as on this day, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Our souls do magnify the Lord and our spirits rejoice in God our Saviour. Hosanna to the Son of David ! Blessed be He that cometh in the name of the Lord ! Hosan- na in the highest ! PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY I23 "Praised be thy name for sending forth in the fulness of time Thy only begotten Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Glory be unto Thee for caus- ing Thy loving kindness toward us to appear. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to Thy mercy Thou hast saved us. "O Thou who wast in Christ reconciling the world unto Thyself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, forgive us all our trespasses. Through Him who was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, and come to seek and to save that which was lost, have mercy upon us. By the mystery of His holy incarnations and nativity good Lord, deliver us. Let the same mind also be in us which was in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, and thinking it not robbery to be equal with God, yet made Himself of no reputation, and took upon Him the form of a servant, and was found in fashion as a man, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. Help us continually to follow the ex- ample of His great humility. And give us grace so to walk in all holiness of living, that we may not be ashamed before Him at His coming. "O Thou great and glorious Redeemer, who art wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the everlast- ing Father, the Prince of Peace, we praise Thee, we bless Thee, we worship Thee, we glorify Thee, we give thanks to Thee for Thy great glory, O Lord God, Lamb of God, the only begotten Son Jesus 124 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP Christ, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, King of kings, and Lord of lords, Emanuel, God with us. For Thou only art holy, Thou only art the Lord, Thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. "But chiefly, at this time, we adore Thee for leaving the glory which Thou hadst with the Father before the world began. We know Thy grace, O Lord Jesus Christ, yet though Thou wast rich yet for our sakes Thou didst become poor, that we, through Thy poverty, might be made rich. We be- seech Thee, by the mystery of Thy holy incarnation and nativity, good Lord deliver us. Thou who didst come that we might have life, and might have it more abundantly, be gracious unto us. "We pray, O Heavenly Father, that through Thy tender mercies the Day-Spring from on higfy which hath visited us, may arise and shine upon the nations that are sitting in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide their feet into the way of peace. Grant that it may both be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel. May the children of Zion be joyful in their King! And may they so truly follow the blessed steps of their Lord and Master that they may be saved by Him in the great day of His appearing and glory. Grant this for Jesus Christ's sake." Amen. PRIVATE DEVOTION,, PERSONAL MINISTRY 12$ LAST DAY OF THE YEAR. "Almighty and eternal Lord of Heaven and earth, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning, who art the same yesterday, to-day and forever. Accept, we beseech Thee, our humble sac- rifice of praise and thanksgiving for Thy goodness and mercy which have followed us all our days. We especially bless Thee for delivering us from the dangers of the year now drawing to its close. "We humble ourselves before Thee, confessing and bewailing all that we have done amiss. Enter not into judgment with us, but spare us according to Thy great goodness. According to the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out our offences. Pardon and accept us for the sake of Thy only begotten Son, whom Thou didst send into the world, as at this time, to take our nature upon Him, that He might redeem us unto Thee by His blood. Bless us in turning us away from our iniquities. Wash us thoroughly from our wickedness, and cleanse us from our sins ; and let them all be buried with the closing year, to rise up against us no more for ever. "And keep us mindful, good Lord, as the years of our life pass away, that the end of all things is at hand, and make us sober and watchful unto prayer. May we never forget that we are strangers and pil- grims upon earth, that we have no continuing city here, and ought diligently to seek one to come. Our years pass away like a shadow, or a vapor, which appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth away. 126 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP Lord, teach us so to number them that we may ap- ply our hearts unto wisdom. Make us to know our end, and the measure of our days, that we may con- sider how frail we are, and may learn to redeem the time that remaineth. May we remember also that life is uncertain as well as short, and that in the midst thereof we are continually in death. Give us grace to watch and pray, since we know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man cometh. May we be always ready, with our loins girt about and our lights burning ; that whenever He may say, Behold, I come quickly, we may be able to reply, Even so, come, Lord Jesus. "Help us to fight the good fight, to finish our course, and to keep the faith, that there may be laid up for us a crown of righteousness, which Thou, the righteous and merciful Judge, wilt give unto us in that day. "Hear us, O Lord, we further beseech Thee, while we make our hearty intercessions for all who are partakers of the same frail nature with ourselves. Look in mercy upon those who are in the morning of their years. "May they remember their Creator in the days of their youth, before the evil days come, and the years draw nigh, of which they shall say, there is no pleasure in them. As Thou hast promised that they who seek Thee early shall find Thee, do Thou graciously dispose them to seek Thee earnestly with all their hearts, that so they may become Thy sons PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 12J and daughters, growing in wisdom as they grow in years, and in favor with Thee and man. "Mercifully regard, also, such as are in the strength and vigor of life, and dispose them to give unto Thee the best of their days, and not to weary themselves for very vanity. "Remember, we pray Thee those whose strength is now but labor and sorrow. Enable them to bring forth fruit in their old age according to the ability which yet remaineth. May they come to their graves like as a shock of corn cometh in his season. When their flesh and their heart fail them, be Thou the strength of their hearts and their portion for ever. "Fulfill, O Lord, these our petitions, for the sake of our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ." Amen. WATCHNIGHT. "Another year is dawning: Dear Master let it be In working or in waiting, Another year with Thee. "Another year of leaning Upon Thy loving breast, Of ever deepening trustfulness, Of quiet, happy rest. "Another year of progress, Another year of praise; Another year of proving Thy presence 'all the days/ 128 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "Another year of service, Of witness for Thy love; Another year of training For holier work above. "Another year is dawning, Dear Master, let it be, On earth, or else in heaven, Another year for Thee!" Amen. PRIVATE DEVOTION,, PERSONAL MINISTRY 12% CHAPTER X. YOUNG PEOPLE'S PRAYERS. PRAYER FOR GOD'S PRESENCE. "Be Thou near me, Guide and cheer me Onward through life's weary maze; Thou hast found me, Oh, surround me With Thy presence all my days! "Make me lowly, Prayerful, holy, Patient 'neath Thy chastening rod ! Never leave me, But receive me Home at last to Thee, O God!" Amen. PRAYER OF CONFESSION. "No, not despairingly, Come I to Thee; No, not distrustingly, Bend I the knee ; Sin hath gone over me, Yet is this still my plea, Jesus hath died. 130 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP. "Ah, mine iniquity Crimson hath been; Infinite, infinite Sin upon sin; Sin of not loving Thee, Sin of not trusting Thee, Infinite sin. "Lord, I confess to Thee, Sadly my sin; All I am tell I Thee, All I have been; Purge my sin away Wash Thou my soul this day; Lord, make me clean." Amen. PRAYER FOR LIGHT ON GOD'S WORD. The Lord hold the light above His own Book while we read it. The Lord cause a light to shine out of the Book while we study it. The Lord turn over the pages with His own fingers and whisper to us the meaning of the Spirit while we read the letter. The Lord speak to us from the cross of forgive- ness, pardon and peace. Amen. PRAYER FOR THE HOLY SPIRIT. Heavenly Father, Thou dost speak wonderful things unto the children of men. Thy voice is in our hearts like music from Heaven. All Thy words are wonderful, and Thy promise exceeding great and precious., And Thou PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY I3I dost not withhold one of them from them that love Thee. Open the windows of Heaven and pour upon us Thy blessing. Inspire our hearts with Thy Holy Spirit, and let us be glad with a new joy. Show us what we are, what time is, what earth is, how few are our days and how urgent is the King's business; that we may hasten upon it, and serve Him with unceasing love. Show us that we are not our own but bought with a price, that we are Thine, body, mind and spirit, and may we live to glorify Thee now and evermore. Amen. PRAYER OF CONSECRATION. "Take my soul and body's powers; Take my memory, mind and will; All my goods, and all my hours, All I know, and all I feel; All I think or speak, or do; Take my heart; — but make it new." 132 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP CHILDREN'S PRAYERS. CHAPTER XL SUNDAY MORNING PRAYER. "Father in heaven, we kneel to pray And thank Thee for Thy holy day; May He who took our sins away Help us in all we do and say, And keep us safe 'till next Lord's day." Amen. MORNING PRAYER. "Lord teach a little child to pray, Thy grace betimes impart; And grant Thy Holy Spirit may Renew my infant heart. "And kindly all my sins forgive, And wash away each strain, And fit my soul with Christ to live, And in His kingdom reign/' "Now as I wait to see the light, 'Tis God that kept me through the night; To Him I lift my voice and pray That He would keep me through the day." Amen. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY I33 KINDERGARTEN MORNING PRAYER. "Father we thank Thee for the night, And for the pleasant morning light; For rest and food and loving care, And all that makes the day so fair. "Help us to do the things we should, To be to others kind and good, In all we do, in work or play, To grow more loving every day." Amen. MORNING HYMN PRAYER. "Father, lead me day by day, Ever in Thine own sweet way; Teach me to be pure and true, Show me what I ought to do. "When in danger make me brave; Make me know that Thou canst save: Keep me safe by Thy dear side; Let me in Thy love abide. "When I'm tempted to do wrong Make me steadfast, wise, and strong; And, when all alone I stand, Shield me with Thy mighty hand. "May I do the good I know, Be Thy loving child below, Then at last go home to Thee, Evermore Thy child to be." Amen. EVENING PRAYERS. "Jesus, tender shepherd, hear me, Bless Thy little lamb to-night, Through the darkness be Thou near me, Keep me safe 'till morning light. 134 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "All day long Thy hand hath led me, And I thank Thee for the care, Thou hast clothed me, warmed me, fed me, Listen to my evening prayer." Amen. "Lord, teach me how to pray, and what to ask Thee for: Keep me from sin each day, and make me love Thee more. Never let me naughty be, but* gentle, good, and kind ; And that Thou always seest me, help me to keep in mind. "Dear Lord, watch over me this night, as Thou hast all the day, And wake me with the morning light Thy precepts to obey. My father and my mother bless with much of love for Thee, And faith, and hope, and every grace, that they may happy be." Amen. EVENING HYMN PRAYER. "Father, the night again has come, To Thee I kneel and pray ; I thank Thee for Thy loving care O'er me throughout the day. "Father, may I trust Thee ever, In my youth and after years; Never, never may I doubt Thee, Quiet all my fears. "Oh, guide me, Lord, for Jesus' sake, And keep me close to Thee, That all through life I may be Thine, And through eternity." Amen. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY I35 PRAYER FOR WISDOM. "Make us, dear Saviour, truly wise To watch for Thee with loving eyes; Fill Thou our hearts with grace divine, For Thee to love, for Thee to shine." Amen. PRAYER FOR FAITHFULNESS. "I cannot do great things for Him, Who did so much for me; But I would like to show my love, Dear Jesus, unto Thee ; Faithful in very little things, Saviour, may I be ! "And so, I ask Thee, give me grace My little place to fill, That I may ever walk with Thee, And ever do Thy will; And in each duty, great or small, 1 may be faithful still." Amen. PRAYER FOR OBEDIENCE. "O Holy Lord, content to fill In lowly home the lowliest place; Thy childhood's law a mother's will, Obedience meek, Thy brightest grace. "Lead every child that hears Thy name, To walk in Thine own guileless way; To dread the touch of sin and shame, And humbly, like Thyself, obey." Amen. PRAYER FOR GRACE. "O what can little hands do To please the King of heaven? The little hands some work must try To help the poor in misery; Such grace to mine be given! X36 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP, "O what can little lips do To please the King of heaven? The little lips can praise and pray, And gentle words of kindness say; Such grace to mine be given! "O what can little eyes do To please the King of heaven? The little eyes can upward look Can learn to read God's holy book; Such grace to mine be given! "O what can little hearts do To please the King of heaven? Young hearts if God His Spirit send Can love and trust their Saviour, Friend; Such grace to mine be given! "Though small is all that we can do To please the King of heaven, When hearts, the hands, and lips unite, To serve the Saviour with delight, They are most precious in His sight; Such grace to mine be given I" Amen. THANKSGIVING. "Father in heaven we thank Thee, For the fruit upon the tree For the birds that sing to Thee, For the earth in beauty dressed, Father, mother, and the rest; For Thy precious, loving care, For Thy bounty everywhere, Father, we thank Thee; "Father in heaven, we thank Thee. ,, Amen. PRIVATE DEVOTION,, PERSONAL MINISTRY, 137 CHAPTER XII. PRIVATE DEVOTIONS. A CLOSET PRAYER JUST AFTER RISING. "Blessed art Thou, O Lord, my God, and the God of my fathers, who turnest the shadow of death into mourning, and renewest the face of the earth. "Who scatterest the darkness by this return of light, and hast commanded night to give place to day. "Who hast enlightened my eyes, that I should not sleep in death. "Who hast delivered me from the terror by night and from the pestilence that walkest in the darkness. "Who hast unlocked mine eyes from sleep, and mine eyelids from slumber. "Who makest the out-goings of the mornings and of the evenings to praise Thee. "For that I laid me down and slept, and rose up again, because Thou, O Lord, didst make me dwell in safety. "For that I awaked, and beheld, and my sleep was sweet unto me. "Blot out, I pray Thee, as a cloud, my trans- I38 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP, gressions, and as the thickness of the morning cloud my sins. "Grant me to walk, as a child of light, soberly, purely, and honestly, as in the day; and this day in particular, O Lord, vouchsafe to keep me with- out sin ; upholding me, when I am about to fall ; and lifting me up, if I happen to be down; that I may never be suffered to continue under any provoca- tion, or temptation, or to have my heart hardened through the deceitfulness of sin. "Let my body also be safe under Thy protection, and defend me under the shadow of Thy wings from the snare of the hunter, and from the noisome pesti- lence ; from the arrow that flieth by day, and from the sickness that destroyeth at noon. "Defend this day from all evil of mine, and preserve me from all the evil of this day. "Suffer not my days to be consumed in vanity, nor my years in trouble; but let each day tell and instruct another, by some useful improvement in knowledge, or practical virtue. "Oh, let me hear Thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning, for in Thee is my trust. Show Thou me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul unto Thee. "Deliver me, O Lord from my (spiritual) enemies, for I flee unto Thee to hide me. "Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth Thee, for Thou art my God ; let Thy loving spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY I39 "Quicken me, O Lord, for Thy name's sake; and for Thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble. "Remove far from me thoughts that are with- out understanding, and evermore inspire me with such thoughts as are wise, and good, and well-pleas- ing in Thy sight. "Turn away mine eyes, lest they behold vanity, but let them be fixed on the thing that is right, and let mine eyelids look straight before me. "Inclose mine ears with a hedge of tKorns, that no foolish, filthy, or profane talk may be allowed to enter in ; but let them be open to discipline and wisdom, and always give willing attention to the words of truth and righteousness. "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth, and keep the door of my lips ; let my speech be seasoned with salt, and good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. "Let no work of my hands cause grief or just offence of heart ; but let me be continually employed in such actions, for which Thou, my God, mayest remember me for good, and spare me, according to the multitude of Thy mercies. "Into Thy hands I commend my whole self, my spirit, my soul, and my body ; for Thou hast created, redeemed and regenerated them, O Lord, Thou God of Truth. "And, together with myself, all my relations and friends, all my possessions and comforts; for I40 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP all these Thou hast graciously given to Thy un- worthy servant. "Preserve us, I beseech Thee, from all evil, yea, do even Thou preserve our souls; and let them be presented before Thy Majesty, holy and unreprov- able, in the day of the Lord Jesus. "Preserve my going out and my coming in, from this time forth for evermore. "Prosper, I pray Thee, Thy servant this day, that I may find favour, and be able to do good, among those that shall converse with me. "Haste Thee, O Lord, to my help; be always at hand to direct me. "O turn Thee unto me, and have mercy upon me ; give Thy strength unto Thy servant, and save the child of Thy handmaid. "Show some token upon me for good, that they who hate me may see it and be ashamed; because Thou, O Lord, hast holpen me, and comforted me." Amen. A MORNING PRAYER. "In my inner life I desire to be kept absolutely pure and lovely. O holy, spotless One, be in me the crystal fountain of purity ! O Lamb of God, be in me the source of absolute meekness and humility! O Lover of men, be in me a fire of unwaning, all subduing tenderness ! Make me instantly sensitive to the least taint of impurity or uncharity. Before ever the suggestion has assumed a tangible shape may I detect it and take shelter in Thee, PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY I4I "In my home life may I be a blessing; its sun- beam when the days are dark; its inspiration when the days are sad and hopeless; its tender comfort when the days are full of pain and tears. Always thinking of others before myself ; never imposing my private sorrows; ever with the girt loin and the lighted torch; washing my face and anointing my eyes, Rev. 3 : 18., and confiding my griefs to Thee only, that I may ever have. "A heart at leisure from itself To soothe and sympathize." "May neglect of prayer and Thy Holy Word be things of the past. Give me greater love for Thy Word. Ps. 119: 165. Wake me morning by morn- ing to hear as a disciple. Isa. 50 : 4. R. V. Enable me to spring up at Thy call, and like all Thy true servants to rise up early in the morning to gather the manna ere the dew be gone from it. May my fellowship with Thee be unbroken through the day, so that I may look up often into Thy face, even if I have not time to speak. Draw me, and I will run after Thee. S of S. 1 : 4. "Make me diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord. Rom. 12: 11. May I do my work, not for wages, but to please Thee. 1 John 3 .22. May it be the one object of my daily striving to do all to the glory of God, 1 Cor. 10: 31; not with eye-service, as pleasing men, but in singleness of heart, fearing the Lord. Col. 3: 22; doing the 142 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP will of God as it is indicated in The Holy Word and in the circumstances of life, looking for my reward from Thy hand, O Divine Lover." Amen. PRAYER FROM THE PSALMS. "Hear me when I call, O God of my righteous- ness ; have mercy upon me and hear my prayer. "Lead me, O Lord, in Thy righteousness ; make Thy way straight before my face. "Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not. Shew Thy marvellous loving- kindness, O Thou that savest by Thy right hand. Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of Thy wings. "Keep back Thy servant also from persumptu- ous sins. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer. "Show me Thy ways, O Lord, teach me Thy paths. Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me; for Thou art the God of my salvation. "Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions; according to Thy mercy remember Thou me for Thy goodness sake, O Lord. "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and my heart. "Teach me Thy way, O Lord, and lead me in a plain path, because of them that observe me. "Make Thy Face to shine upon me. "Lord all my desire is before Thee. "Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto PRIVATE DEVOTION., PERSONAL MINISTRY I43 my cry. Be pleased, O Lord, to help me. "Let those that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee ; let such as love Thy salvation say continu- ally, The Lord be magnified. "Deliver me from the unjust. "Hear my prayer; preserve my life from fear. "Verily God has heard me ; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor His mercy from me." Amen. PRAYER FOR LIKENESS TO CHRIST. "Dear Lord, don't mind my weakness; Thou knowest Thy strength is made perfect in my weak- ness ; don't mind my failures ; do not spare me for my shrinking; make me like Thyself, dear Lord, in any way at any cost, no matter whether I like it or not. Thou knowest best, dear Lord, and I want Thee to have Thine own way in me. Not my will, but Thine, always ; I may not like the process ; it may hurt; I may even feel discouraged and almost ready to draw back ; doubts may assail me, fears may torment me, I may be weary of the conflict and sigh for rest and cry for deliverance before the work is done. Never mind dear Lord, finish the work Thou hast begun, for Thy name's sake, and for Thine own glory, and stay not Thy hand until Thou seest, clear, and true, and perfect, Thine own image and likeness in me ; and to Thee, and Thee alone, shal). be all praise forever." Amen. 144 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP PRAYER FOR ENEMIES. "O patient Lord, who in Thy bitter pains didst pray for those who persecuted and reviled Thee, saying, Father, forgive them, they know not what they do, give us of Thy Spirit, that we may love our enemies, pray for them, and do good to them who do evil unto us, that at last we may not fail of Thy forgiveness at the day of Judgment. Grant this, Lord Jesus, for Thine own mercies' sake." Amen. PRAYER FOR BLESSING. Heavenly Father, we are Thy children, and we depend upon Thy bounty. We look up to Thee in our weakness for strength, in our darkness for light, in our sinfulness for forgiveness. Resting on Thy love, through faith in Thy dear Son, may we feel no terror in the thought of Thy Presence. We would set Thee always before us, that being at our right hand we may not be greatly moved. How gracious and patient Thou art, bearing with our forgetfulness, and irresolution, and world- liness, and selfishness. Thy love never wearies. Thou dost welcome us with a generous and forget- ting eye, and so we come to Thee, not as fearing Thy forsaking, but assured of Thy forgiveness. Thou art our truest and dearest Friend, whose love never fails, whose mercy endureth forever, who art ever thinking of us and guiding and blessing us. Heavenly Father, baptize us with Thy Holy. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY I45 Spirit. We would be holy as Thou art holy; we would be wise, and true, and strong, and noble, and gentle. We would abound in all the fruits and evi- dences of a godly life. Reveal to us, we beseech Thee, our individual obligations to the divine mercy and compassion and love. Forgive us if we have been living so near the world that we have become blind to spiritual mat- ters. Open our eyes that we may see the beauties of holiness, that we may see in Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ, the glory of the Divine Father. May the Saviour of the world draw us to His wondrous Cross, and may the Holy Spirit work mightily in us till our understanding be full of light and our hearts full of love. Take our poor prayers and answer them, not according to our faith, but according to the great- ness of Thy grace. Take our poor hearts and estab- lish them in Thy love. Take our poor lives and unite them to Thine own. And above all take our poor work and cleanse it in the precious blood of Christ. Pour into our hearts such love toward Thee, that we, loving Thee above all things, may obtain Thy promises which exceed all we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A PRAYER FOR FAITH. "O Lord God of infinite mercy, who hast sent Thy Holy Son into the world to redeem us from all evil, let my faith, I beseech Thee, be the parent I46 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP of a good life, a strong shield to repel the fiery darts of the devil ; and grant that I may be supported by its strength in all temptations, and refreshed by its comforts in all my sorrows, till from the imperfec- tions of this life it may arrive at the consummation of an eternal and never-ceasing love ; through Jesus Christ. Amen. A PRAYER FOR WISDOM. "Grant unto me, O God, my Father, this day, for the sake of Thy Son, the Power of God and the Wisdom of God ; that by the Holy Spirit I may re- ceive the Spirit of Wisdom and of Understanding, not judging to-day after seeing of the eyes, or the hearing of the ears, but with Thy Spirit's help have the discerning power to discern between him that serveth God and him that serveth Him not; the power to discern between that which is good, and that which is evil ; to hate the evil, and hold fast to the good ; to help my fellowman to walk in Wisdom's ways of pleasantness, which are peace, and that I may this day be so justified that when the night has come Thou shalt be glorified and Wisdom shall be justi- fied in my life by her work." Amen, PRAYER FOR HUMILITY. "He must increase but I must decrease." Jno. 3:30. "Lord, I pray Thee, help Thou me, Nothing in myself to be; Rid me from all inward pride, Let this self be crucified. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY I47 If, to make me pure Thou must Bring me down into the dust, Spare not ! only let me be Made in all things like to Thee. "From all carnal thoughts and ways, From all love of human praise, From all restless vain desire, Purge me though it be by fire. Make me nothing, keep me low, So the Christ within me grow : Hour by hour may He increase, Till my evil nature cease. "Let me in each moment see Thy sweet will, my God, for me; And accept with equal mind Dark or bright, to all resigned, Feeding hourly upon, Not Thy gifts, but Thee alone; Self renouncing, seeking still, Perfect union with Thy will. "Sinking into nothingness May I rise to heights of bliss. O, consume with sacred fire ! Every earthly vain desire! For Thy love, Thy purity, That it shall be joy to me Self to slight and crucify, Firmly, constantly, deny. O, my God, without delay, This vile self forever slay ! I48 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "Then with power and glory fill All my being, Lord, until Thou — as sun 'mid heaven's skies — Shall shine forth from my glad eyes; In my lightest tones be heard, Show Thyself in every word; In my countenance serene, Let Thy holy light be seen; And in every word and way, Thy sweet Presence, Lord, betray." Amen. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY I49 CHAPTER XIII. BRIEF CLOSET PRAYERS. "Enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret ; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." Mat. 6 :6. A PRAYER OF CONFESSION. I Jno. 5: 7-9. "O Lord, my God, I confess the sins of my childhood, the sins of my youth, and the sins of my riper age; the sins of my soul and the sins of my body; my secret sins and my presumptuous sins; the sins I have done to please myself and the sins I have done to please others. I confess my idle and my reckless sins ; my serious and deliberate sins; the sins I have striven to hide from others that now I have hid them from my own memory. (Confess any that God brings to your re- membrance.) "O Lord, my God, make my confession honest and sincere ; through Jesus Christ our Lord/' Amen. FOR FORGIVENESS. "O merciful Lord and God, I have sinned, but I50 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP I do not hide my sins, for I have confessed them be- fore Thee. Forgive them not for my own merits or goodness, but for the merits and worthiness of our Lord Jesus Christ, who died the just for the un- just, that He might bring us unto Thee. For the sake of His atonement upon the cross. "Grant unto me, O Heavenly Father, perfect remission and forgiveness for all the sins and wick- edness, all the errors, the follies, the ignorances, the negligences, the vain thoughts, the rash words, and the many acts of which I have been guilty. "Forgive the coldness of my love, the formality of my worship, and the imperfection of my obedi- ence. Forgive my temper unsubdued and my appe- tites unchecked. Forgive my often want of truth in word and deed. Forgive my selfishness, my self- indulgence, and my self-will. Forgive my cowardice and slothfulness in thy service. Forgive my affec- tion for the things of this world and my forgetful- ness of our Saviour and His cross. "Forgive me, and cleanse my heart by the blood of Thy dear Son, that I may rest Thy forgiven child; through the merits and intercession of Jesus Christ our Lord." Amen. FOR GOD'S SEARCHLIGHT. Search me, O Lord, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts ; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlast- ing. Cause me to hear thy loving kindness in the PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY I5I morning, for in Thee do I trust ; cause me to know the way wherein I should walk, for I lift up my soul to Thee. Let the words of my mouth and the medi- tation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, my Strength and my Redeemer. Amen. FOR CLEANSING. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy loving kindness; according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. O send out Thy light and'Thy truth; let them lead me; let them bring me into Thy holy hill and to Thy tabernacles. Let Thy mercies come also unto me, O Jehovah, even Thy salvation, according to Thy Word. Amen. A PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING. "Goodness and mercy have followed me all the days of my life ; may I dwell with God forever ! "I yield Thee thanks and praise, O Lord my God, for creating me after Thine own image and likeness; for redeeming me with Thy precious blood, and for admitting me into the number of Thy children. "I thank Thee for all Thy mercies, the least of which I am not worthy. I thank Thee for sleep, for health, for food, for raiment, for home, for reason, for affections, for friends, for a quiet spirit, for 152 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP grace and all the means of grace, for the Bible and prayer, for the church with its ministries of truth and love, and for all the blessings which have made me and keep me Thine. "I humbly praise and magnify Thy glorious name for all Thy goodness. If I have walked up- rightly and honestly and truthfully; if I have kept my tongue as with a bridle, it is of Thy mercy, O Lord, my God; therefore thanks and praise be to Thee through Jesus Christ." Amen. A PRAYER FOR OTHERS. "O Lord, Thou knowest the wants of all I love, supply them; and in so doing bestow Thy blessing which maketh rich. Be gracious to Thy Church, that it may grow in goodness, and with its branches cover the earth. "Bless all in authority those whom Thou hast set over me both in Church and State ; govern their hearts in Thy fear, and guide their understandings to do those things acceptable to Thee and beneficial to the Church and Commonwealth. "Comfort the helpless, and show the light of Thy truth to those who wander from the right way. Give to all sinners true repentance. Strengthen those who have begun well, that they may persevere in goodness; and to all my kindred, friends, and enemies (if I have any) give Thy good blessings. "Oh, Thou Creator of all mankind, have mercy on the whole human race. Pity their ignorance, PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 1 53 their foolishness, their weakness, their sin. Sheep wandering on the mountain without a shepherd, travelers lost in the wilderness without a guide. Set up an ensign for the nations and bring them to Thy glorious rest. Hasten Thy kingdom, and bring in everlasting righteousness, for the honor of Thy Son, who died the just for the unjust, that He might bring them unto God." Amen. A PRAYER FOR GOD'S BLESSING. "O God, who hast taught us to cast all our care on Thee, because Thou carest for us, bless, I beseech Thee, my labor, my occupation, my friends and relatives, my worldly goods and possessions, that, being free from all undue care and anxiety con- cerning this present life, and setting my affections on things above, I may this day serve Thee cheer- fully and help my neighbors readily to Thy honor and glory; for the love of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord/' Amen. FOR RIGHTEOUSNESS. "Almighty God, who knowest I am weak and tempted and easily led into sin, help me to walk uprightly and in Thy fear all the days of my life. Make me pure in thought; truthful and kind in speech; honest and upright in my dealings with my fellow-men. Give me humility that I be not vain; patience that I be not angry; kindness to others that I be not selfish; resolution to deny all 154 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP sinful inclinations ; to subdue all corrupt affections ; to take revenge for my intemperance by mortifica- tion ; for mis-spending my time by retirement ; for the errors of my tongue by silence ; for all the sins of my life by deep humility and repentance. And while penitent for my sins, may I be joyful and glad in Thee, so that by the brightness of my life and the cheerfulness of my conversation I may com- mend the religion of Christ to all. "Vouchsafe unto me the communion of the Holy Spirit, to be with me as a spirit of sanctifica- tion to purify my heart, a spirit of counsel in all perplexities, of direction in all doubts, of resolu- tion in all dangers, of constancy in all trials, and of comfort in all sufferings. "Uphold me in those things I have learned aright, and set me right in those things in which I err. Strengthen me if in any good thing I waver, and keep me from all things that may hurt me; through Christ our Lord/' Amen. FOR OBEDIENCE. "Almighty God, teach me to submit to the easy yoke of our Saviour, Christ, and to take upon me His light burden. Incline me unto all holy obedience to do Thy will. May my heart be so rooted and grounded in love, that no difficulties may discourage me in the way of well doing; and that neither the cares nor pleasures of life may lead me astray from Thee. Increase in me that which is lacking; raise up in PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 1 55 me that which is fallen; restore to me that which I have lost ; quicken in me that which may be ready to die; so that I may serve and obey Thee in all things; through Jesus Christ our Lord." Amen. FOR MEEKNESS. "O Lord Jesus, who when Thou wast reviled didst not revile again; when Thou sufferedst didst not threaten, but didst commit Thyself to Him who judgeth righteously ; give me the like spirit of meek- ness and patience, that I may repress all wrath, strife, murmuring, malice, and envy; that I may refrain from all peevish dispositions and from that unevenness of spirit which hinders me from the discharge of my duty and from giving pleasure to those around me; I ask these blessings through Jesus Christ." Amen. FOR GRACE. "O Lord God, remove from me all iniquity, superstition, and hypocrisy; all haughtiness, strife and wrath ; all indolence and fraud ; all lying and in- juriousness ; every evil notion, impure thought, and base desire. Grant me to be truly religious and godly ; give me patience and a good temper ; purity and soberness; contentment and truth, with perse- verance in all good to the end; through Jesus Christ." Amen. FOR PURITY. "Blessed Lord, who hast redeemed us unto God by Thy blood and hast consecrated all Thy I56 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP people to be temples of the Holy Spirit ; make me a lit dwelling place for Thy Spirit. Cast out of me every thing that defileth ; all impure lusts, sinful af- fections, covetous desires, vain imaginations, and everything contrary to Thy holy will, that I may serve Thee with godly fear, with a willing mind, with an eye single to Thy glory." Amen. FOR PERSEVERANCE. "Give me grace, O Lord, to lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset me, to run with patience the race that is set before me, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him, en- dured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God." Amen. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 1 57 CHAPTER XIV. QUIET HOUR OF THE PENTECOSTAL PRAYER UNION. O Thou Living, Eternal, Prayer-hearing and Prayer-answering God. Just now incline Thine ear unto Thy children while we wait upon Thee. In the Name of Jesus, our Heavenly Master, we come boldly unto Thy throne. We would not dare to come to Thee in ourselves. We could not ask of Thee in our weakness. But believing His life-giv- ing words, "If ye ask anything in My name, I will do it," John 14:14, we have dared to come to the invisible altar day after day and call unto Thee. But just now, our Father, we desire to be very per- sonal and very direct. Why is it, O Father, that so many of Thy little ones are still calling vainly for the Bread of Life ? John 6 135. Draw us very close unto Thee, our Father, for this communion is between Thee and us. Have we not often gone away from these quiet times feel- ing that God had not heard in truth and thus we were disappointed. Father, why is it ? Again, have 158 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP we not gone away without joy — some of us lacking this and others that, whilst Thou art abounding in the fullness of blessing? Yet we praise Thee that we see some of Thy children who receive from Thee at all times, rejoicing in Thy love. Is it not that they have learned the secret of receiving from Thee ? They have learned the privileges of the pres- ent moment. Oh, let it be so with us all ! Let now be the time that our hearts are satisfied. Do search us and see if there be lurking in our hearts any seed of unbelief, any self-will or hidden sin. Thy words are eternal and true. Then surely the failure is with us, for Thou hast said that Thou dost even answer before we call, Isa. 65 124. Do we pray from the fullness of an abiding and believing heart or do we pray, rather, out of the emptiness of self and unbelief ? We acknowledge, O God, that we have failed to abide. We find it so hard to just abide in Thee now. There is such a tendency to look to the mor- row or to the next hour or when faith is a little stronger. We do not take Thy words as the power to hold us in Thy presence — in Thy heart. We do not receive them as the testimony from Thine own lips, and the assurance of our expectation, and the answers to our cries. Help us to see new beauties in Thy words. Help us to find them life-giving. Help us to know that when Thou dost say, "I will be a Father unto you and ye shall be My sons and daughters," 2 Cor. 2:18, that it is true. Thou hast PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 1 59 said, "When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord, will hear, I the God of Israel will not for- sake them." Isa. 41 :iy. Surely as Thou hast spoken these words, Thou God of all, wilt Thou not hear the earnest cry of Thy children for their needs and the needs of their brothers and sisters through Jesus? When we meet here in this "quiet hour," in this holy silent communion, in the covenant of prayer, we have needs, not only of our own, so many and so great ; but we have the needs of others. We would forget our own. We would be swallowed up in Thee. We would offer ourselves to Thee, to be used for those who have not even found the way to this communion. O waken within us deep, burning, holy desire for Thee and for Thy glory. Fill us with the joy of intercession. Make it to spring within us as fountains of water breaking forth. We must be taught. We must be inspired, O Father, by the Spirit of Thy Son. Help us to cry unto Him out of our hearts, "Lord, teach us to pray." We long to pray well-pleasing unto Thee. We know that we cannot be heard for our much speaking. Save us from the words of our own lips. Oh, we come that we may be anointed anew with the Holy Spirit. Let us learn in His presence our first lesson before we rise from our knees. Help us to receive in quietness and confidence, the Spirit of prayer, Himself, that we may pray in Christ's name. Thou l6o PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP beholdest our need now. Oh, satisfy us now ! Thou art our God ! Our Father! we have heard that in this word lies the secret of the life of faith. O, teach us by Thy Spirit ! Teach us the secret of living faith in our Saviour. Prove to us that the greatest bless- ing that can come into our lives is the power of resting in our Lord Jesus as everything to us. Keep us from finding rest in a future or more convenient time. Help us now,, O, living God, just Now r , while we kneel before Thee! We need life, we need the fullness of joy. O, our needs are so great and so many! We need Thee, Thyself. But it is the hunger in our hearts, our Father, for Thy love that brings forth the cry for food and drink. Is it not for us now ? Hast Thou not promised ? Can we not have it now ? O, we can ! We do receive. But now come up from the deeps of our souls the hidden monsters of feeling. We are tempted to look at these and lose the vision of Thy face. They would contradict all of Thy revelation. They would deny the certainty of our faith. They are the evil powers of our own self-darkness. Yet, Lord, Thy word is truth, and all darkness, all doubt, all fear, all self must be swallowed up in that light. Thou art light. Our feelings are as deceitful, are as de- ceiving, as our hearts and thoughts. We will not hear their voices. We will not see their shadowy forms. We will hear the voice of this great desire springing within us from Thine own Spirit. We PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY l6l will be strengthened by the Almighty power of Thy will. We will see the creations of Thy mind. We will believe Thee in the faith of Thy Son, which Thou dost give us. Father, give us to take just now, through the Spirit, all that Thou hast meant Jesus to be unto us ! Help us to receive Him now. Reveal Him in us, as Thou hast revealed Him to us. We feel so unworthy, but He is worthy. We have failed and must ever fail. He has overcome. We will over- come in Him. Help us now, this moment, to enter into His overcoming life. We would trust Thee ab- solutely. We would trust Thee now. Forgive us, O God, that we have been so slow of heart to be- lieve. Thou dost forgive us now. We do receive Thy blessing. Many of us shrink from taking be- cause of the sense of unworthiness. Bring to our remembrance and to our hearts Thine own words of assurance. Is He not our worthiness ? Is He not our intercessor ? O, look not upon us, save as Thou dost through the Lord Jesus, lest we perish! All things are possible for Thee, our God, and it is pos- sible for Thee to open our inner sight, even now, that our whole being may be flooded with Thy Di- vine light. This moment we can, by Thy grace, yield all to Thee. Even now, our whole spirit and soul and body may be sanctified through and through, i Thes. 5 123. Preserve us blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, Thou art faithful who will do it. l62 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP But do we believe, O Living Spirit of God, as we wait upon Thee, that this is true, that even now we receive and enter in? Father of our spirits, we would not listen to any question, but quickly fly to Thee and find rest! We hear the words of Thy Son, and believe: "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them/' Mark 11:24. Let the shield of faith hide us from the arrows of the enemy. Let Thy word overthrow the tempter. We cannot meet him in our own strength. But, "Thou hast even prepared a table for us in the presence of our ene- mies." Ps. 23 15. And shall we not partake with anointed heads and with cups running over, as Jesus longs to give us. He spreads the spiritual feasts. He says, "all things are now ready, "Luke 14:17, but waits for our confidence, our glad acceptance. He notes the simplest act of obedience and rejoices over the tiniest seed of faith. Father, He is watch- ing now while we pray unto Thee in His Name! In the Spirit we meet. In the Spirit we receive His own life. We hear Him saying tenderly, encour- agingly, "Abide in Me and ask what ye will." With this assurance can we not to-day, Father of lights, love the "quiet hour," the silent hush about the un- seen altar, the hallowed associations of this com- munion, the sweet fragrance of the blessed incense of hearts seeking Thee, and go out with all our needs supplied. Is this too much to ask of Thee ? Hast Thou not PRIVATE DEVOTION,, PERSONAL MINISTRY 163 said that Thou art able to make all grace abound? Just no w, our Father, open the windows of our inner lives and let streams of blessings pour in from Thy heart. In our thirst, our Father, just now, we would come to the fountain of Thine own life and drink. Help us to drink deeply. Teach us how to drink. O, make wells within us of living water ! Save us from any selfish desire. Forgive any of our number who have sought selfishly any gift from Thee. Pardon any of us who have planned and asked Thee to approve the plan. O, be Thou our life in all! Just now, even now, let the blood of Christ flow over all our desire. Just now let the fire burn and consume away whatever unholy feel- ings may exist in any heart toward another. Make us one united, unselfish, Christ-anointed fellowship. May we know Thy presence and remember our Cov- enant. May we know Thy Covenant with us. Let us seek first Thy Kingdom and righteousness. Matt. 6:33. The time is short, Lord. We must be up and doing in this prayer w r ork. O, help us. Help us now. Some souls may be waiting even now for a message from Thee. Thou art waiting now to give that message through us. Help us to wait now to receive and to give, for "behold now is the day of salvation." O Father, we would bow very low before Thee and beseech of Thee to make Jesus unto us all that His death implies ! He bore our griefs and carried our sorrows. Our sins and our sicknesses He took 164 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP, upon Himself on the Cross. Let the glory of Thine own light shine in upon us and make this real to our souls and to our spirits and to our senses. And let us, because of it, forget our burdens, give them to Him who bears them and pour out our lives for others. Accept us as living sacrifices now., and keep us steadfast to the end. Amen. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 165 CHAPTER XV. PRAISES. "I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth." Ps. 34:1 PRAISE FROM THE PSALMS. "I will praise Thee. I will be glad and rejoice in Thee; I will sing praise to Thy name, O Thou most High. "I will love Thee, O Lord, my strength. "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise. "I will praise Thee, OLord, among the people: I will sing unto Thee among the nations. "For Thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and Thy truth unto the clouds. "Bless the Lord, O my soul : and all that is within me, bless His holy name. "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits. "Who forgiveth all thine iniquities ; who heal- eth all thy diseases ; "Who redeemeth thy life from destruction ; who 166 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP crowneth thee with loving-kindness and tender mer- cies; "Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's. "I will worship toward Thy holy temple, and praise Thy name for Thy loving-kindness and for Thy truth: for Thou hast magnified Thy word above all Thy name. "In the day when I cried Thou answeredst me, and strengthendst me with strength in my soul. "O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation, Thou hast covered my head in the day of battle. "I will extol Thee, my God, O King; and I will bless Thy name for ever and ever. "Every day will I bless Thee, and I will praise Thy name for ever and ever. "I will speak of the glorious honor of Thy ma- jesty, and of Thy wondrous works. "The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion ; slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all. The Lord upholdeth all that fall. "The Lord is righteous in all His ways. The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him in truth. "The Lord preserveth all them that love Him ; but all the wicked shall He destroy. "My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord. "While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being. "The Lord looseth the prisoners: the Lord PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 167 openeth the eyes of the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous : the Lord preserveth the strangers : He relieveth the fatherless and widow. The Lord shall reign for ever. "The Lord doth build up Jerusalem. The Lord lifteth up the meek. "The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy. His name alone is excellent; His glory is above the earth and heaven." Amen. PRAISE TO THE HOLY SPIRIT FOR HIS INDWELLING PRESENCE. "Dear Holy Spirit, who can know The Comforter Thou art, Till they have felt deep need of Thee From out a broken heart "Ten thousand griefs, dear Lord, have swept Across this heart of mine, But every one has pushed me out Still deeper into Thine. "I know Thou workest for my good, Thy soul's unfathomed pains, The deep, dark dungeon's doleful cries Thou turn'st to mellow strains. "Thou art far sweeter than Thy gifts, Though they surpass all thought; And yet Thy presence in my breast With precious blood was bought. l68 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "O Comforter! it is Thyself Who shows the blood to me, And to my mind revealed the Christ Like an effulgent sea. "No creature in this world can know The way Thou leadest me Through storms and pangs and lonely griefs, From self out into Thee. "Dear peaceful Spirit, Thou hast borne My sad heart far away Into a gulf of tender love, Which melts it day by day. "Blest Holy Ghost to me Thou art A boundless crystal sea, And I can lose all loneliness When all alone with Thee. "I have no wish in all the world But to be filled with Thee, And drink my being full of love From Thine immensity." THE PERSON OF CHRIST. "I've found in Thee, Lord Jesus, the satisfying part That quiets every longing and stills my troubled heart; No more in chains and bondage, Thy truth has made me free, Once dead in sins and trespass, but now alive in Thee. "I've found in Thee, Lord Jesus, the place of blessing sweet, Not in my selfish doing, but sitting at Thy feet; PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 169 And resting in Thy finished work, I find such perfect peace That every care is ended and all my labors cease. "Thine arms are underneath me, my times are in Thy hand, Thy strength sustains my weakness, and by Thy grace I stand; Thy smile lights up my pathway, Thy voice dispels my fear, And soon in clouds of glory, for me Thou wilt appear. "To Thee, Lord Jesus, Saviour, great Prophet, Priest and King, We bow in adoration, accept the praise we bring. Thy work has brought salvation, Thy Word assurance given, Thyself, O Perfect Person, shalt bring us safe to heaven. Wm. G. Carr. AN OFFERING OF PRAISE FOR SINS FORGIVEN. Col. 2: 23. Heavenly Father, I praise Thee that through Thine infinite love and Thy tender mercy, in the gift of Thy Beloved Son, my sins are forgiven. My sins are blotted out. — Isa. 43:25. My sins are borne by Jesus. — 1 Pe. 2 124. My sins are cast behind Thy back. — Isa. 38:17. My sins are cast into the depths of the sea. — Micah. 7:18, 19. My sins are covered. — Ps. 32:1. My sins are not imputed. — Ro. 4:8. My sins are not remembered. — Heb. 8:12. My sins are put away. — Heb. 1 :3 ; 9 '.26. 170 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP My sins are remitted. — Acts 10:43; Lev. 16:21, 22. My sins are removed. — Ps. 103:12. My sins are washed away by the blood of Jesus. — 1 John 1 7 ; Rev. 1 15. Amen. PRAISE FOR RECOVERY FROM SICKNESS. Heavenly Father, we thank Thee that Thou hast been mindful of our prayer, that Thou hast so graciously turned our sorrow into joy, and hast restored us to health. Continue Thy mercy. May cheerfulness of spirit and vigor of mind, and strength of body be daily granted. May the lesson learned in the ill- ness be remembered and any occasion for a new attack be warded off. We bless Thy Holy Name for all Thy good- ness, for all the way in which Thou dost lead and for all Thou are doing day by day. May the remembrance of Thy great goodness make us humble, holy, obedient and full of praise. We ask it all in the name of our Redeemer, who forgiveth all iniquities, healeth all our diseases, redeems our life from destruction and crowns us with loving kindness and tender mercies, and sat- isfieth our mouth with good things. Amen. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 171 CHAPTER XVI. PERSONAL PRAYERS. PRAYER OF FENELON. "Lord, take my heart, for I cannot give it; and when Thou hast it; oh, keep it, for I cannot keep it for Thee; and save me, in spite of myself, for Jesus Christ's sake." Amen. PRAYER OF MARTIN LUTHER. "God bless our going out, nor less Our coming in, and make them sure ; God bless our daily bread, and bless Whate'er we do — whate'er endure; In death unto His peace awake us, And heirs of His salvation make us." Amen. PRAYER FREQUENTLY OFFERED BY JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. "Help us, O Lord, with patient love to bear Each other's faults ; to suffer with true meekness ; Help us each other's joys and griefs to share, But let us turn to Thee alone in weakness." Amen. "THINE IS THE POWER, O LORD!" THOMAS EL WOOD, A. D., 1639. "Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips." Ps. 141 '.3. "O that mine eyes might closed be To what concerns me not to see; IJ2 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP That deafness might possess mine ear To what concerns me not to hear; That truth my tongue might always tie From ever speaking foolishly; That no vain thought might ever rest Or be conceived within my breast; That by each deed and word and thought, Glory may to my God be brought! But what are wishes ! Lord, mine eye On Thee is fixed, to Thee I cry! Wash, Lord, and purify my heart, And make it clean in every part; And when 'tis clean, Lord, keep it too, For that is more than I can do." Amen. INVOCATION— LIFE AND LIGHT.— A. P. ADAMS. "O Thou Father of lights, in Thee we live and move and have our being. Thou art our Home; our dwelling is the secret place of the Most High; we abide under the shadow of the Almighty; our refuge is Jehovah. We praise Thee that no evil shall befall those who truly trust Thee, nor shall they be afaid; for Thou has set Thy love upon them, and they have tnown Thy name. O Thou Sovereign of Life, Thou art the fountain of life, Thy universe is flooded with life, all space is full of life, for Thou who fillest all things art Thyself life, as Thou art Light and Love. We drink of Thine infinite fulness and, behold, we live; and that Life is our Light forevermore." Amen. ST. PATRICK'S INVOCATION AS HE ENTERED UPON HIS WORK FOR THE CONVERSION OF IRELAND. "May the strength of God pilot me; May the power of God preserve me; PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY I73 May the wisdom of God instruct me; May the eye of God view me; May the ear of God hear me; May the word of God make me eloquent; May the hand of God protect me. May the way of God direct me. May the shield of God defend me. Christ be with me ; Christ on my right hand. Christ on my left hand, Christ in the hearts of all to whom I speak, Christ in the mouths of all who speak to me, Christ in the eyes of all who see me, Christ in the ears of all who hear me." Amen. PRAYER OF ST. CHRYSOSTOM. "Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto Thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in Thy Name, Thou wilt grant their requests ; fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of Thy servants, as may be most expedient for them ; granting us in this world knowledge of Thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting." Amen. A MOTHER'S PRAYER— WILLIAM CULLEN BRYANT. "Starting forth on life's rough way, Father, guide them; O ! we know not what of harm May betide them; 'Neath the shadow of Thy wing, Father, hide them; Waking, sleeping, Lord, we pray, Go beside them. 174 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "When in prayer they cry to Thee, Do Thou hear them; From the stains of sin and shame Do Thou clear them: 'Mid the quicksands and the rocks, Do Thou steer them; In temptation, trial, grief, Be Thou near them. "Unto Thee we give them up, Lord, receive them ; In the world we know must be Much to grieve them — Many striving oft and strong To deceive them; Trustful in Thy hands of love We must leave them." Amen. A PRAYER— PJIO££E GARY, "I ask not for wealth, but power to take And use the things I have aright; Not years, but wisdom that shall make My life a profit and delight. "I ask not that for me, the plan Of good and ill be set aside; But that the common lot of man Be nobly borne and glorified. "I do not ask for love below, That friends shall never be estranged; But for the power of loving, so My heart may keep its youth unchanged. ,, Amen. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 1/5 A PRAYER— CLEMENT OF ALEXANDRIA, "Fisher of men, the Blest, Out of the world's unrest, Out of sin's troubled sea, Take us, dear Lord, to Thee." Amen. A PRAYER FOR CHILDREN— JEREMY TA YLOR. "Bless my children with healthful bodies, with good understandings, with the gifts and graces of Thy Spirit, with sweet dispositions and holy habits, and sanctify them throughout in their spirits and souls and bodies, and keep them unblamable to the coming of the Lord Jesus." Amen. PRAYER FOR GRACE— BISHOP ANDREWS. (167s) "Lord, I will lift up my hands to Thy com- mandments, which I have loved; open Thou mine eyes, that I may see wondrous things of Thy law. Incline my heart to Thy testimonies ; order my steps according to Thy word, and so shall no iniquity have dominion over me. "Concerning Thy testimonies, I have known long since that Thou hast founded them for ever. Therefore will I walk in the path of Thy command- ments, and will apply my heart to fulfill Thy stat- utes alway, even unto the end. "O Lord God, be Thou my God, let me have none besides Thee; let me love nothing in com- parison of Thee. "Grant me grace to worship Thee in spirit and in truth, to reverence Thy Holy Name, to serve Thee devoutly and decently with the gestures of my I76 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP body, with the praises of my tongue, in private and in public. "To render my superiors due honor by obeying their commands, by submitting to their govern- ment ; to love my family and dependants, by taking due care of them, by making provision for them: "To overcome evil with good; and to possess my vessel in sanctification and honor: "To have my conversation without covetous- ness, and be content with such things as I have: "To put away lying, bitterness, clamour, and evil-speaking, and all malice ; and to speak the truth in love : "Not to lust with concupiscence, not to walk with lasciviousness, not to be captivated with de- sires inordinate and violent, of what sort soever they may be." Amen. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY Iff CHAPTER XVII. OTHERS. FOR "ALL MEN." I Tim. 2: 1. "O ThQu Helper of the helpless, our seasonable refuge in the time of trouble, remember all that lie under any sort of extremity, and call upon Thee for succor and protection. "O Thou who art the God of grace and truth, establish and strengthen in Thy truth them that stand ; restore the weak, and raise up them that fall through heresies and sins. "Thou, who art the wholesome defence and strength of thine anointed, think upon the congre- gation which Thou hast purchased and redeemed of old : and let the multitude of them that believe be of one heart, and of one soul. "Send forth, we pray Thee, O Lord of the har- vest, laborers in all points fitted by Thy grace to do the work of that harvest. "Thou, who art the portion of them that wait at Thine altar, grant that Thy clergy may always be enabled rightly to divine, and uprightly to walk in, the word of Thy truth; and let Thy people always 178 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP be ready, with meek heart and due reverence, to receive the same at their mouths. "O Thou great King over all the earth, strengthen and support the several governing pow- ers, as being thine own ordinance, though man's convenience and contrivance. Scatter the nations that delight in blood; and command wars to cease in all the world. "Grant that all persons of eminence and author- ity may be eminent for virtue and sincere regard to Thy true religion. Fill all our councillors with godly wisdom. Guide Thou our judges and mag- istrates in the administration of justice to all persons and in all causes, without preferring one before an- other, or doing anything by partiality. "O Lord of hosts and God of battles, strengthen, protect and prosper all Christian forces engaged against the enemies of our most holy faith. "Give all people grace to live in subjection to the higher powers, not only for wrath, but also for conscience sake. "Bless our husbandmen with fruitful seasons, our fleets with favorable winds, our merchants with successful voyages, our tradesmen with a spirit of honesty and contentment ; our artificers, even to the meanest, even to the poorest among us, with grace to follow their respective labors diligently and patiently, for fair and reasonable profit, and in humble dependence upon Thy blessing. "O Thou who hast pronounced that man worse PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 179 than an infidel, who is regardless of his own house- hold, behold with Thy favor every person belonging to this family; yea, let Thy peace rest upon my whole house, and let the Son of Peace ever dwell in it. "O Thou, who acceptest the intercessions which Thy servants offer up for each other, remember, for good, as well all those who recommend me in their prayers, as those whom I have promised to rec- commend in my prayers ; and all who have no friend to entreat for them particularly. "O Thou Searcher and Knowerof hearts, who acceptest the will for the deed, be gracious to all them who, through just and necessary hindrances, do not pay Thee public homage and service this day ; to all whom importunity of business makes less fre- quent in the public or private worship of Thee than they desire or endeavor to be ; let all these, O Lord, partake of Thy favor and bounty, as if they had often and actually prayed. "Soften and convert those hardened, foolish hearts, w r ho through ignorance or prejudice con- temn Thy word and ordinances ; who deride Thy holy religion, and wilfully forbear and refuse to pray ; give them a sorrowful sense of this evil heart of unbelief and preserve others from the infection of such pestilent examples. "Arise, O Lord, and have mercy on all that are in extremity; and may Thy pity to these be the same as I would wish it to myself under the like extremity. l8o PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "I entreat Thee, gracious Lord, to look down on all ages and conditions of men; sucklings and infants, children and young people, middle-aged and declining, old and bed-rid, the hungry and thirsty, the naked and sick, prisoners and strangers, those that have no settled dwelling while they live, and those who are destitute of friends to bury them when they die : all of superannuated understanding, of discontented or disturbed minds: all who labor under any temptation to destroy themselves, who are vexed with evil spirits, or driven to despair of Thy mercy ; the distressed in body or soul, the tim- orous or faint-hearted, the criminals and condemned to die, orphans and widows, travelers by land or by water, women laboring with child, captives and slaves, in chains, in the mines, or in the galleys ; all that wander about in caves and deserts, and all that lie expiring in the agonies of death. "Finally, OLord, I commit to Thy custody and protection, now, henceforth, and for ever, my soul and my body, my mind and my thoughts, my prayers and all my desires, my senses and my limbs, my brothers and sisters, my kindred and friends, my benefactors and intercessors, my neighbors and acquaintances, my countrymen, and all my fellow Christians. " Amen. PARENTS FOR CHILDREN. "Blessed Lord God! we bow before Thee in deep humility. We desire to feel more deeply the PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY l8l terrible power of sin in ourselves and in our chil- dren, and the danger to which it exposes our beloved home. We come to confess how far as parents we have come short in that pure and holy love which Thou didst mean to be the beauty and the blessed- ness of the family life. In our intercourse with Thee, and each other, and our children, and our fellow-men — O God, forgive us the want of love! And, oh! let not our children suffer through us, as they grow up in our likeness. Deliver us, we pray Thee, from the power of selfishness, and shed, oh ! shed abroad Thy love in our hearts by Thy Holy Spirit. "And teach us to realize fully what this parental faithfulness is which Thou dost ask of us. We would make this the one object of our home life, to train a seed to serve Thee. By our life, by our words, by our prayers, by gentleness and love, by authority and command, we would lead them in the way of the Lord. O God ! be Thou our helper. "And, O God ! bless our children with the spirit of love. Give us so to walk before them in love, that Thy Spirit may use our example and our like- ness to form them to Thy Holy Likeness. Give us a deep sense of our holy calling to train their im- mortal spirits for Thee and Thy glory. Inspire us with faith, with patience, with wisdom to train them aright. Oh, that our home on earth might be to them the pathway, and the gate, to the Father's home in heaven ! l82 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "Blessed Father! let us and our children be thine wholly and forever." Amen. A MOTHER FOR AN ONLY SON. Dear Heavenly Father, I thank Thee for my only boy. I thank Thee for the love Thou hast given me for Him, and for the love Thou hast given him for me. I thank Thee for the care of him be- cause it has helped me to understand how Thou dost care for me and remember all my wants. Help me to so live that I may lead him to Thee and make real to him the joy of Thy presence. Guide me every day in my hopes and plans for him, and make me strong to put away all that is worldly and false. Be with him that he may feel the sunshine of Thy love and know the blessedness of loving Thee. May he be a soldier of the cross, faithful and true, and hear Thee say, when this life is over, "Well done, good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord." Amen. A MOTHER FOR AN ONLY DAUGHTER. "O Thou great and holy Creator of men ! Thou hast placed me in the wondrous relation of parent with child owing its life to me. Thou wouldst give me, too, the happiness of living a life of love, the Divine joy of loving and being loved. Thou hast placed me, too, in a home which is to be the image of the home in heaven, where the Father and the Son dwell in everlasting love. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 183 "O my God ! I humbly confess that I utter these words with shame. How little have the perfect love and joy, the purity and brightness of heaven, been reflected in the home given to my charge ! How lit- tle I have even understood my calling, or truly aimed at the high ideal Thou hast set before me! Father, forgive me, for Jesus' sake. 1 'And hear me when I beseechThee to guide my meditations, and to help me in the study of Thy Holy Word, that I may learn more fully to realize what Thy purpose is with the motherhood of this earth, and with what interest and love Thou lookest on each home given up to Thy protection and guid- ance. "Blessed God ! give me wisdom and grace to be such a mother as Thou wouldst have. I see how Thou sufferest not any other to usurp the parent's place. Lord! teach me to take home the lessons which Thou seest I need to fit me for my work. "Fill my heart with Thy love and Thy word. O Lord ! love knows of no sacrifice ; it counts noth- ing a burden: love rests not till it has triumphed. Oh, fill me with Thy love; shed it abroad in my heart by the Holy Spirit ; and fill me with Thy word dwelling richly in me, and teaching my child will be the spontaneous overflowing of the heart's ful- ness. And make me diligent and wise in studying to do my work well, to sharpen Thy words deep into my child's heart. And make me persevering, day by day, and all the day, walking in Thy love and 184 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP, presence, and making my whole life an influence educating my child for Thee." Father, help me for Jesus' sake. Amen. A MOTHER FOR HER NEW-BORN BABY. Heavenly Father, I adore Thee that Thou hast counted me worthy to give birth to a babe, and hast honored me with the privilege of training a child for Thee. May I be an ideal mother according to God's thought of perfect motherhood. May I always be patient and never speak a harsh, unkind, unloving word to my child. May I be faithful yet gentle in correcting every fault and thoughtful in encouraging every virtue. May I teach this little one to be obedient, kind, po- lite, reverent, quiet and in all things and in all ways to follow the example of the holy child Jesus. Make me an example of obedience, submission, gentleness, and sweetness as a wife, that my child may learn to reverence me as I reverence her (or his) father, and so we all give Thee, O Heavenly Father, the obedience and reverence which is Thy due. Make me faithful in praying with my baby as well as for my baby every single day of our lives as long as Thou dost spare us to each other. For Jesus' sake I ask it. Amen. PRIVATE DEVOTION., PERSONAL MINISTRY 185 FOR " ENEMIES." Mat. 5: 44. O Thou, who hast directed us to overcome evil with good, and hast expressly commanded our prayers for them that persecute us, and despitefully use us, pardon and bless all that speak evil of me, all that have hated me with or without a cause: some of them perhaps even for my good will, for speaking distasteful truth or doing necessary jus- tice: but whatever the occasion or the offense may have been, which, if given on my part, I entreat Thee, and them, to forgive: have the same mercy, O Lord, on all mine enemies, as on myself: and bring them, I beseech Thee, to Thy heavenly king- dom, as I hope and pray Thou wilt at length bring me. Amen. FOR SAILORS. "Our Heavenly Father, we beseech Thee now in behalf of those 'who go down to the sea in ships and who occupy their business in great waters/ May they, seeing the great works of the Lord, and His wonders in the deep, adore and praise Him who is the maker of them all. May they call upon Thy name and seek Thy help in danger, and remem- ber to give thanks unto Thee in time of safety. "O God, we beseech Thee, make them a godly class of men, who shall love and fear and serve Thee. And may those who go from Christian to heathen ports testify in Thy name, and carry the glad tidings of Him who came and died to save the world. l86 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP "Crown with success, we pray Thee, the efforts of every society, in each harbor, who strive to make the sailors' reading-room attractive and pleasant to them, and may the Christian influences thus thrown around them be the means of bringing many of them to Thee. "And at last, most merciful God, bring us all safely into the Heavenly Haven. We ask it for Christ's sake. " Amen. FOR SOLDIERS. Our Heavenly Father, we look to Thee in be- half of those who have left home and friends and comforts for the service of their country and for the field of battle. Teach the Christian men through their discipline in the army how to be true soldiers of the cross. Show them that there must be in their spiritual lives the unconditional surrender, the unquestioning obedience, the unfaltering trust, the unflinching courage which characterizes the true soldier. Bless those at the head of the regiments. May- each officer be a man of integrity, honor, honesty, purity and temperance; leading their men not only in the battles against the material enemies they have to fight, but against the evil forces that menace the spiritual life. May each officer be an example to his men of a true soldier of Jesus Christ. Bless any that are homesick and heartsick. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 187 Bless any who are ill and who suffer from want of the comforts to which they have been accustomed. Bless the Chaplain of each regiment as he min- isters to his men in Divine Things. May each be a man of God who lives a separated life, so that when the soldiers are ill, troubled or dying they will be glad to have him come to them and he will be able to comfort them and point them to the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world. Comfort the dying with the consolations of Di- vine love and forgiveness. Bless us all and hasten the time w T hen "they shall beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruninghooks : nation shall not rise against nation, neither shall they learn war any more." Amen. FOR POLICEMEN. Heavenly Father, we ask Thee in Jesus' name to bless those who guard our homes and property in summer's heat and winter's cold. Bless any service that is held for them in Thy name. May every Christian man on the force feel his responsibility to be a true man all the more because surrounded perhaps by men who are in league with all that is evil. Make up to those who love the Lord's day, yet are kept from its worship. May they think of Thy faithfulness as they walk their beats, in the lonely l88 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP, nights. May the consciousness of Thy presence compensate them for all loss. Make the timid young Christian policeman true in the face of ridicule or persecution. Make them patient under provocation, honest in the midst of corruption, true in the courts of justice, and faith- ful in the performance of every duty. We ask it all in Jesus' name for Jesus' sake. Amen. FOR CHRISTIAN WORKERS. Holy Father, Thou who dost bid us to pray al- ways with all prayer and supplication for all saints, we trustingly ask Thee to keep through Thine own name, those whom Thou hast given to Christ, that they may be one, as Thou Father, art one with the Son. Sanctify them through Thy truth, that they may be one in Thee and in Thy blessed Son; that the world may believe that Thou didst send Jesus, and that the saints may know that Thou hast loved them as Thou hast loved Christ. O righteous Father, grant that the love where- with Thou hast loved Christ may be constantly in them, and Christ in them the hope of glory. Bless all the ministers of Thy gospel in this and every land. May they rightly divide the Word of truth; may they be ensamples to the flock; real Shepherds of the Sheep, constantly looking to the PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY 189 Great Shepherd that He will make them perfect in every good word and work to do His will. Remember, oh, Holy Father, all the mission- aries in every land. Protect them by Thine Al- mighty power, encourage them in the mighty bat- tle against sin and Satan; enable them to push the Word of God with boldness, and to trust in Thy lov- ing and tender care. Bless all teachers in all our institutions of learn- ing, in every college, every Bible institute, every seminary, every day school and Sunday school, every Mission School, every institution where men and women or boys and girls are taught. May their instructors realize their responsibility, and keep low at the feet of the Great Teacher, and be shining lights to those who walk in their footsteps. May all leaders be ensamples of Christ to those who follow them; may all Christian writers feel their responsibility to send out true, pure Christ-in- structing literature. May all who work in Jesus' name in every land be blessed to-day because we pray. We ask it for Jesus' sake. Amen. FOR A DYING SINNER. Most gracious God, Thou who didst so love the world as to give Thine only begotten Son that who- soever believed in Thee should not perish but have everlasting life, we humbly beseech Thee to look with divine pity upon the one so soon to be ushered into Thy presence. I90 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP For the sake of Thine own beloved Son, who came to earth that we might go to heaven, who lay in a manger, that we might live in a mansion, who suffered the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God. He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. By His death for the sinner Divine Justice was satisfied and the world redeemed from the curse. May the one passing through the valley of the shadow cling in faith to the fact that as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so was the Son of man lifted up for the sins of the world. He was wounded for our transgressions; he was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him and with His stripes are we healed. Just now we ask Thee that this suffering soul may trust in the merits of his crucified Redeemer, and accept Him whom they called Jesus, because He should save His people from their sins. May he know peace with God, the conscious- ness of forgiveness, and the joy of acceptance, and may he quietly surrender his spirit to God who gave it. We ask and believe for it in Jesus' name. Amen. PRAYER FOR A DYING SAINT. We commend to Thy tender love and care, most gracious Father, the one who lies so near to the gate of death. PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY I9I Take away all pain. Though consciousness of earthly things is receding, may consciousness of divine things be vivid and glorious. May there be a sweet realizing sense of divine forgiveness, a resting in the merits of the precious Lamb of God, slain to take away the sins of the world. May the spirit of the departed one be received and preserved unto the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ with all His saints. Amen. A BURIAL AT SEA. Oh, Thou Almighty Father, who art saying to- day, "I have loved thee with an everlasting love, therefore with loving kindness have I drawn thee." Oh, Thou loving Christ, who art saying to-day, "As many as I tenderly love I rebuke and chasten." Oh, Thou sympathizing Holy Spirit, whose name is the Comforter, we bring to Thee the stricken friends who this day lay their loved one out of their sight. Be to them, oh, Jehovah, the Almighty God, the loving Friend, the Holy Comforter that Thou art. So fill them, so sustain them, so comfort them, so hold them close in Thy tender embrace, that in- stead of pain there shall be peace; and instead of self-pity there shall be spiritual praise. Keep them from looking back, thinking what they might have done better or different and regret- ting what was done; keep them from looking sor- 192 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP rowfully forward in awful agony thinking of what might have been had the dear one lived. May they remember that "whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth," and "no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous ; never- theless afterwards it yieldeth the peaceable fruits of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." Turn the curse into a blessing unto them be- cause Thou dost love them. Hear us in Jesus' name for Jesus' sake. Amen. A PASTOR DEDICATING A BABE TO GOD. "Our Heavenly Father, we come as pastor and people, with these parents, to dedicate this little one to Thee, for of such is the kingdom of heaven. "And as these parents consecrate to Thee what Thou hast given to them, we humbly entreat Thee to give them wisdom to train the child for Thee. Open their eyes to see the treasures of wisdom in Thy Holy Word, in promise and instruction to parents and children. Especially reveal Thyself to them, we beseech Thee, as the God of the covenant and the promise, the parent's God, whose name is Wonderful. Teach them in holy fear and rever- ence, in childlike trust and joy, in purity of life and separation from the world, to walk before Thee, and to love the child with a holy love, and to train it for the service of Thy temple. Teach them to speak to it of Thee and Thy love so that its heart may early be won for Thee, PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY I93 "May their whole life be to it an inspiration, in- viting and helping the child to what is pure and lovely, to what is holy and well pleasing to Thee. "Let the thought of Thy command to rule their home, of Thy judgment on disobedience, of Thy promised grace to those who give themselves to obey, of Thy blessing on a home ordered in Thy fear, stir them to fulfil their holy calling in Thy fear. And let them, above all, believe that as they and their children in this fulfil Thy will, they are in the path of true blessing for this life and the life to come." Amen. A PASTOR AT A WEDDING. Our Father who art in heaven, look down in love and tenderness upon these two lives who this hour are made one. May their love for each other be so unworldly, so unselfish, that it may draw them closer to Thee and to all about them who need the loving ministry their united lives can give. May the wife give the husband his place as the head, and reverence and obey him as Thou has commanded. May he love and shield and watch over her as Christ, his pattern, loves and shields and watches over His church. May they be true to each other in time of trial ; tender to each other in time of temptation or sin; 194 PRAYERS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP loving each other all the way, all the days, until the summons shall come to join their Lord. For Jesus' sake. Amen. PRAYER IN AFFLICTION. ' 'Almighty God, Thou dost, by Thy Son Jesus Christ, take away the sin of the world. Thou dost not cleanse the outside, Thou dost purify the inmost life. Out of renewed and sanctified motive Thou dost bring pure and noble conduct. " Who but Thyself, Thou Christ of God, could lift the load ? What power but Thine could dispel the cloud ? We cannot take away sin ; but the blood of Jesus Christ the Son of God taketh away all sin. We cast our sins on Jesus. We do not understand His love, but we answer it with tears, faith and sacred hope. We have hewn out unto ourselves cisterns — broken cisterns — that could hold no water, and we have attempted to build towers that should reach even unto heaven. But we stand before Thee now, convicted, burning with shame, having utterly failed to do the thing which we set our hand to ac- complish. Thou dost teach us in many ways; by fear, by poverty, by joy, by wealth; and by all the ministry of life, Thou art teaching us the holy truth, and shedding upon us the upper light, and drawing us more nearly to Thyself. Being in a school, may we not forget the lesson. Having an opportunity of learning wisdom, may we not live as foolish men. May we know the rod, and Him who hath appointed PRIVATE DEVOTION, PERSONAL MINISTRY I95 it. Enable us to kiss the chastening hand. Lift upon us the light of Thy countenance, and our tears shall be beautiful. Take not Thy Holy Spirit from us in the night of sorrow, suffering, disappointment, and pain. Sanctify to us all trouble, distress, and fear, and sadness, and death. Work before our eyes this wondrous mystery. Show us how Thou dost bring beauty out of that which is unbeautif ul ; how the morning rises upon the night, and how summer comes swiftly after winter. Thus may we have hope, through Christ, in the living God. Teach us that all things work together for good to them that love Thee. When the cup is very bitter, may we drink it in Thy strength, and becauseThou hast given it unto us. Teach us to bring all prayers into one, saying, with full hearts, with unbroken, ever-hoping trust, "Not my will, but Thine be done. " In that spirit there is triumph ; in that faith there is no over- throw. Lord, increase our faith. Then from the place of darkness shall we see the stars. In the night- time of solitude shall we have angel-like companion- ship, and up the steep hill we shall feel the sustain- ing hand of God." Amen. Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. Neutralizing agent: Magnesium Oxide Treatment Date: August 2005 PreservationTechnologies A WORLD LEADER IN PAPER PRESERVATION 1 1 1 Thomson Park Drive Cranberry Township. PA 16066 (724)779-2111 H ■ $3» llll LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 014 628 578 8 • S0 in