good will to men shall become universal, when the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. O God of peace and love, hasten it in thy time.

Let thy goodness follow us all the days of our life. Grant to us its protection and comfort, during the hours of this night. May we sleep, as if in the arms of Jesus. May we awake sweetly, on the morrow, as if an angel touched us. May even death put no period to thy goodness, but as we enter eternity may we hear thee say, I have loved thee with an everlasting love. In the name of Jesus, whom thou lovest, we offer these our prayers and thanksgivings. Amen.

FRIDAY MORNING.

O God, thou art our God, early will we seek thee. Our voice shalt thou hear in the morning, as we direct our prayer to thee, and look up to the everlasting hills, whence cometh our help. Our bodies have found repose, and our souls would now seek rest in praising and glorifying thee. It is meet and right and our bounden duty to offer the sacrifice of praise unto thy name. Thou hast made us rational and immortal creatures, capable of knowing and of loving thee for ever.

Thou

hast redeemed us, not with corruptible things, but with the precious blood of Christ. We are placed by thy good providence in circumstances favour

able to the attainment of salvation, and are privileged, as a family, with religious advantages above many of the families of the earth. In our closets we have bent the knee and acknowledged thy care over us during the night, and now, around the domestic altar, we unitedly adore thee, as the God of providence and of grace.

We approach thee, at this hour, with convictions of our sinfulness and varied wants. We come to thee to be enlightened, pardoned, and purified. Blessed with the means of grace we supplicate that mercy which they are instituted to convey. Send down upon us thy Holy Spirit, to convince us of sin, and to conduct us to the Saviour of guilty men. Bestow upon us the salvation which He died to procure and is now exalted to impart. Work in us both to will and to do of thy good pleasure, that we may work out our own salvation, with fear and trembling. Redeem us from the curse of the law, from the pollution of the present world, and from the condemnation of the world to come. Unite us by faith to Christ, who is the author of justifying righteousness, adorn us with the fruits of the Spirit, and grant that we may stand complete in all thy will.

Bless to us the daily reading of thy holy word. May we understand its meaning, and by it be made wise unto salvation. May our morning and evening approaches to thy throne, never degenerate into formal acts of worship, but may we pray with the spirit and with the understanding. May those who are placed at the head of this family rule it in the fear of God, and show piety at home.

May the servants of the household be the children of God, and be prepared for that world where all social distinctions are done away. Give to our children the blessing of early devotedness to thee. While they are yet young may they begin to cry to thee, Thou art my Father, the guide of my youth. Let them not grow up to be wicked, impenitent, and unbelieving, but may they serve God in the gospel of his Son. May they be dutiful to their parents and teachers, be kind and loving to each other, and thus prove that they love that Redeemer, who said, Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God.

Give mercy to our dear relations and friends, scattered up and down in this world of imperfection and woe. May any of them who have forsaken the guide of their youth and forgotten the covenant of their God, be brought back with penitence and faith to the Shepherd and Bishop of Souls. Let those who love thee receive increase of grace, and while separated widely from us may we and they meet before thy mercy seat, and realize the communion of saints, and finally stand with acceptance before thy throne.

We pray to thee for our neighbours and acquaintance. May we have compassion on the ignorant, and endeavour by a holy example to lead them to the fountain of divine light. Bless all the means employed to awaken their attention to the things which belong to their peace, and where sin hath abounded let grace much more abound.

Hear us when we pray for our country. Let

all the people of this land praise thee. May the rich lay up in store for themselves a good foundation against the day of God, and the poor rich in faith, and heirs of thy kingdom.

become

Command thy blessing on British seamen, and grant that they become as eminent for piety, as they have been distinguished by bravery and skill. They get their bread by the peril of their lives, and endure privations and hardships peculiar to their employment. Let thy providence watch over and preserve them. May their lives be precious in thy sight, and when delivered from danger and from death may they celebrate thy goodness, and return to thee, through Christ, as to the God who hath dealt bountifully with them. And oh, let it please thee to have mercy upon all men. Let thy way be known upon earth, and thy saving health among all nations. Bring the fulness of the Gentiles into the Christian church and let all Israel be saved. May the children of Abraham the friend of God, look on the Messiah, and find in him the great prophet, and priest of the world.

Let

We now commend ourselves to thee and to the word of thy grace. Keep us in thy fear through all the hours of this day, so that we may not wickedly depart from the Lord our God. the assurance of thy love cheer our hearts. Guide us with thine eye, and when we hear not thy voice, and see not thy hand, may our faith recognize thy look of guidance and approbation. Grant these blessings, O God, in much mercy, for the righteousness' sake of our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

E

FRIDAY EVENING.

O God, the Creator and Preserver of men, we adore thee as the God of patience, and admire the forbearance which thou art constantly displaying towards the creatures of thy hand. Thou art slow to anger, not willing that any should perish, but rather that men should come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved. We thank thee, that our lives, justly forfeited to thy law, are spared; that though cumberers of the ground we are not cut down and consigned to that woe which our sins have merited. May we account the long suffering of our Lord salvation, and may his goodness lead us to repentance. We acknowledge before thee, with penitential regret, that we have not improved the mercies we have enjoyed, and that by our ingratitude and rebellion we have tempted thy Spirit to depart from us. It would have been righteous if thou hadst taken our candlestick out of its place, have removed our religious privileges, and have left us to the darkness of our own minds and to the corruption of our hearts. Thou art God and not man, and therefore we are not consumed.

We thank thee that, during the hours of another day, we have been delivered from accident and sheltered from death, that in the possession of all our mental capabilities, we are allowed once more to come unto the altar of God, and to yield up our spirits afresh to thee, to be pardoned and purified and accepted at thy hand. Behold us with compassion, visit us with the favour which