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BEHOLD THE LAMB OF GOD, WHICH TAKETH
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                             ST. JOHN 1-29. 
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       JOHN FREDERICK STARK,
EVANGELICAL CLERGYMAN AND CONSISTORIALIS,
         AT FRAKFORT-ON-THE-MAIN. 
      JOHN  FREDERICK STARK'S




Satlg Ijattb-lnnk

                  FOR

      DAYS OF REJOICING AND OF SORROW.

                CONTAINING

jExijortatumH, {frayerH atto ffymna, for ubp,

    I. IN HEALTH.     2. IN SICKNESS.
    3. IN TROUBLE.     4. IN THE DYING HOUR.

   WITH VARIOUS FESTIVAL EXERCISES AND MANY BEAUTIFUL

       PENANCES, SHRIFTS,  COLLECTS,

PRAYERS FOR GOOD WEATHER,  MORNING  AND EVENING
   PRAYERS AND SERVICE FOR EVERY DAY OF THE
     WEEK, AS ALSO PRAYERS IN TIME OF WAR,
       OF DEATH  OF PESTILENCE, AND OF
          PEACE, BEING OF GREAT USE
            ON ALL OCCASIONS,
                  AND


          1EtttMlt0ijri> uritfj ^rtntH.

With an Appendix of Morning and Evening Prayers, Exhortations, and
        Hymns for times of Pregnancy and Labor.

   (FnutBlatpfc from tlj* Original German lEMtton.



     THE KOHLER PUBLISHING COMPANY,
               PHILADELPHIA. 
COPYRIGHT-1855,  BY I.  KOHLER
COPYRIGHT-1879,  BY I.  KOHLER
THE  KOHLER PUBLISHING CO.
     PHILADELPHIA,  PA.
®> 
PREFACE.
 Dear Christian Reader :—
   The present Hand-book of the learned, pious, and
 Lowly-minded pastor and consistorial counsellor, John
 Frederick Stark, who was gathered to the bosom of
 his Lord on the 17th of July, 1756, at Frankfort od
 the  Main, has,  ere this, quickened ana comforted
 many thousands of souls, and made of their dying
 hour an hour of joy.  It therefore requires no further
 recommendation.   Having  been  first published in
 1728, it has now  been regarded by rich and  poor,
 for more  than a hundred years, as an indispensable
 part of the family library,  and read with eagerness
 and profit wherever the German language is spoken.
 This eagerness for  such nourishment  of the soul, has
 naturally  led  to  numerous  editions, published at
 various times and places.  The edition  from which
 this translation was made, is  particularly remarkable
 for a careful revision made by a brother  in the faith
of J.  F. Stark, in  the course "bf-which, besides the
correcting of numerous errors of the press which had
crept into  former editions, obsolete words and phrasei 
6
PREFACE.
were struck out, and some repetitions expunged,   ll
was also augmented by the addition of some prayers
referring to  the weather, conceived  entirely in the
spirit of Stark, the want of which  had been sensibly
experienced.
  You  have here, therefore,  dear  Christian reader, a
correct English transcript of the same old Stark which
has comforted the sorrows of your grandfathers and
great-grandfathers, making,  under the influence  of
the Holy Spirit, a stark, strong man, of many a tot-
tering, feeble one.
  May this  volume, so visibly  blest of God, become
your  hand-book also, and  bring  comfort to  your
drooping spirits, in hours of sorrow!
  The publisher flatters himself that  the fair, legible
type adopted, by adapting the book even to those of
feeble vision, as well as  the low price at which it  is
offered,  will show that he has spared neither pains
nor labor to disseminate  the  work among  all classes
of the people, for the welfare of souls.
  This, Christian reader,  is what I desired to tell you
before you  read the book itself.  Let me  only add,
that I hope for the blessing of God on your reading
and your prayers I   Amen. 
 
 
PART  I.
EXHORTATIONS,  PRAYERS  AND  HYMNS
     CQe  (Sue  of tQe  Sa66atf).
         K{p gtluoer's preparation far SKors^irj.

               EXHORTATION.
  " One thing have I desired of the Lord, that will I seek after;
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life,
(o behold the beauty of the Lord  and to inquire in his temple."
                                    Ps. xxv'L 4.

  Immediately after the fall, God taught our first
parents the  worship of sacrifice, and they trans-
mitted the injunction to their children, Cain and
Abel, for the  sacrifices  made  by the  latter two,
are expressly mentioned in Gen. iv. 3, 4.  These
offerings were not made in silence, but with a
confession of sins, a prayer for God's forgiveness,
and a declaration  of faith in the coming Mes-
siah,  whose  blood  was shed, like that of the
sacrifice, for the redemption of man.   At such
times they also praised the goodness of the Lord,
and preached his  name.  For this worship was
set apart the  seventh day, which the Lord him-
self had hallowed as a day of rest, when, after
having created the world  in six  days, he rested 
LO
THE BELIEVEB'S
on the seventh.  This was the kind of worship
observed ever  after by all the patriarchs, until
God caused the Tabernacle in the wilderness to
be established, over which Solomon subsequently
built the Temple.  Under the New Testament,
Christians also consecrate one day out of seven,
Sunday, to God, that being the day on  which
Christ rose from the dead, and the Holy Spirit
was poured out. On the approach of this day,
the true believer shall
  1.   Lay down his work early on  Saturday
evening,  and disentangle his mind from worldly
cares  and troubles.
  2.   Prepare  himself  for the coming Sunday
with  prayer, aud praise God for the many mer-
cies vouchsafed to him throughout the week.
  3.  Read the Gospel or the Epistle appointed
to be  read and expounded on the following day;
reflect upon it,  and thus  prepare  himself to a
devout attention of the word of God.
  4.   Retire to  rest betimes, with such good
thoughts, so that he may be found punctually
and with invigorated frame and  active mind in
the house of the Lord.

                  PRAYER.
  Gracious and merciful  God!  I come before
thee  this day with praise  and thanksgiving,
that thou hast so  kindly preserved me during 
PREPARATION FOR WORSHIP.        11
the past six days, and so freely blessed  the work
of my hands.  Thou hast preserved me in my
going and my coming,  and hast done  great
mercies  to my body and my soul; wherefore I
thank and praise  thee in the fulness  of my
heart.   Hence,  ye cares!  I am  building  a
temple  unto  God  in  my heart!  It shall be a
house of prayer, wherein I will serve my God
alone.   I " forget the things which are behind,"
I  lay down my labors and my handicraft, and
direct my thoughts to heaven alone, to  God,
that I may rejoice  in him.  0, the unspeakable
love of  the great God, who has appointed unto
men a day of rest from all their toils !  This rest
is a  token vouchsafed  unto us in remembrance
of the rest of Paradise, where our  constant occu-
pation would have  been to serve God, without
any  grievous  labor.   This rest is  an emblem
of the rest in  Heaven which is  to come;  for
there is yet a perfect  rest offered  and promised
unto the children of God, which will commence
m the life that is to come; when they shall be
free  from all toil,  all  suffering and all  sorrow,
and  free from sin.
   0 gracious God!   Let  me spend the  ap-
proaching Sunday in  thy  fear  and  favor.
Preserve me from evil company, lest Satan, with
his instruments, deter me from attendance upon
the  worship of thee, and if he send them, help 
12
THE BELIEVERS
me to  refuse to follow them.  Guard me, that
the holy day which thou hast set apart for my
edification in the teachings  of the  Gospel, for
thy praise  and service, may not be spent in
idleness, sloth, luxury, amusement  and sin, to
the greatest damage of my soul; but give me
thy Holy Spirit, that I may  devote the whole
day, from morning unto night, to thy service.
Keep my heart in unceasing devotion, so that
no worldly cares may steal their way  into it;
and  if any  obtrude  themselves, that  I  may
banish them  by thy power; or, if Satan should
send me a bad neighbor, who should  offer to
bring worldly gossip into thy house, give me
strength to turn a deaf ear to what he says, and
to arouse and encourage him  to thy service by
my attention  and  silence.  When thy Word ia
preached, open thou my heart,  that  I  may
apprehend it; gather it into my heart, and pre
serve it as a precious treasure.  Help me that upon
this Sunday I may grow in the faith, and in-
crease in the knowledge of the truth, that what
is spoken and heard, may alter, sanctify, convert
and make of me a new man, so that as my years
increase, my  inner man may likewise grow in
faith and piety, and become as a new creature,
yea, a  living member of the  body of my Lord.
Let me devoutly end the worship, 3arefully keep
what  I have learned, and close the day  with 
           PREPARATION YOR WORSHIP.        18

prayer and praises.  Oh 1 let me ever lemember
the words 1 have heard, that my walk and con-
versation, my life and  my actions, may  accord
with it, and prove me not a forgetful hearer, but
a doer of the Word.   Thus let me celebrate Sun-
day after Sunday and Sabbath after Sabbath,
until thou shalt admit me, through Jesus, my
only Saviour and Preserver,  to  the unceasing
joys of Heaven, the eternal Sabbath.

I will to God's own house with God's own people go,
Before his altar stand, dressed in a robe of snow.
My heart beneath his will, shall nestle as a dove;
My hands shall nought essay, but works of need and
  love.
Enter into my heart this day, thou King of kings I
Thy blessing and thy peace, spread over me th)
  wings.
Let thy  all-saving grace upon my soul alight,
That so  the Sabbath may find favor in thy sight
                                         Amen
                    HYMN.
1. How lovely is thy word!  It fills my heart with
      joy.
   My soul draws from it still comfort without alloy.
   It is the dearest prize in all the world I have,
   It shall enrich me still, when I am in my grave.
2, Thy word it is the light that shines upon my way,
   And warns me out  of  hand whene'er  my foot
      wauld stray. 
14       PREPARATION FOR THE  SABBATH.

   Onto this word I cling unto the bitter end,
   I know 'twill guide me  safe where all my wishef
      tend.

8  It is my honey-comb, with which I do regale me,
   Whene'er the bitter gall  of trouble doth assail me;
   How sweet  unto the soul,  all loaded down with
      care,
   Is the consoling tale thy  Word doth still declare ?

i.  Thy Word it is my hoard, more worth than earthly
      treasure,
   In life and death  from this  alone  I  draw  mj
      pleasure;
   This prize no  thief  shall  steal, no  cunning  foe
      despoil,
   It lies too firmly locked within my spirit's coil.
5,  Let folly love to search for silver and for gold,
   The  souls  that worship thee, thy  Word  more
       precious hold;
   If both thy Word and  gold,  be set before their
      eyes,
   They stretch their  hands to reach thy Word, the
      gold despise.

6  Some go to seek advice,  who stand in fear to err,
   Thy Word my counsel is, to which I  still recur;
   I ask what shall I do, for better or for worse ?
   A.nd straight thy Word,  the best advisement doth
      rehearse.

7.  By this sweet  word  of  life, 111 shape my  travel
       here,
   [t shall my load-star be,  by which alone Fll steer 
           EXHORTATION FOR  PRAYER.         15

   Fearless and prompt, whate'er it bids me shall l>e
      done,
   And all it doth forbid with jealous care I'll shun,
8  Oh from my thirsty lips take not thy Word away
   Until my dying hour let it my woes allay ;
   And when these earthly lips no more of food shall
      take,
   Like living water still thy  Word my soul shall
      slake.
9.  Thus am I well bethought both while on earth I
      stay,
   And when my spirit leaves its tenement of clay I
   And what thy covenant doth promise here below,
   Shall be most richly mine when unto heaven I go
   Crjortation for JTrapr on Sa66at§ JTtorntng.

Bearken unto the voice of my cry, my King and my Qod; foi
         unto Thee 1 will pray."—Psalm t. 2-4.

  All our life is nothing but prayer and thanks-
giving,  that is to say, we should cry to  God
every day in our prayers for his blessing, assistr
ance, comfort  and  grace,  and  when these are
obtained, we should  give thanks unto Him with
all  our  hearts.   Therefore,  0  believer! when
thou do3t awake in the morning from thy sVim 
 16         EXHORTATION FOR PRAYER.

 bers, let it be thy first care to raise thine eyes to
 heaven, think not immediately  of thy  business
 and thy toils, plunge not at once into the search
 of gain, but fall upon thy knees, thank God, and
 commend thyself to  his  gracious  protection.
 Do not think it a loss of time to devote half an
 hour in the  morning  to  prayer.  Oh  no! the
 time consumed in prayer will return with usury
 a thousand  fold in thy labors, and what thou
 readest  will  lie in thy mouth all the day  like
 honeycomb.   When  thou awakest,  therefore,
 and arisest  in the morning,  hale  and  strong,
 reflect:
  1. How many a devout  Christian, more faith-
 ful,  perhaps, than thyself, has  spent  the past
 night in fear and  sorrow, in  sickness, in suffer-
 ing, in terror and great anxiety, of which  thou
 hast experienced nothing.
  2. Consider  that others in the world have
 fallen into misfortune, loss, danger and  trouble,
 which thou  hast been spared,  and thank God
 therefor.
  3. Pray to God at daybreak to keep thee
 throughout  the  day  in  his grace,  that  thou
 mayest  not  sin  against him nor against  Thy
 neighbor.
  4. Pray God  to guide  t'jee  throughout the
day, to preserve  thee, and  to bless thee in  thy
 business and occupation 
PRAYER ON SABBATH MORNING.       11
  5. Yea, surrender thyself unto  God, so  that
throughout the day thou  mayest stand in his
love, speak  of him,  think  of him,  and  not
offend  him  wittingly  or  willingly,  and  then
doubt  not  that the  Lord will be  graciously
pleased to hear thy sighs and prayers, and give
and  grant  unto thee  throughout the day the
things  that shall be profitable to thy body  and
thy soul.

     PRAYER  ON SABBATH MORNING.
  Lord, early wilt thou give ear unto my voice;
early will I stand before  thee.   Almighty and
most merciful God! Thou art worthy to receive
praise, honor and glory.  Who would not fear
thee, thou King of nations, who would not honor
thee, most loving Father?  At the dawn of morn-
ing I  appear  before  thee with humble thanks
that thou hast flung  thy mantle over me and
mine this night,  and  hast renewed again thy
goodness and thy truth.  Fare with me and pro-
tect me this day also in all my ways.  Let this
day be  a day of edification and blessing to my
soul.   In thy loving kindness thou hast disen-
tangled this day from bodily labor,  that thou
mightest have thy work in me. 0,     i, instruct,
enlighten and sanctify my soul, and help me  to
lay up treasures  which may give joy unto my
Bpirit in danger and in death, in  sorrow and  ii; 
18       PRAYER ON SABBATH MORNING.
tribulation, which neither moth  nor rust  shall
corrupt, nor thieves dig up and  steal.  My God)
this day it shall be my delight to Lear thy word,
to refresh myself in the thought of  thee, to sing
songs of praise to thy honor and  glory, to  pray
fervently  and to  yield  up  my heart  to  thee
How  amiable are thy tabernacles,  0  Lord oJ
hosts!  My soul rejoiceth in  the  living  God.
But let me not be a hearer only, deceiving myself,
but a doer of the Word. Open thou my heart, like
that of Lydia, that with  joy I  may receive the
seed of thy word, and then  do thou seal it up
that Satan may not rob me of it again.  May I
this day lay a firm foundation  in faith, m the
knowledge of Jesus Christ, in love, in self-denial,
in indifference, deadness to  the  world and  in
every Christian grace; so that during the whole
of the coming week  I may meditate  upon it,
act up to it, and  bear good  fruit.  Preserve me
from temptation;  if Satan should send his emis-
saries, so that I may  not give  up to the world
the hours sacred  to thee, or sacrifice to its sin-
ful intercourse the time I should  devote to thy
honor, and  thus  bring a curse upon my  soul,
which would weigh  me  down  throughout  the
week.  0  let my public and  private worship—
my prayers,  reading,  hearing  and  singing be
oleasing unto thee.  Be thyself my teacher, Lord
Jesus, that my inner man  may thriva until  7 
            SABBATH MORNING HYMN.

shall be  united  with  thee inseparably  in
realms above.

      Holy Ghost, thou heavenly teacher;
      Mighty comforter and preacher;
      Let thy tabernacle  be
      In my heart eternally.  Amen.


               MORNING HYMN.
      1, Dark night has left the heaven,
        Then let my heart be given
        To prayer and to singing,
        To God my service bringing.

      2  As loving mothers oft
        Their children cradle soft,
        And come, times without number,
        To see how sound they slumber.

      3. E'en so his kind  affection,
        Has been my sure protection,
        Wrapped up as in a manger,
        I lay secure from danger.

      4. His goodness passes showing,
        My heart is overflowing
        With thankfulness of feeling,
        Thy love and truth revealing.

     6.  Give praise unto  the Highest,
        Who to our hearts comes nighest*
        Who carefully arranges
        Oar life through  all its changes. 
30
SAiJBATH MORNING HYMN.
 6. Until the day forsake us,
   Let us to him betake us,
   Keep faith and comfort by us,
   And let no sin come nigh us.

 7. Soon as my limbs are stirring,
   Oh God! unrest and erring,
   And doubt and dread and sorrow
   Rise with the earliest morrow.

 8. Make all he lightly on me,
   Turn grief and trouble from me,
   And let the sun of gladness
   Shine on my tears and sadness.

 9. My walk and conversation
   Preserve from all temptation,
   Grant that where'er I wander,
   My thoughts on thee may ponder.

10. My heart be thy dominion!
   Deck it to thy opinion,
   With the most holy savor
   Of thy enduring favor.

11. *Thine ear is ever willing
   To prayer and to fulfilling;
   Grant what my heart now prays thee,
   And it shall ever praise thee.  Amen 
         EXHORTATION FOR THE SABBATH.       21


  £}e JJefteoer spenbs tOe Su66at§ in Deuotton.

               EXHORTATION.
  " How amiable are thy tabernacles, 0 Lord of hosts ! My soul
torgeth, yea, even fainteth, for the courts of the Lord; my heart
Mid my flesh crieth out for the living God."—Ps. lxxxiv. 1, 2.

  Amid  the  many blessings which  God  has
bestowed upon man,  is  this, that he  has set
apart one day of the week  as a day of rest from
all  his labors, burdens  and cares.   Yea, he has
especially blessed  it,  of which blessing those
become partakers who keep it holy.  To realize
this blessing, the true believer himself is on his
guard,
  1. Not to misspend it in sloth and idleness; for
in this manner horses and oxen and other beasts
of burden keep the Sabbath.
  2. Not to spend the Sunday in gluttony, drunk
enness or luxury;  for what  is sinful on  any day
is doubly so on Sunday.
  3. Not to  desecrate  the  day by  labor,  by
worldly  business,   by taking rides,  collecting
debts,  casting  np  accounts, engaging workmen
or the like; for such employments distract the
mind.  Those who  do such things are not true
believers. They are mere lip Christians, to whom,
according to their own confession, no day is so long
and tedious  as  the  Sunday.   The true Christian 
22       EXHORTATION FOR THE SABBATH.

knows better how to improve  this holy day tt
the honor and glory of God, and the good of his
soul.
  4. He improves it to the praise of God with
praying,  praising, singing, contemplation of the
goodness  and mercies of  God, which he  has
experienced through the last week and  during
his lifetime.
  5. To  the  good of his  soul, in dedicating  this
day to the hearing of God's word, so that he may
grow in the knowledge of God and in  his Chris-
tian faith.
  6. But all this he shall do, not  for one hour
merely, but for  the  whole day;  for  the third
commandment speaks  of the whole day.   Oh
surely, the devout observance of the Sabbath is
of great  importance, it  is fraught with many
blessings.  Who knows why  many men  are
weighed  down as with a curse  and the lack of
blessings ?  The old saying runs,

        Who hears God's holy word alway,
        Shall never know what 'tis to say,
        I have no bread to eat to-day.

  7. Having  heard  the word  of God, keep it
diligently in a good heart, live up to it, collecting
at the same time a store of consolations and pithy
maxims,  which will  be of service in  times of
f offering  and of death. 
PRAYER FOR THE SABBATH.
2d
                 PRAYER

  This is the day which  the Lord has made, let
us rejoice and be of good cheer therein.  This is
the  Lord's day, and the day of rest vouchsafed
unto me by God; therefore I will spend it in the
worship of God, with thanks  and prayer.   J
thank thoe, 0  God! for the manifold gifts  thou
hast lavished upon me this day.   On a Sunday,
Jesus, my Saviour, arose from  the grave, and the
Holy Ghost was poured  out upon the Apostles;
wherefore it is  proper for me on this day to recal
the  thought of my salvation, which took place
through Jesus  Christ and of the infusion of the
Holy  Spirit, which was poured out  over me
abundantly in the  sacrament of Holy Baptism.
I thank thee for thy pure and holy word, which
thou causest to be preached on this day for the
instruction  and edification of  my soul.  I thank
thee for all the corporal and spiritual benefits
which  I have received  at thy fatherly hand
throughout my lifetime, that  thou hast guided,
led  and preserved me from  my youth up, and
hast done me great good in body and soul.  Oh
who can name all thy  mercies, which  are in«
numerable!  But nc t  only shall this day be my
day of thanks, but also  my  day of prayer.  I
implore thee,  my God and father, let me pass
this day in the fear of thee.   Preserve me  from 
24
PRAYER FOR THE  SABBATH.
seductions, idle thoughts and evil company.   Oh
that not an hour might pass away without my
having spread thy praise.  Seal in my heart the
word I hear, that I may think of it assiduously,
regulate my walk and conversation by it, and as I
have become a week older than I was, grant that
I may increase in thy knowledge,  love and piety,
and  grow in my inward man.  I pray thee give
me thy Holy Ghost, who,  during  the coming
week and all my future  life,  may  keep me mind-
ful of it, govern, lead and guide  me.  Give thy
blessing to my labors and my business, and  let
me spend my remaining days in thy favor, until
4t last I shall attain to where,  with  thanks and
praises, I shall offer an eternal Sabbath to thee
in heaven.
  This is God's day of rest and peace,
  Let all your toil and turmoil cease;
  Let trouble not obstruct your ways,
  But stand before your Monarch's face. Hallelujah I


              SABBATH  HYMN.
   1. The Sabbath is the Lord's own day,
        By God to us awarded,
     That by each troubled heart it may
        With pleasure be regarded.
     0 then let it be duly spent,
     That every spirit, heavenward bent,
        By nought may be retarded. 
HYMN FOR THE SABBATH.
26
 2. For worship and for rest and prayer
      God hath this day intended,
   And all the load of toil and care,
      Most graciously suspended;
   Here rest the mistress and the maid,
   The man  and master's work be staid,
      And God alone be thought of

 8. Who grudges God his chosen time,
      Shall forfeit all his mercies,
   And labor done at such a time,
      Shall profit nought but curses;
   Who seeks for pleasure, gam or pride,
   God's grace shall be to him denied,
      And nought he does shall prosper.

 4  But that the soul may taste its rest,
      And hope of heavenly gladness,
   It should be still to God addressed,
      With prayer and holy sadness.
   To God's own house we should repair,
   And hear  the doctrines spoken there,
     And serve him with all fervor.

5.  When'er thy looks abroad are sent,
     Adore his mighty power;
   How he has 3et the firmament,
     As his most gorgeous bower;
   The welkin curtains it about,
   Most richly 'tis with gifts decked out,
     For man's delight and profit.

6.  Think, on  this very day the Lord
     Robb'd death of all his fetters; 
26
HYMN FOR THE SABBATH.
   That the fulfilment of his word,
     Might stand in graven letters.
   Whoe'er fails not to think of this,
   Shall surely know the purest bliss,
     And in God' sight be pleasing.

I.  On Sunday was assuredly
     The coming of the spirit;
   Oh wealth beyond all price that we
     By grace may well inherit;
   The power by his breath infused,
   Our gracious Lord hath not refused
     To grant us for salvation.

8  That thou in God wert christened too.
     This day shall well remind thee,
   That thou the covenant renew
     Which to  the Lord doth bind thee;
   And all the  week remember yet,
   Yea, while thou livest do not forget,
     That thou hast been so favored.

9. And then be mindful evermore,
     Of God's surpassing kindness;
   How he behind thee and before
     Has watched thee in thy blindness
   How well he keeps thee and defends.
   And how his holy word he sends,
     To point thy way to heaven.

10. Thou in thy faith and charity,
     Shalt oxi this day improve thee,
   That from thy truth and loyalty
     Nor fear nor death shall m^ve thee 
HYMN FOR THE SABBATH.
27
    Thou shalt in the Lord's temple stand.
    When others follow sin's command,
      And read his holy Scriptures.

11.  The word give in thy heart a place,
      Let it bear fruit and flourish;
    So shalt thou gather in these days,
      A store  that will thee nourish,
    When care and sorrow, fear and dread,
    Shall gather round thy dying bed,
      And death no more will tarry.

12.  God will most graciously look down,
      On all thou shalt endeavor,
    And never shalt thou meet his frown,
      But always find his favor;
    Till thou at last shalt enter in,
    A child of God, relieved  from  sin,
      To the eternal Sabbath.
COe Kefieoer me&itates on t(je tfjree-fofb 8afi6at().

                EXHORTATION.

  " Let ns therefore fear, lest a promise being left ns of entering
into bis rest, any of you should seem to come short of it"
                                         Heb. iv: 1.

  If the  true  believer would spend a  Sunday
pleasing unto God, he must remember that there
is a three-fold  Sabbath. 
28       MEDITATIONS FOR THE SABBATH.
  1  A weekly Sabbath, if he spends Sunday in
contemplating the mercies of God.
  2.  A daily or spiritual Sabbath does not con-
sist in an entire cessation from  labor, but in a
daily laying aside of our sins.  As he foregoes his
handiwork on Sunday, so he daily foregoes wan-
tonness and malice.   He guards against speaking
evil  of God or his  neighbor, against doing evil
alone or in company with others, against being
seduced by others, and strives to keep his soul
undefiled of the world.  He is at pains to think
of God often while at his work, to pray to him
for the assistance  of his holy spirit.
  3.  Whoever  has  kept the weekly Sabbath
devoutly,  and the  daily one zealously, may be
assured of the eternal Sabbath  in the life to come,
when the faithful and elect children of God will
repose from all bodily labor,  from all trials and
sorrows, and from all sin, and will see God face
to face, praise  him,  and serve  him  unceasingly.
A hoi}'' and glorious Sabbath, which will never
be disturbed!

                  PRAYER
  Holy and merciful God!  inasmuch as I this
day observe the weekly Sabbath, which, accord-
ing to thine own  ordinance is  a day of rest from
^abor, so that I may be edified by thy word and
rejoice in thee.   Oh grant  me thy  Holy Spirit 
         MEDITATIONS FOR THE SABBATH.       29

that I may spend  it in  hearing, reading,  and
meditating thy word, and may avoid all sinful
allurements, wantonness,  evil company and sin,
This weekly Sabbath also reminds me  of that
daily  spiritual  Sabbath, on which  I  am to re-
nounce all sin, and sanctify unto thee my body
and my soul, my life and my death.  Now my
God, this by thy grace shall be  my daily task,
hereafter to do thy will, not mine, to banish evil
desires and thoughts by thy power,  that thou
alone mayest dwell  in  me,  and enlighten  and
sanctify me more and  more.  Grant  that  this
daily  and  spiritual  Sabbath  of my heart may
never be destroyed, and take me at last to  thy
eternal Sabbath, where we shall  in eternal  rest
and in heavenly, blissful joy, forever praise thee
in the temple of thy glory.  There shall I utter
the Holy, Holy, Holy, with  all the angels  and
cherubim.   Oh  my  God! let me in  the  end
attain to this felicity!

      Let me join the gladsome duty,
        Where so many a happy band,
      Crowned with rays of heavenly beauty,
        Round Jehovah's footstool stand.
      Where the brightest seraphs glory,
      As they tell the wondrous story,
      Holy, holy, three in one,
      God the Father, Ghost and Son.  Amen. 
80        MEDITATIONS FOR THE SABBATH.
                     HYMN.
I. It is the Sabbath dawn, the day when true believers,
  Are found with God alone, and of his grace receivers,
  The Lord's  own holy  day, which he  himself haa
    blessed,
  That all who love him well should there find peace
    and rest

2. They offer up their hearts  at morn upon his altar,
  And all the day devote to prayer and to the psalter;
  Their hearts are  turned away from  earth to God
    alone,
  They bask them in the light that streams around
    his throne.

8. And when the earthly day of rest is past and over,
  Spiritually then the Sabbath they recover;
  Where they are free from sin and shame, from fear
    and spite,
  And always do the things well pleasing in God's
    sight

i. This Sabbath has no end,  it lasts through life for
    ever,
  The spirit from its rest no  trouble more can sever;
  There's music in the heart  as when a harper plays,
  And thus the Sabbath lasts throughout our earthly
    days.

5 And when these days are done, eternally returning,
  The heavenly Sabbath comes, for which we ?J1 are
    yearning; 
MEDITATIONS FOB THE SABBATH.       31
  Where, shining like the sun, and all in glory dressed,
  In endless joy and peace the chosen shall be blessed.

6 Whoever then would taste those coming Sabbath
    pleasures,
  Must spend the Sabbath day in hoarding heavenly
    treasures;
  Be still devout and pure, and in thy faith stand
    fast,
  And this sweet Sabbath rest shall be thy part at
    last
   EVENING PRAYER ON THE SABBATH.
  Lord, remain with  me, for evening draws nigh
and  the  day has  departed.   0 thou  living,
Almighty God! how inscrutable are thy works,
how unspeakable is thy goodness which thou hast
displayed  unto men.  I can speak of grace and
truth, of love and mercy, inasmuch as thou hast
vouchsafed many favors unto me throughout this
day in soul and body; thou hast fed my soul
with the bread of life, and given me to drink of
the living fountain.  Thy word  was sweeter in
my mouth  than honey and the honey comb.  0
let my word remain through all my life a light
upon  my  path, that I  may direct my walk in
accordance with it, then shall I  never  stumble
nor fall from thy  grace.  Thou hast been  my
preserver, my support  in  corporeal  things,  so
that I have reached this evening in health.   I
am unworthy of all  these mercies which thou 
32       MEDITATIONS FOB THE SABBATH.
 hast done me.  When  now my limbs shall  li
 down to rest, stand thou by me, watch over me,
 and enclose me in thy protection.  Let thy word
 which I have this day heard and learned, spring
 up within me as a holy seed, whose  fruit shall
 be seen in my life  in  piety, in fear of God, and
 indifference to the world.  May I  hereafter live
 for God, for heaven, and for souls. Shield and
 defend  me  against the  machinations and the
 fiery darts of Satan.   The Lord is  my light and
 my health, of whom shall I be afraid ?  The Lord
 is the vigor of my life, whom shall I dread ? Turn
 away every misfortune from me and  mine, and
 let all the sick, the distressed and the dying taste
 of thy grace abundantly; so shall all our lips be
 filled with thy grace, and we will  proclaim thti
 good thou hast done us in body and in soul in the
 morning.  Pardon me, if I have not served thee
 frith such fervor as  I  should have  done, and do
 not therefore take  thy grace from  me.  Let all
 things become  new with me during  this new
 week.  Give me new love and longing after thee,
 and a new desire to serve and obey thee.  Let me
 avoid and flee from all the sins committed durin«
 the last week, so that all may perceive that I
 have not  spent my Sunday in vain.  Help me
daily to  consider that I  have an immortal soul,
bo that I may be more concerned for  the soul than
 foi the body.  Retire then thou, my body, to re 
         MEDITATIONS FOR THE SABBATH.       88

pose in thy chamber, but thou, my soul, into th<
wounds of Jesus.

        Keep me from all vacillation,
          Jesus, let me sleep in thee;
        Be thy holy meditation,
          E'en in dreams revealed to me.
        When I sleep and when I wake,
        Let the spirit never slake,
        Up to thee to raise its yearning,
        Till the morning dawn's returning.  Aroan

                     HYMN.
   1. Me often Jesus has invited,
        Upon his wounded breast to sleep,
      There shall I be with him united,
        And he his watch will o'er me keep;
      No terrors of the night  I dread,
      While Jesus watches at my bed.

   2. In sleep my soul with God converses,
        My thoughts he never shall forsake,
      I'll meditate upon his mercies,
        Long after I have ceased to wake;
      My spirit and my mind shall be,
      With God in converse endlessly.

   8. Oh, never let thy presence vanish,
        My Lord and Saviour, from my head
      Be with me while I sleep, and banish
        All care and sorrow from my bed;
      Let fear nor sorrow,  care nor pain,
      Come near me till I wake again. 
84
MEDITATIONS  FOR THE SABBATH
   4. 1 fear not Satan's darkest cover,
        Nor all the prowess of his arms,
      For God himself will o'er me hover,
        And Jesus hold me in his arms;
      He may not harm a hair of me,
      So well shall I protected be.

   6. My lips break out in joyous numbers,
        At every well-spent Sunday's end,
      I give my limbs to peaceful slumbers,
        When the dark shades of night extend;
      Jesus brings back the morning's ray,
      And thus I pass from day to day.

   6. Where Jesus me has oft invited,
        Upon his breast, I go to sleep,
      My faith to him for life is plighted,
        And even in death he will me keep;
      When from  my last deep sleep I start,
      The  marriage feast shall be  my part

                -------*~*-------

£§e true 35eC(eoer ijtoes t§an&s unto t(je Corb, aftei
         Oaoino Oearb .jjis fiofo Ttforb.

                EXHORTATION.
  M But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving
pcur owe selves."—J as. i. 22.
  As all  the good gifts of God are abused by the
children  of this  world, so is  it also with the
hearing  of  God's  Word,  wherein  they differ
greatly from the true children of God. 
rHANKSGIVING TO THE LORD.        35
  1. The  world's people  think the  Sabbath
instituted for  their luxury and amusement, in
which, being free from labor, they shall seek the
comforts of the flesh, which is manifestly wrong.
  2.  The world's people at best go to church in
the morning, but amuse themselves in the after-
noon with hunting,  gaming and sinful recrea
tions, and then come home, if not intoxicated, at
least, with silly thoughts, sinful distractions, and
worldly follies.
  3. The world's  people  give  no heed  to the
word which is preached, and if  they were  to be
asked on Monday, what their  going to church
had  profited them, and what  they  had  heard
and learned, they would not know; the devil has
already snatched the word out of their hearts, to
prevent  them from believing and being saved.
Luke viii. 12.
  4.  And if they do remember anything, they do
not put it into practice.
  But the true children of God,  who nave begun
the day with God and with prayer, do otherwise.
  1. They hear the Word  of God with devout
attention.
  2.  They repeat at  home what  they have
heard, write it dcwn, and rejoice over it, as over
a great treasure
  3. They think of it all the week, and endeavoi
to practise it. 
86        THANKSGIVING TO THE LORD.
  In the Old Testament the Lord had chosen
those  animals for sacrifice which chewed the
cud;  and those souls also are  after his heart,
which ruminate  on the word they have heard
and read, and derive new nourishment from it,
for the sustenance of eternal life.
                  PRAYER.
  0 thou, gracious God!  how shall  I love and
praise thee sufficiently for having spared my life
to see the close of this Sabbath, on which I have
heard thy blessed Word?  How shall I believe,
how live, and how die ?  Thou hast suffered to be
made known to me thy gracious will, and taught
me what to  avoid, and what to do.   Thou hast
not left  thyself without witness, so that all are
without excuse.  Thou givest us thy holy Word
and  sacraments, so that we may use them  as
means of grace for our salvation.   Thy  holy
Spirit will enlighten, teach, sanctify, strengthen
and  ground us.  Oh, merciful God, preserve me
that I may not be a forgetful hearer, but a dili-
gent doer of thy Word !   What avails all I hear,
if I do not do as I hear ?
  Therefore, do thou thyself seal in my heart,
what I  have heard  and  read,  and  make it
living, active, and powerful within me.  Oh, thou
Guardian of the portal! lock up my heart, when
the word of life has entered for my edific ition,
lest Satan rob me of it, and I return home t  nj-ty 
THANKSGIVING TO THE LORD.        87
Let me take warning by the example of so many
thousands of men, who hear thy Word, 0 God 1
but do not repent.  Of what use to them is their
going to church, their singing, their hearing, their
praying ? Will not the Word condemn and accuse
them all the more,  that they have heard  the
will of the Lord, known it, and yet not done it ?
0  my God!  let  me, this week,  become more
pious and godly;  let me daily repeat the word I
have  heard, speak of it with  those around  me,
rejoice in it, and always act up to it.  Have I
heard from thy Word, that I ought to become
humble, meek and merciful: 0 give me grace
that I may always remember it, and never lapse
into anger, revenge, pride, and hardness of heart,
but may love my enemies, deny myself,  and
gladly do good unto the poor and needy.  Have
I heard that I should lay off the old man and put
on the new, and should struggle against my evil
thoughts and desires, live  soberly, righteously,
and deny myself after God's will in this present
evil world :  0 give me power and strength that
I may daily exercise  myself in these things,  and
fulfil thy commands.   Though at first it be done
in great weakness, let me still continue in sanc-
tification, and purify myself more and  more of
every stain of body and soul.  Oh, let me handle
thy Holy Word as the children of the world han-
dle their treasures, which they lock up and keep 
 38        THANKSGIVING TO THE LORD.

 safely; so do thou give  me power to preserve in
 my heart as a cherished treasure, the sacred truths,
 the precious doctrines, the vigorous admonitions
 unto sanctification, and to increase them day by
 day, so that I may draw forth from them, conso-
 lation upon consolation in dark and bitter hours,
 in trials  and  tribulations, sickness and death.
 Yea, Lord!  Let  me  daily increase  in  age, wis-
 dom, piety, godliness, knowledge of thy will,
 and  grace  before thee and before men.

        Holy Lord! we worship thee,
         That thy Word to us was given;
        Give us grace that we may see,
         How it points the way to heaven.
        And, lest thou the off'ring spurnest,
        Let our works of faith give earnest

                    HYMN.
 1.  Who hears  the Word of God,  must shape Lij
     conversation,
   His walk and all his  life by its divine dictation;
   Hearing availeth nought, if still tne heart be left,
   Godless and full of sin, and of all grace bereft.

2  If in God's Word thou seest that to avoid  the
     sentence,
   Repentance needed is, go, quickly do repentance •
   Become another man!  Remain  not as thou art,
   Yea,  mend while yet 'tis time, live after Christ's own
     heart. 
THANKSGIVING TO  THE LORD.         39
&. It with the sinful thou art told not to assort thee,
   Then where they congregate beware how thou
     resort thee;
   What  sinners  scruple not thou  yet  shalt never
     do,
   Bat  walk as knowing well God  has thee  in his
     view.

4. If thou art told the Lord himself has set example,
   To live in dread of sin, and God give service ample;
   Then follow thou the Lord's example evermore,
   And always strive to be what Jesus was before.

5. A Christian, thou art told, must silence fleshly
     longing,
   And raise his soul  to thoughts, unto his sou,
     belonging;
   Then treasure in thy heart this most divine com
     mand,
   And never do the works  that flesh and blood
     demand.

6. If thou art told e'en as thyself to love thy neighbor.
   And do for him what thou for thy own self would'sl
     labor,
   Then love him as thyself, and never do him ill.
   And what the word commands implicitly fulfil.

7.  Oh,  Lord,  grant what my heart  so earnestly
     beseeches,
   That it may ever do the works  thy gospel teaches;
   That while I walk below, and when I rest above,
   I  may enjoy the fill of thy enduring love. 
40       MORNING PRAYER FOR MONDAY

     MORNING PRAYER FOR  MONDAY.
  Let me hear thy mercy early, for I hope ir
thee.    Show  unto me the way that I  shall
walk, for my heart longeth for thee, holy, good
and all-wise Lord! who hast created the heavens
and laid the foundations of the earth, and or-
dained that day and night should alternate,—
that light should be followed by darkness, and
labor  by repose, that men and  beasts may be
refreshed.  I praise and glorify thee this morn-
ing, for thy wisdom  and  fatherly  care,  that
thou hast graciously heard my prayer, and hast
preoerved me during the past night, from  sick-
ness and every other evil, and  hast cast thy
protection over all that is mine!  Lord! great
are the mercies which thou  showest  to man.
Thy goodness  and  truth  extend as  far as  the
heavens, and thy  truth  as  far as  the clouds
extend.  I slept, but thou didst  wake;  I was in
the likeness of death, but thou hast permitted
me again to behold the light of day.  Oh my
God!  be thou  also my helper and friend, my
assistance and comforter, my refuge and  almo-
ner, to-day; let thine  eyes be  open  over me,
that under  thy  conduct  I  may  undisturbed
pursue my calling, and, if it be thy will, reach
the evening once  more unharmed.  My God!
let thy blessi ag be  with me and near me in all 
MORNING PRAYER FOR MONDAY.       4]
 I undertake in thy name; give me  thy counsel
 and assistance, and let me never wish for aught
 that is  not  thy  will.  As  the sun has  arisen
 upon  the earth, so let  the  light of thy Holy
 Spirit arise  in my soul, that I may spend this
 day in  thy fear, love and obedience. Create in
 me a pure  heart, 0 God;  and renew a right
 spirit within me; cast me not away from thy
 sight, and take  not  thy Holy Spirit from  me;
 let  Him lead, instruct and guide me, that  I may
 not knowingly sin against  thee this  day, and
 if they would lead me into sin, let  Him remind
 me of it, and  deter  me from it by  His inward
 admonition.   I put on my clothes, Lord Jesus!
 clothe me with  the  garb of thy righteousness.
 I wash  my  hands; Lord Jesus! wash  me with
 thy holy blood from  all  sin.   Guard me, that I
 may never " walk in the counsel of the ungodly,
 nor sit  where scoffers sit," whose friendship is
 thine  enmity; and  if I would be  the world's
 friend, and walk in its sinful ways, thou wilt be
 my foe.   Oh my God ! impress upon my heart
 the words, " Walk before Me, and be thou  per-
fect."   0 how many who commenced  a week
are  in their  graves when it  closes!  Therefore,
let me always  seek  after sanctification, without
which no one  shall  see God  May I  cultivate
pious words, blameless walk,  and holy thoughts,
that I may always be found  to stand in  grace. 
±2  THE DEVOUT BELIEVER INVOKES A BLESSING

May the  grace  of the  Father preserve me, the
love of the Son sanctify me, and the fellowship
of the Holy Ghost make me fruitful  in all good
works.
          Thy blessings on me shower,
          Make of my heart thy bower,
          Thy word be my collation,
          Till ends my long probation.  Amen.
E(je beoout Kefteoer commits §ts mans to #00 anb
 tnooaes a Dressing at t(je Oeginning of t(je TBeelL

               EXHORTATION.
 " Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the
rjord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father, by Him."—
Joloesians iii. 17.
  If we have reason to pray at the beginning of
each day, how much more reason  has a true
believer to lift up his heart and eyes to God, at
the commencement of  the new week!   How
many pass the Sabbath and commence the week
in  the enjoyment of health, who are already in
their graves, before the ensuing  Saturday ar-
rives ?   How many have begun the week happy
and blessed, but before its close, misfortune has
overwhelmed them like  a storm, so that  they 
       AT THE BEGINNING OP THE WEEK.      48

have ended it in anguish and woe, with wailing,
weeping, and  wringing of hands?  This, my
dear fellow-Christian, may also be your and my
lot, anu nence we should always turn to God at
the beginning of the week.
  1. The true  believer must call upon God  foi
his holy Spirit to sanctify his heart and guide it,
so that he mav not  lapse into sin, offend God,
damage his conscience, wrong  his neighbor, and
load a heavy responsibility upon his soul.
  2. He must not forget  to pray  and worship
God during the week, but faithfully attend meet-
ings for prayer and spiritual improvement, not
on Sunday only, but also during the week.
  3. As success does not depend upon his inces-
sant toils and over exertions, he ought constantly
to think of  God, and implore  his  blessing, and
think of God  when  engaged  at his work, and
begin and end his work with prayer.
  4. He must speak soberly, walk as a Christian
should, have God before  his eyes  at all  times,
and remember, that  one week after another is
gliding away, and that his dying week will soon
come, when our souls must render their accounts
unto God.   He who  does  this, may begin the
week in grace and end it under God's protection,
even if God should make  it a week of trial for
him, he will still  be and  remain,  his help,  hi*
preserver, and his stay. 
44   THE DEVOUT BELIEVER INVOKES A BLESSING.

                 PRAYER.
  0  thou loving and merciful God!  by tbj
assistance I commence this new week, but I  dc
not know what may transpire before it closes
How great adversity and misfortune may overtake
me in a single day!—how much more in  a whole
week ?  Therefore at the commencement of this
week, I come and commend myself wholly unto
thee.  Oh, my God ! Grant me thy Holy Spirit,
to sanctify, lead and govern me, and bear witness
with my spirit, that I am a child of God.  Bless
thou me this week in my going out and  coming
in, in my daily  business  and occupation, and
in all my steps.   I lift up my eyes unto the
mountains whence  my help  cometh; my help
cometh  from the Lord, who made the heavens
and the earth.  So thou keep me I shall  not fall,
so thou lead me I shall not go astray;  therefore,
let thy loving kindness ever  attend me.  Bless
all that is mine, and  let  it flourish under thy
blessing.  0  my God and faithful  Father! pro-
tect and defend me from all harm, dangers, loss
and  misfortune;  let me  stand  day and  night
under thy guidance and protection.  Guard my
house about like the house  of Job, let the angels
make a rampart around me and mine, then shall
no mishap overwhelm  us, how great soever it be.
Hear my prayer when  I call unto thee, and lei 
        AT  THE BEGINNING OF THE WEEK.      46

me not go unheard from the throne of thy grace.
Preserve me from grievous sins, and guide me by
thy truth.   Keep  my heart to  this one  thing,
that I fear  thy name.  Grant that this week I
become more pious and godly, increasing  in the
knowledge and love of thee, and as I leave week
after week behind  me, so may my inward man
grow, that when the last week of my life arrives,
I may  be  assured of thy  grace.   Should  this
week prove a week of crosses, strengthen  me by
thy holy spirit, that I may bear and  overcome
everything by thy powerful assistance.  Be thy-
self my help, and my preserver from all trouble.
Now I commend myself, body and soul,  to thy
fatherly protection, as all Christians should.

        Amen,  I say, forever
          Believing in my soul,
        God will with  my endeavor
          Be pleased in the whole;
          Then with a lightened heart
        Straight to the task I bend me
        Which God was pleased to send me,
          My calling and my art.  Amen.

                   HYMN.
1 Week after week goes round, another and another,
  Oh God! be with me still! bend  o'er me like a
     mother 1
  Look on my  daily toils and on my nightly care,
  For 'tis my only hope that thou wilt hear my prayei. 
46   THE TRUE BELIEVER INVOKES A TEMPORAL,

2. Oh yes, 'tis all in vain to rise at early morning,
   And work till late at night, all rest and pleasun
     scorning;
   Unless thy blessing still is with us day by day,
   In everything we do, and everything we say.

8, In meekness let me spend this week most pure and
     lowly,
   And let it be my task to praise thy name most holy
   Preserve me from all sin, give me in Christ a share,
   And if thy hand should smite, lend me thy strength
     to bear.

4. For all the mercies thou this week to me wilt tender,
   To thee with  all its power my spirit thanks shall
     render;
   Oh keep me as thy child from all assaults of sin,
   Until, through Jesus' blood, to heaven I enter in.
£lje  true DSefieoer  inoo&es a  temporal, spiritual,
              anb eternaf ufesstng.

                EXHORTATION.
" God shall bless as; and all the ends of the earth shall feai
               him."—Psalms lxviL 7.
  Every man prays and asks something of God;
but every one should consider well how he prays
and  for what he asks.  Oh, the  prayer of most
men concerns only earthly and transient things,
which they often ask for to their own harm. 
SPIRITUAL, AND ETERNAL BLESSING      47
  1.  A  true believer should  pray for bodilji
health, blessing, daily bread, aversion of danger,
help in need, assistance in suffering, extrication
from misfortunes.
  2.  He  should pray particularly  for spiritual
things, for the Holy Ghost,  a pious heart, the
Kingdom  of God, which is righteousness, peace
and  joy in  the Holy Ghost.  Romans xiv. 17
He prays  for  enlightenment,  growth  in  good
works, sanctification  and the  gift  of the  Holy
Ghost, this is the most precious thing he can ask
of God.
  3. A true believer also prays for eternal things,
that is to say, for a happy end, a peaceful depar-
ture from this life, and the  much desired en-
trance into the life  of  bliss, that he  may see
God's face,  dressed in white  raiment, and that
after the struggle is over, he may rejoice in God
eternally.
   4. He must lead a blameless Christian life, so
that God  may impart  to  him  spiritual and
heavenly blessings, which an unregenerate and
wicked man cannot receive.

                  PRAYER
  Oh, my God, so rich in grace! How great and
glorious,  how rich and  mighty art  thou, who
hast all things, and canst give all things.  Lo!  1
thy child come to thee and ask thee for thy gift*, 
 48   THE TRUE BELIEVER INVOKEh A TEMPORAL,

 thou knowest that I have brought nothing into
 the world with me, that I have nothing of my-
 self, but sin ; wherefore, everything good that I
 have in me, cometh from thee, for all  good gifts
 and all perfect gifts come from above;  yea, what
 hast thou, Oh man, that thou hast not received i
 Oh, my God and father, make me especially rich
 in my  soul.   Give me  thy Holy Ghost, give me
 a pious heart, convert me, enlighten me, that  I
 may be a new man and a  true Christian.  Help
 me to  struggle  and to  strive to  conquer evil
 desires, renounce evil customs, separate myself
 from the world,  and give my body and  soul as
 an offering unto thee, which shall be living, holy,
 and well pleasing in thy sight.  See,  my  God!
 to how many dangers and temptations I am
 exposed in the world, therefore, guide me by thy
 power, that  I may  not be seduced nor  swerve
 from thee.   Dwell in my soul, rule my heart,
 and lend me grace to become a living member of
 the body of my Jesus, and a new creature;  then
 I shall  be  rich  enough in the world, honored
enough, happy enough.  Have a care  for me
also, my gracious God  and father! in earthly
things,  thou knowest what I  need, thou  seest
what I lack, but give me not according  to my
 will, but according  to  thy will.   If health is
well for me, Oh  give me a hale and sound  body
for the  better fulfilment  of the  duties  of the 
        SPIRITUAL, 1ND  ETERNAL BLESSING.     49

 station into which thou hast  placed  me.  Give
 me food and  raiment.  Lead  me in  my paths,
 and preserve me from evil.  Lay thy blessing
 upon my labor, for what thou dost bless, 0 Lord,
 is blessed indeed.  Thou hast created me, thou
 wilt sustain me.  I cast all my cares upon thee.
 Care for thy child, preserve  thy child, and let
 me taste abundantly thy fatherly care and kind-
 ness.  But as thou hast not created  me for the
 things of this earthly life, I hope  for still greater
 blessings.   For if I had nothing  to expect from
 thee but what I have received here, I should be the
 most wretched of men.  Therefore, give me also
 thy heavenly blessings, preserve me in the faith,
 to my blissful end.  Oh, hear the voice of my
 cry, and deny not the  prayer of my lips.

      Bless, O Lord, my going forth,
        Bless, 0 Lord, my homeward wending,
      Save from hunger and from dearth
        My beginning and my ending.
      Bless  my death with thy endurance,
      Giving me of heaven assurance. Amen.

EXHORTATION FOR  EVENING PRAYER ON
                  MONDAY.
J I will both lay me down in peace and sleep; for thon, 0 Lord,
      only makest me dwell in safety."—Psalm iv. 8.
  If gratitude is a fair  Christian virtue, pleasing
unto God and  man, a true believer shall  be 
50  EXHORTATION FOR MONDAY EVENING PRATER.

mindful of it, when God has permitted him tc
reach the close of day.   It is to be deplored that
many men suffer days, weeks, months, and even
years to pass, without calling to mind what God
has done for them; they enjoy the divine protec-
tion and do not even  thank him  therefor, think
it must be so, God must thus  sustain them and
let  them prosper.  Therefore, 0 true  believer,
separate thyself from  such unthankful souls.
When thou hast happily passed  the day under
the protection and assistance of  God, when the
sun begins to sink, and evening approaches,  lift
up thine eyes to heaven with thanks and prayer.
  1. Thank God that he has guarded  thee from
misfortune  through the day, and call  to mind,
how many men, perhaps, have been overtaken
by the greatest misfortunes on this day, whereon
no harm has reached thee, how they have been
laid on their beds at night, sick and in great pain,
when they were fresh and hale in the morning.
  2. Pray God to forgive thy sins, examine thy
words and actions, if, during the  day thou hast
*aid aught against God or thy neighbor; if thou
hast committed anything against  thy conscience
and the gospel, 0 then remain awake  and pray
God's forgiveness before thou retirest to rest.
  3.  Bethink thee that God may be pleased  to
ask thy soul of thee this night, therefore, make
thy peace with God before thou close thine eyes 
PRAYER FOR MONDAY EVENING.       51
  4  Pray God for his protection, and the watch
and ward of his holy angels, that they may keep
all evil afar from thee.
  5.  And in the  night, if thou chance to wake
from sleep, think of God, and  thank him, and
thou shalt sleep soundly and sweetly in his arms,
cinder the protection of his holy angels.

                 PRAYER
  " I will both lay me down in peace and sleep;
for thou, 0 Lord, only makest me dwell in safety '
0 thou Eternal and  Almighty God, these are the
evening thoughts  with which I am about to give
myself to rest this evening.  0, how shall I suf-
ficiently thank thee, that thou  hast escorted me
in going out and in coming in, so that I have not
dashed my foot  against a stone.  Thou  hast
given me to eat and  to drink, thou hast refreshed
and comforted me.  Thy look has preserved my
breath, and through thee and  thy grace I stand
to this day   All these and other  mercies are
so many  living voices to exhort  me  to  thy
praise; therefore, bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and
all that is within me bless his holy name.  Bless
the Lord 0  my  soul, and  forget  not all his
benefits.   Forgive me, Oh Lord!  forgive me  in
mercy, if to-day I have not had the example  of
Jesus before mine eyes, if I  have lost  sight  oi
thy commands, have lived after the word's w*yp 
 52       PRAYER FOR MONDAY EVENING.

 and with the world, have given free vent to the
 desires  of my  heart.   If thou wert not a  I:ng
 suffering God, I should be no  longer among th«
 living.  0 Lord I repent in dust and ashes.  The
 day is now past and gone; do thou also disperse
 my sins  as the mist, and never more remember
 them.  I hereby vow unto thee in true sincerity
 of heart, to serve thee faithfully, and to regulate
 my walk by thy Holy Word.  Guard  me  this
 night from all persecution of the  enemy, from
 misfortunes and from harm, and even in sleep let
 me still be  thine.  When I fall asleep, do thou
 thyself close my eyes.  In darkness be my light;
 in time of need my defence.   My heart recalls
 the word thou hast  spoken, " Seek ye my face;"
 therefore, Lord, I seek  thy face.  Locked in the
 protection  of the  triune  God, I  shall  sleep
 Becurely as  Jacob, and comforted as a child on
 its mother's bosom.  I sleep protected like Peter.
Think of me, 0 Lord!  in this darksome night,
and give me  mercifully  the  protection  of  thy
care.

      I lay me down, mine eyes I close,
        And gently fall asleep;
      What dread could trouble  my repose,
        When angels vigil keep ? 
     THANKS GOD FOR THE BLESSING OF HEALTH  68


£(}e true 35eCieoer ttjan&s #ou for tije ufessing o|
                    OeaftO.

               EXHORTATION.
   It is better for a man to be poor, and hale and hearty withal
than to be rich and unhealthy.  To be hale and hearty is better
than gold, and a hale body is better than  great wealth. There
is no wealth to be compared unto a hale body, and no joy like the
toy of the heart." Jesus Sirach xxx. 14, 16,16.
   As God dispenses various gifts among men,
spiritual and corporal, so of corporal gifts, health
may be reckoned  as one  of  the chief.  A hale
man is a happy man, if he be pious also; but he
is most unhappy, if he be ungodly.  That a hale
man is happy, appears in this, that he can serve
God and his  neighbor without hindrance, follow
his occupation, and do much good.   But if a
man does not add piety to his  health, he most
grossly abuses this precious gift  for the commis-
sion of sin, shame  and  wickedness.    0 how
wholesome would it  be for many a man  to be
lame, dumb,  blind, or afflicted with suffering, so
that he could not  practise so  many sins with his
feet, tongue,  eyes and body, for  a heavy respon-
sibility and chastisement waits on such abuse ol
hale and sound limbs.   A true Christian acknow-
ledges this great blessing of health.
  1. When he looks at his hale limbs, I e thanks
God therefor. 
 54     THE  TRUE BELIEVER THANKS GOD

   2. He turns his health to account in  the ser
 vice of God,  and in  constant attendance at tl*
 House of God, and in growth in the faith.
   3. He serves his neighbor.
   4. He fulfils the duties of his occupation faith
 fully and honestly.
   5. He understands that health is not  an ever-
 lasting or permanent blessing, and  that the beck
 of the Lord may bring  on pains, sickness, pros-
 tration and disease.
   6. He is therefore  on his  guard not to abuse
 his health in  wantonness, recklessness or malice,
 .est, when the day of disease  and  suffering
 arrives, the voice of conscience should say : This
 is  a chastisement of God for the  abuse of thy
 health.
   7. A pious Christian prays diligently in  the
 days of health/because he  knows not whether
 he shall have strength do so in the days of evil;
 and thus his health is turned to good account.

                  PRAYER.
  Oh, thou gracious and  merciful God!  How
great is thy love  and goodness which thou dost
manifest unto me, not only in keeping me in thy
protection and favor, but in permitting me  to
close and to commence year after year in health
and  strength.  Well, my God!  I  acknowledge
that this is one of the good gifts which come from 
         FOR THE BLESSING OF HEALTH.       66

alwve,  from thee,  Oh, father of light!   Lord i
Lord !  Who am I, that thou should'st send such
mercies down upon  me? Do I not daily see
before  my eyes, men who are sickly, weak  and
feeble ? Do I not hear many complain that the}'
are compelled to spend their lives in painful and
tedious diseases on a sick bed, who yet, are per-
haps much more godly and pious than  I, and
pray more  devoutly  than I, while to me thou
givest  good health and  strength.   Oh Lord!  I
am far too lowly for the mercies which thou hast
heretofore done and still doest unto me. Preserve
me, 0 my dear Lord, that I  may not abuse this
precious  gift  in  luxury,  wantonness, pride  and
insolence, but  let  me  know that  thou  wilt
thereby encourage me to thankfulness and piety.
Help me that to the end of my  days  I may
apply my health to thy honor and praise, to the
profit of my neighbors, and the accomplishment
of the duties of my occupation.  Keep my health
and strong limbs for  thy good will and purpose,
that I may visit  thy house freely and zealously,
and may raise hymns of thanks and praise in
thy temple.   Oh my God! give me power  and
strength also  to increase  in  my inward man, to
be whole in the faith, lusty in the spirit,  patient
in trial, devout in prayer, sincere in the  love of
thee  and of my  neighbor, Christian  in  life,
cheerful in hope, and unterrified  in death.   0 
66   THANKS GOD FOR THE BLESSING OF HEALTH.

sanctify me,  bless me, and let  thy good  spirit
lead me on an even  path.   0 God ! thou pious
God! thou well spring of all good gifts, without
whom is nothing which is,  of whom we have all
things, give me health of body,  and that in my
hale body may dwell an untarnished soul and a
pure conscience.   Amen.


                    HYMN.

  1. If the clouds of sorrow leave thee,
      Fortune's sunshine thee betide,
     Tremble lest thy heart deceive thee,
      With the lying voice of pride.
     On thy fortune's giddy tower
     Think of thy old lowly bower;
     Think, when thou art proud and glad,
     Of the times when thou wert sad.

  2. When thy cheeks are bright and rosy
      Think they once were blanched with pain:
     When thy couch is smooth and cosy
      Think thou hast in anguish lain.
     When the fever has departed,
     Bear in mind how thou hast smarted ;
     Think, when thou art proud and glad,
     Of the times when thou wert sad.

  8. Or if wealth in currents golden
      Enter at thy open door,
     Oft bethink thee of the olden
      Bitter times when thou wert poor 
MORNING  PRAYER FOR TUESDAY.       57
     Do not think the wretched greedy
     That remind thee thou wert needy;
     Think, when thou art proud and glad,
     Of the times when thou wert sad.
  4  Thoughts like these, so pure and holy,
        In the mind still entertain;
     Let them keep thy spirit lowly
       And preserve thee from disdain.
     Watch thy heart, that thou reliest
     Not on self, but on the Highest.
     Those who to themselves are small,
     God doth rate them over all.

     MORNING PRAYER  FOR  TUESDAY.
  "Awake, thou that sleepest, and arise from
the dead, and Christ shall give thee light."  0
thou merciful  God! whose goodness and  truth
are near every morning, with heart and mouth I
give thee thanks and praise, that thou hast let
me rise this morning from my bed in good health,
and hast preserved my body from harm, and my
soul from sin.  How great is thy goodness, Lord!
that men  are  so  surely  guarded  under the
shadow of  thy wings.   After  the darkness I
behold once more the light of the sun; give me
grace that I may walk all  this day in thy light,
and shun all the works of darkness.   I look upon
that day as lost, on which I have served the
world,  and have shaped my lips, my body and 
58       MORNING PRAYER FOR TUESDAY.

my thoughts, by the  habits and follies  of the
world, for which I shall be called to give a dread
account one day before thy tribunal.  I would
rather offer myself entirely to  Jiy  service, in
soul and body;  let me wish nothing, do nothing,
and think  nothing but  what is  pleasing  unto
thee, that the whole day may be hallowed  unto
thee.  Let  me always live, speak and act, as
though  I must  die before nightfall.  Give me
good counsel when I need  counsel,  direct my
purposes and undertakings by thy will.  Kindle
the flame of divine love in my soul, so that this
day I  may show my faith by my works, and per-
severe in the love of thee and my neighbor, and
reach  the evening with an unscarred conscience.
Hear  the voice of my supplications, when I cry
unto thee.  Let the prayer of the afflicted, the
downcast and  the sick, and the prayer of my
house, and of all the pious, find a hearing at the
throne of thy grace.   Yea, direct all my life
forever according to thy will, and when  I come
to surrender it  unto the jaws of death, let me
die in peace and joy, and after death inherit the
bliss of eternal life.  Amen. 
       REJOICES THAT HE WAS  BORN AGAIN.    59


fclje true Befieoer rejoices ttjat (}e mas 6orn aQQtn,

               EXHORTATION.
  " Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
which, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again
anto a lively hope, by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the
dead, to an  inheritance incorruptible and undented, and that
Padeth not away."—1 Peter, iii. 4.
  If any man  glory, let him glory in the Lord;
and if any rejoice, let it be over that which will
make  him eternally happy.   Now if there  is
anything in which a true believer may glory and
rejoice, it  is his being born  again,  that he was
baptized,  and  thereby became a  child of God.
We have obtained innumerable blessings by the
rite of holy baptism.
  1. God is our  Father, who will  sustain, pre-
serve  and care for us as  for  his  children, and
will not forsake us.
  2. Jesus Christ.  All that Jesus has  earned
by his sufferings and death, has been imparted to
us as our own by  holy baptism.
  3. The pouring out of  the Holy Ghost, who
will dwell in  our hearts to enlighten, sanctify,
and direct them.   By such indwelling power  of
the holy spirit, we are daily removed farther from
sin, and grow in faith, piety and godliness, as a
new born babe increases in years and strength.
  4.  We shall have a part, after this life, in the 
(JO       THE TRUE BELIEVER  REJOICES
bliss of heaven.  He who  ponders these things,
must needs rejoice in God  with all his heart.
But  let  the believer also  most carefully watch
and  pray,
  1.  That  he do  not lose the grace bestowed
upon him.
  2.  That he walk worthily in his calling.
  3.  That he do not again love the world, and
that  he  sin  not wilfully with unregenerate and
worldly  people, and become like them.
  4.  That he be obedient unto God as a loving
child, and follow the Lord Jesus, and withstand
not the  baptism of the holy Spirit.  Then he
may rest assured  that he will  enjoy the love,
favor, support and  assistance of the  triune God
here in time, and hereafter in eternity.

                  PRAYER.
  Great God, and  dearly beloved  Father, how
can  I love  and praise thee enough, that thou
bast  had mercy upon my soul, that I might riot
perish!   What  honor hast thou shown  me in
imparting unto me the right of holy baptism,
wherein thou hast  acknowledged me to be thy
child!   Do men  boast the  great  happiness
derived from their  high birth, the possession of
dignities, riches and domains;  much more do
I prize my happiness in being thy child, for if we
are children, we also are heirs, that is to  say 
THAT HE WAS BORN AGAIN.
61
heirs of God, and brethren of Christ, provided
we suffer with him, and are elevated to glorj
with him.  If I am a child of God, my heavenly
Father will preserve, govern, guard, and defend
me; yea, he will never forsake me in the time oi
need.  If I am a child of God, I have not only
an unfailing  stay in him  in  this life, but great
cheerfulness  in death, for he will refresh me as
his child, love me, comfort  me, and,  after my
departure from this world, he will lead me to
the  life of bliss to come.  If I see  any one do
evil, if I hear evil spoken, let me remember that
I am a child of God, to whom such things are
not becoming; let me joyfully say, in thy power:
World, know that my birthright and my heri-
tage in God,  are not to be sold for thy pleasures
and  thy vanities.  Blessed Jesus thou knowest
that I love thee, and am greatly distressed when
I do not always and in very truth love thee as I
should.  0, be graciously pleased to take my will
for the deed  and let me lead a life  of  faith and
piety,  holiness, purity,  and childlike humility,
let me love,  honor,  fear and obey  thee, that I
may live and die as thy child, and attain ever-
lasting joys in heaven.   I have put on Jesus long
ago in holy baptism, therefore did thou love me,
and hast adopted me to be thy child, 0 God!  I
beg for the sake of the blood of Christ, let my
end be well.  Amen. 
62       THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS GOD


£lje  true Befteoer  praos #00 to  continue  ana
       increase t(je fattO ama&eneu in Qim.

               EXHORTATION.
  " If thou shalt confess with thy month the Lord Jesus, and
shalt believe in thy heart that Ood hath raised him from the
dead, thou shall be saved."—Romans x. 9.
  " Lord, increase our faith."—Luke xvii. 5.
  As unhappy as is an unbeliever, so happy is a
soul which stands in  the  faith and true know-
ledge  of God, of Jesus Christ,  and of its own
salvation.  For an unbeliever is like a room in
which  there is no light, wherein it is dark  and
disagreeable, but a  believing soul is like unto a
room wherein  it is  light, and wherein a taper is
lit, which taper is faith.   This faith man cannot
give unto himself, but it is God that lights it
within us.
  1.  Therefore,  a true believer shall thank God,
that he has brought him to the faith and to the
knowledge of Jesus Christ, and thereby  made
him happy above Jews, Turks, or Heathens.
  2.  He shall be mindful of his covenant of bap-
tism, and the glory  thereby conferred upon him,
and shall not wantonly transgress  the covenant
entered into with God.
  3  He shall diligently and devoutly hear God's
Word, that  he  may be constantly more enlight- 
TO INCREASE THE FAITH AWAKENED IN HIM.   63
ened, and brought to a better understanding of
his will in his works.
   4. Therefore, a true Christian  must not  be
satisfied with saying, I believe, but he must also
let the fruits of faith, as piety, charity, chastity,
patience,  meekness,  and  others,  shine  forth
throughout his  life.  Then  he  has the consola-
tion  that he will secure  the end of his faith,
eternal salvation.

                  PRAYER
   0  thou gracious God!  what great mercy is it,
that thou has brought me to the true knowledge
of thy salvation.   I know the foundation of my
eternal welfare, which is  Jesus  Christ, with  his
atoning  merit, blood and  death.  I know the
means of salvation, which are the Word of God
and  the holy sacraments.  In these I set all my
hope and my reliance, and now know the true
way to  heaven;  for who would  come to God
must believe.  By this faith am I distinguished
from infidel, Jews,  Turks, and  Heathens.   0
thou gracious God!  bestow upon me  thy Holy
Ghost, that he  may give  this knowledge  life
within  me.  Blessed  are ye,  if ye know,  but
blessed are ye if ye do it also.   Give me  power
that my faith may be not a lifeless  faith  of  the
brain and of the lips, but a living faith.  What
thy  Word forbids, I will eschew and flee from, 
64       THE TRUE BELIEVER  PRAYS GOD

but the duties and virtues it enjoins, I will seek
to perform by  thy grace, and the  assistance of
the Holy Ghost.  The Holy Communion shall
sanctify me out and out.  I will often partake
of it  to strengthen  my faith,  and  make  me
happy, as a food of sanctification and devotion,
and will persevere in  this sanctification.  0  my
God!   Increase within me  faith, sanctification
and obedience,  that  I may become  every day
more pious, more devout, more godly, and more
true to the image of  my Savionr.  And preserve
me in this faith to the end of my days, so that I
may live as a true and pious Christian, and die
happy.  Lord, I believe! help my weakness, let
me  not despair; thou  canst  give  me strength
when  sin and death  assail me;  in thy goodness
will I tread until I shall joyfully see  thee, Lord
Jesus,  after the struggle,  in  the gladness  of
eternity.  Amen.

                   HYMN.
    1. I believe, 0 Lord I but yet my
        Faith is weak and oft doth swerve,
      Satan ever to upset my
        Strength exerts his every nerve.
      Storms and tempests gather o'er me,
      No one offers to restore me.
      Lord where are thy mighty arms,
      To protect me from these harms ? 
TO INCREASE THE FAITH AWAKENED IN HIJI.   Cft

2.  Where is thy all conquering glory,
     Where thy all commanding mien,
   Of which others make such story ?
     Am I then alone unseen ?
   Knowst thou not my grief and trial ?
   Canst thou give my prayer denial ?
   Is my wretchedness too great
   For thy goodness to »bate ?
8.  Help my unbelief in pity 1
     I believe, undoubtingly,
   That the voice of meek entreaty
     Never goes unheard from thee
   Still aloft I know thou soarest,
   And the gift of mercy pourest
   In abundance over all
   Who on thee as children calL
i.  I believe that me, a sinner,
     Jesus' blood has purchased too;
   Of my soul to be the winner,
     Nothing will he fail to do.
   In my bitterest repining
   Jesus at my side was shining,
   Though I knew him not, because
   Blind and weak my eyesight was.
5. O be patient with my blindness,
     Let me see thee as thou art,
   Let the knowledge of thy kindnes
     Never from my  soul depart.
   Let despair itself betoken
   That thy faith remains unbroken;
   That thy love which never dies,
   Waits to  bear  me to the skies 
66       PRAYER FOR TUESDAY EVENING.

     PRAYER FOR TUESDAY  EVENING.
  The Lord is with m«s, therefore I do not fear,
what evil can men do unto me ?  This, 0 loving
and merciful God, is the language of my experi-
ence this evening;  and I heartily  thank thee
that thou  hast  suffered  me  to  pass  this day
under thy  fatherly care.  Lord, thy goodness is
great, and  thy  mercy endureth  forever.   The
Lord is near unto them  that cry unto him, unto
them that  cry  unto  him with  earnestness, he
does what the godly crave.  Lord, how soon is a
day past; as an arrow is shot from a bow, so do
our years depart; therefore  teach  me that it is
appointed unto me once to die, that  my life has
an end,  and  that I  must away.   Behold, my
days are as  an handbreath, and as nothing before
thee.  " We must all appear before the judgment
seat  of Christ, that every one may receive the
things done in the body, according  to  that he
hath done,  whether it be  good or bad."   There-
fore I judge myself, and ask: My soul, how hast
thou spent this day?   Hast thou  had godly
thoughts ?  Has God remained united with thee,
or hast thou driven him away with intended and
conscious sins?  Has the praise  of God been
spread abroad by thee, or hast thou overflowed
with follies and scandalous conversation ?__
Whither  have ye sped, ye feet ?  What have ye 
PRAYER FOR TUESDAY  EVENING.       67
plied, ye hands ?  What have ye heard, ye ears?
Ye  eyes, whither have ye looked ?  What  has
been this  day thy desire and thy yearning, my
heart ?  0 my God, if I should  answer all these
questions, how would I stand?  Lord, with the
passing away of this day, do thou  blot out all
my trespasses.  0 Jesu !  wash out  my sins in
thy holy  blood.  O  Holy Spirit 1 assure me of
the forgiveness of all my sins, before I fall to
sleep, so that, If this should  be  my last night, I
may not be  lost.  Acquitted of my guilt, 0 tri-
une  God,  I  shall sleep with great  composure,
and  shall to-morrow avoid with greater care,
whatsoever  may  displease thee.  Lord, let  thy
love cover me and mine.   Blessed Jesus, in thy
wounds I rest;  so  shall  I  sleep in peace.  0
Holy Spirit! breathe the last sigh into my heart
before I fall  asleep, with which  I  commend  my
spirit into thy hands, 0  God.  Though I have
fallen off, yet I return to thee, for  thy son  has
reconciled us by his sufferings and  death;  I do
not deny my guilt, but thy grace  and tenderness
is much greater than  the sin which I ever  feel
p^thin mf   Amen. 
68     THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS TO GOD
ttfje true Jtefteoerpraos to $ob to sancttfo Qis Oeart

               EXHORTATION.
  " Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which nc
        man shall see the Lord."—Hebrews xii. 14.
   1. In view of his natural  perversion, the true
believer calls  to  mind that he himself cannot
make himself holy, but that this  is  a work of
God.
  2. Therefore he uses the means ordained by
God for sanctification.  He  remembers his holy
baptism, in which  the Holy Ghost was poured
out upon him, and has taken up his dwelling in
his heart,  and diligently enquires whether he
has forfeited this good spirit in after years by
wanton sins.   He knows that the holy commu-
nion is a  food of sanctification,  therefore, he
tries, when he receives it, to make it sanctify hhi
soul and body.   He  listens devoutly to  God's
word, and  treasures in his heart what  he  has
heard, so that he may progress in  sanctification.
  3. For sanctification should take place as well
in the body as in the soul, through the power of
God and the efficacy of the Holy Ghost.   When
the soul is sanctified, life must be led entirely in
true sanctification.
  4. This  sanctification should take place be-
times, not  in old age or on the death-bed, but 
TO SANCTIFY HIS SOUL.
61
while we can still pray, and use with apprecia-
tion the means of sanctification.
  5. Such sanotification must then be manifested
at all times, on all  occasions, when in the pre-
sence of the  children  of this world;  there our
gestures, words and works should show that we
have a sanctified heart, and that the Holy Ghost
governs our lips and all our lives.   Such sancti-
fied souls may be sure  of attaining the home of
sanctification in the realms of light.

                  PRAYER
  0 most holy God!  I am seized with dread
whenever in  my ears the voice is  heard which
says, " Be ye holy, even  as I am holy;" and
again, " Without sanctification  no one shall see
the Lord."  When  I reflect upon  these words,
and contrast them  with my unsanctified  heart,
unsanctified thoughts, unsanctified  words, and
unsanctified works,  I am seized with dread and
shame of my former wicked  and  unsanctified
life, when, alas!  I  followed the desires of my
heart, and turned with the people of this world
and offended  thee with unsanctified w)rds and
deeds.   Oh!  if no  one shall see thee but by
sanctification, how few shall be saved, how many
condemned!   Help, then, 0 Lord! the  saints
have  become  fewer.   0, therefore,  most  holy
God!  let  me  well  know  all this,  that  I may 
70        THE BELIEVER PRAVS TO GOD.
study true holiness outwardly and inwardly.  0
Jesus!  sanctify me by  thy righteousness,  thy
merit and thy blood.  0 give me, who  am by
nature  unholy, thy sanctification, that I may
appear and stand therein, as in my finest raim-
ent,  before thy heavenly Father.  Sanctify  my
life by thy holy word !  Sanctify my  heai t that
it  may converse with holy thoughts forever.
Sanctify my  mouth that it  may speak nothing
unbecoming, unchristian and evil.  Sanctify  my
will, that I may will and execute only the things
well pleasing unto thee.  Let this sanctification
be genuine,  that  I  may not only be holy and
strive after holiness, in church, in the commu-
nion, or when engaged  in religious exercises, but
that I may also be holy and strive after holiness
at  all times and places,  and on all occasions, and
when compelled to live among the children of
this  world and in their company, that  I then
may speak, live and act as a child of God, and
may remain in that holy state until death, when
thou wilt bring me  to  the troops of  the  saints,
and  the chosen in  the unfading light of life.
Thou art holy, thou art to be found where men
are pure and undefiled, but fleest from  shame
and sin as  a pigeon from stench and decay; make
me, by thy ablutions, pure and clean; let me flee
what thou fleest, and give me what is pleasing
m  thy sight   Amen. 
MORNING PRAYER FOR WEDNESDAY.      71
  MORNING PRAYER  FOR  WEDNESDAY.
  I awoke, and I am still with thee, 0 gracious
and loving  God, my rock, my strong  towt-r, my
shield, and  the horn of  my salvation.  To thee
will I raise my voice, at this early hour.  Blessed
be thy name, that during the past night, I re-
posed in peace and safety beneath the shadow of
thy wings, and that my body  has been protected
from all evil and all harm.  Praised be the Lord
every day,  and praised  be his  name eternally.
Thou makest one  day  after another of  my life
to appear and hasten away;  may I be diligent
in preparing for eternity, and give thee my soul
as thy birthright and thy habitation.  Thou hast
created me for eternal life, and it is not thy will
that I should be lost, but  that  I  should  repent
and live : therefore grant that this day also may
be spent in working out my own  salvation with
fear and trembling.  I am now in the middle of
another week;  may I reach  its end in  safety.
Should I be called  to walk in the midst of trials
and anguish, then  do thou support and  comfort
me ; if mine enemies surround me, do thou stand
in the midst and help me.  Blessed Jesus ! thou
Mediator, take up thine abode in my heart, that
I may run to thee  for counsel in every trouble,
and obtain help from thee.  If God be  for me,
who can be against me ?  Be present with me in 
72     MORNING PRAYER FOR WEDNESDAY.
my daily business and occupation.  In the ful-
ness of faith I say it.  Lord, I will not let thee
go, except thou  bless me.   Bless  my sleep and
my waking,  bless my going and my standing
still, bless  me in all things, pour thy blessing
upon me.  Let  me be blessed before  thee, and
do not take thy blessing  from me.  In  all the
avocations of life, let me often direct  my heart
to thee, and should its affections  ever begin to
entwine themselves around the perishing objects
of this world, help  me to tear them loose, and
sink them, Father! into  thy love, Jesus ! into
thy  wounds, that they may not stray  from thy
fellowship, and may still be found there in the
evening. If a struggle awaits me to-day, help
me to overcome; if a sinful thought  make  its
appearance in my heart, or a sinful word upon
my lips, strengthen  me that I may dismiss it  by
thy grace.  To thee I commit myself, with  all
that I have and am.  Bless the sick and afflicted,
and let  them see the light of thy grace  in the
midst of their sufferings.

       Lead me, 0 my God, and guide me,
         That thy word may be fulfilled;
       Stand from morn to night beside me,
         My protector and my shield.
       But in thee and thee alone,
       Safety and content are known.  Amen. 
THE TRUE BELIEVER  PRAJTS TO GOD.     73
l\  true Befieoer  prags Qob to mean (jtm aroag
               from tQe roorfb.

               EXHORTATION.
  " A. 1 be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed
bj the ^newing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good, t id acceptable, and perfect will of God."—Rom. xii. 2.
  Wl  en the  Christian reflects that  the  love of
the w >rld, like a weed, is of spontaneous growth,
in the soul, but the love of God, like a fragrant
plant, requires care and trouble, he will see how
much labor and pains are needed.
   1. He must therefore remember that the world
is within and without him.  Within he has sin-
ful thoughts, lusts, and desires; and without, the
example of bad men, temptations and seductions.
  2. This  two-fold  enemy the  believer must
oppose; the rising desires and thoughts by prayer
and supplication, and the charms of the world
by avoiding its society,  manners and fashions.
  3. As this is not in  his own power, he must
pray diligently to God for his aid and assistance.
  4. This renouncing of the world does not con-
sist in  an  abandonment of human  society, and
our becoming recluses; but in our not yielding tc
the sinful example and ways of the world. For,
as  Paul says, if we are not to associate with
wicked men at all, we must needs go out of the 
 T4      THE TRUE RELIEVER PRAYS GOD TU

 world.  We must live in the world as Joseph
 lived in Egypt, Lot in  Sodom, and  Daniel and
 his companions in Babylon, who all avoided  the
 evil manners  and  deeds of the people among
 whom they lived.
  5. We must thus renounce the world not a
 little season  only,  or upon especial occasions,
 when we are about to confess our sins to God, or
 to prepare for  the celebration  of the Lord's sup-
 per, but it must be done constantly.  When the
 world is turned out of our hearts, Jesus enters in.

                 PRAYER.
  Most  merciful God! thou lover of men 1 how
 loving to us art thou that thou hast patience with
 our many errors and short comings, and will not
 punish us in the act, and according to our deserts.
 Through the truth of thy word, thou hast opened
 my eyes, and  enabled me  to  know myself, and
 understand the deep depravity of my own heart. I
 feel the world within me and without me.  I feel
 the world within me, in the shape of lusts, passions,
 and evil desires; and without I feel the world in
 the shape of wicked men, who seek to allure and
 to seduce me by their sinful examples and tempta-
tions. Alas! my sinful heart finds more pleasure
in the world and its ways, than in thy holy word
and a life led according to its precepts.  0 woe is
me  that  so long, so  often, and so much, I  have 
        WEAN HIM AWAY FROM THE WORLD.     76

permitted myself to be deluded and led astray by
the world!  I am  ashamed to lift up my eyes to
thee, when  I remember the sins and follies of my
youth.  Alas, I favored  the world more than
thee, clung  to the world more than to thee, served
the world more than thee, my God, but  thereby
also offended thee, damaged my  conscience, and
aroused thy anger.   Behold, my  God! I return,
and repent in dust and ashes.  May  thy holy
spirit sanctify me through and through, and drive
the world out  of  me.  Present to  my  view the
lamentable  condition of  the  children  of  this
world, that I  may love thee and not the world,
follow thee and not the world,  hear thee and not
the world.   Draw me back when I offer to run
after the world, and sin with it again; keep me
always in the fear of thee, and remind  me that
thou hast created me for thy service; that I must
daily put on the  new man, who  is created after
God's image, in righteousness and  holiness. Grant
that I may constantly despise the fleeting plea-
sures of the world, and flee it, because its plea-
sures  and joys are succeeded by dread, and evil
conscience,  and the perdition of the soul.  Pluck
from my heart what worldly seeds still linger
there, and  plant  thy holy fear  therein. Thou
creator  of all  things, thou fatherly power! that
ruled from  the beginning to the  end, powerfully
in one strength, turn our heart? to thee, and turn 
76       THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS GOD

away our thoughts that they stray not away from
thee.  Amen.
  fcfje true Setteoer prugs ftob to birect anb
                  gutbe fjim.
              EXHORTATION.
  "*Teach me thy ways, O Lord; I will walk in thy truth, unite
my heart to fear thy name."           Psalms, lxxxvi. 11.—

  Life is nothing more nor less than a way; when
we are born we enter on the way, and when we
die  the way ceases with life, and we  find our-
selves in eternity.   The question is, which way
to take in  this life of ours.  If we choose the
good way of  faith, piety, and godliness, it will
end in the glories of heaven.  But if we take the
broad road of infidelity, malice  and ungodliness,
it will lead us to hell and eternal damnation.
  1.  In consideration of this the Christian must
reflect  that in this life he  has  two ways  before
him, the  narrow way to heaven and the  broad
way  to hell, but he must diligently pursue the
way  to heaven.
  2.  In order to remain upon this way, he must
often pray to God for his direction and  guidance.
  3.  If he  prays God for his holy  guidance and
direction, he must not stop to look around him 
TO DIRECT AND Gli IDE ^IIM.
77
to see how the other people of  the world live,
and on what  ways they travel, for if he under-
takes to follow them, the spirit of God will cease
to lead  him,  yea  it will even depart from him.
Now, just as  a traveller needs a guide  to show
nim the true  road, so a true believer is in need
of the Spirit  of God to point him on the way, in
which he should walk.  But for this purpose the
indwelling of the holy Spirit is  required in the
heart, that it may  be said, " know ye not that
ye are the temple of God, and that the spirit of
God  dwelleth in you;" 1 Cor. iii. 16.  If we have
this faithful guide in us and with us, he will also
direct our thoughts, lips, minds and desires.
  4.  The  true  believer never  resists this holy
guidance, but suffers himself to be led, encouraged,
and guided, assured  that he will be well directed
here  below, and above  eternally.  0 happy gui-
dance !  Happy he, who is led by God.

                   PRAYER.
  Lord! thou searchest me, and  knowest me,
thou knowest  all my ways.  0 thou seest and
knowest well, also, beloved Father, that I heartily
desire to walk in thy ways, and so, as thou hast
enjoined upon  thy children, and whereof Jesus
has  given us  his  blessed  example.  But  alas!
experience shows me how, now  here, now there,
temptations lead  me astray.  Sometimes the evil 
   ?8        THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS GOD

   desires of my own heart seduce me; sometimes
   I am tempted by the evil examples of the world,
   if I follow the one or the other I anger thee, my
   God and Lord; I offend my conscience,  and the
   more I approach the  world, the farther I remove
   from thee.  0, therefore, I beseech thee to guide
   me and lead me  after thy counsel.  Thou hast
   said, I will lead thee with mine eyes.  Lord, here
   I am ; let thy good spirit lead me on an even path.
-   Lo, I surrender myself unto thee wholly, my God!
   who hast  led thy people dry shod through the
   Red sea, and unharmed through the wilderness
   into the land of promise.  Oh guide me through
   the dangers of this life with a good and unsullied
   conscience, to eternal life.  I  resign unto  thee
   my heart,  my lips,  my limbs, and  all my life.
   Govern thou my heart, and fill it  always with
   holy thoughts.  Govern my limbs, that my hands
   may not reach  forth after forbidden things, nor
   my feet walk the ways leading to sin and to hell.
   Govern my  mouth and my lips, lest they utter
   curses or unchristian or unseemly words.  Govern
   all my life, that from  henceforth I may not know-
   ingly sin against thee, that I may be called and
   may be in truth a true and pious  Christian.  0
   &c not leave me if in my weakness and  folly I
   contend against thee, and do not leave me to my
   own will and guidance.  When  I lead myself I
   am 'laisled.   Yea, lead me with thine eyes, and 
ro DIRECT AND GUIDE HIM.
7«
constantly direct all my life  according  to  thy
wish, and when  I am called  on to surrender it
into the jaws  of death, when it is over with me
here,  le*. me die  happy, and  after death inherit
the mansions of eternal life.   Amen.

                     HYMN.
    I  Give me  what, most loving Father,
        Thou wouldst have all men receive;
      I would have this bounty rather
        Than all else e'en thou canst give,
      'Tis the gift I chiefly covet,
      O'er all else my heart doth love it,
      What it is thou truly know'st,
      Father, send thy Holy Ghost

    2  Let him teach me well the sentence,
        While I wander here below,
      Which shall teach me true repentance,
        And the way that I should go.
      Which would never let to dwindle,
      What thy word in me doth kindle,
      Which would give me faith and make
      Faith alive for Jesus' sake.

    I. In the days of dread and sorrow,
        This good spirit shall be near;
      Ever show a hopeful morrow,
        When  my heart would sink with fear,
      When the tempest roars around me,
      And the thunder peals confound me,
      It shall whisper, small and still,
      That my  Saviour loves me still 
80     EVENING PRAYER FOR  WEDNESDAY.
   4. And, as oft my soul with double
        Strife and contest, must be tost,
      Thou shalt on my crowding trouble,
        Doubly shed the Holy Ghost.
      Then my heart shall surely vanquish
      All the woes that feed its anguish,
      And the hopes that never fail,
      Help me stem each rising gale.

   6  From thy throne, O Holy Spirit,
        Where thou and the Father's Sod
      Do the Father's power inherit,
        One in three, and three in one,
      Come to me, my heart's endeavor
      Is that thou shalt dwell for ever,
      In its chambers all alone,
      E'en as on thy heavenly throne.

   EVENING PRAYER FOR WEDNESDAY.
  Holy, gracious, and only wise, God! the expe-
rience of another day has  shown me that thou
art the true father over all  that have  the  name
of children, in heaven  and on earth.  In thy
infinite  bounty, thou  hast  cared for me, that I
have been in want  of nothing good.  O Lord, I
am too lowly for all the kindness thou lavishest
upon  me.  What shall I render unto the Lord
for all  his  benefits, I,  who am but dust and
ashes ?  Despise not the humble thank-offering I
bring thee,  and continue  to  look  on me with
favor.   Forgive, 0 gracious God, whatever thine 
        ffVENING  PRAYER FOR WEDNESDAY      81

eyes have seen amiss in me this day in thoughts,
words and deeds; help me to lay aside with my
daily apparel, every remaining  sin  and  evil
nabit, to put off the old man with all his corrupt
lusts and deeds, never to put him on again.  Let
me and  my house to-night  sleep softly  and
iweetly under thy gracious protection.   The sun
has concealed his face, but do thou, 0 Jesus, thou
sun of righteousness, never  permit the  light of
thy countenance to be hid from my soul.  May
I be invigorated by  sleep, so that in the morning
I may  arise  refreshed  and cheerful.   As the
shepherd  watches  over his flock, so do  thou
watch over my repose in  soul and body.   But
shouldst thou see fit to send any affliction or dis-
tress upon me this night for the trial of my faith,
patience and hope, give me the obedient  mind of
Abraham, and the  pious patience of Job.  Let
thy omnipresence and all-seeing eye preserve me
daily from sin.  At the coming of night, mine
eyes are directed to the hills whence my help
cometh; my  help  cometh from  the Lord who
made heaven and  earth.  Lord, another day of
my life hath fled; teach me now to see whether
I have been pious, and thyself show unto me if I
have done anything amiss, and  help  me in all
things to have a cleai reckoning  at cloee of day
Amen 
62     THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS THAT THE


Cfje true 33efieoer prags t§ai tfje Cone of %ob mag
            Oe (unbfeb in Ots .jjeart.

               EXHORTATION.
 M God is lore; and he that dwelleth in lore, dwelleth in God,
u»d God in him.  We love him because he first loved us."—
                                 1 John, iv. 16,19.
  God is love, and because he is love, he wills
that all his children and believers should stand
in true love.   Love is the tie which rivets our
hearts  to God,  but also  to the hearts of our
neighbor.
  1.  A true believer prays  to God that he will
fill his  heart with his holy love.
  2.  He  must not despise  the means whereby
the love of God can be commenced and increased
in him, devout attention to, and reflection  on the
Word of God, and  the  proper use of the com-
munion.
  3. If he stands  in the love of God he must
prove  it by  a holy Christian walk,  becoming
Bpeech, and works well pleasing unto God.
  4.  But he must be well on his guard, lest, like
Demas, he come to love the world again; for who
bo loves the world, the love of the father  is not
in him.  Therefore, out of love to God, he must
eschew the world, which  would lead him away
from God again. 
        OF GOD MAY BE KINDLED IN HIS HEART. 83

  6.  In such love he must remain till death.
  6.  The love of  God must increase constantly
with increasing years; it is  a shame to spend
twenty, thirty, or forty years in the pleasures
and follies of the world, fcirgetting the love of
God.

                  PRAYER.
  0 thou loving and  gracious God !  thou  alone
art amiable; thee alone I ought to love with all
my heart, with  all my soul.  0, I bewail and
acknowledge before thee with great contrition of
spirits, not only that the love of thee, my loving
father, of Jesus, my Redeemer and Saviour, and
of the Holy Ghost, my Guide and Teacher, has
been extinguished in me by original sin, but also
that I have not always made room for thy call-
ing and efficacious mercy, to  light again in my
heart the flame of a true love of thee.  I beseech
thee to change my heart,  to pluck from it all the
love of the world and of sin, and to let mine ears
hear the words, " Love not the world nor what
is in the world, for if any one  loveth the world,
the love of  the Father is not in him."  Expel
from my heart the lusts of the flesh, the lusts of
the eyes, and  the pride  of life, to which, alas!
I am disposed by nature,  and illume by thy holy
Spiri4, within my heart a love of thee, that I may
love  thee, as the  highest  good, for  thine  own 
84     THE TRUE BELIEVEn PRAYS THAT THE
 sake alone, and may eschew all the vanities of
 the world.  For if I would be a  true child of
 God, the world of sin, and the love of self, must
 leave my heart, and thou must be loved above
 all things.  Therefore, I come to  thee, 0  God 1
 and pray thee to  give  me thy holy  Spirit, tc
 plant this Christian virtue in my bosom, in whose
 power I will  love thee  my God,  with  all my
 heart, and constantly;  my soul shall think of
 thee, my lips shall  speak of thee,  thou shalt be
 more dear to me than all the world and pleasures
 of the world, than all happiness and glory.   For
 love of thee I will sin knowingly no longer, foi
 love of thee I will renounce all sinful companion
 ship, for  love  of  thee I  will begin to be truly
 pious, and direct my actions  my  thy  will  and
 example alone, thee will  I honor and fear, thee
 serve, follow and obey.  Give me  courage, if I
 am to suffer anything for thy sake, and strengthen
 me then by thy mighty aid.  0 let  me be united
 In the bonds of love with thee, in  time and in
eternity.   I love thee, 0  my God!  aye, thee, for
thine owi. sake; nothing in this world, neither
scorn nor temptation, shall damp my love;  and
if there were no hell or heaven to  impel  me to
love, thou wert enough alone,  to love thee *nd
thee alone.   Amen. 
LOVE OF GOD MAY BE KINDLED IN HIS HEART. 85
                  HYMN.
L. Would that to its inmost fountains,
     Love of God would fill my heart:
   Swelling upward high as mountains,
     Heavenward drive my soul to start
   0 that when I walk and tarry,
   What I wear and what I carry,
   Heart and Spirit, mind and soul
   Would the love of God  control.

2. That my heart this love would sever
     From the world's temptations quite,
   It would only seek  forever
     What is pleasing in thy sight.
   That the world would hate and scorn me
   And God's love alone adorn me;
   Never would I do a deed.
   That his spirit would forbid.

8. In such love's embrace enfolded
     All my heart new made should be,
   To a better image moulded,
     Worthy, gracious Lord, of thee.
   In the field and on  the fallow
   Still this love my heart should hallow
   All  I  do and all I seek
   Should the love of thee bespeak.

* O then to its inmost fountains,
     Love of God, fill  thou my heart;
   Swell it upward, high as mountains
     Heavenward drive it  to depart 
84J      MORNING  PRAYER FOR THURSDAV

     When I walk and when T tarry,
     WTiat I wear and what 1 carry,
     Heart and spirit, mind and soul,
     Let the love of God control.
  5.  Anc when love on earth is ended
      When I yield my mortal breath,
     Let the heavenly love be blended
      Closely with the fear of death.
     Let it so pervade my very
     Spirits' inmost sanctuary,
     That the only change may be
     From thy love, thyself to see.

    MORNING PRAYER FOR THURSDAY.
  " Give ear to my words, 0 Lord;  consider my
meditation.  Hearken unto the voice of my cry,
my  king  and  my  God:  for unto  thee will 1
pray."—Ps. v. 1-3.  0 thou good and most mer-
ciful God, I would praise and  adore thee in this
morning hour, not  only that thou hast vouch-
safed unto me thy fatherly protection from my
youth up, but  also that thou hast so kindly and
faithfully watched over me during the past night,
and  hast  again brought me  to  behold the  wel-
come light of  this  new day.  0 thou Lever  of
Life! what is man that thou art mindful of him
and what  is the son of man that thou visitest
him?  I lay and slept  in unconsciousness; but
thy sleepless eye preserved my breath,  and thine 
        MORNING PRAYER FOR THURSDAY.      8?

*ngel guard was around me and my house, to
preserve us from every harm and danger.  Thou
hast refreshed me by a soft repose, while many
others have been sick, and in pain, want  and
distress, when I perhaps deserved chastisement
as well as, yea, more than  they; for I have net
been  so thankful for the  unspeakable  mercies
received  at thy hands as my duty would have
required.   At this early hour I promise  to serve
thee with body and soul.  I will forbid  my feet
to walk in sinful paths; mine  eye shall not look
upon evil, nor my hands do that which is dis-
pleasing to thee.  Mine ear I will turn away from
loose doctrine  and  idle speech, which corrupts
good manners.  On the contrary, 0 Thou triune
God, I will consecrate myself wholly to thy service.
0 dwell in my heart, enlighten my mind, and sanc-
tify my soul more and more by thy grace.  Let
me be associated with the pious and good to-day;
and if, in the discharge of my duties, I should be
brought  into  contact with the wicked, preserve
my heart and conscience from their  evil deeds.
Smile upon the labor of my hands, so that I may
perform it with childlike reliance upon  thy pro-
vidence,  and  experience  thy  blessing.   Now
mine eyes are directed to the hills whence my
help cometh;  my help cometh from the Lord,
who made heaven and earth, who shall  bless me
here in time until I attain  eternity. 
88     THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS GOD TO

    Bless, 0 Lord, my going forth,
      Bless, 0 Lord, my homeward wending,
    Save from hunger and from dearth
      My beginning and my ending.
    Bless my death with thy endurance
    Giving me of heaven assurance.  Amen.
ttje true 35cftcocr praqs .gob to inspire  Dim roiUj
             fooe to  fits netQfjGor.

               EXHORTATION.
  " If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar:
tor he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen how can
he love God whom he hath not seen ?  And this commandment
have we from him, that he who loveth God loveth hi»  brother
also."—1 John iv.  20, 21.
  " A new commandment I give  unto you, that
ye love  one another;  by this shall all  men  know
that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to
another."  Thus does Christ designate the true
mark of his disciples, in St. John xiii. 34.   Let
no one imagine that he may stand in the love of
God, if he hate his neighbor.  0 no!
  1.  Our neighbor means our friend, benefactor,
or kinsman.
  2. Also our neighbor, stranger and  fellow-citi-
«en, even if he envies, overreaches and hates us 
     INSPIRE HIM WITH LOVE TO HIS NEIGHBOR.  89

  3.  As against  our enemies we shoild  banish
from our  hearts all  bitterness, implacability,
hatred  or malice, and should prove by words
and works that we have a loving heart towards
them, and should do in deed and in truth what
Christ  says: "Love your enemies, bless them
that curse you, do good to them that hate you,
and  pray for them which despitefully use you
and persecute  you, that ye may be the children
of your Father which  is in heaven."—Matthew
v. 44, 45.

                  PRAYER.
  0 thou loving God!  who dearly lovest us, but
oast also commanded  us to regard  our neighbor
with the same love with which thou lovest  us.
0 I lament before thee that my heart has not
yet surrendered itself to this sincere and perfect
love to my neighbor.  According to thy com-
mandment I ought to love my neighbor as my-
self, I ought  to  rejoice when thou givest  him
happiness, health, and prosperity, as if the same
had been accorded to me.  I ought fervently to
love my  enemy, who hates,  despitefully uses,
persecutes, and oppresses me.  I  ought to wish
him well, and to pray that thou wouldst grant
every  blessing to his body and his  soul.   But,
omniscient  God ! thou seest and  knowest how
my heart is enstranged from these duties, how, 
90     THE TRUE BELIEVE* PRAYS GOD TO

alas!  when  thou doest good unto  my neighbor
when  thou  givest him  happiness,  honor and
benefits, and  not  to me, I  am  ill  content that
thou doest not the  same to me.  Thou seest how
feeble  and how tardy are my prayers for  my
enemies.   0 my God and  Father!  I recognize
herein the sinful depravity of my heart, and how
far I am from that true condition of a disciple of
Jesus which  is known  by this, that they have
love to one another; not only to their friends and
benefactors, but also to those that envy them, to
their enemies and  persecutors.  Therefore I be
seech thee to change my revengeful and rebelli
ous heart, that through thy favor I may love mj
neighbor heartily and sincerely, as myself.  Give
me strength  to see with pleasure the good gifts
thou vouchsafest unto my neighbor,  and  not to
repine  if  thou dost not rejoice me with  a like
favor.  Preserve me from being false, that I may
not pretend to be his friend and kiss him, like
Judas,  and yet betray him,  but that I may be
sincere with him.   And if I must experience the
persecution, the spite, and the wrongs of enemies,
give me strength to overcome with  gentleness,
not returning  evil for  evil,  and revilement for
revilement, but  wishing them prosperity and
every happiness.   Lord, my God ! thou seest how
bard this  duty is to the flesh, but  by thy favoi
and assistance I shall succeed.   Amen. 
INSPIRE HIM WITH LOVE TO HIS NEIGHBOR,   9\
                    HYMN.
I  And must I see indeed that love and truth have
     vanished
  From the fair Christian world, and from all hearts
     are banished ?
  Are these the latter days when  every heart grows
     old,
  And youth and age  alike grow fickle, dull and
     cold?

2 Once truth and charity on every forehead hovered,
  Where now are love and truth or works of love
     discovered ?
  What  rankles in the heart leaps not  upon  the
     tongue,
  And words of smoothest sound to wicked thoughts
     belong.

8. O false, deceitful world 1 God knows thy wiles  and
      cunning—
  Smooth  spoken, while thy heart with thoughts of
      crime is running.
  Knowest thou not that he who  loves his neighbor
      not
   God loves not, and of God will  surely be forgot ?

4. Lord!  purify  my heart, that  like  thyself mosi
      truly
   I may love even those who hate me  most unduly
   The image of thy love keep still before my view.
   That I may do to  all as I would have them da 
02
THE TRUE BELIEVER
5. And let thy Holy  Ghost, of love and truth rn«
     spirit,
  Dwell in my heart, that naught beside may move
    or stir it
  The angel of thy love still hold my hand in his,
  Until he bears me up to thy eternal bliss.
   £Qe true Befieoer resoCoes to fofforo CQrfet.

               EXHORTATION.
  " Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come
after me, let him deny himself, and take np his cross, and follow
me."—Matt, xvi 24.
  " Search me, O God, 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 everlasting."—Ps. cxxxii. 23, 24.
  A careful traveller enquires frequently whether
he is still in the right road; and so the Christian
traveller often asks whether he is still in the path
to heaven.   Many  deceivers have gone out into
the world,  says St. John, and  therefore we must
constantly  watch that we be not deceived.
  1. A believer must not follow the world, which
would entice him into its sinful ways and man-
ners.  Nor dare he follow the  desires of his own
sinful and  corrupt heart.  But whenever some
thing presents itself to his mind, he asks himself,
Is it right ?
  2. But he must  follow the  sacred Scriptures, 
          RESOLVES TO  FOILOW CHRIST.        98

which tell him what he must believe, experience,
avoid, and do.  This is  his rule of faith and prac-
tice.  What it forbids he carefully avoids.
  3. He especially sets before him and labors to
imitate the holy example of the blessed Saviour,
Lord Jesus, who  hath  set us  an example, that
we might follow in  his  footsteps.  His footsteps
are his  benevolence, humility, patience, meek-
ness, sincerity, friendship, purity and zeal.
  4. He also observes the pious example of other
Christians.   If  he sees in them zeal, devotion,
charity, and other virtues, he strives to imitate
them.
  5. He must follow Christ until death, and then
he  shall  be taken to heaven  and  numbered
among those who  follow the Lamb whithersoever
he goeth.—Rev. xiv. 4.

                  PRAYER
  0 Lord my God! my only desire is that I may
so live that after death  I may attain to the joys
of thy heavenly  kingdom.  I  great y rejoice
when I read in  thy word, that in heaven all thy
dear people shall follow the Lamb whithersoever
he goeth; but I  well know that all those who
would follow him in glory, must also faithfully
follow him here in time, while yet they live upon
the earth.   This  fills me with anxiety for th*
safety of my own soul : for I am surrounded by 
»4
THE TRUE BELIEVER
numerous advisers, and know not which of them
to follow.   Satan by his seductions invites me to
follow him, and the world spreads its  riches,
honors, and pleasures at my  feet.   But I fear
that if I follow them now, I will also have to
follow them hereafter to  hell and to perdition,
Therefore,  Jesus, help me to follow thee,  and
then  I know that I shall  be  on the safe  and
happy way.  I will follow thee in faith, love,
humility, obedience, piety and chastity.   Christ
has set us an example, that we should follow in
his footsteps,  and this  example shall be  con-
stantly before my eyes.  After the holy example
of Jesus, I will  strive to love the Lord my  God
with all my heart, soul, mind and strength, and
will do his holy will.  After his example, I will
love my neighbor and do good unto him.  After
his example, I  will heartily forgive all my ene-
mies.   After his example, I will be lowly, for he
says, " Learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of
heart.'  0 give me  grace to fulfil these solemn
and holy resolutions.   Whenever I look upon
the wicked works and ways of the world, may I
remember whither these things  lead.   May I
constantly  reflect upon what  I am, and what I
ought to be.  I ought to be a child of God and a
follower of Jesus.  I ought to keep myself untar-
nished by the world.  Help that I may persevere
in following thee, unto death.   Amen. 
RESOLVES TO FOLLOW CHRIST.
               HYMN.

1.  Jesus is my flowery meadow,
     Where no desert heats extend,
   Jesus like a cooling shadow,
     Overhangs me to the end.
   When I long for joys to cheer me,
   Jesus' glad'ning smile is near me;
   He alone shall ever be
   My diversion and my glee.

2  When all else is dark and dreary,
     Jesus brings the light of day;
   Still he shineth, never weary,
     When the sun has passed away.
   I£ upon my  night of sorrow
   He, my sun,  brings back the morrow,
   Nothing can disturb my peace,
   I am full of perfect bliss.

8  Troops of friends may crowd around
     He is still  my dearest friend ;
   Hosts of enemies may  wound me,
     He will never me offend.
   Unto him my faith  is plighted,
   With his heart my heart united ;
   Where he calls my wishes tend,
   Where he sends I gladly wend.

I.  Therefore, let us cling  to Jesus
     Where we go and where we stand
   Nought but he alone will please us,
     In this cold and bitter land. 
W      1VENING PRAYER FOR THUBSDaT.

        Let the world despise and chide us,
        What from Jesus can divide us ?
        Care and suffering will fail
        If we follow Jesus well.

    EVENING PRAYER FOR  THURSDAY.

  When I lie down at night I think of thee, and
when I awake I speak of thee, 0  thou  loving
God and Father! here I come again, loaded with
thy mercies, with  a  thankful  heart, before thy
face, at this evening hour.   0 how gracisusly
hast thou looked upon me in  permitting  me  to
reach this evening unharmed ; thy long suffering
has spared me, that thou hast not punished me
according to my deserts. 0 pardon all the trans
gressions with  which I have  secretly or openly
offended thee.   I ought  to  grow  stronger,  to
contend against sin, to be  more zealous in good
things, more devout  in prayer,  more pious  in
my walk;  but who  can  see  how oft he errs 1
Forgive me also my hidden faults.   May I be
enabled hereafter carefully to avoid whatever
was wrong  or  sinful  in me to-day.   My sin  is
great, but  thy mercy is  greater; if thou wert
not so  merciful a  God, who,  Lord, would yet
be living!
  I now retire to rest; O do thou thyself lock the
door behind me, as at Noah's ark, that the waters
of tribulation may not overwhelm me.  Give thy 
EVENING PRAYER FOR THURSHAY.      97
holy angels charge concerning me, that no evil,
seen or unseen, may befall me.  Help me to re-
member that as I now lay my body upon my
bed of sleep, so I will soon have to be covered
with earth, but waked again on the morning of
the resurrection.   Let every day of my life be
spent in such a manner that  I may onjoy the
consolation of a loving God  and a good consci-
ence, so that  I  may be  prepared to depart. 0
triune God! under thy shield no dread of death
can  assail me.   Thy  love  and providence, 0
Father! thy wounds, 0 Jesus ! thy favor, 0 Holy
Ghost! are the sure defence wherein I softly rest
and am well secured.  Before them Satan must
flee and depart.
  I  would crave  the same  blessings  for every
member of my family, and for all that are near
and dear to me, that I ask for myself. Remember
graciously all the  sick  and  afflicted, and admi-
nister to their wants.   May I be invigorated and
refreshed by sleep, so that if it be thy will, I may
behold the coming morning.  Amen. 
98      THE TRUE RELIEVER UNDERSTANDS
 I fie true 3$efieucr understanbs tfjat #ob atone is tye
                   cfjtef goob.

               EXHORTATION.
  " Whom have I in heaven bnt thee ? and  there is none upon
 earth that I desire besides thee.  My flesh and my heart faileth :
 bnt God is the strength of my heart, and my portion forever."—
 Ps. lxxiii. 25, 26.
   Men in every age have desired and sought
 after  what they  supposed to  be the highest
 good;  but  they have nearly  all failed in this,
 that they did  not understand  what really is the
 chief good.  It must be something  that is eternal
 and exhaustless, and that will be able to elevate
 and comfort us in suffering and  in  death, in for-
 tune and misfortune.
   1. Accordingly the chief good  is  not riches,
 which  many have  considered, and  still consider
 the chief good, for they desert us in death.
   2. Nor does the  chief good  consist  in worldly
honor and applause, for how often  do the  right-
eous fall into contempt  and  disgrace;  fortune
gives place to misery and wretchedness.
  3. Wisdom  and  skill have  this  advantage
beyond all other worldly gifts, that they cannot
be taken from us, yet they vanish in death.
  4. Wherefore the true believer seeks a true per- 
       THAT OOD ALONE IS  THE CHIEF GOOL.    99

 petual good, which is God alone; if God be our
 portion,  then we possess the  greatest honor,
 the chief riches, and the highest wisdom for time
 and eternity.  God cheers the believer in pnjs-
 perity, comforts him  in sickness and  affliction,
 refreshes him in death, and remains united with
 him in eternity.
   5.   This good is to be attained by praye s,
 hearing God's Word, meditating upon it, and the
 assistance of the Holy Ghost.
   6. We must beware against thrusting God o d
 of our hearts again, and making a chief good  rf
 the love of the world, vanity and sinful pleasure s

                   PRAYER.
   0 thou eternal  God!   how  rich, great ai-d
 glorious art thou!  He that  has  thee  possesses
 all that is great, good, wise  and excellent—he
 has all things.   0 thou God, so rich in mercies,
 how glorious art thou, how perfect!  0 engrave
 this  truth deeply upon  my heart,  that I may
 seek thee alone, and find thee; preserve me from
 the folly of the world's people, who fondly think
 that in  having  great honor  in this world, or
 riches,  or  pleasure, or  glory, that they  had
 attained the chief good ?   Fools !  Fools !  these
 forsake them in death!  follow them  not  into
eternity, comfort not  their  last hour •  They
pass  into eternity naked and comfortless, with- 
LOO     THE TRUE RELIEVER UNDERSTANDS

out God.  Therefore give, that I may well dis-
tinguish the true  chief good from  the transient
and fleeting one.  0 thou triune God! thou art
alone my chief, dearest, true, and most precious
good;  thou wilt give thyself to me,  wilt unite
thyself with me, then unite thyself with me in
time and in eternity.   While all earthly things
are obnoxious to foes, to  moths and rust, while
a mishap  may destroy them, my  God,  as my
highest good, is mine forever, with him I go out,
with him I enter in, him I take with me  when I
travel, with him  I lie down to rest, yea, with
him I shall once attain a glad eternity.  There-
fore, 0 my God, when I possess thee,  I care not
for heaven or  earth; when I have  thee, I have
eternal life.  0 do thou dwell in me, stay with
me for ever.  Then I shall have a  help  in time
of need, a supporter  in trials  and  afflictions,
riches  in poverty, comfort  in  sickness, and the
sweetest of refreshment in the final hour.   Then,
when the children of the world are deserted by
their fancied good, my God will not forsake m*
Amen.

                   HYMN.

    1.  Every joy and every pleasure
        In the thought of God I see;
       God is greatness, God is treasure,
        Happiness itself is he. 
  THAT  GOD ALONE IS THE CHIEF OOOJ     l(M

   Therefore let the world be shattered,
   Let the thunderbolts be scattered.
   While the Highest sides with me
   I am still from terror free.

2. Since his wrath no more pursues me
     I have rest and peace in him.
   While so fondly Jesus woes me,
     Nothing can my gladness dim.
   I can die without distortion,
   Knowing joy will be my portion,
   Joy while here on earth I live,
   Joy which heaven alone can give.

8. His embrace allays the galling
      Of the world's fierce agony;
   Like the pigeon at the falling
      Of the night to him I fly.
   Rest at evening, rest at morrow,
   Rest in trouble, rest in sorrow,
   Rest in hunger, rest in dearth,
   Rest in silence, rest in earth.

4. God, from  ample stores and lavish
      Pours profusion all around;
   Pleasures that the soul might ravisb
      Peace and solace here abound
   Even in this vale of trial
   All may come without denial-
    How delicious must it be,
    Where he smiles eternally 1 
102      MORNING PRAYER FOR FRIDAY
     MORNING PRAYER FOR FRIDAY
  My heart is prepared, I will  arise and blew
thy name.  Gracious and most merciful God, my
Father, my Redeemer, and my Sanctifier, unto
the throne of thy majesty, whence flow all my
blessings, I lift my heart and voice this morning.
During  the  past  night, thou  hast been my
strength  and shield, my deliverer and strong
helper and comforter, yea, my all and in all.  Of
all these mercies, 0 God and Lord, I acknowledge
myself unworthy.  In the midst of the darkness
thou didst think upon me, and while the shadows
of night encompassed me, thou didst protect and
defend my  body and  soul from  all harm and
danger.   For this I will praise thee and magnify
thy holy name.   The Lord  hath done  great
things for me whereof I am  glad.  Do thou, 0
loving God, also stand by me this day.  Lead and
guide me according to thy counsel, and at last
accept me with  honors.  I ask not for heaven
nor for «?arth if  thou  art mine.  Suggest  to me
to-day and every day what I shall speak, so that
I may not  grieve thee with the words of my
mouth.  Teach  me what I shall  do, so that  1
may avoid all that is evil.  Let the chastisement
of the Holy  Spirit visit  my  soul, when my
thoughts would  stray from thee.   0 Jesus, let
thy bleeding image be constantly before my e pes. 
    THE TRUE RELIEVER PRAYS FOR HUMILITY, 108

that the thirst of sin within me may be destroyed.
May 1 die to the world  and sin,  and walk after
the spirit.  When I labor, strengthen me; when
I pray, hear me; when  I  go out, accompany
thou  me;  and when I  come  home, leave me
not nor  forsake  me.   May thy protection be
around me and my family, as around the house
of Job;  defend me as Jacob; watch over me
as over Elijah ;  and under the  guidance of thy
merciful providence may I pass the day in safety
Amen.
      £(je true Kefteoer praps for fjumtlitn.

               EXHORTATION.
  ' And be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud,
and giveth grace to the humble.  Humble yourselves therefore
nnder the mighty hand of Ood, that he may exalt you in due
time."—1 JPet v. 5, 6.
   Among  those  sins  against which a believer
must daily watch and pray, is pride and haughti-
ness of heart, which  breaks out  in words  and
works.  We are  naturally proud, as one  of the
results of the  fall, but we must become humble
through grace.  No person can be Christ's dis-
ciple or be pleasing to God, who does not become
humble.
  \. Hence a true believer earnestly prays  for 
 104 THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS FOR HUMILITY.

 humility of heart towards his  God.  For "H«
 hath  showed thee, 0 man, what is good;  and
 what doth the  Lord require  of thee, but to do
 justly, and to love mercy, and  to walk humbly
 with thy God."—Micah  vi. 8.  He will become
 humble towards God, by meditating  the gran-
 deur, majesty, and glory of God, and  reflecting
 that he himself is but  a worm, nothing  but a
 poor wretched man,  whom God can destroy in
 an instant.
  2.  But the Christian also acts  humbly towards
 his fellow men.   He  remembers that  his  neigh-
 bor is probably much holier  and better  in the
 yight  of God, and that in the  grave  he will fall
 to ashes like the meanest beggar.
  3.  He is consequently humble in his own esti-
 mation. He remembers that all  his gifts, talents,
 graces, life and prosperity, are not from himself,
 but from God alone, who may soon take it all
 away from him, therefore he should  not boast of
 it.  To guard against all pride, he frequently
calls to mind the example of the lowly  Jesus,
who  lowered himself before  God  and all his
creatures, and cries to us, " Learn of  me, for I
am meek and lowly in heart."

                  PRAYER.
  Great, holy and  merciful God! who art  the
high and mighty, and before whose throne  all 
    THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS FOR HUMTJJTY. 100

the elect humbly veil their faces.   I confess with
sorrow that I am by nature inclined to pride and
selfishness.  The  fall  of Satan so poisoned my
neart with pride, which is the root  of  all evil,
that I sometimes forget that I am but dust -and
ashes.  0  my God, give me  an  humble  heart,
that I may ever remember that all that I have,
my body  and  soul, life and  health, gifts and
talents, I have received from thee, so that I may
humble myself under  thy mighty hand, and not
offend  thee  in thought, word or deed.  Teach
me to understand my  own wretchedness and thy
majesty, that I have nothing  of myself, but sin,
death and damnation;  but that  all that I find
good in me,  I  have received from thy bountiful
hand, so that  I may boast of nothing,  but may
regard everything as thy gift, which thou canst
soon take  from me again if I  should forget thee.
Implant that  true humility in my heart, which
will ever lead  me to fear, obey, honor, love, and
serve thee.  Give me  also humility towards my
neighbor,  that I  may never  be  disposed  to de-
grade him and elevate myself, or prefer  myself
to him.  The proud have never  yet found favor
in thy sight, but that  upon the  lowly soul thou
hast richly  poured out thy light, thy  comfort,
thy grace, and thy goodness.  0 deliver me from
proud  and  lofty  thoughts,  grant that I may
guard  against vain-glorious words, preserve me 
106 THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS FOR HUMILITY.

from ambition and boastfulness, which only lead
to a contempt of one's  neighbor.  Stamp upon
my heart the image of  my meek  and lowly
Redeemer, who humbled himself before angels
and  men.  If  my neighbor is humbled, 0 pre-
serve me that I may never exalt myself above
him; and when  he is exalted  and honored, or
becomes rich and great, may I so regard it, as it
thou hadst made  him so, hadst elevated and
called him, and may I not complain of this to
thee, or grudge him his good fortune, but on  the
3ontrary rejoice  over it.  Give me  thy Holy
Spirit that I may daily die to the sin of pride
and  selfishness, may not  esteem  myself worthy
of thy honors, nor desire honors of any man,  but
may give all the honor and all the glory to thee
alone.   May  I,  with a  truly humbled heart,
know and acknowledge, that everything that I
have and am, is the gift of thy grace, and that I
have nothing whereof to boast but my weakness.
May such a view of my own unworthiness  dis-
pose me to peace and humility towards all men.
May my heart at all times be the dwelling-place
of the lowly Jesus, and then I shall  never exalt
myself.  Pride and high-mindedness is the sin of
Satan, against which protect me  in mercy. And
if thou shouldst see fit to permit me  to fall into
disgrace and contumely, give me strength to bear
all with humility, calmness and patience, and to 
THE TRUE  BELIEVER  PRATS FOR HUMILITY.  107
turn it to  my humiliation and  improvement  in
the blamelessness  of my walk.   Lord!   Lord!
give me strength  and endurance to accomplish
this by thy mighty aid.   Amen.

                    HYMN.
    1.  He is happy, who is humble,
         He is peaceful, he is glad;
       He shall neither fall nor stumble,
         Never weep, and  ne'er be sad.
       Do not even  high and holy
       Preachers praise the poor and lowly ?
       Lowliness is far before
       Gold and every worldly store.

    2.  Jesus too was poor and lowly
         As the Word of God doth state ;
       He was loving, kind, and holy,
         Never seeking to  be great.
       All his life doth bear the token
       Of a spirit soft and broken;
       And he says  to me and thee,
       Be of lowly heart like me.

    8.  Though the silly world supposes
         Humbleness is fraught with shame,
       It is wreathed with lovelier roses
         Than the brightest crowns procxaim.
       Pride itself cannot dissemble,
       Lowly Christians more resemble
       Jesus when he walked below
       Than the proudest inonarcha do. 
108 THE TRUE BELIEVER  PRATtd FOR  MEEKNESS.

    4. Like a pure and snowy vesture
         Humbleness doth grace the heart,
      Humbleness in word and gesture,
         Humbleness in every part.
      Humbleness when troubles fret thee,
      Humbleness when woes beset thee,
      Humbleness to God above,
      Is what he doth most approve.
     £je true Befieoer pratjs  for meeftness.

                EXHORTATION.
  44 For even hereunto were ye called; because Christ also raf-
tered for ns, leaving us an example, that ye should follow hie
uteps: Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his month
Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again ; when he suffered,
he threatened not; but committed himself to him that jndgetb
righteously."—1 Pet. ii. 21-23.

  When an individual has made a good beginning
in his faith and his conversion, in purifying him-
self of gross external sins, such as profane swear-
ing, desecration of the Sabbath, luxury, reckless-
ness, oppression,  gaming,  worldly  associations,
and the  like,  he  must  endeavor in  the same
manner to purify the  inner man, of pride, envy,
wrath, hatred  and  revenge, and must cultivate
meekness.
  1. Meekness consists in not returning evil foi 
    THE TRUE RELIEVER PRAYS FOR MEEKNESS. I0£

evil and in abstaining from threatening language
against our neighbor from hatred, anger or re-
venge.
  9<. Whether  we  are  meek and possess  this
uolle  virtue or  not, we cannot tell until an
enemy assaults us, and endeavors to rob us of our
honor, property or good name.   He who then is
thrown into a violent rage, and swears, chides
and threatens, has not the meek spirit of the Lord
Jesus.
  3. It is not, however, an offence against meek-
ness, to invoke the  protection of the authorities
against our enemies.  The Apostle Paul appealed
to Caesar, and claimed the  emperor's protection,
when his life was threatened.—Acts xxv. 11.
  4. It is very unbecoming in  professed  Chris-
tians to bite like dogs, tear each  other like lions,
and persecute each other with the bitterness and
ferocity of wild beasts.
  5. In such persecutions God desires to test our
faith, and to lead us to a knowledge of the sins
we have  previously committed, perhaps in wring-
ing sighs from others by our unjust conduct.
  6. The evidences of meekness, are hearty for
giveness  of injuries, praying for our enemies,—
Matt. v. 54, wishing all well and  doing good  to
all, envying none, turning a deaf ear to idle and
slanderous reports, and being ever ready to be
reconciled. 
10 THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS FOR MEEKNESS
                 PRAYER.

  0 thou loving God ! thou who art love itself,
and who desirest that thy love should be  shed
abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost.  0 1
complain to thee with deep sorrow of soul that I
often find my heart refractory and unbending to
thy will.  Humility, love, meekness and patience
ought to dwell therein; but alas 1 instead of these
indispensable Christian virtues, I find  obstinacy,
hatred, anger, revenge,  and animosity,  which
impel me to revile again him who reviles me, tc
return evil to him who does me wrong, and to
wreak my revenge upon him who has unfairly
attacked me.   But knowing from thy holy word,
0 God! that those who do so will not come to the
kingdom of God, and that such conduct  towards
enemies is not the manner of the children of God
and of true Christians, I am frightened at myself
to see that I still have the wickedness of the devil
in me, who is revengeful, malicious and implaca-
ble, and beseech thee, have mercy upon me, 0
thou loving God, and give me thy Holy Spirit to
sanctify my heart and purify it of all malice and
revenge.   May I ever regard the example of my
Jesus, who,  when he was  reviled, reviled not
again, and when he  suffered, he threatened not
to revenge himself upon his enemies in future 
    rHE TRUE BELIEVER PRAfS FOR MEEKNESS. Ill

ouv >n the contrary committed all things to him
who judgeth righteously.   0 give me this same
quiet, meek and forgiving  spirit, that no anger,
malice or sinful passions may ever find  place in
my heart, and that the sun may never  go down
upon my wrath.   Give me grace and strength to
be like a deaf man who hears not, and like  a
dumb man who opens not his mouth, when my
enemies revile me.  Guard me  against  manifes-
ting  any enmity  in  words,  gestures, or  works,
but may I rejoice  with them when they are pros-
pered, and be disposed to aid  and assist them
when they are afflicted or distressed.  But as to
all men, so also to my enemies, enable me at all
times to entertain good will  and compassion of
heart, show  friendship  and honesty in my con-
versation, gentleness in my gestures, and benefi-
cence in works, so that implacability may not
hinder my prayers and tarnish  all my worship
and devotion.  Help me daily and from my heart
to forgive those who trespass against me, as I
hope and pray that  thou  wilt forgive my tres-
passes, so that I may not be daily praying against
myself.  May the blessing which thou hast  pro-
mised to the meek come upon me—Blessed are
the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  May
thy Holy Spirit conquer  and subdue all those
lusts and passions in my heart which are opposed
to this virtue, so that I may believe, live and die 
112 THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS FOR MEEKNESS.

as thy child, and hereafter by thy grace be trans
lated to the mansions of peace.  Amea.


                    HYMN.

    1. How my angry foe annoys me,
        God in heaven, hearest thou I
        How he speaks foul names, and how
      He doth  threaten to destroy me.
        How he wars and mutters grim,
        And would tear me limb from limb.

    2. Hear him, Lord, but O preserve me,
        From returning ill for ill,
        Give me grace,  that I may still
      With unfailing patience nerve me,
        Hearing him, but answering not,
        Though his wrath be e'er so hot

    8. Let me follow the  example
        Of my Jesus, mild and meek,
        Who would never vengeance wrealc
      Though on sinners he might trample.
        Let his spirit hover o'er
        All I do for evermore.

    4. Let me conquer by submission,
        Heaping many a burning coal
        On my foe's distempered soul,
      Till he sinks in deep contrition.
        Let thy angel from above
        Turn his hatred into love. 
BVENING PRAYER FOR FRIDAY.      Hi
    b. Let him taste of thy forgiveness,
        Blot the record of his sin,
        Let it in his heart begin
      A most blissful sensitiveness,
        Which may lead him on in grace
        'Till we both behold thy face.

     EVENING PRAYER FOR FRIDAY.

  "The  angel  of the Lord  encampeth round
about them that fear him, and delivereth them."
  0  thou  great and Almighty God!  if in the
day thou hast commanded the angels to guard
me in all my ways, so let them also stand around
my  bed at night.  I  am now about  to retire  to
rest; blessed Jesus let nothing evil approach me,
I am not afraid  when  thou art with me, and
when I sleep in thee, and when thou  hast sent
thy blessing upon  my labors.   Everything  I
have undertaken in  thy name to-day,  thou hast
crowned with success.  0  that  this  day  my con-
stant maxim had been  the word  of  Joseph:
"How should  I do  such great evil,  and sin
against God."   Lord, in mercy forgive me that
I have been guilty of many short-comings and
failings to-day.   Lord, if thou  shouldst be strict
to mark iniquities agains* us, who  could  stand
before  thee ? But what J cannot afford myself,
I will  pay with the  blood of Jesus.  My Jesus
is mine,  his atonement,  his righteousness, his 
114      THE BELIEVER PRAYS  FOR THE

heaven, are all mine.  0 acknowledge me, my
guide, my shepherd, accept me;  from thee, the
fountain of all good things, much good have I
received; may thy goodness and love lead me to
repentance.  May thy glowing blood warm my
cold heart, that I may never  more offend  thee,
who hast done me so much  good.   I now lie
down to rest;  I know not but that this may be
the night of my death.  I well know how I lie
down to sleep; but I know not how I shall arise,
that is with thee alone, thou  Lord of my days
and of my life.  But this at least I know, that if
I lie down in thy  name Father! in thy wounds,
0  Jesus! in thy communion, 0 Holy Spirit, I
shall die happy, even  though I may not wake
again to this transitory life.  Amen.
COe SeCieoer pratjs for tfje gift of fQe floft) Spirit

              EXHORTATION.
  " Create in me a clean heart, O God ; and renew a right spirit
within me.  Oast me not away from thy presence ; and take not
khy Holy Spirit from me."—Ps. li. 10,11.
  A prayer for the influences of the Holy Spirit
is a most necessary and important petition.
  1. In this life we indispensably need a leader,
teacher and comforter; such is the Holy Ghost, 
GUFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.        115
who  will lead us into all the truth, make us
acquainted with Jesus Christ, will comfort us in
all our afflictions and trials, and sustain us in the
Bolemn and trying hour.  He who has not the
Hol\ Ghost in his heart, cannot be saved.
  2.  Hence all who live without the Holy Spirit
■»-re most unfortunate and miserable;  they never
jan become truly pious, or lead a godly life, but
will sin and stumble.   But if God has given us
the Holy  Spirit, we must not grieve him away
by wilful sin  or  a godless life; but  daily pray,
" Take not thy Holy Spirit from me."
  3. All such persons are truly united  to  God,
and in a state of grace.

                  PRAYER.
  Great God  and holy Father!  I thy unworthy
and sinful child, come to thee to crave  a most
necessary  blessing, even thy Holy Spirit, which
thou hast promised, to all those who ask thee.
Therefore, send him down from above, from thy
holy dwelling-place into my heart, that  he may
be my guide,  who shall lead me according to thy
counsel, that  I may at all times do that which is
well pleasing in  thy sight.   How many  ways of
error and sin  do I see  around me  and thousands
of my fellow-men walking in them, and inciting
me,  sometimes  with  pleasant,  and sometimes
with  spiteful words,  to  sin  with th«*m and do 
116      THE BELIEVER PRAYS FOR THE
evil.  0 God !  lead me in thy truth, preserve my
heart in the one thing needful, that I may fear
thy name.  May I constantly remember, when the
world would allure me into sin, that this is " the
broad road which leadeth  to destruction."  Oh I
give me thy Holy Spirit, the Spirit of truth, that
he may instruct  me;  thy  Spirit of joy, that he
may gladden me in sorrow; thy Spirit of conso-
lation, that he may comfort me;  thy Spirit by
which we are " born  again," that he may make
me a new creature ; thy Spirit of adoption, that
he may assure me that I am thy child.  0 Holy
Spirit do thou  sanctify me; for thou seest  how
unholy—how  full  of evil thoughts, lusts  and
desires my heart is  by nature.  But thou also
seest that by thy grace I earnestly desire to be
entirely delivered from my sins. I  mourn  that
I have ever grieved thee, and have slighted
thine admonitions.  I now give myself entirely
to thy guidance and counsel.  Thou shalt be the
main spring of my life, the consolation  of my
heart, the light of my mind, the force and firm-
ness of my will, the source, the beginning and
end, of my new and  spiritual life.   Sanctify me
wholly, " that my  whole  spirit and soul  and
body be preserved blameless unto the coining of
our Lord Jesus Christ."  Take my heart for thy
temple and dwell in it.  Thou sacred fire, do thou
burn and banish from my heart all fleshly lust? 
GIFT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT.        117
and desires.  Reign in me and lead me on eves
paths until thou  bring  me  to heaven.   When
the flesh  and blood  and the world, under  the
troubles of this life,  would  deprive me  of  the
comfort of being thy child, 0 assure me  by  thy
vigorous consolation,  that neither life nor death
shall separate me from the love of God, and that
though  the children of  God have sorrow  and
tribulation, they are his children none the less;
bear witness unto my spirit that  I am a child of
God.   Comfort  me,  especially in  the hour of
death, and when the  help of man is vain, assure
me that I shall  partake  of the glory  which my
Jesus has  merited by his sufferings and death
Amen.

                    HYMN.

      1. 0 come, most  Holy Spirit,
           And enter into me ;
        Inspire my soul, and stir it
           With heavenly sympathy,
           And dwell  forever there.
         I long to have and hold thee,
         And in my arms to fold thee,
           And in my breast to wear

      2.  From every worldly trifle
           Direct my wayward will;
         Suppress in me and stifle
           What thou dost not instiL— 
il8   THE BELIEVER PRAYS FOB THE SPIRIT

          I would be wholly thine—
        Watch over all my wending,
        My starting and my ending,
          Make of my heart thy shrine

     S, Yes, heart and soul must alter
          And all be sanctified;
        I must not swerve nor falter
          Nor wander from thy side.
          Give me thy impulse strong
        To look on sin with terror,
        And shrink from every error
          And all to thee belong.

      4. I from myself will issue
           When thou dost enter in;
        Thy wonder-working tissue
           Shall blot out all my sin.
           In thee alone I have
        Comfort, and firm reliance,
        In which to bid defiance
           To death and to the grave.

      5. And when my days are ended,
           And death at last draws nigh,
         Thy loving hands extended,
           Shall draw me up on high.
           Short-lived the struggle seem*
         That from the earth me severs j
         The goal of my endeavors
            Across my pathway gleams. 
        MORNING PRAYER FOR SATURHAY.     119


    MORNING PRAYER FOR SATURDAY.

  Lord, teach me that there must be an end of
me, and that my life has a period, and that I
must  away.   Strong and  Almighty God!  I
praise thee at this early hour that thou hast  so
gloriously defended, so mightily protected soul
and body, that no danger and no suffering can
disturb me.  Make my heart a  temple  for thy-
self, that I may not speak, or do, or think any-
thing this day that  is  contrary to thy  will.
Blessed  Jesus! thou who art  the Alpha and
Omega, the beginning and the end, and  who by
thy grace hast brought me to see the last day of
another week, help me to remember that  soon the
last week and last day of my life will have arrived,
that I may  spend  all my remaining days and
weeks in such  a manner, that in the last hours
of my life I may not  be sorry or ashamed that I
have lived.  Let me spend this  day also in the
holy fear of thee, watch over my going out. and
my coming in,  bless the work of  my hands, assist
me in all things, and direct all my endeavors and
undertakings according to  thy will.  I  already
rejoice in anticipation of the coming Sunday,
when I shaft rest from all my labors and  cares,
that thou mayest perfect the work of repentance,
sanctification and grace in my soul.  Amen. 
L20     THE TRUE BELIEVER ACKNOWLEDGES


  £fje true 35efieoer acfmorofebges t(je unenbtng
               goobness of^ou.

               EXHORTATION.
  " It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, be-
cause his compassions fail not.  They are new every morning:
great is thy faithfulness."—Lam. iii. 22, 26.
  Everything in this world has its appointed
period, but the goodness of God endureth forever.
David, in his 136th Psalm, ends every verse with
the expression " for his mercy endureth forever."
God's bounty is like a mother, who, when  her
child is born, takes it into her arms, and nour-
ishes and rears it; so does God also unto men.
  1. The true believer acknowledges  that this
goodness is undeserved.   If God would deal with
us according  to our deserts, destruction would
visit us in soul and body.
  2. It is perpetual.  When a true believer re-
calls his past life, from his birth, childhood and
youth, to his riper years, all is  the  goodness of
God.  All  the  good that  is  in  us,  God  has
wrought there.  All our worldly possessions the
bounty of God has given us.
  3. And what is most wonderful, this  goodness
is extended also to  the  unthankful and wicked
God maketh his sun to shine upon them;   he
gives them food and raiment, but the indwelling 
        THE UNENDING GOODNESS OF GOD.    121

^f the  Spirit the wicked do not obtain, because
they close their hearts against it.
  4.  The goodness of God leads the  believer to
duily repentance, and to the  love and fear o(
God, and he  knows that  this goodness  shall
follow him until death.

                  PRAYER.
   How excellent  is  thy loving kindness,  Godl
tfiat the children of men put  their trust under
tfie shadow of thy wings.   They grow intoxi-
cated with the good gifts of thy house, and thou
dost give them to drink of pleasure as of a stream.
Goodness like this, 0 God, I  too have experi-
enced.   It has been with me every day, and new
i jvery  hour.  Like  a nurse, thy  goodness took
me to its arms when I was born, and  reared me.
tn youth, thy goodness led me  by  the hand, and
followed me everywhere;  it  fed and  clothed
me, and supplied all my wants of body and soul.
Yea, to this day and hour,  thy merciful provi-
dence has been over me, thy  light hath shone
upon my path, and thy blessings, consolations
and grace have cheered my soul.   This goodness
of thine has protected me from misfortune and
harm, has attended my going out and my coming
in, so that no evil could befal me.  This goodness
of thine has alsc sanctified my soul by the Holy
Ghost,   and  brought it to  the true  and living 
 122     rHE TRUE BELIEVER ACKNOWLEDGES

 knowledge of thee.  0  my God, let this same
 goodness still follow me, and do  not forsake me
 in old age, when my hair turns grey; let thy
 goodness and  faithfulness accompany me until
 death; until  it  has brought my soul into thy
 bosom, and my body into the rest of the grave.
 May  the  contemplation of thy goodness and
 mercy lead me to unfeigned repentance, and to
 an entire consecration of my body and soul  to
 thy service. And if through weakness I should
 fall into sin, in the greatness of thy goodness and
 love,  have mercy upon me. Lead me  back  in
 thy benignity, to the path of repentance and  of
peace.  For all the goodness vouchsafed unto me
I thank  thee  and praise thee  from my inmost
heart.  Not only will I praise thee here while I
live, but I will extol thee, O good and  merciful
God!  in all eternity.  Amen.


                   HYMN.

    I. Every night and every morning,
        God! thy mercies are renewed.
      Never spent, and still returning,
        All my steps have they pursued.
      He has done me more to bless
      Than my words can e'er express;
      Life and health and strength he's given,
      Joy and love, and hope of heaven. 
    THE  UNENDING  GOODNESS OF GOD.

2.  Happiness, of angel savor,
     Love, that from his bosom flows,
   Grace, that comes of Jesus' favor.
     Comfort, as the Spirit knows.
   Solace, when  my heart would fail,
   Help, when Satan doth assail;
   Goodness, when I stand before him,
   Grace, when I for grace implore him

8  What my memory rehearses,
     Speaks of mercies such as these,
   I was cradled in his mercies,
     I was fondled on his knees.
   When at morn I rise with zest,
   When at eve  I take my rest,
   Never does his goodness falter,
   Never fail and never alter.

i.  0 that this celestial kindness
     Never might my steps forsake;
   Till from this unbroken blindness
     To the joys in Christ I wake.
   I will praise this heavenly cheer
   While my voice endureth, here,
   And, when earthly shadows leave me,
   Where his goodness shall receive me, 
L24   THE TEtTE BELIEVER MEDITATES ON THE


Cfje true Metier mebttates on ttje coming flforg
            oftOeGOtfbren of %ob.

               EXHORTATION.

  " Beloved, now are we the sons of God; and it doth not yet
appear what we shall be:  but we know that when he  shall
appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see hiw as he is.
And every man that hath this hope in him, purifieth himself,
even as he is pure."—1 John iii 2, 3.

  A true Christian should daily consider three
ihings: what he is, what he possesses in Ood—a
lather, a benefactor, and the best of friends—and
what has yet to expect at the hands of God,
heavenly pleasures and  bliss.  Such contempla-
tions tend to keep alive in his soul  the flame of
love to God, and cause sin to lose its charms  and
ipower over him.
  1. True believers have great glory even in  this
life; they have  the pardon of their sins, are  the
sons of God and heirs of heaven, have peace with
God, consolation in  affliction, bliss of the soul,
rest in God, and a Mediator; compared with this,
silver, gold, money, and kingly crowns are as
nothing.
   2.  They  have great glory to expect  in the life
hereafter.  They shall enter into heaven, see the
triune God, associate with  the saints and angels, 
     COMING GLORY  OF THE CHILDREN OF  GOD.  126

 and, freed  from all  sin, sorrow, toil and pain,
 rise in the  body to eternal life.
   3. The true believer anticipates this  with joy,
 draws  consolation from it  in  sorrow,  and  is
 assured that the time will come when all trouble
 will turn to endless rejoicing.
   4. He must  not  forfeit this glory by a sinful
 life  in  this world's sins, but must consider that
 he is destined for something better.
   5.  He  stands fast in  faith and  regards  the
 things of earth as a fleeting show, which he must
 leave behind, but often  sends his heart  before to
 where he longs to dwell for evermore.

                   PRAYER.
   How good and gracious  art  thou, 0  eternal
 God, that thou hast  not only created  man for
 great glory at first, but that even  after his  fall
 thou hast again promised exceeding glory to all
 who would  accept  of thy grace,  and  follow  the
 impulse of thy Holy Spirit in faith and  holiness.
 For  such regenerate and  sanctified  souls may
 rejoice over great glory even  in this present life.
 They are the children of God, invested with the
righteousness of Christ; the Holy Spirit dwells
in them, they are at peace with  thee and have
thy favor, grace and love, which they  are always
at liberty to claim in their prayers, and to obtain
 thy help and thy mercy in their  troubles.  This 
126   THE TRUE BELIEVER MEDITATES ON THE

glory will be still increased in the life hereafter;
for when  the  soul is severed from the  body, it
shall joyously  attain the sight of thy face, it shall
be presented to thy  saints, and  filled with  the
joys of heaven.  And after the resurrection,  the
body likewise shall reach  this glory;  it shall be
transfigured and shall shine as the sun.   0  my
(rod! give  me thy  grace always to have  this
glory before my  eyes.  0 preserve me in faith
and piety, that when  the world would seduce me
I may consider that I am thy child, and that I
have still to expect  at  thy hands eternal glory
and  happiness,  so that I may  never  love  the
world again, to the neglect of the glory of heaven.
Help me to  act cautiously, so that at the end of
my life I may  truly say, I have fought the good
fight, I have run  my course, I have  kept faith,
henceforth I shall wear the crown of righteous-
ness, which  the ;ust judge will give me, and  not
me alone, but all who love his coming.   Amen.


                   HYMN.

I.  What boundless store  is mine! God's love, God'a
     very essence
   Falls to my happy lot,  e'en in this mortal presence,
   The glad,  the joyous thought 1  'tis mine, all, all, is
     minel
   It fills my beating heart with rapture most divine 
    COMING GLORY OF THE  CHILDREN  OF GOD.  127

2  For o, the Lord is mine I  his fatherly affection
   Returns each morn anew, and gives me fresh  pro-
     tection.
   He is my sword, my shield, my comfort and my
     guide,
   True friend  and champion bold, whatever me be-
      ide.

 &. And Jesus, too, is mine, to save and  to redress me;
   Can suffering or tears, the grave or  death, distress
      me?
   His righteousness is mine, his merit and his grace,
   His blood and saving death;  what  can all these
      efface?

 4. The Holy Ghost is mine; he leads me to the portal
   Which I shall  enter  when  my life no more  is
      mortal;
   He is an earnest of the peace that is, to come
   When I with Christ shall dwell in his eternal home.

 54 For heaven itself, is mine, with all its bright enjoy-
      ment,
   The purchase of my Lord's wounds, death, and sore
      annoyment.
   Alive or dead, I know that Jesus for me died,
   And by his sacrifice I shall be glorified 
128     EVENING PRAYER FOR SATURDAf.
    EVENING PRAYER FOR SATURDAY.

  When I walk in darkness the Lord is my light
0 most merciful and gracious God !  another daj
has come to  a close, and  with it also  anothei
week; but thy mercy endureth forever.  The
mountains may be removed and the hills  may
fall, but thy grace shall never  depart from thy
children.  This eternal grace has preserved me
during another week.  Now I know, what I did
not at the beginning of this week, that in health
I should be spared to see its close.  Thy mercies
have been many during this week.   Thou  hast
heard my prayers, directed my steps, and richly
loaded me with blessings.  Thou hast watched
over me, give*n me good counsel, and guided me;
not a day has passed that  I have not received
gifts  of grace, love and mercy, from thee, yea,
not an hour has gone by that the stream of thy
blessings has not been poured out upon me.  How
great are thy grace, love and mercy!  But I also
remember my sins at the end of the week.  My
trespasses have been many.  I  have sinned in
thought, word, and deed, by failing  to do right
and often  doing wrong- I  feel  that I have not
been as watchful, prayerful, and devoted  as 1
ought to have been.  I have  not  devoted as
many hours to thee as I should have done. 0 
        EVENING PRAYER FOR SATURDAY     129

Lord, forgive me these sins; rebuke me not io
thy  wrath,  nor chastise me  in  thy  sore  dis-
pleasure.  Be thou a wall of fire round about me
this  night, and  graciously preserve me and my
family from  all  harm  and danger.  The end of
this week reminds me of the end of my days, that
I am one week older, and so much nearer to
eternity.  The  last week, day, and hour of my
life is rapidly approaching, upon  which a long
eternity is to follow, therefore help me so to
spend all my weeks, days, and hours, that I
may never dread thy  sight.  Here I am but a
pilgrim; but in  heaven is my native land, where
thou wilt wipe away all tears from the eyes of
thy children, and delight and satisfy them with
eternal  joy.  I would  now lay  aside all  my
earthly labors and cares, and prepare myself for
the approaching Sunday, which I mean to spend
in praying,  singing, and the contemplation of
thy Holy Word.   Grant me the grace of the
Holy Spirit, that all  its sacred  hours may be
consecrated to thee, and that my devotions may
not be  hindered by the intrusion of the wor:d
and sin.  Amen. 
 130      THE TRUE RELIEVER THANKS GOD


 £tje  true Kefteoer Ujanfts $ob at  t$e enb of t(je
                     meed

               EXHORTATION.
  " What shall I render unto the Lord for all his benefits towardi
 me"—Ps. cxvi. 12.
   One day  and week after another passes away,
 and  we are brought  nearer  and nearer to our
 graves; yet our  God is still so merciful as to
 vouchsafe unto us  many benefits  in  soul  and
 body, and fill our hearts with gladness.
   Such should be the  reflections of the believer
 at the end of the week.
   1.  He thanks God for the blessings which he
 has received, for the care and protection exercised
 over him, for the  help extended to him, and for
 all the tokens of his love given him in answer to
 his prayers.  If he hears that  others, during the
 week, have been  overtaken  by distress, he sym-
 pathises with  them,  and  thanks  the  Lord  for
 having so mercifully preserved him.
  2.  He remembers that  the  goodness of God
should lead him to repentance; wherefore, on the
last  day of the week,  he repents the evil he has
done each day, and thus makes the last day of the
week, a day of confession of sin,  humiliation,
 repentance, and prayer for pardon, as well as of
 thanksgiving. 
AT THE END OF THE WEEK.        131
  3.  He  beseeches God for the continuance of
iiis protection and care, his mercies and blessings
during the coming week.
  4.  He  ponders the fact  that one week after
another of his life is rapidly passing away, and
that his  dying week will soon come. For this
he endeavors  to prepare himself by a  life  oi
repentance,  faith, and  prayer.   He constantly
strives to become more holy and devoted to God.
Such meditations ought to make us more pious,
watchful, thankful, and zealous.   They  should
lead us  constantly to  look up to God  as the
author and giver of every good and perfect gift,
and  to commit  ourselves  to  the spirit  of his
grace, that we may continue in his love, and live
according to his will, and be ever  ready to leave
the world in peace when the  dying hour, dying
week, and dying year shall come.

                  PRAYER.

  The Lord hath  done  great  things  for  me
whereof  I am glad.  Hitherto the  Lord hath
helped me.  Truly, my God  and  King,  I may
use this language now, since thou  hast so merci-
fully brought me to the close of  another week.
" How excellent is thy loving  kindness, 0 God!
therefore the children of men  put  their trust
under  the shadow of thy  wings."  Thou dost
watch  overv  protect, and keep them, and every 
132     THE TRUE RELIEVER THANKS GOD

morning thy goodness is new to them. 0, my God,
thou hast extended thy wings over me, and pre-
served me, guided me, protected me, hast done
me great good in body and soul, and hast allowed
me and mine to enjoy the comfort of thy grace.
Wherefore  " bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and all
that is within me .bless his holy name!   Bless the
Lord, 0 my soul, and forget not all his benefits ?"
How many during the week have fallen, whilst
I,  by thy grace, yet  stand!  How many have
passed this as  a  week of affliction, pain, and
suffering, while I have enjoyed peace and happi-
ness !  How many  have  spent  their  days in
trouble and distress, and moistened their pillows
with tears of sorrow at night, while joy and glad-
ness have filled my heart!  For all this I would
magnify and praise thy name from the bottom of
my soul  Thanks to thee,  0 God, for  thy pro-
tection and grace, thy assistance and  love, and
all the blessings bestowed  upon my body and
soul.  0 my God! forgive me also in mercy the
wrong that I have  done this week.   For the
sake of the  bleeding wounds of Jesus  Christ
spare m*», and do not deal with me according to my
deserts.  By the mighty assistance of thy  Spirit,
I will endeavor during the coming week to avoid
all the sins of the one which is now past, and
that in holiness and  righteousness  I may serve
thee all the days of my life.   Amen. 
        4T THE END  OF THE WEEK.

                 HYMN.

1 Soull  another week behind thee
     Sinks into eternity!
   Let reflection well remind thee
     Of thy God's benignity.
   Still his open hand outpours
   Wealth and happiness in stores;
   Still his unremitting kindness
   Guides thee in thy tottering blindness.

2  Aa the living water courses
     From new fountains forth with speed
   So the current of his mercies
     Brings thee all that thou dost need.
   Who can tell, beneath the sun,
   All the good that God hath done;
   For his wealth is like a mountain,
   And his grace flows like a fountain.

8 Pray that like a failing ember,
     He may fan the flames afresh;
   And that he will not remember
     The short-comings of thy flesh.
   Yea, my Father, do not think
   Of the sins  'neath which I sink;
   As the week is gone and vanished,
   Let my sins be also banished.

4. May I further taste thy favor
     In the week that is to be;
   Grant that the delightful savor
     Of thy grace may make me free 
1.84  THE  TRUE BELIEVER CONFESSES HIS BINS
From the sin that bears me down,
From the cares that on me frown;
Ever let thy goodness aid me,
And thy mercy overshade me.

If it be thy will to send me
  Care and trouble in this week,
Let it not too fiercely shend me,
  Let thy goodness for me speak;
Or if thy decree be passed
That this week should be my last,
Let thy mercy not forsake me,
I am safe if thou dost take me.
£t)t  (rue Meoer confesses (jts Sins, unb  progs
              $ob to forgtoe tljem.

                EXHORTATION.

  " Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving-kind
ness; according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out
my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from  mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin."—P*. li. 1-3.
  To have a merciful God, is, without doubt, the
greatest privilege  of a Christian.   The world,
indeed, supposes that wealth, honor, luxury  and
amusement, constitute happiness; but it is not
so, for all this must pass away.   True believers,
therefore, 
       AND PRAYS GOD TO FORGIVE THEM.     186

  1.  Examine  their consciences daily, to see
whether they are still in grace with God.
  2. When they take shrift, they do not only
remember their sins,  but they  earnestly  pray
God to forgive them, grieve over them, and seek
refuge in the goodness of God, and the bleeding
wounds of Jesus, and  humbly pray for mercy.
If God is pleased to forgive their sins, they take
comfort, but nevertheless
  3. They endeavor to  retain the favor of God
by permitting the Holy Ghost to control them,
they try to lead a  Christian life, and manifest
their zeal in words and works; they fly from vice
and from their former sinful practices; and then
they know that in life  and in death they will
have a merciful God.

                  PRAYER
  Holy, triune God, Father, Son and Holy Ghost,
a sinner comes before  thy most holy face, and
begs thee earnestly and humbly for the  forgive-
ness of his sins.   Alas, my God! I have offended
thee in various ways, with evil  thoughts, words.
and works.  Lord!  Lord! thereat am I greatly
grieved,  and all my soul regrets it.  By holy
baptism, thou hast  made me a  lamb of thy fold
and a member of thy body; therefore, I ought to
heal thy voice alone.   Aye, as  thy possession I
ought to give my limbs as a sacrifice, living, holy 
 136  THE TRUE RELIEVER CONFESSES HIS SINS,

and well pleasing unto thee.  But oh 1 what shall
I say ?  I have listened to the voice of the world
and of the flesh  more than unto thy voice, and
have done  many things  against  thy will.   0
the blindness of my heart!  0 the follies of my
youth!  If now thou wilt enter into judgment
with me, I  am lost forever; for my conscience
testifies against me, and my sins are more nume-
rous than the  sands of the sea.  But 0, have
mercy upon me, according to  thy loving-kind-
viess; do not account with me for the evil I have
done, but give me credit for what Jesus Christ,
my Saviour, has done for me; for  the  sake  of
Jesus, be merciful to me,  a sinner.   I will lead
a new and godly life, and not again sin wantonly
or wilfully against thee, thou triune God. Amen.


                   HYMN.

1.  To condign judgment, Lord, go not with  me a
     sinner 1
   Of thy forgiving grace let me be found a winner.
   I know my weight of sin; that nought is good  in
     me,
   Yet a forgiven child in mercy let me be

%  My eyes are on the  ground, my step is slow and
     fearful,
   My knees  beneath me sink, my eyes are dim and
     tearful, 
       AND PRATS GOD TO FORGIVE THEM.     187

   O do not look upon my vile deformity;
   I know thou see'st it all!  Think  1 am  saved by
     thee I

B.  I have forgotten thee, alas I my heavenly Father I
   And have gone in and out in sinful places rather;
   Sin, with its  dazzling toils, has so obscured my
     sight,
   That thus my soul has sunk into this woful plight

4.  But will not Jesus' blood of all these stains relieve
     me,
   And let the  matchless  grace of God once  more
     receive me ?
   O Jesus, cast  upon my woe thy pitying eyes
   And let me taste the bliss of thy dear sacrifice.

5.  And thou, God Holy Ghost! by whose  chastising
     rigor
   My penance  was provoked,  endow my  soul  with
     vigor
   To serve the  cause of God with unremitting zeal,
   And in that service quite forget the grief I feel 
188      THE  TRUE RELIEVER PRAYS GOD
Efjc true 33efieoer prans $ob to  gtoe Otm strength
                  to resist sin.
                EXHORTATION
  " Let not sin reign in your mortal  body, that ye should obey
it in the lusts thereof: neither yield ye your members as instru-
ments of unrighteousness unto sin;  but yield yourselves unto
God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members
as instruments of righteousness unto God."—Rom. vi. 12,13.
  Sin  is a departure from God,  a transgression
of the divine law; it is the essence  of all that is
wrong.  But a  true believer is loath  to depart
from God, or to transgress the  divine command,
or to  do wrong; but it is his  desire that Jesus
should  live in  him, and that the Holy Ghost
should  direct him,  but as he cannot entirely
accomplish this at all times,  he must contend
against sin.
  1.  The  true  believer knows that  he who is
born of God does not sin, that  is to say, wilfully
and designedly, and therefore he is on his guard
not to offend God with design or intention.
   2. But as this is not enough for  him, as he
desires to  consecrate  and sanctify all his heart,
soul, spirit and life to his God,  so he  is often dis-
turbed at a single sinful word which has escaped
him, or at a sinful thought which suggests itself,
and if he really offends God, or his  neighbor, he
18 deeply grieved. 
      K)  GIVE  HIM STRENGTH TO RESIST SIN.   189

  3.  In these  straits and troubles, he takes re-
fuge  with Jesus Christ, and implores him for hifl
powerful aid, to vanquish sin and the world.
  4.  He  must not  only pray with the greater
devotion, the more  he feels the force of tempta-
tion, but must also keep a watch upon his  rising
thoughts and desires, and avoid the places and
the persons through whom  and through which
he may be led into  sin.
  5.  If he preserves this state of holy effort, and
endeavors to serve  God with all his heart, and
with all his  soul,  and with all  his mind, he may
be assured that he who has bestowed the will,
will also  give the  power; that the blood of Jesus
will  cover  his failings and shortcomings, and
that  the Lord will be  well  pleased  with his
anxious desire to  serve him.

                  PRAYER.
  Strong and almighty God ! thou who knowest
everything that is in man.  0 thou seest what a
fierce struggle I have against sin.  I would fain
be and remain truly pious of heart, regulate my
life according to thy holy word, and execute thy
holy will;  but I feel another law  within my
members, which  resists the law that is in my
mind.  When I seem to myself to stand firmly
in my good intentions,  I suddenly find to my
humiliation, that  pride, self-will, ambition, envy, 
 140      THE TRUE RELIEVER PRATS GOD

 perverseness against my neighbor, manifest them
 selves, that sinful thoughts enter my heart, yea,
 that I sin with thoughtless words and unseemly
 works.  0 I grieve to be so full of  uncleanness;
 do  thou purify me, Lord, and I  shall be clean.
 By thy grace, I understand that sin  is a great
 evil, of which I would gladly be rid, wherefore I
 resist it with thy strength, and yet I  am some-
 times overthrown.  But this miserable condition
 in which  I  am, greatly grieves  me; what will
 become of me at  last, if I  am pious to-day and
 wicked to-morrow, and if my piety has no endu-
 rance ?  Thou seest, my God ! how  I am fright-
 ened  at myself, but that I  cannot  help myself
 with my own powers : therefore I come to thee,
 and beseech  thee to give  me strength  to resist
 inn; let thy holy spirit dwell within  me, and
 cleanse my  heart.   Give  me the  performance
 also, strengthen my  inward man,  that by thy
 power I may throw off sin  after sin.  Make me
 Btronger and stronger to overcome  the world
 within me, and without me.  I can do all things
 through him  who makes  me  powerful,  even
Christ.  0 help me, my God, and grant that I
may be pious in heart, that  my religion may be
sincere and righteous,  and not seeming or hypo-
 may.  Amen. 
     TO  GIVE HIM STRENGTH TO RESIST SIN,    14]


                    HYMN.
 t. From the world let me be covered,
      Though still in the world I hide;
    For in it I have discovered
      What I never can abide;
    insolence, deceitful, smiling,
    Pride and haughtiness, beguiling,
    Hatred, envy,  wrath and feud,
    Quarrels, strifes, and thirst of blood.

 2.  I will look with detestation
      Ever on such things as these
    By the Spirit's ministration
      Keep afar from such disease;
    Unto God alone I'll tender
    My affections, and surrender
    All my heart unto his will;
    It is his, 'twill serve him still.

 I  Though for some time, to my sorrow
     I must hold  this world of sin,
    Yet my heart shall never borrow
     Form from what it settles in.
   I will ask the Lord's protection
   'Gainst the world's despis'd infeetios
   Howsoe'er my life may go,
   Be my conscience pure as snow.

4,  For if thus I strive unceasing
     From the world to keep away,
   Onto God I will be pleasing,
     He will ever  with me stay. 
1*42   THE TKU.S RELIEVER OFFERS  HIMSELF

    Though my form on earth remaineth,
    Yet the spirit heavenward straineth;
    So my body is at peace,
    And my soul  in endless bliss.
CQe  true ttefteoer offers Oimsetf as a  Sacrifice
                    to Qob.

               EXHORTATION.
  " I  beseech you, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye
present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto
God, which is your reasonable service."—Rom. xii. 1

  Every Christian must frequently call to mind
that we belong not to ourselves, but to God, and
this should encourage us to offer ourselves, and
all we have, to God  in return.
  1.  The offerings of the Old Testament had to
be voluntary.   Man must lead a godly life in the
world, not from fear of hell, but from love to
God; otherwise the sacrifice is but. compulsory.
  2.  The offerings were required to be presented
wholly, and not in part; therefore we  must not
give one half of our hearts to the world and  the
other to God, but must love God, and surrender
ourselves  to  him with all  our hearts, and with
all oui souls, and with all our might. 
AS A SACRIFICE TO GOD.         148
  3.  These offerings were required to be without
a flaw; nothing blind or lame could be sacrificed
co God.  We must take care not to stain our souls
or our bodies, for a soul tarnished with sin God
will not admit into heaven.
  4.  God  had a peculiar partiality  for young
sacrifices :—for lambs one or two years old; this
was to show that we must not postpone our con-
version to old age, but  must give ourselves as a
sacrifice to  God in good time, in the bloom of
youth.
  5.  What was ^   e sacrificed to God, could not
afterwards be changed  or taken away; so must a
Christian be stedfast in his purposes.

                  PRAYER
  Lord, Lord  God!  thou who  didst command
thy people  Israel to bring thee daily sacrifices,
which were to be entirely hallowed and sancti-
fied unto  thee,—lo,  I bring  thee my believing
and penitent heart, thou wilt  not despise it.  I
sacrifice to  thee my will, henceforth I will  no
longer do what I will, but what thou wilt.   I
offer thee my lips, with which I will praise and
extol thee, and which  I will never again abuse
for shameful words  or idle gossip.   I offer thee
my heart, which do thou fill with a living faith,
with thy  grace and thy love, and with vital
godliness.   If it is  a heart by nature  unclean 
144   THE TRlTE RELIEVER  OFFERS HIMSELF

and unfit for sacrifice, 0 cleanse it with the blood
of Jesus Christ, which I accept  in  true faith, 0
purify it by  thy Holy Ghost, sanctify it for thy
habitation, and do thou reign and govern therein
I offer thee my life, which I will lead according
to thy holy word, according to the  good impulse
of thy holy spirit.  I offer to thee my limbs, help
that they may be instruments  of righteousness,
that I  may not abuse  them for sin and shame,
but that they may remain consecrate unto  thee.
As the law required that an  offering should not
again come into contact with other things, so I
too will separate myself from the  world.   Yea,
I will sacrifice myself to thee while I yet live and
enjoy health, and not  wait until I fall sick, for
then it might  be too late.  0 Lord! thou  didst
accept offerings at all  times, at morning, noon,
and eve; look  in mercy also upon  my sacrifice.
If I bring it to thee but at the noon of life, or if
perchance the  evening approaches,—if I  have
suffered the morning of my youth to pass by,
still  thou wilt not despise my  offering, for it is
brought in faith, like the faith of Abel.  0 look
upon it in thy mercy; I will be  and remain thy
property during the remainder of my life.  Lord,
my Shepherd, source of all joys, thou art  mine,
I am thine, no one can separate us; I am thine
because thou hast given thy blood  and thy life
unto death  for  my advantage.  Thou art  mine, 
AS A SACRIFICE TO GOD.         14fl
because I hold thee, the light of my steps, and
do not suffer thee to vanish from my heart; let
me come to where thou wilt embrace me, and 1
thee, in heaven.   Amen.

                    HYMN.
  1 O Lord, vouchsafe me the fulfilment
       Of what I sigh for day by day;
    That I may keep thy word's instilment
       And never from thy counsel stray.
    Give me a godly life below,
    That I to heaven may surely go.
  2 Grant that the Saviour's blood and anguish
       May hold me firmly to my trust;
    And that  my love may never languish,
       Until my dust returns  to dust
    Give me a godly life below,
    That I to  heaven may surely go.
  3. And may  sin's shadow never darken
       The light that streams  from thee to me.
    And may to nought I ever hearken
       That could divide my  heart from thee
    Give me a godly life below,
    That I to heaven may surely go.

  4. That while in darkness here I falter
       I may persist in godliness;
    And never with my conscience palter,
       Nor miss the time to sue for grace.
    Give me a godly life below,
    That I to heaven may surely go. 
146        I'HE TRUE BELIEVER PRATS.

  6 Then may I die with easy spirit,
       And seek the tomb with cheerful face
     Assured that I shall then inherit
       What I was promised by thy grace.
    Give me a godly life below,
    That I to heaven may surely go.
£(je true Bcfieocr praos on partaking of tQe Corb's
                    Supper.

               EXHORTATION.
  " For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do
show the Lord's death till he come."—1 Cor. ii. 26.
  The Lord's Supper is one  of the  means to
strengthen faith and  love.  In  it Jesus  enters
the believer's heart.  He dwells in his soul to
reign over and sanctify him, and keep him faith-
ful to the end.
  1. Hence no  true Christian can neglect this
ordinance like the people of the world, who  are
io much distracted  by their vanity, love of  the
world, wrath, malice,  pride,  and luxury,  that
they have no time to think of  this pledge of  the
soul.
  2.  The true  believer does  not come to  the
Lord's table as a matter of mere  custom,  but
with  an humble, penitent, and believing heart, 
      ON PARTAKING OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.   147

full of good resolves to be stedfast in the love oi
Jesus and the fear of God.
  3. After partaking of the Lord's Supper, the
believer  strives  more  than  ever to surrendei
himself entirely to  God, to become, by virtue of
this nourishment of the soul, daily more pious,
devout, and zealous, in godliness and in the per-
formance of Christian virtues, and to be faithful
to his God even  until death.

                  PRAYER
   My Jesus, how can I sufficiently praise thy
exceeding mercy, that thou  hast  not only given
thyself unto death  for me,  a sinner, but hast
ordained  thy holy  body and  blood   to  be  a
nourishment to my soul in thy holy supper!  0
Love! thy death brings me life,  and  thy body
and blood fortify and refresh me for eternal life.
Therefore, I remain in thee and thou in me; thou
livest in me, and in thee I  attain to righteous-
ness and strength, so that my sins can no longer
terrify, nor Satan condemn me ! for in thy holy
communion I receive  the ransom of my sins.
Here I receive  the body, given unto  death for
me, here I receive the  blood which was shed for
me for the forgiveness of sins.   This is the blood
Df redemption, wheieby my sins and the sins of
all mankind were cancelled.  In  holy baptism,
the first sacrament I have received, thou gavest 
 <48        THE TRUE RELIEVER PRATS

 me the Holy Ghost as a pledge, and the new life,
 which assures me that I am thy child and heir
 In  the holy  communion,  the  other sacrament,
 thou  givest me the pledge of  thy body  and
 blood, whereby thou wilt uphold  and strengthen
 the spiritual  life within me.   0 my God, sanc-
 tify my  soul, strengthen  my faith, purify my
 heart, so that I may partake of this feast of love
 in a  manner worthy of thee.  Jesus, the true
 bread of life, help  me  that  I may not come
 vainly, or perhaps to my own  harm, to partake
 of this meal of grace.  In this feast of grace, let
 me measure the depths of thy love, that as I am
 thy guest here on earth, so I  may hereafter be
 eternally in heaven.  Amen.

                 ANOTHER
  0 Jesus! as  I now receive  this holy feast ol
 love, I receive it in memory of thee.   I recall thy
 love, by which  thou  didst come  into the world
 for my benefit, to  make me inherit eternal life
 I recall thy martyrdom, thy suffering blood, and
 wounds,  whereby my sins and chastisements
were  taken  away, and  thy righteousness was
bestowed upon me.   I recall thy  death and
resurrection, whereby life and  happiness fell to
my lot.   I know, 0 Jesus, that for thy sake, 1
shall  attain  to the  grace, the childhood,  the
peace, and  the  joy of heaven. I shall  not  he 
      ON PARTAKING OF THE LORD'S SUPPER   14ft

lost, for I am in thee, 0 Jesus, ana thou in mc.
0 remain in  my heart, dwell  in  my  heart, live
and reign in it,  let me  be thine in time and in
eternity.  As the manna was laid in a clean
vessel, so do thou cleanse my heart by true faith,
repentance, love  and humility, so that I may
worthily receive this pledge vouchsafed unto my
soul, and keep it constantly for the strengtnening
of my, faith the sanctification of my life, and the
assurance of my bliss in heaven.  0 Holy Ghost,
preserve me thus in grace unto the end.  Guard
me  from falling wantonly back into sin, lapsing
'rom  grace, and at last becoming worse than I
was at first.  Let me persist unto death in the
faith of the triune God, in love to my neighbor,
And in piety, so that I may attain to the end of
faith, and the bliss of the soul.  Jesus be my meat
and drink;  Jesus be the burden of my song;
Jesus be my all, be  my shout of joy; at last, 0
Jesus, let thy  precious blood, thy wounds and
th r sufferings, be my rest in death. Amen

                   HYMN.
        i. All thanks, and all Hosanna,
          For this thy heavenly manna,
          Of which I taste the savor
          By thy most gracious favor.
        2. That  body which, distorted.
          My soul from death extorted; 
l50   THE TRUE RELIEVER PRAYS FOR PIETY
   The blood shed for my living
   Have I been now receiving.

5.  Jesus is now beside me,
   His heart has occupied me,
   He now is mine forever,
   And nothing can us sever.
4.  In him is now my gladness,
   He banishes my sadness;
   I am of his preferring;
   No more can I be erring.
5.  My Jesus! soul and spirit,
   That thou dost richly merit,
   0 take them as thy treasure,
   And use them at thy pleasure.
        Klje true 35efieoer prags for pieto.

                EXHORTATION.
  ' Mark the perfect man and behold the upright; for the end
91 that man is peace."—Psalm xxxvii. 37.
  Next to faith piety is one of  the holiest oi
virtues, not only because it is the fruit of faith,
but also because it preserves from sin and shame,
the soul, the body, and the honor of man.  This
virtue  is an ornament of youth, and  becomes old
age no less.  God himself urges it upon Abraham
when travelling in a strange land  : " Walk with
me, and be thou pious."—-Gen. xvii.  1. 
      THE TRUE RELIEVER PRAYS FOR PIETY.   15]

  1.  A mere external propriety does not consti
ii>w>  this virtue, for  such is found even among
the heathen ; it must arise out of faith, the love
of God, and the inner emotion of the soul.
  2.  It does not consist merely in sincerity and
honesty of heart towards God and our neighbors,
but in an unblemished walk, and abstinence from
all unbecoming words and unchristian works.
  3.  This piety must endure to the end.  "Till
I die, I will not remove mine integrity from me."
Job xxvii. 5.
  4.  Being  the product of the agency of God's
Holy Spirit within  us, it is fraught with  the
richest promise of eternal life.

                  PRAYER.
  Holy God!  I  hardly know  whether 1 dare
appear before thy holy face, when I reflect upon
my natural  unholiness and sinfulness.  Thou
callest upon me also to walk with thee and be
pious, and tellest me that  if I  am pious I shall
be accepted; and that  the  end of the upright
man  is peace.  But alas !  my piety has hitherto
made but little progress;  I  have been  till now
implicated in the doings of this world, its  habits
and its vanities; yet where the world cometh in,
Christ goeth out, and where the love of the world
is found, there is no piety.  But as  I  cannot be
well pleasing in thy sight while in this condition, 
152   THE TRUE RELIEVER PRAYS FOR PIETY.

0 give me a pious  heart!  Grant me grace fr
strive after true piety, to love thee above all
things, to serve thee, and to do thy will, like  a
dutiful child, which does nothing without first
Beeking the eyes of its parents, to  see whether
they approve of it, so may I undertake  nothing
without first looking into thy Holy Word, to see
whether it accords with my duty as a Christian.
If my heart shall thus become pious, my mouth
will also grow pious, so as to  say nothing unbe-
coming, yea, my words and deeds shall then also
be pleasing unto thee.  Now, my God! in  thy
name I have formed  this resolution, give  me
grace, strength, power,  and  mercy,  to  carry it
out.   If  in years  past  I have not striven after
this precious gem, pardon me for Christ's  sake;
what I have neglected  through want of under-
standing and blindness, I shall now compensate
with the greater zeal, and live according to  thy
will.   Thus, Lord,  my God! I will  become
heartily pious, and remain pious, that as a pious
Christian, I may hereafter die in peace.  To  this
end, give me for Christ's sake,  the power of  thy
Holy Spirit.  Give me a pious heart, thou Giver
of all good gifts; this shall be the wealth I covet,
this  shall  be my  ornament,  my  glory  and  my
pride, for piety  is highly esteemed by God  and
by the angels.  Amen. 
     THE TRUE BELIEVER  PRAYS FOR PIETY.

                   HYMN.
L Henceforth my most determined striving
     Shall be to walk before the Lord,
   That I may hope for the arriving
     Where tears and sighs no more are heard:
   The wicked mock the pious wight,
   But God rejoices at his sight
2.  God is a refuge for the pious;
     Where is a better safeguard found ?
   No threatening foe can e'er come nigh us,
     Nor treason drive us from our ground.
   God knows whate'er might do us harm,
   And shields us with his mighty arm.
8.  At times, indeed, we are berated,
     And sorely harassed for a while;
   But in the end we're extricated
     From trouble, from distress, and guile.
   Our bitter cup is turned to joy,
   And foes can us no more annoy.
4,  The pious have especial graces,
     And free admission to his face;
   Their every grievance he redresses,
     Defends them with unfailing grace;
   God from the pious never swerves,
   He loves him best, who best him serves.
5.  Their sufferings have speedy ending,
     Their sorrows early find relief;
   God's blessing over them extending
     Must soon dispel all thoughts of grief
   The Lord with fire will soon destroy
   The rod that doth  his child annoy. 
 164      PIOUS PARENTS PRESENT THEIR


 JTious  parents present tljeir Gfjilbren to Qob
                  in prager.

               EXHORTATION.
  ' Behold, 1 and the children which the Lord hath given me."
 .isaiah viii. 18.  " And none of them is lost."—John xviL 12.
  The welfare of their children lies very near the
 hearts of pious parents; for they  are  a  sacred
 trust  which  God will  demand at the hands of
 the parents.
  1. Hence pious parents consecrate their chil-
 dren  to God even  before their birth by  much
 fervent prayer.  Whenever  they appear  at the
 throne of grace, they remember  their children.
 They pray especially that God  would  early
sanctify their hearts, and send his Spirit to sanc-
tify, direct, and guide them, for such is  the true
source of happiness.
  2. But they not only pray for them, but also
labor to bring them up in the fear of the  Lord.
Hence they do not permit  them to  have their
own will, for they know that they are by nature
inclined to evil, and that if left to themselves,
they cannot  but become wicked—they instruct
 them  in the knowledge of God, and teach  them
 to pray and lead Christian lives.
  3. Those parents who neglect properly to train
 up their children, will  have a heavy account  to 
          CHILDREN TO GOD IN PRAYER.       156

 render to God at last—he will require their blood
 at the parent's hands.  Besides, by such neglect,
 parents  very often bring shame, disgrace  and
 sorrow  upon  themselves; for their children do
 them not honor,  but  shame.   Over indulgent
 parents  bring themselves and their children to
 hell, and so their over kindness is no real service
 in the end.

                  PRAYER
  Lord, almighty God, thou  Father of mercies!
 Among other gifts of grace thou hast given me
 children, for which I thank and  praise  thee, but
 ivhich I regard as precious pledges  entrusted to
 me by  thee, and which thou wilt ask  again at
 my hands.   I look upon them as  souls purchased
 by  the  holy  blood of Jesus, which  the  Holy
 Ghost has sanctified in  holy baptism, and which
 thou hast accepted as  thy children.  Therefore,
 I am much concerned, that not one of them may,
 through  my neglect,  be lost.  Thou sayest tc
 me and to all parents, Take care  of this child; if
 it be  missed, thy soul shall answer for its soul.
 Therefore, Father of all  mercies, I  come before
 thee,  and commend these children to  thee in
 fervent  prayer.   I will do my  utmost to  rear
 them  to thy  honor, to admonish, chastise, and
instruct  them, and to pray for  them.  But, 0
Lord! do thou thy utmost also.  In holy baptism 
156      PIOUS PARENTS PRESENT THEIR

I have laid them into the arms of thy mercy;
behold, I now do the same  in this my prayer.
0 bless my children, preserve them in the holy
fear of thee, and let sin never weigh upon their
consciences.   Give  them a  believing,  humble,
obedient  and pious heart, that like the  child
Jesus,  they  may increase in years, in wisdom
and in grace before God and man.   Impress the
image of Jesus upon their hearts, that they may
keep a gracious God and an unstained conscience
to the end of their days.  0 let my children  be
devout in their prayer, well  grounded in theii
religion,  stedfast  in faith, zealous in  worship,
chaste in their lives, godly in their conversation,
never giving offence by word  or deed, and never
amenable  to  judgment.  Preserve  them from
temptation  and  evil  company; remind  them
always by  thy Holy  Ghost  of thy most holy
presence.  May thy angel lead them when they
go out and when they come in ; may he guard
them when they travel, when they pursue their
occupations, or are far  from home; may thy holy
angels be their companions, as unto young Tobit;
guide them out of all danger, like  Lot, and  let
them enjoy the protection and guardianship of
the holy angels,  like  Jacob. But if it should
please thee to try me through my children, then
give me patience under such affliction, and  let
me  consider that nothing occurs without thee 
         CHILDREN TO GOD IN PRAYER.       167

If it is thy will to draw me to thyself by the
sufferings, misfortunes, or deaths of my children,
in order that I may see  in them the mutability
of all visible  gifts, and  be encouraged  to love
thee alone as the true and chief good, then  keep
me on this path of thorns in firm reliance and
hope in thy omnipotence, and in the constant
reflection that thou canst change all things, even
the  sufferings of  thy  children.    Bestow thy
blessing upon them also in worldly matters, take
charge of them, cherish them, give them food
and raiment, and be a mighty father unto  them.
Be their help in danger and  misfortune,  their
physician in disease, their counsel in difficulties.
Implant in  them true piety, and keep them in
thy grace, that they may be my consolation and
my joy.  At the last  day, let  me stand at thj
right hand with all my children, and say to thy
praise, Lo, here am  I, my God and Lord! and
the children which thou  hast given me,  not one
of them is lost. 0 God, bless my children, be a
kind guardian unto them, do no less unto them
than thou hast done unto myself.  Bless all their
steps, give them thy blessing, let it be well with
them, and let them stand in thy grace,  Amen 
168  PIOUS CHILDREN PRAY FOR THEIR PARENTS.


     Pious (Cfjitbren prag for tfjeir Parents.

               EXHORTATION.
  " Childi an obey yoni parents in the  Lord ! for this is right
honor thy father and mother (which is the first commandment
with promise,) that it may be well with thee, and thon mayest
live long on the earth.—Heb. vi. 1, 2, 3.

  Among other grievous sins, by which a  man
may load  the curse upon himself, is that also, of
sinning against our  parents.  Although parents
have trouble and  vexation with their children
from the hour of their birth, yet it is their most
bitter pang  to  find  their  children perverse, un-
kind, rude, or ill-disposed towards them in riper
years, when they have a right to expect nothing
but joy and comfort from them.
  1. Pious children should often pray for their
parents, that Goi  may grant  them health, long
life, and much peace and happiness.
  2. Pious children must  love  their parents, be
mindful of their wants and seek to supply them,
and be very attentive to them in sickness.
  3. They must obey them, suffer themselves to
be  educated to good things,  never  contradict
their parents when they give a direction or com-
mand;  and never marry  secretly, without the
consent and knowledge of their parents, for this
has no other results but evil and disaster 
    PIOUS CHILDREN PRAY FOR THEIR PARENTS. 159

  4. Pious  children  must honor  their parents,
and understand that God has placed the parents
in his  own place  and stead, as God  gives the
children all things by the hands of their parents.
  5. Children must remember  that  they can
never repay their parents what the latter have
done for them.
  6. Ungrateful and  perverse children are real
faggots from hell, who can never prosper, unless
before their death, they repent in tears the sins
and wrongs they have done to their parents.

                  PRAYER.
  0 thou gracious and merciful  God !  I  praise
thee from the bottom of my heart, that thou hast
caused me to be  born  of pious and  Christian
parents.  This was the first of the benefits thou
hast done me.  As it was the  first care of my
parents after my bodily birth, that I should  be
laid into thine arms, 0 heavenly father, by holy
baptism, wherein thou didst give me  the Holy
Ghost as a pledge of my childship and heavenly
inheritance, so let this thy good  spirit  ever lead
and guide me, that I may  look well to my duties
towards  thee  and towards my parents.  I  lie
before thy most holy face in prayers, and beseech
thee to suffer my parents to retain good  health,
guard  them against misfortune, bless  their nur-
ture, their labor  and  occupation, give them a 
 160  PIOUS CHILDREN PRAY FOR THEIR PARENTB,

 long life, requite  unto  them  the faithful care
 bestowed upon me, for which I can  never repay
 them, with spiritual and heavenly gifts,  Give
 me, 0 heavenly father, an obedient heart, that I
 may not  offend  my parents, or grieve them
 wittingly or willingly.   May I constantly have
 before my eyes the example of  my Jesus, who
 not only obeyed  thee, his heavenly father, but
 also  his  foster  father Joseph, and his  mother
 Mary, so that my dutiful conduct may give joy
 and pleasure to my parents at  all times, and
 even in their old age. Guard me against bringing
 upon myself the curse  pronounced on  wicked
 children by disobedience or perverseness,  but let
 me obtain happiness here and hereafter.  Give
 me a new heart  filled with reverence towards
 them, so that I may encounter them with hum-
 bleness, may receive their commands  with a
smiling face, and submit  to  their chastisements
without disaffection. Take  heed that I  do not
come tc  resemble wicked children, who mock,
despise, and insult  their parents, but  who will
also put on the curse as  they would a garment,
and will forfeit all the blessings promised by thee
to dutiful children.  Give me  thy grace, that I
may not  sin against my parents, but may con-
stantly reflect upon the pangs I have caused my
 mother, and with how much trouble I have been
 reared, so that I may acknowledge  this  all mj 
          THE TRUE RELIEVER PRAYS, ETC.     161

fife with a thankful  heart and mind, and that
my parents  may experience not  disgrace, but
pride in me.   If in the years of my indiscretion,
I have  done  my parents  wrong, I humbly ask
thy forgiveness, 0 God!  and that of my parents
and promise by thy grace to endeavor to rejoice
them with my obedience  and Christian  deport-
ment.  Give me thy Holy Ghost, so that I may
walk in faith  and piety,  as beseemeth a child of
God, and  so that at the last  day I  may stand
with my  parents at thy right hand, and may
enter into thy glories with them.   Thou  shalt
honor  and  obey  thy father  and  thy mother,
wheresoe'er thy  hand can serve them, and thy
life shall be long.   Amen.
 £0e true 35efteoer praos mljen a Storm  arises

               EXHORTATION.

  " He made darkness his secret place; his pavillion room
abont him were dark waters and thick clonds of the skies.  As
the brightness that was before him his thick clouds passed;
hail-stones and coals of fire.  The Lord also thundered in the
heavens, and the Highest gave his voice; hail-stones and coal*
of fire."—Psalm xviii. 11,12,13.
  External occurrences sometimes frighten the
children of this world, and induce them to pray.
Among these are thunder-storms.  When tbey 
162       THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS

arise, the lips, usually so wanton,  are eager tc
pray, not from love  to God, but from fear of
punishment.  True believers indeed, understand,
  1. That thunder and lightning proceed from
natural causes, and
  2. That they execute the commands of God.
Just as God can arm  all evil creatures against
wicked men, so is it easy for him  to slay men
and cattle, and with his lightnings to set  fire to
houses, towns and cities.
  3. Therefore, pious  Christians should  never
use the abominable curse of swearing by thunder
and weather.
  4. When  a storm arises, they should not lose
heart, or despair  from fear, for that argues  a
want of confidence in God.
   5. They  should  remember that  God holds
thunder  and lightning in his hands, and  can
well protect them, even if they were in the open
field and  under the open sky.
  6. They should turn with the greater devotion
to God,  and should understand that they are
nothing and God everything;  that  God is  a
mighty God, and men powerless  worms, dust
and ashes, whom God can consume with  a beck
or a flash.
  7. They should fear and dread this majestic
God, not  only when he thunders, but also when
his sun is shining, and should take heed  not to 
WHEN A STORM ARISES.
168
 offend him by words or works, but should so live
 that  they may be always assured of a gracious
 God,  even if he should be pleased to call  us
 away from the world in a thunder-storm.

                  PRAYER.
   0 thou strong and almighty God!  I hear thy
 voice in the clouds; I see thy lightnings flash,
 and hear thy thunders roar.  Strong is thy arm
 and great thy power, and if it  were thy will
 thou couldst in a moment strike to earth me and
 all mankind and all thy creatures.  But 0 Lord !
 Lord ! remember not the sins of  my youth, nor
 my transgressions, but think of me according  to
 thy mercy and thy goodness.  0  do not  punish
 me in thine anger, nor chastise me in thy wrath.
 I acknowledge with true humility of heart, that
 I have deserved nothing less than to be destroyed
 and crushed in thy just indignation.  But  0,
 thou long suffering God!  spare me in this tem-
 pest.  God! be gracious unto me according to thy
 goodness, and take away all my sins  according
 to thy great mercy.  0 I grieve deeply to have
 so often  offended thee,  and angered thee with
 thoughts, words and  works. 0 I  beg  thy grace
 and forgiveness  for all my sins and trespasses.
Consider,  0  heavenly  Father, that I am thy
sreature and  thy child; whither shall thy child-
ren fly in their troubles, but to  their Father? 
164      THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS, ETC.
Therefore,  I  come to thee,  0 my Father, and
beseech thee to be gracious  unto thy child, tc
defend me, to protect me, to place a guard of
thy angels around me, and to let no evil reach
me, and  no bolt consume me.   0 Lord Jesus,
thou Son of  God, my sole Mediator,  Advocate
and Saviour! be not  far from me, for danger is
near; be my strong defence, forsake me not, and
take not thy hand from me.  God, my salvation !
Lo, I stand deserted  by  all men and all crea-
tures, but 0  do thou not desert  me,  but have
mercy upon me, and save me.  I  cling to thee,
0 Jesus ! I cry with the disciples : Lord, help us,
we perish !  0 most precious Holy Ghost! vivify
my heart to prayer and devotion,  that this tem-
pest  may make me truly pious.   Grant that 1
may take care,  when thou knockest at my heart
by thy holy word, to do  penance, be converted,
and renounce sin,  so  that  I may be  a patient
hearer, and not imitate  the world in  its sinful
words, habits and customs.  0 holy trinity, have
mercy upon me, and upon all pious Christians,
cover with thy almighty hand my body and my
life, my house and curtilage; guard the fruits of
the field, let not the lightning fire my house or
injure me; be thou my safeguard in peril, for the
help of man is of no avail.  0 thou mighty pro-
tector of thy children! let me live in safety undei
thy guardianship.   0 Lord! who is  like unto 
THE TRUE BELIEVER RETURNS THANKS, ETC.  166
thee ? who  art so majestic, so almighty and  so
terrible, and also so good and merciful, who dost
wake us an d cover us.  0 spare me, and let me
once  more  find  grace  and  salvation in thee.
Lord  God,  Father in heaven, have mercy upon
us '   Lord  God, Son, thou Saviour of the world,
have  mercy upon us!   Lord God, Holy Ghost,
have  mercy upon us! be gracious unto us, spare
us, dear Lord and God! from fire and inundation
defend  us,  dear  Lord  and God! from sudden
ieath deliver us, dear Lord and God 1 from light-
ning  and hail deliver us, dear Lord and God !
Thou holy Trinity, defend us in  soul and body,
guard our houses and our possessions.  Spare us,
dear Lord  and God! and ward off this danger,
and we will ever praise thy goodness.  Amen.
£0e true Kefieoer returns tOan&s to Qoh aftei
                  a Storm.

              EXHORTATION.

 " Ood thnndereth marvellously with his voice: great things
doeth he, which we cannot comprehend."—Job xxxvii. 5.
  God thunders with his thunder.  He governs
the clouds charged with vapors and fire.  He
conducts them according to his will.   In the
clouds  he passes over the habitations  of men; 
166    THE TRUE BELIEVER RETURNS THANKS

they tremble; even the dumb cattle take fright;
for God thundereth marvellously with his voice.
He does great things.  Strong trees he causes to
be shivered with his lightnings; houses to be
fired ;  men and beasts to be slain; but  he also
purifies the air with  his tempest, and refreshes
fields, meadows and gardens.  Great things doeth
he with his thunder, which  we cannot compre-
hend.  While the lightning darts through the
clouds, and the thunder roars,  most men are
timid and  cast  down, but  no sooner does the
tempest pass away, than all the great things are
forgotten which the Lord God hath done in his
thunderstorm.   0 vile insensibility!   0 shame-
ful ingratitude !  The true Christian does other-
wise.   He admires the majesty, the greatness,
and the glory of him who thunders in the clouds.
When the thunder rolls over his head, and the
lightnings flash, he  cheerfully resigns himself
into the hand of the  Lord, and when the storm
has happily passed away, he praises  and extola
the goodness and truth of his God.

                  PRAYER.
  Praised  be  God, who hath warded  off the
danger !   I was afraid when I heard thy strong
voice in the clouds, thou Lord of Lords.  Great
was the danger in which I hovered, with  those
who are dear to me, but thou, Lord !  hast heaH 
            TO GOD AFTER A STORM.         167

my childlike prayer, turned away the dangei,
and screened  with  almighty hand  my  house
and home, and the  teeming grain of the field
It is by thy goodness that we may dwell at ease
in the shadow of thy wings.  This my soul doth
well  perceive.   Touched  in spirit,  therefore,
I come  before  thee, and  give  thee  praise and
thanks, for the great things thou hast done me,
even  now.  I shall  never forget thy goodness,
and in all danger that may  befall me, I will re-
member that in thee we have a God who helps
us.  Thy storm, good God ! has happily  passed
over us, and has left nothing but marks  of thy
bounty, instead  of the harm we feared.  Else-
where, perhaps, it  has done  damage ; 0 then be
pleased  to look in mercy on  the sufferers!—
Arouse all those whom thou hast protected, to
pity and  assistance, for  the best  gratitude for
thy assistance is to help those who are in need.
Let  me deal with my possessions like a good
husbandman.  Be  pleased to take them all into
thy  further  protection.   Grant us  wholesome
and fertilizing weather, and  guard us against all
misfortune.   Lead us on even paths, and  let us
enter into eternal  life on the great day of judg-
ment.  O do not  withdraw thy attention from
me, when the last day shall rise, the day when
all things shall be  brought to judgment, even
those which  pass unnoticed here;  let me stand 
168   THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS WHEN HE

at thy right hand, and go in unto the wedding
of the Lamb.   My Jesus, take me into thy care,
and I will praise thee evermore.   Amen.
Cue true Meoer praos  ro^en  (e unberta&es a
                   journeo.

               EXHORTATION.
  " The Lord  is thy keeper; the Lord is thy shade upon thy
 ight hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon
by night.  The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; he shall
preserve thy soul. The Lord shall preserve thy going out and
1 by coming in, from this time  forth, and  even for evermore."—
I'salm cxxL 5-8.
  Various matters may induce a believing Chris-
tian  to travel away from  home,  such as the
exigencies  of his  occupation,  the love of  his
neighbor, or the condition of his health; jour-
neys for mere enjoyment and pleasure are unbe-
coming to a true  child of God.
  1. If a believing Christian has good cause for
leaving his home for a time, he  must enter upon
his journey with  God, and consider that God will
always be with  him in  strange countries, and
that  he sees and  hears all things; for which
 reason he must also conduct himself, honorably,
 becomingly, and  in a Christian  manner, as being
 in the sight of God. 
UNDERTAKES A JOURNEY.
169
  2. A true believer must commend himself to
 the favor and protection of God when he under-
 takes his journey, and pray  that he may be per-
 mitted to return home in good health, with hale
 and straight limbs.
  3. He must also commend  to God those whom
 he leaves behind, as well as his house and goods,
 and pray him to put them all under the watch
 and ward of his holy angels, and  guard them
 against fire and flood, and all misfortune.
  4. He must pray that God will favor him to
 find his family and his household in good order
 and condition when he returns.

                  PRAYER.
  Gracious and merciful God !  I have resolved
 for a time to leave my house and home; there-
 fore, I come to thee and beseech thee to bless my
 going out and my coming in.   In thy name I will
 undertake my journey ; under thy escort let me
 accomplish it, and under thy protection wilt thou
 bring me safely back  to  my home.  Let troops
 of angels surround me, like Jacob; let thy angels
 follow me through all danger, like Paul; let the
 host of thy angels travel forth and back with me
 as with Joseph and Mary, and the boy Jesus, so
 that I may be preserved from all harm. 0  thou
guardian of Israel! thou who dost  neither sleep
 nor slumber, be  by day and by night a fiery  ram- 
170   THE TRUE BELIEVER PRAYS WHEN HE

part round about me, as  around Elisha, that no
evil or destruction may approach me.  Lead me
by day and night, through fields and woods, with
a guard of thy holy  angels,  as  thou didst lead
the children of Israel through  the desert with a
pillar of clouds.  Grant that every day and every
hour the words  may sound  in my ear, which
thou spakest  to Abraham when  he was setting
out on his journey:  Walk before me, and be thou
pious.  Guard me,  that when away from home,
evil desires may not assail me, preserve  me from
gluttony, wantonness, insolence, malice, worldli-
ness, sin, and  shame.   Help  me to return home
with an unstained conscience.  Turn away mine
eyes when they see  evil, turn  away my heart
when it is visited  by evil desires, and  help me
that I may neither  damage my body  nor  my
soul upon this journey.   I commend to thee all
I leave behind, guard it  from thieves, from  fire
and flood, and let me find it all again unspoiled.
I commend unto thee also, the persons I leave
behind;  0 my God ' I leave them, but do thou
remain with  them, avert all danger, harm, mis-
fortune, and sickness  from them in mercy.  Be
their  sentinel,  keep  them,  guide them,  guard
them, and let no sad  news from them reach my
ears.  0 Lord  Jesus!  thou who didst travel
with the two disciples in the form of a wayfarer,
be with me in my journey also, and fill my heart 
           UNDERTAKES A JOURNEY.         171

with good thoughts.  Let my fellow-travellers be
pious, that we may not offend them as we go,
with shameful words and sinful speech, but may
think of thee and thy most hcly presence, and
discourse of thy goodness  and thy miracles, thy
faithfulness and truth.  0 my God ! in thy name
I have undertaken this journey, in thy name let
me happily end it, and I  and mine will praise
and thank thee all our lives.  Send thy angel
on  before me, to prepare my path; bid him tc
resist Satan and all evil men.  Take me into thy
protection, 0  Lord! so that their cunning and
their violence may never  harm  me.  Remain
with mine also  constantly, who are anxious to
see me again, let thy eyes of mercy follow them,
as  thy children; lead them, wherever  they go,
by thy Spirit, so that they may never lapse into
danger or sin.  Amen.
Jfrager of one roljo sojourns in a foreian Ct ib

                  HYMN.
1. Lord, I am in a land of strangers
    Far distant from my father's house;
   Who here will screen me against dangers,
    When foes he wait, who will me rouse ?
   On thee alone my hope is based;
   O do not leave me here to waste! 
L72       PRAYER FOR ONE SOJOURNING.

 2. With thee I did resolve to travel,
      And all my friends approval gave;
    Thou must my journey's maze unravel,
      And bring me home, as much I crave.
    Lord, here abroad be still with me
    I never can depart from thee.
 3. Bring many cordial friends around me,
      Where'er I stay my  foot to rest;
    Let not mine enemies confound me,
      Give them to know I am thy guest
    Thou art my friend, to thee I cling,
    In every land thy praise I sing.
 4. Preserve me whole in every member,
      My strength, my senses, sight, and speech
    And should I sicken, O remember,
      That thou art here, my household leech;
    Think that it is thy child that lies
    In sickness under foreign skies.

 5. Keep me from shame and from transgression.
      Preserve my conscience undefiled;
    Let me still cling to the possession
      Of knowing that I am thy child;
    Let me forget it never  more,
    Thine eyes still see me as before.
 $. 0 bless my sleeping and my waking
      And bless my every walk and tread ;
    Bless me in every undertaking;
      Bless wheresoe'r I need thy aid.
    And bless me with a heavenly zest,
    Then shall I be most truly blest 
         THE TRUE RELIEVER PRAYS, ETC.     178


due  true JieCieuer prags  for  an unscarreb Con-
                   science.

               EXHORTATION.

  " For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of oar conscience,
that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdomi
but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the
world, and more abundantly to yon-ward."—2 Cor. i. 12.
  Most men are at  great  pains to keep their
bodies in good health ; they work hard to obtain
or to keep wealth;  but 0 that they would make
the same efforts to  keep their consciences pure
and unstained!
  1. The conscience  is like the eye, which can-
not endure a particle of dust, it is  the accuser,
the witness, and the judge of the wicked; the
remembrance of sins remain in the conscience,
like scars in the face.
   2. On the day of judgment, God and our con-
sciences will bear unanswerable testimony.
   3. A true believer will preserve the integrity
of  his conscience  by frequently hearing and
reading the Word of God, and directing his life
in accordance  with  it;  and by  reflecting,  in
whatever he resolves to say or do, whether God
in his  holy word permits it ?
  4. He must also avoid evil company and temp-
tations; for as  he whD dabbles in fire or water is 
174      THE TRUE RELIEVER PRAYS FOB

easily burned or wetted,  so the conscience is
easily injured by intercourse with unprincipled
people.
  5.  Nothing better preserves the purity of con-
science, than sincere and fervent prayer, and the
recollection  of the ever-present God, who looks
upon all our steps.

                  PRAYER
  Lord,  my God! how great is the  love and
goodness thou dost manifest towards us.   Thou
givest us life and health and prosperity accord-
ing to thy mercy.  Yet, 0  my God, all these thy
good gifts shall be turned to henbane, if they are
not  accompanied with a  pure and  unharmed
conscience!   Therefore,  have  mercy upon me,
and keep me in the fear  of thee, that I may  not
violate nLy conscience.  0  I long to bring a pure
soul  and an  untarnished conscience before thy
holy presence, therefore lead me by  thy  Holy
Spirit to guard my conscience as the apple of my
eye.   0  what a precious  jewel and  soothing
pillow is a good conscience!  Who will accuse
me if my conscience  acquits  me?  For if our
heart does  not condemn us, we have cheerful-
ness  in  God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Who can grieve me when  my conscience makes
 ae rejoice, who can disturb or vex me, when  my
i mscience consoles and cheers me ?  0 my God, 
AN UNSCARRED CONSCIENCE.       175
let me carefully keep this treasure.  May I never
say what might cause  a qualm  of conscience;
may I  never assent to  a sin whereby I would
load a heavy burden on my soul, oppressing me
through life, or on the bed  of death, or pursuing
me with thy wrath and chastisement.  O pre-
serve me from the sting of conscience!  Give me
grace  to  deport myself  as a  true  Christian
wherever I  go.   May I constantly remember
thy most holy presence, and dread to do evil
before thee.  May I bear in  mind that thou art
a knower of  hearts, from  whom  nothing can
remain  concealed.   Grant me  to follow in the
holy footsteps of my Saviour.  Grant that I may
not wound my conscience by denying  my faith.
0 Lord Jesus !  Purify my conscience with thy
holy blood, forgive me all my sins,  and give me
quiet and true peace of mind and of conscience.
0 let thy Holy Ghost evermore conduct me on
even paths,  that my conscience  may remain
unharmed, and thy dwelling in  my heart undis-
turbed.  0 God! thou pious God!  thou Source
of all good gifts, without whom there is nothing
which  is, from whom we have all things, give
me a healthy body, and that in  this body may
ever dwelJ  an  untarnished  soul  and a  pure
conscience   Amen 
170                   HYMN.

                     HYMN.
1.  If conscience chides me not, why should 1 heed the
     spiteful
   Disparagements of those, to whom it is delightful
   To pin a wicked thought on  every harmless deed ?
   My witness is above, and he  will speak at need.
2.  If conscience chides  me not, let slander pour  its
     chalice
   Of poison o'er me all, I am above its malice 1
   The world is nought to me, God is my only judge;
   Therefore I little heed my haters and their grudge.
3.  If conscience chides me not, nothing will damp my
     prayers,
   And prayer will give me strength against my would-
     be slayers.
   God  plainly sees my heart; to him 'tis all  dis-
     closed ;
   He knows that to this sin, I never was disposed.
4.  If conscience chides me not, I can await the season,
   When falsehood and reproach shall yield to better
     reason.
   Sland'rers,  remember well, God hears when yon
     traduce,
   Therefore,  let not  your tongues run  insolently
     loose.
5.  God   give  me  patient heart,  to  hear,  without
     repining,
   The bitter words of all, misguided or designing;
   My real sins forbid thy angels to record,
   And guard my peace of mind and  comfort in the
     Lord. 
 
i   V 
PART  II.
rSHORTATlONS,  PRAYERS  AND  HYMNS
            for  t(je flffficfeb.
£(}c aflfficteb one is comforteb attfje tQouQfjt of fQc
              omnipotence of^oi).

               EXHORTATION.
  " Fear thou not, for 1 am with thee : be not dismayed, for J
im thy God ; I will strengthen thee ; yea, I will help thee; yea,
[ will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."—
Isaiah xli. 10.
  If anything can cheer the heart of a true be-
liever,  it is the omnipotence of  God; this is the
anchor of the afflicted, to which they cling.
  1. With  God, nothing  is  impossible.   No
misery is so great but that God can end it, nc
burden so heavy but that he can take it off, no
misfortune so severe but that he can  avert it.
  2. The  afflicted one must  bear in mind, that
others  have borne  much  heavier burdens  than
his own, and that God has relieved them never-
theless  Therefore, they  should say, with joy,
                                     (179) 
 180  THE AFFLICTED ONE IS COMFORTED AT THE

 " 0 God!  thou art as rich to day as thou hast
 ever been, my confidence is all in thee."
  3. The afflicted must remember that the omni-
 potence of God knows no bounds, and must not
 let their courage sink, though they do not know
 how and by what means,  and in what manner,
 they can  be  helped.  "Your thoughts are not
 my thoughts, saith the Lord, nor are your ways
 my ways."—Isaiah lv. 8.   This  reflection must
 confirm the hope and confidence of the afflicted,
 inasmuch as they are assured  that God can and
 will deliver them.  They should therefore be at
 peace,  hope,  pray, trust in God, bear affliction
 patiently, and joyfully lift  up  their eyes to hea-
 ven, saying, " Our help cometh  from the  Lord,
 that made heaven and earth."

                 PRAYER
  Gracious and most merciful God! thou seest
 how my heart  is filled with  sorrow;—a  stone
 which I cannot  throw off, a load  of affliction too
 heavy to be borne, presses me to the earth.__
 Therefore, I come to thee, almighty God! I pour
 out  my heart into thy  bosom, for thou art my
 refuge and  my  salvation.   I cast my troubles
 from myself upon  thee, and beseech thee to save
 and to assist me.  The little bark, driven by fear-
 fill winds and waves, is held by the anchor; and
so  my  soul  clings to thee, thou  living and 
      THOUGHT OF THE OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD.   181

almighty God.   The timid roe pursued in the
chase hastens to the mountains for deliverance,
and I lift my eyes to thee, my Rock, my Rescuer
and mighty Defender!  I will not despair, for I
know that thou art  an  almighty God—thou
canst help me.  0 send deliverance now, and I
am helped; speak  but a  single word,  and my
help has come.  0 my God!  I know that thou
art merciful, and therefore I  do most earnestly
and devoutly beseech thee to have mercy on me,
thy poor and afflicted child.  Thou knowest my
heart and  art  acquainted with my sorrows—
thou  hast laid  this burden upon me, and wilt
thou not also help  me to bear it ? Thou art a
wise God, and wilt  find ways and means  to help
me, of which I know nothing.  0 show me some
well of consolation, as thou didst to Hagar in
the wilderness.   Promise me the assistance thou
didst promise to the widow,—help me  as thou
didst help the deserted Elisha, and manifest thy
goodness, as thou  didst  unto the imprisoned
Peter.   Break the bands  of my affliction and
distress,  Lift up the light of thy countenance
upon me, and give me thy peace.  Hast thou not
said," For a small moment have I forsaken thee;
but with great mercies will T gather thee.  In a
little wrath  I hid my face  from thee for a mo
ment; but with everlasting kindness will I have
mercy on thee."—Is. liv. 7,  8   I know  thou 
182   THE AFFLICTED ONE TAKES COMFORT IN

art a faithful God, and wilt not forsake me.  I
lie low at thy throne of grace; send me now help
from  thy holy place, and strength out  of Zion.
Lord, I will not let thee go, till  thou bless me.
Thou art my God and Father, and if thou dost
not help me, to whom  shall I go ?  I am thrown
upon thine  arms from my very birth, and until
tfris day, those  arms of love and mercy have been
around and  beneath me, and surely thou wilt not
forsake  me  now.   0  God,  hear  my sighs  and
lamentations, and let me not entirely despair in
my distress; thou readest my heart, thou knowest
my pain; what  thou  hast  imposed, thou wilt
help me  to sustain.  Amen.




KOe affficteb one taftes comfort in calling to mind
               tOe fooe of #ob.

               EXHORTATION.
  " For a small  moment have I forsaken  thee ;  but with great
mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face from
thee for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I  have
mercy on tuee, saith the Lord thy Redeemer."—Is. lxiv. 7, 8.
  When  affliction  and distress overtake a  be-
liever, he can receive no better consolation than
to be assured that God still loves him.   For  one
of the first and severest  temptations with which 
      CALLING TO MIND THE LOVE OF GOD.   18S

Satan assails a troubled soul is th.s: God is youi
enemy—he loves you no longer—if he were  still
your friend would  he  afflict you and withdraw
the light of his countenance from you, as he  now
does ?  To such suggestions, the afflicted believer
must give no heed, but on the contrary, remem-
ber that God never leaves nor forsakes his chil-
dren.
  1. He should remember that to live in tribula-
tion and yet to be a child of God, are entirely
compatible;  for Christ, the well beloved Son of
the Father, suffered enough of trouble, and yet
did not cease to be the  Son of God.
  2. Afflictions are not sent  out of  wrath, for
our destruction  or harm, but for our good, and
are designed to teach  us the goodness, power,
wisdom, and faithfulness of God.
  3. The love of God is active in our afflictions,
to support, strengthen and comfort us—we are
sometimes wonderfully quickened  and rejoiced
thereby,  and our  burdens are  lightened,—all
constituting so many proofe of love.

                  PRAYER.
  The Lord  is with me, therefore I will not fear,
Thou art  my rock, my rampart, my salvation.
Therefore, in my present distress, I sigh to thee,
my God.   0  Lord !  Lord!  thou  knowest my
afflictions  and the distress of my heart; but 1 
184    THE AFFLICTED ONE TAKES COMFORT

know,  also, that this  affliction  will not over
power me, if thou art with me.  0 do not longei
conceal thy face from  me!   From my infancy
thou hast  crowned my life with loving-kindnesa
and tender mercy: 0 let thine arms of love still
be around me  in my present tribulation.  A
lamb, when it is pursued, runs to its shepherd;
a child, when it is frightened, goes to its father ;
therefore I come to thee, my Shepherd  and my
Father. Thou  hast encouraged me to  hope in
thee, in thy blessed word;—" Fear thou  not," is
thine  own language, " for I am with thee; be
not dismayed, for I am thy God; I will strengthen
thee;  yea, I will help thee; yea, I will  uphold
thee with  the right  hand of my righteousness."
I will  not leave thee nor  forsake thee!  And
now, 0 gracious God! I am  in trouble and  need
thy help—now  thou wilt not forsake me.   En-
fold me in thine arms  of love, hold me, that I
may not sink.   Quicken me in  my sufferings;
make  me  to hear joy and gladness, that the
bones which thou has broken may rejoice.  Show
to me that love which thousands have  experi-
enced in their  deliverance  from  trouble, that I
may join with them to praise thy excellent name.
0 thou God of love! seal  upon  my heart  this
blessed truth, " that  as a father pitieth his chil-
dren, so the Lord pitieth them that  fear him."
Faithful Father1 see thy  child is distressed; 
AT THE THOUGHT OF THE HELP OF GOD.  186
wilt thou not comfort me ?   While I live, I will
gladly take  up my cross and follow thee.  Pre-
pare my heart for this, my Goi!  I  am  assured
it is for  my eternal peace.  Amen.
£(je aflTCicteb one ta&es comfort at t$e tijouaOt of
               tfje  Qefp  of #ob,

               EXHORTATION.

  - I lift np mine eyes to the hills, whence my help cometh. Mj
help cometh from the Lord, who has made the heavens and the
earth."—Psalms cxxi. 1, 2
  To be without resource in trouble and distress,
is even worse  than  the affliction  itself.  But
such can never be the state of the believer.
  1. God can help him.
  2. God will help him.
  3. God has often helped in times gone by.
  4. The  afflicted  must await  such  assistance
with prayer and sighs, with hope  and confidence;
for what the Lord has promised he will certainly
fiilfil; let  his word be more credited than the
misgivings of your heart.
  5. Even when the afflicted do not see how help
in possible, they should remember that God can
do far more than we  may ask or  understand ; he 
186   THE AFFLICTED ONE TAKES COMFORT

will be their help, their Father, their Comforter,
and their assistance.  It is even a boon of God
that  he  alleviates  our sorrows  by time and
oblivion.

                 PRAYER
  When I am afflicted, I think of God.  O, where
else shall I turn, of whom else  shall I think, in
my cares  and sufferings, but  of thee, my God!
0 thou hast never yet permitted me to leave thy
most holy presence with  a sorrowful heart.   0
therefore, hear this  my prayer, hearken to the
voice  of my cry, my King and my  God I and
when I call, do thou hear me.   The evil I suffer
was sent by  thy hand; so canst thou  in thy
mercy  deliver me again.   Thou, Lord! Lord!
dost  slay and make alive, thou  leadest down
into  hell  and up again.  Thou,  Lord, makest
rich and poor, thou dost lower and exalt.  Thou
dost lift the needy from the dust, and elevate the
poor from want,  therefore, I say unto thee trust-
ingly, Lord,  help me.  Thou hast said, Before
they call, I  will answer, and while  they yet
speak, I will  answer, my  heart is breaking for
thee, and I must have mercy upon thee : there-
fore, I will not  prescribe  the  time  for thee  to
deliver me.  Strengthen my faith by thy Holy
Spirit; strengthen my faith, my hope, my conti-.
deuce; give me patience  and  strength to bear 
     AT THE THOUGHT OF THE HELP OF GOD.  187

my troubles.  0 my Father! thou hast never for
saken any one,  forsake not me; thou hast always
rejoiced the afflicted, rejoice me also; thou  hast
assisted the  wretched, assist me  also;  when
where, and as thou wilt, that all shall be accord-
ing to thy wisdom, love, goodness and mercy.
Be thou at peace, 0 my soul; why art thou sad
and so disturbed within me ?  Hope in God, for
I shall yet thank him, that he is the help of my
countenance and  my God.  Lord Jesus  Christ!
great is the load under which I sink; 0 help me,
dear  God and  Lord, sleep not, but be aroused.
There is no one who can help me, no creature
can  assist me,  and  none  to whom I may  com-
plain.  Lord Jesus  Christ, the  Son of God, my
trust is in thee, thou art  the  real  throne  of
grace; whoever counts upon thee will be safe in
all affliction; thou  wilt help him in life and  in
death.  Amen.

                    HYMN.

    1.  A™ I left thus unbefriended
        In my  bitter cross and woe ?
       Is no helping hand extended,
        Comfort shall I never know?
       0 my God, where art thou now,
       When affliction does me bow ?
       Whither  shall I turn to find him ?
       Has he left no trace behind him t 
*88    THE AFFLICTED  ONE TAKES COMFORT

   2. If thou pitiest not my anguish,
        Bear in mind I *m thy child ,
      Let me not, forgotten, languish
        Id my woes, so fierce and wild.
      Nothing more it is I seek
      Than what thou didst freely speak:
      But to give thy word fulfilment
      Will be comfort's best instilment
   8. Yet, what will these tears avail me,
        God would only try my faith;
      That it never more may fail me
        In afflictions or in death.
      Though he seem to wander far,
      He is still my guiding star;
      His uncircumscribed affection
      Cannot niggard its protection.
   4. Then my trust shall never totter,
        Though my hopes grow less and leaf
      Scalding tears, prayers, hot and hotter,
        Shall come forth at each distress.
      He, my sufferings understands,
      I, the prowess of his hands,
      Which can turn my grief to pleasure
      And relieve me beyond measure.
   5  I with God, in faith will wrestle,
        As each true believer ought;
      In his love my heart shall nestle,
        All is good as he has wrought
      Though, at times  I feel his rod,
      He is still my loving God;
      And his sacred word discloses
      All is well as he disposes. 
    AT THE THOUGHT OF THE MERCY OF GOD. 189

£0e  ttpcteb  one ta&es  comfort at t(je f(joug(jt
             of t0e  mercq  of #06.

               EXHORTATION.
  "The Lord is mercifnl and  gracions, slow to  anger, aid
plenteons in mercy.  He will not always chide : neither will he
keep his anger for ever. Like as a father pitieth his children, so
the Lord pitieth them that fear him."—Psalm ciii. 8, 9,13.
  How painful it is, to have unkind and  hard-
hearted  people to  deal with in  trouble  and
distress!   But  a true child  of God  may rest
assured,
  1.  That his faithful God in heaven knows all
his sufferings and crosses, however great they be,
however long they endure, and however deeply
they wound the soul.
  2. Nor  does  God only  know them, but he
takes pity  on them also.
  3. In  view of this great mercy of God, the
believer  must not  despair, but must have  re-
course to his merciful God; for all they that are
in affliction shall be  comforted.
  4. God manifests  his mercy to the wretched;
partly by giving them cheerfulness and courage,
partly by giving them strength to suffer and  be
patient, and  partly  by taking  away their grief
entirely.   If a  father  has  mercy on his child,
God will surely not allow the afflicted one  tc
perish in his misery. 
lttO    THE AFFLICTED ONE TAKES COMFORT

                 PRAYER,
  0 thou  merciful God!  whose mercy has no
end, whose goodness is new every morning; Lo,
I, a suffering and afflicted soul, come before thy
most holy face, and pour out my  heart  before
thee.  Thou well knowest the misery and great
distress  which  has befallen me;  my soul  is
stricken, my spirit disturbed, and  unnumbered
evils beset me.  I look about me for succor.
Men partly refuse to help me, partly they know
not my trouble, partly I will not reveal it; but
to thee, 0  God, I recite my grief with a troubled
heart, knowing  that  thou  art merciful,  and
wilt  not turn a deaf ear to my lamentations.
Thou didst take pity  on the  afflicted widow,
who  mourned for  her  child; thou didst take
pity on the people who had not what to eat, and
thy pity was  associated  with mercy and  assist-
ance.  Therefore, I come to thee, and say, have
mercy  upon me, 0 God!  I am thy creature,
thou wilt  not suffer thy handiwork  to perish.
Yea, I am even more,  I am thy  child,  which
thou didst take into the arms of thy mercy  in
holy baptism.   Therefore, I say, 0 my father,
have mercy on  thy  poor deserted child.  My
Jesus!   I  have been purchased with  thy holy
blood; therefore, thou wilt hive mercy on what
is thine.  0 most precious Holy Ghost, bear wit- 
    AT THE THOUGHT OF THE MERCY OF GOD. 191

ness unto my soul, that in all my sufferings I am
still a child of God; and vixen I grow faint, and
hardly able to  pray,  do thou  cry within me,
Abba, dear  Father!  Behold  I sink, 0 stretch
forth thy hand.   0 Lord, according to thy great
mercy do thou strengthen my faith, preserve me
in  my wretchedness,  renew  my  powers  daily,
that my  faith  may not cease, nor  my hopes lan-
guish, nor  my confidence  in  thee be impaired.
Thou hast never yet deserted me; 0 do not
desert me now;  help thy child, which resorts to
thy mercy alone.  0 I know his father's heart;
he is planning succor even now ; my distress, my
woes and cross,  and all  that disturbs my mind,
will vanish  at  once, when  he  will send  his
help.  Come  Father, come, my hear' weeps for
thee.  Amen.

                    HYMN.

1. Happy is he who trusts to God all his commissions,
   To him who ever makes the best of dispositions ;
   Who only lays his head  in his dear Master's lap,
   Shall  be secure from  much  distress  and sore
    mishap.

2. Who trusts in God shall find no limit to his powers,
   His omnipotent arm can save,  whatever lowers;
   What  unto us seems hard, to him is but a toy,
   When he commands, all things must ^ase us  to
    annoy. 
192    THE  AFFLICTED ONE TAKES COMFORT

3.  When  he  who  trusts  in God  is  left without
     resources,
   And seems misfortune  must  o'erpower all his
     forces,
   His faithful God is near,  who has all help in hand,
   Whose counsel and whose might,  no  prowess can
     withstand.

i.  Happy  who trusts in God! the bounties he dis-
     perses
   Are far beyond  the praise of him who tastes his
     mercies;
   Who clothes the lilies gay, who does the sparrows
     feed,
   He will not let  thee die, though at thy utmost
     need.

5  Happy  who trusts in God, and   nc*  in mortal
     kindness,
   The children of  mankind are ever ntruck with
     blindness;
   Often they but do harm;  and often, whm they
     know
   What we do need, they yet neglect the doim^ %» 
THE AFFLICTED ONE MEDITATES,  ETC.    1M
   itlje affticteb one niebitotes upon tje !Dioine
                   Promises.

               EXHORTATION.

   Because he hath set his love npon me, therefore will I de-
liver him; I will Bet him on high, because he hath known my
name.  He shall call npon me, and I will answer him ; I will be
with him in trouble ; I will deliver him and honor him.  With
long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation."—Psalm
xci. 9-16.
   As on the  one hand, troubles,  misfortunes
and sufferings are calculated  to overwhelm and
crush  us;  so,  on the other,  are those precious
promises of God's grace and assistance calculated
to support and comfort us.
   1.  Hence  the  afflicted  believer should re-
member that God's promises are left on record
for his  benefit, as well  as that of others.  He
ought not to suppose that they were given alone
to  Moses,  David,  Daniel,  and other eminent
saints; no, afflicted soul! they were  intended
also for you, as St. Paul  plainly teaches,—Rom.
xv. 4.   " For whatsoever things were written
aforetime  were  written  for  our learning,  thai
we through patience and comfort of the scrip-
tures might have hope."
   2.  He should remember that all God's  pro-
mises will be fulfilled in  hU  own good  time.  It
does not become us to prescribe to  God, and in 
 194      THE AFFLICTED ONE MEDITATES

 our afflictions to set the day and hour when he
 must send  us deliverance; on the  contrary, in
 humility and  faith, we must patiently wait for
 the salvation of God.
   3. The  distressed believer should  remember
 that God's promises of help, salvation, deliver-
 ance, relief from grievances, are sometimes ful-
 filled in this world partly, so that  the  sick arc
 made whole, the afflicted comforted, the wretched
 delivered ,  but that often God  only  fulfils his
 promises in the life to come.
  4.  Wherefore the afflicted believer should be
 at peace, and set his hopes on the  goodness of
 God, who  has  already fulfilled his promises to
 so many thousands.

                  PRAYER.
   Lord God! my heart pleads thy word, " Seek
ye my face," and  now " thy face, Lord, will I
seek."   In  my distress I know not where to find
consolation or counsel but  with thee, with whom
my  heart  has ever found comfort,  help  and
counsel.  Especially do I seek  my consolation
in thy precious promises, which contain  the true
and  living fountain for the refreshment of my
sinking spirit.  I look to thy holy place—I seek
in thy word for the bread and water  of eternal
life.  Thou hast said, " I am with thee  in trou-
 ble and will deliver thee."   Now, Lord, I am in 
gpoN the rrviNE promises.       196
trouble ; thou seest how great the anguish of my
heart is; deliver me from mine affliction.  Hast
thou not said, " Fear thou not,  for I  am with
thee: be not dismayed, for I am thy God ; I will
strengthen  thee ; yea, I will help  thee; yea, I
will  uphold  thee  with  the right  hand of my
righteousness?"   And again, "The  mountains
shall depart, and the hills be removed; but my
kindness shall  not depart from  thee."  There-
fore, 0 Lord, have mercy upon me, and forsake
me not.  Cast me  not away from  thy presence,
and  uphold me  with thy free spirit.  Thy word
\ resents thee as an almighty, all-wise and most
merciful Father, as a strong Rescuer,  and merci-
ful Protector, and  upon thee I cast myself, and
here I  find consolation.   Wherefore, be at peace
my soul, for the Lord will not cast thee off for-
ever.  He afflicts  thee,  but still  he will have
mercy upon thee  again, according to his good-
ness.  " Why art thou  cast down, 0 my soul ?
and why art thou  disquieted within me ?  Hope
in  God.   From  one  morning watch  to the
other my soul waiteth upon the  Lord ; yea, my
M>nl waiteth upon  the Lord until his  salvation
appeareth.  Still surround me with thine  arms,
and refresh  me, and do thou  never leave noi
 withdraw thy helping hand, my salvation !  On
 thee is  my dependence in this time  of trial;
 thou dost avert all afflictions; be all commended 
196     THE AFFLICTED ONE CONSIDEB8 THE

to thee, my body, my soul, my life, and all thai
tnou hast  given.  Do with it according to thy
pleasure   Amen.


               ------mm


£f)e flpcteb one  considers Uje Design  of gob in
                 fits Afflictions.

               EXHORTATION

  "No chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, bnt
grievous, nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit
of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby."—Heb.
xii.ll.
  When a  child is punished, it weeps and thinks
it is made  to suffer  too  severely.  Is it strange
then that the afflicted are often at a loss to know
how they should support their sorrows ?
  1.  Let the afflicted believer therefore remem-
ber that God chastises him not to destroy, but to
save him.  When the surgeon cuts into a wound,
and  applies irritating liniments, it is done  to
heal it; and so God sends upon  us sufferings and
sorrows to  wean us from the world  and draw  us
nearer to himself and to heaven.
  2.  When God sees  that  our hearts  and affec-
tions are too mucn wedded to any earthly object
>r being, he often finds  it necessary to remove 
        DESIGN OF GOD IN HIS AFFLICTION.     IP7

the idol, so that he alone may have our supreme
love, and that we are to seek and have our chief
delight  in him.  It often happens  that  when
uninterrupted health, happiness, and prosperity
are granted to us for a length of time, we become
weary in  well  doing, and  negligent in prayer.
This is a very great evil, and  God sends some
calamity or affliction upon us to bring us back
to him.   In all this, however, he still remains a
wise, gracious, and  merciful Father, who loves
us sincerely.

                  PRAYER
  My God!  Thou hast  plunged  me into such
Borrow  and tribulation,  that my heart is dis-
turbed,  my lips full of sighs, and my eyes full of
tears!   What shall I do, or whither shall I flee ?
Was I not happy once ?  Did I not enjoy peace
and rest ?   Whence then come my present sor-
rows  and  sufferings?  0 my misery is  great!
But I will  not therefore attempt  to  flee from
thee, my Shepherd.  Hast thou not cast me down
with this heavy blow ?  0 raise me up again with
thy mighty word!  I know full well that this
affliction has  been sent  upon  me, not for my
misery and destruction, but that by putting  me
into this condition, thou wouldst prove  my love,
whether it is true, and  will remain the same in
adversity as in prosperity.  Thou wouldst prove 
108       THE AFFLICTED ONE PRATS
my faith, whether I  truly believe that thou art
an  almighty,  wise, and  merciful God,  capable
alike of  rescuing me from th.s  trouble, and of
leaving me in  it.   Thou wouldst  prove  my
patience, whether I will  honor thee by bearing
the cross without murmuring.  Thou  wouldst
prove my confidence, whether it is ready to trust
thee above all  things, and count upon thy grace,
love, and mercy.  Thou wouldst prove my hope,
whether it will continue even where there seems
to be no ground for hope  to trust  thy word and
promise;  yea, my gracious God and Father!
thou wouldst by this means draw me away from
the world—its lusts, sins  and wicked ways, that
I might  fix my heart  upon thee alone.  Well,
thou God of love, be it  so.  I will submit to thy
will, and cheerfully bear whatsoever thou mayest
see  fit to  lay  upon me.  May the  Holy Spirit
give me strength, power, and endurance.  I will
be patient, let it last as long as it will.   I will
break with  the world and worldly company,
and be one in spirit with  thee.  May this afflic-
tion  purify me,  and  be profitable to  my soul.
Thy help will  come in its own good time.  God
will not desert  me; though  I  be deserted of all
others, I will cling to God.  My heart and mind
shall be faithful to him  and trust in him, and
consign all things to  the care of him who never
will forsake me.  Amen. 
FOB PATIENCE AND ENDURANCE.      199
£0e aflTtctcb one prans for  patience anb Cn6ur«
                     ance.

               EXHORTATION.
  " Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great
recompense of reward.  For ye have need of patience; tha
after ye have  done the will of God, ye might receive the pro-
mise."—Heb. x. 35, 36.
   Patience is a fruit of the Spirit; it comes from
God, and must be asked  of  him in prayer. An
afflicted one must  pray the more zealously and
eagerly, the more his sufferings  beset him, as it
is written of Christ, " And being in  an agony, he
prayed morr earnestly."
   1. It Id patience to  remain quiet under  afflic-
tion, and submit to all the ordinances of God.
The believer  knows  that the  evil comes from
God, who is able again to  remove it.  He knows
that even while he smites him, God loves him
and that he has not ceased  to  be his  heavenly
father, although he has imposed the yoke  upon
him.
  2. Therefore the afflicted one  must not mur-
mur against God, how long or how severe soever
his afflictions may become.  On the contrary, he
resolves to be silent and speak not, knowing that
God will make all things well.
  3. If  perchance  the violence of pain or the
multiformity of sorrow should impair his trust 
 200         THE AFFLICTED ONE PRAYS

 fulness, he must implore  the  Lord to give him
 strength.  God administers consolation in various
 ways; sometimes he awakes  a consciousness in
 our hearts that our sufferings  will shortly cease;
 sometimes he declares he will not forsake us;
 and occasionally he assuages  and mitigates our
 woes.
  4.  This will invigorate the afflicted one, and
 once more  imbue him with  the vigor  of the
 Lord.

                  PRAYER.
  Lord, my God !  my sighs are not unknown to
 thee, and thou art  well  acquainted  with my
 wretchedness and  sorrow.  My  consolu'ion is,
 that  I know it comes from beloved hands.  I
 have not brought it upon myself, but thou hast
 imposed it, and wilt help me to bear it.  And as
 patience is one of the good  gifts which come
 from above, from the father of light, 0 bestow it
 upon me  according  to  thy  mercy.   If thou
strengthen me, if thou help and  bestead me, I
can do everything, nothing will  be impossible
for me, nothing difficult; I  can do all things by
 him whe fortifies me, even Christ. And  do not
seize me too violently, so  that T may endure it.
Have patience with my weakness, strengthen
my sinking hands, brace up my tottering knees,
and say to my faint  heart, " Thy Jesus is near 
         FOR PATIENCE AND ENDURANCE.      201

thee ;  thy king cometh to thee, he is a righteous
and an almighty deliverer."  Yea, Lord, if thou
dost help me, I am well helped; therefore, help
me, 0 my salvation.  Teach me to consider that
it is thy holy will that I should suffer as I do.
I will cheerfully acquiesce, and say," Father, not
my will, but thine, be done."  Call to my mind
thy love, that thou lovest me in suffering  and
affliction,  that  my  griefs will last but  a little
while, and that the sufferings of this little span
are nothing beside the glory which is to be made
manifest in us.  Help me to consider that thou
art my gracious God and loving father, and  that
this present cross is not a sign of thy wrath but
of thy mercy.  Remind me of the example of
my dear Savior Jesus Christ, who patiently  bore
all things.   Grant  that by  thy grace I  may
follow him in this composure; let me suffer with
him, that I  may be also elevated to glory with
him.  Let my affliction not tear my word out of
thy heart, nor impair my faith, nor prevent my
prayers, but give me new power and courage,
whenever I am called upon to weather another
storm.  Give me  to think that thy help will soon
make me glad, and thy strong assistance  give
me joy.  Thou art my rock, my rampart, my
fastness, my shield, my power; so says thy word,
my help, my deliverance, my life; my almighty
God, who can withstand thee ?  Amen. 
^02      THE AFFLICTED  ONE PRAYS FOR
                     HYMN.
L.  My God, do not delay !   O see my lamentation I
   When  wilt thou, O my light!  send  down thj
     consolation!
   At home I suffer much, and when abroad I wend,
   My troubles with  me go, and with me  homeward
     bend.
2.  From  day to  day I hope there will be less  of
     trouble,
   But every day, alas! affliction seems to double;
   My strength is giving out,  my  heart beset with
     fears,
   My face is never dry of overflowing tears.
3.  Such endlessness of care doth even lessen patience:
   When  all my hopes of ease are idle expectations;
   I wait  from  early dawn till  come  the  shades  oi
     night,
   And all the night I yearn to see returning light.
i.  And wilt thou longer still, my God, delay assist
     ance?
   What,  then, will  be my fate?   O what is  mine
     existence?
   0 do not linger yet, O hasten now to me,
   And from these  fetters  set  my wounded  spirit
     free!
I.  Comfort is all with thee, 'tis in thy presentation,
   Thou with a word canst turn aside my lamenta
     tion.
   0 look upon me now!  Come, and thy help afford!
   Relieve my  bitter  cross! have  mercy, gracious
     Lord! 
THE REMOVAL OF HIS AFFLICTION.      208
(LOfc  tpcteb  one prans for t(je remoiaf of $is
                   Affliction.

               EXHORTATION.
  " LiLe a crane, or a swallow, so did I chatter; I did moura ai
a dove; mine eyes fail  with looking upward: O Lord, I am
oppressed ; undertake for me.  Behold, for peace I  had great
litterness; but thou hast in love to my soul delivered it from the
pit of corruption ; for thou hast cast all my sins behind thy back "
—Is. xxxviii. 14,17.
  Our afflictions must have an  end, either in
this life, or  at death, and hence we are permitted
to ask God to remove them; but yet we must be
entirely resigned to his will.
  1.  A Christian may therefore pray for the re-
moval of his affliction, when he feels oppressed
by its severity,  bitterness  and  long duration.
For Christ, our Saviour, did so himself, when he
besought his  heavenly Father to let the bitter
cup pass from him; by doing so, the afflicted one
manifests his devotion and confidence  in  the
omnipotence of God.
  2.  It is better, however, to bear the infliction
submissively and willingly.
  3. He must pray for the removal of his afflic-
tions  from  proper motives; that  he  may be
brought  nearer to God, and by their  removal
may have more strength and time given him tc
Jove  and serve God.  Let not that  man  suppose 
204     THE AFFLICTED ONE PRATS FOE

that his prayer will be heard, who, from impa-
tience, or a love of the sinful pleasures and lusts
of the world, asks the removal of his  afflictions.
As  long as our  hearts remain  carnal,  sensual,
and  earthly in their desires and  affections,  he
permits the cross to continue, until, like a holy
fire, it has consumed all stubbles and  impurities
of sin.

                 PRAYER
  0 thou most  gracious God! who  regardest the
afflicted and distressed, and whose tender mer-
cies are over all thy works; behold, before thy
throne of  grace, a  poor,  sorrowful,  suffering
mortal humbly bows, to implore thy mercy and
aid.  The  hand that  wounded  must heal;  he
that killed, must make alive; wherefore, 0 most
merciful God!   I come to  thee, and cry out:
" Lord, help me !"  0 have mercy upon  me!  let
my prayers and  supplications find favor  before
thee.  0 let me find relief in thee; if thou wilt
not yet  entirely remove my misery,  remove a
portion of it.  Thou wilt forsake thine  only  for
a little moment, and then with everlasting kind-
ness, thou  wilt have mercy upon them.  0 God!
how long wilt thou forsake me ?  How long wilt
thou hide thy face from me ?   Is thy mercy gone
forever?   Have  thy  promises  failed  towards
me ?  No, my  God! unworthy as I am, I confi- 
        THE REMOVAL OF HIS AFFLICTION.     206

dently plead those promises, and trust in thee.
Let me experience that thou art still my Father,
who hast mercy upon me.   Show me that my
prayer is not rejected.  0 how long, how long,
does the heart crave and yearn for thee!  No-
thing is impossible with  thee.   Lord of hosts,  is
thy name; great in majesty and mighty in deeds.
Thou art the Comfort of Israel, and their Deli-
verer ; wherefore, forsake me not, but be merci-
ful unto me and deliver me.   Comfort my  soul
once more, after my sufferings and sorrows have
continued so long.  0 no not remove thy helping
hand from me, my God and my salvation.   But
if the hour of relief has not yet come, let  thy
grace be  sufficient  for  me, and strengthen me
with might in the inward man, that  I  may be
enabled  to bear my afflictions  patiently; for  if
thou, beloved Father, dost help me to carry,  or
dost mitigate it; if I am permitted to walk forth
in thy strength,  I will regard it as a deliverance,
and will thank thee  for the same; and if it be
thy will that they should not be removed in this
life, but that I  should  bear them until death,
thy will be done. If I  am still to suffer here,
Lord Jesus, assist me with thy  power as a knight
and champion;  help me to  vanquish  all my
adversaries. Amen. 
206       THE  AFFLICTED ONE PRATS, ETC,
                   HYMN.
1.  When will God extend his mercies,
     0 how long does he delay!
   Would he shorten my reverses,
     Take my heavy yoke away!
   0 must not I surely perish
   If my Lord will not me cherish ?
   If the Almighty does me spurn,
   Peace can ne'er to me return.

2.  God has promised me securely
     That he will extend his grace,
   When his hour has come, he surely
     Will determine my distress.
   To this word I  fast will hold him,
   That alone has e'er controlled him;
   What his promise speaks, he will
   Most assuredly  fulfil.

3.  I will clamor, notwithstanding,
     " Father, look upon thy child,r
   Unremittingly demanding
     Comfort, like the lost, exiled;
   I will follow wheresoe'er he
   Turns, e'en to his sanctuary;
   III pursue him with my  cries,
   Till his grace relieves my sighs.

4. In Gethsemane's sad garden
     If still longer I must hide,
   My distress shall never harden
     To despair, or swell to pride. 
      THE AFFLICTED  ONE MEDITATES, ETC,    207

   I will bear with patient sorrow,
   And in calmness wait the morrow;
   In this garden, where I groan,
   Jesus suffered, all alone.

5.  I am well content and cheerful
     In God's holy will to rest;
   E'en if he does make me tearful,
     Still I know 'tis for the best
   At the last, my thanks and praises
   Shall be heard in heavenly places;
   Telling unto every one
   What the Lord for me has done.
£§e  apcteu one meuitates  on tje §app*> issue
               of §is flpctions.

               EXHORTATION.

  u For the Lord will not cast off forever,  but though he cause
grief; yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of
his mercies. For the Lord doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve
the children of men."—Lam. iii. 31-33.
  All afflictions are  comparatively light under
the influence  of a strong hope that  they will
soon terminate.
  1.  So  let the afflicted  believer remember that
his sufferings  must certainly have an end, and
perhaps even in  this earthly life;  as God  ended 
208     THE AFFLICTED ONE MEDITATES ON

the banishment of David, the sickness cf Heze
kiah, the misery of Job, the tears  of the widow,
and the pains of the palsied one, even in this
life. But most certainly will  God terminate  the
sufferings of the pious after death, and wipe all
tears from their eyes.
  2. In our afflictions we should remember  that
our souls are to be diverted from the world, and
directed to God.   If this purpose is attained, the
issue of our afflictions is  a happy one, whether
they end in time or in eternity.

                  PRAYER
  Great and eternal God ! thou seest how griev-
ous are the afflictions which  I suffer; yet shall
my faith and  hope not fail, but in the  midst of
my severest trials, I will lift up my eyes to the
hills whence  my help  cometh, even  to  thee,
thou almighty, all-wise,  and most  merciful God.
I know that  after my sorrows, thou wilt again
fill  my heart with  joy—after the  tempest ig
over, the sun will again  shine out.   Thou hast
said thou wilt give rest to  the weary and heavy
laden, and I  now come  to thee, and claim  the
fhlfilment of  this precious promise.  0 grant
me  now the desire of my heart and an answer
to my prayer, if it be  consistent with thine honor
and my soul's best interests.   For in thee  \r<48
my trust, Lord,  Lord,  from  my  youth up.   I 
      THE HAPPT ISSUE OF HIS AFFLICTIONS.    20fl

know that thy right hand can change all things.
Therefore,  alter, if it be thy holy will, my  sad
condition.  I now  see thy gracious design in my
afflictions—thou wouldst make me more humble,
meek and  holy—wouldst  draw  my heart  and
affections more to thyself, that I might hope in
God, and seek my pleasure in him alone;  and
when this  benevolent  and glorious design is
accomplished,  thou  wilt remove the  affliction
and again  fill  me with  joy and  happiness.  0
what blessed fruit will I gather from this bittei
tree! what great advantage will I reap from my
sufferings!   David's persecutions, led to  the
composition  of his most beautiful Psalms; so
shall my tears yield a harvest  of the most  pre-
cious fruits, and the thorns with which my path
is now  strewed,  shall  bear  roses.  After  the
battle shall come  the victory, after the conflict
the crown of glory—after sufferings, the deliver-
ance, and after the night of weeping and sorrow,
the joyful morning.  For  this I  will praise and
bless thy  holy name.  Bless  the Lord, 0 my
soul, and forget not all his  benefits.  How glori-
ous at the last day, shall be that happy deliver-
ance, when, free from all evil, I shall enter upon
the life of heavenly gladness.   Surely this is not
the  fruit of our  afflictions?   What  have we
known  upon earth before, but sorrow and resig- 
210   THE AFFLICTED ONE MEDITATES ON, ETC,

nation?   We  have  been  greatly grieved, and
yte-i God has given us an hour of bliss.  Amea


                     HYMN.
1.  0 has my Jesus quite and utterly forsaken
   This hapless  heart, and  must  I  ne'er to  blisi
     awaken ?
   0, if my dearest friend will not return again,
   Who will stretch forth  his hand to mitigate my
     pain?

2.  O when will Jesus come ?  Others  are blessed to
     sun them,
   In honors and in wealth, with  favors  thick upon
     them.
   And I alone must sigh, and I alone must weep
   In my dumb,  speechless woe, and let God's  mercy
     sleep!

8.  Patience  from  my distress  has  almost wholly
     vanished,
   For all my hopes  are  turned  to  nothingness, and
     banished;
   Where'er  I seek  his  face, his  face no more is
     known;
   When I stretch forth my hand to clasp him, he is
     gone.

i.  Be calm and still, my soul,  forego thy lamentation,
   It is the will of God; submit with resignation.
   The absence of thy Lord doth give thee bitterness;
   But soon he will return to  silence thy distress 
         AFFLICTED WIDOWS PRAT TO GOD.     211

5. Thy Jesus soon will come, and in  his arms enfold
     thee;
   Rejoice, his mercy soon shall cheer thee and em-
     bold thee.
   He sees what thou dost bear, and  in a little ^hile
   His never failing grace upon thy path shall smile,
affficteb roiuoros  pour out  tfjeir  (jearts  6efore


               EXHORTATION.
  " Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.  If thoa
afflict them in any wise, and they cry at all unto me, I will surely
hear their cry."—Ex. xxii. 22, 23.
  " I am indeed  a widow woman, and my hus-
band is dead."—2  Sam.  xiv. 5;  thus doth the
wise woman of Tekoah describe a widow.
  1. The widow's lot is a  state of sorrow, inas-
much  as she  is  deprived  of the  help, advice,
presence, and affection of her husband, which is
a severe loss even to rich widows; poor  ones
suffer  the  more grievously, because death has
robbed them  of the person whose duty it was,
with the assistance of God, to support them and
their children.
  2. The widow's lot is  a  state  of  affliction, 
212     AFFLICTED WIDOWS PRaT TO GOD.

because unchristian people often do violence to
widows, rob them of their own, oppress, despise,
and wrong them.
  3. But it is also under the protection of God.
He has commanded all men to do no harm unto
widows  and  orphans, and has threatened to
revenge every wrong perpetrated against them.
God  has promised to be the  husband  of the
widow, her judge and deliverer.
  4. In view of  this, pious  widows must not
despair  of God's  assistance, for though  their
husbands be dead, God is not dead.
  5.  They must regard their afflictions as trials
of their hope and trust in God.
  6. Therefore they must persevere  in  prayer,
serve God  faithfully, lead  a pious, quiet,  and
Christian life, and God  will surely provide foj
them, nourish and  sustain them.

                  PRAYER
  0 thou gracious and most merciful  God!  who
art the refuge of all the  bereaved and afflicted.
It has pleased thee, in thy wise and inscrutable
Providence, to place me into the dreary state of
widowhood.  My sun has set at mid-day, and the
crown has  fallen  from my head.  I am  indeed
■i widow woman,  and  my husband  is dead
What shall I do,  or whither shall I go?   Tc
whom shall I look for  counsel and  direction  '< 
        AFFLICTED WIDOWS PRAT TO GOD.     218

1 ord! I come and cast myself upon thee.   Thou
hast promised in thy holy word that thou wilt
be the Judge of the widow, and  the Father of
the fatherless—" I the Lord, am thy husband;
the God of Israel is my name."   0 therefore, be
thou my judge,  my help, my deliverer, my re-
fuge, and the Father of  my children.    Behold
my tears  and hear my sighs, and have mercy
upon  me.   My God and  Father!  I  believe
most firmly, that thou canst protect, sustain and
provide for  me  and  mine without a  husband
Lord !  Lead me as thou didst Naomi;  and take
care of me and  provide for me, as thou didst for
Ruth.   Bless me as thou  didst  the widow of
Zarephath, that my "barrel of meal may not
waste,  nor my cruse  of oil fail."   Have compas-
sion on me as thou hadst on the widow of Nain,
and wipe away the tears from my weeping eyes.
Lord !  Provide  for me, and for those intrusted to
my care our daily bread. Bless  my going out
and coming in; keep me in all  my ways; pre-
serve me  from every evil;  and let me realise
the  fulfilment  of all  thy  precious   promises.
Thou art the  living God, and  my only refuge,
and I will confide and trust in thee, with all my
heart and soul.   Thou art all-wise, and knowest
 what is best for me; powerful, and able to pro
 tect me; hast all riches,  and ait therefore able
 to provide for  me  and  supply  all my  wants; 
814      AFFLICTED WIDOWS PBAT TO GOD.

merciful enough to give me everything I need;
and thou art everywhere present, and therefore
art acquainted with all my wants, sorrows, and
afflictions, and art  ever near  to  help.  Shall a
traveller depend upon his guide to direct him in
the road in which he should go ?  Shall he that
is sick trust  his body and life in the hands of his
physician ? and shall I be afraid to trust in the
living  God ?  Have mercy upon  me, 0  Lord
God of my salvation, and help me for thy name
sake.   Father and  mother  leave me, 0 do thou
take me up.   Behold, 0 Lord, how great are the
sorrows of my soul! but thou hast ever looked
in mercy on my  soul, that it might not perish.
Assist me to my lonely life  of faith  and piety,
ever to rejoice in thee, and  to  offend no one.  1
know that those that serve  God  shall be com
forted in all  their troubles, and delivered  from
tribulations,   and after the  chastisement  they
shall find grace.   Widows are in the  arms of
God, orphans are in his lap, he will have mercy
upon them in the depths of affliction •  for the
unrighteous  man who wrongs the  orphan or
oppresses the widow, offends the apple of God's
eye.   If they remain  in  the  limits God has
assigned  them,  and never  rwerve,  they  shall
reach the heavenly mansions where  all sorrow
ceases, and where the wail of the widow  shall
be heard no  more.   Grant that joy may succeed 
          AFFLICTED WIDOWS PRAT TO GOD.      216

my sorrows, peace my troubles, and consolation
ray tears and distress.  Convert all  my enemies
into friends, and give me grace in the sight of
all men.   Amen.

                     HYMN.

1.  Widows be comforted, and lay aside your weeping,
   The  God  of comforts now will take you in his
     keeping.
   The widows' husband, he forbids you to despair,
   And bids you trust in him with  confidence and
     prayer.

2.  The widows' husband, he will never  more forsake
     you;
   When  you appear to sink, he in his arms will take
     you.
   He is your husband, he, the Lord of many Hosts;
   He steers your fragile bark round cliffs, and stornry
     coasts.

8,  The widows' husband, he will clothe you, and will
     feed  you;
   How could he hear your cries of anguish, and not
    heed you ?
   He knows  your  hapless plight, the troubles that
     you toss,
   And he will bear you  up through all tlrs bittei
     cross.
4.  The  widows'  husband, he  is still  your  best
     defender,
   TTnto your foes he will the direst justice render 
216   FORSAKEN ORPHANS COMPLAIN TO GOD.
   He hears your voice of woe, he  takes you  to hit
     arms,
   And with his mighty hand protects you from all
     harm.

£>.  The widows' husband,  he will give to overflowing
   Whate'er  your  sustenance  shall  need of  his
     bestowing;
   If in his wisdom your bereavement he ordained,
   His doubly  bounteous  care you  thereby have
     obtained.
     eforsafien  DrpQcms compfain  to  %ob.

               EXHORTATION.

  " When my father and mother forsake me, then the Lord will
take me np."—Ps. xxvii. 10.
  The situation of children, left orphans by the
death of their  parents, is often one  of deep dis-
tress.  Deprived of father and mother, they are
often compelled to live, to serve, to help them-
selves as  best  they can, among  strangers.  Sad
as is their lot, however, it often  produces much
good in the  hearts of orphans,  when they fear
God.
  1. Let, therefore,  orphans  remember, that
though  deprived of their  earthly  parents, they
have a rich Father in heaven. 
FORSAKEN ORPHANS COMPLAIN TO GOD.   217
  2.  They should  remember  that  God  often
bereaves children  of their parents, in order to
teach them how richly and abundantly he can pro-
vide  for them and take care of them without the
assistance of earthly parents.  How many thou-
sand examples of this kind has God given to the
world !  where children left destitute, were never-
theless  taken care  of  and blessed, and became
rich  and  great, and were respected  and loved.
They might adopt  the language of Jacob, and
say; " with" (nothing but)  " my staff I passed
over this Jordan;" I left home with the wan-
derer's staff of  poverty and  life, and what I now
have God hath given me.
   3. Orphans must also persevere in  their trust
in God, be humble towards  all, diligent in busi-
ness, devout  in  prayer, zealous in attending
divine worship, attentive as listeners, chaste in
their lives, godly in their walk, faithful in their
avocations, upright  in  all  their dealings, must
have God before their eyes and in their hearts,
assent to no sin, and  never transgress the com-
mands  of God.   If they remain within  these
limits, God will certainly not forsake them; he
will lead them marvellously, but gloriously, so
fchat they will  have  cause  to praise his  power
and goodness all their lives. 
218  FORSAKEN ORPHANS COMPLAIN TO GOD.

                 PRAYER
  Gracious and merciful  God  and Father!  a.
thine exalted throne, I, a  poor, forsaken, and
afflicted orphan, would now humbly bow, and
beseech thee to take me under  thy fatherly pro-
tection. It has pleased thee,  in thy wise and
mysterious Providence, to  deprive me of my
earthly parents; ah! whither  shall I now flee ?
I am left an orphan; I have  no  father more, who
will take pity on  me !  Blessed Father, I come
to thee; do  thou have mercy on me, and  own
me as  thy child.  Thou hast  brought me into
the world, and hitherto provided for l e, in thee
I have set my trust from my  youth  up.  Dost
thou not feed the fowls of the air, and  clothe the
flowers and  grass of the  field, and provide for
the deer of the forest, and wilt  thou not also
feed  and  clothe me as a  faithful father, and
have  mercy upon me, and be  gracious unto
me ?   Mine eyes  yearn  for  thee.   I lift up
mine   eyes  to  the  hills whence  my  help
cometh; my help cometh from the Lord, who
made  heaven and earth.   I know that though
all men should forsake  me, thou wilt not cast
me off.  How many examples  do I see around
me of persons who  were deprived  of their
parents in  their  childhood, whom  thou  hast
led, supported,  and provided  for in the most 
      FORSAKEN ORPHANS COMPLAIN TO GOD.   219

wonderful  manner.  Great  God!  thou didst
deliver the infant Moses, when exposed  on  the
banks of the Nile ; and shall I not also be rescued
from beneath the waves of affliction which now
roll so heavily over me, and threaten to swallow
me up ?  0, Lord Jesus! who didst suffer little
children to come unto thee, and forbid them  not,
bless  me  also, take me into  the arms of  thy
mercy, carry me, and protect me from harm.   0
most  precious  Holy Ghost, the  leader of the
faithful, do thou lead me  also.  Teach  me thy
ways, 0 Lord, guide me in thy truth, unite my
heart to  fear thy name.  0 thou triune God!
Be my defender, who will keep me;  my helper,
who  will bestead me; my escort, when I gc
abroad  and when I return home.   Bestow upon
me friends wherever I  go;  raise up patrons and
benefactors who will take pity on my loneliness ;
let my  guardians be filled with love towards me.
Do good unto them also according to thy grace;
 preserve  them from  misfortune,  and   reward
 them with  temporal, spiritual, and eternal  bles-
 sings, for all the kindness they show me.   Give
 me an  humble and obedient heart;  so  that mv
 pcrverseness and sinful faults may not forfeit
 the  favor  of  my well-wishers.   Preserve me
 from temptation, that I may not be induced by
 poverty to  deny thee,  but help me to  increase
 constantly in the knowledge  and love  of  thee. 
220   FORSAKEN ORPHANS COMPLAIN TO GOD

Let thy good spirit  direct, sanctify, govern and
guard me at all times, so that evil company may
not seduce me into wanton sin.  Let me not
lapse  into  unchastity, and save me  from per-
verseness of heart. 0 gracious God and Father,
frighten me away from the paths of ungodliness.
Reprimand me when I am seized by the lust of
evil.   Uphold  me when  I  stumble,  raise me
when I fall, turn  my steps when  I would err;
strengthen  me when I  am  weak, make  me
whole  when  I sicken.   0  faithful God and
Father! if at any time  thou shouldst see me
about to give way to sin, may I hear  thy  warn-
ing voice.  I consecrate to thee  my  soul and
body, and commit all my ways  into thy hands.
0  how will  I  thank, how will I praise thee
for  thy benefits!  my  tongue  shall  say, this
has God done.  God has blessed me, kept me;
clothed, led, sustained me; aye, I will proclaim
to all the world thy fatherly goodness.   0 Lord,
Lord !  Hear the prayer of the forsaken orphan,
hear the voice of thy child.  I know thou canst
help me;  help me, Lord, for the sake of thy
mercy, so  that I may  say to  thy  praise, the
Lord has done great things to me, whereof I am
glad.   For, as  thou art my God and father,
thou wilt  not forsake thy child.  I am a poor
clod of earth, on earth  I  have no comfort
Amen. 
       FORSAKEN ORPHANS COMPLAIN TO GOD.   22)

                      HYMN.

   Orphans, do not repine!   Be not so spirit-stricken,
   Rely upon your God, he will your sadness quicken,
   Although your parents both no  more your suffer-
      ings heed,
   God lives and while he Uvea, ye nevermore shall
      need.

 2, God feeds the orphans still, and  gives  them enter-
      tainment,
   Protection,  and  support,  shelter  and food  and
      raiment
   Resign yourselves to him, he will you well defend,
   He will your bulwark be, your guardian, and your
      friend.

 8, God is a  God of wealth, and will most richly lavish
   His comforts  upon  you.  Distress  shall  nevei
      ravish
   The little that ye have.  Although the store  be
      small
   His husbandry will make it large enough for all.

 4r. Be of  good cheer!  Ye have a share in  the pre-
      diction
   That he will rescue all the wretched from affliction.
   Arise and look around, and soon you shall behold
   The word shall be fulfilled, so mercifully told.

5  Be  pious, never leave the  pathway strait and
     narrow,
   And let  impatience  not your  spirits  chafe and
     harrow; 
222      THE AFFLICTED ONE COMPLAINS
Put still your trust in God, and  swerve  not from
  his side;
Then here and there above great bliss  shall you
  betide
 Elje afflicteb one compfains of tl)e Itfea&ness of
                   Ois <f<rit§.

               EXHORTATION.

   ml. bmised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flai
H*ail he not qnench."—Is. xiii. 3.
  " Lord, increase onr faith."—Lnke xvii. 5.
  If anything is capable  of frightening the soul
of a true believer, it is when he imagines that he
does not pray in  a proper manner, or that his
faith is not a livrng faith, which leads to  doubts
of his salvation.   In such cases, the following
reflections may be of service.
   1. Let  the  desponding  Christian be assured,
that the prayer which is offered up in the name
of Jesus, in reliance upon his blood and  merits,
is a prayer correctly spoken.
   2. The fact that he  has a desire  to believe is
an evidence  that he  has already believed; for
this desire is a work of the Holy Ghost; a god-
 less man does not desire to believe 
OF THE WEAKNESS OF HIS FAITH.     223
  3.  Satan cannot extinguish the light of faith
in our hearts.
  4. The fact that  a believer does  not at all
times feel the same degree of happiness in prayer,
is no evidence that he has no faith, no more than
coals concealed beneath the ashes prove the fire
to be extinguished.
  5. The best evidence that we have  faith is the
fact that we  strive  against sin, and that the
fruits of the Spirit appear in our lives.  But the
fruit of the Spirit  is love, joy, peace, long-suffer-
ing, gentleness, goodness,  faith,  meekness,  tem-
perance ; against such there is no law."—Gal. v.
22, 23.  For such frightened souls are  afraid to
speak or to do evil.
  6. Our faith may be strengthened by prayer,
reading God's word, patient continuance in well-
doing, hope in God.
  7. Christ has died for the weak in faith  as
well as for others, and prays for them, that their
faith fail not; and even if they should feel them-
selves  unable  to believe  this,  it is still  true,
because taught in God's holy word.

                   PRAYER
  0 thou most merciful God ! I  know from thy
blessed word that it is by faith alone that I can
be saved, and that " without faith, it is impossi-
ble to please thee;"  and as I desire to please thee 
224  THE AFFLICTED ONE COMPLAINS OF FOUL,

and to be  saved, I am greatly alarmed and dis-
tressed on account of the weakness of my faith.
0 therefore, kindle anew the light of faith in my
soul, that I may know thee, the true  and living
God, as thou hast revealed thyself in  thy word.
0 that I may be enabled to trust thy word and
promise fully, which assures me of the pardon of
sin through Jesus Christ.   For  at  times, me-
thinks, I do not pray aright; I have no faith, or
Bhall not persevere in faith to the end.  This I
confide to thee, my God,  because I  know that
all good and perfect gifts come from above.   As
faith is not common property, but is  thy gift, 1
beseech  thee to strengthen my weak faith.  A
bruised reed thou  wilt not break, and the smok
ing flax thou wilt  not quench.   0 God! engrave
upon my  heart the consolation that a prayer
founded upon the  merits and death of Jesus  is a
true prayer, and that a weak  faith which clings
to thee, 0 triune God! that is, to thee, 0 heav-
enly Father as a  Creator, to  thee, 0  Jesus!  as
our only Saviour and Redeemer, and  to  thee, 0
Holy Ghost! as our Sanctifier and Comforter,—
is a saving faith,  well  pleasing unto thee.  0
my Jesus !  pray for me  as thou didst intercede
for Peter, that my faith fail not.  Seal in me the
consolation that I have been purchased with thy
precious blood, and have become  thy child  iE
holy baptism; and that  my weak   faith  and 
      SINFUL, AND BLASPHEMOUS THOUGHTS.     225

prayer is not rejected, for the  sake of thy inter-
cession.  And 0 thou gracious  Spirit! work in
me the real fruits of faith, impel me, sanctify
me, reign in me and rule over me, yea, dwell in
me; bear witness unto  my spirit that I  am  a
child of God;  and  greatly  increase  my  faith;
may the fruits  of a living faith  appear  abund-
antly in my life, and be  seen  of all men.  If
thou  wilt  vouchsafe me  this, 0  triune  God, I
will gladly be content with my feeble faith.  0
my God, before  whom I appear in this my great
affliction, hear how I pray, and  let me  not be
forsaken; demolish the works of Satan, strengthen
my  weak  faith, let me never  repine, but  still
wear Christ in my heart.  Amen.
flQe  Qpcteo one compfains  of  fouf,  sinfuf, ano
            6fasp§emous  Pougijts.

               EXHORTATION.

  " For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might de-
<>art from me, and he said unto  me, My grace is snfficiout foi
thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness."—2 Cor.
ui. 7-9.
  It is distressing to hear the groans and sighs of
one  who is suffering  severe bodily  pains;  bui
much  more so to see one  overwhelmed by an- 
■ 226  THE  A.FFLIOTED ONE COMPLAINS OF FOUL,

 guish of  soul, on account  of  sinful and bias-
 phemous  thoughts.   Now  such tempted  and
 sorrowful  souls  may find  some  consolation in
 the following reflections:
   1. These  temptations, depression, fright, and
 spiritual trials are  sent by God, according to
 whose will they must suffer these things.  Not
 a hair of our heads falls to  the  ground without
 his notice; much less can so heavy an affliction
 come upon us without his will.
    2. Pious Christians perceive  these  foul  and
 wicked  thoughts with  alarm.   Unconverted
 people  have them  too, but they laugh ove:
 them.
    3. The fact  that the pious are alarmed by
 them, is a  sign that they love God in their hearts,
 and are in a state of grace and faith.
    4. This fright on account of sinful thoughts is
 a proof  that Jesus and the Holy Ghost still dwell
 in our hearts;  if Satan occupied them, as the
 afflicted ones think, they would not be disturbed
 by them.
    5. Believers must never permit sinful thoughts,
 to keep  them from prayer, and  the  reading and
 hearing of God's Word, on the contrary, they
 should pray and read much and often.
   6. Even if the evil thoughts will not permit
 them to pray nor to think of God, their very
 complaint is in itself a prayer, and their groans 
      SINFUL, AND BLASPHEMOUS THOUGHTS.   227

a sure sign of the presence of God in their hearts;
for this desire springs from the grace that is in
them;  and  in  weeping and wailing, they pray
most fervently and effectually.
  7. Although  they  imagine that they offend
God in everything  they do, God will not judge
them harshly, but considers their effort and their
desire.
  8. They must bear  patiently to the end, for
God will at last release and refresh them.
  9. These trials make the afflicted one humble,
devout,  cautious, pious, loth to say or do evil,
and purify the  heart of evil habits and faults,
and luken armness in prayer and in the hearing
of God's holy Word; is not this great gain ?
  10. These reflections  should be  entertained
and meditated  on,  and   further  expositions
requested of the friends of God.  Besides, corpor-
al medicine should  be taken, as well as exercise,
in the open  air in the society of Christians,  and
solitude  avoided.  It may be well at  times  to
sing with  those  around.  It is  also  advisable
frequently to read the 8th chapter of the Epistle
to the Romans, and the 27th and 88th Psalms.

                  PRAYER
  Most  holy Lord ! thou who dwellest in the
praise  of  Israel,  and whom  angels   and  the
heavenly hosts  unceasingly praise and  adore,  I, 
228  THE AFFLICTED ONE COMPLAINS OF FOUL,

a poor afflicted soul, prostrate myself before thy
throne of grace.  I am greatly distressed by sore
temptations and by sinful  and  blasphemous
thoughts, which  almost daily  assail  me, and
hinder my prayers  and communion with thee.
Thou, omniscient God, knowest well, how these
" fiery darts" strike and wound my soul, how they
torture and harass me.  But they are contrary
to my will, and I daily strive and  pray against
them, and weep  and mourn over them.  0 my
God, do not make me accountable for that which
takes place against my will.   Thou seest how I
struggle, how I wrestle, how I sigh, how I detest
them, and would fain expel them from my heart.
0  Lord! Let not thy hand be  too heavy upon
me, lest I perish.  Be gracious unto me, for I am
feeble.   0 how do I tremble, when I see that the
evil hour is on  me.  Refresh me, 0 thou  triune
God, and when the evil hour with its terrors has
passed over, let me  experience again the abun-
dant consolation of thy holy presence.   In the
midst of my sufferings, speak a word of comfort
to my soul, to which I may cling, and by which
I may raise myself, and bravely renew the fight.
If my woe is to be of long duration, 0  give me
great patience and  power  of endurance.  Pre-
serve me from unbelief and despondency; but
let thy Spirit bear witness unto my spirit, that I
am thy child.   Thou hast said, those shall nevei 
      SINFUL, AND BLASPHEMOUS THOUGHTS.   229

be put to shame who trust in thee : Lord, in thee
alone do I trust, let me never be  put to  shame;
but deliver me by thy righteousness, and hasten
to my assistance.  Be thou my rock, my strong
tower, and deliverer.  Guide and protect me foi
thy name's sake.   Thou hast said, that thy grace
shall never depart  from me, but that  eternal
grace shall be mine.  Lift  up the light of thy
countenance upon me, and  grant me thy peace.
0 my father! let thine hour come, when thou
wilt remove  these  terrors, strengthen me, pre
serve me, protect my heart with  a  rampart, sur-
round it  like the house of Job, so that at last
evil thoughts shall no longer enter it, and that,
by thy power, I may be  enabled to despise them.
Thou, faithful God, wilt not permit me  to be
tempted  beyond my  power to resist.  Assuage
my fear,  and I will  receive  that  also as a relief,
until at last, in thine own  good time, thou wilt
relieve me entirely.  Jesus, thou fountain of mer-
cies,  thou who  dost discard no  one  who  is
afflicted, but dost extend comfort to  all; even
where faith is no larger  than a grain of mustard-
Beed, thou dost still think  it worthy to remove
mountains. Let me find  consolation  for  my
sorrows,  in thee; help me to conquer, whenever
I must fight; daily  increase my faith, honor  the
sword of thy Spirit, so that I may smite the foe,
and turn aside the arrows of his wrath.  Amen. 
280  COMFORT UNDER BLASPHEMOUS THOUGHTS


     (Comfort unbet  ufasp(jemous tQougljts.

                     HYMN.

1.  Avaunt, out of  my  soul, ye thoughts foul and
     Satanic,
   God is my guiding star through terror and through
     panic.
   With all  your  hideousness, you cannot make me
     fear;
   Ye but prepare my soul to dwell in better cheer.

2.  God will not hold me for the things of my aversion
   Which I detest  and  spurn, and seek with great
     exertion
   To banish  from my soul! God knows my real
     mind,
   That here I am  not  free, but governed  and con-
     fined.

8  This  horrid blasphemy goads me almost to mad-
     ness;
   I sigh,  and  weep, and wail, with groans beyond all
     sadness;
   But it is all without, it enters not my heart,
   Against that I contend, till sweat-drops  from me
     start

4  So long as I contend,  with God's divine assistance,
   And meet  the poisoned  darts  with undismayed
     resistance,
   Their venom enters not the currents of my soul,
   [n Jesus' blood I still am  undefiled  and whole. 
     COMFORT  UNDER BLASPHEMOUS THOUGHTS. 281

5 Though Satan's messenger forever comes to smite
     me,
   ADd to his deeds of sin endeavors to incite me;
  His buffets are my hurt, and not my evil deeds,
  And to be  spared them all  my  heart  sinoerelj
     pleads. 
 
 
■■2 
             PAET   III.
EXHORTATIONS, PRATERS  AND  HYMNS
              for (fie Stcft
         JTtorning proper in Offness

              EXHORTATION.
  •* As for me, I will call upon God;  and the Lord shall sav«
me.  Evening, morning, and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud ;
and he shall hear my voice."—Psalm lv. 16,17.
  Although God permits illness to befall us, we
must not on that account  abstain from  prayer,
but must pray the more; and the more our sick-
ness increases in severity, the more fervent should
our prayers become, as Luke testifies of Christ:
" And  being in  an agony, he prayed more  ear-
nestly."—Luke xxii. 44.
  1. When laid by God upon a bed of sickness,
we should raise our hearts to God at break of
day, and praise him for the protection extended
during the past  night.  If the night's rest has
been disturbed and  broken, we should pray for
relief; if it has been quiet and  calm, our thanks 
286      MORNING PRAYER IN ILLNESS.
  2. Having thus directed our hearts to God in
the morning, we should bring our prayers to the
throne of  grace, recommend  ourselves to  the
divine protection for the day, think of God, and
suffer patiently what he inflicts upon us.
  3. We must remember that Jesus  stands at
our bed of sickness, to refresh and  watch over,
and also  to teach  and  instruct us.  Possibly,
while in health, we  have  not  been  properly
assiduous  in our attention upon  divine worship
and in prayer; God desires to make  us conscious
of this remissness, so that we may learn to pray
more devoutly, and to  see that comfort fails us
because in times of health we have not laid in a
sufficient  store of  comforts and  Bible passages.
If we have loved God and his word, sickness is
to be regarded  as a dispensation to enable  us to
make a practical application of  what we  have
heard of patience, trust in God, calmness, and
resignation unto the will of God.

                  PRAYER
  0 most  holy triune God! Father,  Son  and
Holy Ghost!   I come  before thy  most holy
throne, and thank  thee that thou hast let  me
live  to behold  this  day.  Thou  knowest, Lord,
how I have spent the night upon  my bed of sick-
ness ; yet I cannot  sufficiently praise thee that
thou hast suffered me  again to behold the light 
          MORNING PRATER IN ILLNESS.      287

of the sun, and all my pains and pangs to pass
away.   0  thou God of love! I  thank thee for
thy boundless love.  0 mighty God ! I thank thee
for thy blessing and assistance.   Thine eye has
watched over me  this  night; thy hand has cov-
ered me, thy grace has kept me.  0 my God \
the sun rises  again : 0 let thy grace also rise over
me anew; give me this day new powers, new
grace and  new patience, to bear my woes wil-
lingly and calmly.  Lord, my God, it has pleased
thee to lay me upon this bed of sickness; I will
remain upon  it as long as it pleases thee.  Per-
haps it is thy purpose to separate me from my
accustomed sins, and to speak with me alone, to
teach and direct me how I shall  serve the inte
rests of my soul.  I now have time to review my
past life, to inquire  whether I have  served,
honored  and obeyed  thee.  I am grieved and
ashamed, and desire to be truly penitent, and to
make a new covenant with thee, and to work
out my salvation with fear and trembling.—
Grant,  0 Jesus 1 that I may have my heart with
thee all day, that I may pray devoutly, think
of thy  wounds, blood,  and death, and meditate
the true salvation  and eternal  welfare  of my
soul.   Remind me of  the comforts of thy holy
word;  assure me  of thy fatherly kindness; seal
the promise of thy grace upon  my  heart, and
make  me  certain  of thy  speedy deliverance 
288                 HYMN.

Guard me to-day  against sudden attacks, new
pains, sorrowful hours, and all sorts of suffering.
Refresh  me in my prostration, and strengthen
me in my weakness by thy Holy Ghost.   But if
it be thy will that  I should have pain and suffer-
ing this day, 0 remain with me, and do  not for-
sake me.  Help me to end the day in peace and
bliss, and to accept in  calmness and resignation
whatsoever thou layest upon me.  Behold, here
am I, Lord, do with me  according  to thy will;
thou art my Father, I am thy child: thou canst
preserve my life, and make me rejoice with thy
comfort.   At evening, I will  extol thy goodness,
and heartily praise thy mercy for all  thy bene-
fits.  My body and my soul, with my  mind and
understanding,  I  consign to thee, great God!
into  thy mighty hand.  Lord, my Shield, my
Glory and my Greatness,  take me for thine  own.
Send thy angel to  me, to avert the power, cun-
ning and designs of the evil one, and  to watch
over me, and at the last,  to lead me to the real
of thy saints.  Amen.


                   HYMN.

   1. In distress, and pain,  and sickness,
        I have spent the weary night;
     Now, I feel a  flush of quickness,
        With the sun's returning light 
HYMN.
   Therefore, to begin the day,
   Let me read, and sing, and pray;
   Though 'tis  faint and feebly spoken,
   God will not disdain the token.

t.  Lord, it is by thy appointment
     That I here am racked with pain;
   And thy Spirit's best anointment
     Rests on all thou dost ordain.
   When a father smites his sod
   For his welfare it is done;
   I receive thy dispensation
   Gith a glad  anticipation.

8.  By thy grace, another morning
     I have now been spared to see;
   Let me see the night returning
     If thy gracious will it be.
   Give my spirit rest and peace
   And my body's anguish, ease.
   Shed thy grace, in  all its splendor,
   Gladness to my soul to render.

L  Yet thy will shall be the measure
     Of my wishes, Lord ! alone;
   Yes, thy sovereign will and pleasure
     In all things be surely done.
   If my sufferings must be long,
   My obedience shall be strong.
   Life and death, together knitted,
   All are to thy  will  committed. 
MO       EVENING PRAYER IN  ILLNESS.
          Eoenmg ]Jraner fn Otfness.

               EXHORTATION.
  " I cried unto God with my voice, even unto God with my
?oice ; and he gave ear unto me.  In the day of my trcaole I
{ought the Lord : my sore ran in the night and ceased not: mj
soul refused to be comforted."—Psalm lxxviL 2, 3.
  In view of the thousand accidents which  may
befall a man by day  and by night, he must never
rise or  retire to rest without consigning  his body
and his soul to the strong guardianship of a gra-
cious  God.  This is particularly important in
times of sickness.
  1.  When God has helped a sick man  to reach
the close of a day, he must  thank  him  for his
merciful support.
  2. At the approach of night, of which the sick
often have a peculiar dread,  he must again draw
near to  God  in prayer, and beseech  him in
mercy  to avert all dangerous  attacks and  pains.
  3. Having thus given body and  soul into the
Lord's  keeping, he must not doubt that the triune
God will he, throughout the night, his Light and
his support; that he will stand at  his bedside,
will watch and nurse him, forgive his sins for the
sake of the death of  Jesus, and be gracious  unto
him.   With thoughts like these the sick  man
must resign himself wholly to the divine wisdom,
love, care and protection. 
          EVENING PRAYER IN ILLNESS.      241

                  PRAYER

  0  thou merciful God!  I have reached the
close of another day.  Thou, Lord!  Lord! hast
prolonged my life to this hour; therefore, I give
the thanks and praise  of a warm heart to thy
fatherly love and truth.  Especially do I praise
thy name for having aided me to bear my cross
and  sufferings  this day.   Oh Lord,  thou dost
impose a  burden,  and  thou dost also assist  in
bearing it. We have  a God who helps, and a
Lord who delivers from death.  The Lord afflicts,
it is true, but his mercy returns in virtue of hie
great goodness.  The  Lord is  a  gracious and a
kind friend to all who call upon  his  name.   He
hears the cries  of the  distressed, and does not
refuse  their prayer.  0 great God,  the night
approaches, and  I turn to thee in prayer, saying,
" My father, remain with me, and do not depart
from me this night."   Aye, command thy angels
to come and defend thy property in me, give  us
those brave sentinels to secure  us against the
assaults of Satan, then shall we sleep in thy
name, while the holy angels guard us, and praise
thee, most holy Trinity, for ever more.  Avert
this night all sudden and dangerous attacks and
spasms, soothe  my pains, preserve  me against
fright, fear, and misfortune.  0 heavenly father!
Remain with thy sick child; when thy gracious 
242
HYMN.
presence hovers over me, I am not afraid.   The
Lord is my light and my salvation; whom should
I fear ?  The Lord is the vigor of my life, whom
should I dread ?  0 Jesus! the sun is setting,
but thou, 0 sun of righteousness, wilt not depart.
0 my Jesus!  take me into thy arms this night.
Lay my head upon thy left hand, and thy right
hand  upon me.  0 most  precious Holy Ghost!
thou comforter of the  afflicted and resource of
the wretched, do thou stay with me, strengthen
me, preserve  me in the true faith and  in Chris-
tian patience.  0  thou  holy  trinity, take  me
into thy protection.  The Lord  bless me and
keep  me; the Lord let  his countenance  shine
upon me and be gracious  unto me; the Lord lift
up his countenance over  me, and give me peace.
And if this night should  be my last in  this vale
sf sorrows, Lord, take me into heaven, into  thy
happy mansions.   And thus I  live and die for
thee,  thou mighty Lord of Hosts, in  life and
death  thou  wilt  deliver me from  all  evil
Amen.
                   HYMN.
   1.  For rest and peace I'll look around me,
        For I am weary of distress,
      Till Jesus in his sleep has bound me,
        I shall not know true happiness.
      The sleep that Jesus gives, alone
      Brings rest when we  have wear? grown 
HYMN.
2.  My bed, so silent, sad, and lonely,
     Is little better than the grave;
   But if I have my Jesus only,
     No better resting place I crave.
   Upon his faithful bosom laid,
   My doubts and troubles all are stayed.

5.  When I dispose the clothes around me,
     I think the earth will soon be cast
   Upon me, when the grave has bound me,
     And I am laid to rest at last
   But if my Jesus there I see,
   The grave is but a bed to me.

4.  When I suppress the burning taper,
     I think that,  as the night is dark,
   So all will be dissolved in vapor,
     When life deserts my little bark.
   But Jesus, beacon of my soul,
   Shall never fail to keep me whole.

5  As I throw off my olothes, I ponder
     Upon my last disrobing day,
   When I shall leave the world for yonde?
     Small chamber in the house of clay.
   Farewell, farewell, my earthly dress,
   I we*r the Saviour's righteousness. 
244    PRAYER FOR PATIENCE IN ILLNESS.


       Proger for patience in Offness

               EXHORTATION.

  " Why art thou cast down, 0 my sonl 1 and why art then di»
quieted within me ? Hope in God; for I shall yet praise him
who is the health of my coantenance, and my God ?"—Psalm,
xliii. 5.
  Patience  is  necessary,  to fulfil the will of
God; for surely he who would  fulfil God's will,
must not be perverse or  self-willed, but patient
and calm.   There are many inducements for a
Christian to be patient.
  1. The example of Christ;  in  all his  suffer-
ings he opened not his mouth, but was meek ap
a lamb.
  2. The  patient should  remember that the
disease is a dispensation of God.
   3. The  love  and  omnipotence  of God  are
inducements to patience;  what God imposes, he
can also remove.
  4. The patient must  consider  that his  sins
have merited far greater torments and severer
sufferings; instead of growing  impatient, there-
fore, he should rather humble  himself in peni-
tence before  God, and  invoke  his  grace  and
mercy. 
        PRAYER FOR PATIENCE IN TT.T.ygftft,     24L

                  PRAYER.
   Vlrrorful God and gracious father 1  behold m6
jn this bed of sickness, unable to rise; never-
theless, I  come to thee and  stand before  thy
lofty throne-  It has pleased thee to deprive me
of health, and send this illness upon  me ;  even
so, my God and Father!  let thy will  be  done;
but give me patience to  bear  all without mur-
murs or discontent.   In my better days God has
often gladdened my heart,  and should I not now
endure in  patience ?  God is good, he chides in
moderation; his judgments cannot entirely for-
sake me.  If I have received good things at thy
hands, if  thou  hast  often refreshed  me in my
days of health, I w'?\\ accept these days of suffer-
ing likewise, in thy power and patience, and will
humbly remember how many  happy  hours the
Lord has  given mo, compared to which these
short intervals of suffering are insignificant.  I
know, my God!  that thou   art loving  and
gracious;  therefore, thou wilt  not  impose more
upon me  than I can  bear.  I  rely upon  thy
word, which says, "God  is true,  and will not
suffer you to be tempted beyond your power, but
puts an end to temptations, so that you can beat
it."  Look upon thy feeble, emaciated child, and
bestow thy fatherly  love  upon  me.   I do not
refuse to suffer, because suffering will redound U 
246     PRAYER FOR PATIENCE IN ILLNESS.

my sanctification.   My God!  here I  am;  do
with me as thou wilt;  let me fully understand
thy  holy  counsel,  which  is, that this disease
shall be as a  fire  to consume  and destroy the
impurities with which my soul  is tainted;  and
to cleanse  it wholly, that it shall be as  a tocsin,
reminding me  of my sins, and of the necessity
of repentance; as a call  to  prayer for the for-
giveness of all my sins, for the sake of Jesus, and
of his blood and death ;  as a voice commanding
me to put my  house in order, and to prepare for
death, the grave, and eternity.   Make me fitting
to please  thee, in  thy  heavenly mansion, for 1
know that these temporal sorrows,  are to be
succeeded  by  surpassing glory.  Therefore, be
^uiet, my  soul;  why art thou  cast down,  and
why art thou  so disquieted within me?  Hope
in God for I  shall yet praise  him who is the
health of  my countenance and my God. Why
wilt thou grieve, my poor soul ?  Love him alone
who is bright Immanuel, trust in  him alone, he
will do all things well; he will advance thy wel-
fare.  For God forsaketh none of  those who put
their trust in him; though things look strange
and doubtful, never give way to dread and doubts.
Thou shalt be astonished to see how  God wil1
deliver thee.  Amen. 
HYMN
               HYMN.
                SOUL,
L  How long must I stand in battle ?
     Will there be no end of strife I
   Will the darts forever rattle,
     Must I still despair of life ?
   Will I never be relieved,
   And the victory achieved ?
   0 I fear 'twill not be ended,
   Till I perish unbefriended.

                 GOD.
2.  Fight the fight without repining,
     I will never let thee fail,
   My strong shield is o'er thee shining,
     Courage I  thou shalt yet prevail.
   I am with thee  evermore,
   Follow where I go before;
   Thou shalt have my full assistance,
   Overcoming all resistance.

                SOUL.
8.  O my God, I know the forces
     Of thy heavenly power full well j
   Thy omnipotence discourses
     Wonders such as ne'er befel.
   Then convince me that thy aid
   Will my struggles still bestead
   Let me know that thou wilt never
   Tjcavs my side but help me ever 
M8         THE PATIENT PRAYS FOR
                      GOD.
     4. Lo, the dazzling crown allures thee \
          Hasten, let thy course be run;
        My extended hand adjures thee,
          See the mansions of the Son;
        Dwellings of eternal light,
        Where the angels wing their flight,
        Where is ended toil and burden,
        Are the faithful champion's guerdon.

               GOD AND THE SOUL.
5. Soul. All my troubles now are over,
          I have conquered by  thy grace.
  God. And my panoply shall cover,
          Thee e'en in thy last distress.
  Soul. And where wilt thou carry me,
        After death has set me free ?
  God. Heavenward, where, for what thou yearnoBt
        Is transformed to truth and earnest
  G$e  patient praps for tfje Dtofne assistance.

               EXHORTATION.
   Behold, God is mine helper;  the Lord is with them  thai
tpfcold my soul"—Psalm liv. 4
  It is the greatest comfort in affliction to have
a  good  and ready  friend.   Although it may
oocui that an unfortunate man  or stranger, or a 
THE DIVINE ASSISTANCE.
249
 penniless one, has no friend to ask him " how do
 you do ?" yet we know with certainty that God
 will befriend all the wretched.
  I. God has promised his gracious protection to
 all  his children; therefore  a patient, instead of
 repining, must firmly believe that God will  not
 forsake him, but will help him in his own good
 time.
  2. This assistance may consist in the preserva-
 tion of the patient's life, in the assuagement of
 his sufferings, or in the strength conferred by
 God to enable him to bear up under the most
 bitter  assaults.   God  is true, and  is near us
 when we suppose him far away

                  PRAYER
  O faithful God! thou  seest the wretchedness
 of  my condition.   My  powers fail, my form
 dwindles away, and the weight of the cross be-
 comes  more intense  from moment to moment.
 Lord, Lord God!  thou hearest my prayer and
 my sufferings  are not  unknown  to  thee.   Re-
 main with me I  beseech thee, and forsake  me
 not; I rely upon thy promise,  Fear not, for I am
 with thee, fail  not, for I am the Lord thy God;
 I will strengthen and keep thee, and  help thee
with the  right hand of my righteousness; and
again,  I will not  forsake thee nor forget thee.
Upon these words, 0 my God, I put my trust.  1 
260
THE PATIENT PRAYS FOR
am sorely in need of thy comfort; I cannot be*i
my sufferings, if thou wilt not remain with me,
and help me to bear them; the disease will soon
destroy  me, if thy hand  does not  keep me.  0
how soon is the  earthly tenement of my body
ruined, how soon will I sink, how soon will my
life  be ended,  if thy divine power  and thy
fatherly hand do not sustain me!  If it is conso-
ling to see some of my friends at my bedside by
day, and even  at night, how much more conso-
ling is it if thou, Lord God, art with me.   Men
may pity and bewail me, but thou, Lord, art my
Help, my Deliverer, my Physician.  Thy most
holy presence will refresh  and keep me, soothe
my  anguish, and allay my dread.  0, then, do
not  leave  me, nor withdraw thy hand from me,
God, my salvation!  As a loving mother will
not  leave  her sick  child, so thou, my God, wilt
not depart from  me.  Let  me perceive  thy pre-
sence by an inward joy, a powerful solace, sweet
thoughts, and relief in my distress.  0 my God !
strengthen  my faith,  keep  my powers, help me
to strive and to conquer.  Thy assistance makes
me strong when I am weak;  I can do all things
by him who  maketh me  strong, even Christ.
Most  dearly do I love thee, Lord!  I beg that
thou wilt not be  far from me with thy gracious
assistance; all the world gives me no pleasure,
1 sare not for heaven and earth,  if I can but 
THE  DIVINE ASSISTANCE.          261
have  thee; and even  though my  heart should
break, yet thou art still my only trust, the com-
fort of my heart.  Thou hast redeemed me with
thy blood;  0  let  me never  be  confounded
Amen.

                    HYMN.

I. My God, forsake me  not!   Such is my constant
    prayer,
   Until I feel no more the wrath of the dismayer.
   I know thy father's heart, that when the wretched
    cries
   Thy help is never slow to bid him walk and rise.
2. My God, forsake me  notl  without thee  I must
    perish,
   And have in this wide world no  other hope  to
    cherish.
   0 hasten hither soon, my hope and only trust,
   Show me thy countenance, and  raise me from the
    dust.
1 My God, forsake me not in this my present anguish
   Thou  art my help, and thou canst never let me
    languish.
   The time of need has  come, 0 friend in need, be
    near,
   Untie these cruel bonds, and set me free from fear,
4 My God, forsake me not!  help me to be victorious,
   And in  me, Father, make thy mighty name most
    glorious.
  Deliverer, appear ! Such is my ceaseiess cry,
   And let  the hour of thy relief come quickly nigh 
262     THE PATIENT CALLS TO MIND THAT
£0?  patient caffs to  mint) tQat fje is  guman an)!
               therefore Jttortaf,

               EXHORTATION.
  " Man that is born of woman is of few days, and fall of trouble.
He cometh forth like a flower, and is cnt down; he fleeth also as
a shadow, and oontinueth not."—Job xiv. 1, 2.
  Although all men  are  mortal,  and  men die
and  are buried every day, yet very few reflect
upon the^r mortality,  particularly while in  good
health, and while fortune favors them; therefore,
it is necessary for God sometimes to remind them
of their mortality, which is done by sickness, for
when he suffers the strong  to become feeble, the
rose  to fade, they become  aware of their  transi-
tory  condition.  Righteous Christians should
never  spend  a day without thinking of their
mortality.  It  is  a delusion of Satan to think
that  if we do not think of death we shall not die;
whether we think of it or not, our end will come
when God is pleased to send it.

                  PRAYER
  My God! in  thy holy will and counsel it has
pleased thee to lay me on this bed of sickness,
and thereby to  remind me that I  must die.  Lo,
my days are as a handbreadth in thy sight, and
my life is as nothing before thee.  0 how nothing 
       HE IS HUMAN AND THEREFORE MORTAL.   258

 are all men, who live  in such fancied security,
 My God! I am dust, and to dust must I return.
 Therefore, I look  upon my open  grave as  a
 mother's  lap, where my body shall  gently rest
 and sleep. I also know that it is the lot of man
 to die, and after that the judgment; therefore, in
 my days of health I have often  prayed, " Lord,
 teach me that there must be an  end  of me, and
 that my life has a period, and that I must away."
 I also know that I must leave all things behind,
 my house, my goods, my honor and my fortune,
 and all that I have in  the world. Here I have
 no resting place, but seek that which  is beyond.
 Thou  didst remind king Hezekiah  to set  his
 house in order because he must die, and his life
 have an end.  If by this disease thou  wouldst  in
 like manner remind me of my end, grant' that I
 may cheerfully meditate upon my mortality and
 my coming end.  Perhaps this is my last repose,
 and the last year of my earthly  being; perhaps
 this illness denotes that the days of life written
 in thy  book are numbered;  that with prayer and
penitence, and  a conscientious investigation of
my past life I must prepare for  death. Here I
am, my God and Father ! take my soul into thy
bosom, but first prepare it well, that I may die
in thy grace and be happy.  I have left my fate
to God's disposal; he will do with me according
to his holy will; if I  am  to live longer  here 
264      THE PATIENT  CALLS TO MEND, ET0.

below, I  will not  murmur at his  dispensation.
My hours are at his choice, I do not presume to
limit him;  the hairs  of my head are numbered,
great and small, and none falls without his will.
Amen.

                    HYMN.

1. How great our nothingness! who does regard this
     rightly,
   Will worship God alone, and hold all others lightly;
   For who his nothingness does fully contemplate,
   He will within himself thus humbly meditate:

2. " What am I ?  Nothing; for  God gave me life
     and being:
   These are of his free gift, and not of my foreseeing.
   I was not, 'till the day when his creative hand
   Drew me from nothingness, and set me in the land.

8. What have I ?  Nothing; for I came in destitution,
   And when I leave I must of all make restitution.
   From God comes all I have, or be it great or small,
   What I have not from God, I do not have at all.

4   What know I ? Nothing; for the light of life within
     me
   Is but my faith in God, and nothing else shall win
     me.
   Should he withdraw his word, and take away his
     light,
   My senses would be left in everlasting nigh. 
       THE PATIENT  RESIGNS HIMSELF, ETC.    256

6. What can I?  Nothing; for from God are  all the
     forces,
   The strength which through the soul and through
     the body courses.
   In him alone I have life, being, motion, thought,
   Should he withdraw his hand I soon would oome
     to nought

6  O  world of nothingness, farewell! thou hast no
     pleasures
   For those who can discern thy dross from better
     treasures.
   My God shall be my all! for him I live and die,
   And  by him I shall find comfort and bliss on high.
Kfce Patient  resigns (jimseff into t(je miff of $00
              for  fife or for beatj.

                EXHORTATION.
  M And he went a httle further, and fell on his face and prayed,
saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me;
nevertheless, not as I will, but as thou wilt."—Matt. xxvL 39.
  The will of God is best at all  times.   This we
all profess to believe, but when the time comes
to submit wholly  and  unconditionally  to  his
will, we often find ourselves perverse and dis-
contented.   This state of  mind should be dis-
pelled by suitable reflections. 
 266      THE PATIENT RESIGNS HIMSELF

   1.  The  believer whom God has laid upon  a
 sick bed, must therefore reflect that it is the will
 of God, which has placed him in this  situation.
   2. He must contemplate the example of Jesui
 Christ, who, in the height of his agony, when his
 sweat was  in drops of blood which fell upon the
 earth, still cried, Father, not my will but thine
 be done.
   3. It is best for the patient to say, Lord, here
 am I; do  with  me according to thy  pleasure,  1
 will live longer if it is thy will, and I will die if
 it is thy will.

                  PRAYER.
   Gracious, good, and  merciful  God! • With
 prayers and sighs I come before thy most holy
 throne.  I see that it is  thy will that I should be
 here sick, and forego for a time, the precious gift
 of health.   I was born according to thy will, and
 will die when  it is thy pleasure.   According to
 thy will I  have long  enjoyed health, at  thy
 desire I will now submit to  sickness.   Aye,  if 1
 could recover health against the will of my God,
 I would  not do so, but would fulfil thy holy
counsel on  my  bed of  sickness.  Therefore, in
this condition, I will say unto my Jesus, Father,
not my will but  thine be done.  And  again, the
 will of the  Lord  be done; if I am to continue in
 the land of the living, I will continue to praise 
INTO THE WILL OF GOD.
263
thee, and the coming yearB which thou wilt give
me, shall be  devoted  to  thy honor  and to true
piety.  But if thou  shouldst be pleased not to
raise me  from this couch again, and to let me
die of this present illness, then prepare me for a
happy death and a glad eternity.  I know that
I must leave this  mortal tenement, but I also
know that thou hast prepared a mansion for thy
faithful, which was  not  made with hands, and
which shall be eternal in  heaven.  In heaven is
my inheritance,  my birthright,  my allegiance;
should I not rejoice to come into my inheritance,
to hasten to my home, and to enjoy the glory of
the children of God ?  If I have reason to pray
for a longer lease  of life, I cannot  but  hesitate
and reflect, whether it would  not be better to
be dissolved and  with  Christ,  to behold  ray
Jesus, whom I have loved when I  did  not see
him.  Therefore, my God, I resign all things
into thy care, thou best knowest  the things that
are good for me.   Here I am, 0 Lord!  do with
me according to thy pleasure.  Lord arrange all
things for me in life and death, for this  alone is
my desire, suffer me not to perish.  But keep
me in thy gracious favor, and  then do with me
as thou wilt, give me patience to submit to thy
will, for it is best.  Amen. 
268
HYMN.
                      HYMN.
1. I will  what Jesus wills.  Suoh still  shall be my
     motto,
   While I must linger in this dismal earthly grotto,
   Mine is a wayward will, which often runs astray;
   Therefore, on Jesus' face it shall be bent alway.

2. I will  what Jesus wills.  If  he would  have me
     tarry              \
   Upon this nether earth, his angels will me carry.
   The waving of his hand my life and death decides,
   He  guides  my steps and  I still follow where he
     guides.

8. I will  what Jesus wills.  If he would  have me
     languish,
   So be it! I am here, prepared  to bear all anguish.
   If Jesus goes before, I gladly follow him ;
   His  presence  smooths the path, and makes all
     sorrow dim.

4. 1 will  what Jesus wills.  If  he would  have me
     weeping,
   So be it! I still know that I am in his keeping;
   After the clouds are past his sun will shine again,
   For still his mercy comes to banish every pain.

B. I will what Jesus wills.  If he from earth will take
    me,
   Tis well!  I know that then his grace will ne'er
     forsake me.
   I shall  derive the rich fulfilment of his word ;
   And hold my entrance to the kingdom of the Lord 
           THE PATIENT REFLECTS, ETC.        269


&t)e  Patient reffects tfjat Suffering  and Distress
                come from Qob.

               EXHORTATION.
  " The Lord killeth and maketh alive ; he briageta down to th«
grave, and bringeth up."—1 Sam. iL 6.
  God is love, and loveth men fervently.  True
believers experience daily proofs of this  love, in
his gracious assistance and numberless benefits.
They also see it in  the great works of creation,
redemption and sanctification.   This truth, that
God is  love, is  richly fraught with consolation,
to those afflicted by sickness.
  1. It teaches the sufferer  that his troubles
were  sent, not by an enemy who  hates, but by
a friend who loves him.
  2. Therefore, the patient  must  commit him-
self to God, diligently call  upon him in prayer,
trustingly look up to  heaven and think, he who
has brought my ill can drive it away, he well
knows how to end all my sufferings.
  3. He must not suffer himself to be disturbed
by the  violence of his disease, or  the apparent
imminence of the danger, for here  again he  has
the  consolation, that  God  who  imposes  the
burden, will help to carry it. 
260  THE PATIENI  REFLECTS THAT SUFFERING

                  PRAYER.
  Lord  God!  Merciful,  long-suffering, and of
great goodness and truth, thou who dost pardon
trespasses and sins!  Behold me  at thy  feet,
beseeching thee to look down  upon me from thy
lofty throne, and hear my prayer.  I believe and
know that my suffering and  sorrow come from
thee; thy hand  smites, but  it also heals,  it
wounds,  and it binds up;  and if my sickness
comes from heaven, to heaven I look for comfort.
I lift up  mine eyes unto the hills, whence my
help cometh;  my help cometh from the Lord,
who made the heavens and the earth.  Health,
life, and prosperity, I have received at thy hands;
should I  not  accept  this  sickness  also!   The
trees of  the orchard  are sometimes  filled with
blossoms, or beautifully adorned with leaves and
fruits, fresh and shining in the sun, yet in winter
they appear  to be dead and sapless,  and the
storm and the frost assail them. All  this comes,
0 God, from thee.   Therefore I will also bear in
mind, that this my time of distress and  suffering
is of thy sending.  Thou knowest of  every  star,
whether  it stands high or low in the sky, so dost
thou also know how it stands with  me.  Thou
knowest  the weight  of  my burden, thou art
acquainted with  the duration of my sufferings,
thou art  aware of the extent of my powers  of 
AND DISTRESS COME FROM GOD.      261
endurance.  0 then, dear Lord, impose whate'ei
thou wilt, but give me  the strength needed  to
sustain it.  I know that without thy will, not a
hair can fall from my  head;  how  much  less,
then, can I fall  sick ?  If not a sparrow can fall
to the earth without thy will, how could I, with-
out thy will, be subjected to pains,  and dis-
quietude, and even death?  If my troubles come
from thee, they come from my father; if they
come from my father, they come from  a loving
heart, not for my destruction, but for  the good
3f  my soul. Chastise  me, my father, yet  in
moderation, and  do  not  entirely destroy me.
Afflict me,  but make me  glad again;  if thou
dost awhile conceal thy countenance, let it shine
forth  again; let the light of thy countenance
shine upon me,  and I shall be whole.   Willingly
will I fall into the hands of my father, if I have
deserved punishment, for  his  wrath endureth
but a moment, and he loveth the living.  With-
out thy will nothing can befal me ;  thou canst
curse and  bless again, I am thy child and have
deserved thy discipline; send  thy warm  sun-
shine after  the bleak rain.  I  know that thou
hast never yet forgotten me;  in the midst of my
tribulation I think upon  the Lord, even the ugh
he press me with crosses  and fears.  Amen. 
262
HYMN.
                     HYMN.
1.  To be a  child of  God, and yet  oppressed with
     sadness,
   Is quite compatible, for an interior gladness
   Remaineth in the soul, with faith and piety,
   Though to the outward eye, 'tis ruin utterly.

2.  He who here gathers thorns shall once be crowred
     with splendor,
   And who  here weeps and groans, shall there all
     grief surrender.
   He is a child of God, e'en in the midst of care,
   The Lord  still loves him well, and  keeps his man
     sions there.

S.  Still to thy God be true,  in faith and firm reliance,
   And thou shalt soon perceive the worth  of hia
     alliance;
   And even should thy life on earth be full of woe,
   What  matter?  At  the  end  to  heaven  thoult
     surely go.

1  Thy father loves thee, though his  chastening rod
     annoy thee,
   And though thy heart should bleed, yet he will not
     destroy thee.
   God loves a child that looks to heaven with steady
     gaze,
   And  still  its  prayerfid  eye  doth to its  Lord
     upraise, 
THE PATIENT APPRECIATES, ETC.      268
£0c  patient  appreciates t§e Mfitu of Disease

               EXHORTATION.

  " Sickness is not anto death, but for the glory of Ood, that the
Son of God might be glorified thereby."
  The natural man refuses to believe that  sick-
ness is of great utility, for not only, says he, does
it weaken  the body and endanger life, but the
vital powers are  diminished, to say nothing of
other difficulties and  expenses brought  on by
sickness.   But in spite  of all  this, diseases are
useful,  sometimes even to  the body, in  con
suming the impurities  of nature, and leading to
a  sounder  state  of  health  than  was enjoyed
before.  But it is especially beneficial  to  the
soul.
  1. It is often the means of reclaiming  a  man
from the ways of sin.  How  many a wanton
sinner neglects  God  and his  Holy Word,  and
heaps sin upon sin, until God draws  him away
by force, as it were, by sickness, pain, or  suffer-
ing,  recals him to his  senses, and snatches him
from the clutch of Satan.
  2. It is,  however, no less useful to the pious,
in making them  acquainted with  the omnipo-
tence,  goodness, wisdom,  love,  and mercy of
God, in which  they had  believed before,  but 
264      THE PATIENT APPRECIATES THE

without having practically experienced them.
They learn to resign themselves to God, to medi-
tate upon death, to prepare for their final depar-
ture, to think  diligently of heaven, and to  com-
mit their souls into  the Lord's holy keeping.
The patient who gives proper weight to  these
reflections will  be well satisfied  with  God  even
in sickness.

                  PRAYER

   Beloved Lord and Father!  I  perceive that it
is thy holy counsel  with  me, to make this my
lime of suffering, to let the sun of my prosperity
be obscured for a while, my health  impaired,
und my vital powers diminished.  I thank thee,
my Lord and God, for having first given me to
understand, that the way of the cross is the way
to heaven, and that in sickness thou doest great
good unto our souls.   I see that  thou wilt draw
me off from the world;  thou  wilt make  the
world  bitter to me, and  heaven  sweet;   thou
wilt induce me to renounce all ungodliness and
wordly desires, and to lead an honest, righteous,
and godly life, to examine my past career, and to
turn to thee in heartfelt penitence.  Alas!  it is
but too true,  that  while  we  are  all well and
know nothing  of trouble, we are apt to  suppose
that all our business  in this world is to amass 
UTILITY OF DISEASE.
266
earthly treasures, or to share in the amusements
of the world, seek its company, and acquire its
habits, manners and customs;  but as that would
end  in the  perdition of our souls and eternal
damnation, thou in thy goodness  dost at times
lead us apart, and speak with us  alone.  Thus,
it seems, thou wouldst now speak with me alone,
and  warn me  against the world  and its  sins,
seductions,  malice, and evil  practices.   Thou
wilt exhort me to repent of my past sins, no
longer to associate with the world, and with an
altered mind to understand what is the true and
perfect will  of God.   Well, my  God!  I will
do so, if thou wilt restore me to health.  I will
become more pious, pray more diligently, avoid
all  evil, renounce  my bad habits, eschew the
places and the  people where and  with whom  I
have sinned, and become a new man.  Whoso
loveth the world, the love  of the father is not in
him.  If then, 0 Lord, thou hast found me negli-
gent in religion, and slow in prayer, but willing
t. sin and ready to enjoy the pleasures  of the
world, it is thy design  in  this sickness tc rouse
me  to make me concerned for my salvation, and
awake from  the sleep of sin.   Wake up,  thou
who  sleepest, thou sayest to me, I will cleanse
thee  of thine impurities.  I see  that  thou  dost
intend to remind me  of  death, so that, when
health returns  I may acknowledge  thy power. 
266       THE PATIENT APPRECIATES THE

love,  and goodness, which I  should not  have
done, hadst  thou not  thus  visited me.   Lord!
Perfect the good work thou hast begun  rithin
me;  make  my  spirit whole with  this  bitter
medicine.  By this  strong surgery remo  e the
sore boils of  sin; with this sharp infusion, wash
out mine iniquities, and grant  that I may hum-
ble myself in  true  penitence  before  the>,  a? id
may find counsel, comfort, consolation, and f >r-
giveness of sins in the wounds of Jesus.  Et er
make heaven luscious to  my  thought, and i he
world bitter  as gall, so that in  the  turmoil of
this  world, eternity  may  be  constantly before
my eyes.  In the name of the blood of Jesus,
I beseech thee, Lord, to give me a peaceful e^d
Amen.
                   HYMN.
   1. Sickness, pain, disease, and  trouble,
        And  whatever ills I prove,
      Never darken the remembrance
        Of my God and of his love.
      Though it be his sovereign  pleasure
      To distress me beyond measure,
      I will love him none the less,
      He is mine through all distress.

   2. By this cross he would withdraw me
        From the world and all its toil,
      So that sin may not destroy me,
        And  I may not risk to spoil 
UTILITY OF DISEASE.
   M% immortal soul's salvation
   By obedience to temptation.
   He would have my heart to be
   His domain eternally.

6  In thy open wounds, my Jesus,
     Hold, and lock my feeble soul;
   Let them be my dearest shelter
     When the clouds around me roll;
   All my wishes, hopes, and yearnings,
   Are thy dearly purchased earnings;
   Strengthen, guard, and comfort me,
   In my sufferings graciously.

4. With thy Spirit's heavenly patience
     Dearest Lord, my mind  endow;
   Into  thy most  faithful keeping,
     Jesus, I commend it now.
   Spread before  my sight the azure
   Golden fields of heavenly pleasure
   When the toil and strife are dona
     J jet the victorv be won. 
268        THE PATIENT RELIES UPON
Cue  patient refies upon  tfje Omnipotence  of (job.
               EXHORTATION.
  ••' 0 Lord, my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed
me  O Lord, thou hast brought np my soul from the graye I
thorn hast kept me alive that I should not go down to the pit"
- -Psalm xxx. 3, 4.
  Nothing is more  pleasing  and consoling in
times of misfortune, than to have a good friend
of whom we know that he is able and willing to
help us.   In sickness, we cannot say this of any
mortal man, but of God we know it with  cer-
tainty.
  1. This omnipotence  of God is perceptible in
the examples daily  occurring  around us.  The
dead are  brought to life, the  sick healed,  and
the  almighty God who does  all this, is living
still.
  2. The patient must remember  that  God  is
not without the means to  aid  us.  At his word,
the disease must vanish, his blessing  will enable
the most petty herb or simple to remove  the ail
ment, and restore us to  health.  In view of this,
a patient must be at  peace in the  Lord, must
persevere in prayer, await the hour of God's
coming, take physic, and avoid all  superstitious
rites, charms or mumbling, and rest assured that
the  Omnipotent  will help him when his hour
has arrived. 
           THE OMNIPOTENCE OF OOD.        269

                   PRAYER
   0 my Lord  and God!  thou seest me encom-
 passed with pain and suffering, and how a new
 trouble  visits  me  every  morning; my disease
 will not depart, and for all I know this bed may
 be my last.  All this do I commit unto thy holy
 will; I will live and die when it is  pleasing unto
 thee.  My days are as  a handbreadth  before
 thee.  My years are in thy hand;  thou hast set
 my  mark, and  I  shall not exceed it.  In thy
 book didst thou number  the  days of my life,
 when not one  of them had passed.   Neverthe-
 less, I do not repine, but lift up mine  eyes  unto
 the  hills,  whence  my help cometh; my  help
 cometh from the Lord.   I  know that thou art an
 almighty God, and that life and death  are in thy
 hand.   Aye, the Lord's hand  is not yet short-
 ened ; the Helper in Israel can  avert all sorrow,,
 he can dj vastly more than  all  we know or
 understand.  He can deliver  all who approach
 him.  Therefore^ upon this sick-bed, I do not
 look about me  for the  feeble  help of man, not
 upon myself, who am sick  and  feeble, but above,
 to thee,  my God and  Lord.   I say,  with the
 nobleman, who  believed, Lord, if thou  speak but
 a single word, thy servant shall be made whole;
aye, speak this  one word, and  I shall  be  cured
of all my sufferings.   I know that before the 
270        THE  PATIENT RELIES UPOK
Lord  nothing is impossible.   Lord, my  God
thou who didst heal the  sick  Hezekiah, thou
who didst, deliver  the sick woman from her
wretchedness, thou who didst heal the palsied,
raise up the widow's son,—look upon me also  in
mercy, thou mighty defender of thy faithful!
Help me also, have mercy upon me, make a sign
in me, that it may  be well with me, yet all  as
thou wilt; I know thou canst do so in thy omni-
potence, and wilt do so in thy goodness, when it
shall be well for my soul.   Meantime, I  pray to
thee in faith and humbleness.  In my dear Lord
have I set my trust in all my tribulation; he can
Bave me from all sorrow and distress; to end my
misfortunes is in the hollow of his hand.  Amen

                    HYMN.
    1.  Trust the turn of your affairs
        To the Lord's direction;
      Give your troubles and your cares
        Under his protection:
      He alone is well aware
        What is meet and needful,
      Of your health, how, when and where.
        To be fitly heedM.

    2.  Do not venture to dictate
        Time or just occasion,
      Nor insult his sovereign state
        With inapt dictation; 
        THE OMNIPOTENCE OF  GOD,

   This is not his first essay
     To assist and cheer you;
   Not a pulse shall beat astray,
     So you keep him near you.

6  Would ye counsel him who svra/a
     Heaven in his balance,
   Whose all-seeing eye  surveys
     Life in every valance,
   How the little grains of sand
     In your hour-glass shifted,
   Should be made to fall and stand.
     Overturned and  lifted ?

4.  What his wisdom doth ordain
     For all earth and heaven,
   Every linklet of the chain
     Must support and leaven,
   And if ought appears awry
     To our feeble senses,
   Tis that we cannot descry
     All his hand dispenses.

5.  God of wisdom! unto thee
     Be all things commended ;
   Let thy goodness deal with mi
     As thou hast intended;
   Lead me on from pole to pole
     At thy own opinion;
   I shall come, by thy control
     Into thy dominion. 
372         THE PATIENT REMEMRERI
 CQe patient rememfiers pis 35aptismaf Cooenanl

               EXHORTATION
  " Baptism is not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, oi
 the answer of a good conscience toward God."—1 Peter iii 21.
   If there is consolation in a name, it is in th«
 name of the  father, and if there is a great glcry,
 it is  to be a child of God.   This  glory of the
 children of  God, is  attained in Holy Baptism,
 when a covenant is made with the triune God.
   1.  This covenant is a source  of comfort and
 uf gladness, but it also enjoins u pon us the duty
 of resigning  all things that befal us to the guar-
 dian hand of our  heavenly father, not to murmur
 against the father, but to rest assured that God
 will approve  himself a faithful father.
  2. Those who  in  their days  of health have
 angered their heavenly Father, and lived like the
 children of the  world, on falling  sick, must hum-
 bly ask God's forgiveness, and resolve to become
 altered men,  firmly believing that God will have
 pity on his stricken child.

                  PRAYER
  Lord  God  Father,  Son,  and  Holy  Ghost!
behold, I, thy child, am in such a condition, that
help in this world for me  there is none; I look
about me, and ask for aid, but no one has mercy 
           HIS BAPTISMAL COVENANT.        278

upon me ;  yet I will  not repine, but will go tc
my heavenly Father, and pour out my heart to
him.  As in the hour of need the lamb seeks its
shepherd, the child its father, the subject his
king, so, my King, my Father, and my Shapherd,
I come to thee.  0 thou triune God!  remember
that I  am  thy child; that in holy baptism 1
made my covenant with thee.  Lo, here cometh
a hapless child, my friends and  those I love
cannot  help  me, therefore, 0 heavenly father,
do thou receive me.  If the nobleman wept for
his son  who was sick  unto  death, 0 my Father,
do thou look in pity upon  me, and help  me to
rise.  If the father whose  daughter was  at thn
point of  death, came to  Jesus,  saying, " My
daughter is even now dead;  but come and laj>
thy hand upon her, and she shall live;" so will
I come  to thee, my God and Father, saying, " II
it be thy will, restore me to health, and give mo
life."  I know that thou art an almighty, wise
gracious, and loving  Father; whither shall u
child flee in  trouble  but  to its father?  Lord
God Father in heaven, have mercy upon  me!
Lord God  Son, the Saviour of the world, have
mercy upon  me!  Lord God Holy Ghost, have
mercy upon me!  As  a father pitieth his  chil-
dren, so doth the Lord pity them th*-t fear him;
0 pity  me also.  If I have been  a  disobedient
ohild, I most sincerely repent it; and although 1 
274         THE PATIENT REMEMBERS

have  swerved from thee, yet I return,   If the
father helped his prodigal son, so do thou also
be gracious unto me, for I come in penitence and
faith, saying, have mercy, have mercy.   If thou
wilt make  men accountable for sin, who, Lord,
will stand before thee ?  In this  reliance, 0 my
father, I await thy coming; I have long under-
stood that to be a child of God, and yet to be
sick and weak, and visited with  manifold afflic-
tions, is entirely compatible;  therefore, Satan
shall not disturb  my childlike  confidence.  But
let me also soon perceive thy father's heart; let
me know that thou hast  not forgotten me; let
me feel thy paternal  hand.  Afflicted heart, be
patient, though a thousand troubles beset  thee;
the heaven which thy Jesus promised, shall be
thy portion still; though distress and sickness
assail thee, God will be thy father none the less
Amen.

                   HYMN.

    I. I am  baptized!  I am united
        And have a covenant with God;
      And  thus, in gladness and in sorrow,
        And though I sink beneath the sod,
      I have what I can never lack,
      The joy that of the Lord doth smack. 
         his Baptismal covenant.         270

2. I am baptized!  I have the garment
     That of me makes a wedding guest,
    Wherein I may appear in glory
     Among the legions of the blest;
   For Jesus' blood and righteousness
   My beauty is, my gorgeous dress.

8. I am baptized! to me was given
     The blessing of the Holy Ghost;
   To cleanse my life and conversation,
     And that I never may be lost
   0 gift beyond all thanks and praise
   That gives me everlasting days!

4. I am baptized !  My name was written
     Into the Lamb's own book of life;
   My father evermore will love me,
     And guard me well in every strife.
   God knows my name, and whispers it,
   For in his book of life 'tis writ

5  I am baptized!   And though I perish,
     0 grave, where  is thy victory I
   My patrimony is in heaven,
     And it shall never fall from ma
   When death arrives, I shall receive
   Tar purer joys than those I leave. 
276      THE PENITENT relies  UPON TH5
C$e patient reftes upon tfje benefits of t(je Hxtrmt


               EXHORTATION.

  " The Lord shall deliver me  from every evil work, and will
preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom ; to whom be glory for
ever and ever.  Amen."—2 Tim. iv. 18.
  Pious Christians can never be without comfort
in their  afflictions, if they only remember who
they  are, and  with whom they have to deal.
They are children of God, and must therefore
be convinced that the triune God will not for
sake them in their cares and sorrows.
  1.  Their  creator, who was their guardian  in
youth, and their resource and refuge in after
years, will not desert them.
  2  Their Saviour, Jesus Christ, will not desert
them; for, for their sake, he has endured suffer-
ings, torments and the cross, and poured  out his
holy blood; should he leave them unbefriended
in sickness?
  3.  Nor will their Sanctifier, the most precious
Holy Ghost, desert them.   On the contrary, he
will  comfort, refresh,  and gladden  their hearts,
and bear witness to their spirit that they aie the
children  of God,  although their  sickness and
Bufferings continue.  With this  threefold conso-
lation in  their hearts,  they will bear their suffer 
         BENEFITS 0¥ THE TRIUNE GOD.      277

ings in patience, and firmly believe that his help
is not far off.

                  PRAYER.
  0 holy, triune God! though I am infirm of
body, yet I will not grow  faint in the trust  and
reliance upon thee,  for they who hope in  the
Lord shall remain unmoved as Mount Zion.   At
times, indeed, the load of my unremitting dis-
ease almost  makes me  despair, but straightway
I am encouraged by thy Holy Ghost, and espe-
cially by calling to mind  the  numerous benefits
thou hast already bestowed upon me.  Could it
be that thou wouldst forsake  me, 0 my Creator,
who didst fashion me out of nothing, and didst
uustain my life  up to this very hour!  Has the
hand  of the Lord been shortened?  0 no, the
hand  that  has  hitherto led  and preserved  me,
will preserve me even in my present sickness.
It is of thy  love, that thou hast heretofore  pre-
served me in health  so long.   It is of thy love
that thou hast averted misfortunes,  pains  and
dangers.  It is of thy love, that thou hast vouch-
safed  thy mercies unto  me up to this day, yea,
so great mercies and  so great goodness.  There-
fore do  I resign myself  to thee wholly in my
sickness. Shouldst thou  forsake me, 0 my Re-
deemer?  Thou who by thy hcly  blood hast
redeemed me from sin,  death, and the devil? 
278      THE PATIENT RELIES UPON THE

Thou hast been heartily kind unto my soul, that
it might not perish, and so thou wilt also bestow
thy help on my poor sickly body.  0 thou Lamb
of God, that takest away the sin of the world,
have  mercy upon me  in my present  trouble.
Shouldst thou forsake me, 0 my Sanctifier! thou
who hast hallowed my body and my soul, and in
holy baptism hast consecrated  them to be thy
temple, and hast hitherto dwelt within them!
Thou wilt surely remain my friend  and comfort
in my present weakness, and wilt  bear witness
unto my spirit that I am a child of  God, though
surrounded by troubles  and sufferings.  I will be
of good cheer in my anguish, and will say unto
my soul, " The heavenly Father has folded thee
m the arms of his eternal love, the  Son of God
has chosen thee for his  own, the Holy Ghost has
given thee sweet assurance of his  comfort and
indwelling,—therefore,  all is mine : the  grace of
God is mine, the merit  and the righteousness  of
Jesus are mine, the strong  consolation of the
Holy Ghost *s mine,—yea, all the  heavens are
mine, with all their glory."  0  I will not  heed
my sick body,  but will  cast my cares upon the
Lord, and trust to that God at whose  hands I
have received so many mercies.  0  my  Father!
I rely upon thee.   0 Jesus!  I pray to thee.  0
Holy Ghost! I commend  myself to thee.  Lord
God Father, what thou has created •,  Lord God 
BENEFITS OP THE  TRIUNE GOD.      279
Son, what thou hast redeemed ; Lord God Holy
Ghost, what thou  hast sanctified, I resign into
thy  hands.   Unto thy  holy  name  be  honor,
praise and glory, now and forever. Amen.

                    HYMN.
  1, If God is with me, though I suffer,
      I am in comfort none the less;
    And e'en in death itself I revel
      In Jesus' blood and righteousness.
    God is with me, I know it well,
    And more rejoice than words can telL

 2. If God is with me in the tempest,
      The bolts glance harmlejs from my head;
    Although the cross is hard and bitter,
      God keeps my soul from every dread ;
    God is with me, at his behest
    Troubles depart, and I have rest.

 8  If God is with me m affliction,
      Although my pangs increase and grow,
    They  nevermore can overwhelm me,
      Because his hand can lay them low;
    God is with me, his constancy
    From all distress will set me free.

 i. If God is with me, all my sorrows
      Will lose their stings, and be allayed'
    My God will not withhold his mercies,
      His helping hand cannot be stayed
    With  God, my heart is of good cheer,
    He comes,  and he dispels all fear. 
280      THE PATIENT RESOLVES TO BEAR

 5. If God is with me, my departure
      Shall be as gentle as my sleep;
    The hour is fraught with brightest promise,
      Of glory, as the angels keep;
    God is with me, and when I die
    I shall behold his face on high.
£0e  patient  resofoes  to Gear  fits  Sufferings
              aritijout a Jlturmur.

               EXHORTATION.

  " I was dumb, I opened not my month; because thou didst
it"—Fsalm xxxix. 9.

  " How long wilt thou forget me, 0 Lord !  for
ever ?   How long wilt thou  hide thy face from
me."—Psalm xiii. 1.   Thus  do pious bedridden
Christians  sigh to heaven.   God's chosen  hour
sometimes  appears to be too  long delayed, when
it  tarries for days,  weeks,  and months;  and
many do not entirely avoid the sin  of murmur-
ing against his dispositions.  But a pious Chris-
tian should never suffer himself to be brought to
such a pass.
  I.  God never deserts us in suffering, trouble,
or disease,  for that would  be  against his promise.
  2. E^en though the yoke should gall, it is not 
       HIS SUFFERINGS WITHOUT A 1CURMUR,   211

 right to murmur, for that would be to forget the
 omnipotence, love, and mercy of God.
   3. Therefore, we must await the hour  of our
 deliverance, in unremitting faith, prayer, hope,
 and confidence.

                   PRAYER.
   Holy and all-wise God !  I see thy holy will,
 that I am to lie on  this  bed of sickness as long
 as it shall please thee.  I will not oppose thy
 holy will, nor murmur against thee.  I am here,
 let the Lord deal  with me according to his plea-
 sure ;  shall I not drink of the cup which my
 father has  given  me ?  My father will  not pour
 out poison  for physic.   Let me  bear the wrath
 of the Lord, for I  have sinned against him.  The
 severe suffering must be beneficial to  the soul,
 although flesh and blood abhor  it.   Thou hast
 been my father and my God from  my youth up,
 and so wilt thou be in my present sickness.  If
 I am to lie and suffer thus much longer, 0 Lord,
 give me at times an hour of respite, in  which
 the  pain may be remitted, and  my sufferings
 assuaged.   If  I am to undergo great suffering,
give me great powers of endurance;  thou  know-
est how weak I am, and how little I am able to
bear; do not  seize me  too vehemently,  lest  I
perish.  Deal with me as a  mother with a feeble
child, help  me to carry my burden, yea, carry 
282     THE PATIENT RESOLVES TO  BEAR

me, and take me upon thy knees.  If my suffer
ings are to  become still  more severe than ;hey
are, do thou  not  depart from me with  thy
gracious  help  and comfort.   If I am to have
more comfortless nights, let  me experience thy
consolation, and know that thou  art  still my
father and  my friend.  I know that when thou
dost send down  affliction  upon thy children, it
is  not  to  destroy them,  but to  draw them
towards thee.  Then let this sickness draw me
away from  the evil habits  and pleasures  of the
world  to  thee,  to  sanctification, to  piety, to
heaven, and  to eternal happiness.   Aye, my
Lord and God!  Although thou dost  make me
thus to suffer, I will not  flee from thee.  My
shepherd, guide me through these thorny paths,
which  lacerate my body and my soul, I  follow
thee most willingly.   If the head was crowned
with roses, the members cannot  walk upon
thorns.  I  loved thee when  thou gavest me
health  and  prosperity, and I will love thee now,
in sickness and suffering; I know thou canst
and wilt help me.  Amen.

                  HYMN.
    I. If God has sent thee an affliction,
        And if thy face is bathed in tears,
      Patiently bear his dispensation
        And let no murmurs reach his ears. 
   HIS SUFFERINGS WITHOUT A MURMUR.

   In unreserved submission stand,
   Awaiting his supreme command.

2  The God who hath ordained thy illness,
     Who throws thee on thy dying bed,
   For him it is a very trifle
     To make thee well and comforted.
   The Lord can sicken and make whole,
   The springs of life own his control.

3. 0 murmur not; the Lord hath promised
     To be thy shield and sure defence,
   To rescue thee from every trouble,
     And to abridge thy long suspense;
   0 cease not yet to trust his power,
   His help may come this very hour.

4. To God thou must thyself surrender,
     And say, " Dear Lord, behold me here
   My life and death to thee are offered,
     To thee without reserve or fear.
   Deal with me, father, to the fill
   Of thy most high and holy wilL"

& Who thus eschews all disaffection
     And patiently sustains the load
   Which the Lord's providence imposes,
     On him assistance is bestowed.
   He will be comforted in time
   And gladdened  in the eternal clime. 
284        THE PATIENT PREPARES TO
G(je Patient prepares to parta&e of tQe Cor&8
                   Supper.

               EXHORTATION.

  " Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat cf thbt bread,
and drink of that cup."—1 Cor. ii. 28.
  Every Christian  should so  live, that  he may
die happy at any moment.   If  this applies to
the  healthy, how much  more  important  is it
for the sick.
  1. A patient  will  do well, therefore,  at the
first attack of illness, to remember his sins, and
strive to  be reconciled with  God.
  2. This reconciliation  can only be  effected by
a trusting prayer to God for the  forgiveness of
sins.
  3. He  should not postpone  his  penitence  and
participation in  the Lord's Supper, until death
is at the  door, until mind and  strength are gone;
but in time, while  yet in a  condition  to  pray
and to be reconciled  to  God.   By thus  turning
to God from  the bottom  of  his soul,  he will
attain to saving grace in life and death, through
Jesus Christ our Lord.

                  PRAYER.
  Lord, Lord God! merciful, good, and of great
truth, I,  a poor sinner, will seek  grace and th* - 
         PAR1AKE OF THE  LORD'S SUPPER,     286

 forgiveness of sins in  the wounds of my Jesus,
 and prepare for a happy departure from  thia
 life.  Thou hast been  pleased, 0 God, to lay me
 upon this bed  of sickness.   As  I know not
 whether I shall leave it in  health or in my
 mortal shroud, I will be mindful of my soul, and
 commend all other things to thee, my loving and
 merciful God.   I  will be reconciled with thee,
 while yet I am capable  of being reconciled.  I
 will ask thy forgiveness while I am yet  able to
 pray, as I know not whether my  illness may not
 increase,  and my powers of  mind  and heart
 decay, so that I can neither pray nor think of
 thee. I know that he  who prepares for a happy
 death, does himself the greatest  service.  If he
 recovers, he will guard against the sins confessed
 and repented of on his bed of illness ; and if he
 dies, he is assured  of the happiness of his here-
 after.  Such  are my present  thoughts, 0 God!
 After receiving thy forgiveness, I will  receive
 thy holy communion, and then await thy coming
 in patience and trustful reliance.  0 be merciful
 unto thy child !  Do not hold me to account for
 the sins of my youth and the follies of my early
years.  0 Lord be merciful to my great misdeeds
for the sake of Jesus Christ, my Saviour.  Give
 thy grace to my holy purpose, fortify me for this
 work, so that I  may finish it  to  thy honor and
my salvation.   Amen, 
286
JOMN.
                     HYMN.

1. To the Lord's holy board I humbly would  betake
     me,
  So that his precious  blood and body may awake
     me,
  To better hopefulness and firmer trust in him;
  Lord, give thy blessing here, let not my love grow
     dim.
2. Banish  out of my mind all  thoughts of sin  and
     folly,
  And let thy spirit keep my soul from melancholy
  Into my inmost heart implant thy own desires,
  Thy pure and holy love,  to which my wish aspirea

8. Let nothing frivolous disturb my meditation,
  But fill my heart and mind with holy exultation
   0  Jesus! be  my friend!  Pray for me all  the
     while,
   Uplift my prayers to  God, and  cheer  me with thy
     smile!
i. 0 sanctify my heart, O sanctify my senses,
   My  Jesus!  conquer  them,  and  make them thy
    defences.
   Make them all beautiful, and holy, just, and pure,
   And in them let thy home and fortress still endure.
5  And also spread upon my soul the peace of heaven,
   Which is beyond all  thoughts, and  out of which
      are given
   True happiness in thee, forgiveness of all sin,
   Present and future bliss,  and  all that faith  ma\
      win. 
THE PATIENT PRATS, ETC.         287
  £§e JTattent praos for tQe Jbrgtoeness of 8ins.
               EXHORTATION.
  " I abhor myself and repent in dost and ashes."—-Job xiii. I.
  It is a fine and laudable practice of true Chris-
tians to place themselves before God every even-
ing, and  reflect  upon what  they have  said,
thought, and  done throughout the  day, asking
his pardon for sins committed, and obtaining a
reconciliation with God before they retire to rest.
If this should  be done at all  times, how much
more important is it in illness.
  1. A  patient should, on  these occasions, ex-
amine, not  one  day,  one week, or one month
only, but his whole life; he  should ask himself
what use he has made of his days of health;
whether he has spent them to the honor of God
and the  well-being of his neighbor.  He must
investigate where, how often,  and how heavily
he has sinned in his days of health.
  2. After this inquiry, the patient must pray
to God fervently to forgive all the sins com-
mitted,
  3. If the bed of sickness thus brings him to the
understanding  of his  sins,  the patient  should
thank  God  for his  disease, whereby  his eyes
have been opened, his  wretchedness made mani-
fest, and an opportunity afforded him of seeking 
288
THE PATIENT PRAYS FOR
grace,  which, without  it, perhaps,  he would
never have had,
  4. The vows made on such a bed of sickness
must be faithfully  kept  when  health  returns,
lest a still greater  misfortune ensue upon such
faithlessness.

                 PRAYER
  0  gracious  and loving Father! I live,  and
know not how long : I must die, and  know not
when; therefore, I approach thy throne  of grace,
and humbly beseech thee to  forgive the mani-
fold sins and transgressions of my life.   Alas! I
have not always devoted  my days  of health to
thy honor, to the worship of God, to  growth in
the faith, and to piety;  and thou hadst  good
cause to visit me with sickness, and give me an
opportunity of conversing with  my own  heart,
and repenting of the abuse of my health and my
other sins.   Forgive me  for  not  having loved
thee more fervently and lived more piously than
I did.   0 Lord, do not bear in mind the sins of
my youth, but  think  of  me  after  thy great
mercy, for the sake of thy goodness. 0 how am
I terrified to hear that before thy judgment  seat
I  must account  for every idle  word  I  have
spoken.  0 how will I stand before thee with
my thoughts, when thou  art also a judge of
thoughts!  And who can stand before thee, if 
            THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS.         288

 he must account for all his life, works and deeds?
 Therefore, I come before thy throne of grace in
 trustful  reliance  upon  my Lord  and  Saviour
 Jesus  Christ, and  beseech thee to have mercy
 upon me for the sake of his wounds, to forgive
 me all my sins for the sake of his precious rlood,
 and to help me by his agony and bloody sweat'
 1 am ashamed to  lift up mine  eyes before thee,
 0 God; I am ashamed of my past years, and my
 unforgotten sins; 0 that I had lived more piously
 and  more  like a Christian !  Therefore, I pro-
 mise, 0 Lord, to begin a new life.  If thou wilt
 restore me to  health, I will  spend  in faith and
 true piety  the years which thou wilt suffer me
 to spend on earth  hereafter, and will ever re-
 member this present illness and the  anguish of
 my soul, and  also  thy mighty hand.  0 Lord'
 be gracious unto thy child, and quench  all my
lins according to thy great mercy, for the  sake
of thy goodness. Amen.
                  HYMN.

1  Again I come, a contrite sinner,
    I leave again the path of ill;
  1 fall upon my face before thee,
    And beg thee for thy mercy's filL
  0 think not of what I have done,
  But of the merits  of thy Son 
290
HYMN.
2. Now first I see that I have trespassed
     More flagrantly than thou canst brook;
   0 let me find thy boundless favor,
     Let me not die without a look.
   0 think not of what I have done,
   But of the merits of thy Son.

8. For I am  overwhelmed with sorrow;
     Look down upon thy erring child,
   Who comes in tears, worn out with weeping
     To win the smile thou once hast smiled
   0 think not of what I have done,
   But of the merits of thy Son.

A. Thy precious bleeding wounds, O Jesus,
     Are my reliance evermore,
   Where I have ever found forgiveness,
     Comfort, and peace, and bliss in store.
   0 think not of what I have done,
   But of the merits of thy Son.

5. Another life be mine henceforward,
     Give me thy Spirit to  sustain,
   All men shall see and be persuaded
     That I  have burst sin's heavy chain.
   \j think not of what I have done,
   But of the merits of thy Son. 
THE PATIENT PRAYS, ETC         291
Gfje patient praps 6efore parta&ina of tlje Corfe*«
                    Supper.

               EXHORTATION.

  " Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal
life; and I will raise him np at the last day.  For my flesh ia
meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed."—John vi. 64, 65.

  To partake of  the  Lord's  Supper in a devout
and becoming manner, is the duty of every true
Christian, in sickness no less than in health.
   1.  For this purpose a rigid self-examination is
the first of requisites.
  2. In  sickness it  is important  to reflect that
the present may be the last opportunity for par-
taking of the Lord's  Supper.   This reflection
must  lead to a doubly strong resolution to im-
prove in faith and in true piety.
   3. If it has been the most ardent  longing of
pious  men, that the name of Jesus might be the
last  word on  their  lips, the holy communion
their last nourishment, and the crucified Saviour
their  latest thought, how then shall a patient
do otherwise  than rejoice  when one  of  these
blessings is extended him on his sick  bed, and
be of  assured  hope that God will  not withhold
his favor to supply the others ?
   4. But let every one beware of the iniquitous 
W2       THE PATIENT PRAY8 BEFORE

superstition  that the Lord's Supper will restore
him to health.

                  PRAYER
  Dearest Jesus!   I  long to receive  the  love
feast instituted by thee, because I know not when
I shall leave this  world.   But that I  may not
appear before the judgment seat of God without
thee, I would once  more unite myself with thee,
so that thou mayest be  and remain in me, and I
in thee.  I will receive the Holy Communion at
home, assured that there also thou wilt gladden
and refresh  me with thy gracious  presence.  0
lover of souls! thou  art  near  to the wretched,
thou dost rejoice the  afflicted;  thou dost  help
those who are stricken in spirit;  let my heart
also be cheered, and my soul quickened by this
heavenly meat and drink.   0 dearest Jesus, as 1
desire to  partake of thy heavenly meal in pure
and holy devotion, grant that this frame of mind
may not be  disturbed  by unrelenting pains and
Bufferings, but  hold them in check until  the
time be passed !  I proclaim thy death, and call
to mind  thy sufferings and death, thy wounds
and torments; thy agony and bloody sweat; thy
death upon the cross, and all that thou hast done
for me;  and I will thank thee for all, to all
eternity.   I also remember the institution of thy
Boly Supper; in which thou dost give me to eat 
       PARTAKING OF THE LCED'S SUPPER,    298

and  to  drink for  life  eternal.  I  believe thy
words, as  being spoken   by  an  omniscient,
almighty God, who is just  and true ;  I believe
that in  the holy sacrament I receive thy body
indeed,  and thy blood indeed.  This heavenly
meat and drink shall strengthen me in the faith
of my reconciliation with  God; this heavenly
meat and  drink shall comfort me  with the
assurance that I am  not lost, but have eternal
life; this  heavenly meat and drink shall  con-
vince me that I am in thy grace, that I have the
forgiveness of sins, and am united with thee,
who art the redemption from  my sins and foi
the sins of all  the world.   This heavenly meat
and  drink  are  to remind me of the heavenly
ooard, of  the eternal  joy  and  glory to which
thou wilt lead me  after death.  0 shepherd of
my soul, do thou lead  thy lamb on a green pas-
ture, feed me with the bread of life, refresh me
with thy blood. Then I shall have  a ransom
for all my sins, which thou hast paid  for me a*
the  tree of the cross, whereby I am  saved
Amen.

                   HYMN.

1.  A pledge is by the Lord's own hand now unto me
     awarded,
   Most precious pledge beyond compare, how am I bo
     regarded! 
294
HYMN.
        The greatest bliss the heavens afford,
        The blood and body of the Lord
        To me shall now be given.
 2  The God of love delights in me, and that his high
     affection
   May be more manifest and  ne'er forsake my recol-
     lection.
        He doth this sacred token give,
        And promises in me to five
        And dwell with me forever.

 8  This pledge gives me assurance strong of all my
     sins forgiven,
   But  by the power of his grace my terrors forth
     are driven,
       That henceforth he shall never cease
       To give me comfort, joy, and peace,
       Until my work is ended.
4.  Yea,  by  this token, I am sure I  shall  not die
     forever;
   But shall arise out of my grave to joy that endeth
     never;
       Because this food and drink are mine
       The grave cannot my limbs confine
       So from the faith I swerve not
5.  Give  thanks and praise unto the Lord, for in this
     rich collation
   He his most holy, precious sel£ has givsn for my
     salvation;
       And, in return,  what can I do,
       Bat give myself unto him  too,
       In life, in death, and after. 
            THE PATIENT PRAYS, ETC.         296


Utie  pattern* prans after fjautug parta&en of U)e
                Corn's Supper.

               EXHORTATION.
  " I live ; yet not I, bat Christ liveth in me, and the life which
I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of the Son of God, wh«
Loved me, and gave himself for me."—Gal. ii. 20.
  While a good Christian always has reason to
thank God after having received the holy sacra-
ment, how much  more should  a  patient  praise
God from  his inmost heart when he  has  been
favored to enjoy it in  the full possession  of his
faculties.
   1.  But it must by no means  be supposed  that
the Lord's Supper will produce a change in the
disease; it was not ordained for this purpose,
nor have we any such promise.
  2.  Neither must a patient  partake of it as a
means of  ascertaining whether or not he  will
recover, but simply to fortify his faith, and assure
him  of the forgiveness of his sins,  of the grace of
God,  and  of his soul's salvation.   Having thus
received it as  ordained by Christ, it is his duty
to praise God, commending himself, with a  sub
dued heart and  a believing mind, unto his holy
keeping. 
296           THE PATIENT PRAYS

                  PRAYER.
  My Jesus !  I was greatly desirous to receive
thy  holy sacrament  before  my death.   Thia
desire is gratified;  thou hast given me to eat of
thy precious body, and  to  drink  of thy holy
blood, wherefore I praise  thee from  my inmost
heart.  Praise the Lord, 0 my soul, and forget
not all his benefits.   Lord, now let thy servant
depart in peace, for mine eyes  have seen  thy
salvation.  0 Jesus, dwell in me, and give me a
heart entirely devoted to  thee.  Keep  me con-
stantly in pure and  holy thoughts, and let  thy
sweet and lovely  image  never  fade from  my
heart.  If thou wilt now call me away from this
life, thy will be done. I know that my sins are
forgiven, and that I need not fear to stand before
thy throne;  for where there is forgiveness, there
is life and happiness;  I know that Jesus  has
bestowed upon me  his righteousness; if in this
wedding dress I come before thee, 0 God, thou
wilt remit my judgment for the sake of them.  I
know that Jesus is my advocate with God, and
I die in  the grace of God, and at peace with
God; I am assured of the comfort of the Holy
Ghost.  Thus am  I happy, thus I die  happy,
thus happy I depart from this world, and shall
be and remain happy forever.   It was of thy
great goodness to  my soul,  0 God, that I was 
              ON TAKING MEDICTN1.           297

favored  to hold this heavenly love feast  vrith
my Jesus in  the full possession of my faculties;
may this heavenly food  and drink strengthen
and preserve me in the true faith which leads
unto eternal  life.  This is the fulfilment of my
wish, that my repast before  departing might be
the holy communion.   Grant also, that the  last
word I utter in this world may be the name of
Jesus; the last thoughts I have, of Jesus' blood,
death, suffering, and  cross,  and  of  his  atoning
merit.   Then I shall  know that  I must  die
happy.  Amen.
      C(je patient praps on ta&tug 3Keoictne.

               EXHORTATION.

  " Is any sick among yon T  Let him call for the elders of the
church ; and let them pray 07er him, anointing him with oil in
the name of the Lord ; and the prayer of faith shall save the
rick, and the Lord shall raise him np ; and if he have committed
■ins, they shall be forgiven him."—James v. 14,15.
  If a devout prayer  is indispensable  even in
times  of health, how can  a patient  neglect it,
particularly when he takes medicine ?
  1. The patient must not despise the physician,
nor his medicine, nor think that if he is destined
to recover, God can restore him without medi- 
298
THE PATIENT PRAYS
cine, and that if he is destined to die, the medi
cine will be of no avail.  No, to think thus were
to tempt God.  God  has not promised to help
us without means;  and what God has not pro-
mised, we cannot ask of him.  Those who despise
medicine and die, are guilty of their own murder
  2.  Yet he must  not set  his  trust upon  the
physician and his medicine,  but upon God; as
it is declared  to be one of the sins of King Asa,
that in his sickness he did not seek God, but the
physicians, and trusted  them more than God.
2 Chronicles, xvi. 12.
  3.  Between  these two extremes, the patient
must  select  the  golden  mean.   With his lipa
and his heart he  must pray, and take the medi
cine in firm reliance upon the helping hand  of
God; then he may know that there is a blessing
npon it

                  PRAYER
  Great God! thou seest my condition, for no-
thing is concealed from thy all-seeing eye ; thou
dost search the most  secluded nooks, thou look-
eat also upon  my bed of  sickness, and my frame
of mind is known to thee. In thy name,  0 my
God, I will make use of the medicine prescribed
for me, but my sole hope is in thee, for thou art
the Lord, my physician.   But inasmuch as thou
dost  suffer the herbs to spring from the  earth, 
ON TAKING MEDICINE,
2t>9
and  hast thyself created  the substances from
which  medicines are prepared, I will take this
prescription with fervent prayer,  and  calling
upon thy name.  0 do thou speak thy  blessing
upon it!  Bless the medicine I receive in thy
name and in the firm reliance upon thee; let it
prosper according to thy will, in restoring me to
health, in palliating my sufferings, and in invigo-
rating  my weakened system.  If thou dost give
thy blessing, the  smallest herb can  cure me.   I
do not take the medicine for the purpose of forc-
ing a  recovery, but as a means, permitted by
thee, of regaining health at thy hands.   I raise
mine eyes to heaven in taking the vessel into my
hands; I sigh to thee before and while I swallow
it, and after I have swallowed it.  If thou dost
permit it to work, I shall be healed, for my days
are in thy hand.  Without thy blessing, nothing
can prosper;  therefore, 0 God of blessings, do I
cry unto thee;  what thou dost bless,  0  Lord, is
blessed indeed.   If thou dost help me by means
of this medicine,  I  will  thank thee  for this
means of grace, but will also bear in  mind that
not simples and plasters,  but thy  grace,  have
kept, and thy hand healed me.  Like Hezekiah,
I will spread  thy  praise  among  all  people.
Amen. 
100
HYMN.
                     HYMN.

1. He who suffers woe and  anguish, heavenward let
     him often look,
   When he tastes the bitter  portion which no human
     lips can brook;
       But if to his tears and cries
       Not at once the Lord replies,
       Never let the thought o'ertako him
       That the Highest will forsake him.

2  He should well bethink him rather, that the  hour
     is fixed above,
   When God, like a loving father, will the bitter cup
     remove;
       When all anguish will depart,
       And no more distract the heart;
       When, released from pain and sadness,
       We shall praise the Lord  in gladness.

8. E'en his bitter physio gladly does the true believer
     qmu%
   Knowing that the heavenly blessing will invigorate
     the chaff;
       As he drinks the bitter cup,
       Unto heaven his eye looks up,
       And the virtue in devotion
       Helps the weakness of the potion.

4  Father, on thy benediction all in all it does 6*pe»d,
   Whether my severe affliction shall attain a W*ppy
     end: 
THE PATIENT PRAYS, ETC         Wl
       Into this thy unction fuse,
       O do not thy bliss refuse 1
       Let the weary siokneas vanish,
       All my qualms and tortures banish.

6.  tJnto thee do I surrender death and life, and hope
     and fear,
   Whether  I  shall stay or whether fingering shall
     be ended here;
       Whatsoe'er thou dost command,
       Still I know thy father's hand;
       After all this grief and sorrow
       Thou wilt send the endless morrow.
 fcfje patient  prags for some  flfiatement of  0to
                   Sufferings.

                EXHORTATION.

  " Though I speak, my srrief is not assuaged; and though 1
 forbear, what am I eased ?"—Job zvi. 6.
   When a patient is  attacked by pains, he must
 not  murmur against God, but  must receive
 everything patiently and submissively.
   1. But he  may pray that his pangs be  as-
suaged, as Christ did, in his sufferings.  Children
complain to their parents, why may not a  child
of God do likewise ? 
 £02      THE PATIENT PRAYS FOR SOME

   2. When his pain becomes very  severe, he
 mould remember the heinousness of his sins, and
 acknowledge that his pain is well deserved; but
 he must also think of the great  mercy of God,
 and  of his omnipotence,  by which he  may
 relieve him.
   3. If it is impossible, at such a time to pray
 much or for a length of time he must sigh to
 God, and rest assured that  such  brief sighs of
 the heart will not remain unheard.
  4. Impatience, instead of soothing, will aggra-
 vate suffering.

                 PRAYER
  Lord, hear my prayer, give  ear unto my cry,
 my King and  my God, for I will pray before
 thee.   I will pray and beseech thee to look in
 pity on this my wretchedness, and to  soothe my
 fierce   anguish.   Thou  hast  promised  not to
 suffer us to  be tried beyond our powers of resist-
 ance, but wilt put an  end  to the  temptation, so
 that we may bear it.  Behold, O God, my pains
 prevail, my body is weak, my powers dwindle
away,  my  tongue  cleaves  to  the roof of my
month, my bones are burned  as by a fire, my
sight fails, so long  must I wait for the coming
of the Lord.  0 how long, how long, must the
heart be strong, and  not see  thy face.  Do not
tarry, my God, thou knowest  the great number 
         ABATEMENT OF HIS SUFFERINGS.      808

of my days and nights of suffering, thou hast
heard   my moans,  sighs,  wails,  and  cries.
Whither shall I flee in my distress and pain?
Where is my refuge ?  Where can I go?  Only
to thee, the Lord  my God.  0  dearest Jesus,
thou who hast commanded the tossing  billows
to hi still, 0 command my pains to cease!  Thou
who didst heal the palsied with  a single word,
let thy mercy  be made manifest in me.  Refresh
me again after I have suffered so long, and borne
so much.   From the deep I  cry unto thee, 0
Lord; my soul waiteth for the Lord and for his
help from  morning watch  to morning watch;
for I  know that with the Lord there is help.
Help  me, God of my salvation I  for thy name's
sake deliver me, and forgive  me my sins for the
sake of thy mercy, yet not according to my will,
but according  to thy will.  Amen.

                   HYMN.
I.  O Lord, come to my aid! thou seest mine affliction,
   Thou knowest how I writhe in anguish and con-
    striction ;
   Better than  I can  tell then knowest the pain I
    bear,
   Then hasten  to my aid, or I must all despair.

i. O Lord, come to my aid!  In thee is my reliance;
   O let my ferment  prayer De  blessed with quiet
    compliance! 
801
HYMN.
   Help cometh from the Lord 1  It comes from the*
     alone,
   Then  send  it  down to me from thy most lofty
     throne.

8.  0 Lord, come  to  my aid!  Where else  shall I
     betake me,
   If thy preserving hand and mercy do forsake me ?
   I surely will not fail, and never from thee fly,
   If thou wilt only help, and keep thy angels nigh

4.  0 Lord, come to my aid!  I  know  thou  canst
     deliver,
   And where  thy bounty  falls, it courses like *
     river;
   Thou canst, for nothing is thy power cannot do,
   Thou wilt, because thou art  my loving father too.

5.  O Lord, come to my aid, that I may sing the story
   And whereso'er I go,  disseminate the glory;
   Assuring all mankind our God is living still,
   Though sometimes he delays his help, yet help h«
     wuL 
THE PATIENT IMPLORES GOD, ETC.     90b
  CQe patient implores  gob not to  forsafce Qim.

                EXHORTATION.

  " Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath
 forgotten me.  Can a woman forget her suckling child, that she
 eannot have compassion on the son of her womb f yea, they
 may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold, I have graven
 thee npon the palms of my hands."—iBaiah xlix. 14,15,16.

   If a poor man rejoices greatly in a rich bene-
 factor, a deserted  one in a powerful  patron, so
 may a sick man be greatly comforted in  his suf-
 fer. 0o by the promise of  God that he will not
 forsake him.
   1.  But he must remember that every delay of
 help is not necessarily a desertion.   Many pa-
 tients are ready,  so  soon as God's help is not
 promptly afforded according to their calculation,
 to cry that God has  forsaken them.  It is not
 right to think thus.   What is prorogued is not
 always dissolved, and if the Lord  does not help
 every day and  hour, he always  helps when his
 help is needed.
  2.  The believing patient must persist in say-
ing, " God cannot forsake me for I am his child
 —God  cannot  forsake me, for  so he has pro-
mised—God cannot  forsake me,  he has  often
helped me heretofore.  If he will  thus rest his
soul  in God, he will  be  favored to suffer  pati- 
B06       THE PATIENT IMPLORES OOD

ently to the end, and at last to  be  gloriously
convinced that God did not forsake him.

                 PRAYER
  Dearest God and Father! thou who  has loved
me from all eternity, and out  of thy great love
hast drawn me to thee, behold I come tc thee in
sickness, and  humbly  pray that  thou wilt not
forsake me in my feebleness.  Men tell me they
cannot help me, and thus all human  help has
forsaken  me.   But I  know that  by thee I am
not forsaken, for God forsakes none of those who
put their trust in him; he remains faithful  unto
his own ; though things look strange, yet never
fear, thou shalt see with joy how thy God will
deliver thee.  O my God, do not forsake me !
See  how  long  my  sufferings  endure.   In the
evening I hope to be better in  the  morning, and
at noon I already long for the close of day;  at
night I often cry, " Watchman tell  us of the
night!"   My soul yearns for thee from morning
watch to morning  watch. 0 my God,  do not
forget me 1 thou seest how my sufferings increase.
0 let not the burden overbear me quite; remove
the stone that rests upon me, the rod that smites
the pangs that distract me.  Whither shall I go,
if thou wilt forsake me ?  If thou  wilt not help
me, no creature can help me; if  thou wilt for-
sake me, I am without  resource and shall remain 
MOT TO FORSAKE HDL
807
bo  But I know thou wilt not forsake me ; I re-
mind thee of the promise thou hast made : I will
not forsake  thee, nor forget thee.  Those  who
wait upon the mountains shall  not fall,  but
shall stand firm as  Mount Zion.   The Hero in
Israel doth not deny,  he will give strength unto
his people, and will  save the wretch who has no
help, and will be gracious unto the souls of the
poor.  In  this, thy word, I trust, and hope  that
thou wilt faithfully keep thy word in  heaven.
Thou canst not forsake me for I am thy child; I
am thine own inheritance,  purchased  by thy
precious blood; I am  thine, and thou canst and
wilt not forsake me, thy child and thy property;
thou hast never yet forsaken me in my troubles
and  sorrows,  when woes unnumbered had as-
sailed me, when the waves of affliction beat over
my head; and thou  wilt not desert me now.  In
view of this, I am content; on this I rely.  I am
of good cheer, and say," Lord, I will not  let thee
go, except thou help me," in such way and man-
ner as is most pleasing unto thee.  Amen.

                   HYMN,
  1 I do not bear my cross unaided,
      My Jesus carries  it with me;
    In sickness he is still my brother,
      In death and in captivity.
    I do not bear my crows alone,
    This comfort sweet  is still my own 
808
HYMN.
%  Hi a premise is, that he will help me
     And comfort, in his own good tb
   And when his hour arrives, my son .■*-.'
     Will vanish, as it had its prime.
   Then is the comfort all my own,
   I do not bear my cross alone.

8.  Tis God alone, by whose great meroy
     I have been spared this day to see;
   Tis he who makes my sufferings harmless,
     Although it sorely tortures me;
   Yes, I remember, while I groan,
   I do not bear my cross alone.

4  And I will suffer all in patience,
     Through many a long and weary day,
   Why should I doubt the Lord's assistance,
     His help will not too long delay;
   For heretofore I oft have known,
   I do not bear my cross alone.

5.  My dearest Lord, I have confided
     To thy protection all in all;
   Thy love shall be my full reliance,
     Until thy welcome voice shall call
   Am I not evermore thine own?
   I do not bear my cross alone. 
       THE PATIENT  MEDITATES ON DEATH.    809


       C(je patient meditates on DeatQ.

               EXHORTATION.
  '* Tb* time of my departure is at hand.  _ aave fought a good
fight I have finished my course, I have kept the faith.  Hence-
forth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the
Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day ; and not to
me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing."—2 Tim.
iv. 6, 7, 8.
  It is of great use  frequently  to  recal the
thoughts of death.
   1. We thereby wean our  hearts from vanity
and sin, and school ourselves to rogard\ earthly
matters  as  things which we  cannot  take to
heaven with us, which we  cannot  keep, and
which will not avail us in the dying hour.
  2. It is also needful, because those accustomed
to think of death as of a remote casualty,  are
apt to become insolent, luxurious, and wicked,
to be  absorbed  by the world, and to associate
with  it;  if death  comes  upon such men  un-
awares, they are hopelessly lost.
   3.  It is not to be regarded as a fatal symptom,
if a patient speaks of death, orders his funeral,
makes  his will,  and  prepares for his  blissful
departure.   For all this no  one will  die a mo-
ment sooner than God has ordained-
   4.  Nor must the last hour be regarded in so
fearful a  light  as it is  by many.   Heathena, 
810    THE PATIENT MEDITATES ON DEATH.

indeed, have said,  that of all dreadful things,
death is  the  most dreadful;  but Christians die
in the grace of God, in the arms  of Jesus, in
the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, and of what
should they be afraid.  Is not this rather com-
fort, sweetness, and joy ?

                  PRAYER.
  Lord, it is enough, take my soul away!   Thus
do I cry unto thee, my God, perceiving, in  my
great and increasing feebleness, that the  end of
my life is attained.   I desire  to depart and  be
with Christ.  I have no fear of death and dying,
I have often thought of it when in health, and
therefore it has no terrors for me now.  Even as
the dove of Noah gladly returned to the ark; as
a traveller longs to return to his native  land; so
do I regard my approaching death  as a passing
from disquietude to perfect  rest;  as  a  happy
arrival at home after a long pilgrimage in foreign
parts, bringing with it, in place of eager  yearn-
ings, the fond embraces of my Jesus.  I know
that to the believing Christian death is a gentle
sleep, and a transit to eternal life.   The Lord is
my light  and my salvation,  of what  should I
be afraid ?  The Lord is the vigor of my life,
whom should I dread ?  God is my father, Jesus
my advocate, the Holy Ghost  my guide  and
comforter ; to him I shall come, him I shall see 
       THE PATIENT MEDITATES ON DEATH     811

*hom should I fear ?  When my Jesus spoke of
his approaching death, he was wont to say, "a
go to the Father."  Dearest Jesus, 1 will repeat
thy words.  When I die, I shall go to the Father,
to heaven, to  joy,  to bliss unspeakable.  Why
should I be afraid to die?   Jesus  is mine, his
righteousness  is mine,  his  merit is mine, his
heaven is mine, why should I not be glad!  The
body goes to the earth, but the soul flies to God;
it goes from this world to heaven, from vanity to
bliss, from sadness to joy, from  suffering to hap-
piness, from weeping to  glory;  is not that  a
happy passage ?  I go to rest, to joy, to bliss, tc
the sun, to eternal  joy.  I see Jesus spreading
out his arms and preparing to receive me as his
child; I see thousands  of saints  anxious to bid
me welcome.  Therefore, I am of good cheer; 1
forget  the things which  are behind, even  the
earth, and  all earthly matters, and  reach after
that which  is  before, after the  heavenly gem
which is laid up for us in  heaven.  How happy
shall I  be when lifted  up;  how  shall I rejoice
when in the arms of Jesus;  how glad, when
1 have passed  through  death unto  eternal  life.
Amen. 
HYMN-
                 HYMN.
L  Who as a pious Christian would
     Delight his Lord in dying,
   Having the seal of Jesus' blood
     To vouch for his relying.
   Must struggle hard while here belov/;
   That when his summons comes to go,
     He may not weep at parting.

2.  First let him fall upon his knees,
     Bemoaning his transgression;
   Thus Jesus he may hope to please,
     And gain his intercession.
   Let him abhor each wicked thought,
   And all that he amiss has wrought,
     Since he was of the living.

3.  In Jesus Christ let him believe,
     Then will his wounds restore him
   For he a sinner will receive,
     And spread his mantle o'er him.
   Then will he be relieved from sin,
   And Jesus' grace shall lead him in
     To realms of endless glory.

1  Then let him lead in  piety
     A godly conversation,
   And thoughts of God dwell constantly
     In every meditation.
   And never let him turn aside,
   But ever in the faith  abide,
     As God himself has ordered. 
THE PATIENT  MEDITATES, ETC.        818
5. But most of all let him eschew
     The paths of sin and sorrow,
   And all that shuts out God from view
     Let him not plough the furrow
   That false and wicked men pursue,
   But to his covenant be true,
     And hate what God despised*.
  C0e patient meditates upon $ts graoe an*
                 Resurrection.

               EXHORTATION.

  " Jesus saw' unto her, I am the resurrection and the life ; he
that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and
whosoever  liveth, and believeth in me, shall never die."—John
id. 25, 26.
  Whoever  contemplates  his grave  as a Chris-
tian, will not be frightened, how iark soever it
may appear.
  1. It is a chamber of rest,  where we shall be
relieved  from all pain, sorrow, care and tribula-
tion.
  2. The body shall not  remain  in  the grave,
kut the bones and weary limbs, after a long rest,
Bhall rise again on  the day of judgment, brilliant
as the sun, and be reunited with the soul.
  3. Though loved ones must be left  behind for 
814       THE PATIENT MEDITATES UPON

a time, yet there will be a joyous meeting here-
after in heaven.  If those we love persevere  in
the faith  and  fear God,  they will follow us, and
then  we  shall  nevermore be  separated  from
them.  As regards the good things of this world,
God will replace them with heavenly gifts.  In
view of all this,  there can  be nothing dreadful
to a patient in the contemplation of the grave.

                  PRAYER
  Gracious and  merciful  God!  Behold, I am
prepared to live or to die according  to  thy holy
will.  I do not fear death, because I know that
after much sorrow and tribulation, it will bring
me  to rest. Neither do  I fear the grave, for lo,
it shall be my bed of rest; the misery and sick-
ness of life will not follow me into the grave, but
must  remain  behind.  0 quiet spot, O welcome
resting place! when will my weary limbs and
my feeble  body be  laid into thy womb ?  Jesus
himself has hallowed my grave, he has made  it
an  easy  couch,  by being laid therein himself
after his sufferings were past; when  all  his pains
and sorrows were  at an end.  In like manner
has the Lord provided  a  resting place for my
body upon earth, and a place of refreshment foi
my soul in heaven.  If men  seek soft beds to
rest upon, yet their rest is not to be compared
to mine when in the grave. Many  a one  rau»t 
         HIS GRAVE AND  RESURRECTION.      8i8

bear pain and trouble in his bed of down, but in
my grave no mishap will reach me, no distress
will  approach me.  Thus the grave is a bed,
free from all suffering and evil.  Why should I
fear  the  grave?  I shall not  remain in it.   I
know that  my  Redeemer liveth, and  he will
afterwards   wake  me again out  of the earth.
Whoso believeth  in me, says Jesus, has eternal
life, and  I shall call him at the latter day.  The
grave is  therefore  but a  short  sojourn, wherein
my body shall sleep,  until Jesus  will come and
say, Arise, ye dead, and come to judgment.  The
hour  will come  in which all who are in  the
grave will hear the voice of the Son of God, and
will come forth.   When I shall hear that voice,
I, too, shall arise from my grave, my body shall
be reunited with my soul, it shall  be  made  im-
mortal and glorified.   I  shall shine as the  sun,
all my weakness  shall  be put away.   As the
grain of wheat sprouts up again when it appears
to be dead  in the earth, so shall  my bones  be
gathered again.  It shall be sown in corruption,
but shall arise without corruption; the natural
body shall be  sown, and a body  endowed with
spiritual  and heavenly gifts shall  arise.  What
sighs  groans,  weeps,  and struggles here, shall
there arise in fresh, unspotted glory.  Because
thou didst rise from the dead, I shall not remain
m the grave ; thy resurrection is the chief of my 
*16
HYMN.
comforts, and can banish the fear of death itself
For where thou art, I, too, shall come, with thee
to make my endless home; therefore I go rejoio*
ing   Amen.

                    HYMN.
  1. Why should the grave inspire my tenon,
      I rather long to reach its goal;
    For there, true rest shall be my portion,
      There springs the comfort of my soul
    Whoever fears the quiet grave,
    The world yet holds him for its slave.

 2. The grave is where my limbs so weary
      With rapture find their resting place;
    For thither, sorrow, care, affliction,
      And illness, carry not their chase;
    Who speaks in terror of the tomb,
    Knows not what peace dwells in its gloom

 8. The grave takes all the heavy burden
      Of trouble and distress from me,
    And gives me sweet repose and quiet
      0 God, for this be thanks to thee!
    From sin and sorrow, dread and fear,
    I shall be disentangled here.

 1 The grave is laid with downy pillows,
      And Jesus spreads the drapery;
   And no one will disturb my slumbers,
      While angels keep their watch o'er me
   The body rests from all  annoys,
   The soul ascends to heavenly joys. 
     THE CONVALESCENT RETURNS THANKS.    517

5. Then soul and body both reposing,
     In Jesus, and beneath the sword,
  Have each attained the safest shelter,
     To wait the coming of the Lord.
  Whence the good Shepherd in his own
  Good time shall lift them to his throne.
Clje  Goiiuafescent returns tOan&s to Qob for  (jw
             Restoration to <geaftO.

               EXHORTATION.

  " Behold thou art made whole; sin no more, lest a worse thing
come unto thee." —John v. 14.
  It is not to be denied that most men are ready
to pray in  sickness, and  that they frequently
make great promises to  God, of what  they will
do if he will restore them to health; they mean
to  become  new   creatures,   pious  Christians,
zealous in  prayer, and  assiduous in  worship.
But alas i daily experience shows that but very
few of them adhere to this promise.
  1. A true Christian, delivered from illness by
the hand of God, should therefore understand,
praise, and extol the omnipotence of God, which
not only cast him  on his bed of sickness, but also
raised  him up again, and gra jiously released him
from the danger of death. 
518   THE CONVALESCENT RETURNS THANKB

  2. A patient  who  has  thus  been restored,
must keep the promises made on his death-bed.
For  it is better  to make  no promises, than to
break them after they are  made.
  3.  Having, like Hezekiah, regained new powers,
he must not only thaiak his almighty deliverer
when alone, at home, and on his knees, but also
hasten to the house of God, and abase himself
before  the  Lord, thereby also giving others an
opportunity to see the goodness of God, which
has been extended to him.
  4.  He must frequently  recal the anguish of
his  soul, consider the danger in which  his life
was placed, and  lead a pious and  godly life, in
honor of the omnipotent, triune God.

                 PRAYER
  Almighty and  gracious  God!  I come before
thy holy face, ard thank  thee from the bottom
of my heart, for having raised me up again from
my bed of sickness.   I still think of the hours
of anguish, of the sorrowful nights, of the great
danger in which  I hovered.  But lo, thy mighty
hand has graciously raised me from my couch;
thou hast set me on my feet  again, and enabled
me to go out and to  come  in.  Thy grace has
transformed my  complaints into  a  dance; thou
hast taken  off my sack-cloth, and girt  me with
joy.   Lord 1 Lord 1 thou hast done great things 
     TO GOn FOR HIS RESTORATION TO HEALTH   319

for me, whereof I am glad; thy love and mercy
have helped me to this hour.  For this I surely
know that whoso serveth God, he will be  com-
forted after affliction, and released from trouble;
and after chastisement he will find grace.   For
thou, 0 God S  dost not rejoice in our perdition;
after the storm thou  permittest the sun again to
shine; after the weeping and wailing thou dost
overwhelm  us  with joy.   This  mercy   and
fatherly care  I too  have  experienced in my
sickness;  therefore, while I live, I will think of
the anguish of my soul,  but I will also proclaim
before   the  great  congregation,  what thou,
almighty  God,  hast  done for me;  thou  hast
blessed  the medicine, thou  hast assuaged my
pains, thou hast given me strength to overcome
my suffering, thou  hast given me days of refresh-
ment after the wretched  and weary nights, and
hast had pity on me  like a father in  my tribula-
tion.  Therefore, praise  the Lord, 0  my  soul,
and what  is in me praise his holy name; praise
the Lord,  0 my soul, and forget not all his bene-
fits.  Praise the Lord with me, all ye who  have
ever been  in pain,  sickness, or suffering, and let
us unite in extoling his holy name.  For when
we  cried  in our wretchedness, the  Lord heard
our cries, and helped  us  out of all our troubles.
They who look upon  the Lord in their wretched-
ness, in faith and with prayer, shall not  be con- 
320    THE CONVALESCENi RETURNS THANKS

founded;  he does not suffer them to walk away
in sorrow from his throne, but has mercy upon
them.   0 my God ! let the grace and mercy thou
hast thus  extended  to me, be constantly before
my eyes and in  my heart.  Now I  know  and
have discovered that thou  art a mighty God, for
thou canst  restore the dead to life, the  sick to
health,  the feeble to  strength, and the afflicted
to gladness.  0 in my pains and sickness, I have
discovered that silver and gold, honor and glory
of the world, and  even kind friends, did  not
avail to lift the cross from my shoulders,  and if
thou  hadst  not  helped  me,  I should have
perished in my misery.  Therefore,  I will nc
longer strive after vain and fleeting things, but
will rejoice in thee ; I will  avoid the sinful con-
verse of the world, and cling to thy altar, where
is heard the voice  of thanksgiving,  and where
thy wonders are told; I will renounce ungodly
things  and worldly lusts, and live chaste, right-
eous and godly in this world, so that when thoTi
shalt come with my dying hour  and the  end of
my life, I may be prepared  to enter into the joys
of heaven   Amen. 
TO GOD FOE HIS RESTORATION TO HEALTH.


                HYMN.

 1. How can I praise thy goodness,
      As fully as I ought ?
   How pay the just thanksgiving,
      For all thy wonders wrought ?
   Thou hast released, unchained ma
      From what oppressed me sore;
   My spirit bounds with lightness,
      Wrestling with death no more.

 2. Nor shall my lips be idle,
      For  they have voice again
   To sing the fitting praises
      Of him who broke my chain.
   ft:   t art shall join the anthem
      And everywhere it goes,
   Tell how his loving kindness
      Delivered me from woes.

8. I  sat apart, deserted,
      And thou didst raise me up;
   How can I fairly think it,
      That thou didst give thy cup,
   Thy cup of heavenly vigor.
      That came at trying hours,
   And strengthened my endurance
      With more  than earthly powers

4. I knew no place of refuge,
     I had no help to seek ;
   Yet saw I deeds of wonder
     When thou didst take my weak 
822
HYMN.
   And sorely harassed body,
     And laidst it on thy knee,
   Saying in soothing accents,
     " Fear not, I am with thee."

5.  Yea, truly thou wert with me,
     And by thy strong right arm
   I overcame the terror
     That would have done me  Harm.
   Praised be the Lord of Glory,
     He saw me in distress,
   And sent his serving angel
     His suffering child to bleaa. 
 

<i ■''.< W-
s»f.;  -<*&


 
PART  IV.
KXBORTITIONS,  PRATERS  A»D HYMNS
            <for tQe  Sging.
lCQe Dying one appears Oefore t$e 3ubgmeut Seal
                   of flob.

              EXHORTATION.
  " We mast all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that
every one may receive the things done in his body, according to
that he hath done, whether it be good or bad."—2 Cor. v. 10.
  " If we would judge ourselves, we should not
be judged,"  is the admonition  of  the Apostie
Paul, in 1 Corinthians, xi. 31; and truly the man
who examines his own life, accuses  himself, and
prays for grace in the name of Jesus, will not be
condemned by God, but will experience his good-
ness  and mercy; for he who acknowledges and
renounces his trespass, shall have mercy.  This,
therefore, should be the care of the dying.
  1. He must remember that sooner or later he
must appear before the judgment seat, for it  ia
                                     (325) 
826     THE DYINO ONE APFEJLBS BEFORE

appointed for man once  to die, and afterwards
the judgment.
  2.  Therefore  a dying one will do well to be
reconciled to God in time, to ask his forgiveness
in the name of Jesus' blood, and  thus attain
unto grace;  then he  may rest assured, that, die
when and as God will, quickly or  slowly,  God
will graciously accept  his soul, and  that on the
last day he will enter into life eternal, justified
by the blood of Jesus.

                  PRAYER.
  I know, 0 God, that it is  appointed  for me
once  to  die,  and  afterwards  the  judgment.
Therefore, I now appear  before  thy judgment
seat, while yet I live; I would be reconciled to
thee before  I die. 0 righteous  God! I know
that I  am a great sinner!  I have broken all
thy holy commandments, often designedly, I have
not loved  thee  with  all  my heart, nor with all
my soul, nor with all my might;  I have not
always followed in the footsteps of my Jesus, nor
suffered the Holy Ghost to lead and guide me as
I ought to have done.  I remember  that I  was
made thy child in holy baptism, but  that I have
not always lived as a child of God, that  in  con-
fession and at thy holy table, I have  made many
promises, of  which I kept but few, and again as-
sociated myself with  the world   Lord,  I have 
          THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF OOD.      82"

done amiss; the load of my transgressions presses
me down; I have not walked in the way pointed
out by thee;  my  sins rise  over my head, and
like  a weighty burden they have grown too
heavy for me.  0 gracious God! thou who hast
declared that  thou dost not seek the death of the
sinner, but that he should turn and live, behold,
I come and desire to make my peace with thee.
0,1 repent of my sins, and fall down before thy
judgment seat,  and beseech thee, Lord God
Father in heaven, to  have mercy upon  me!
Lord  God Son, the Saviour of the world, have
mercy upon me!  Lord God Holy Ghost, have
mercy upon me!  I invoke thy great mercy, 0
Father!  I have sinned  in heaven and before
thee; I am not worthy to be called  thy child,
yet 0 be merciful unto thy child, and do not
disown me !   I fly unto thee, 0 Jesus, my Advo-
cate ! 0  intercede for me, a sinner, now, and  in
the hour  of my death !   For the sake of thy pre-
cious blood, forgive my trespasses; for the sake
of thy holy wounds, let me  find  grace before
the  austere judgment  seat of God!   Lord,  be
gracious unto me according  to thy  goodness, and
wipe out  my sins after thy great mercy.  0 most
precious Holy Ghost! I  pray to thee to create a
new  heart within  me,  sanctify and purify  it,
give me thy testimony that  I am a child of God
*nd in favor with God.   Yea, work in me  a true 
 828     THE  DYING ONE AFPEABS BEFORK

 repentance, a living faith, and holy resolves to
 live only to thy honor, and  to die in childlike
 obedience.    0 produce in  me holy thoughts,
 devout sighs, acceptable  meditations on death,
 and give me a refreshing foretaste of heaven and
 of the glory that is to come.   Let me hear thy
 consoling words in my heart, " Be of good cheer,
 my  son, thy sins are forgiven thee."  0 moat
 Holy Trinity! have mercy upon me, let me find
 favor in thy sight when I leave this world, and
 do not take me into judgment for the evil I have
 done, but have mercy  upon me according to thy
 love.  Amen.

                    HYMN.

 t. "Rise from your graves, ye dead!"  Thus shall
     the call be sounded,
   Which on the latter day shall find us all astounded;
   Which  to the  faithful flock shall  promise rare
     delight,
   And  fill  the trembling  hearts of sinners with
     affright

2.  u Rise from your graves, ye dead!"  Your sleep at
     last is over,
   Ye blessed  of the Lord, no  more  without shall
     hover.
   The garments are prepared, the crowns are for you
     stored;
   Enter into the joy and comfort of your Lord» 
THE  JUDGMENT SEAT OF  GOD.       829
8  " Rise from  your graves, ye dead I"   Come from
     your earthly cover;
   Ye wicked all the pangs of hell shall now discovei
   Ye once rejected me, I hold you nothing worth;
   Wailing  and gnashing teeth  shall  be your  lo.
     henceforth.

t.  " Rise from your graves, ye  dead F  Lo, here are
     bone and tissue,
   Flesh, sinew, hand, eye, foot! from earth and  air
    they issue.
   That wherewith you have served the  Lord  is glo-
     rified,
   That wherewith you  have sinned, consumed and
     cast aside.

5.  " Rise from  your graves, ye dead I"   Ye  faithful
     now shall glory
   In halos like the sun, undimmed, untransitory.
   Immortal bodies with immortal souls shall blend,
   Ye shall  enjoy the rest of saints that hath j o end. 
330         THE DYING  ONE F0BGIVE8


CQe Dgtny  Due /orgioes anb  asks forgfoenew

               EXHORTATION.

  " If ye forgive men their trespasses, yonr heavenly father wit
alsc forgive you.  But if ye forgive not  men their trespasser
neither will your heavenly Father forgive your trespasses."—
Matt, vi., 14,15.
  A true preparation  for a happy death is not
complete without a reconciliation with our neigh-
bour ; this reconciliation  should  not be delayed
indefinitely, but set about while in sound mind
and understanding.
  1. Ifa Christian has  suffered much  injustice at
the hands of others, he must be  sure  to take no
ill-will towards his enemies into his grave, but
must forgive them with all his heart.
  2. If he,  however,  has  wronged others and
insulted  them, he must not  rest  before  being
reconciled with them,  nor  be ashamed to call
them to his dying bed and ask their forgiveness,
with heart,  lips and hand.  If they are absent,
he  must do this  in writing; if dead,  he must
pray  to  God for  forgiveness.    In  doing so, he
must also  make  restitution of  what has  been
Btolen, purloined, or wrongfully  taken, either  to
the injured  one himself, or to his heirs or repre-
sentatives,  for the sin  cannot  be forgiven with-
out restitution. 
            AND ASKS forgiveness.         881

  3, To all this he must be impelled as well by
uonsideraticns of his duty as a  Christian, as by
the divine  command and warning, " that as he
shall  deal  with his enemies, so will  God deal
with him."

                  PRAYER
  My God, I live, and  know not  how long; I
must  die, and know not when;  therefore  I  will
be reconciled betimes with my neighbour, so that
I may depart this life with my mind at rest.
Heaven is called the house of peace, where im-
placable, revengeful and  angry souls  are  not
admitted; therefore I will cleanse  my heart of
all wrath and enmity;  I will forgive  and ask
forgiveness, so that God  may take me  into  his
favor  as  a lover of peace, for Jesus' sake.   On
this account I forgive all my enemies from the
bottom of my heart, and all those who have ever
injured me in words, works or gestures; I forgive
them  not with my  lips alone, but in the presence
of God, and  with  my heart; henceforth  I  will
never think of what they have done : I will for-
get it  and in proof of my pacification,  I  will
wish them every happiness, and do good to them
where and whenpoever  I can;  yea, for them I
pray to God to bless them, and  to let them  and
their  children enjoy health and  prosperity in
time and in eternity.  As I have  thus  forg^en 
832        THE DYING ONE FORGIVES

and do forgive all those who have ever angered
or thwarted me, so do I herewith  crave the for-
giveness of all of whom I have ever spoken
evil, whom I have injured, or to whom I have
caused harm or trouble.  0 forgive me, beloved
friends, for the  sake  of Jesus; bear me no ill
will!   I know  that I  have done you  wrong, I
beg you to forgive me from my heart, with my
hand and with my lips,  and would to  God I
could see you all here  at my bedside, so that I
might crave all your forgiveness face to face.  0
merciful God! be pleased to forgive me all the
harm I have  ever done my neighbour,  whoever
ne be, from malice or from weakness, knowingly
or unwittingly!  Forgive me for the sake of thy
great  mercy.   0 do not remember my sin and
wickedness!   0 my   heavenly   Father,  have
mercy upon me!  0 my Jesus, wash me  of my
sins and pray for me !  0 Holy Ghost, sanctify
my heart and purify it of all evil  1  Thus I die
happy, thus I die rejoicing.  Amen.

                  HYMN.

   1.  I will offer full forgiveness
        Tc my wrongers, great and small;
      Lord, vouchsafe to me the favor
        To forgive them, one and all;
      And that I, thy erring child
      May with them be reconciled. 
AND ASKS FORGIVENESS.
   1 forgive them most sincerely,
   And my promise binds most nearly.

2.  My desire, my wish and yearning,
     Father! it is this alone,
   To be well at peace henceforward
     With all those who me disown.
   Though their hatred will not end,
   I henceforth must be their friend;
   Would they knew how much it griev<»
   That their anger will not leave me.

8.  O forgive me, friends and brethren,
     If I oft have angered you;
   Harbor not unkindly feelings,
     Let the grave our love renew;
   Well I know that I have done
   Evil unto  many a one;
   Wipe it from your recollection,
   And revive your old affection.

4.  Lord ! this duty well accomplished,
     I appear before thy face:
   Look upon me with the cheering
     Aspect of thy heavenly grace;
   Take away my load of sin,
   Thy assistance let me win.
   Let the spite of foes not harm me,
   Nor my weight of guilt alarm ma

6  Now my troubled soul is quiet,
     As I am restored to peace,
   To the will of God commanding
     Whether life shall last or cease - 
H84       THE  DYING ONE TAKES LEAVE

      Peace with God, and peace with men,
      Rifles death of all its pain;
      Thus, forgiven and forgiving,
      I can die without misgiving.

                      mm


£§e !Dg(ng Due toles Ceaoe of (jfe  ^tnbreb anfc
     irtenus, anb gtues tfjem (Jts Hfessing.

               EXHORTATION.

  " Now, brethren, I commend you to God, and to the word of
his grace, which  is able to build you up, and to give you an in-
heritance among all them which are sanctified."—Acts xx. 32.
  It is well known in  Holy Writ, that  persons
at the point of death take leave of their relations
and friends, as is clearly to be seen in the case of
Moses, Isaac, Jacob, Tobit, Christ Jesus, and
others.
  1.  The blessing thus bestowed is not fruitless;
for as it is a prayer rendered up by the dying
one for those he loves, it will not remain unheard
if done in faith and in the name of Jesus Christ.
  2. The last words spoken  on the bed of death,
do not usually fail of making an impression on
those remaining behind.  The  admonition of  a
dying father or mother is not easily forgotten,
but remains as  a thorn in the Spirit. 
        OF HIS RELATIVES AND FRIENDS,     835

   3.  Children should  be  admonished not to
grieve  their parents  in days of  health,  and
thereby make  it impossible for their parents to
leave them their blessing.  The parent's curse
often transforms the prosperity of the children
into  misfortune; pious Christian parents would
rather bless than curse their children.

                  PRAYER,
  I now take leave of all  my kindred, acquain-
tances,  benefactors and  friends.  I  commend
them, almighty God,  into  thy protection, love,
and  favor; do good unto them for the  kindness
they have shown  me, and  as I cannot recom-
pense them for all they have done, do thou see
to their recompense.  I must leave my friends,
relatives and  acquaintances,  but thou, 0 God,
wilt never leave them; keep them in the fear of
thee, in faith and piety, so  that we may behold
each other again in the  life to come.   I go the
way of all the  world; I go before, but in heaven
the faithful  and the children of God  will meet
again.   But those  whom I leave behind,  great
God! and those to  whom my departure from the
world will be a cause  of sorrow, give  them thy
blessing abundantly.  The Lord bless you, my
beloved !  The Lord bless you in body and soul!
May he take you into his protection, may he, in
his fatherly love and kindness, give you plentiful 
886      THE DYING ONE TAKES LEAVE

sustenance, and preserve you from all evil. Fear
God and be pious, place your trust in him, and
know that he will have  mercy upon you and
be gracious unto you.  Turn not away from him
in unbelief, malice, or unchristian walk, but  be
faithful to  him even unto death, and  he will
give you the  crown of eternal life at last.  Do
not forsake the  Lord, and he  will not forsake
you.  Honor, serve, love and  obey him.  May
the God of all grace and mercy bless  your going
out and your coming in, so that ye may be and
remain the chosen  of the Lord.  Great God ! 1
have blessed them;  do thou make them truly
blessed.  And now, 0 triune God 1 take my soul
unto thee, lift it up unto joys eternal.  I desire
to be dissolved and with Christ.  Lord Jesus! to
thee I live, to thee I die;  living and dead, I  am
thine.   Make me  and  mine  happy  forever.
Amen.


                   HYMN.

   L My dying hour is drawing nigh
        When I must leave these shadows,
      To seek the everlasting rest
        That dwells in heavenly meadows.
      Therefore I for my death prepare,
      And pray my God to take me where
        Hia pasture blooms forever. 
      OF HIS BELATIVES AND FBIENDS.

2.  0 God, I bitterly repent
     That I have, to thy sorrow,
   Clung to the pleasures of the world,
     And suffered sin to borrow
   The hours I should have spent for thee,
   0 from that evil set me free,
   Forget what I have trespassed I

8.  Of Jesus, I appropriate
     The all-atoning merit,
   Tis the sole comfort of my heart,
     The wealth that  I inherit
   0 Jesu, Jesu, I am thine,
   Then let me nevermore repine,
   When death comes with thy summons.

 4. Therefore I do resign my house
      Into the Lord's good keeping;
   I give my blessing unto all,
      And bid them cease their weeping:
   God will protect the fatherless,
   The orphans do his love possess
   And will not be forsaken.

 5. Then unto God I will upraise
       My hoart and voice in prayer;
    I have no fear of death, for Christ
       Has overcome the slayer.
    Lord, I am herel  O quickly come
    And take me to my cherished homes
     Where is no more of parting. 
8*8
THE DYING ONE
    Cfje Dtjing Dne Kommcrtus QtmsetT to (job.

               EXHORTATION.

  " Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."—Lake xiiil

  Persons about to die often have many things
to order and arrange.   In their anxiety to set
their  houses in order, they frequently  forget
what is most valuable, their souls.
  1. Every  righteous  Christian  should  daily
commend his body and soul to the protection of
God, as well when he retires at night, as when
he rises in the morning.
  2. While pious Christians should  always do
this, they  must also remember it when they die;
they have the example  of our Saviour  before
them,  who  said,  when death  was approaching,
" Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."
Stephen did the  same,  in sighing, while the
stones pelted him," Lord Jesus, receive my spirit."
  3. This  is of the greatest necessity.  Great and
sudden alterations frequently take  place in the
condition of sick persons.  How well is it, then,
to make use of the hours of health for commend-
ing our souls to God, and to bring the most valu-
able part of ourselves into safe keeping, resigning
all else, for life or death, to his  holy will.
  4. This done, we shall die happy. 
          COMMENDS HIMSELF TO GOD.       889

                  PRAYER.
  Merciful and loving God 1 thou who dost suffer
men to die, and  sayest, Come again, ye sons of
menl   Thou who dost draw thy loved ones
unto thee  by death, and givest them a share of
the glory acquired for us by the bitter sufferings
and death of Jesus 1  I see that my weakness is
becoming  an audible voice, which cries unto me,
to set my  house in order, for I must die.  I must
prepare to meet the bridegroom; keep the light
of thy lamp fresh and burning.  As  I do not
know when my hour will come, I will resign
myself into thy hands in time, and will consign
my soul to thee.  Let my heart  be void of all
worldly conversation; drive out all worldly and
sinful thoughts, so that I may delight in thee
alone, rejoice in thee alone, speak of thee, medi-
tate on thy glory and the bliss of the elect.  Fill
my heart with the Holy Ghost, so  that he may
produce a  good stir within me.  Help me to re-
member Jesus Christ, and at all times to fix my
eyes upon  his blood and death.  When the hour
of death arrives, keep me, if it is  thy holy will,
from assaults, sad thoughts and acute pains, and
leave me a sound mind  to the last, so that heart,
lips and mind may think and speak of thee, and
pray to thee; and  if speech should fail me, let
me enjoy  thy loveliness in my heart,  and be 
840
THE DYING ONE
conscious of thy most holy presence.   By thy
grace,  let me have joy in dying; let me look
into the bliss of heaven, and give me to taste a
few drops of the heavenly sweetness, so that I
may depart  this life in gladness and comfort.
To thee I commend my soul when it leaves the
body;  0 then do thou  take it  into  thy hands!
Cover it with thy perfect righteousness, and lead
it into the joys  of heaven.  I also commend to
thee my body, resting in the cool earth; give it
a gentle rest, until the last trumpet shall sound,
and  call, "Arise ye dead,  and  come to judg-
ment !" and then, in the name  of Jesus, let me
joyfully arise and enter into eternal life.  Amen.


                    HYMN.
1. The breath that thou, O Lord, hast given,
     Still animates my body's life,
   But now to thee I must resign it,
     There is an end of earthly strife.
   But tfhen I meet my mortal lot,
   0 then, my God, forsake me not

2. As yet I live;  I still am able
     To send my prayers up to thee;
   Therefore I pray that at the passing
     Thou wilt be there, and comfort me;
   When death doth  quench my life and thought,
   0 then, my God, forsake me not' 
COMMENDS  HIMSELF TO GOD.
8.  When the last fearful hour approaches
     And I grow faint and ghastly pale,
   When all around are lost in wailing,
     When the cold sweats of death prevail,
   When all is flitting and forgot,
   0 then,  my God, forsake me not.

4.  When reason fails, and I no longer
     Can know myself, and scarcely thee,
   Then let thy Spirit's self direct me,
     That  Jesus still my eyes may see,
   And if the thought of sin grows hot,
   O then, my God,  forsake me not

5  When the cold lips are closed forever,
     When I have said my latest word,
   Then let this comfort richly meet me,
     That this, my prayer, shall be heard,
   When earth deserts my every thought,
   O then, my God, forsake me  not 
842
THE DYING  ONE
     Clje Aging Dm mebftutes on fltuden.

               EXHORTATION.
  " But Stephen, being full of the Holy Ghost looked up sted*
fastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing
on the right hand of God, and said, Behold, I see the heavens
opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God."
—Acts vii. 55, 66.
  Nothing can be more sweet and pleasant to a
believing soul,  than to meditate upon heaven.
In heaven is their residence, their country, their
comfort, their heritage, their crown, their glory;
their body is on the  earth, their soul rests with
God, their work  upon earth, their thoughts in
heaven.   If it is thus with a believer, how much
more should it be so with one who is dying !   At
the point of death many mournful things occur;
separation from those we love, the tears of those
around, and others.  But all this  will be sweet-
ened, if the dying but sends his  heart, whence
he never would depar-
  1. When separation pains him, he must  recall
the holy angels and the elect in heaven, with
whom he shall dwell for evermore.
  2. When he sees others weep, he must remem-
ber the  eternal joys, the bliss and happiness,
which await him in the life to come, where there
shall be no tears nor groans, and no more weep-
ing. 
MEDITATE8 ON HEAVEN.
848
                  PRAYER.
  0 gracious  God! how great is thy  love and
mercy to all mankind!  Not only dost thou help
us, hear our supplications, have mercy upon us,
and pour down thy blessings upon  us  while we
live, but thou hast also stored up glorious gifts
for us in heaven, for in heaven we shall have, 0
Lord, the  things of glory.   Therefore in humble
reliance I appear before thy great majesty and
glory,  before the splendor  wherein thou  dost
dwell, where  so many  seraphim, with all  the
angels and all the elect, that  is to say, all  the
pious who have ever lived upon  earth, stand
before thy throne,  praise and extol thee, and
sing the Holy, Holy, Holy, in thy honor.  I call
to mind  that shortly I, too, shall stand  among
them, after my gentle and blissful death.  I re-
member that I shall then wear a brilliant crown
upon my head, and shall be  arrayed  in a white
robe; yea, I shall shine as the  sun.   0 glory, 0
bliss, which the Father of all mercies will confer
upon  me, for  the sake  of Jesus!  Therefore I
am not afraid of death, because it will  open  the
door to all this glory.   I gaze joyfully upon  the
heavens, for they ar« my eternal dwelling-place;
here we have no lasting sojourn.   This dwel-
ling place, Jesus, my Saviour,  has purchased for
me by his sufferings and death: thither I shall 
844
THE DYING ONE
come through faith in him.  If I look upon  the
heavens, I  recollect that  there is my country,
where all pious Christians and all  the  faithful
are assembled.  While I remain in the world, I
am a pilgrim and a wanderer, but when, after a
blissful  death, I shall have  arrived  in heaven,
then I  shall come to rest,  to peace, and to eter-
nal welfare.  I look upon  the heavens with joy,
and bethink me that they are my heritage; if
my heritage on earth has been small, in heaven
I shall  enter  upon an eternal and unspotted
heritage.  Heaven is the paradise wherein God
will make the faithful glad, of which the earthly
paradise was but the shadow.  When I see  thy
glory in heaven, 0 my God, I shall say to  thee
as the queen of the east said  unto Solomon, " 0
my God, 0  my Jesus, behold the half was  not
told me; thy wisdom and prosperity exceedeth
the fame which I heard; happy  are thy men,
happy  are  these thy servants which stand con-
tinually before thee, and that  hear  thy wisdom.
Amen.


                   HYMN.

  1. " Happiness is here I"  The chosen
      This proclaim from where they roam,
    Carrying palms, and crowned with glory,
      Joyous in their blissful home 
MEDITATES  ON HEAVEN.
K45
   O 'tis gladsome to be here:
   We are filled with heavenly cheer,
   Free from anguish and from terror,
   Free from grief^ and sin, and error.

2.  Happiness is here in seeing
     God Almighty face to face;
   Happiness, to stand and revel
     In the splendors of his grace;
   We are glad for evermore,
   We have rich delights in store;
   Light surrounds us brightly shining,
   Joys of heaven banish pining.

8.  Happiness consists in tasting
     Bliss, and peace, and  comfort here
   Here the fountains of all pleasure
     Flow forever bright and clear.
   Here the voice of weeping ne'er
   Beats upon the lambent air,
   Here our faces beam  in splendor.
   Such as sunbeams cannot render.

4.  Happiness is where ten  thousand
     Shining angels hover round.
   In whose converse now wC saunter,
     Honored wheresoever found.
   Here the praise of God  is sung
   Ever by the choral throng;
   Here the church triumphant hails us,
   And their comfort never fails us P 
u$
THE DYING ONE RECALLS
 6.  Then in faith I will be stedfast
      And in heavenly piety;
    Nothing shall therefore deter me,
      While the earth still fetters me
    £ shall listen to the song
    Of the heavenly choral throng;
    And, when I have passed all sadness,
    Enter on those realms of gladness.


                       mm


  ttyt Doing Dne recatCs t§e promises of %ob

               EXHORTATION.
  " Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom pre-
pared for yon from the foundation of the world."—Matth. xxxv
34.

  In death there is need of refreshment, as well
for the body as for the soul.   But what can re-
fresh the soul ?   Not gold and silver, honors or
earthly splendor, but the word of God, of which
David says, " Thy  word is the  comfort of my
heart."  Therefore we ought  to collect comfort-
ing passages of the Bible in days of health, so as
to have  a store of them  in  the ricmory when
distress assails  us.
  1. A dying Christian should particularly call
to mind the glorious and divine promises found 
THE PROMISES OF GOD.
847
in the Holy Scriptures, of the divine help, assistr
ance, presence and favor.
  2. He  must appropriate these consoling pas-
sages to himself, as if God had addressed them to
him, for in the Holy Scriptures, the Lord speaks
with all men  and  with each in particular.
  2. In view  of these promises, he must rely  on
their fulfilment; though the Lord should defer
his  coming, he will gloriously redeem his word
in his own good time.

                  PRAYER
  Thou gracious God ! how sweet are those pro
mises thou hast given me  in thy words, in say-
ing, " I am with him  in distress,  I  will deliver
him;" and again,  " Fear not, I am with thee, be
firm, I am thy God ;" and yet again, when Jesus
says, " Where I am, there shall my servant be
also.  In my  Father's house are many mansions,
I go to prepare for your  coming;  I will come
again and take you with me, so that ye may be
where I am."  Yea, I am assured  that  Jesus  is
my advocate and prays for me, and that the
Holy Ghost  will  defend me  with  unutterable
sighs.  0 gracious God fulfil these thy  promises
in me ; O my troubles increase from  day to day,
be and remain with me in my last  distress.   0
forsake me not, stand by me.  0 Jesus, let me
attain to glory, and to the place which thou hast 
848         THE DYING ONE RECALLS

prepared.  0 Jesus, be my Advocate; pray foi
me, a ainner, so that I may find grace and mercy
0  most precious Holy Ghost! stand  by me  in
my weakness, and  give me strength and power.
When my lips can no  longer pray, bear up my
feeble sighs to God.  I cling to thy promises and
believe that  in  thy great mercy thou wilt fulfil
them.  I believe in thy word,  I trust to thy
word, my heart reminds thee of thy  word, bid-
ding me to  seek thy  face,  wherefore,  Lord,  I
i<eek thy face.  Throughout my  life  thy word
has been my comfort and  my joy, let it be my
refreshment  in  death.   Refresh me  when the
tiweat of death breaks out, gladden me when my
lips grow pale, comfort me when hearing and
right depart.   0 triune God, then let me hear
joy and peace in my heart, as a foretaste of th<
glories of heaven.  Amen.
                   HYMN.

1. I gladly die; why should the grave
    Inspire my soul with terrors ?
  My faith delights to contemplate
    The period of all errors •
  I know that in a better world
  Celestial bliss shall be unfurled,
    Before my dazzled gazes. 
              THE PRuliibA* OF GOD.           849

2  I gladly die, for after death
     My trouble, care, and Badness
   Shall, by the Lord's surpassing graoa
     Become unmingled gladness;
   The cup in which my sorrows swim
   Shall flow with joyance to the brim,
     In those bright realms before me.

8.  I gladly die, for well I know
     I shall not die forever;
   But from the dark and gloomy grouwf
     The trumpet shall me sever.
   Transfigured, I  shall stand hi  light,
   And my once blinded, dazzled sight
     Shall look upon the Highest

4.  I gladly die, this is my word
     Until my race is ended,
   Until I reach the homes of peace
     Where welcome is extended
   By sainted lips and angel  hands.
   O when will the sublime expanse
     Of heaven stretch out before esg 
86C       THE DYING ONE ANTICIPATES
 C§e Doing Dne  anticipates jogfut (Conoerse  in
                    $eaoen.

               EXHORTATION.

  " After this, I beheld, and lo, a great multitude which no man
sould number,  of all nations, and  kindred, and people,  and
tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed
with white robes, and palms in their hands ; and cried with a
loud voice, saying, Salvation to our God which sitteth upon the
throne, and unto the Lamb."—Rev. viL 9,10.
  What more sweet and delicious could  a dying
man choose for the  subject of his  meditations,
than the joys of heaven, and the  communion of
the saints, the thought of which so often encour-
ages a pious Christian here on earth.
  1. At the approach of death we must  learn to
look upon the things  of  earth, as things to be
shortly left  behind.
  2. We should therefore cherish heavenly con-
templations of the joys of heaven, which will fall
to our lot,  when, after departing  this life, we
shall be transferred to the raptures of the skies.
  3. We  should  also reflect upon the converse
we  shall enjoy, in beholding God face to face and
mingling  with  the angels  and  the elect.   In
thinking  upon these heavenly associations and
our prospect of happiness, death grows  sweeter
and a holy emotion is experienced in the soul. 
JOYFUL CONVERSE IN HEAVEN.      361
                  PRAYER
  How lovely are thy mansions, 0 Lord of hosts!
my soul yearneth for thy courts, 0 when shall I
arrive there to behold  thee  face to  face,  and
stand before thy throne with all the angels and
thy chosen saints !   0 what great glory and bliss
shall I meet with, when released from this mor-
tal coil!  0 what glory  awaits me!   I shall
see the triune God face to face; what I have
here believed, I shall there behold, what I can-
not understand, I shall there  fully know and
comprehend; there I shall  be penetrated and
filled with heavenly light.  As the hart panteth
after the water brooks, so panteth my soul after
thee, 0 God!  My soul thirsteth for God, for the
living God; when shall I come and appear before
God ?  It is the chief joy to look upon  God, in
whom we believe while  here below, but without
seeing him.  In this sight will consist the highest
pleasure, the most delicious  sweetness, and the
most perfect bliss.  Here I am among men, here
I have  been constrained to wear  out my life
among friends and foes, but in glory I shall meet
many thousands of angels, who hover in splen-
dor and light  around God's throne, and sound
the Holy, Holy, Holy God, the Lord of Hosts
There I shall meet all the pious and the chosen
who  have  ever  dwelt  upon  earth.   I  shall 
852
THE DYING ONE BE0ALLB
meet my dearest  friends who have died  befort
me, with whom I shall  remain forever in sweet
communion.  0 then how shall my soul rejoice!
Then yearning shall be succeeded by enjoyment,
I shall be with the Lord  alway, where troubles
shall no more assail  me;  and this will not laat
for an  hour or a  year, but for  evei  and ever,
without cessation.   Amen.

                     HYMN.
    1. What surpassing strains of glory
         Burst upon my ravished ears 1
      What superb and splendid mansion
         To my dazzled sight appears,
      On the pleasant lawns of heaven;
      Where to those sweet rest is given,
      Who were stedfast in the faith
      Through all trials, unto death.

    2. Truly 'tis the land of goodness
         For the wicked come not there;
       He alone shall there be welcomed,
         Who has learned with Christ to beaa
       God himself on all dispenses
       Light and life,  who seek his glances;
       Here the faithful all enjoy
       Peace and bliss without alloy

    8 God himflfllf, whom mortal vision
         Never on the earth beheld,
       Stands confessed to the delighted
         Graze of those whose hearts have swelled 
THE  PROMISES OP GOD.
353
   At the strange and thrilling story
   Of the greatness of his glory;
   Eyes and ears unceasingly
   Feast upon the sight they see.

4.  Myriads there of angel servants
     Hover round the lofty throne,
   Some to stand and wait, some  pacing
     Here and there, some giving tone
   To the gush of their devotion,
   Some at rest and some in motion,
   All arrayed in heavenly sheen;
   In their midst shall I be seen!

5.  There the joyous church triumphant
     Heavenly converse still maintain,
   Thinking rarely of the sorrows
     WTnch they cannot taste again;
   Like the sun their garments shining,
   Bliss is theirs beyond defining;
   Crowned, and bearing palms in hand
   At the Lamb's high throne they stand 
864   THE DYING ONE CONSOLES HIMSELF IN


Cljc  $ntng One  consofes (jtmseff fa tQm&tng if
       tQe Assistance of t(Je triune (Job.

               EXHORTATION.

  " Comfort me with apples.  His left hand is under my heaa,
»rd his right hand doth embrace me."—Song of Solomon, ii. 5,6.
  True believers are sure of the assistance of the
triune God.
  1. The  heavenly  Father will be constant in
his fatherly love, and not forget his child.
  2.  Jesus Christ, who has purchased the srml
with his blood,  will not forsake  it in  its last
struggle.
  3. The Holy Ghost will strengthen them with
nis  holy comfort.  Though hearing and  seeing
fail, though all the senses die out, yet the dying
Christian rests securely upon  the promise," I am
with thee in  trouble."  Happy he whom  God
permits  to  experience all this  in his  dying
moments.

                  PRAYER
  Come, Lord Jesus, and take my soul to thee.
I have already tasted thy sweetness, therefore I
yearn and thirst for its full and flowing streams.
I do not look upon  death with terror, for I die
in the love of the heavenly Father.  The Father
who throughout my life has  provided  for, nour- 
      THINKING Of THE ASSISTANCE OP GOD.   356

ished, led and guided me, should he now depart
from me, when the end of my life is at hand ?
0 no, he loves me too well.   If a father clings to
the bedside of his sick  child, and  helps  him
wherever he can, how much  more  can  I be
assured of the aid of my almighty  Father in
heaven ?  Now my heavenly Father will allot
to me the heritage which Jesus purchased for me
by his death.  He  will bid me enter into the
kingdom which he has prepared for me from the
beginning of the  world.  Dying is not dreadful
m my sight, I die united with Jesus Christ; this
communion I have entered upon here in the
faith, and it shall never be dissolved.  In this
communion I am  a living member of the body
of Jesus Christ, of which he is the head; if the
head knoweth how fare its limbs, so does Jesus
know of my fate.  I am in him and he in me,
and in  this holy communion I now will die.  If
he has said, " I am with  you alway, even unto
the end of the world," he will be with me also in
my last  struggle.  As he loved his own even
unto the end, having  given himself unto death
for their sake, so doth he  love  them  also when
they are about to  die.   If, therefore, I am in the
arms of my Jesus, death is not dreadful to me,
because I have him  with me, who, by his death,
has cured death of  all its bitterness.  I do not
(head death. I die in the fellowship  of the Ho\y 
866   THE DYING  ONE CONSOLES HIMSELF IN

Ghost, who has chosen my heart for his tearyia
in my life, and who will remain united with me
in death.  He who has so often comforted me in
affliction,  gladdened  my  heart in  sorrow, re-
freshed me in distress, and preserved me undei
trial, he will not leave me in my final  hour, but
will bear  testimony unto my spirit that I am
surely  a child of God.  Yes,  because he is the
pledge of our inheritance, therefore he assures
me even now that I am  an  heir  of glory,  and
shall  enter  into  full possession.   The Father
hands me my crown; Jesus leads me by the hand
to bliss; the  Holy Ghost  adorns me with light
and joy ; the holy angels  rejoice at my coming
into eternal gladness; all the  elect and the faith
ful receive me with delight.   Amen.

                   HYMN.
   1.  With pleasure I look  forth to death,
        Free from alarm or terror;
      It brings me to the arms of God,
        And keeps me safe from error.
      Then I shall see him  face to face,
      And always revel in his grace
        In heavenly pastures roaming.

   2.  Then I shall come to  Jesus Christ,
        And sink in his embraces ;
      Who here my solace  was, and light
        Shall there receive  my praiaes 
   THINKING °F THE JLSS1STANCE OF  GOD

    As to the groom the bride repairs,
    So unto thee my spirit fares,
      Jesus, my sole salvation!

8. The countless host of angels there
      Shall gather to receive me;
   A portion of their dazzling light
      They will delight to give me;
   I shall be like the seraphim
   That chant the never ending hymn,
      Of Holy, Holy, Holy !

4. And there my bounding steps shall meet
      The chosen countless legions,
   Who saunter, in surpassing bliss,
     Around those  heavenly regions;
   Their sufferings  and their toil are o'er
   And now they rest for evermore,
     Where they desired to enter.

5.  0 comfort, joy and happiness,
     That thenceforth shaF surround mo!
   No sorrow and no bitterness
     Thereafter shall confound me.
   Rejoicing, bliss and wonderment,
   Best, peace, refreshment, and content
     Shall take their true beginning. 
858        THE DYING ONE RESOLVES

Gfje Dging Dne resofues to bit in  3esus COrist
              EXHORTATION.

      " Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!"—Acta rii. 58.
  Dying men often complain of thoughts which
they  would fain banish, but  which  persist in
haunting them.  A believer will do well to drive
them  away.
  1. The best means of doing so is to call to mind
in faith  and holy contemplation  the  form of
Jesus on the cross, reflecting that,  inasmuch a>
the wounds of Jesus were struck for him, Jesu.
should be his only refuge in  death.  The blood
of Jesus was shed for him.  Jesus died upon the
cross that the death of the sinner might be calm,
and he introduced by death into eternal life.
  2.  He  must place  all his reliance  on   this
Saviour of the world, appropriate the justice and
merit of Christ to himself, stand before God, and
say, " Be gracious unto me for the righteousness,
the blood, wounds,  death and merits  cf my
Jesus !  In these I live and die, and by these 1
will enter into the joys of heaven."

                  PRAYER
  Jesus, dearest Saviour, in  quitting this world,
I turn to thee alone, saying," Lord Jesus, receive
my spirit."   0 my  Redeemer 1  thou hast  re- 
TO DIE IN JESUS CHRIST.        859
deemed me from sin and from the power of the
devil  with thy  holy  blood, with  thy guiltless
suffering and death. 0 let this thy blood bestead
me, so that I may be  justified before  thy judg-
ment seat.   In my agony I cling to thy atoning
sacrifice.  Thou art my beatifier!  0 forgive me
my sins, give me thy all-sufficient righteousness,
take me to eternal bliss.  Thou art the life, and
therefore I shall not die, although my life must
come to an end, because I live in thee and thou
livest in me.  Thou  art the way; 0 lead me
through the valley of the  shadow of death into
eternal  life.  Thou art the  truth; thou hast
heretofore fulfilled in me all the promises of thy
grace; 0  fulfil  those also  which I am  yet  to
prove.  Thou hast promised that where thou
art, there  shall thy servant be also,  and that
when thou shalt be lifted up  from the earth,
thou wilt draw us all after thee.  Now take me
to thee, where  thou art.  Lord, let  thy servant
depart in  peace, as thou hast said.  I  call  to
mind thy death upon  the cross, how thou didst
spread out thine arms, how thy holy blood was
shed, how thou  didst  leave thy life for me.  0
let  thy holy blood cleanse  and purify  mc from
all my sins; for the sake of thy holy wounds, let
me find grace and mercy.   Thou art the Lamb
of God, which has suffered itself to  be slain on
the cross, and by thy blood I have been recon- 
880
HYMN.
ciled to God.  Thou art my high  priest, who
prays for me; thou  art the hero, my deliverer;
the prince of peace, who receives me  into the
mansions  of peace.  0 Jesus, I  shall  come  to
thee soon; meanwhile I cleave to thee, and will
not let thee go.  Aye, I will  think on Jesus, he
shall be the light and the salvation  of  my soul,
the vigor of my life, my sun  and my happiness,
my desire and aim,  my thought  and reflection,
and my all.   Depart, ye  idle  thoughts; the
f merits and the blood of Jesus shall  be my pas-
time, his holy wounds my study, his sufferings
my consolation; my  last word shall be the name,
and my last thought  the image of my Jesus.
Amen.


                   HYMN.

I. With joyful spirit I in Jesus' heart will burrow,
   When the dread course of death ploughs deep iti
    horrid furrow;
   Open thy heart to me !  O let thy chicken find
   Shelter and comfort there, from the relentless wind

i The image of thy wounds shall occupy my spirit,
   His blood and  bitter death, and all-atoning merit,
   His blood I call my own, on  it I will rely,
   And though my heart should break,  my faith can
    never die. 
           THE DYING  ONE PBAYS, ETC.       86]

8.  O blood, O seething blood, that never ceasest flow
     kg,
   On  all  believing  hearts, that none can fail oi
     knowing
   Who honestly repent; 0 blood, 0 seething blood,
   Forever be thou mine, thou ohief and only good.

4.  Lapped in these open wounds I have the best of
     shelter;
   My covenant with thee, 0 Jesus, cannot welter.
   Sorrow, nor joy, nor death, can ever part us moie,
   Thou ever shalt be mine, as thou wert heretofore.

5.  And henceforth never will I from these wounds be
     parted,
   Until the goal is reached, for which my race has
     started;
   Forgiveness, peace  and joy,  the  hopes for which
     I've sighed,
   Draw my heart after thee, e'en through  thy open
     aide.
   %%t Doing  Dne prags for a Sftssfuf <£n6.

                EXHORTATION.

  "* It is enough ; now, 0 Lord, take away my life ; for I am not
better than my fathers."—1 Kings xix. A.
   When sacrifices were made to God under the
old covenant dispensation, they had to be volun- 
362
IHE DYING CNE PBAY8
fcary gifts, not compulsive.  So it is also with
death; a man must not die murmuring  and dis
contented, but must call upon God to vouchsafe
unto him  a calm, gentle, rational and blissful
end.

                  PRAYER
  Merciful  and gracious  God! I  perceive that
the time of my  departure is at  hand, when 1
shall go in peace, and lie down to rest; my sight
fails, my strength gives out, and it appears as if
a change  were coming over  me.  Therefore I
bring my dying prayer unto thee.  My life and
soul I commend  to thee, 0  Lord; give me a
blessed end  for the sake of Jesus.   Lord God,
Father in heaven, thou who hast created, main-
tained, and kept  me,  0 take  my soul  into thy
favor.  O Jesus,  thou who hast  redeemed  and
purified me with thy most precious blood, let me
die at peace, in the true faith in thy merits and
blood.   0 Lord  Jesus!  into  thy hands I com-
mend my spirit.   0 most precious Holy Ghost!
my comfort and deliverance, do not forsake me,
but give me the joyful assurance  that I inherit
the life eternal, pray  in  me and with  me, and
take  my  place   before God with unutterable
sighs.  0 my Jesus, open the gates  of heaven,
'ead and guide me into eternal life, to  the society
5f the blessed. 0 my God ! keep me in holy and 
FOR A BLISSFUL END.
868
good thoughts, so that Jesus Christ may dwell
constantly in my remembrance! and if my eyes
should quickly  break, refresh me internally in
my soul  with thy heavenly comfort and light.
Let Jesus ever be present to my soul, grant that
I may rejoice in his blood, may take comfort in
contemplating his atoning meri-, and may grasp
his righteousness in true faith.  Give  me, if it
please thee, a gentle and quiet end.   0 triune
God,  bless  my going out of mortality, and my
coming into the glad  eternity that lies beyond.
The Lord bless me and keep me!   The Lord let
his face  shine  upon me, and be gracious  unto
me!  The  Lord lift up  his  countenance  over
me, and  give me peace 1   In the  name of the
triune God, the Father, Son and Holy Ghost, I
live and  die, in his name, I close  my eyes, and
commend myself to God and to his grace.  Amen.


                   HYMN.

   I.  Soon to be resolved and hover
       Upward, is my heart's resort;
      I rejoice to leave this nether
       Darkness, for a better port;
      For e'en here the Lord hath given
      Me a sweet foretaste of heaven:
      With my Jesus at my side,
      I can die unterrified. 
HYMN.
2.  Break, ye purblind eyes I 0 quicklj
     Let your earthly light be spent;
   JeBus sheds the rays upon me
     Of a higher firmament
   In the dark and shaded valley
   In the straight and narrow alley,
   Jesus is my eye and hand,
   Pointing out the promised land.
8.  Ye red lips, be red no longer,
     Close, and be forever still I
   Jesus! sweet repose awaits  me
     There, upon the heavenly hilL
   Tesus, by his mediation,
   Will present my supplication.
   Jesus is my heart  and speech,
   When my dying hour I reach.
4  Ears, ye may forego your duty,
     I have no more need of you;
   I must live on inward senses,
     Where sweet comforts whisper true
   Hark! the sounding heavenly paean!
   Lo, the boundless  empyrean !
   What are those high tones I hear ?
   What bewildering sights appear ?
I  Heart, my heart, O burst with triumphi
     Life, my precious life, depart;
   Nothing shall from Jesus drive me,
     I am settled in his heart.
   Unto him my faith is plighted,
   We forever are united ;
   Knot which nothing can untie—
   Burst, my heart, in triumph high 1 
PBAYEB OF THE BY-STANDEKS, ETC     86C
   JTraoer of t§e  3&p=stanuer6 at a Deat(j=6e6.

  0  holy triune  God, Father,  Son  and Holy
Ghost!  thou dost lend, thine  ear unto  prayer,
and therefore  all  flesh cometh  to  thee;  behold,
we come before thee also, and present this dying
man in our prayer. Lord God, Father in heaven,
have mercy upon him; he  is thy child, adopted
by thee in holy baptism;  lo, thy child is sick, thy
child is about to die;  0 let him  receive his  por-
tion, the inheritance of heaven, the salvation of
his soul; forgive him all the  sins  committed
against thee throughout his life, and  look upon
him with favor.   Lord God Son, the Saviour of
the world,  have  mercy  upon  this dying one;
thou hast redeemed him  with thy precious blood,
thou  hast died for him, 0 do  not call him  to
account  for his  transgressions,  but endow  him
with  thy  righteousness  and  merit,  wash  him
with thy holy blood, cover him  with  thy justice
and truth, and let him appear before  the throne
of God purified  by thy blood.   Lord  God Holy
Ghost, have mercy upon this dying man, keep
him in the faith, bear  witness unto his spirit
that he  is truly  a child of God,  and take his
place before God with  unutterable sighs, sanc-
tify, strengthen, and guide him into eternal  life.
0 holy  Trinity,  take this dying  man into thy 
366    FBAYEH OF THE BY-8TANDEBS, ETC.

gracious  favor; think  not of the sins  of his
youth or of his transgressions, but regard him
in the light of thy great mercy for the sake  of
thy  goodness.   Take  his  soul into thy hands,
and let it enjoy eternal bliss.  Awake the body
also, on  the last  day,  in  splendor and glory.
Meanwhile, Lord, Lord, as his agony increases,
let him not lose the image of the crucified Jesus,
when his eyes break, let a brightness arise in his
soul; 0 Jesus, thou  Star of the  morning, illu-
mine his  path  into  eternal life.   When  his
closed lips no longer avail to pray, do thou pray
for him,  0  Jesus!  Be his  advocate with the
father in heaven, help him to strive and to over-
come, and  let the sighs of his  heart be well
pleasing  unto thee.    When the  death-sweat
comes,  0 strengthen  and sustain  him !  Triune
God, do  thou remain  with him,  and preserve
him in the faith, until his course shall reach  its
blissful end.  Lord God the  Father, what thou
hast created, Lord God the Son, what thou hast
redeemed, Lord God Holy Ghost, what thou hast
sanctified, we commend into  thy hands; unto
thy holy name be honor, praise and glory, now
and forever.  Amen. 
VERSES, TEXTS AND PBAYEBS        867
 Uetses, Septs  nnb JTragers  uritf) a>0tcl) t(je Bo«
      stunbers at a Deat06eb man comfort a
                   Dgtnq Dne *

  " Zion said,' The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath
 forgotten me.'  ' Can a woman  forget her suckling child, that
 she should not have compassion on the son of her womb f  Yea,
 they may forget, but I will not forget thee.'"—Isaiah xlix. 14,15.
         The Lord is ever faithful
           To those who doubt him not;
         Who gives him full reliance
           Is never more forgot.
         Though strange thy lot appear,
           Let it not once alarm thee,
           All evil cannot harm thee,
         So long as he is near.

   0 merciful, gracious God ! help me  in my suf-
 ferings and  my dying hour; my God, thou hast
 ever been my God and comfort, 0 be so still.   0
 Jesus, abide with me for it is  toward evening,
 and the day of my life is far spent. 0 my precious
 Holy Ghost! strengthen me, keep me firm in the
 faith unto my end, enlighten  me  unto eternal
 life.   I  will  die in  the blood  and wounds of
Jesus; unto him I live, unto  him  I  die, on his
salvation I rely.
  * Pious Christians will do well also to memoriae them when
in health, so  that they may derive  comfort from them, even if
the disease should deprive them of sight and hearing. 
868        VEBSES,  TEXTS AND FRAYEB8.

  " As the hart panieth afl er the water brooks, so panteth my
soul after thee, O God.  My soul thirsteth for God, for the liv-
ing God ; when shall I come  and appear before  God T—PsaUs
xiii. 1, 2.
         Let thy angels, in the chariot
           Of Elijah, bear me on
         To the soothing breast the stricken
           Lazarus reclines  upon;
         Let my soul thy peace enjoy
         Evermore, without  alloy,
         Till the body from corruption
         Rises unto incorruption.

  Jesus, thou light  of my soul! when  my eyes
grow  dim, let  the  heavenly  brightness  arise
within me; do not depart when my  eyes break.
Although I walk  in  a dark and narrow valley,
I fear  no evil, for Jesus  is with me.   Aye, my
Jesus,  abide with me, fortify me in the faith,
let me be thine own, here in time and  there in
eternity.


  " I am poor and needy; yet tb<  Lord thinketh upon me: thou
art my help and my deliverer ; make no tarrying, O  my God."—■
Psalm xl. 17.
         0 whither, whither shall I turn?
         Jesus, for thee alone I yearn;
         In thee my heart has ever found
         Repose and comfort most profound ■
         No one  was e'er forsaken yet
         Whose trust on Jesus Christ was set 
          VERSES,  TEXTS  AND PBAYBB8.       568

  Aye, my Jesus, on thee I rely from the bottonc
of my heart; bring to rest my weary limbs, and
lift up my soul to  the  unceasing joys of heaven.
Give ear unto my feeble sighs, 0 Jesus.  Be my
support in trial; thou, my Beatifier and Saviour
deliver me, release  me, and make  me  happ},
Come, quickly, redeem me, refresh me, bless me,
have mercy upon  me.

  " Pear thou not, for I am with thee ; be not disr^yed, for I am
 hy God; I will strengthen thee ; yea, I will T olp thee ; yea, 1
will uphold thee with the right hand of r , righteousness."—
Isaiah iliL 10.
         Jesus Christ, the  Morning Star,
         Brightly beaming from aiar,
         Be thou nigh unto my soul,
         For thy blood hath made me whole;
         Help me, that without dismay
         Hence I may depart this day;
         Pour thy light where I betake me,
         Let thy comfort* not forsake me.

  Jesus, my  sole advocate with thy  heavenly
 Father, thou who sittest at the  right hand of
God, O pray for me, a  poor sinner, now, in the
hour of my death; I am not afraid, because  thou
art with me; yea,  most precious Holy Ghost
thou   Comforter in  all  distress, abide with me
even   unto  the  end.  I  have  strong assistance;
 my Father is with me, my Jesus is with me, the 
870        VERSES, TEXTS AND rRAYBRS.
Holy Ghost is with me, the angels  are with dm,
and I will die with joy.

  " I am continually with thee: thou hast holden me by any
right hand.  Thou shalt guide me to counsel, and afterward re-
ceive me to glory."—Psalm lxxiii. 23, 24.

        0 let me never waiver
           From thee, Lord Jesus Christ;
        Give strength unto my weakness,
           Let me not be despised.
        Help me to battle stoutly
           And  give thy utmost heed,
        That I at last may triumph,
           And in the Lord succeed.

  By thy agony and bloody sweat help me, deai
Lord and God!  I will not swerve  from thee, 0
depart not from me.   Jesus! when my struggle
begins, help  me  to strive, help me  to conquer
and to overcome.  I  am thine  own, then guide
me through  every terror, to joy, to bliss  and to
glory.  If thou art with me, I am  not afraid, I
shall be happy, I shall enter into life eternal.

  u Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faith
ful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things:
wter thou into the joy of thy Lord."—Matthew xxv. 23.
        O I wait, with trepidation
           For the joyous time to come,
        When thou, from the gates of heaven,
           Shalt arrive, to take me home. 
           VERSES,  TEXTS AND PRAYERS.       871

        Come, let my old sins not grieve thee,
        My heart yearneth to receive thee,
        Hasten, hasten to my side,
        As the bridegroom to the bride.

  Jesus, by the help of thy Spirit  I will be faith-
ful to thee until death.   I will not swerve  from
thee, Friend  of my soul, my Shepherd!  I will
not leave thee, bridegroom of my soul!  With-
out thee, nothing can make me rejoice.  Guide
me,  Friend  of my soul,  from wretchedness to
joy, from wailing  to bliss.

  " I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at
the latter day upon the earth;  and though after my skin worms
destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God, whom  I shall
see for myself, and mine eyes shall  behold, and not another."—
Jobxix 25,26,27.
        My better life is  Jesus,
          Death is my surest gain,
        I meet it with rejoicing,
          For what I shall attain.
        I will depart most gladly
          To Christ, sweet brother mine;
        To him when I am gathered,
          I shall no more repine.

  I  commend myself,  0  triune  God,  into thy
kind protection, my dearly purchased soul I re-
sign into thy hands ; I  die, and shall rise again;
[ die, and shall  live  eternally  in  heaven. 
872       VERSES, TEXTS AND PRAYERS.
 triune God, take  me to thy rest  and to  glory;
 shorten  my pains, soothe my dying hour; com-
 fort me with the inward comfort  of thy Holy
 Ghost, and do not take it from me. In the merit*
 of Jesus I live  and die.   Let me soon see  thy
 glad face in the eternal bliss of heaven.

  u I will behold thy face in righteousness; I shall be satisfied.
 irhen I awake, with thy likeness."—Psalm xviL 15.
         0, already I have witnessed
           This surpassing gorgeousness;
        Now they beautifully robe me
           In my snowy wedding dress;
        Now they crown me with the golden
        Crown ne'er on the earth beholden;
        Now upon such joy I gaze
        As no human tongue can trace.
  0 my Jesus!  my soul rejoices  in  thinking of
the glory which  thou hast prepared  for me.  1
gladly leave the world, for I go  to  my Jesus, to
the bridegroom of my soul.   0 how joyous and
happy shall I be  when thou  wilt refresh  my
aoul after its many sufferings, sorrows and trials.

  u We know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were
dissolved, we  have a building of  God, a house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens."—2 Cor. v. 1.
        There shall be the life of gladness,
           Where so many thousand souls,
        Stand in the primeval brightness
           That from God's high throne outrolls, 
           VERSES, TEXTS AXD PRAYERS.       878

         Where the seraphim in glory
         Still repeat the wondrous story,
         " Holy, holy, three in one,
         God the Father, Ghost and Son."

  0 dear Lord Jesus, seal this comfort upon my
heart, that I shall  reach the glorious mansions
of heaven.   When  I shall leave this  house and
this my dying  bed, what a  splendid dwelling,
what a  blissful retreat will Jesus have prepared
for  me!   There shall be no more dread, wailing,
or sorrow, but joy,  comfort and happiness.  Do
not  depart from me, I will never depart from
thee; unto thee  I will cleave, upon thy  grace I
rely, in thy comfort I die, justify and  save me.

  " The ransomed of the  Lord shall return, and come to Zion
with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads; they shall  ob-
tain  joy and gladness, and sorrow and lamentation shall flee
away."—Isaiah xxxv. 10.
         Spite of doubts and spite of terror,
           Well I know that I, ere long,
         Shall behold my Lord and Saviour
           Sitting in the heavenly throng.
         Here our life is overcast
         With distress, and death at last;
         But above are only peace,
         Peace and joy that never cease,

  O  Jesus,   take me  quickly to  thy heavenly
Zion.   Long enough have I eaten the bread  of 
874       VERSES, TEXTS AND PRAYERS
tears :  let me soon taste the sweet biead of the
angels  and  of heaven.   Sighs and sorrow  were
my daily companions here; but give my soul a
glimpse of thy glory, give me joy after my sor-
rows refresh me in thee and  through thee, eter-
nally.

  " 1 have fought a good fight, I have finished the course, and 1
have kept the faith.  Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown
of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give
me at that day; and not to me only, bat unto all them also that
love his appearing."—2 Tim. iv. 7, 8.
      Now I have fully vanquished
        Cross, suffering, dread and pain;
      By the five wounds he languished,
        God is my friend again.

  0 Jesus, help me to overcome, when the last
struggle begins, bestead me, and it will be  easy;
sustain me when I  am powerless,  my  helper!
Help me in my dread  and feebleness.  Let thy
grace strengthen me, thy  blood refresh me, thy
hand keep me, thy  merit  cover my sins; keep
me, wretched one, in thy arms, refresh me when
I faint.  After the battle comes the  crown, after
the contest the victory.  0 how gloriously shall
I be adorned and  crowned  by my Jesus after
death!  Show me  the crown which  is laid  up
for me, and gladden  my spirit with thy consoling
presence. 
VERSES, TEXTS AND PRAYERS.        876
  '• Be thoi> faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of
life."—Rev. ii. 10.
  "He  that overcometh, the same shall be elothed in whit*
raiment.'—lb. iii. 5.
       Behold the wreath triumphant
         That girds a victor's brow,
       Behold the shining radiance
         That beams around me now;
       I wear the crown of glory,
         I shine in heavenly light;
       The  Son of God, my Jesus,
         He has me thus bedight

   The love of Jesus I will never  leave; I have
loved  him  in my days of  health, and will love
him even to the end.  0 Jesus, for the  sake of
thy five holy wounds, preserve me in thy love,
I will  remain faithful unto  thee, and die faithful
unto thee.   Jesus  in  my  heart,  Christ in  my
mind, in the name of Jesus I close my eyes.


  "Iam persuaded that neither  death, nor life, nor angels, nor
principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,
nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature,  shall be able to
separate us from the love of God, which  is in Christ Jesus, oui
Lord."—Bom. viii. 38, 39.
         Jesus I will love forever,
           Here and in eternity;
         Though I be severely harassed
           By distress and agony,
         What care I for death or dread ?
         Jesus will my soul bestead, 
876       VERSES, TEXTS AND PRAYERS.
        And conduct me through this sadness
        To the realms of heavenly gladness.

  This is my resolve: not to leave my Jesufi.   1
remain in the faith, I  cleave  to him; daath
severs soul and body, but it cannot separate me
from the love of God.  Jesus  is  mine and  I am
his; I lay me in the arms of Jesus, therein I will
li ve and die, blessed and happy.

  " Blessed is the man that endureth temptation : for wheii be is
tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath pro
noised to them that love him."—James i. 12.
        Most anxious is my longing
          To have a blessed  relief;
        For I am here surrounded
           With trouble and with grief;
        I long to leave behind me
          This wretched world below,
        To seek the joys of heaven
          O Jesus, let me go.
  0 come  quickly, Lord Jesus, come  quickly to
me, and take me into thy peace; give me pati-
ence and strength, I resign myself to thee entirely,
body  and soul; keep me in  the faith, even unto
my  blissful  end.  0  Jesus,  by  thy grace and
mercy help  me  to eternal joy and  happiness.
Lord  God, thou  art my  refuge evermore, my
comfort, my deliverer;  take the soul that sighs
for thee 
          VERSES, TEXTS AND  PRAYERS.        877


  "Into thine hand 1 commit my spirit;  hou hast redeemad ma
0 Lord God of truth."—Psalm xxxL 5.

    E'en 9» a scared and timid bird
      In hollow trees takes cover,
    When darkness broods upon the woods,
      In air the tempests hover;
    E'en so, dear Lord, thy wounds afford
      A comfort and a shelter;
    When sin and death, with poisoned breath,
      Would make my spirit welter.
    Thus well I  know, though here below
      Body and soul must sever,
    Yet I shall be at last with thee
      In bliss and peace forever.

  My sole refuge in death  art thou, 0 triune
God!  the mercy  of  the  Father, the  bloody
wounds of Jeans Christ, and the goodness of the
Holy Ghost.   Unto this triune God I commend
my body and my soul.  0 receive  thy pigeon, I
come  in haste;  spread  out thy wings, 0 Jesus.
and receive thy chicken; if Satan would devour
me, then let thy angels sing,  this child shall not
be banned. 
878        VERSES, TEXTS AND PRAYERS.
  " Ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of th«
living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable com-
pany of angels, to the general assembly and church of the first
born, which are written in heaven, and to God, the judge of all,
and to the spirits of just men made perfect."—Hebrews xii. 22, 23
Lord, I am ready quite to doff this mortal cover,
And in transparent sheen before thy throne to hover,
What longer should I seek here in this world of woes,
0 take me to thy bliss, and give me sweet repose.
Lord, hie with me away!  I would be  carried rather
To heaven, where the  joys  of light shall round me
    gather.
And where thy presence still upon my soul shall glow,
0 hie with me away !  I am prepared to go.

  My Jesus,  how beautiful will  be  the sight
when  I shall behold  thee in thy glory, and meet
all the angels and the  chosen in heaven.  I re-
joice  in this anticipation.  I  leave the earth,
and come to  glory; I leave misery  and  come to
joy;  I leave the  society of men,  and  come to
the holy angels.


  " My sheep hear my voice, and  I  know them, and they follow
me: and I give  unto them eternal  life;  and they shall nevei
perish, neither shall  any man pluck  them out of my hand."—■
John iz. 27, 28.
         I of thy body am a part,
           This is my joy forever;
         And  from thee neither life nor death
           Nor sorrow can me sever. 
          VERSES, TEXTS AND  PRAYERS.        87i

        For where thou art there I shall be,
        And evermore abide with thee;
          Therefore I go rejoicing,

  Aye, Jesus, my Shepherd, take  thy lamb to
fch 3 joys of heaven, and let not  Satan  pluck thee
from my hand.   Satan has no part and no right
in me, but thine  I am, and thine I will ever be.
Take  my weary soul  into  thy arms, and  carry
it into eternal bliss.   0 how happy  shall  I be
with Jesus!
  " Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth
yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors; and
their works do follow them."—Be v. xiv. 13.
    Lord, with my bitter gall of death,
      Mingle a drop of gladness,
    And grant that my poor nickering heart
      May break with gentle sadness ;
    Quenched like a taper, in the flood
    Of thy beloved atoning blood,
      Poured out for my redemption.

  0 Lord, assure  my soul  of this  comfort that 1
shall die in  thee.   Jesus, thou hast lived in me
and I in  thee; in thee, therefore, will I die, in
thy love,  in thy wounds, in thy grace; bring me
to eternal life, where I shall rest from all my
labors, from my sufferings and pains  0 Jesua.
hear me !  Gome, Lord Jesus ! 
880       VERSES, TEXTS AND  PRAYERS,
  " The Lord shall  deliver me from every evil work, and will
preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom; to whom be honor and
glory for ever and ever.  Amen."—2 Tim.  iv. 18.

      Praise God!  The hour of gladness
      Hast burst upon my sadness:
        To Paradise I fly.
      Ye must not weep, ye pious;
      Grief shall no more come nigh  us.
        Glory be to the Lord on high.
      The Saviour does not tarry,
      But hastes his own to carry
         Out of this vale of tears;
      A quick and happy ending
      Shall be our joyous wending
        To what afar so bright appears.

  Great God! think on me with  favor, and have
mercy upon me; 0 give me a rational, quiet  and
gentle departure.  The day of my death is the
day of my redemption, and the  hour of my dis-
solution is the hour in which I am to enter upon
joys eternal.  0 preserve my reason to the  end
of my life; let me joyfully hear  the      lation
held out to me,  and grant,  if it is  thy holy will,
that I may yet manifest to  those around my faith
and hope, and thus, by a happy end, deliver mt
from all evil. 
VERSES, TEXTS AND PRAYERS.        881
  " Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom pra«
pared for yon from the foundation of the world."—Matt. xxv. M.
       In heaven, are happy mansions,
         Where, with the wedding dress,
       My Jesus shall compensate
         His loved one's wretchedness.
       There doth the body twinkle
         Brighter than precious gems;
       Light streams, without a shadow,
         From skies of diadems.
  0 my Jesus, when  I quit this  frame, let me
also hear this voice say to my soul, " Come, thou
blessed one," let body and  soul  be taken with
these  words  on  the last  day  to  eternal glory.
Meantime I cleave to thee in faith, and in thee
and through  thee attain  the  blessing and the
inheritance.


  " I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in
my God ; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation,
he hath covered me with the robe of  righteousness."—Isaiah
In. 10.
    Zion, fair, and bright, and beauteous,
      Thou dost wear most dazzling sheen;
    Sounds of music, full of sweetness,
      Issue from thy bowers serene;
    See how brightly breaks the morning,
    Rosy red the hills adorning;
    Now the gladsome day is here,
    Which shall never disappear. 
882       VERSES, TEXTS ANfl  PRAYERS.

  The joy of heaven sweetens all the bitterness
of death.  Death is not bitter, Jesus is with me,
he comforts and preserves me.  0 my God! gird
me with the robe of heavenly gladness, thou who
hast covered me with the robe of righteousness.
Thy  righteousness  is  my  righteousness,  and
therefore  I know,  that  because I have grown
righteous  by faith, I   have  peace with God,
through our Lord Jesus Christ, aye, I have the
anticipation of life  and salvation; how beauti-
fully shall I then be adorned before thee.


  " God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in him might not perish, but have ever
lasting life."—John iii 16.
      I believe, Lord I Help my weakness,
        Let me nevermore despair;
      Thou  canst give me strength and courage,
        When assailed by sin and care.
      Thy desert is my abiding
      Trust, nor shaM I cease confiding,
      Till I see thee face to face,
      In thy eternal resting place.

  0,  dearest  God and Father, let me depart
hence gently  and softly in Jesus; I know  that
thou hast loved me, and given  me thy Son, in
whom I have believed and will believe to the
lateat moment of my life.  0 give  me, through 
VERSES,  TEXTS AND PRAYERS.        888
thy Holy Ghost, the assurance that I shall not
be lost!   Strengthen  my faith, that,  what I
have  beheld,  I may  soon  behold  in  the life
eternal!  0 Jesus, stand by me, and  do  not for-
sake me.

  " Know that ye  were not redeemed with corruptible things,
as silver and gold, from your vain conversation, received by tra-
dition from your fathers; but with  the precious  blood  of Jesus
Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot."—1 Petet
L 18,19.
       Thou, thou hast paid my ransom
         From fiends, hell, sin and death;
       It was thy blood so preoious,
         Whereon I rest my faith;
       Why should I look with terror
         On death, and all his crew ?
       Because thou art my refuge,
         I know my bliss is true.

   I come before thee, great God! not in  the  re-
 liance  on my own  righteousness,  but on the
 righteousness   of  Jesus Christ,  which I  have
 attained by his precious  blood.   0 thou Lamb
 of God! that  takest away the sins of the world,
 have  mercy upon  me.  0 righteous God! look
 not upon my  sins and impurities, but the right-
 eousness and holiness of my Jesus, to which I
 cling, and  on which I  die.  For his  sake be
 gracious and merciful unto me. 
 884        VERSES, TEXTS AND  PRAYERS.


  " Neither is there salvation  in any other; for there is ion*
 other name under heaven given among men whereby we muni be
 •aved."—Acts iv. 12.
       For me, Jesw died and suffered,
         Of his death I reap the gain;
       He has purchased my salvation,
         Therefore I rejoice in pain;
       I rejoice to flee the annoyance
       Of the world for heavenly joyanoe,
       With such bliss my spirits swell
       As no earthly tongue can telL

  Jesus, my sole salvation and my refuge, I come
to thee in my dying hour,  and beseech thee to
have mercy  upon me,  and not to forsake me.
The sweet name of Jesus and  the memory of his
blood, his  wounds,  and his  holy person, shall
henceforth  dwell on my  lips, and in  my heart
and thoughts.   Lord Jesus, for thee  I live, for
thee I die, dead and living I am thine.  Amen.
  * If any man sin, w» have an advocate with the Father, Jesui
Christ the righteous : and he is the propitiation for our sins ; and
not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world."—1
John ii. 1, 2.

      And thus I go to Jesus Christ
         Where all my wishes center;
      No hand of earth shall rouse me from
        The sleep on which I enter. 
VERSES, TEXTS AND PRAYERS.       88ft
      For Jesus Christ, on whom I wait,
      Will open wide the heavenly gate
        And usher me to glory.

  0 great God, the time is at hand for me to
leave this world, and to appear before thy judg-
ment seat; 0 heavenly Father, have mercy upon
me,  and  graciously receive  me  as thy child,
which thou hast created and loved.   0 Jesus,
pray  for me, thou  art  my Mediator, Advocate,
and  Saviour.   Take away my  sins and clothe
me in thy righteousness, and I  shall be saved.
0 most precious Holy Ghost! dwell in  me  and
m my heart, so that thou mayst bring me to the
happy mansions of heaven.


  " Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, thai
we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in times of need."
—Hebrews iv. 12.
      Invigorate me with thy grace,
        Heal me with thy contusion;
      Wash me with thy atoning blood,
        And save me from confusion.
      And, when it likes thee, take me off
      In silence from this world of chaff
        To where thy chosen linger.

  0 yes! for  the sake of Jesus I shall obtain
grace and mercy.   Lord God  Father in  heaven,
have   mercy upon  me'    Lord  God Son,  the 
886        VERSES, TEXTS AND PRAYERS.
Saviour of the world,  have mercy  upon me!
Lord God  Holy Ghost,  have mercy  upon me,
and be gracious and merciful unto me.  Amen.
  * God hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that
we might be  made the righteousness of God in  him."—2 Oor
r. 21.
       Into thy open side I hasten
       When death shall take me by the hand;
    Thy wounds shall be the spreading portals,
       That guide me to the  promised land,
    To the bliss of paradise,
    Which the thief did exercise;
    Thither thou, dear Lord, wilt lead me,
    And with heavenly manna feed me.

  Jesus, thou hast taken away my  sins, thou
hast  conferred   thy  righteousness  upon  me;
whereof I  am glad, and take great comfort.

       Christ's saving blood and righteousness
       My comfort is, and gorgeous dress;
       Therein by  God I shall be seen
       When into heaven I enter in.
  " In the new Jerusalem, God shall wipe away all tears from
the eyes of believers ; and there shall be no more death, neithei
sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain."—Be?
uxi. 4
  Thrice, thrice happy are ye, true believers,
  Who through death are of his grace receivers; 
VERSES,  fEXTS AND  PRAYERS.       587
      No more embarrassed
  By the troubles by which we are harassed.
  Christ himself doth dry your eyes of weeping,
  Yours the badge, no more the vigil keeping.
      Ye are delighted
  By the songs to which no mortals are invited.
  Come, 0 Jesus, come, unwarp, unwind me;
  Take me quickly from the chains that bind me.
      In  thy environs
  The faithful clasp their hands, undamped with irons
  0 Jesus, I rejoice in anticipation of the hour
when  I  shall  behold  thy joy-inspiring face.
Then shall my body shine as the sun, and mine
eyes no  more  be wet with tears, but beaming
with light  and glory;  in  thee I  find  joy and
comfort.  My sojourn  here is  fleeting, but with
thee I have my true and eternal home.


  " If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellow
ship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ, hu Son
cleanseth us from all sin."—1 John i. 7.
    When I at last shall see what now
      I but behold in story,
    Thy blood shall be my purple robe,
      Thy cross my crown of glory.
    This crown of glory I will don,
    And come before thy Father's throne,
      Where angels stand and wonder.
    Thus, as thy glad and blooming bride
    I will be standing at thy side,
      In those bright regions yonder 
 888        VERSES, TEXTS AND PRAYER&

   I am in  the communion of  my Jesus, and
 therein I live and die.  There is nothing damna-
 ble  in me,  because I  am  in  communion with
 him.  Jesus' blood sanctifies and cleanseth me.
 0 heavenly Father, see this is the righteousness
 of thy Son, therefore I come to thee.


  " Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the
 world."—John i. 29.
       0 Lamb of God!  All guiltless
         Upon the  cross defeated;
       Evermore meek and patient,
        Though scoffed and sorely treated.
       But for thy savirg mercies
       We should have died in curses.
        Jesus ! have mercy onnaM

  Christ, thou Lamb  of  God, that taketh away
the sins of  the world,  have mercy upon me!
Christ, thou Lamb of God, that taketh away the
sins  of the world, leave  me thy  temporal and
eternal peace.  Amen.


 "Father, I will that they also whom thon hast given ma be
with me where I am; that they may behold my glory which thou
hast given me."—1 John xvii. 24.
      If 'tis thy will, O come at once,
        And happily transport me!
      0 to be with  thee evermore
        Alone can  now support me. 
VERSES, TEXTS AND PRAYERS.       889
       Swing open wide, ye heavenly gates,
       That, after my probation straits,
         I may repose in Jesus.

   What  a glad and  happy meeting  it will be
w hen  I shall come to thee in  heaven, 0 Jesus 1
and behold thee face to face!  I have loved thee
even here below, ere yet I have seen thee; with
what  unspeakable joy, then,  shall I hasten to
where thou sittest among  the  saints  and  the
chosen.  0 how great is thy glory !  0 draw me
up to thee,  and prepare me for a happy entrance
into thy glory!
  " None of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself;
For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die,
we die unto the Lord : whether we live, therefore, or die, we are
the Lord's."—Romans xiv. 7, 8.

      Most fervently I love thee, Lord,
      0 to my prayers and tears accord
        Thy grace and thy salvation !
      For all the world to me is nought,
      Nor heaven nor earth I give a thought,
        Wrapped in thy contemplation.
      And though my heart of clay should break,
      My spirit's faith can never shake;
      Thou  art my consolation still,
      Whose blood has saved my soul from ill
      Lord,  all my hope is set on thee.
      Confounded let me never be) 
890        VERSES, TEXTS AND PRAYERS

   Great God, I have become thine in holy bap*
tism.  I have remained thine through faith, let
me be thine in death also.  0 Jesus Christ, the
Son of God, thou who hast done so much for me,
»ock me up in thy wounds; thou art alone my
comfort and my help.


  " Bemember that Jesus Christ was raised from the dead."—
2 Tim. ii. 8.

      Present thy lovely image
        For comfort in my need,
      How thou, most gracious Saviour,
        For me didst faint and bleed.
      My eyes shall rest upon thee,
        And I undoubtingly
      Unto my heart will clasp thee,
        Dying most happily.

   The  name of Jesus is  deeply graven  in  my
heart.   Jesus,  I embrace thee, I press thee  to
my heart; 0 depart not from me, I pant for thee,
my Saviour!   Would I were with thee.


  " Lord remember me when thon comest into thy kingdom]
And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto  thee, to-day shalt
thou be with me in paradise."—Luke xxiii. 42, 43.

      Thou  to thy Father didst commend
      0 Jesus, at thy bitter end,
        Thy most adored Spirit 
FOR THE  DYING
891
       Then, dearest Jesus, take my soul,
       That yearns to dwell in thy control,
         And thy repose inherit
       Dip it into thy open  side,
       And, by thy blood all purified,
         Keep it as thine forever.

   Jesus, my only wish is thy grace and mercy.
 0 take my soul, purchased by thy crimson blood,
 into thy holy hands.   0  be  it commended unto
 thee,  that it  may  be  with  thee  in paradise.
 Lord Jesus, remember  me, I  am  thy child, I
 was purchased for thine own with  thy precious
 blood.   Let  me  be with thee this day in thy
 glory.


  " This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all  acceptation, that
 Christ Jesns came into the world to save sinners."—1 Tim. i.  15
       Jesus, all my sin and sorrow,
         Thou hast flooded in thy blood,
       0 Eedeemer! let it profit
        For my true eternal good,
       And if thou, by thy contrition
       Hast defeated my perdition,
       O release me then at last,
       That my sufferings may be past
  Lord, I  await  thy  salvation !   Jesus  saves
sinners, he will  save  me  also.   Jesus accepts
nnnera, he will accept me also.  I  am the pro-
perty of Jesus, and so shall remain.  T lift up 
892        VERSES, TEXTS AND PRAYERS
mine eyes to  heaven, and  behold Jesus calling
me.

  " Whom have I in heaven but thee ? and there is  none npon
3arth that I desire besides thee.  My flesh and my heart faileth:
but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion  forevei."—
f almlxxiii. 25,26.
       When my last call is sounded,
         0 be thou surely near!
       When death gives his rude summons
         Do  thou thyself appear.
       When my heart shall be shaken
         With greatest fear and dread,
       With  thy still greater suffering
         Thyself wilt me bestead.
  Jesus, my life  is drawing  to a  close, 0 take
me  up to thee.   My Shepherd, take thy sheep,
my  Father, take  thy lamb, my Jesus, take  the
soul thou hast purchased with  thy blood.  This
I desire, thus I pray, and thus I close my eyes.


  " After this I beheld, and lo, a great multitude, which no man
could  number,  of all nations, and  kindreds, and people, and
tongues, stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, clothed
with white robes, and palms in their hands.  And he said to me,
These are they which came out  of great tribulation, and  have
washed their robes, and  made them white in the blood of the
Lamb."—Bev.  vii. 9,14.
       Who  are those so greatly gathered
         Bound the throne and round the Lamb ?
       On their heads are crowns of glory,
         In  each hand a waving palm. 
TOR THE DYING.
808
      Hallelujah all they sing
      To the Lord and heavenly King.

      0 what great and blissful wonder
         When, upon the lofty throne
      We shall look on God, the Father,
         Son, and Holy Ghost, in one!
      God! for thee are still in store
      Songs of praise for evermore.

  My Jesus, I  anticipate  with rejoicing the
white robe and  the  golden crown which thou
wilt give me.  Meantime I wash my soul in thy
holy blood, and appropriate it to myself; 0 foi
its sake take me up to the joys of heaven.
  M Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit"—Luke xxiii
26.  " Lord Jesus, receive my spirit,"—Acts vii. 68.
       Jesus, to thee I give my heart,
       My God, my God, do not depart,
         Into thy hands receive me;
       O God indeed, from every need,
         From death and sin relieve  me.

  0 my Jesus!  thy last word upon  the cross
shall also be the  last word  of my life.  Jesus, I
live to thee, I die to thee, dead and living I am
thine. 
394       VERSES, TEXTS AND  PRAYERS.
  " We, according to his promise, look for new heavens and ■
new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness."—2 Pet. iii. 18.

    City of God, 0 golden light,
      0 dwelling of all gladness!
    When shall I see the face of God,
      When reach the end of sadness ?
    When shall I taste the luscious savor
    Of his divine and thrilling favor ?
    With anxious longing here I sigh;
    0 friend of souls come quickly nigh.

    0 Lord, how great will be my joy
      When this sad life is ended,
    And I shall pass into the home
      Thou hast for me intended.
    0 will the happy hour still tarry
    That up to heaven my soul does carry ?
    0 Lord, when will the time arrive
    That Zion makes my heart revive ?

  Most holy  Trinity! take  my  soul  into  thy
realm of heavenly joys.  0 come, Lord Jesus, I
wait for thee;  0  take  me to thy glory.  Lord
God the Father, what  thou hast  created, Lord
God the Son, what thou  hast saved, Lord God
the Holy  Ghost, what  thou hast hallowed, 1
commend into thy hands; to thy holy name be
honor and glory, now and forever.  Amen. 
     SIGHS AND rRAYKRS OF A DYING HAN.   896


    SigQs aitb  JTragcrs of a flgtng JUau.
   From the Hymn, "When my depaiting hour has oome"

                     1.
       " Whm my departing how ha* come?
  —And, 0 Lord, how very near may itu com
ing be!   Preserve me, therefore, in the faith, so
that I may rely upon the  triune God, in whose
name I was  baptized, and rest my hopes upon
thy merit,  blood, and  wounds.   Protect me in
this my last hour against the assaults of Satan,
let thy left hand  be under my head, and thy
right hand cover me.  Awaken  me in the hour
of my death by the comfort of the Holy Ghost,
and abide with me, when my end approaches,

           "And I away must hie me.n
  Yea, Lord Jesus, I must travel the dark road
of death, but I am not afraid if thou art with
me.   Death is a journey to the  Father; 0 how
I rejoice at the prospect of coming to my heav-
enly Father, to Jesus, where I shall  find peace,
joy, comfort and bliss.  0 how happy shall I be !
Be with me, 0 Jesus, on this darksome journey
to eternal life; give me the confidence of faith,
and  the sweetness of thy consolation, and  to
enable me joyfully to begin and end this journey, 
896
SIGHS AND PRAYERS
        " Lord Jesus Christ, escort me horns,"

  Travel with me from  this temporal into eter
nal  life.  If the road is sombre, yet I shall walk
in light, if thou  art  my light.   Stand at my
death-bed,  and receive  my soul when it issues
from the body.  When my bodily eyes are closed
in death, let the  eyes of my soul behold thee.
Conduct my soul  until thou shalt bring me  to
the dwelling of the saints, to the  holy angels,
and to the cohart  of the  elect.   Lead me to the
throne of thy heavenly  Father,  as thine own,
so that I may find favor in his sight, and be re-
ceived as an heir of salvation.  Help my parting
out of this world,

           " And evermore stand by me.n
  In my dying hour no one can help me but
only thee,  O Jesus.   Help  me, and  strengthen
my faith; help me and give  testimony unto my
spirit that I am truly a child of God, and shall
now receive the  heavenly inheritance; do not
forsake me when  I  grow pale in death; do not
forsake me when my eyes break, but be and re-
main the  light of my  soul.  Forsake  me not
when my hearing fails, but teach comfort and
refresh my spirit from within.  Forsake me not
when my speech  departs, and I  can  no longer
pray, but pray for me.  Holy Ghost, pray within 
Or A DYING MAN.
897
me,  and represent me  before  the  Father with
unutterable sighs.   I jrsake  me  not when I
expire,  but carry me to the  joys of heaven;
take

          " My soul at this my latter end"
into thy care  and protection.   Jesus, thou hast
purchased my soul with thy holy blood, 0 cleanse
and purify it, so that it  may be  a  clean vessel,
well pleasing in the sight  of God.  When the
end  of  my life arrives, give me a rational end,
if it is thy holy will, so that I may direct my
heart, eyes, and mind to  thee, praying while yet
my  tongue can stammer, sighing while breath
remains, and gladly receiving the encouragement
and condolence of those who stand  around me;
give me a blissful end, if thou art so minded, so
that in  dying I may enjoy thy  communion, 0
Jesus, and be refreshed by the comfort and assist-
ance of the Holy Ghost.  Give me a blissful end,
that I may fall soundly asleep in the faith, and
remain united with thee  before death, in death,
and after death.  To this end, 0 Lord, my soul

          " Into thy hounds I do commend^
  0 how well will it be protected there. Take it
to heaven and its eternal joys,  to bliss, to glory,
where it shall fare well.  Thy hands are mighty
hands,  nc  one can  pluck  my  soul out of thy 
398
SIGHS  AND PRAYERS
hands; not the world, for it has no part in  me;
not Satan, for him thou hast overcome.   Thy
hands  are faithful  hands, where  my soul shall
be well bethought.

          " Thou wilt not let me perish.11

  I give it into thy custody until the judgment
day ;  then shalt thou reunite it with my trans-
figured body, and then let soul and body enjoj
the bliss of heaven.  After the disturbance give
me rest, after suffering, joy, after terror, consola-
tion,  after misery, refreshment.  Let  my  soul
behold  thy glory  among  the  angels  and the
chosen, which  thou hast prepared  for thy chil-
dren.


                      2.

          " My sins xoill exercise me sore"

   Yes, I remember  my  sins,  and am deeply
grieved that I have so often offended thee, in
thought, word and deed.  From  the bottom of
my heart I deplore having wronged my Creatoi,
Redeemer and  Sanctifier.   0 that I had not
done it!  But, Jesus, wash  away my  sins with
the purple current of thy wounds, bind up my
heart with comfort, and think of them  no longer,
but cast them into the sea.  When my sins pre 
OF A DYTNG MAN.
899
lent themselves at my bedside, frighten, con-
demn, and accuse me, 0 then do thou come to
my aid, and seal in my heart the forgiveness  of
sins by thy Holy Ghost.  This shall be my com-
fort when

          " My conscience will alarm me.*
  I feel the  great dread and terror I must suffer
because of my sins.  0 sin, how bitter art thou
upon the  bed of  death, how dost  thou harass
and disturb me! but, 0 Jesus, for the sake of thy
precious blood forgive  my trespasses, for the sake
of thy holy wounds have mercy upon me.  For
the sake of thy eternal love, take me into thy
favor.  I do not  deny my transgressions and
sins, I acknowledge, before Almighty God, the
countless number  of them.

      u For they are Hke the sands of the shore.'"

  I have sinned much in thoughts, much  in
words and idle speech, and much in works and
deeds, from  my youth up; if then, thou, Lord,
wilt make us answerable  for sin, who will come
forth unscathed ?  If thou wilt bring the thoughts
of my heart to judgment, I must be ashamed ; if
I am to account for every idle word, I am lost;
if thou wilt judge me and deal with me according
to my works, what will become of me?  What 
400
SIGHS  AND PRAYERS
shall  I do,  sinner  that  I am?  What shall )
begin ?   My conscience accuses me i

         " Yet shall despair not harm me."

  And why should I  despair?  The heavenly
Father will surely not  disown his hapless, peni-
tent child.  1 will not despair, for Jesus  is my
Saviour, my Mediator and Advocate, with his
heavenly Father.  Who will accuse the chosen
of God ?  God  is here, who  maketh  just; who
will condemn ?   Christ is here, who is dead, who
rose again, who sits at the right hand of God,
and intercedes for us.  I will not despair, for the
Holy  Ghost will remain my comfort in the death
struggle, and will bear witness unto my spirit
that I am truly a child of God, and that my sins
were forgiven me for the sake of Jesus.

        KI call to mind how thou hast died."

  In  dying, I  will remember  thee,  0 Jesus,
upon  the cross, how thou  didst shed thy blood
and die for me.   Behold the  Lamb of God that
taketh away the sin of the world.

      0 Lamb of God!  All guiltless
        Upon the cross defeated;
      Forever meek and patient,
        Though scoffed and vilely treated I 
Or A DYING MAS
401
      Nothing but thy contrition
      Has saved me from perdition;
        Jesu! have mercy on me.

  Thus the bitter suffering and blood of Jesu*
shall dwell forever in my heait; thus

        " The crimson fountains of thy side,"
shall course forever into my veins.  Thy wounds
were  suffered for my sake also, in them will I
take refuge.

      E'en as a scared and timid bird
        In hollow trees seeks cover,
      When gusts of air the storm declare,
        That o'er the fields doth hover,
      Right so when  death, with poisoned breath,
        Would make my spirit welter,
      Jesus, to thee, dear Lord, I flee,
        And in thy wounds take shelter.

   The  blood, wounds and death of Jesus shall
be my  latest thought, and  Jesus, Jesus, Jesus,
my latest word.  0 Christ Jesus, Son of God,
thou who hast done  so much for me, lock me up
into thy wounds, thou art alone my comfort and
salvation.  Yes, Lord Jesus, thy wounds

           "Shall rescue and preserve me."
For their sake I shall find favor before God,
 justification and eternal happiness.  When they 
402
SIGHS AND PRAYERS
inclose my body in the coffin, I  will lock my
soul into the wounds of Jesus.  There it will h*
preserved, thence no enemy can expel it; in
these wounds it rests, and will be carried to the
brotherhood of the blest.


                      3.

           " I of thy body am a Umb.
  0 what comfort will there be, at the hour of
death, in the thought  that  I am  a member of
thy holy body!  In holy baptism  I  was born
again,  I became  a  member of  the  Christian
church, the head of which is Jesus, but if Jesus
is my head and I his member, I know also that
I shall be where my Jesus  is.   Jesus  is in the
glory whither I shall come also.   He has  pro-
mised that when he should  be lifted up from the
earth he  would draw us all  after him.  0 Jesus!
thou hast been lifted up to the right hand of the
heavenly Father,  0 draw  me after thee, bring
me to  thy eternal  heavenly joy;  aye, as thy
member  thou wilt make me a  partaker of thy
glory.

             " This is my consolation."
  Delicious comfort!  Because I am the child of
God, I am an heir, even God's heir, and a co-heir 
OF A DYING MAN.
403
 ji Christ,  who shall attain  the heavenly bles-
 sings, and be lifted up to glory.  Should I then
 not gladly.die, not gladly suffer and endure, so
 that I may also share his life and his greatness ?
 This shall  be my unceasing comfort.  Jesus, my
 head,  will glorify me, his member; Jesus, my
 Saviour, will save me; therefore I say, my Jesus!

           " With thee, lam united still"
   Though on earth the  head may be  severed
 from the body, yet no one can separate  me from
 Jesus;  I know that neither life nor death, nor
 angels, nor principalities, nor  powers, nor high
 nor  low, shall separate me  from  the  love  of
 God,  which is in  Christ Jesus, our Lord.  No-
 thing, nothing shall sever me from Jesus, neither
 cross  nor sickness, struggle  nor agony of soul,
 nor death itself.   Body and  soul may part, but
 Jesus and  my soul shall never be parted; the
 world and my friends I must leave behind  me,
 Jesus never.   0 Jesus, I have  inclosed thee in
 ray heart, therefore 1 will hold thee in true faith,
 until thou shalt bring me to thy heavenly glory.
Jesus is mine and I am  his forever, even

           " Tn death and consternation."
 for thou  hast promised, 0  Lord,  that thou wilt
be with  me in the time of need; 0 fulfil  thy
jracious  promise!   If the  struggle of death ip 
404
SIGHS and praters
the? final struggle, thou, my Saviour, wilt swe ten
it with  thy presence.  Let thy image  appear  to
me, as a consolation in my sorrow, bleeding for
me, let me strain thee to my heart.  Lord Jesus,
I will not let thee go, except thou bless  me.  I
die for thee, I live for thee,  dead  and living T
am thine.  Who dies thus, dies well, for

         " Wen though I die, I die to thee."
I gladly die, for I know that I shall  come into
thy  glory.  I will die  in faith,  and  rely upon
thy merits, blood and death.   I die happy and
blessed, for I die to thee, I long for thee, I die  aii
thy child, which thou  hast loved heretofore; 1
die as thy lamb, which no one can snatch from
thy hand, I die  as thy heir, for whom thou hast
prepared the heavenly joy and gladness.

          "Eternal life thou hast for me"
secured and purchased.   With  what  joy do 1
look forward to this life, to  this glory; if here
my happy days  were few  and far between, if my
daily bread has  been wailing and tribulation,  in
heaven I shall  enjoy the sweet  days  of repose
and of refreshment; there  my Saviour will wipe
away  all tears  from my eyes.   Blissful houi
when I shall attain to this happiness! and that
I shall attain it I surely know, for this  life of
gladness thou hast for me 
Or A. DYING MAN.
405
          " By thy atonement purchased."
   Lamb of God ! thou diedst forme, thou art the
redemption of the sin of all  the world; for me
thou wert spit upon, crucified and slaughtered;
thy death  sweetens my death, all  advantageth
me; thy shame  and degradation turns to my
honor; a thousand, thousand thanks for this to
thee, dear Jesus.   As thou livest, so shall I live
also.  Therefore  be  comforted, 0 my soul, and
look joyously toward  heaven. Jesus  has pur-
chased heaven, and prepared  a place there for
thy coming.  Though I have no abiding sojourn
here, though my life comes to an end, and my
heart breaks, yet I well  know  whither  I am
going: to Jesus, my Saviour.  For I know that
when this house of the earthly tabernacle of my
body is demolished, we have an edifice which
God has built, a house not made  with hands,
which is eternal  in  heaven, and  this my Jesus
has purchased for me by his sufferings and death,


                     4.

        "Because thou didst arise from death,''
thy word gives me the heavenly consolation that
though I die, yet  I shall rise again.  Is not that
great consolation for me ?  And  it arises from
the fact that my Jesus arose from the grave ; he 
406
SIGHS AND PRAYERS
died for me on the tree of the cross, as the  inno-
cent Lamb  of  God, and  was  buried, but  row
triumphant  on  the third day.   Jesus arose, and
[ shall  arise also.  Jesus lives, so shall I live.
Jesus did not remain in the grave, and

         " The grave shall not contain me."
  Jesus will restore me to life;  body and soul,
severed by death, shall be reunited in the bliss
of eternity.  As little as the grave has contained
my Jesus, so little will  it  contain me when the
last  trump shall  sound, which  shall  pierce the
graves.   Thus the grave is harmless  to me, my
body resting there from all care, toil, and  pain,
and my soul will  be comforted and refreshed by
God in  the  joys  of heaven.  Yes, my Saviour!
not alone does thy triumphant resurrection make
my heart rejoice,  but

         " Thy ascension is my highest bliss."
  When Jesus  had risen from  the dead, be as-
cended  to heaven,  and entered  into his glory.
Behold, Jesus has gone before, I follow him; I
too shall have a glorious ascension. On quitting
this present life my soul will come to God, and
in the  happy  and blissful resurrection of the
dead, we shall be  carried towards the Lord in the
clouds, when body and soul  shall jointly entor
into the gladness of  their Lord.  In death  it 
Or A DYING MAN.
407
shall  be my highest and sweetest  consolation
that Jesus lives, and therefore I shall live also.
Jesus has  gone to heaven,  and I shall  follow
him.  Jesus has entered into glory, and on my
entrance into heaven, I too shall become  a  par-
taker of it.  What can be sweeter or more deli-
cious  than the ascension of my Jesus, which has
been, or than my own, which is to be ?

         " Deaths terrors cannot chain me."
  I know that I  shall die, but I am not  afraid,
for my soul will go from its fragile earthly taber-
nacle to eternal glory.  Does a child fear to go
to its father, or  a bride to  come to the bride-
groom ?  By death, I shall come to my heavenly
Father,  to Jesus, the bridegroom of my soul;
shall  I  then be afraid ?  I do not die, but my
wretchedness dies, my soul throws off  its cross,
and  attains   the  heavenly   goods,  forsakes
humanity, and  comes  to  the  holy angels and
elect.  And what still  more dispels  all fear of
death, is the  most holy communion with thee,
0 Jesus.

        " For where thou art, there I shall be."
   0 what  comfort flows from  that reflection!
After my happy departure from this life I am to
go to heaven, and be with  my Jesus  in glory.
The  sheep, with its shepherd, the disciple with 
408
SIGHS AND PRAYERS
his  teacher, the servant with his Lord.  Even
thus has he promised, " Where I am, there shall
my servant be also."  0 what joy, when JesuB
shall take me into his arms, and introduce me to
his  glory! 0 I am happy, in knowing that I
shall thus repose,

         " And ever, ever dwell with thee."

  He will take me to himself, that I may dwell
with  him in  heavenly bliss.  This  union  shall
uever be followed by a separation.   I shall stand
before the throne,  and behold  his  face, which
shall give me the most unspeakable joy ; I shall
live with him, and by him be eternally refreshed;
because I am convinced of this,

           " There/ore, I die rejoicing."
   My sins are forgiven me, for  the  sake of the
blood and death of Jesus.  From  the grave  I
Bhall be roused to  eternal  life; I shall have  a
blissful ascension, and  shall come to my Jesus.
Therefore, I  joyfully depart  to  Christ,  my
brother, that I may come to him,  and be forever
with him.  I gladly go to heaven, I leave  this
 vale of tears for realms of joy, for out of tribula-
 tion, I shall come  into the happiness which ear
 hath not heard, and eye not seen. 
Or A DYING MAN.
409
                      5.

          " Thus do I go to Jesus Christ?

 Says  my Saviour, " I go to  my  Father and to
 your Father; to my God and to your God."  So
 do I say likewise in dying, I go upwards to my
 heavenly Father, to  Jesus, to the Holy Ghost,
 to the triune God, to my Immanuel, to the friend
 of my  soul,  to  my  brother, to my redeemer.
 And O, how do I long to see Jesus in his glory,
 Jesus, whom I never  saw,  yet  love to clasp;
 therefore, I


         " Stretch out my arms in wonder"

 towards my Jesus, to  strain him to my heart,
 and never to let him go.  I stretch out my arms,
 crying come, Lord Jesus.  I remember  how my
 Jesus stretched out both his arms on the cross,
 and died, as if he would embrace me.  So will I
 now expire, to embrace Jesus with outstretched
 arms.  0 bridegroom  of my soul, embrace me
too, and  present me, transfigured  and glorified,
to my  heavenly  Father.   0 what a happy
entrance will it be, thus to  enter into  heaven,
accompanied by Jesus!  In such thoughts I will
 lie, for then 
410
SIGHS AND PRAYERS
          " I go to rest, and sweetly sleep"
in the arms of Jesus.  Jesus in my heart, Jesus
in my mind, in the  name  of  God I yield my
breath.  Blessed rest, which no one can disturb!
I rest from my cross, I rest from all sorrow, from
mourning and sadness, from  all  pain.  A blissful,
heavenly rest!   K a child  sleeps gently in its
mother's arms, why should  not I rest gently in
the arms of Jesus.

         " Men shall not wake  me yonder."
  To rouse the dead is a work of God, therefore
no man has the power of waking the dead.   But
thy voice, 0 Jesus, shall pierce the earth  into
the graves, and the dead shall rise.   O Jesus,
rouse  my body on the last  day to eternal  life.
I know that my redeemer  liveth, and that he
shall stand at the latter day  upon the  earth, and
in my flesh shall I see God, whom I shall see
for myself, and mine  eyes shall behold, and not
another.  What is  beyond the power of man, my
Saviour will do.

        " For Jesus Christ, thrice glorified,"
is the foundation of my trust. He is tne Saviour
and beatifier of men ; he is Christ, the promised
Messiah;  nor is he very man alone, but the Son
of God, yea, God himself.   In  this Jesus Christ 
Or A DYING MAN.            411
1 will die happy ;  the blood of Jesus Christ, the
Son of God, shall cleanse me of all sin.  He

        " The gates of heaven will open wide"
when the door of my earthly life is closed.  J
have  thought diligently of  heaven during life;
by faith I have striven for heaven in holiness of
tife, therefore, 0 Jesus, open the gates of heaven,
0 say, " Well done, thou good and faithful soul;
enter into the glory  of thy Lord.  Come, thou
blessed one, and inherit the kingdom prepared
for thee from the beginning of the world."  0
how happy  shall  I be, when  thou wilt  speak
those soothing words,

             "And usher me to glory?
   As a  bridegroom conducts his bride to the
altar, so do  thou  conduct me, 0 Jesus,  into
eternal life.   Now I am with Jesus, and he with
me.  Out of the earthly vale of tears, I  have
been  transported  to  the  happy mansions of
heaven.   From believing,  I   have  passed to
seeing.

      This Bystanders cry to the Departing One.
   Keep in mind Jesus Christ,  think of his bitter
Bufferings and death.  Be comforted by the love
of the  heavenly  Father, who in holy baptism 
412
SIGHS AND PRAYERS
has adopted you as his child, and is now ready
to receive you, as  his child, into eternal glory.
Be  comforted by  the bloody wounds of Jesus
Christ, undergone for your sins; be comforted by
his  holy blood, shed for your sins. Be comforted
by  the assistance  of the Holy  Ghost, who has
hallowed you, and  in this triune God die happy.
Amen.

          Benediction over the Dying One.

  Farewell,  thou  soul,  dearly purchased  by
Jesus Christ.  Pass  away  to thy  beloved  God
and Father in Jesus Christ, who has created and
ioved thee, whom thou hast held  in childlike
reverence and  trust. Pass to  thy Lord Jesus,
the most  precious and  faithful shepherd and
redeemer, who has bought thee as his sheep with
his holy blood, to whom thou hast clung  in faith.
Go to meet the comforter, the Holy Ghost, who
hallowed thee, and chose thee for his temple and
tabernacle.   Depart from the  body into  joy.
Depart from  tribulation to the  living God, may
he  bless thy  going out and thy coming in, and
by his power  preserve thee for salvatiou.  Depart
and enter into the kingdom prepared  for thee
from the beginning of the world. The Lord bless
thee and  keep thee, the  Lord  lift up his coun-
 tenance  upon thee, and be gracious unto thee, 
Or A DYING MAN.
418
 the Lord lift up his countenance over thee, and
 give thee peace.  Amen.

 Prayer of the Bystaniers at the Bedside of  One who ha*
                   departed.
  Holy and just God !  It has pleased  thee by
 temporal death to call away from this world the
 dead man who lies  before us.  Let us learn by
 this death that we  too  must come thus to die,
 and leave the world behind us, and to prepare for
 it in time by true penitence, a living faith, and
 avoidance of the vanities and sins of  the world.
 Rejoice  the  soul which has now departed with
 heavenly comfort and gladness, and fulfil in him
 the gracious  promises of thy holy Word to those
 who believe in thee; let the body have in earth
 a sweet  and gentle rest to  the last  day, when
 thou wilt reunite soul and body and  lead them
 to glory, so that the whole man, who  has served
 thee here, may there be filled with heavenly
 joys.  Comfort those bereaved by his departure;
 be  the father, provider,  guardian, friend,  and
 comforter of those  he has left behind;  do not
 forsake them nor withdraw thy hand from them,
 but let them richly enjoy thy goodness, grace,
 love, comfort,  and  protection,  until  the  time
 arrives when thou wilt permit them also to die
 a happy death.  Hear  us for  the sake  of thy
great mercy.   Amen. 
414   THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN  CONTEMPLATE*
            festtoaf Deoottons.

&\ t$e time of QoCq flboent t(je  beoout GQrfstfafi
     contempfates  tQe  coming of iifyrist into
                  tOe /fes$.

               EXHORTATION.
  ■' Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion, shout, O daughter oi
Jerusalem : behold, thy Mug cometh unto  thee : he is just, ana
haying salvation ; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt,
the foal of an ass."—Zech. ix. 9.

  If there are times which souls devoted to God
love to spend  in  contemplation, they are those
festival days  on  which  Christendom  calls  to
mind the various benefits of God.
  1. A devout child  of God rejoices in the antici-
pation of these festival times, to make all things
the subject of devotion which God's goodness has
given him.
  2. In  the time of holy Advent, he reflects
upon the love of the heavenly  Father, who did
not spare his only begotten Son, but sent  him
into the world to  obtain the salvation  of man-
kind.
  3  He regards the burning love of Jesus, whu
assumed our fallen flesh and blood to bring us tc
heaven and to eternal life. 
     THE COMING Or CHRIST INTO THE FLESH. 416

  4. He extols  the grace of the Holy Ghost,
who so vividly and powerfully presents  to the
soul of the believer the divine benefits, as if they
had but just taken place.
  5. He applies  these  festival hours  to  devo-
tion and prayer, begun and ended with hearing
and reflecting on the word of God, with singing
festive songs, and with a quiet and godly walk
and conversation.

                  PBAYEB.

  0 gracious Jesus ! thou who didst come to save
the lost, I thank thee for having permitted me,
under thy protection, once more  to  witness the
return of this holy time.   0 give me the  power
of thy Holy Spirit, enabling me  to  spend it in
the fear of thee, with holy contemplation, for the
edification  of my soul.   Thou eternal Son of
God, who wert  before  the foundations of the
world were laid, who didst enter into the flesh
and become a true man, for our salvation !  Be-
cause of our heinous fall in Adam, we could not
come to thee in heaven; therefore come  to us
upon earth, so that thou mayest introduce us all
to bliss.  By sin we had become enemies of God,
but by  thy most holy coming all shall be  re-
trieved.   0  holy Advent!  whereby   we, who
were condemned to death, shall attain life, and
we, who had fallen from grace, shall be invested 
416   THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN CONTEMPLATES

with  decorations  and  honors.  For  this is a
faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation*
that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners.  Dearest Jesus, save me also, take  me
up  into thy happy kingdom.   Give me, at this
holy  time, an attentive and obedient  heart, to
hear thy holy word with diligence and devotion,
to carry and cherish it in  my heart, to grow in
faith, in  thy knowledge and love during  these
holy days, and to show, in my  life, the fruits of
faith, which  are  chastity, lowliness, meekness,
obedience and piety, so that thy advent may be
a happy and holy coming for  me also.  0 pre-
serve me, lest it be said of me, " He came unto
his own, but his own received him not."  Come
into my heart, I will clasp  thee as  my only
Saviour, Redeemer, and Sanctifier in  the  faith,
and appropriate thy merits  and thy  righteous-
ness.  Come into my heart!  For love of thee I
will gladly renounce all worldly vanities, plea-
sures, aye, sins  and wickednesses, so  that thou
alone mayest dwell in  my soul, and rule in my
heart.  0 dwell in me, sanctify me in  thee, keep
me in thy grace.  I repent of  my sins and seek
mercy in thee; therefore they shall  no longer
condemn me, for if the Son makes me free, I am
truly free.   If God is for me, who can  be against
me ?  0 Jesus, thou earnest as a king; 0 rule in
my heart, that sin may rule  in  me  no longer. 
     THE COMING OF CHRIST INTO THE FLESH.  417

Thou cameBt as a just one; make me just, and
give me the robe  of  thy righteousness.  Thou
camest in poverty, to enrich my soul with faith
and heavenly gifts.  Thou camest lowly-minded,
make me humble, let me  learn humility  and
meekness from thee, and practise them on every
occasion of my life.   0 thou king of honors!
enter into  the  gates of my heart; open them
widely by thy power, govern me with thy Holy
Spirit, so that I may abide in thy dwelling and
temple to the end of my days.  My heart yearns
for thee, thou Son of God, thou  Star  of David,
thou true Seed  of the woman, thou Siloh, Savi-
our, Shepherd and Salvation, my Brother, Throne
of Grace, and Portion, come in the  name  of the
Lord!   Come, 0 King, Prince of Peace,  Hero,
Redeemer, Mediator, Ransom  of my soul, Light
and Comfort of the Gentiles!  0 Beatifier, Help,
Protection,  Atoner,  Counsellor, Prophet,  and
Dependence, hold thy  triumphant entry into my
heart!  Amen.

                   HYMN.
1. Here is Immanuell be this our declaration;
  It is the accepted time, the day of expectation.
  Here is Immanuel 1 comfort and peace he brings,
  For which all Christendom joyful hosannas sings.

2. Here is Immanuel! he comes by God's own presage
  God's holy heart itself the burden of his message 
418   THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN CONTEMPLATES

   Here is Immanuel 1 behold, what love is this!
   God offers his own Son to bring us back to bliaa

1  Here is Immanuel I the curse is reft of terror;
   The sacrificial blood has blotted every error;
   Here is Immanuel! we are released from sin,
   No fall shall e'er destroy the bliss we now begin.

4.  Here is Immanuel I the stain of our transgression
   Is utterly wiped out by Jesus' intercession;
   Here is Immanuel! God does vouchsafe his grace,
   And Jesus' precious blood does all our sins efface.

5  Here is Immanuel! from ill we are delivered,
   The forces of the foe are overthrown and shivered;
   Here is Immanuel! come all distress  that can,
   We have the help of him who was both God and
     man.
A\ (EOristmas, t(je beoout Christian contempfateg
           t(je %trtO of 3esus (Cljrtst.

                EXHORTATION.
  " When the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth hia
Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them thai
were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons."
—GaL iv. 4.
  If the birth of a  royal prince gives  joy to a
whole kingdom,  the birth  of  Christ  cannot be
other than joyful to mankind.   The  angels  re- 
          THE RIRTH Or JESUS  CHRI8T.      411

joice in the air, and  proclaim great joy unto
men, and why should not the children of God be
glad?
  1. They have reason  to congratulate them-
selves on the merciful love of God, who  did not
spare his only begotten Son, but gave  him up
for us
  2.  There  is reason to  rejoice in the loving-
kindness of Jesus, who, although he is God and
the Son of God, did not refuse to assume the
guise of humanity in the womb of a poor virgin,
and to become a little child.
  3. The faithful  must  wonder, in believing
silence, at the mysterious counsel of God for our
salvation, of which no man and no angel would
have thought, that the  Son of God was to suffer
in the stead of men, and reconcile them to God.
  4.  They  wonder at  the undeserved goodness
extended by God to men, albeit they were his
enemies, Rom. v. 10, for which men did  not ask,
although they greatly needed it.
  5. They thank God  with  all the greater fer
vor,  for having proclaimed  to  them the  counsel
of God for our  salvation;  they gladly submit
themselves  to  the order  of  salvation, accept
Jesus in the faith, and  follow him in godly and
pious walk and conversation.  On  this account,
they spend the days  of Christmas  in  prayer,
rejoicing, praise and thanksgiving. 
420   THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN CONTEMPLATES


                  PRAYER
  This is the day which the Lord has made, lei
us rejoice and be glad.   Help us, 0 Lord, let us
be richly successful; praised be he who  cometh
in the name of the Lord.  Arise my soul, devote
this festival to the honor of God, and  thine own
edification.  0 that every drop of my blood had
a tongue, that I might praise the love, grace and
mercy of the triune God.  God is love; this my
heart knoweth, and  remembers on this holy
festival  day. Thy love has found a means of
bringing men to grace, of which no angel or man
could ever have thought.  0  thou  gentle and
loving Jesus! to thee be praise  and thanks eter-
nally for thy humanity and birth; thou  makest
thyself a child  of woman, that we may become
children of God.  Now is humanity truly ele-
vated ; thou hast united it with thy godhead.  0
love! 0 grace! so surely as human nature is asso-
ciated with the divine, so surely is there eternal
friendship between God and man, eternal atone-
ment, eternal peace, and eternal love.  When
God regards us in his Son, he cannot but be
gracious unto us; if he  did not spare the  beloved
one, but gave him for us all, why should he not,
with  him, give us everything—forgiveness of
sins, righteousness, peace, life, and happiness"
0 the boundless love of Jesus!  be was born as a 
THE HrRTH Or JESUS OHRIST.       421
little child, to sanctify our sinful birth, increased
in age and wisdom, to sanctify our youth.  Wel-
come, noble guest, thou who didst  not despise
sinners, thou who comest down into my wretch-
edness !  How shall I thank thee ?  0 dearest
friend of my soul, my brother!  In thee I have a
Saviour in suffering, a deliverer in tribulation, a
beatifier when  my sins distress me, a  help in
trouble, a comfort in death.  Thou art the light
which overshines me, the way to the Father, the
truth I learn, the life that recalls me from death.
Thou art  my righteousness, which  justifies and
saves me, my high priest who prays for me and
blesses me, the  sacrificial lamb offered up for my
transgressions,  the ransom  for  my trespasses.
From the bottom of my heart I rejoice on this
holy festival day.  Jesus is mine, his  merit is
mine, his  heaven is mine, the child was  born for
me, the Son was given for me also;  for me also,
has he  purchased  and dispensed the grace of
  iod,  the  childhood  and eternal   inheritance,
 ' 'rich is  laid up  for us in  heaven.  0 Jesus 1
thou whom in spirit I behold and contemplate in
the manger, how lovely art  thou, how kind art
thou 1   0 give me  grace  that I  may nevermore
forget  thee, but may always wear  thee in my
heart, on  my lips, and before my eyes.  0 Salva-
tion I sanctify me, I commit myself  to thee with
all I am and have ; Bridegroom, embrace me,  1 
422
HTMK.
will live for thee, I will serve thee; for love of
thee I renounce the world and all the pleasures
of this life.  0 let my heart be thy dwelling-
place in time and in eternity.  Enclose  me in
thy love, and keep me there, so that in  thee  I
may have rest, peace, comfort, security, and the
salvation  of my soul.  I am  not lost, for Jesus
was born  a man.   God is my friend, because
through faith I am in Jesus, and Jesus lives in
me.   I do not  fear death, for in it I have life,
not the accusation of my conscience for my sin,
for here  is Jesus, my advocate.  Therefore, 0
Bridegroom of  my heart, my  hope, my joy and
life, my Branch of the stem of Judah, what shall
I give thee ? 0 take my body, soul and  spirit,
all that is man in me; I will transfer myself all
to thee, I will be true to thee forever.  Amen.

                   HYMN.
1.  O joy beyond  compare I  Welcome, adored stran

   Jesus, the Son of God, thus lowly in a manger,
   For this beloved child my very heart doth yearn,
   And from his humble bed my thoughts  refuse U
     turn.

SL O love, transcendent love I beyond all  comprehen
     sion,
  .That God his only Son should give for our redemp
     tion. 
THE  DEVOUT CHRISTIAN PRAYS.       42$
   0 what a father's love! that places us so high,
   And to us gives himself that we may never die.

SJ,  O faith I that he should come down to our depths
     from heaven,
   Assume  our flesh and blood, all  but the sinful
     leaven,
   To bring us to the crown, the robe, the inheritance,
   The glory, and the sight of God's own countenance,

4.  O bounteousness of grace 1 to all so freely offered
   That will accept in faith the boon so kindly prof-
     fered;
   0 grace that gives us life, and consolation true;
   Richly dispensed to all that will of Jesus sue.

D.  O joy ! our heinous sins are freely all forgiven,
   Forgiven here below, and in the book of heaven;
   The sacrificial lamb now at the altar stands,
   Our ransom and our  hope  is placed in holy hands.
at *(je CCose of t$e  #ear tfje Deuout £$risttan
      Praus anb returns  £(janfts to $ob.

                EXHORTATION.
  M Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless
bis holy name.  Bless the Lord, 0 my soul, and forget not all
his benefits."—Psalm ciii. 1, 2.
  If devout hearts  and  thankful  souls  rejoice
heartily in God, when he  permits them to pass a 
424      THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN PRATS
 week or a month in safety, why should they not
 double  them on having passed a whole year by
 his assistance ?  How many evils can befall ua
 in a single day !   How many more  in a  whole
 year!   When a devout Christian perceives the
 close of the year, he lifts up his hands, his heart
 and his lips to heaven, and ends it with  praise,
 thanks  and  prayer.  Nor is  he satisfied with
 merely ejaculating the ordinary words, "Thank
 God, the  year  is  over P   He  goes  more
 thoroughly to work.
   1. He thanks God for having suffered his holy
 word to be preached to him throughout the yeai
 lor the salvation of his soul, showing him the
 way to heaven; as well as for having given him
 renewed strength  in godliness and execution of
 the fruits of faith by the holy sacrament.
   2. He asks himself, whether he has become
 more pious during  the year, how old  he is now
 in the inward man,  and according to his regene-
 ration, being  a  year older according to the old
 sinful birth.
   3. He fervently asks God's forgiveness for his
 past sins, which he has committed wittingly or
unwittingly.
  4. He then praises God for the many temporal
 benefits  received,  for the nurture,  providence,
protection, deliverance,  preservation, blessings,
 and guidance extended to him. 
         ANL  RETURNS  THANKS TO OOD.      425

  6. If God has sent him a disease, suffering, oi
tribulation, and  again  released him from it, he
must especially  thank him for it, and call to
mind at the end  of the year, as much as possible
what happened  to him  and his during every
week, so that the last days of the year may be
days of praise, prayer,  thanksgiving, and repen-
tance.
  6. He beseeches God further  to vouchsafe his
grace during the coming year.

                  PRAYER.
  How shall I repay the Lord  for all  the good-
ness  and truth  manifested towards me?  The
Lord hath  done  great  things in me, whereof I
am glad. Under his protection and assistance, 1
have once more passed a year in safety. 0 God,
how precious  is thy goodness, that the children
of man repose  under the shadow of thy wings !
They become intoxicated with the rich goods of
thy house;  thou  dost give them to drink of plea-
sure as of a stream, for with thee is the  living
fountain, and in  thy light we behold the light
My God ! the days of the year are many, but thy
benefits are many more; the hours and minutes
of the year may be counted, but the benefits thou
hast done me  are  innumerable.  I thank thee
that during this year thou hast suffered thy holy
word to be preached to me in its purity, showing 
426      THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN PRATS

me the way to heaven and to my eternal  salva
tion.  0 seal upon my heart all I  have heard,
and give me thy Holy Spirit to arrange my life
in accordance with it.  I thank thee for having
given me to eat of thy holy body and to  drink
of thy holy blood, in holy communion; 0 let it
profit me in the strengthening of my faith and
the sanctification of my  life.  I thank thee for
having forgiven my sins and averted the merited
punishment; 0 give me power to guard against
them in the coming year, and not commit them
again. I thank thee for having blessed my occu-
pation, given me food and raiment, health and
strength, averted misfortune, alleviated my trou-
bles,  and  looked mercifully  upon me in  my
wretchedness.  Thou hast kept me as the  apple
of thy eye,  thou hast screened me from the foes
that  plot against my soul.  In trouble thou hast
heard me, and suffered my prayer to penetrate
unto  thy throne.   Thou hast poured out  thy
blessing over me, and hast  not concealed  thy
face when I cried to thee.  Thou, loving Father,
hast  led me by the hand as thy child;  thou,
mighty  King,  hast protected me against mine
enemies, as thy subject; thou faithful  Shepherd,
hast pastured me, thy sheep, on a green meadow;
thy goodness and truth have conducted me from
the beginning of the year to the end.  Thy wis-
dom has guided me, thy love  has  covered  me, 
AND RETURNS THANKS TO GOD.     427
thy help has rejoiced me, thy grace has preserved
me,  thy omnipotence  has succored me at all
times, thy Father's hand has given me all things,
thy all-seeing eye has watched over me and pro-
tected my going out and  my coming in, so that
no evil overtook me.  Therefore 0 see and taste
how kind is the Lord, and how much  good he
has done unto my soul.  If at times I had great
trouble  in my  heart,  thy comforts  have glad-
dened  my soul.   If  danger and  trouble were
often near, thy  help was nearer, and thy angel
kept me in all my ways, and delivered me from
the  lion's  maw. 0 my  God!  be  graciously
pleased to pardon all the sins I have  committed
during  the past year.   Do not  punish me for
them in the year to come, but forgive them for
the sake of Jesus.  Lord, do not  think of the
sins and transgressions of my youth, but think
of me according to thy mercy, for the sake of thy
great goodness.  Lord! Lord! thus I close  the
year with thanks, prayer, and praise, and humbly
pray thee to continue  thy grace and protection
through the coming year,  to hold thy hand over
me, and take me to thy love and mercy.  Praise
and glory be to  the chief good, the  Father of all
goodness,  the  God  of every miracle, the God
who fills my mind with the riches of his comfort,
the God whc  soothes  all lamentation.  Praise
and glory be to  the Lord!  Amen. 
428
HTMN.
                    HYMN.
I.  How  much am I rejoiced when memory has re
     corded
   The blessings of my God to me this year awarded
   How his paternal care and kindness on me rained,
   And  how in health and strength this hour I have
     attained.

2.  How  can I  rightly praise such grace and conde-
     scension!
   0  could  my  happy  heart display its  bursting
     tension!
   0  that each  drop of blood were gifted with  a
     tongue,
   And  each pulsation of his endless glory sung!

3.  Great benefits untold this year thou hast extended,
   The river of thy grace  upon my path expended;
   Of needful food and drink I never once was scant:
   Yet who can count thy stars,  thy mercies  who
     descant?
i.  How  greatly am I grieved when memory reminds
     me,
   And  when in penitence thy  warning summons
     finds me,
   Of the ungratefulness I have so oft displayed,
   And  that  I have not lived as Jesus wished arid
     said.
5.  For O the load of sin lies heavy on my spirit,
   The sinfulness  of lust receives its evil merit;
   0 take away my pain,  destroy it utterly,
   And  in the coming year therefrom unburden me 
THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN PRAYS.       429
 £(je beoout COrtsttan prags at t0e Begtimtno, of
                   t(je #ear.

               EXHORTATION.
  u Let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us : and euta
 blish thou the work of our hands upon us ; yea, the work of om
 hands, establish thou it."—Psalm xc. 17.
   Though froward minds, at the beginning of
 the year, often desire to know, whether the year
 will be  a fortunate one to them, yet it is not in
 the power of  a  human being to answer such a
 question; for the Lord alone sees into the future.
  1. Children  of God should enter upon a new
 year with thanksgiving;  they should praise the
 goodness of the Highest, who has carried them in
 safety  through so  many tempests of suffering,
 and so many floods of tribulation.  And if a ship
 is fortunate that baffles the winds and waves,
 surely we ought to thank  God  upon our knees
 whenever he has safely conveyed us through the
 dangers of a year.
  2.  After having given thanks, devout  souls
should turn to prayer, that the goodness of the
Highest  may  further protect, govern and keep
them.   They  commend unto God their bodies
and their souls, and all they have, to receive the
protection cf his grace.
  3.  They also take great pains in the new year 
480     THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN PRAYB AJ

to become  more devout and pious.  With God
they resolve that  this year shall be counted in
their  regeneration.  When old  people boast of
their  years, and  yet  are earthly-minded and
addicted to the world, it is assuredly not to their
honor;  for piety, the fruit of faith and indwel-
ling grace, is decorous to young and old.
  4. Devout  hearts also resolve, with  God,  to
listen diligently to God's  word  throughout the
year,  to carry  it in their  hearts, and  to  adapt
their lives to its teachings.

                  PRAYER
  Lord! Lord! merciful,  patient,  and of great
truth, who art  from everlasting to everlasting,
and with whom there is no change nor alterna-
tion of  light and darkness;  behold, under thy
protection I once  more enter upon a new year.
Lord ! how great is thy goodness, that  the chil-
dren of men repose under the  shadow of thy
wings; thou dost intoxicate them with the pro-
fusions of thy house; the  fountains of God have
waters in plenty.   All this, my God and Father,
I have  experienced in the year that  is  past;
therefore I will begin the new year also in thy
name with prayer, sighs  and supplications.
Lord, early wilt thou hear my voice, early wilt
thou heed  it.   0  Lord, I  know not what this
year may bring forth; the  year  is  long, the 
THE HEGINNING OP THE 7 EAR.      481
days are many, human misery is manifold,  and
the accidents liable to befal us innumerable.—
Therefore I come to thee, strong and loving God,
commending myself, even from the  first, to thy
grace and truth.  All things are renovated, the
land gives prospect of fresh  verdure,  the  sun
rises higher in the  heavens, all things  manifest
new vitality; so let thy goodness and mercy be
renewed over me also.  I commend my soul to
thy fatherly protection, guard it, and let me not
stain it with wanton sins.   Lord Jesus,  sanctify,
wash, and purify me with  thy precious blood;
God, the Holy Ghost, dwell in me and let me be
thy  temple.  O what  a  blessed year  will this
year be, 0 heavenly Father, if I remain in thy
grace and live as thy child.   How happy shall I
be, if I stand in thy communion, 0 Jesus!  how
beautifully shall I  be  arrayed, if thou, 0  Holy
Ghost, wilt dwell in me and rule me.   But if it
Bhould please thy holy wisdom to impose sickness
or suffering upon me, do not depart from me, and
if I suffer pain, assuage it,  and let the hour of
thy refreshment arrive, when thou wilt relieve
me of it all.   Lord, my God, hold thy hand over
mine and all that is mine ; be a fiery wall around
us as around Elijah;  guard us round  about, a?
the  house of Job.  Give me the power of thy
Holy Ghost, so that during this year I may be-
come pious and a  true child of God, devout in 
482     THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN PRATS AT

prayer,  and a diligent hearer and doer of  the
word.  Grant that it may be said of my soul in
the year to come, that all old things have passed
away and that everything has become new; that
I may perceive within  myself a  new desire for
thee, new love to my neighbour, a  new impulse
to unite and abide in union with thee.  Sanctify
me wholly, that  my spirit, soul and body may
be preserved immaculate  to the  day of Jesus
Christ.  Give me new zeal in the  faith.  Bless
my occupation and labor, bless my going out and
my coming in, give me what  thy hand hath pre-
pared for me.  Let me also reflect, at the  begin-
ning of this  year, that  the last year of my life
must come, so that I may be constantly prepared,
may stand in penitence and faith, may keep my
lamp burning, and my loins girt, to receive thee
joyfully, my Bridegroom and gracious  God, and
to enter into the kingdom prepared for me from
the foundation of the world.  Give me,  accor-
ding to thy will, a new mind  and spirit, teaching
me to fulfil implicitly what  thy commandment
prescribes, so that my spirit,  soul and body may
be and remain the dwelling of thy Spirit.  Jesus,
let me gladly end  the year  that is now begun
carry me in thy hands, and stand  by me  in the
time of danger.  Help me in  distress,  and in
death do not forsake me; I will clasp  thee  joy«
rally, when I leave this nether world.  Amen. 
      THE BEGINNING OP THE  TSAR.

                 HYMN.

1. Thank God, another year has come,
     Another year of mercies;
   0 help my lisping, stammering tongua
     When it thy grace rehearses;
   To thee I give myself O give
   Thyself to me, with thee to five,
     And evermore defend me.

2. Thy Holy Spirit let me have
     To comfort and to warn me;
   In faith and in the fear of thee
     To clothe and to adorn me;
   To fill my heart unceasingly
   With hope, and love, and piety,
     And be my guide and leader.

8.  Of the assurances of faith
     Give me renewed impression,
   And by the hard, victorious strife
     Subdue each fleshly passion;
   That henceforth I may stand  in grace
   At every time, in every place;
     Still govern and  direct me.

4. Almighty God, forsake me not,
     "When I appear before thee ;
   Turn not thy loving eyes away,
     I beg and I implore thee.
   0 hear, O hear, my humble prayer
   Thy kind assistance let me share,
     Give me to taste  thy mercy. 
484  AT THE BEGINNING OP LENT THE DEVOUT

   5. E'en more than this I ask of thee:
        The blessing, gracious Saviour,
      Thy love and goodness must impart
        Unto my whole behaviour;
      Thy blessing, Father! give it me,
      My eye regards no one but thee!
        0 ever be my Father!
at Uje Beginning of §oio Cent tOe beoout Christian
       meoitates tlje Sufferings of Gljrist.

               EXHORTATION.
  " God hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that
we might be made the righteousness of God in him."—2  Gor.
T.21.
  Among the early Christians the holy time of
Lent was  a  time of devotion and prayer, spent
in contemplating the sufferings of Jesus, as is the
custom of all the true children of God to this day.
Although Satan has brought the children of the
world to such a  pass, that  they begin the holy
time of Lent, not with prayer and devotion, but
with drinking,  masquerades, gluttony,  luxury,
and ungodliness, testifying that they care no-
thing for the crucified Jesus, yet the  true chil-
dren of God think otherwise, and have a dreatf
of such abominations. 
    CHRISTIAN MEDITATES CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS. 486

  1.  They not only commence the  season with
prayer and singing, but unshackle their minds as
much as possible of all earthly things, so  that
all their joy may be in the blood of Jesus.
  2. They think over all the sufferings of Jesus,
his  agony in the garden  of Gethsemane, his
appearance before  the judgment seat, at Golga-
tha, on the  cross,  and in the grave, calling to
mind at every scene  that this was suffered for
their salvation.
  3. They do not allow their devotion to dis-
appear  with the season of  Lent, but  as  they
mean to be comforted all their lives by the blood
of Jesus, so they remember, all  their lives, the
crucified Jesus, who rose again.
  4.  This remembrance impels them  to crucify
the desires of the flesh, no longer to live accord-
ing to the course of this world, nor wantonly to
sin, but to die to sin, and be born again in the
spirit.

                  PRAYER
  Jesus,  my Jesus! how great  is thy love, ex-
tended to  me in thy bitter sufferings.   Thou art
the only begotten Son of God, thou  art the im-
maculate  Lamb, the  Lord of Glories, the Most
Holy, who has never committed  a sin; and be-
hold, thou dost commit thyself to the  most dis-
graceful death and unto the  most cruel sufferings 
 436   AT THE BEGINNING Z¥ LENT THE DEVOUT

 for me, an unjust one, a sinner, and  a slave of
 death.  How great is  thy  unspeakable mercy 1
 The  holy one  takes away my unholiness, the
 pious one takes away my  wickedness, the just
 one  my  injustice, the innocent one my guilt.
 My sins  are  laid upon thee, so that thy right-
 eousness may fall upon me.  My Jesus! in thy
 sufferings I can see the wrath of God against sin,
 the abomination of sin, the punishment of sin.
 For it was in chastisement  of the  trespasses of
 others, and shifted sins, that God tortured thee,
 innocent Lamb, on the Mount of Olives, and suf
 fered  thee to be so wretchedly maltreated by the
 hands of thy foes.  How severely then will those
 be punished hereafter,  who do  not allow theirv
 selves to be moved, by such sufferings, to faith,
 to repentance,  and to sanctification.  Jesus! I
 approach thee, and believingly regard thy suffer-
 ings.  Thou goest to the garden  of Gethsemane,
 and bloody sweat drops from thee to the ground;
 alas !  for me, that I may be delivered from the
 power of the devil.  Thou art brought to judg
ment, accused,  and condemned to death, alasl
for me, that I may be acquitted  after  death, and
on the last day, before the judgment seat.  Thou
 art scourged, and thy body seamed with blood,
deep  furrows are drawn upon  thy back; alas!
for me, that I may not be punished for my sins.
 Thou art  led to death, alas!  for  me, that  my 
    UHRISTIAN MEDITATES CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS. 487

death may be wholesome to me and a passage to
heaven, aye, a journey to the Father.   Thou art
crucified;  alas, for me:  thou, the Lamb of God,
hast taken away all my sins.  Thou diest upon
the cross;  alas ! for me, that by thy death I may
have  life.   Thou art buried; alas! for me, u,
sanctify my grave.  Is not this love, is not this
mercy, that by thy bitter suffering I am to attain
life, grace, and  the forgiveness  of all  my sins?
The punishment of all my sins is upon thee, so
that I may have peace, and be delivered from
them.  These sufferings I will  have before my
eyes wherever I am.   Thy  death and sufferings,
until soul  and body sever, shall dwell within my
heart.   If Israel was  free  from  all guilt and
punishment, upon believingly sacrificing a lamb
to God, and  seeing its hot  blood flow : I know
that because thou, 0  Jesus, thou innocent and
immaculate  Lamb of God, wert slaughtered for
me, and thy hot blood was richly poured out for
me, that, if I receive it in faith, I am reconciled
with God  through grace.  Thy blood is the true
sacrificial  blood, the  blood of  atonement, the
blood  of purification,  the blood with  which to
sprinkle our sills  and door-posts.   0 Jesus! I
will think of thy sufferings and of thy blood
when my  heart is tempted to sin, I will have
before my  eyes thy holy image on the Mount of
Olives, when thou wert  scourged,  and at the 
488
HYMN
cross, whenever the world with its evil example,
would make me like itself.  Into thy wounds will
I flee when my sins oppress me, thy blood I will
claim as my ransom, when conscience besets me,
aye, in my dying hour I will know nothing but
Jesus; thy holy name  shall be my latest word,
thy  bleeding form  my latest thought, thy last
word upon the cross my expiring  sigh, " Father,
into thy hands I commend my spirit!"  In that
last hour,  0 Jesus, be  my comfort, my joy, my
refreshment, my assistance, and appear to me in
thine image, a consolation in my need, how thou,
Lord Christ, didst bleed to death.  I will look
towards thee,  and  in  faith  clasp thee to my
heart.  Who dies thus, dies well.  Amen.

                   HYMN.
1. My best of friends departs; my Jesus, my salvation,
  Already bows his head, and leaves his high voca-
     tion;
  His face is deadly pale; from the accursed tree,
  He sinks into the grave; my bridegroom parts.
     from  me.

2. My best of friends departs that I may never perish,
  But in eternal bliss his loved remembrance cherish;
  For me, for  me he dies, to clear my guilt and
     shame,
  To bring me to the  grace of God,  and end ah
     blame. 
      m DEVOUr CHRISTIAN MEDITATES, ETC.   489

S  My best of friends departs, yet is my life xmsmit-
     ten,
   Deep in my soul the name of Jesus still is written;
   I love him while I live, I love him when I die,
   I love him on the cross, and when he site on high.

4.  I follow when my friend in his dear grave  they
     bury,
   See with believing eyes how they the ritual hurry.
   My friend, here is my heart! O sink into it deep,
   Let it  thy dwelling  be, the  bed where thou dost
     sleep.

5.  I sacrifice my heart to thee alone forever,
   Thy precious death from  mine no difference shall
     sever.
   0 while I live, five thou, friend of my soul, in me,
   And when I come to die, let me but die in thee.

                       »•-------


Dn Qoob  tfrtbao t(je Deoout  (Cfjrtsttan  mebitates
               tje DeatO of 3esus.

                EXHORTATION.
  " The righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart; anc
mercifal men are taken away, none considering that the righteous
[i taken away from the evil to come."—Isaiah  lvii. 1.

   Although Good Friday, the dying day of our
most precious Jesus,  is spent in quietness  even
Dy the  children of the world, for they have ex« 
440  ON GOOD FRIDAY THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN

ternal shame and fear of men, yet the true chil
dren of God have fixed upon it for their peculiai
devotion.
  1.  They then  reflect  upon the sufferings  of
Jesus as sufferings  assumed  by him because of
his love  for  men.   0 love beyond  all bounds,
that has brought thee upon these paths of suffer-
ing ! Love impelled him to become a man; love
moved  him to give himself for us and die upon
the cross.
  2.  They also remember  that  it was  an undo
nerved  suffering.  For he  was holy, pure, and
without sin, neither has he  committed sin, noi
was any deception found in his mouth.
   3. It was a suffering imposed  by his heavenly
Father, for as he  suffered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, Acts ii. 23,
Jesus must have known all that was  to befal
him.
  4. The suffering of Christ was a real suffering,
he having well  felt the wounds, and  groaned
under the pains.   All this a believing soul con-
templates, and makes it  a  mirror of the divine
wrath  against sin, and  a  mirror  of the divine
love for the salvation of  mankind.

                  PRAYER.
  Loving and merciful Jesus! I come to  thee to
contemplate thv bitter  suffering with heartfelt 
        MEDITATE8 THE DEATH OE JESUS.     441

devotion.   0 let thy bitter suffering ever induce
me with all diligence to avoid sinful lusts, so that
I may never forget  how much it has  cost thee
that I am saved.  0 Lamb so innocently slaugh-
tered ! thou  hast suffered that all my sins, yea,
the sins of all the world, might be laid upon thee,
so that thou mightst stand  before the judgment
seat of God as the chief of  sinners.  But  if our
sins were cast upon thee, immaculate  Lamb, so
did our punishment fall upon  thee like torrents;
contempt,  revilement, and calumniation  befel
during the years of thy prophetic  teaching; in
the season of thy passion all these were doubled,
then it was  not  enough that  thou wert falsely
accused and condemned to death, dragged before
two judgment seats, a temporal and a spiritual
one, and by both condemned to death ; but after
the staff  was broken over thee,  and the final
sentence spoken, thou wert compelled to suffer
grievous bodily  pain.   Thy holy  body  was
wounded,  scourged,  torn  and  made  to  bleed.
Look, ye children of men, and  see whether pain
was ever like the pain of Jesus!  His head was
crowned with thorns, his body ran with  blood,
and wounded by the scourge, mounted with iron
hooks.  At  the  cross his hands and feet were
nailed, his side pierced with a spear, so that he
could justly say, " I am a worm and not a man."
But not alone was his holy body thus wretchedly 
 442  ON GOOD FRIDAY THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN

 abused, but his soul also was racked by the moat
 bitter pangs.  The flood of wrath and the agony of
 hell so seized him on the cross, that he cried out,
 " My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me V
 At last death came to his relief.  0, slaughtered
 iamb! This hast thou borne and  suffered for my
 good, for  my  peace,  for my redemption, for my
 salvation.  For if Christ had not come into the
 world, and assumed our  fallen  nature, and died
 willingly  for  our sins,  we should have been
 damned  eternally.   But now, if  I believe in
 thee, and appropriate thy holy blood to myself
 in the confidence of faith, I am not damned, but
 saved by  thee; if I  follow thy holy walk, and
 bear true  fruits of faith, I  am not lost, but shall
 have eternal life through thee; 0, my Jesus, let
 thy bitter sufferings ever dwell before  my eyes,
 and  in my heart, so  that  I  may be comforted,
 saved and made just and pious  by them.  Let
 me never  spend a day in which thy holy image
 is not before my eyes, to withdraw  me from the
 world; sanctify, cleanse, and  purify  me.  My
Jesus! Even as thy  sufferings sustain, comfort,
and  edify me, so do also thy seven words upon
the cross.  It was for me that thou didst pray,
" Father, forgive them, for they know not what
they do P  Forgive my soul for  having  sinned
against thee.  For me didst thou  exclaim, " My
God, my  God, why  hast  thou  forsaken  mef* 
MEDI1ATE8 THE DEATH OF JESUS     448
that I might never be forsaken in cross, trouble,
or death, before the judgment  seat, nor at the
last day.   For me didst  thou  say, " I thirst."
Grant that I may thirst after thee in faith, pant
after thee as the hart panteth after the water
brooks, and rejoice in thy love.  For me didst
thou provide, in  saying to John, " This  is thy
mother."   Though I stand under the cross  in
tribulation, lrke Mary, deserted of all men, thou
wilt be heartily concerned for me,  and have
mercy upon me.  0, in dying, let me hear thy
voice, " To-day thou shalt be with me in Para-
dise." For me didst thou declare, " It is finished."
Now all is done that I should have done, now
all is suffered that I should have suffered.  Now
I  have acquired peace, joy, comfort, salvation,
the crown of life, and the white robe of right-
eousness.   Thy last word upon the cross shall
be a word of comfort  and  of  joy to  me:
" Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."
Thus will  I pray, thus will I speak after thee,
as thou hast spoken before me. When, at last,
I  come  to enter into  the joys of thy kingdom,
thy blood  shall be my purple  dress, the crown
upon my head, with which I will appear before
the throne of  the eternal  father, and appear at
thy right  hand, as  the blooming bride  of him
whom I have  chosen.  Amen. 
444
HYMN.
                     HYMN.

1. Let us do honor to the death of Jeais,
   Stand at the cross, and let his image please us
   Let us devote the day to prayer and singing,
             Praise and thanksgiving.

2. He dies for us, he suffers what we merit,
   He dies that we salvation may inherit,
   And see, when we forsake this earthly sadneaB,
             The life of gladness.

ft. He dies, the thorns upon his temples wearing,
   Set on his head to mock his lowly bearing,
   And all that we might wear a crown of brightness,
             And robe of whiteness.

4. He dies, behold, his blood still flows in rivers,
   Wherewith our souls from torment he delivera,
   Wherewith he will refresh us well hereafter
             In death and after.

5. O, Jesus, hadst thou fled this condemnation,
   My soul and body had not known salvation!
   Bnt now I need not dread the future's curtain'
             My health is certain. 
       THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN REJOICES, ETC.    446


 (Tfje Beoout (Cfjrtsttan rejoices in t0e Resurrection
                   of  COrist.

                EXHORTATION.
  " I am he that liveth, and was dead ; and, behold, I am aim
 for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death."
                                       Bey. L 18.
   The holy season of Easter is a time of joy to
 all the children of God, who heartily rejoice in
 the resurrection of their Lord.
   1. They rejoice  in  the  perfection  of  theii
 salvation; God is reconciled; he has  accepted
 the death of his son in the place of our death,
 and has given us life for his sake.
  2. The faithful rejoice in the glorious evidences
 of the resurrection of Jesus.  Is it not a glorious
 sign that  he  was  seen ten times after he rose
 from the grave, that he appeared to five  hundred
 of the brethren at a  time, 1  Cor. xv. 16; that
 he even  spoke and ate with his disciples,  Acts,
 x. 41; and permitted them to touch him, John.
 xx. 25, 1 John, i. 1 ?   Testimony  which  must
 dispel all doubt at once.
  3. They rejoice that the forgiveness of sins is
sealed, and ensured to them, as well  as  peace
with God.  That in  the faith of  Christ they
may fearlessly come nigh to God, knowing that
be will also come nigh to them. 
146    THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN REJOICES IK

  4. They are assured that the resurrection of
Christ will refresh them, even in the agonies of
death.  In dying, Jesus has  sweetened  their
deaths,  and sanctified their  graves;  they, too,
mall arise to eternal life.
  5. Therefore they spend  the days of Easter,
like other festivals, in devotion, prayer, singing,
and contemplation of the benefits of God.
  6. They endeavor to rise every day in  spirit
from their grave  of sin, from  their evil habits,
faults, and sins, and to spend  the rest  of their
lives  to the honor of  the Lord  in faith and
sanctification.

                  PRAYER
  There are joyful songs of victory in  the taber-
nacles of the blessed; the right hand of the Lord
is lifted up; the right hand of the Lord has over-
come. Resurgent Jesus, mighty prince of victory,
vanquisher of death !  Thy resurection  fills my
heart with joy, I  celebrate this festival by thy
gracious  permission, and  exclaim  on  bended
knees, and with folded hands, " God be praised,
who has given us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ."   Jesus has risen from the  dead,
such is  our glorious gospel; the hostage  is re-
leased from the prison of the tomb, wherefore
sin  must  be wiped away,  God reconciled, and
the debt  discharged.  Who  will condemn us? 
         THF RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.      447

Christ  is here who died for  us, yea, who rose
again, who sitteth at the right hand of God, and
pleads  for us.  Jesus has taken away the power
of death, and  brought to light  life  and inde-
structible essence.  Jesus, dearest friend I   Thy
resurection affords me threefold consolation.  It
is my  victory; sin  can no longer condemn me
now.   Death cannot harm me, because  Christ
has  overcome  death,  and made  my death  a
gentle  sleep, yea, a  passing to the father.   Satan
is a defeated foe; though he roar, yet  he cannot
devour.  Hell  disturbs me not, for Christ has
rescued me from hell;  whoso believes in him
mall not be lost, but have eternal life.  A glorioui
day, a day of rejoicing!  My  delivery is assured,
and  my salvation  confirmed.  Jesus  lives, and
I also  shall  live here united  with him in faith,
and  there in glory everlasting.  The resurrection
of Jesus is my own resurrection.  If the head
has risen again, the members cannot  remain in
the  tomb.   Not  only shall I rise again on the
day  of judgment, like  all mankind, but I shall
rise  as a child  of God, as  a  co-heir of  Jesug
Christ, by the power of his merit and atonement.
Therefore I do not  fear the grave, but regard  it
as a chamber  of rest,  as the  mother's  womb,
where my Saviour will let  me sleep until he
shall say, " Arise,  ye  dead,  and come to judg-
ment."  0,  the glory  which my  Saviour has 
 448    THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN REJOICES IN

 acquired !  Uprisen Jesus, how can I sufficiently
 praise  and extol thy grace and mercy ?  Now
 all is made good that was ruined by Adam's
 fall.  0, my Saviour, thy resurrection shall  be a
 strong  comfort in my  sufferings,  Thou  wert
 locked in the grave, but didst gloriously  issue
hforth;  so  will the night of my sufferings pasa
 away, and the sun of thy joy, grace, help, and
 comfort shine  again.  Three  days wert  thou
 buried; so the period of my tribulation is fixed
 and  determined, the weary years  of  life shall
 yield to the joyful year of  release.  Thou didst
 arise with a transfigured body; thy wounds and
 the marks of the nails upon thy hands and  feet
 were no longer bleeding, but resplendent as the
 sun.   Thus shall my body be transfigured  and
 glorified, when thou shalt wake  me  from the
 dust.  I shall receive my pristine  body, and be
 shrouded in my skin ; the body and the members
 which have served thee, and been hallowed unto
 thee shall also partake of the splendor of heaven.
 Because thou livest, 0, Jesus, I have in thee a
 true  and constant friend to provide for me in
 life.  Keep me in distress, comfort me in sadness,
 refresh me in death, preserve me in the grave,
 and thereafter bring me to  glory, and  place the
 crown upon my head. If Christ lives,  why do I
 grieve?  I know that he  loves me  tenderly,
 though I die to all the world. He nourishes, pro 
THE RESURRECTION OF CHRIST.       449
tects, and comforts me; when 1 die, he will take
me to himself;  where now he is, there I shaU
be, because I am a member of his body.  Amer

                    HYMN.

 1, Jesus lives, the jaws of death
      Burst, unable to contain him;
    From the grave he rose again,
      For its fastenings  could not chain him
    Like a mighty hero, he
    Set himself from durance free.

 2. Jesus fives, he is not dead,
      Howsoe'er the fiend may bluster;
    He is free from doubt or dread,
      He has foiled the  foeman's muster.
    Toil and danger now are done,
    For the eager strife  is won.

 S. All my sin and deadly guilt,
      Now is quenched  in his endurance
    Of  the Lord's eternal grace,
      Now I have the full assurance.
    Every fault and every vice
    In his grave forgotten lies.

 4 All my dread of death is gone,
      Of the grave I am not fearful;
    I shall rise again in time,
      And I rest content and cheerful
    Thickly cover me with earth,
    Tis a sweet and easy berth. 
450   THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN CONTEMFLATES

 6. Jesus fives !  The word shall give
      Courage to my soul in dying,
   Sweeten every grief and pain,
      On this word I die relying
   After death I shall arise,
   And rejoin him in the skies.
£0? beoout Christian contempfates tlje Ascension
               of Oesus gfjrist

               EXHORTATION.
  " I ascend unto my Father, and your Father;  and to my God,
and your God."—John xx. 17.
  The contemplation of the  ascension of our
Saviour cannot but be consoling and grateful  to
a believing heart.
  1.  It reminds   us  of the  certainty of our
redemption.  In returning to the heaven whence
he came, the prince of victory finished the work
on which he was sent, to obtain for mankind the
forgiveness of sins, justification, and  salvation.
  2.  It reminds  the  believer that he has no
abiding place  on  earth, but must  seek  that
which  is to come.  If men have no abiding place
upon the earth, they send their hearts where
they wish to be eternally. 
         THE ASCENSION OF JESUS CHRIST.     45j

   3.  Whenever  they see  their  houses,  theii
habiliments, their goods, or their friends, they
remember  that  all   these  they  must leave
behind.
   4.  Being desirous of finding  a place prepared
for them in glory, when the hour of their release
from  the trouble  of the world arrives, they dili
gently strive after a spiritual ascension;  they
wean their thoughts from earth, and fix them
upon the things of heaven; they withdraw their
love for  the world, and cling to Jesus in faith.
They forsake the world  with their lives, living
not after the custom of the world, but after the
will of God.
   5. Therefore, in looking up  to heaven,  they
say to themselves, " There  is  my country, and
my eternal home."

                  PRAYER
   God mounts upward with  rejoicing; and the
Lord  ascends with the sound of trumpets.  Praise
God,  extol our King.   Thus I sing, great Jesus,
of  thy  ascension.   After  accomplishing  the
redemption of mankind, thou didst return to thy
glory. All  our foes, the devil, the world, sin,
and death, are under  thy feet;  thou hast deli-
vered us  from them all.  After thou didst wash
away our sins by  thyself, thou didst seat thyself
in heaven, at the  right hand of the  majesty of 
452   THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN CONTEMPLATES

God.  All this, my Jesus, is a consolation  unto
me, and I rejoice thereat from the bottom of my
soul.  Thou sittest at the right hand of God, and
pleadest for  us; therefore, when I  pray, I pray
not alone, thy spirit prays in  me,  and  thou
prayest for me ; therefore, my poor feeble prayer
will be graciously heard for thy sake.  I rejoice
in thinking  of thy Word,  "I go  to  prepare  a
place for you, that where I  am, there ye may be
also."   This refreshes my spirit, for I know that
thou hast prepared a place  for me, so that when
I die,  I shall find a place wherein  I may dwell
forever.   Thou art crowned  with honor and
glory, and thou hast laid up for me a crown of
righteousness,  which thou,  as a just judge, wilt
give  those who love thy coming.  Thou  hast
come into thy kingdom to rule  over heaven and
earth, in nature, in grace, and  in glory; in time,
thou wilt say  to me and to all  the faithful,
"Come, ye  blessed of  my Father, inherit  the
kingdom prepared for you  from  the foundation
of the world.  Thou didst receive gifts for men
according to thy human  nature,  to  distribute
among thy brethren and the faithful.  0 Jesus,
give me a double gift, for I need double power
and comfort.  Give me thy holy spirit, piety,
chastity, meekness,  humility,  righteousness, the
childhood of God, life, peace, and eternal happi-
ness.  Because thou, the head, art lifted up, thou 
        THE ASCENSION OF JESUS  CHRIST,     453

wilt draw me, thy member, after thee.  Because
thy spirit impels me, I shall  be with  thee  for-
ever.  0 what joy, what comfort, what glory in
the thought!   My Saviour has promised  hia
faithful followers, that where  he is, there shall
they be also.  Let me be where thou  art, draw
me to thee, bring me to the host of the angels
and the elect, let me see the  glory prepared for
thy faithful.  Although thou hast withdrawn
thy visible presence from me, still thou art with
me invisibly, for thou hast promised to be with
me always, even unto the end of the world.
Therefore, I am of good cheer, whatever betide.
I know that thou art with me  in trouble, thou
dost deliver me from danger, thou dost  refresh
me in sorrow, thou dost comfort me in sadness,
and protect me in all adversity.  Though I see
thee not, I love thee, and know that once I shall
see thee, and be filled with unspeakable joy at
thy sight.  I shall see thee when my soul makes
its ascension after death;  and  I shall see  thee
with  my bodily eyes on  the  last day, when I
shall rise from the  dead.   For  this purpose I
will daily strive after  a spiritual ascension, and
contemplate my future  dwelling and anticipated
crown with the eyes of faith;  I will  withdraw
my heart and  my life  from  the world, flee the
world with its  vanities, ways, and sins, which
obatruct this  ascension.  Thus, while I live, I 
454         THE  SPIRITUAL ASCENSIOB

live  to the Lord, and when  I  die, I die to tha
Lord ;
        For then I go to Je/»us Christ,
           Stretch out my arms in wonder;
        I go to rest and sink to sleep,
          None shall disturb me yonder;
        For Jesus Christ, thrice glorified,
        The gates of heaven will open wide,
          And lead me in to glory.  Amen.
        £(je Spiritual  Ascension.

                 HYMN.
1.  Jesus upward soars to heaven,
     And forsakes this vale of tears,
   And I strive to follow Jesus
     Through these long and dreary year?
   Though the body still must tarry,
   Till the trump my grave does harry,
   Yet the heart will  not have nay,
   But be with him day  for day.

t.  Though upon the earth I linger,
     Yet from earth I do depart;
   No enjoyment and no comfort
     Is so weighty to my heart,
   As to wait upon the presence
   Of my Lord in heavenly pleasanoa
   And in spirit to repair
   To the home he does prepare. 
        THE SPIRITUAL ASCENSION.          456

S.  With my love I make ascension;
     Earth, I care for thee no more;
   Jesus is my occupation,
     And his love my only lore.
   Vanities of earth, and pleasures,
   Pride of life, and hoarded  treasures,
   All are  nothing now to me,
   Jesus all alone I see.

4.  Dost thou ask where my reflections
     Rest ? In heaven is their discourse,
   Worldly things no more attract them,
     They are drawn with higher force.
   They regard the crown of glory
   On the bright depository,
   And the robe  of driven snow
   Ready for me ere I go.

Si  Therefore, O my soul, be joyful,
     Lift above thy drooping wings;
   This obstruction is a cavern,
     Which but  little gladness brings.
   Wing thy flight, with steady pinion:
   To the starry bright dominion,
   Where the crown of glory waits
   For thee at the golden  gates. 
166   THE DEVOUT CHRD3TIAN CONTEMPLATXH
At TUQitsnntibe tlje beoout COrtsttan contempfotes
       tQe pouring out  of t§e gofg (Jljost.

               EXHORTATION.

  * II ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto yoni
children, how much more shall your heavenly father give the
Holy Spirit to them that ash him ?"—Luke xiii. 13.
  The merciful love of God has not only pro-
vided good things for us from the beginning of
the world,  and Jesus purchased us with his holy
blood, but the Holy Ghost, the most holy, neces*
sary and precious gift,  is ready to guide, sanctify,
and govern us in this vale of tears.
  1. The Holy Ghost  is the most glorious of all
gifts!  What more and greater could God do for
us,  than  to communicate unto  us his  Spirit as
our guide and instructor ?
  2. The Holy Ghost is also the most necessary
of gifts.   We can live happy in the world with-
out riches,  without great  honor or possessions,
but without the  Holy Ghost we can never be
truly happy, here or in eternity.
  3. He is also  the chief of gifts.  He is the
pledge of our inheritance, the badge of our child-
hood, assuring us that we  are children  of God,
and heirs of eternal life.
  4. This glorious, needful, and happy gift  God 
      THE POURING OUT OF THE HOLT GHOST.   46/

 )ffers to all who seek it.  This  promise is not
made of bodily and earthly things, because they
are not always advantageous to us ; but  the gift
of the Holy Spirit God will deny  to no one.
  5. The devout Christian  must purify his heart
of the love of the world  and of sin, so that the
good  and true  spirit may take   up  hia abode
within him.

                  PRAYER
  I will pour water upon  the thirsty, and streams
upon those  who are  dry; I will pour out my
spirit upon all flesh, so that they grow as grass,
and as  the willows by the water's side.   This
gracious promise,  dearest Jesus,  thou hast ful-
filled at holy Whitsuntide, when thou didst pour
out thy holy spirit  upon  thy apostles,  fitting
them to proclaim unto all people  the forgiveness
of sins  in thy  blood and salvation.   0 most
precious holy Ghost!  pour thyself out upon me
richly.  Thou wert revealed  in flames  of fire to
thy apostles ;  light me to eternal  life, illuminate
my understanding to know Jesus Christ, sanctify
my will to wish and  desire nothing but what is
well pleasing in thy sight.  By thee, 0 spirit of
power, the  apostles were endowed with power
from on high;  strengthen my faith,  give  me
courage and  strength to walk in thy ways, to
overcome the world, to withstand sin, and to live 
±68   THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN CONTEMPLATES

as a  true child of God.  Thou  spirit of grace
and  of  prayer!   Seal in my heart the  com-
fort  and the  joy that I stand  in  the grace
of God. Pray in me  and with me, and teach
me to pray with fervor.  Rest  upon me, thou
spirit of wisdom!  let me know and  do what
is  pleasing  unto God.  Rest  upon  me, spirit
of the  understanding!  let  me  walk  in  the
truth; keep  my heart in the one thing need-
ful, to fear thy name.  Rest upon me, spirit of
the fruit of the Lord !  implant  thy holy fruit in
my heart, let me never sin wittingly or willingly.
Rest upon me, spirit of love!  pluck out of my
heart all wrath, obstinacy,  envy, malice, and
revenge.  Be  my  comforter in  crosses and
troubles, when the waters beat over  my head,
and the waves meet above me.  Be my strength
when I  am weak, help me to subdue the lusts of
the flesh: let me grow in faith, truth, humility,
hope and patience.  Be my guide, lead me in an
even path; let me not act against the  command-
ment of God.  Be my teacher, guide me into all
truth, and magnify Jesus in me.  0 thou purest
of waters !    Cleanse  me;  grant that   I  may
grow  in all  good things, and bear much fruit.
Help me by  thy power to call Jesus my Lord, of
a truth, my  redeemer, my beatifier, the cause of
my salvation.   Behold, thou  light of my soul]
with how irt*ny temptations I am surrounded; 
      THE POURING OUT OF THE HOLT GHOST.   46ft

for many tempters are abroad; therefore let me
uot swerve  from thee; show me  the way in
which I shall walk, for I long after thee.  When
I undertake  to lead myself,  I go astray.   But
when thou leadest me, I walk in the way of thy
commandments.   If I have offended thee here-
tofore, most  precious Holy Ghost, I heartily
repent it.  Behold, my heart is open unto thee.
0 enter into it with the rich gifts  of  thy good
ness, fill it with  every Christian virtue, fortify
me, ground,  and preserve the good works  thou
hast commenced  within me.  Get me  a  pure
heart, expunge all impurities, evil passions, and
dominion  of  sin.  Remain  with  me in  trouble
and in  death; cry out  within me, " Abba, deai
Father!" give me a glimpse of glory, and a fore-
taste of eternal happiness, of the crown prepared
for  me  after  the victory.  Holy  Ghost,  thou
vigor of the pious, enter into my poor feeble
heart, let me be  thy temple, purify the taber-
nacle of my heart, cast out all that  can shut me
out from  heaven.  Adorn  me with  thy gifts,
make me new, pure and lovely, let me  have true
love, and stand in thy favor.  Give me courage
to overcome  flesh  and blood, teach me  to appear
before God, and to pray in  spirit and  in truth.
Amen. 
460   THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN  CONTEMPLATES
                     HYMN.
 1. O precious  Whitsuntide, when Jesus'  love  dis
      penses,
   With lavish hand,  the  gifts so  grateful to my
      senses;
   And also, Jesus, give thy spirit pure and just,
   To lift my flagging soul to heaven  from the dust
2. I wander far astray whenever the firm guidance
   Of thy good spirit fails; a dreary prospect widens
   Before my aching sight, and I am all forlorn.
   0 cast thy light upon my path, thou endless morn
6. I grope in darkness thick, bereft of the instruction
   Of him the Holy Ghost; my heart, in cold obstruc-
      tion,
   Feels  not the warmth of grace, but  through his
     beaming ray,
   Yet all is clear  and bright when he points  out the
     way.
4. Myself in my distress can find no consolation,
   I need assistance most, when most in tribulation;
   Therefore stand by m* with thy consolation strong
   Make  me assured that I to Jesus' flock belong.
6. And when my pilgrim staff on my  last  bed is
     broken,
   Thou  of a  happier  >oad,  wilt  give  me  then  a
     token;
   Through Jesus' blood I then shall up to  heaven
     fare,
   AJid rest transfigured in the arms of Jesus there. 
       THE MVSTERY OF THE HOLY TRINITY.     461


Etje beoout  COristian  constOers  tOe  mosteru of
               tt)e £oto, iErinitg.

               EXHORTATION.

  'There are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, tha
Word, and the Holy Ghost; and these three are one."—1 John
T. 1.
  If a believer desires  to enter a sanctified con-
templation of the Holy Trinity, he must do like
one who desires to derive light and heat from the
sun, and make use of them.  If he looks straight
into the sun  he blinds himself, sees darkness,
sees nothing,  but if he keeps  his  eyes  cast
down,  and thus avails  himself of the light and
brilliancy of the sun, he sees much—indeed, all
he should see.
  1. The mystery of the Holy Trinity is a mys-
tery incomprehensible to reason.  For this reason
many have taken offence at this  article of faith,
and argue like the Jews even to this day.
  2. Nevertheless  it  is a mystery  clearly de-
scribed in Holy Writ; the most  beautiful texts
of the Old  and  New  Testaments  speak  of it.
The works and attributes of the  triune God are
also plainly pointed out.  The devout Christian
believes this worl of life, until believing shall he
changed to seeing in the life  eternal. 
*:62     THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN CONSIDERS

  3. Meantime he prays  to the thrice holy God
in humility of heart.  He praises his Creator for
all the benefits lavished upon  him in soul and
body. He thanks his Redeemer for having released
him from death, from sin, from the devil, and from
the power of hell.  Unto his Sanctifier he dedicates
his heart, and all  his life, endeavors to obey the
triune God, and is assured that he shall come to
see in glory what  here he  believes.   For  happy
are they who do not see, and yet believe.

                 PRAYER
  Holy, Holy, Holy is God the Lord of Hosts, all
the earth is full of his glory. Thus, 0 triune God,
Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, I join in the hymn
of the seraphim  and Cherubim, to  exalt thy
honor  and  thy majesty.   0  thou inscrutable
and incomprehensible  being! my faith  clings
solely and  alone  to the Holy Word, in  which
thou hast  revealed  thyself to us.   This  is the
eternal life, to know thee, the  Father, the only
true God,  and Jesus Christ, whom thou  hast
bent.   I pray to thee, I honor and  praise thee,
0 father of all grace  and  mercy, thou who  hast
acquitted thyself as a loving father to me,   Not
only didst thou beget thy only son, Jesus Christ,
from all eternity,  but thou art  the true  father
of all who are called children in heaven and on
earth.  As  a gracious  and loving father thou 
       THE MYSTERY OP THE HOLY TRINITY.    463

hast hitherto nourished, provided for, guarded,
and kept me, and dost nourish, provide for, and
keep  me to  this very hour.   Merciful father 1
look upon me in  fatherly kindness as thy child.
Lord Jesus, the Son of God!  I have learned to
know thee in thy holy word as the other person
of the holy  trinity, begotten of the heavenly
father * from  all eternity, God of God, Light of
Light, generated in an incomprehensible manner;
I have learned to know thee as my brother  and
kinsman, who assumed human nature to redeem
me and all men  from sin, death, the devil, and
hell.   Therefore  I rejoice in  thee, and  adore
thee; thou art my righteousness, my redeemer,
advocate,  high   priest,  mediator,   Immanuel,
beatifier, and shepherd, in thee I have  life  and
the fulness of life.  Thou art the sacrificial lamb
offered up for my sins; thy blood is the  purifica-
tion of my evil deeds; by thee I have access to
grace and life.  In thee  I am  happy here tem-
porally, and  there  eternally.   Most  precious
Holy Ghost!   Thou hast revealed thyself in thy
word, as the  third  person of the deity, issuing
from  the  father  and the son, a  spirit of the
father and  the son, of like essence, of like  ma
jesty  and glory.   Thou hast  regenerated me in
holy baptism; by thee I have  been brought to
grace, to light, and to the life that is from God.
Thou art  my sanctifier,  who enlightens  me, 
464    THE  DEVOUT CHRISTIAN CONSIDERS

sanctifies me, and  keeps  me in the true faith.
Thou dost comfort  me in all suffering, thou dost
make me rejoice in sadness, and dost give  me
refreshment  in  tribulation.  0 spirit  of grace
and of prayer !  seal upon my heart the comfort
that I am in grace, bear witness unto my spirit
that I am a child of God.   Rouse me to prayer,
give me devotion in prayer, give me peace after
prayer.  Come, let  us pray, and kneel down, and
prostrate ourselves before the  Lord,  the  triune
God, who made us, for we are his people, and
the sheep of his pasture; he is inscrutable in
his ways, and incomprehensible in his acts.   Of
him and through him, and in him are all things;
unto him be praise, honor and glory  for ever-
more.  0 triune God and Lord! grant that I
may seize thee  in  faith, and hold  fast to thy
holy word as the rule of my faith and  practice,
until from believing  I  shall  come  to seeing.
Meantime, my father! cover me with the wings
of thy grace, and bless me. Jesus wash me with
thy holy blood, and bless me; make me just and
eternally happy.   Lord  God! Holy Ghost,  en-
lighten and  bless me, that I may walk in thy
light, and perceive the eternal joys which  are
beyond.  Here we  must believe and  trust what
God says of himself; there seeing begins, true
belief admits no doubt.  Have  I not been bap-
tized in God  the father, son, and Holy Ghost ? His 
THE  MYSTERY  OP THE HOLY TRINITY.   466
words conduct me  to  Jordan,  where from the
open gates of  heaven  the voice of God testifier
of Jesus, and the spirit hovers down.  Amen.

                     HYMN.
1. I trust in God, of whom the Scripture teaches,
   That his descent eternity outreaches;
   Who called creation out of nothing forth,
   A God of endless power and greatest worth.

2. To give this  God his rightful nomenclature,
   Go ask his word, trust not unwritten nature;
   He is the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost;
   As such his true disciples him accost

6. The father of all heaven and earth made tissue,
   The son from out the father's self did issue;
   From both alike the Holy Ghost comes forth,
   Equal to both in power, and bliss, and worth.

4. The father gave the world and us existence,
   The son poured out his blood for our assistance
   The Holy Ghost enlightens and befriends,
   And thus the kingdom of his grace extends.

5. Upon a single throne they all are seated,
   Alike eternal, great, and unrepeated,
   Their common majesty we all adore,
   God is, and was, and shall be evermore 
 466   THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN MEDITATES t PON


 flt  31ttcljaefmas tQe beoout  £$ristian meattates
    upon tQe protection  of tQe goto Angers.

               EXHORTATION.
  " The angels are ail ministering spirits, sent forth to minuter
Wt them who shall he heirs of salvation."—Hebrews L 14.
  The holy angels were  created by God for his
service and honor; they constantly stand about
his  throne and execute his mandates.
  1. Therefore a devout Christian  must thank
God for his especial goodness, in giving the holy
ingels as guardians of men.
  2. He must not drive  them away by wanton
iin, but please them by a penitential and godly
walk and  conversation.
  3. He strives to be like the angels  on earth,
daily to adore, praise, and thank  God, and to
render him pleasing service.
  4. He endeavors  to  do the will of God on
earth, as it is done  in  heaven, if not with the
same perfection, yet  with the same willingness
and sincerity.
  6. He does not worship the angels, for that
honor is due to the Lord of the Angels alone, not
to fellow servants. Rev.  xix. 10.
  6. In this state of faith, love, piety, and  holy
fear, the  true believer  continues  to the  end, 
      THE PROTECTION OF THE HOLY ANGELB.   467

knowing that  the  holy angels will  not only
watch over him in his  occupation, and protect
him from danger, but  stand  around his bedside
in the hour of  death,  and after death carry hia
bouI into Abraham's bosom.

                  PRAYER
   The angel of the Lord encamps around those
that fear him,  and helps them.  Merciful and
loving God, how am  I  rejoiced that thou hast
ordered the holy angels to my protection!  Lord,
Lord, what is man that thou art heedful of him,
and the son of man that  thou regardest him and
settest him  on high.  God  of love, in thy un-
speakable goodness, thou hast not only given for
our enjoyment, all visible creatures, the heavens,
the earth, sun, air, and sea, and all the  fruits
and herbs of the  soil, but hast  also commanded
the invisible angels to serve us, that  evil may
not befal us.   Thou  knowest,  loving  Father,
that thy children on earth  are  encompassed by
danger and  distress;  therefore, thou hast set a
watch over them  to guard them day and night,
and avert all  evil.  Thou  knowest how many
and how powerful are the foes of thy children,
the prince  of  darkness, Satan and  his  host;
therefore, thou  hast sent  strong heroes  to  resist
them,  and  protect  thy  beloved.  0 my  God!
when week after  week, month after month, and 
468  THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN MEDITATES UPON

year after year passes by, and my straight and
hale limbs remain  unharmed, my house and
home uninjured, my walk without fall or stum-
bling, and no hurt comes near me, should I not
ascribe all to thy fatherly truth, love, and mercy,
which have preserved me through thy servants?
How many dangers  hast  thou averted  through
the agency of thy holy angels, of which I knew
nothing!  For  this,  my God,  be thanks and
praise to thee to all  eternity.   I also beseech
thee, loving Father,  still  further to bid thine
angel come and watch over thine own.  Let thy
angel avert all danger and misfortune from mj
head, as from  the head  of Jacob, who  was met
by the hosts of God traveling by his side, when
the ill-will of his brother Esau  pursued him
Gird my house  round about with a cohort  ol
thy holy angels, like the house of Job; let then
be with me in trouble, as with Daniel; let them
drive misfortune from me, as they rolled away
the flames from  the men  in  the  fiery furnace;
let them watch my nourishment and daily food,
as the angels brought bread and water to Elijah;
and accompany me on my journeys, like  Tobit.
Good God, give  me thy Holy Ghost, so that I
may not grieve these holy creations of thine with
my sins, or drive them from me with a ruthless
life, to make them stand afar off and yield to my
malice.   Grant that even in this life I may grow 
      THE PROTECTION OF THE HOLY ANGEIA   469

k»ke the angels in  thy service, so that I may be
like them also in the happiness of eternity.  Thy
will be done on earth as it  is in heaven.  Let
thy holy angels be around  my  death-bed also,
and carry my soul into Abraham's bosom, and
escort it into  thy  glory.   Let me be there for-
ever in their society and brotherhood, with them
to rejoice  in thy glory and  majesty, with them
to sing the Holy, Holy, Holy, is God the Lord
of Hosts, and with them to thank thee for every
good and perfect gift for evermore.  God, Spirit
of all Spirits, Lord of all  the Seraphim! who
commands his servants to serve  as men, to thee
alone,  Lord  of  Hosts, be  thanks  and praise,
therefor.  As we go out and in let  them escort
us;  when we fall asleep in thee, place at our
side  the  guards  of thy throne, the troop of
Solomon.   See that they always lend  a hand,
and let  us never fall  from  their laps;  let their
camp surround  us when  we  are  beleagured.
When released from vanities, we sing our dying
anthems,  let  them  carry   us into  Abraham's
bosom, and in thy kingdom, make u/ like unto
the angels.  Amen. 
470
HYMN.
                     HYMN.
I.  The bright angelic choir, that ever stand in waiting
   Before the burnished  throne, and sing,  without
     abating,
   The Holy, Holy Lord, are sent to do us good,
   And from our path divert all harm and influence
     rude.                             i
2.  Whithersoe'er we go, the angels round us hover;
   By day and night our steps with their broad wingi
     they cover,
   When at our daily toil they share in all we do,
   And when we homeward wend, they travel with
     us too.
3.  When Satan and the world, and other foes assail us,
   The  angels with  their  shield and rampart never
     fail us;
   They turn from us  away,  danger, grie^  sorrow,
     care,
   Their eyes are never closed, but  wakeful every-
     where.
4  And  when the pilgrim's staff at last is bruised and
     shivered
   By them from its hard cage, the spirit is delivered,
   They lift it then above to happiness and rest,
   To gladness after dread, to heavenly mansions blest
5  The angels are rejoiced, when to the Lord we tender
   Our hearts, hopes, wishes, thoughts, and all to him
     surrender.
   Aye, most assuredly the angels there abound,
   Where pious souls in prayer and  love of God  are
     ftmad. 
THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN THANKS OOD, ETC. 471
  Jfragers  on  JTarticufar  flccasions.


  ttfje beoout (Christian tfjan&s  %ob after  tQe
              (jaroest is gattjereb.

               EXHORTATION.
  " She did not know that I gave her corn, and wine, and oil,
:v 4(1 multiplied her silver and gold, which they prepared for BaaL
* herefore will I return, and take away my coin in the time there-
of, and my wine in the season thereof, and I will recover my
wool, and my flax given to cover her nakedness."—Hoswaii. 8, 9.
  Of all the manifestations of the munificence of
God,  that which most strikes  the  eye  is the
annual harvest.   God  preserves the seed in the
bosom of the earth in winter, lets it bloom in the
days of summer, causes it to  grow and bear fruit,
averts hail,  rain, and  storm, and fills the barn
and the  cellar  by his blessing.  And   yet  if
there  is  one  favor  for  which the  Lord   is
defrauded of  his  full  measure  of gratitude,
it is  that of harvest, for  ungrateful men sup-
pose  that  it  must  be so  of  necessity—that
it is by the course of nature  that all things must
grow; that God has been of no assistance there
In  just anger, therefore, God frequently  causes
a failure of crops, so that all may see that the 
472    THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN THANKS GOD

land can bring forth  nothing, except the Lord
commands, and that nothing can grow without
his blessing.  A true believer thinks otherwise.
  1.  On beholding the full ears of corn, and  the
vines overhung with grapes, he lifts up his e\es
to heaven, and praises the  Almighty Giver of
all good, who has made so  many grains out of
one, such luscious  fruit out of so plain a twig.
  2.  He  praises the  divine providence, which
has given rain and dry weather in proper season,
averted drought, hailstones, and inundations, and
protected the harvest.
  3.  When the time arrives for the sharp sickle
to mow down the corn, and for the wain to carry
it to  the farmyard, and the grapes into the press,
he receives all these good  gifts  with a  thankful
heart.
  4. He makes use of them also, and appropriate!!
them with thanksgiving.  He acknowledges and
appreciates the goodness of God in sustaining,
providing for, and keeping him.
  5.  He suffers the goodness of God to lead him
to repentance.  If we thank and  refrain from
angering a benefactor, who gives us a garment, oi
some food, why should we not praise ths first of
benefactors, who gives us everything ? 
       AFTER  THE HARVEST IS GATHERED.     473

                  PRAYER
  Give thanks unto the Lord for he ia of great
goodness, and  his mercy endureth forever. Thus
I speak, 0 my God, on re witnessing the  fulness
of the harvest.   Gracious God, how great is the
goodness which thou dost  manifest in  us ; thou
hast planted the soil upon its foundation, so that
it remaineth for ever and ever.  But in this very
soil thou hast concealed thy precious treasures,
and it brings forth the fruits which serve for our
nourishment  and health.   Especially,  0 loving
lather, hast thou  crowned  this year with  thy
goodness ; thy steps still drip with fat, thou hast
moistened the hills from above; thou hast filled
the  land  with  the fruits  of  thy production.
Thou hast caused grass to grow for the cattle,
and  grain for  the use  of man, so that  thou
bringest  bread  out  of   he earth.  0 faithful
father!  thou hast guarded our  harvest,  the
heaven has heard  the earth, and the earth  has
brought forth corn and wine;  thou  hast given
■js early  rains  and late  rains in due season;
therefore  our  fields  have  bloomed,  and have
held forth the blessing arising out of them.  By
thy grace  our trees have borne sweet and beauti-
ful fruit, and the vine has made us glad.  Loving
God and Father, thou  hast covered the whole
field and  the whole  country with  the wings of 
474   THE DEVOUT CHRISTIAN THANKS GOD
thy grace;  thou hast made the sun to  shine  at
the proper time, so that all things have come  to
maturity; thou hast  protected all things from
hail, fire, drought, and inundation.  When we
slept thou didst watch; thou wert the  sentinel
and guardian  of our  fields.   Lord, thy works
are many;  thou hast ordained all things wisely
and the earth is full of thy goodness.   All crea
tures, men  and cattle, look  to thee, that thou
mayest give them food at the proper time; when
thou  dost   give they gather,  and  when thou
openest thy hand, they  are filled with  good
things.   Truly, 0 God  of riches,  thou hast
richly blessed us with thy good gifts this year.
Therefore we thank thee from the bottom of our
nearts.  Come, let us pray, and kneel down, and
prostrate ourselves; let us come into his house
with thanks, and into his courts with rejoicing.
With thankful hearts let us declare, " The Lord
hath done great  thing  in us,  whereof we  are
glad."  Lord,  Lord, let  us not abuse  thy gifts
 and benefits, but in them appreciate thy love to
 us, and thy fatherly truth.   0 God !   If indeed,
 some ungrateful ones should abuse thy gifts with
 gluttony, do not on that account withdraw thy
 favor, but preserve it unto us according to  thy
 mercy.  0 father! thou  who hast loved us for
 ever and ever, who dost desire to draw us toward
 thee by these  temporal benefits also, so that we 
        AFTER THE HARVEST 18 GATHERED.     476

may perceive the benefactor in his benefits; let
thy goodness lead us to repentance, so that when
we see thy gifts before us, we  may ever lift up
our eyes to thee, thou fountain  of every blessing.
And as thou dost sustain and nourish our bodies
by these gifts, let us  also increase  in the inward
man, in  faith, love, and piety, by thy appointed
means of grace.  Let us grow in good things, and
attain  from one clearness  to another, until we
shall be admitted to  the  enjoyment of  the good
things of heaven in  eternal life, through  Jesus
Christ,   Amen.

                    HYMN.
    1. Behold, God's ample blessing
         Is gathered in with great delight;
       Should we not then consider
         How to extol the Lord aright ?
       God on the year has lavished
         The bounty of his grace,
       And on us oast in showers
         His wealth in every place.
       How many are the favors
         Which he to  us has shown 1
       Winch his paternal kindness
         Into our laps has thrown.

    SL The fields, the woods and gardens,
        Gladden the heart to look upon.
      Be praised, 0 great Creator,
        For what thy loving hand has done 
                 HYMN.

  They were severely laden
     With fruits on every hand;
  God did produce such plenty
     To brighten all the land;
  When we came to the harvest,
     There was far greater store
  Than we had e'er imagined;
     Come, then, the Lord adore.
8. The earth, with  all the people
     Can now be fed, and beasts as ireli
   All with the wondrous plenty
     Can be supplied, that us befel;
   The great Creator's bounty,
     Gives all both meat and drink;
   Therefore each mind and spirit,
     Shall of his goodness think.
   To such unnumbered creatures,
     To furnish all they want,
   Is the most certain toker
     Of God's divine com raand.
4. This multitude of blessings
     Bestowed upon us from on high,
   O let us not abuse them
      With aught that does his will defjf
   God can at once withdraw it
     By drought,  or hail or rain,
   If we do not behave us
      As followers of his train.
   Tis at the Lord's disposal,
      And still  remaineth there;
   He can at once refuse it
      If we  despise his care. 
THE TRUE BEL.IEVER PRAYS IN TIME OE WAR.  477
5. Then let us be more thankful,
    The more his mercy does abound
   And as when richly laden,
    The ear of corn bows to the ground,
   Let us receive in silence,
    And prayerful humbleness,
   The wealth which in his mercy
    He kindly deigns to bless;
  The more the Lord hath given,
    The more should lips and heart,
   Extol the great Creator,
    Who doth such bliss impart
                         1.
   Ctje true Befteoer  praqs  in times of War.

                 EXHORTATION.

  " Behold, O Lord, for I am in distress, my bowels are troubled;
 ny heart is turned within  me, for I have grievously rebelled;
 ftbroad the sword bereaveth, at home there is death."—Lamenta-
 tions i. 20.
  " The Lord hath bent his bow like an enemy."—lb. ii. 4.
  " He hath swallowed up all the palaces."—lb. ii. 5.
  " The young and the old lie on the  ground in the streets: my
virgins and my young men have fallen by the sword."—lb. ii 27.,

   The three  troubles  with which  God  visits
whole  cities and towns, are war,  hunger and
pestilence, Jer. xxxiv. 17;  to which  God sub-
jected David also, 1 Chron.  xxii. 12.   War is a
severe  chastisement; when  God withdraws  hip 
478   THE BELIEVER FRAYS IN  TIME OE WAS.

protection from a country, the foe is straight at
hand.   The reasons for which God punishes a
land with wars, are various.
  1. Disobedience.—Isaiah i. 19.
  2. Living according to the desires of the flesh,
without having the fear of God before their eyes.
—Judges iv. 1;  vi. 1.
  3. Contempt of  God's word, either in  not
listening to  it at all, or in not conforming to its
precepts.—Levit. ii. 6, 27.
  4. Idolatry.—Judges ii. 12-14. This may be
committed in a gross or in a subtle manner, as by
indulgence in luxury, fornication, murder, shed-
ding  innocent  blood,  oppression of  strangers,
widows, and the poor.  But God calls the sword,
and takes away peace—Jer. xv. 6. He also takes
away the power of the sword.—Psalm lxxxix.
44.   So that many nations and a  great  army
obtain no victories, but must  flee  before their
enemies.—Psalm xliv.  11; bringing about de-
struction, plunder, oppression, lamentations,  and
wretchedness.

                  PRAYER.
  Angry God!  we  appear before thy most holy
face with contrite, hearts, and bewail the great
misery  which our  grievous  sins and thy just
wrath have brought upon us   Lord, Lord, we
dwelt serenely under thy protection; no sword 
     THE  BELIEVER PRAYS IN TIHE OF WAR.   479

could affright us, for thou wert the foe of our foes,
and the adversary of  our adversaries; we  went
quietly in and out of our doors, and  enjoyed,
unmolested, the fruits of the land. But  now,
great God, thou hast  withdrawn thy peace and
protection, and the foe has arisen and drawn the
Bword; he threatens to burn and to destroy, to
plunder,  to  despoil our cities, and to overrun
our fields.  What shall we  do in this distress.
We  must confess  that  we have long  deserved
these rods of chastisement;  we have made evil
use  of  peace and of  prosperity.   When  we
should have been edified and walked in the fear
of thee, served and obeyed thee, the desecration
of the Sabbath, abuse  of thy holy name, unright
eousness,  security, malice, and the most abomi-
nable vices, have run rank  among us.  We  are
ashamed, 0 God, to  rehearse our own wicked-
nesses, which cry to heaven.   0 merciful  God !
think not of the multitude of our evil deeds,
which are like the sands of the sea shore,  but
think of us after  thy great mercy, for  the sake
of thy goodness.  We  lie here before thee  in
prayer, relying, not upon our  righteousness, but
upon thy grace  and long suffering.  We have
sinned;  we  have  led  ungodly lives, and have
departed  from thy commandments.  0 do  not
punish us in thy wrath, nor chastise us in thine
anger.  Father of mercies, have mercy upon us; 
iSO  THE BELIEVER PRATS IN TIMS Ot WAS.

if thou wilt deal with us according to our sins,
and  thy justice,  the foe will destroy us,  and
there will be no deliverer.   Mighty patron of
the wretched, arise, that man may not prevail.
Thou canst give us  strength   for  the  fight;
thou canst cast  under our feet  those who with-
stand us.  In thee is  all our hope and trust in
this great need.   When men rave against thee,
thou dost derive  honor from it.  0  God! how
long shall the  adversary revile, and the foe
abuse thy name, as if  no  one could snatch us
from his hand ?  Deliver us,  God of our  salva-
tion ! and forgive  us our sins  for  thy name's
sake. Take away the courage of the enemy;
drive him away, and watch  over our land, our
houses and curtilages.  Let peace  soon return.,
%nd  avert the  impending danger.   Lord, thine
is  the honor, that thou dost  break the sword,
crush the spear,  and burn  chariots with  fire
Hear our cries,  0 loving God! the cries of those
who are now in danger, and in the hands  of the
enemy, and suffer many cruelties  and indigni-
ties.  Have mercy upon  the  poor,  the widow,
and  the aged,  on children and  sucklings, who
cannot  escape.    Put  a  speedy end to  the
destructive contest, and hear our prayer for the
sake of thy goodness and mercy.  Amen. 
HTHN.
481
                HYMN.

I.  What affright and lamentation
     Comes upon the wings of war ?
     Like a summons from afar,
   To repent of our transgression.
     Wretchedness and terror grows,
     Lord, have mercy on our woes!

2.  O, the sword is keenly whetted,
     That is sent to hew us down;
     And the foeman's angry frown
   With our blood alone is sated.
     He has set his fearful goal,
     To destroy us all in all


8.  Cries of horror, loud and stifled
     In the cities, on the plains;
     Refuge nowhere doth remain;
   Hidden nooks are racked and rifled.
     In sequestered wilds and woods
     Carnage with red hand intrudes.


4.  Hear the wretched cry and clamor,
     Harried of their little all;
     Dragged to bondage, great and small,
   Even sold beneath the hammer.
     Flames consume their last abode,
     And still farther ill forbode. 
482     THE TRUE BELIEVER PRADjRS AND
5.  Lord, who can withstand thine anger,
     Thy chastisement doth destroy
     All who dare thy heart annoy,
   Yet no longer dwell in languor.
     Save us from the foeman's wrath,
     Pluck us from the jaws of death I
E(je true Kefteoer praises anb ttjan&s %ob  after
              t(je Return of JTeace.

                EXHORTATION.
  " Come, behold the works of the Lord, what desolations he
hath made in the earth.  He maketh wars to cease unto the end
of the earth;  he breaketh the bow, and cntteth the spear in
sunder ; he bnrneth the chariot in the fire.  Be still, and know
that I am God ; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be
exalted in the earth.  The Lord of hosts is with ns; the God of
Jacob is onr refuge."—Psalm xli. 8-11.
  After  a severe  and bloody war, there can  be
no more joyful  news than the report of peace.
Then the fugitives return to their dwellings, the
exiles have hopes of coming back  to their own,
the land itself recovers, because no longer trodden
under the foot of the enemy.  The  true believer
understands that this gift is sent from above.
  1. Therefore  he praises God for having put an
end to destruction, pillage, murder, and arson,
and that the inhabitants  of the company are
delivered from the power of the enemy. 
THANKS GOD AFTER THE RETURN OF PEACE.  488
  2. He thanks God for  having protected him
and his throughout the danger of the war.
  3. He sees that sweet peace is like the sun,
whici  revives  all  things, like the dew, which
refreshes all things.
  4. He prays  to God to make the peace  perma
nent, and to contend against all peace-breakers.
  6. He does not devote  the time of peace to
luxury and pleasure, but to improve in the faith,
and to serve  his  God,  undisturbed  and  un-
molested.

                  PRAYER
  Lord, Lord, merciful, kind, and of great good-
ness, in the justice of thy wrath thou hast hitherto
withheld peace from our land, because we abused
the good  days  of peace.   Thou  hast called in
foes for our chastisement, who drew the sword,
slew,  ravaged,  and tilled  us with affright and
terror.  Though we well deserved to be utterly
destroyed by this war, yet in the  midst  of thy
wrath, thou  hast  thought of grace, and given
thoughts of  peace  to the kings, wherefore we
thank  thee with great joy.  The kings of hosts
have come to terms, at thy command  the sword
has returned to the  scabbard.   The  fugitives
return, and we  may once more go out and in, in
peace.  Jerusalem,  praise  the Lord, extol thy
God. 0 Zion, for he fastens the bolts of thy gates, 
484                 HYMN.

and blesses thy children who are within : he gives
peace to  thy frontier.  What a  precious gem is
peace, in which all the land rejoices!  To-day dost
thou renew thy gracious promise, " Ye shall dwell
securely  in the land; I will give peace unto the
country,  so that ye may sleep, and be not waked
with affright, and  that the sword may not  pass
through  your  land from henceforth."  Lord,
perpetuate this peace; lift up thy countenance
over us, and give us  peace, as a  glorious portion
of the divine blessing which thou hast cast upon
thy people.  Let our peace be like a stream of
water which is never diminished, but  constantly
runs and wells forth, for thou alone  shalt have
peace according to  thy certain promise.   Let
justice and peace kiss each other, and righteous-
ness look down from heaven.  Give us  thy holy
spirit, that we may  not abuse peace  in luxury,
gluttony, or security, but may  edify ourselves,
and  walk  in  the fear of  the  Lord.  Refresh
the ravaged land with thy blessing.   At the end
of our days,  let  us depart in  peace, and  be
gathered into the mansions of peace.  Amen.

                    HYMN.
    1. Peace is at last concluded,
         God to our prayei has given ear;
       There is an end of bloodshed,
         Destruction dwells no longer near. 
HYMN.
   The sword is in its scabbard,
     The bow no longer bent;
   The foe no more assails us,
     Peace' gives us all content
   Therefore to-day, of all things,
     After these evil days,
   Jehovah shall be worshipped,
     To God we render praise.
2. O Peace, good gift of heaven,
     Most precious jewel that thou an
   By  thee to us is given
     Of what is  ours, a double part.
   When  thou to us art given
     We do receive beside,
   Life, plenty, comfort, pleasure,
     Throughout the country wide
   The warring  minds  of princes
     Are now disposed to peace.
   The loving, gentle shepherd
     Has  made all discord cease.
3. The sun of peaceful labor
     Once more  illumines hill and dal«
   Makes comfort and rejoicing,
     Comfort and happiness prevail,
   Once more a-field the ploughman
     At early morning hies;
   The shepherd on the pasture
     His old recorder tries;
   The sheep browze on securely,
     Fearing no  foeman's hand;
   The blessings  of profusion
     Spread over ail the land 
486
HYMN.
4.  O make this peace enduring,
     Dear Father, many and many a day;
   That on our fields and meadows,
     War and destruction may not stray.
   0 let thy thoughts of concord
     Aye hover o'er us still;
   Subdue the wrath of princes,
     Make them obey thy wilL
   And though we sorely grieve thee,
     Take not our peace away,
   And let us find forgiveness
     E'en in thine  angry day.

5.  And as in these, our seasons,
     Thy peace thou fully dost aooord ;
   Let us declare in wonder,
     Behold the goodness of the Lord
   He has withstood the carnage,
     And made the war to cease;
   His grace to us extended,
     And given back our peace.
   Then sound bright hymns of gladness,
     And with your hearts upraised,
   Cry with united voices,
     The Lord's great name be praised! 
          rRAYER IN TIMES 0¥ FAMINE.       487


 £Qe true Befieoer  praps  mfyen $ob  otsits  t(je
         Canb  rottO  Dearth anb famine.

                EXHORTATION.
   "Son of man, behold, I will  break the staff of bread in
 Jerusalem ; and they shall eat bread by weight, and with care:
 and they  shall drink water  by measure, and with astonish
 ment"—Ezek. xiv. 16.
   As tame and wild  beasts are  punished with
 hunger to make  them learn something, or to
 break  their  wildness,  so God is  accustomed to
 put  a  like  bit  and rein  upon mankind, when
 they refuse to come to him.  God long allures
 them with benefits, but if persuasion  will not
 bring them to repentance, he  sends famine into
 the  land, either from  a failure of the  harvest,
 or from war, or from  dearth or  waste,  or  by
 taking the virtue out of the bread, so that those
 who eat are not satisfied.
   1. This punishment  is  usually inflicted when
men disregard the word of God, and only seek
after ease and pleasure.—Isaiah v. 13.
  2.  For persecutions  against the pious or the
Church of God.—Jer. xi. 22.
  3.  For listening to the voice of false propheta
 —Jer. xiv. 15, 16.
  4.  For obstinacy.—Jer. xxiv. 10.
  5.  For disobedience.—Ezek. iv.  16. 
488        THE TRUE RELIEVER PRAYS
  6. For oppressing the lowly.—2 Sam. xxi. 1,2
Famine  is accompanied with  poverty, misery
and disease.
  7.  When  spiritual  hunger  is  superadded
Amos viii. 11, misery is complete.

                  PRAYER
  Righteous  God, thou who  givest  unto  all
according to their works,  and suflerest wrath,
trouble, and dread to come upon those that do
ovil,we come before thy most holy face, ashamed
of having so grievously sinned against thee, that
thou  art constrained to bring us to obedience
and prayer  by starvation.   0 richly didst thou
feed us in years gone  by  !  We had bread in
plenty; the earth brought forth the loveliest and
fairest fruits.   These good  gifts  should  have
drawn  us  up  to thee  as  cords of  love, and
attracted us to repentance.  But how shame-
fully  were  these gifts abused in   gluttony,
luxury,  and  waste,  so  that nature  herself
groaned  at being   bestowed  upon  thankless
men, who received  her with ungrateful hearts.
Where is the wonder  that a fertile country will
not bear fruit  on account  of the sins of those
who live in  it?  Thou dost chastise  us with
dearth,  want,  and drought;  the earth brings
forth  her fruit sparingly.   Lord, hear the cries
of the poor, who beg  for bread,  and  are not 
        IN TIMES Or DEARTH AND FAMINE      489

 sated.   Take  to  the  heart  the  wail of  the
 children, the  lamentation  of the parents,  the
 complaints that fill every house in the city, and
 in  the country; we eat, and  are  not satisfied;
 we take food, and well nigh expire with hunger;
 and  the  cattle  cry for food.   Lord,  Lord,
 gracious, merciful, patient,  and of great  good-
 ness, have  mercy  upon us;  turn again  to us
 with thy blessing, which thou hast  withdrawn
 from  us.   Thy  fountains  are  full  of water:
 therefore visit the land, and  water  it; let the
 sky give ear unto  the earth, and  do thou also
 give  ear unto  our prayers from thy sanctuary.
 Let the dearth cease; restore us  to  thy favor,
 feed  the  hungry,  rejoice  the  poor,   bless our
 scanty bread.  Now we understand that we live
 not  by bread  alone, but mostly by  the  word
 which cometh out of thy mouth,  and whereby
 thou dost invigorate our food. Let  the field
 soon  be refilled with  grain;  increase  our small
 stock of flour,  as of the widow of Zarepath;  let
 the little suffice to sustain many.  Meantime let
 thy word be our food, for it is the comfort of our
hearts,  our  honey  and  honeycomb.   For  this
thy goodr.ess, we will praise and adore thee all
our lives.   Amen. 
490
HYMN.
                    HYMN.
 1.  With the scourges of starvation,
      Angry God 1 thou dost make bleed
    Our obdurate hearts, and threaten
      To forsake us in our need.
    Hunger's fierce and fiery breath
    Fans our constant fear of death.
    Suffering and disease  have bound ua,
    Misery settles all around us.

2. Almost it outruns description,
      How starvation weighs on all.
    "Tis enough to make one shudder,
      To behold the sombre pall
    That upon the land is spread,
    Overwhelming every head.
    We are lost, O King of mercies,
   If thou dost not stem these curses.

3. Want oppresses great and little,
      All our stores have  found an end,
    Want emaciates our forces,
      Want redoubles all we spend.
   Want, the poor in anguish cries,
   Want, the wealthy exercise.
   Want of all things has bereft us,
   Until nothing now is left us.

4. Tis our sins that wrought this danger,
     0 they mounted up  to heaven I
   Now the chastisement  has settled
     On ua with a threefold leaven; 
PRATER IN  TIMES OF  PESTILENCE.      491
   Insolence and hardened hearts
   Brought the sore so fiercely smarts;
   Disobedience, pride of living,
   Their requital now are giving.

5.  Hark, the children wail and clamor,
     Give us more of bread I   More bread I
   On the fields and in the  houses
     Many languish, worse than dead.
   Here the poor a morsel crave,
   That the givers scarcely have;
   E'en the cry of beasts arises,
   Of their hunger whioh advises.
£{je true Eefieoer praqs  in  times of pestifence.

                 EXHORTATION.

  " If thon wilt not hearken nnto the voice of the Lord, thy
Ood, all these curses shall come npon thee, and overtake thee
rhe Lord shall make the pestilence  cleave  nnto thee, until he
flave consumed thee from  off the land whither thou goest to
possess it.  The Lord shall smite  thee with a consumption, and
irith a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme
Durning, and with the sword,  and with blasting, and with mil-
dew • and  they shall pursue  thee untD  thou perish."—Dent
ixvii. 15,21, 22.
   When the wicked are to be visited with wrath,
tribulations  and terror, Rom. ii.  8, 9, infectious
diseases  and pestilence  form  a  part  of the
infliction. 
492        THE TRUE RELIEVER PRAYS

  1. This is imposed  particularly  when men
refuse  to  believe the  words  of warning  and
exhortation.—Deut. xiv. 12.
  2. When God receives lip-service only, with-
out the  worship of the heart.—Jer. xiv.  12,
xxvii. 8.
  4. For contempt of the servants of God.—Jer.
xxix. 17.
  5. When  the people grow insolent and frac-
tious.—Ezek. xiv. 19.
  6. When  fornication and murder flourish.—
Ezek. xxxiii. 26, 27.
  7. When  admonitions to repentance are no
longer heeded.—Amos iv. 10.
  8. For adultery.—Numbers xxv. 9.
  9. For blasphemy.—2 Kings xix. 36.
  10. For high-mindedness, 2  Sam.  xxiv.  15,
and for other  sins.  When this punishment is
felt, it is necessary to do repentance, because
the Lord  in his mercy is  open to  prayer, on
which account also, David  preferred this among
the three great evils.

                  PRAYER
  Strong and Almighty God ! great is  thy wrath
against wanton sinners, which do not  suffei
themselves  t<  be brought to  repentance  by thy
goodness.   I jr a  time thou  dealest with  the
children of men like a loving father, who alluree 
            IN TIMES OE FESTILENCE.         ±4$

the disobedient to his side with long forbearance,
but if they wantonly trifle with thy kindness,
thou dost also approve thyself an austere judge.
This, just God, we now experience.  We are told
that in many places an  infectious  disease is
spreading,  which sweeps  away  thousands of
men, so that the dead  are to be  found almost
In every house, and  hands are wanting  to bury
them.   Have we not great cause to fear  that
thou wilt  send  the devastating evil into  our
neighborhood  also?  We   must  not  suppose,
0  jealous  God,  that those who have  already
experienced this chastisement  were alone or
pre-eminently sinners; we  must rather  remem-
ber that we, ourselves,  deserve  to  perish even
as they did.  Among us,  likewise, are to be
found,  security, contempt of thy holy word and
sacraments, obstinacy, luxury,  fornication, un-
righteousness, pleasure, and  pride;  indeed  the
fear of God is hardly left in  the land, the sainta
have diminished, and there are but few believers
among  men.  If thou wilt call  sinners to ac-
count,  who, Lord, will  stand before thee ?  0
Lord, Lord, we  plead  thy word, seek my face:
therefore,  Lord, we  seek thy face.  Thou  dost
not desire the death of the sinner, but  that he
turn and  live;  therefore  we accuse ourselves,
and  do penance  in  dust  and   ashes.  Do  not
regard the heinousness  of our sins, but free us 
49*        TR* 1RUE BELIEVER PRATS

from them in mercy.   Stand by us in our dis-
tress, and  make  us free  from all  punishment
We have sinned with our fathers; we have done
amiss, and lived  ungodly lives.   Command the
destroying angel,  who  carries  the   avenging
sword, to  cease, and say, It  is enough.   If we
are not worthy of grace, yet we greatly need it.
If we are  all children of death,  yet thou hast
promised the  penitent to do mercy  instead of
justice.  Give us  thy mercy,  and  spare our lives
for the sake of Jesus, our  eternal mediator and
advocate.   Have  mercy  upon us,  have mercy
us upon, thou God of mercies.  Be gracious unto
us, and spare us, dear Lord!  help us, dear  Lord
God ! Have mercy upon the poor  and wretched,
assailed by  this violent disease;  who  suffer
hunger  and  pain; who are  uncared for,  and
deserted by all men; stand by them with thy
comfort, and let  thy spirit  bear witness  unto
their  spirit,  that  they  are  children  of  God,
although fated to  fall  by this  disease.  Lord,
hear our prayer, protect our  country, and let ui
say that the Lord has done great things  in us.
Amen.
                   HYMN.
    1. Distress and danger visit  us,
        Despair, and deadly languor;
      We almost witness, face to face,
        The archangel in his anger. 
         IN  TllCES OF PESTILENCE.

   The towns and hamlets, like a swath,
   Are strewed with corpses in the path
     Of pestilence, down-stricken.

2  There Ues a poor, forgotten wretch,
     His house already haunted,
   Receives no healthful tenant more,
     All fly whence they are wanted;
   Another dies for lack of food:
   Such are the visitations rude,
     When men forget God's anger.

S. No wonder!   For of piety
     The name was scarcely noted;
   All dwelt in fond security,
     To  waste and gain devoted.
   Contempt of God, hypocrisy,
   Fraud, swindling, pleasure, luxury,
     Alone  were  sought and worshipped.

4. If thou wouldst judge us by our sins,
     Who, who would meet with  kindness?
   Yet O consider not of this.
     Nor of our wanton blindness,
   But on our sufferings pity take,
   And look upon us, for the sake
     Of Jesus Christ, our Saviour.

5. Give us a pure and healthful air,
     Our lives no longer jeopard,
   Dispel the venomous fumes of ill,
     And be again our shepherd, 
496        THE TRUE  BELIEVER PRATS
And we will raise our lips and eyes
In thanks unto thy beauteous skies,
  And praise thy name for ever.
gfje true  lefieuer prags to  $ob in (Times of
       continued  Rain and  wet  ttfeatfjet.

               EXHORTATION.
  " Behold I will bring a deluge of water upon the earth, to
destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of life, under the heav-
ens ; all on earth shall perish."—(Jen. vi. 17.
  Then did  God speak  to the pious Noah, and
as a true God he verified his threat, in suffering
all  things  on  earth  to  perish  except the  few
living  things which  had gone with  Noah into
his  ark.  Although God has promised not again
to punish the world with a  general  deluge, yet
to refresh the humility of men, he often suffers
inundations,  heavy showers of rain,  and pro-
tracted seasons of wet weather to take place.
  1. When the rain pours unceasingly from the
heavens, true Christians remember  that these
showers come from God—which gives them good
cheer.
  2. They also call to mind that God  is angered
by their sins  —which brings them to repentance 
IN TIMES OP WET WEATHER.        497
  3.  They are aware  that  such showers may
easily  prove ruinous  to  them—which  makes
them attentive of the fact that in all things they
are in the power of the Lord.  This drives them
to God, to whom they cry in their distress, and
call  upon him  with  child-like and believing
prayer.  If  they do this, God will  have mercy
dn them, and give them seasons of fertility, so
that their hearts  shall again be filled with joy.

                  PRAYER.
  Great and majestic God ! thou who hast spread
out  the heavens, and  founded the earth, and
created all  things that live and move, and are;
how quickly canst thou change the form of the
earth, and take away its beauty and loveliness!
This we  learn  especially when, as now,  thou
openest the  windows of heaven, and sufferest the
rain to fall  without  cessation. The sun with-
holds  his warming  and refreshing  beams; the
eye  sees  nothing but dark  and heavy  clouds,
which cover the earth with water; the fruits  of
the field are in danger of decay; all things wear
a disquieting aspect.   Lord,  Lord, look  upon
this, our distress, and be pleased to have mercy
on us.  By  our  sins we have richly deserved  tc
lose thy blessings, but let mercy take  the  place
of justice, and think of us  at the best.  Thou
hast promised not again  to destroy the earth 
498        THE  TRUE BELIEVER PRATS
and its  inhabitants with water.  0 God of  mer-
cies, close the windows of heaven, that the rain
may cease to fall upon us.  Clear up the murky
sky, and let the beautiful  sunlight shine again,
that the grass  may grow for the  cattle, and the
corn  for  the  advantage  of  men.  Soften the
hardness  of our  hearts by  thy  goodness  and
truth, so that we  may mend at last, and perse-
vere unto the  end in the things well pleasing
unto thee. And at the last receive us mercifully
into thy kingdom in  heaven.  Amen.

                    HYMN.

    1. Shall the heavens weep forever ?
        Shall they still be overcast ?
      Shall the sun no more regale us ?
        Is his day for ever past ?
      God of mercies, in thy wrath,
      Wilt thou cause a watery death ?
      Lo, the swelling of the water
      Makes the river ripe for slaughter.

    2. Everything is inundated,
        Grasses rot upon the field;
      Still the rain is undimished,
        Never promising to yield.
      Ripeness comes not near our fruit
      For there is no warmth to do 't;
      All things for the sun stand waiting,
      But the rain shows no abating. 
HTMN.
I. O the heavens weep thus sadly,
     Because no one weeps for sin.
   Who is left, of great or little,
     Having love of God within ?
  Where is penance, piety,
  Godliness, sincerity?
  Therefore, though we cry untiring,
  Nothing answers our desiring.

». Lord, upon us all have mercy!
     Bid the endless rain to oease;
  Hear the  wail of the afflicted,
     Give us sunshine, give us ease.
  See,  we come while yet is time,
  Of our sins cast off the slime,
  We acknowledge, in our madness,
  Thrice to have incurred this sadness.

5. If thou to our supplication
     Wilt vouchsafe a pitying ear,
  If thou wilt again accord us
     Warmth and thriving comfort  here,
  We shall praise thy providence,
  That thou didst to us dispense
  Sunlight, and anticipation
  Of a glad emancipation. 
500        THE TRUE BELIEVER PRATS
Cfje true JSeCieoer  prags  to  %ob at (times «f
         protracted <geat  anb Drought.

               EXHORTATION.

  " Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he
prayed earnestly that it might not rain ; and it rained not on
the earth by the space of three years and six months."—James,
?. 17.

  How much the earnest prayer of the righteous
avails, we see in  the  examples of Elias, as  set
before our eyes  by St. James, the apostle.   But
we  would be much   mistaken, did we suppose
that it was in the power  of Elias to take rain
away from  the land,  and give it  back.  No!
God alone is lord of the rain.   God alone can do
all this.  To God, therefore, the Christian must
ascribe every protracted season  of drought. It is
by the grace God that rain generally falls at the
right time;  when he omits to send it, we are to
regard the omission as a punishment.  For what
distress  prevails wherever rain is wanting,  and
heat and drought oppress the land!   In  the
midst of summer the whole country is covered
as with a shroud.  A severe infliction, indeed!
Who could remain  indifferent  at such a spec-
tacle ?  Therefore, let us pray, like  Elias,  that
the thirsty land may once more be  refreshed with 
IN TIMES OP DROUGHT.
501
grateful rain.  A just and  heartfelt prayer  the
Lord has never yet despised.   The Lord is near
to all those who call  upon him—who  call upon
him in earnest; he does what the godly desire;
he hears their cries and helps them.

                  PRAYER

  0 help us also, Lord our God! thou  art gra-
cious, merciful, patient, and of great love and
truth; help us in the  great  distress which  has
overtaken us, and graciously deliver us.  Thou
didst threaten thy people of old, that if they
would not listen  to thy  voice, thou  wouldst
make the sky above their heads of brass, and
the soil under their feet  of iron, and give the
land dust and ashes instead of rain.  It  would
almost seem as if over our heads the sky were
of brass, and  the soil  of iron. How dreary are
the fields and meadows!  the earth  opens wide
her mouth, and  pants for refreshment.   Men
and beasts cry out  with  thirst; the trees  and
the grass wither, the fruits refuse  to  grow;
streams and  fountains are dried up.   0 Lord,
look in upon us, and put  an end to our  suffer-
ings.   True it is, that when we think  of our
sins, we see that we deserve even heavier chas-
tisement.  But 0, father  of mercy, be  merciful
to us, poor sinners, and turn  again thy  gracious 
502         THE TRUE BELIEVER PRATS

countenance upon us; refresh us with a fruitfw*
and  penetrating rain, so  that men  and beasts
may again find  nourishment and  sustentation.
For the sake of Jesus Christ, hear  our supplica-
tions, and have mercy upon us.   May thy justice
bring us  unto  true  repentance!   Sanctify  us
wholly that  we may  be preserved undefiled  to
the day of  Jesus  Christ.  Hear us, dear father
in heaven! for the sake of thy love, for the sake
of Jesus Christ, hear us.   Amen.


                    HYMN.

   1. Now the sky is barred and bolted,
        Angry God! for many a day
      Not a drop of rain has fallen,
        And it fills us with dismay.
      Men and beasts, leaves, trees, and grass,
      Groan at what has come to pass;
      Gracious God be pleased to help us,
      Or a dearth must overwhelm us.

   2, Lo, the earth, with lips distended,
        Fairly cries to thee for thirst;
      Here and there, deep, yawning Sssurea
        With the burning heat have burst
      Fruits of orchards, grain in ear,
      All is withered, wilt, and sere;
      E'en the timid deer  lie pining,
      In some shady nook reclining. 
IN TIMES OF  DROUGHT.
3.  True, we nchly have deserved it,
     That the sky should be of brass,
   And the soil beneath of iron:
     For our sins were of a class,
   That the evening heard with fright
   Of the orgies of the night,
   And the night was struck with sorrow
   At the plottings of the morrow.

L  O we fall to earth before thee,
     Think upon our sins no more!
   We bewail them with contrition,
     And thy mercies great adore.
   O for Jesus' sake forgive
   What wo did to make thee grieve;
   We devote our whole endeavor
   To thy service hence forever.

5.  O look down in pitying mercy,
     On us ard our thirsty land
   Let us feel no more the anguish
     Of the sunbeam's burning brand
   Make the sky to yield again
   Freshening showers of living rain •
   Let us look once more in gladness
   On th3 skies in healthful sadness. 
504
COMMUNION PRATERS.
Communion JTragers.
       Jraoer 6efore {jofg Communion.

  0 great God, who now callest me to thy holy
table, I humbly beseech thee to  make  me  a
partaker  of the divine vigor of the blood shed
by my dearest  Saviour for the  forgiveness of
my sins.
  Out of thy heavenly dwelling  place send me
thy light and truth to lead me to  thy holy table,
and give me  the experience of thy peace, and
the grace of the Holy Ghost.   Purify my heart,
so that I may offer it to him who gave himself
for me.   Fill  my soul  nore  and  more  with
repentance, faith, love,  fervor, joy fulness  and
gratitude.  0 God, n?/  heart  tells me for thy
sake to seek thy face.  I seek thy face, 0 Lord,
save thy sevant  (b^ .dmaid) who hopes in thee.
Amen.

         prage: after {JoCg Communion.

   All-sufficient  God, thou sole chief  good and
greatest  delight of all the pious I in thee alone
 ioes my heart find its rest, and  in thy grace its 
COMMUNION PRATERS.          506
highest joy.  The world with  all its glories, is
like the  apples of Sodom, which  outside were
fair, and  inside full of ashes. Sin  with its brief
pleasure  produces disgust,  and draws  after it
hell and damnation.  Let me consider all things
well, and not love the world, nor  that which is
in the world; the world  passeth away with the
pleasure thereof, the lust of the eye, the lust of
the flesh, and the pride of life.   Lord if I have
but thee, I have enough,  though I have nothing
in the world beside.  Happy  is  my  soul,  if I
have in  thee a  gracious God,  and in myself an
uninjured conscience. The world knows nothing
of this  peace of conscience, which thy  saints
estimate more highly than  all the treasures of
the earth.   Rest content, my soul, for the  Lord
is kind unto thee.  He has  fed thee  at the table
of  his  grace with  the crucified  lamb,  and
refreshed thee  with the precious blood of his
only begotten son.  O infinite goodness!  There-
fore praise the Lord, 0 my soul, and what is in
me praise his holy name.  Praise the Lord, 0
my  soul, and forget not all his benefits.   Pre-
serve, great God, this peace in  my heart, and
continue to do good unto  my  soul.   Fortify me
in all suffering by the comfort  of thy holy spirit.
Our adversity,  which is temporal and easy to
bear, nevertheless produces a  surpassing  glory
for us, who regard not the visible  but  the invisi- 
506        THE TRUE BELIEVER PRATS

ble.  For  what is visible is  temporal, what is
invisible is eternal.  A  time will  come when
thou wilt bring me to the place  of  perfect rest.
There I shall behold thy face in righteousness,
and  be  satisfied when I awake in thy image.
Amen.
£$e  £rue 35efieoer praises $ob at tQe return of
                Qts  JJirtOuan.

              EXHORTATION.
  " What shall I render nnto the Lord for all his benefits to-
ward me T"—Psalm cxvi. 12.
  Birthdays should be days of thanks and praise,
to be spent in  singing and  prayer, and inward
and external devotion.
  1.  True  children  of God, as often  as  their
birthdays return, praise God's  truth and  good-
ness, in having permitted them to be born of
Christian parents, who brought them to a know-
ledge of salvation in Christ Jesus.
  £. They also thank him for having given them
sound limbs and healthy minds.
  3.  For having preserved them from evil, and
delivered them from  peril
  4.   They humbly  pray God  to forgive then 
ON HIS BIRTHDAT.
507
Bins, and promise to spend the remajning year*
of their life in childlike ohedience and piety.
  5. They  know that  if they thus persist in
faith and love, God will continue to  overshadow
them with the wings of his  grace.
  6. They remember that this may well be the
last return of their birthday on earth.

                  PRAYER
  Eternal,  good, and  merciful God; by thy
grace I once more behold the  return of my natal
day.  It shall be my day of  praise, prayer, and
thanksgiving.  Praise the Lord, 0 my soul, and
what is in me praise his holy name ; praise the
Lord, 0 my soul, and forget not all his benefits.
Praise the Lord with  me, and let us together
magnify his holy name.   I  will praise the Lord
at all times; his praise  shall  be  forever  in my
mouth.  Should I not praise and adore thee, my
God?  Thou  hast  suffered me to be born, not
only with sound limbs, but of Christian parents,
who brought me to the knowledge of thee, 0
triune God, from my youth up. Brought up in thy
arms, thou, in  later years, hast  led and  guided
me, given me food and clothing, and graciously
preserved  me  to this day.  I am  unworthy of
all the love and truth which thou hast mani-
fested in me.  Come and listen; I will tell the
good which the Lord hath done me in body and 
508        THE TRUE RELIEVER PRATS

in soul.  Yet how can I tell all ?   It wert 4*siei
to count the  stars of  heaven, than the  gifts of
grace which I have received at thy hands. From
how many perils hast thou delivered me ?  How
much  misfortune hast  thou averted?  Thy
Bpirit, has taught, guided, and led me, and when
I would have sinned, chastised  me inwardly,
and drawn me back.   As my years increase, and
thy favors multiply, 0 Lord, I am also reminded
of the sins I have committed.   Forgive me them
for the sake of Jesus, expunge  them with thy
holy blood, and let me find favor for his sake.
Give me thy mercy, that I may spend the days
utill allotted to me upon thy book, in true godli-
ness and piety, so that all my doings and omis-
uions may be well pleasing  unto thee.   And as
I know not how many days are assigned to me,
but am certain that  thou hast  set me a goal,
preserve me from shortening  my life by anger,
intemperance, sin, recklessness, or sacrilege, but
let me reach the fulness of my time in  health,
under  thy blessing and protection, until  thou
shalt exchange this temporal and transitory for
the heavenly and eternal life.  Till then I  will
celebrate every return of this day with praise
and thanksgiving in thy honor. 
ON HIS BIRTHDAT.
509
    BIRTHDAY HYMN OF PRAISE AND
               THANKSGIVING.

L This is the precious day God hath to me  awarded,
   Wherein my life on earth is every year recorded;
   On which my grateful heart recalls  with  thanks
     and praise,
   The mercies of my God bestowed throughout my
     days.

2. Upon this day I was upon the earth admitted,
   At the baptismal font for grace carefully fitted;
   Where, by his precious blood, Jesus did  make me
     whole,
   And sent the spirit down to educate my soul

ft.  A weak and helpless child, the sunlight first be
     held me,
   Naked, and very poor.  Yet has the Lord  upheld
     me
   In body and in soul; I of myself am  nought,
   But  all  I  have  and  am,  was  by  his  goodness
     brought.

4.  Thou rich and loving God I  How oft hast thou
     imparted
   Blessings which without thee had soon  again de
    parted;
   Health, happiness, and wealth, the  Holy  Spirit
     light,
   Gladden me every day, more than I can tndite. 
510                   HTMN.

  5.  More than  I  can indite,  for words  would evet
    fail me.
   To tell what thou hast done to eomfort and regale
     me,
   Therefore  unto  the  Lord give praise and thanka
     in fee,
   Whose benefits  are more  than  sands upon  the
     sea. 
INDEX.
                 PART  FIRST.
 Pornxng, Itoon  anb  fibnring  ^ragrri fox person* is Parity.

 The true believe  prepares to worship God.......................   9
 Morning prayer m Sunday............................................  15
 The true believer spends the Sunday in devotion................  21
 the true believer considers the threefold Sabbath...............  27
 Evening prayer on Sunday...........................................  31
 The true believer gives thanks,  after having heard the  word
     of God...............................................................  34
 Morning prayer on Monday...........................................  40
 The true believer asks a blessing on the beginning of the week.  42
 The true believer prays for temporal, spiritual and eternal
     blessings.............................................................  46
 Evening prayer on Monday...........................................  49
 The true believer thanks God for the good gift of health.....  53
 Morning prayeron Tuesday..........................................  57
 The true believer rejoices in his regeneration....................  59
 The true believer prays for a continuance of faith...............  62
 Evening prayer on Tuesday..........................................  66
 The true believer prays God to  sanctify his heart...............  68
 Morning prayer on Wednesday......................................  71
 The true believer withdraws his thoughts from the world.....  73
 The true believer prays God  to  direct and govern him........  76
 Evening prayer on Wednesday.......................................  80
 The true believer prays for true love to God.....................  82
 Morning prayer on Thursday.........................................  86
 The true believer prays for love  to hia Neighbor.................  88
 The true believer resolves to follow Christ.......................  91
 Evening prayer on Thursday.........................................  96
 The true believer understands that God alone is the chief
    good..................................................................  98
 Morning prayeron Friday............................................. 102
 The true believer prays for humility................................ 103
The true believer prays for meekness.............................. 108
Kveninjr prayer on Friday........................................... 113
                                           (511) 
512                      mm.

The tme believer prays for the  Holy Ghost.......«........... U4
Morning prayer on Saturday....................................... 119
The tme believer acknowledges the everlasting goodness
    of God............................................................... 120
The tme believer considers the  glory to come................, 124
Evening prayer on Saturday....................................... 128
The tme believer thanks God at the end of the week........ 130
The true believer prays God to forgive his sins................. 134
The tme believer prays God to give him strength to with-
    stand sin............................................................  138
The tme believer offers  himself as  a sacrifice to God........ 142
The tme believer prays in partaking of the Lord's Supper... 146
The tme believer prays for piety................................... 150
Pious tarents pray for their children............................... 154
Pious children  pray for their Parents,........................... 158
The tme believer prays during a storm.......................... 161
The tme believer prays after a storm.............................. 165
The tme believer prays on a  journey............................. 168
Prayer of one in a foreign country................................. 171
The tme believer prays for an undefiled conscience........... 179

             PART  SECOND.

                     gat  t\t QBLidtb.
                                                      Pa«n
The afflicted one takes  comfort at  the thought of the om-
    nipotence of God................................................. 17N
The afflicted one takes comfort  in calling to mind the love
    of God................................................................ 182
The afflicted one is comforted by the assistance of God....... 185
The afflicted one is comforted by the mercy of God........... 189
The afflicted one considers the divine promises................  193
The afflicted one considers the design of God in affliction....  196
The afflicted one prays for patience and strength.............  199
The afflicted one prays  for  alleviation............................  203
The afflicted one considers the happy issue of his afflictions..  207
Widows pour out their hearts to God........................... 211
Forsaken orphans complain to God...............................  216
The afflicted one complains of the weakness of faith..........  222
The afflicted one complains of blasphemous thoughts..........  223 
rJTDKZ.
513
               PART  THIRD.
                       jw t\t  ftitk.
Morning prayer in illness.............................................. 235
Evening prayer in illness.............................................. 240
The patient  prays to God for patience............................ 244
The patient prays for God's assistance........ .................... 248
The  patient understands that  he is human, and therefore
    mortal................................................................ 252
The patient resigns himself to the will of God, for life or death.. 255
The patient  understands that affliction comes  from God.... 251
The patient  understands the usefulness of disease................ 263
Tb.3 patient  places his trust in the divine omnipotence........ 268
The patient  remembers  his baptismal covenant................ 272
The patient  relies upon the benefits of the triune God........ 276
The patient  resolves to  bear without a murmur................ 280
Fhe patient  prepares to  partake of the Lord's Supper....... 284
Fhe patient  prays that his sins  may be forgiven................ 287
The patient  prays before partaking of the Lord's Supper.... 291
The patient  prays after partaking of the Lord's Supper....... 295
The patient  prays when  he takes medicine......................... 297
The patient prays for some  remission............................ 301
The patient  beseeches God  not  to forsake him................... 305
The patient is mindful of death..................................... 309
The patient  considers his grave  and resurrection................ 313
The convalescent thanks God for his recovery.................. 317
God 
614                      INDIX.

The dying one resolves to di9 in Christ............................  858
The dying one prays  for a blissful  end..  .......................  361
Prayer of the bystanders ata death-bed...........................  366
Hymns, texts  and prayers to be spoken to the dying.........  367
Sighs and prayers of a dying one....................................  395
The bystanders cry to the dying one..............................  411
Benediction over a dying one.........................................  412
Prayer of the bystanders at the bedside of a departed one...  413

                    jtsttfral  gtbotbra*.
The devout christian  considers the advent of Christ...........  414
The devout christian considers the  birth of Christ............  418
The devout christian  prays at the close of the year............  423
The devout christian  prays at the beginning of the year......  429
The devout christian considers the passions of Christ.........  434
The devout christian  considers the death of Christ............  439
The devout christian  considers the  resurrection of Christ...  445
The devout christian  considers the  ascension of Christ...  ,.  450
The spiritual ascension.......................................... .....  454
The devout christian  considers the pouring out of the Holy
    Ghost.................................................................  466
The  devout christian considers the mystery of the Holy
    Trinity...............................................................  461
At Michaelmas the devout christian considers the protection
    of the holy angels................................................  466

               |jnrgm on Special Occasions.
                                                       Pki
The devout christian  thanks God after the harvest............  471
The trae believer prays in  time of  war...........................  477
The trae believer praises God after the return of peace......  482
The trae believer prays in timeB of famine........................  487
The trae believer prays in times of pestilence....................  491
The trae believer prays  in times of protracted rain............496
The trae believer prays in times of drought.....................  500
Prayer before communion.................................,...........  504
Prayer  after communion..............................................  504
The true believer praises God at the return of his birthday.  508 
    DAILY  PRArER  BOOK



WOMEN WITH  CHILD,  IN  LABOR,

       AND IN CONFINEMENT;



MORNING AND EVENING PRAYERS, EXHORTATIONS,

           AND  HYMNS,

                U VHl if

   OXXS, MAXIMS, SIGH8,  PfiAYERS, TO Bl SPOKJDI AJTB
          PKONOUNOBD IN THB0M;

               TMI9HJU WITH

$nrgttt of Remembrance  ana Consolation for i\t $farr«


   ■ONOK 07 OOD AND KDETTOATION  07 THB CHURCH.


        JOHN FREDERICK 8TAJ&K,
     farmrly Brwiselical Pastor at TrankJbrt on tha Mate 
 
DEVOTIONS
                70S

WOMEN   WITH  CHILD.
CGe Woman rattti  £6iT& offers up (jer  JRorntng
                  draper.
              EXHORTATION.
  Every true Christian  is bound, before going
ko his daily work, to commend  himself to the
divine protection and mercy, so  that God may
keep his body and his soul under his gracious
care.
  But  if every man ought thus to commend
himself to  the  care of  God,  how much more
ought the pregnant to do so ?   They have much
to pray for  every morning.
  1. To keep them throughout the day in good
and holy thoughts, so  that they may  think of
God, always have him in their hearts, and con-
verse with him.
  2. They  must commend their life and their
limbs to God, that God may guard their steps,
preserving them from dangerous falls or other
misfortunes.
  8. They must also commit the fruit of their 
ft
THE WOMAJS WITH CHILL
bodies to the  holy  providence of God, that it
may grow  strong and well formed, and  may
be filled with the gifts of the Holy Ghost.
  4. They  must guard, particularly, throughout
the day, against anger, quarrels, and strife,  must
not take things amiss, or be unduly exacting,
nor be too easily incensed, lest their obstinacy
and passion bring misfortune, disease, or  even
death, upon their hidden  pledge.  If they thus
surrender themselves to the goodness and mercy
of God, they have the consolation that God will
set his angel over  them, who will guard them in
all their ways.

             MORNING PRAYER
   Lord God, the Father, what thou hast created;
Lord God,  the  Son, what  thou hast redeemed;
Lord God, the Holy Ghost, what thou hast hal-
lowed, I  commend  into  thy hands.  To thy
holy name let honor, glory, praise and thanks
be given in the morning hour, and in all eternity.
Amen.
   0 thou gracious, good, and merciful God! who
art thyself the light before whom there  is no
change of  the  light  and the darkness, I thank
thee from the bottom of my soul, that thou hast
guarded me  this  night  so mercifully, and hast
Buffered me again to behold the  gladsome  light
of morning.  Oh, thou light of my soul!   Shed 
OTTERS UP HEB MORNING PBAYEB.      5
a brighter radiance into my heart this morning,
that it may strengthen my love of thee, and my
hope and trust in thee.   Sanctify my soul, that
I may converse with thee this day;  may think
of thee, rejoice in thee, and enjoy the consolation
of thy bounty.   Grant that I may not wilfully
sin against thee this day, but may serve thee in
holiness, and walk before  thee in the righteous-
ness of the children of God.  Set thy most holy
presence before my eyes, that I may be the more
encouraged to  persevere  in sanctification, and
not to offend thee.  I commend  to thee my life
and limbs—my every step and  tread.  Thou, 0
God of all goodness and mercy, hast placed me
in  a peculiar condition, in which I need thy par-
ticular care and assistance.  Therefore I humbly
beg and pray, 0 thou protector of thy children!
 guard my going out and my coming in; let thy
 angel lead me by the hand, that I may not slip
 or fall, be wounded, or do harm to my limbs, and
 thereby also to the fruit of my  body.   Defend
 me, uphold me, preserve me.  Drive away all
 that  is hurtful to me, and may thy good spirit
 guide me on even paths.  Let me live to see tie
 close of this day under thy protection, when I
 will joyfully thank thee for all the benefits thy
 mercy has vouchsafed  unto my body and my
 soul.  Now the Lord bless me, and preserve me;
 the  Lord let  his  face  shine upon  me,  and be 
a
THE WOMAN  WTTH CHILI)
gracious unto me; the Lord lift up his counte-
nance over me, and  give me peace.  The grace
of the Father protect me, the love of Jesus cover
me, and the comfort of the  Holy Spirit be with
m3 now and  at  all  times.  0 bless me  in my
sleep  and waking.  0 bless my every step and
tread!  Bless me in every  undertaking.  Pour
every blessing on my head.  Give  mo the expe-
rience of thy grace, and  ne'er aver* thy loving
face.  Amen.


                   HYMN.

   1.  See the gladsome morn advances
        As the night retreats away,
      And upon my inner senses
        Jesus brings returning day.
      With him I this night have slept,
      With him I have vigil kept,
      With him I have borne all sadness,
      With him I will share all gladness.

   2  Guard my steps, where'er I travel,
        Jesus! send thy angels fleet—
      Every danger to unravel,
        E'er it grapples with my feet.
      What I bear beneath my heart
      Thy great goodness did impart;
      Let it thrive, what thou hast given,
      As I would myself have thriven. 
OFFERS UP  HKE EVENING PKAYEB        7
Keep me safe, serene, and quiet,
  Let no frights disturb my peace,
And no bitter passions riot
  Plunge me into fell disease.
Let thy lovely Jesus form
Comforter in every storm
Come, before my eyes to hover,
From my sight all ills to cover.

From my thoughts he shall not wander,
  Jesus still belongs to me.
On his grace I still shall ponder,
  He is mine, where'er I be.
iProm the morning to the night
(S"ever mil I leave his sight.
When again the evening closes,
My glad soul on him reposes.
 Ctje  Woman nritfj Gfjifo offers  up (jer fc  erring
                    JTraoer.
                EXHORTATION.
  Oh, how  great is God's bounty, whenever he
permits a human being to reach  the close  of a
day in  safety; when he may say on retiring to
his rest, I lie  and sleep in peace!   Oh what a
glorious rest it is to go to bed at peace with God,
at peace with conscience, in peace and comfort of
body!  Then may a  man  say in  praise  of  the 
6          THE WOMAN WITH CHILD
triune God : The Lord hath  done great thingB
mth me, wherefore I rejoice.   If he falls asleep
with a  grateful  heart, and with the  praise of
God on his  lips, his nightly  rest  will not lack
God's blessing.   In the  same manner  women
with child,  when  they have safely completed
the day, ought to raise their  hearts, their  eyes,
and  their h'pe to God, to thank God for  their
preservation, for  his  goodness and protection,
and to recommend themselves to his continued
care.
  1. They must  cry  to God to preserve  them
from fright and accident,  because sudden frights
often expose pregnant  woman to great danger.
  2.  They must beseech him to guard them from
sickness and pain.
  3. They must pray  to him  to keep the wings
of his mercy constantly extended over them and
the fruit of their bodies.

            EVENING  PRAYER
  Gracious,  loving, and merciful God! I appear
in thy most holy presence with a  happy heart.
Lord, how precious is thy goodness,  that men
rest  trustfully under the shadow of thy wings:
aye, under the shadow of thy  wings have I gone
in and  out  to-day; under them  have  I  been
preserved;  no misfortune  has approached me,
but  I  have reached the  evening  in  safety 
        OFFEBS  (JP HEB EVENING PBAYBB.      9

 Praised be the love of our heavenly father, who
 has carried me in his arms as his child.  Praised
 be Jesus Christ, my Saviour, who has led me by
 the hand, so  that no accident could overthrow
 me.   Praised be God, the Holy Ghost, who has
 not departed from me.  0 thou  Holy  Trinity,
 Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, remain  with me
 this  night.   Spread  out  thy goodness, Lord!
 Lord!  over  them  that  know  thee,  and thy
 righteousness over the pious.  Guard my body
 and  soul  from  all   misfortune;  let  me  con-
 verse constantly with thee in sleep, so that I
 may still  be with thee when I awake.   Behold,
 I know no help but in thee, thou God of Israel.
 Let thy angels  watch beside, and around my
 bed, so that nothing may be hurtful to  me, and
 to what thou  hast been pleased to bestow upon
 me.   Drive out  of my heart, all sorrows, evil
 thoughts,  and false imaginations; drive from mv
 bed, and from my house everything that can do
 me  harm, or bring  me suffering.  Thus I lie
 down in the  arms of my God—I sleep in the
 arms of my Jesus ;  his left hand is beneath my
 head, and hie right  hand covers  me.   0 thou,
 my  Creator,  Redeemer, and Sanctifier! be and
 remain  with  me.  Thou,  triune  God,  art mv
 light and  my salvation;  whom should I fear 1
Thou  art the  strength of my life, whom should
 I droad ?  I dread  naught, because God is witb 
10          THE WOMAN WITH CHILD

me; I fear naught because  I have Jesus near
When it is dark around me, Jesus is the light
of my soul; if fear approaches, the Holy Ghost
is my comfort  and assistance.   Let this night
pass happily under thy protection, that I may
see  the lovely  face of  the  sun, saved,  happy,
protected and preserved! My mouth shall praise
thee with joy, and thank thee  for all  the good
thou hast -done  me.  As often as my pulses beat
this  night, my spirit  shall embrace  thee;  as
ftften as my heart is moved, it shall be my desire
to  cry everywhere, with a loud voice,  0 Jesus,
Jesus! thou art mine,  and I am thine forever.
Thus then will I  fall  asleep in  thine arms, 0
Jesus! thy providence shall  be my covering, thy
mercy my couch, thy breast  my pillow, and my
dreams  the happiness flowing from  the word
of light, which  thy spirit pours into my heart
Amen.

                   HYMN

   1. Though the sun remains no longer
        On my path his rays to shed,
      Jesus' light glows all the stronger
        Which he casts upon my  bed
      Say am I not well bethought,
      When around my midnight cot
      Jesus' hands my slumbers lighten ?
      Now no harm my bouI can frighten 
    0FFSB8 UP HKB EVENING FRAY KB.       11

2.  All myself will I surrender
     Jesus to thy guardian thought,
   Bless the coming life so tender,
     Thy almighty hand has wrought
   All that is so dark to me
   Thy prevailing eye can see.
   Thou thyself the gift hast granted
   Do thou keep what thou hast planted

8. Evening finds me very weary
      And I long for sweet repose;
   Jesus' voice is soft and  cheery,
      And his arms around me close.
   Bless them all that share my home,
   And the stranger soon  to come;
   Never, never let it perish,
   In thy own fond bosom cherish.

4. Keep it safe from all disaster
      Till the day return again,
   And from day to day, dear Master,
      Let it thrive, and know no pain.
   While it rests beneath  my heart
   Never let thy love depart;
   And if thou my love believest,
   Let me see the gift thou givess I 
IS
DAILY REFLECTIONS
  Dttifg Reflections of a Woman cottO  CO^
              EXHORTATION.
  When God bestows the blessings of the holy
state of matrimony upon a married woman, she
must sincerely rejoice; but other reflections also
suggest themselves.
  1. This holy state is accompanied with much
pain and hardship.
  2. God is  a gracious God,  who  will  relieve
them; a mighty God, who will heal them.
  3. In  a  dark  hour,  a sleepless  night, an
untoward mishap, they must remember that, by
their baptismal  covenant God  is their  father,
who will not forsake his children ; for as a father
has pity on his children, so the Lord hath pity
on them that fear him.  They must call to mind
the power of God, which will give them strength
to complete and bring to light the good work he
has commenced in them.  When it appears very
hard, so that they think they will not be able to
bear it, they  must remember that with God
nothing is impossible, and when he speaks a
word, the  proud waves and  pangs of suffering
and of hardship must go down.
  4. If their pains should be of long continuance,
their trust must not fail nor their hopes wither,
but they  must  reflect that  God  has already
appointed the hour when he will help them. 
OF A WOMAN WITH CHILD.         18
  5  But if ye say, Many lose their lives in preg*
nancy and labor, I  answer, God has appointed
onto every one the hour of his death.   If the
pregnant know of instances  of married  women
who have died in pregnancy or in labor, they also
see many instances  of others who were happily
delivered, and became happy mothers;  indeed,
the number of those whom the Lord has preferred,
rescued and aided, is far greater than that of those
who have died  in the struggle.   Now, if among
fifty or a hundred hardly one has died, and ninety-
nine have been happily delivered, it is against the
faith and love of God always to anticipate the
worst.  Therefore say, the God who  hath helped
so many  thousands will help me also, and  assist
me; rely upon this from  the bottom of your
souls, repel all  dubious thoughts, and cast your
eyes upon the strong hand of God.
  6.  Women with child must also control them-
selves, lest they bring death upon themselves by
anger and obstinacy; for as every thing may
injure them  in this condition, they  must guard
themselves the  more carefully.  It is by  no
means to be praised, but rather to be chid, in
many pregnant women, that they are too prone
to anger, evil-minded and ready to take offence;
whatever people do around  them, displeases
them;  they fret about everything;  not a disn,
not a speech, not a chair is to their liking ; the;, 
14
DAILY BEFLECTIONS
must  moderate themselves and overcome  this
failing by prayer.  And I would have all Christian
women to consider, if the fruits of their  bodies
ripen in such bitter blood, whether they are not
in fault if they bear wicked, passionate and obsti-
nate children, which have as  obstreperous a dis-
position as their mothers had during their preg-
nancy.
  7. As Christian women are fond of going to
the Lord's  Supper when in this condition, they
have the more reason  to surrender themselves
and their fruits to the Lord Jesus, and to perse-
vere in sanctification by his strength in the faith.

                 PRAYER
  Holy, good, and merciful God, I come to Thee
to lay  my  prayer, my supplication,  my  inter-
cession, and my thanksgiving  at thy feet.  Thou
hast, Great God ! bestowed  thy  blessing upon
my married state, for which  I thank  thee from
the bottom of my heart, and pray thee  to give
me a joyous glimpse of thy face.   But, because
thou, 0 righteous  God, hast imposed many suf-
ferings on this  condition, I assume it willingly
under thy assistance.  If, therefore, bitter hours
should come,  painful days, sleepless nights, Lord
my God, depart not  from me,  I know that in thy
omnipotence, thou canst assuage all my woes ; in
the midst of pangs  and sufferings thcu art still 
Or A WOMAN WITH CHILD.         16
my father, my help, my succor, my only refuge,
and  my  gracious God.   If  the  hardships  and
spells become great and  numerous, and  even
insupportable, yet I will not despair, but will
consider  that  thou,  0 faithful God! wilt not
suffer me to be tempted beyond my power of
resistance, but wilt have a care that the tempta-
tion  shall end  so that I may endure it.   When
I sigh, " 0 how long, how endless is the heart's
suffering and longing after  thee," then  bethink
thee of thine hour of help, and let it soon appear
according to thy gracious will.  Set thy omnipo-
tence before my eyes, 0 God !  that I may not
be frightened, if others in the same condition aye
afflicted  with  severe  sickness, or even die  in
giving birth.  Let it remain  constantly inscribed
on my mind, how many hundred pregnant ones
are happily delivered throughout the year, and
how very few are withdrawn from the world  by
thee in child-bed.  Help  in the hour of labor,
and gladden my heart with a hale and  well-
formed child.  But if thou  hast resolved to give
me the release from this world's suffering on this
occasion, then, Lord! thy will be done.  But in
 the  meantime, 0 God!  give me thy good spirit,
 to keep me constantly in  good thoughts; give
 me  a quiet and gentle mind, that I  may not
 bring death upon myself and  my fruit  by  anger
 or spite.  Let my fruit be  endowed with good 
16     THE CONDITION OF 1HE PREGNANT

powers of body and mind, let it grow under the
Bhadow of thy grace,  until at last  thou shalt
bring it to the light of day, and thus  convert all
my pangs into delight, and my tears into joy.
Now, Lord  my God !  I have  poured out my
heart before  thee, 0 give ear unto  me  in thy
goodness,  save me according to thy  promise,
have  mercy on me according to thy  faith, help
me according  to  thy love,  and  rejoice me
according to thy grace.  Amen.
SHje pregnant Tlloman refTects tOat (jer Gonbition
   is meff pfeastng in t(Je Stgfjt of tfje Corb.
                    )RTATION.
  As God has him&elf instituted the holy state
of wedlock,  and intends thereby to propagate
the human race, for which reason he said to our
first parents  in Paradise, " Be fruitful, and mul-
tiply ;" so a  godly married woman must  rejoice
in the Lord, when  she  perceives herself thus
favored.
  1.  She must reflect that children are a gift of
God, which  he grants to some, but withholds
from others, so that  men may not ascribe any
thing to their own powers. 
IS WELL PLEASING  UNTO GOD.        17
  2. Whenever a married woman becomes con
scious of such a blessing, she must consider that
God has graciously remembered her, as is said
of Sarah, and of  Rachel;" and the Lord visited
Sarah, and the Lord remembered Rachel."
  3. Thereupon  she shall thank God, and regard
her present condition as coming from God, who
has given her  his blessing.
  4. If pains and ailments  make their appear-
ance, she must reflect that God has designed her
for  this condition, but that he will not therefore
desert her; on  the contrary, she  must set her
trust the more firmly in him, when she will find
that in his hands all things are "Well.
  5. For  this purpose  she must  persevere  in
prayer, guard against anger and  malice, stand
fast in  faith,  in  the love  of Jesus, and in vital
godliness, and rest assured that she  is in a  fa-
vored  state,  well pleasing unto God,  in  which
she  may count upon his  gracious aid and pro-
tection.

                   PRAYER.
  0 thou loving God  and Father! how  can 1
sufficiently acknowledge, praise, and extol thy
fatherly goodness,  that  thou  hast  called and
placed  me in  my present condition.   If it be at
times irksome, I know that I stand in thy grace,
and that ray condition is well pleasing in  thine 
18
THE FAVORED CONDITION
eyes,  and ordained by  thee.  Thou  knowest,
Lord ! that I have not coveted a man in wanton-
ness, and have kept my soul undefiled of all evil
desires, and have not sought dissolute  and wan-
ton company;  but have consented to take a
husband in thy faith, in chastity, and in thy honor.
As  thou hast graciously remembered me, and
hast enriched me  with a fruit of my body, 1
receive it as a gift of thy hand.   Let  me taste
thy mercy and loving kindness,  while in this
condition. Be my gracious God,  and hearken
unto my prayers and my sighs.  Be  my  guide
and escort; defend  me,  lead me,  and  preserve
me.  Be  my  refuge, before whom I may pour
out my heart; who will  gladden me when I am
sad, and refresh me when I am weary. Be my
helper, and assure me that thou art with me in
the time of need, and wilt rescue me. Be  my
aid, if pains  and ailments  should make their
appearance.  Be my preserver, who  will safely
deliver me when the time has come, and  make
my heart rejoice. 0 my heavenly Father!  while
I am in  this condition, be  thou  my strength;
carry, sustain, strengthen, and refresh me.  0
Jesus, while I am in this condition, be  thou  my
mediator and  advocate with God,  and bring  my
feeble prayer  before him.  0 God, the  Holy
Ghost! while I am  in this condition be thou my
comforter.  Comfort me; assure me that I stand 
OF THE PREGNANT.
19
in grace;  that I am a child of God, and that my
delivery will be happy, and that all will be well.
Aye, thou triune God !  be with me in this hour,
and I  shall be  happy, safe,  well-guarded, and
preserved.  Lord Jesus,  direct my walk,  that,
henceforth, while I  live,  I may walk according
to thy will; watch over my body and my  soul;
enter me  in the  books of thy custody, so that 1
may not  fall.  0 give me thy wounds to con-
template by the hour, and I can forget the world
Amen.
                    HYMN.
   1. With what a wonder-working grace
        Has me my God regarded,
      And when I prayed in sore distress,
        All I besought, awarded;
      So that my overflowing soul
      His matchless goodness doth extoL
        Give praise unto the Highest.
   2. He called me forth from nothingness,
        He saved me from perdition,
      He  sent the Holy Ghost to blesa
        And cheer me in contrition.
      He  gave me what my heart most craved,
      Another spirit to be saved!
        Give praise unto the Highest
   B  And e'en if anguish, pain  and fear
        Should wait upon this favor,
      Ho  too will send his angel here,
        Nor let my spirit waiver. 
20     THE PREGNANT WOMAN THANKS  GOB
   When every other help is gone,
   He never fails to help alone;
     Give praise unto the Highest.

4.  With more than patriarchal care
     Did he conduct me hither;
   Kept me from every toil  and snare,
    And left me not to wither.
   Good cheer is at his open board,
   Good cheer beneath his watch and ward
     Give praise unto the Highest

5.  And what transcendant bliss upon
     My being will he shower,
   When I with him shall take my wonne,
     In his eternal bower!
   For when I die, I shall not die,
   m go to God, I'll soar on high.
     Give pratee unto the Highest
  £(je pregnant Woman tfjanfts $ob for $er
                 Jruttfufness.
               EXHORTATION.

  1. When a godly married woman perceives
that she is fruitful, it is her  duty to thank God.
and to remember that God  is now making her
a partaker of the  blessing  bestowed upon the
Btate of holy wedlock. 
FOR HER FBUITFULNESS.
21
  2. She  must then walk discreetly, keep her
Belf in  the  bounds of  moderation,  soberness,
gentleness and Christian modesty, lest by hei
own fault she again  destroy  her fruitfulness,
which  may be the  consequence of immoderate
or improper work, froward lifting and carrying,
malicious  wrath, or other transgressions.
  3. Perceiving her  fruitfulness to increase, she
must  daily  recommend herself and  the  fruit
of her body  to God, and  cry  to  him to form,
preserve, strengthen, and watch over it, and in
time to bring it happily to light.
  4. She  must not  murmur at the hardships
attending her  situation, and must not be irasci
ble, wrathful, or revengeful against her husband
or other persons, these being all signs of  impa-
tience at the thought of her fruitfulness, which
is ingratitude which God will not fail to see, and
for  which he will make such a person atone.

                  PRAYER

  Lord, Almighty God ! who art a God of life,
who givest us all our breath and life, who hast
blessed the holy state  of wedlock with fruitful-
ness of body, I thank thee that thou hast remem-
bered me  also, and hast made me a partaker of
this  blessing  in my  marriage.  Thou, mighty
Lord!  hast  granted  me  a greater  boon  than 
 22     THE PREGNANT WOMAN THANES GOD

 others, who sigh for this gift, and  do not receive
 it;  therefore I beg thee to let me well understand
 the good that thou  hast done me.  I surrender
 myself unto  thee  wholly.  Preserve me from
 fear and fright, from falls and dangers, from mis-
 haps, and from all that might rob me of thy gift.
 Lord, how great is  thy wisdom, in forming men
 so wondrously !  How great is thy omnipotence,
 in bringing  them  to behold  the light of day!
 How  great is thy  goodness in  thus preserving
 and multiplying  the human  race!   I  thank
 thee, my God! that thou hast designed me  for
 a work-shop of this thy glorious work, and hast
 made me fruitful by thy divine blessing.  Let  me
 yf)e,  in the fulness of time, a happy mother, and
 joyfully  behold  what is concealed.  Lord!  let
 thy goodness and truth  escort me everywhere;
 guard my foot from stumbling, my  limbs from
 being broken, and  my body from injury.  Pre-
 serve what thou hast given me, and let  it enjoy
 thy guardian care.   But, in the meantime, I will
 look to thy help; I lift up mine eyes to  the hills
whence my help cometh;  my  help cometh from
the  Lord, who has  made  the heavens  and the
earth.  I will praise the Lord  at all  times;  hia
praise shall be constantly in my mouth.   At
morn, at noon, and at night, I will thank the
 Lord for all the good which he hath done me.
 Praise the  Lord, 0 my soul, who  has visibly 
FOR HER FRUrrFULNESS.
28
blessed thy state —who has rained down showers
of love upon  thee from  heaven;  think of what
the Almighty has  done  thee,  who  has looked
on thee with favor.   Amen.


                    HYMN.

1.  A thousand thanks to thee, almighty  Lord!  for
     having
   So  graciously  vouchsafed  my heart's  intensest
     craving;
   O now preserve from harm the gift,  the precious
     load,
   Which thy munificence upon me has bestowed!


i.  A thousand thanks, O  Lord!  for thy  protecting
     power,
   That often  me  defends, when  dangers  round  me
     lower.
   If they recur again, O be thou still with me,
   'Tis thou that gives me strength, 'tis  thou  that
     makes me free.


B  A thousand  thanks that thou  hast never me for
     saken,
   Nor  wilt, while  yet  my faith is stable and un
     shaken,
   And while I flee from sin,  Lo! I my vows out
     pour,
   To serve thee here below, and there for evermore 
24           THE PREGNANT WOMAN

4. Thou wilt be still my God!  Thou wilt me guide
     and strengthen,
  That I may  never fear  when coming  dangew
     lengthen
  Their shadows, till they steal, and  gather o'er m>
     head!
  Be with mein that hour! Depart not from my oed!

5. Be with me  in that hour!  Lend me thy firm
     endurance!
   In direst agony give of thy love assurance;
   And when the danger's past, with what transporting
     glee
   Will my glad lips proclaim  a thousand thanks to
     thee!
£<je pregnant Woman recommenbs  OerseCf anb
         tlje Jrutt of f)er 33obg  to %ob.

               EXHORTATION.
  When a godly married woman becomes aware
of her first fulness, various duties devolve upon
her, in addition to the ordinary ones of her rank
and station.
  1. She must diligently recommend herself to
God every day, that he may lead,  strengthen,
and protect her.
   2.  She must faithfully lay  the  fruit of hei
body before God in her prayers. 
         RECOMMENDS HERSELF TO GOD.       25

  3. For this is what distinguishes Christian
matrons from unbelieving ones,  godly  married
women from  reckless wantons.    Unbelieving
women and  wantons curse  their  pregnancy,
disregard  their  future offspring,  do not thank
God for it, do it hurt when they can, and per
haps entertain no good intentions  with regard to
it.  But godly married women think and feel
otherwise;  they never pray without  presenting
their child to the Lord, beseeching him to shape
it well, to give it sound and straight limbs, to pre-
serve its life, and to grant it a happy birth.
  4. They love  their  coming  offspring even
before  they see it, are solicitous for its preserva-
tion, prepare  everything necessary to swathe
and clothe  it after it is born.
  5. Not content with caring for its bodily com-
forts, they also pray God  to permit the fruit of
their bodies, after the birth of the body, to attain
to regeneration by the rite of holy baptism.

                  PRAYER
  0 holy father and creator of all  men, Lo 1  1
come  before  thy most holy face,  and  humbly
bespeak thy grace.   In thy goodness,  0 great
God!   thou  hast bestowed  upon me a fruit of
my body;  bat what am  I, that  I  should  be
favored to  give it to the world ?   Therefore, 0
Lord !  Lord ! All my longing is before thee and 
26
THE PREGNANT WOMAN
my sighs are not unknown to thee.  Lord 1 Lord!
what thy grace has given may thy mercy preserve.
To thy fatherly care and custody I resign myself
wholly.   Lord !  watch over me day and night
lest harm befall me.  Escort me, when I  go out,
preserve me when I  am abroad, and bring me
back to my home safe and unharmed.   Let my
soul be quiet and content.  Let my soul  ever
converse with  thee,  be glad in thee, rejoice in
thee.  Let my heart be a dwelling place of Jesus
a.nd a temple of the Holy Ghost, that Jesus may
live in me and walk in me, direct me and sanc-
tify me.   Ward off all vexation,  anger and
I right. Let  the  look of thine eyes guard my
breath, my life, and my every tread.   May the
Ijord  preserve my going out and my coming in
henceforth to all eternity.   In the name of the
triune God I go out and in.  In the name of the
triune God I retire to rest and arise in the morn-
ing.  In the name of the triune  God I undertake
my daily labor.   0 thou triune God!  guard, pre-
serve, and defend me by thy power, carry me in
thy hands, protect me on  my  paths, lest evil
befall me, and I  will  thank  thee and praise thee
as long as I live.   I  also recommend to thee, 0
triune God!  the  pledge which I carry under my
heart.   Lord I pray for it,  I present it to thee,
Oh 1  hear my supplication  for  the sake  of thy
Goodness, and  of Jesus.  0 give my child  thy 
         RECOMMENDS HERSELF TO GOD.       27

Holy Spirit.  Let it be filled even in its conceal-
ment,  like John  the Baptist,  with  heavenly
power.  Give it a well-tempered soul and a pious
heart, that it may fear and love thee as long as
it lives.   But  give it also sound  and straight
limbs,  a hale body, and  good gifts of body and
mind.  And when thou hast favored it in secret
with these glorious gifts of body and mind, then,
after its  bodily birth, let it be speedily regener-
ated by holy baptism. Thou hast said, 0 Jesus!
Suffer  little children to  come  unto me, for of
such is the kingdom of heaven.  Thou hast taken
the children upon thine arms, and blessed them.
Take my child  also, in time, upon thy holy arms,
and bless it also, give it the pledge  of being thy
child, the Holy Ghost; sanctify and renovate ii
for the life eternal;  make it a child of heaven
and of eternal life,  that I  with it and it with
thee may hereafter become partakers of eternal
bliss.  My hope rests firmly upon the Lord, my
God!  He is the best of friends, who stands by
me in  every danger; he alone shall  have the
service of my heart.  Amen.
                   HYMN.
I.  From God 111 not depart, to him I will surrender
   All  that a sinful heart so poor as I can tender;
   He is my castle strong, my shield, my burguenot,
   My  strong and  faithful  God,  my God forsake
     me not 
88
HYMN.
2.  From God I'll not depart, though pangs and sorrowi
     offer,
   My heart shall gently bear what 'tis its lot to suffer
   Let sorrow still be mine, however great it be,
   For when it comes I cling more closely still to thee.

8  From God I'll  not depart,  for why should I not
     tarry ?
   Docs he not always  lend his hand  my steps to
     carry?
   The hand that makes me free, the hand  that doth
     me keep,
   Gives me to eat and  drink, and watches o'er my
     sleep.

L  From God I'll not depart, though pangs and pains
     should harrow
   My bowels, or the tooth of  sickness gnaw my
     marrow.
   The hour of comfort comes, the struggle is forgot,
   And thus I surely see that God forsakes  me not

6.  From God I'll  not depart, e'en when my days are
     numbered,
   For then my end shall be as light as if I slumbered
   I live and lie for him while here I live and die,
   And when I mount above, hell be forever nigh. 
THE COVENANT PBOMISE
29
C§e  pregnant  Woman  remembers  t(je  Dioine
             Cooenant  promise.

              EXHORTATION.
  As sad and painful as is at times the condition
of pregnant women, so glorious and glad are the
promises God has made them, in assuring them
of his assistance in times of need, and declaring
that he will not leave them, nor forget  them,
but will help them, save  them, carry them upon
his  hands,  and do  all that is  contained in so
many sayings of pith and power.
  1. Every  godly pregnant  married  woman
should make herself acquainted with these say-
ings, and derive comfort from them.
  2. If  the desired help, the promised  rescue,
and  the expected assistance, should not come
at the  moment she asks for it, she must  not
despair, or suppose that there is an  end of the
promise, and that it will not be fulfilled.
  3. On  the  contrary, she  must set her firm
reliance upon  the promises of God, who will
faithfully keep  what  he has vouchsafed, when
his hour of help arrives.
  4. In  the meantime, she  must persevere  in
prayer, trust and hope, until the coming of the
glad hour when  the now afflicted one will  say
with joy, in praise of the  Highest,  " Hithertc 
 80      THE PREGNANT WOMAN REMEMBERS

 the Lord hath helped me; the Lord  hath dr *•
 me great good, whereof I am glad."
                  PRAYER.
  My God! my heart reminds thee of thy words,
 Ye shall seek my face;  therefore, Lord, I seek
 thy face. Thou knowest, my God, that without
 thee I am  nothing, and  can do nothing; who
 can help me but thou  alone ?  Therefore I come
 to thee, and cling to thy word of promise. Thou
 sayest that  thou wilt not  forsake thy people;  0
 forsake not me !   Thou sayest that thou wilt be
 with them  in the hour  of  need; my hour of
 need approaches.   Thou  sayest thou wilt help
 them;  0 help me.  0 be with me!  Thou sayest
 that thou wilt give them strength; 0 give me
strength.  Thou sayest thou wilt rescue them;
0 rescue me.  Lord, in my condition, I know
not whither to fly, except to thee alone.  I have
much care  and trouble, and  disquietude in my
heart, but thy consolations rejoice my soul, thy
word of promise raises me up.  Knowing thus
that thou  art the  patron  of  thy  faithful,
the help of  the  deserted,  the  refuge  of the
afflicted, I am of good  cheer,  and  cling to thee.
I will  cling  to thee,  and to thy word, when
my sorrows  and  the agonies  of  my heart
increase; then I will  cry, Lord, I will  not let
thee go, except thou   help me.   If  thou dost
delay help,  it will at last  appear to the comfort 
THE COVENANT  PBOMI8E.
81
of the wretched ; thou wilt help them gloriously.
Thou,  Lord, imposest a burden, but thou also
helpest to bear it; therefore, if thou wilt  help
me to bear my burden, it will  not be too heavy
for me.   God is my reliance and my strength—
a help  in the troubles which have befallen me ;
therefore I am not afraid ; and why should I be
afraid ?  The Lord is with me.  The Lord is my
light and my salvation, of whom should  I be
afraid ? The Lord is the vigor of my life, whom
should I dread ?  With God I will cheerfully go
about my coming labor; with God's assistance,
I will labor and will conquer.  0 thou gracious
God!  strengthen  my  faith,  rivet my reliance
upon thy promises.  Let me, secure against all
mishap, reach my time in safety.  Meantime I
will pray and sing, will trust in  thee, until, joy-
fully, delivered,  I shall thank and praise  thee
for thy benefits in thy temple, and, while I  live,
in my heart.  Amen.   Yea, I will believe, for
here I have  God's word; of this no  fiend can
rob me.   I  will forever and forever  repose on
this firm  foundation, and grasp the anchor of
hope with the strong hand of faith.   Amen,
                   HYMN.
   1. I shall not be forsaken
        Though I may suffer now.
      God in his care has taken
        My health, and made his vow 
32
HYMN
   That those who love and fear him.
     And in him put their trust,
   Shall rest securely near him,
     ffk mercy ne'er shall rust

2  Although at times me seometh
     There is no end to pain,
   Still bright his promise gleameth,
     And makes me glad again.
   He knows the fitting period
     For coming to my aid,
   And when, what me has wearied
     Forever must be staid.

«$. He nevermore can leave me,
     For am I not his  child?
   How could he hate  or grieve me
     That am so reconciled
   To him and to his keeping ?
     Could he look down and see
   His child distressed and weeping.
     And fail to set it  free ?

4. I never was forsaken
     While I on earth remain,
   Though often I have taken
     My fill of throes  and pain.
   Why now should my preserver
     Withhold his helping hand ?
    What could abate his fervor ?
     His word runs not to sand. 
THE OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD.
5. In God is my dependence,
     For he is true and just;
  My heart, with all its tendons,
     Shall clasp the faultless trust
  The hour comes ever nearer
     When what me now annoys,
   Will set my spirit clearer
     And fill my heart with joys.
K()e  pregnant Woman remembers  tQe Omntpo*
                tence of Qob.

               EXHORTATION.

  When we  reflect  upon  the conception, pre*
servation, growth,  and birth  of a  child, we are
at a loss how sufficiently to  praise the omnipo
tence of God; without  God's omnipotence, no
child can be born; and  when one is born, it is
always a miracle in the eyes of the faithful.
  1.  Knowing this,  a godly married  woman
must rely on the omipotence of God; the more
children she sees born, the  more miracles of the
omnipotence of God does she behold.
  2  As the almighty hand of God has helped
others, she may rest assured  that God will help
her also. 
84     THE PREGNANT WOMAN BSMEMBEB8

  3.  If despondency would  intrude  itself,  she
must remember the words of the angel, who
says, " With God nothing is impossible."—Luke,
i. 37.  As nothing is impossible with God,  r
pregnant woman may also rejoice in the omnipo
tence of God.
  4.  If circumstances should arise which do  not
occur to others, she  must not lose her reliance
upon the omnipotence of God; for it  is because
God  is almighty that he can heal  the  most dan-
gerous  wounds, relieve  the  heaviest burdens,
and ward off every casualty.
  5.  Though  human beings are present at  the
birth of a child, yet the almighty hand of God
is there  also,  though unseen; it regulates all
things, and brings everything to a happy end by
its divine power.

                 PRAYER
  My God! how my heart rejoices when I think
of thy omnipotence—of thy  almighty  hands
which lift and carry all things, and save us from
all affliction.  If I regard my present  condition,
I see that all depends on  thy omnipotence alone;
it must  carry me in its arms, or I  shall fall.
Thy  omnipotence must alleviate my ailments—
aye,  in the coming throes it must accomplish
all things alone.   If I regard the  fruit of  my
body, it is again thy omnipetence which  must 
           THE OMNIPOTENCE OF GOD.        85

pre. erve it, strengthen it, guard it, and bring it to
see xhe light of day.  Therefore, it  is my great-
est consolation, now and  throughout my life,
that thou art an almighty God; if I am weak,
thou art strong; if I  am  wretched, thou  art
omnipotent; if I  am powerless,  thou canst do
all things.  This consolation no one shall take
from me.   We have a God who aids, and a Lord
who  rescues from  death.  Therefore, Almighty
God!  I commit myself wholly unto thee; watch
over me, preserve me  during my  pregnancy;
may thy omnipotence  assist  me to  reach  my
time in peace. May thy omnipotence strengthen
me, when the hour of birth  draws nigh; may
thy omnipotence stand  by me  when it has come.
May thy omnipotence  attend me at the begin-
ning, in the middle, and at the end of my labor,
until I shall be a happy mother.   Therefore,
happen what will,  I will not fear, for I have an
almighty God; I will not despair when troubles
swell, for I have an almighty  God; I will be of
good cheer when called upon to labor, for I have
an almighty God; in  my throes I will cry, 0
thou Almighty  God, help me!  Lo,  I depend
upon thee,  I hope in thee ; thy child awaits  the
hour  of  thy  coming.  Hasten,  then  merciful
father! to  me, with thy omnipotence; let  me
hear joy and happiness—let  the  frame rejoice
which  thou hast shattered.   May  thy omnipo 
86
HYMN.
tence sustain the fruit of my body;  may thy
omnipotence give me  strength, yea,  may thy
omnipotence  make  me  rejoice  by  a happy
delivery, and I will praise this thy omnipotence,
while I live, and say, Praise the  Lord, 0 my
soul,  and  forget not all his benefits.   I called
upon the Lord in my  woes, 0  Lord,  hear the
voice of my cry!  Then  my helper saved me
from  death, and  gave  me  peace; therefore  I
thank thee, 0 God !  0 thank the Lord  with me!
Give honor unto our God!  Amen.

                   HYMN.
1.  We have a God on high, who fails  not  to defend
     us
   When trouble and despair  most pitilessly shend
    us.
   However muoh we bear, however great our woe,
   Our God is ever near, him shall we  not forego.

2.  We have a God on high: in sorrow and disaster,
   He holds the balance  still, of life  and  death the
     master.
   And were they sore beyond the tension  of belief
   God's power is yet more vast, and surely  gives
     relief

8  We have a God on  high!  In sorrow  and  in
     anguish
   He helps.  Hard though it be, my faith shall n^vw
     languish. 
THE ASSISTANCE OF GOD.
87
   My Lord, I will be thine!  To thee 'tis easy all,
   To bid my torments cease, and make my anguish
     small

4.  We  have  a God  on high!  He  hears the poor
     implorer,
   That piteous to him calls, and comes as his restorer
   God loves the poor in heart; he hears, he sees, he
     gives,
   When his own time is ripe, the happiness that
    Uvea

5  We  have  a God  on high!  Should any one bo
     froward,
   And say,  No  help is here, there is no  mercy
     toward:—
   I will the presence and the help of God proclaim;
   Yes, God is surely here, give honor to his name
CQe  pregnant  Woman  ta&es  comfort  at  tOe
       tljougfjt  of tOe assistance  of Qob.

               EXHORTATION.

  When persons in need of help see  great dan-
gers,  manifold  sufferings, heavy burdens,  and
hard labor before them, it is encouraging to have
some one to stand by them in the times of danger,
to help them through their sufferings, and to lend 
38
THE ASSISTANCE OF GOD. *
a hand in furtherance  of  their labors.  Such
also is the comfort of the pregnant.
  1, If they learn that dangers may attend the
time of birth, they say, u The Lord  is with me,
I am not afraid."
  2. If they experience manifold  sufferings they
say to  God, " Thou  art  my help and my salva-
tion, my God ! do not depart."
  3. If their burden becomes heavier from da^
to day, they  remember that the  Lord, who
imposes the burden, will also help to bear it.
  4. If they dread their approaching labor, they
know that the Lord will bless it, and will help
them through with it.  Should not this encour-
age them, the more so as God in Holy Writ calls
himself a  helper?    But  if God  helps,  they
are well   and rightly  helpen.    Men  often
would fain help, but cannot; but God both  can
and will help; therefore, how dark and danger-
ous soever the time may seem, it should  still be
graven  on their hearts,  " The  Lord  is  my
helper."

                 PRAYER
  Wherefore  dost thou  grieve,  0 my Soul, and
art so ill at ease within me ? Look to God, for 1
shall yet have to thank  him, that he is the help
of my sight, and my God.    Yea, my God !  this
is my comfort in my present condition, that thou 
THE ASSISTANCE OF GOD.
89
eirt the  help of my sight.    If my face is pale
with fear, thou  canst dispel  all fear with thy
glorious assistance.  If my face is wet with tears
thou canst wipe them away, when thou appearest
with thy gracious assistance.   Therefore I will
rely upon thee, and  to all things  that might
cause me fear, dread, or fright, I will oppose the
comforting thought that God  is my helper, and
will be  and  remain  my  helper.   But  thou,
Almighty God !  hasten to my side with thy mer-
ciful succour, when I need succour.  Lord I wait
for thy  salvation,  and  invoke thy help, I rely
upon thy help; if  thou wilt not help me, I am
lost.  If my  sufferings increase, 0 Lord ! do not
withdraw thy merciful  assistance.   When the
hour of birth arrives, do thou arrive also with thy
sustaining favor.  Thou art my only refuge, my
God, and  my help, I  know no other.   If thou
wilt not help me, who can save me ?   Help me,
0 God of my Salvation ! when I pray, hear me,
help me when  troubles set  in,  help me  when
dangers threaten, help me when my hour arrives,
then will  I  sigh, in joyous confidence, with my
Jesus: Father, help me out of this hour of trouble
If then I have thee with me, I shall conquer, my
sadness  shall be converted  into joy.  0 how
gloriously hast thou helped others!  Help me too;
thou art still the same strong, merciful, almighty
God that thou hast ever been, Lord!  I perse- 
40
THE ASSISTANCE OF GOD.
vere in prayer like the Canaanitish woman, and
say, Lord help me ! yea, I will not let thee go,
except thou help me.  Come, 0 Father of grace
and mercy!  and  help thy child, for which,
without thee, there is no help.  Come, 0 Jesus,
thou Saviour  of mankind!  and  help me, stay
with me, until  I am happily delivered.  Come
and help me, 0 Holy  Ghost!  and set thy  seal
upon  my consoling  hope  that  my  help  will
soon arrive.  Triune God!  to thee I resign  my
self; triune God, to thee I cry; on thee I rety
Help me when thou wilt, but in delaying help
assist me with  thy mercy; help me in my need
rescue  me from my troubles, and  I will thank
thee with joyous lips.  Meanwhile, be of good
cheer  my heart!   despair not, God  will  have
mercy  upon thee; Counsel and  help  will he
bestow  upon thee, he is  the protection of the
wretched; not even can we sit in a garden o,
roses; whoso relies upon God is well-served; God
will forever guard  him.   Yea, I will constantly
place my reliance  upon  thee,  thou wilt rejoJce
me with thy help,  when help is needed.  Mean-
time I will quietly await the coming help, &nd
praise the name of the Lord.  Amen. 
HYMN
41
                     HYMN.

I Is not my God with me?   Then fare  ye well and
     leave me,
  Ye terrors of the night!  Ye can no more  decern
     me.
  God answers to my cry ; his help and gracious aid
  Seek me in my distress, and I am not afraid.

2. Is  not my  God  with  me?   If some uncouth
     annoyer
  Crosses my path unwares, he cannot turn destroyer,
  For as he comes, comes God ;  mishap is not alone,
  For every evil one, an angel leaves God's throne.

8. Is  not my God with  me?  If I must taste the
     savor
   Of sorrow and of care, I shall not lack his favor;
  To rescue me from all, and by what I have borne,
  To teach me that without his love I'm quite forlorn

4. Is not my God with me ? and if an inundation
   Of wrath  should o'er me  pass, I have the conso-
     lation;
   Were evil ne'er bo great it none the less  must
     yield,
   For God is with me still,  and  o'er me spreads hia
     shield.

6 Is  not my  God  with  me?  And if the  welkin
     darkens,
  The  word must be fulfilled to which my spirit
     hearkens; 
42
DEVOTION AT THE APPBOACH
His goodness  and his truth  are every morning
  new;
Be faithful then to him who is to you so true.
       Deootions  rofjen  in Ca6or.
                      m

Deootion at t$e approach of t$e Qour of Deftoerp.

              EXHORTATION.
  When Paul promises Christian  women that
by bearing children they shall be saved, he does
not mean to say that by bearing children they
would merit salvation; for only Jesus Christ has
purchased salvation by his sufferings and death;
but he meant to console them by saying that
although, in consequence of  the fall, they must
bear children in great pain, nevertheless they
have a gracious and reconciled God, and even if
they should die in labor, they may inherit eternal
life.
  1. But they must remain  in the faith, they
must not throw away their confidence when the
hour of birth approaches, they must not grumble
against  God, but remain in  faith, hope, and
assurance, though it should go hard with them,
and call to mind the beautiful promise of divine
omnipotence. 
OF THE HOUB OF  DELIVERY.        48
  2. They must remain in the love of God, must
love God with all  their hearts, and then say, I
love thee from my heart, 0 Lord! I beseech thee
not to be far from me with thy help and grace.
They must remain in the love of their neighbors,
and must previously reconcile  themselves to God
and their neighbors,  as some godly  married
women  are fain to receive the holy  communion,
in order to sanctify and sacrifice themselves to
God. They must also remain in the  love of their
offspring, and  must not carelessly do it harm, or
perhaps even deprive it of life  by some perverse-
ness, but must  submissively  follow the good
advice  and counsel of the people around them.
But when unloving mothers  show themselves
untrue to their children at the  time of birth, and
will not do what God  imposes upon them, and
what it is their duty to do, (a sin  from which
empresses, queens, and princesses are not free,)
they are the murderesses of their children, who
will accuse them before the  throne of God oi
having deprived them  of life from idleness, and
killed them before their birth.
  3. Finally they must continue in sanctification
and chastity, lead a holy, chaste, and Christian
life, pray faithfully  for  their child, guard against
sin, and, in this state of sanctification, await the
hour of delivery. 
tft        DEVOTION AT THE APPBOACH

                  PRAYER
  I~*rd, almighty  God!   faithful  and loving
father!  the hour of my delivery is constantly
appi caching,  therefore do thou  also  approach
with thy help and grace; I come before thee with
prayer, in  abiding trust, in full confidence, with
a livmg faith in thy gracious assistance; 0 do
thou oome to me with thy most holy presence,
goodne^ and  mercy.    Come to me, and remain
with me, at, during, and  after the birth; when
I have thee with me, I have the most puiss?nt
rescuer  the most powerful helper, and the most
faithful  friend.   When the time  comes give me
good ch  <er, that I may be undismayed, and may
discard  all fear, that I may calmly stand, sit, or
lie down, and reflect  that as thou art  with me,
all will he well.   Give strength  unto  my limbs
that I m'vy not fail, but may perform my labors
with  thy  strength,  and  happily  end  them.
Through thy  power all things will be easy ;  if
the Lord is near me  and with me, I am whole.
Grant also, dear Lord, unto those  around me
wisdom  and prudence to arrange  all things fitly,
to do nothing too much and nothing  too little,
bless what they undertake, and look graciously
upon what they attempt, that they may thank
fchee therefor with me, and I with them.   Give
m« grace  to follow  good advice and  avoid all
y rverseness,  lest I do myself harm or make my 
OF THE HOUTt OF DELIVERY.        46
child a cripple or caust it* death, thereby loading
a heavy  responsibility upon myself.   Hear,  0
gracious God ! my prayer, and the prayers of all
present;  help me soon, and help me happily, if
it is thy holy will.  Let me see my child  happy
and living, and be a joyous mother.  See, Lord I
here I am, do with me as thou wilt.   Forsake
me not,  and do not  withdraw thy hand from
me, God,   my  Salvation,  remain  with   me
in  the worst of trouble, and then  fortify my
patience, that I may not grow faint, my hope,
that I may not  let it fail.  Now  I can  do all
things through  him  who makes me powerful,
even  Christ.  May the heavenly  father bless,
preserve, and keep me.   May Jesus Christ  be
with  me, strengthen and  refresh me, and  may
the Holy  Ghost be my spokesman with  God
with  unutterable sighs, and bear witness of my
spirit that I am a true child of God.   May the
love  of  the father cover, and the grace of the
son refresh me.   Faithfully will I pray to God
and take him to my assistance in all my troubles,
which are well known to him; for patience I
will  beseech  him  in all things;  he will  well
watch over me and be my help in all  things.
Amen. 
4G
HYMN.
                 HYMN.
1. Aid me in this hour of anguish,
     Father of all mercies, aid!
   Thus, while here in pain I languish.
     With my heart of death afraid,
     Thus I turn to thee and cry,
     Father, do not let me die!
   Many an hour my form has quivered,
   Let me quickly be delivered L

2. Surely all is at thy  bidding,
     What thou wilt is quickly done;
   If thou but command the ridding
     Of my pangs, they all are gone.
     Come, O Lord, and loose the chain,
     Speak dispersion to my pain,
   If thou do not give me nurture,
   I shall perish in my torture.

8. Lord, the word that thou hast spoken
     Says, thou wilt not me forsake;
   All my hope is in that token,
     Let my spirit never break.
     Mighty Lord 1  I cry to thee:
     King of succors, succor me!
   In thee all my trust is grounded,
   Let me never be confounded.

4. Yet 'tis not for me to measure
     Time and place to thy return;
   I will wait thy gracious pleasure
     Patient, though my bowels burn. 
CONSOLATION AT THE HOUB OF BIRTH.    47
  Give me strength and give me force
  For the hard and bitter course,
Go not from me I beseech thee,
Let my cries of anguish reach thee.

Lord, on thee alone depending,
  I will bear without a groan,
Thy omnipotence unending
  Is  my confidence alone.
  Father, lo!  I look to thee
  Father, Father, pity me.
Come, O come, let pity speed thee,
Come, thy child so sorely needs thee.
  Gonsofation  at tf)e approaclj  of tl)e {jour of
                  StrtO.

               EXHORTATION.
  Godly married women are often seized with
fear and trembling when their time  comes; but
why should they be afraid ?  Have they not a God
with  them, the  God  who has imposed these
pains, and who surely will help them to bear and
to overcome ?
  1. Remember at this time, that God is  a good
Mid gracious God.
  2.  He is faithful, and will suffer no one to be
tempted beyond his powers of resistance, but will 
18       CBY TO GOD BEFORE DELI VEST.

put such an end to the temptation, that it may
be borne.
  3. He  is merciful, and will have mercy on
them as a father on his children.
  4. He  is strong, and can do what men cannot
lo, for his power is great in those that are weak.
Remember that your pangs will be of short dura-
ration, and will not last; not for days and years,
like the sufferings of David, or the disease of  the
sick man, but will be over in an  hour; and even
should they last a little longer,

      And should it last unto the night,
        And through the night till morning,
      I know the Lord will make it right,
        He needs no help nor warning.

   Let such be your comfort.
         <£ro to Qob 6efore  Defioerq.

  Lord, Almighty  God! as I perceive  that my
hour will soon have come, I hasten to thee, and
beseech thee, do not depart from me.   0 remain
with me, give me  strength  to  bring forth, and
graciously  deliver me,  assuage the throes  of
labor, which thou hast imposed  upon the female
sex   0 strong and almighty God, help me pow- 
         CRY TO GOD BEFOBM DELIVERY.       49

erfully; my help is with  thee;  for thee, Lord,
my heart longeth;  my God, I hope in thee, let
me never be confounded; hasten  to  bestead me,
Lord, my help!  0  Jesus, thou who didst take
human form and shape foi the sake of thy holy
birth and  incarnation,  have mercy upon  me,
help me through this hour, and save me, 0 most
precious  Holy  Ghost!  dwell in  my heart, and
cry Abba,  dear Father!  Bear  witness of my
spirit that in the midst of my throes I am still a
child of  God.   0 thou Holy Trinity! help me,
and be merciful unto me.  Amen.

                 ANOTHER
  0  thou  loving God!  who lovest from thy
heart the children of men, and  hast especially
promised to assist us in suffering and  sickness,
thou knowest the condition in which I am; thou
seest also for what it is I am preparing, and what
is before  me; 0 therefore all my hope rests upon
thee. 0  thou mighty God, who dost bestead the
lonely deer in the wild forest, without human
aid, 0 let the  fruit  of  my body be  commended
unto thee, and bless the hands that offer to assist
at the birth; do thou, thyself, give me the best of
help, and graciously deliver me.  Thou hast said,
Fear not, I am  with thee;  do not fail;  I am
thy  God, I will  give  thee strength,  and will
help thee; I will keep thee with the right hand 
BO       CRY TO GOD BEFORE DELIVERY.
of my righteousness.   Upon  this gracious pro
mise  I rely, and joyfully set  about the work
which God has appointed for me in my station
and condition. I will be of good cheer, and await
thy comfort.   In the meantime I will patiently
bear,  according to thy ordinance and thy wi!i.
what  thou hast imposed upon me.  But let not
thy face be terrible unto  me.   Lord, Lord! my
trust  in adversity, be thou still as ever  the gra-
cious  God of my hidden  pledge; keep, 0 Lord,
thine  handiwork.  Be pleased, at  the proper
time,  graciously to untie the bonds of nature,
and when men would despair, do thou  display
thy power, and thy  wondrous goodness.  Be
strong with thy power in my weakness, fortify
me in body  and in soul.  Soothe and   assuage
my pains, and let my offspring  see  the  light of
day  unharmed  and healthy; lay it alive into
my arms and hands, and  I will  sing thy praises
with  outstretched  arms  and folded  hands, and
return to thee as a sacrifice, and a child of holy
baptism, what  thou  hast given me.  But if it
should be written in thy sovereign wisdom, that
 I must depart  this life  in my labor, then thy
 will  be  done; thou art  my  God, my Lord, my
 Father.  I  thy creature, thy handmaiden, thy
 child, deal  with me according  to thy pleasure;
 [ am  prepared  for  life  and  for  death,  and
 even if thou  shouldst  design to  kill  me, 1 
          CRY TO GOD DURING BIRTH.        51

shall  still hope  in  thee.   Bestow  upon me  a
patient  and willing  heart, constant faith, and
abiding  confidence.   I lie in throes and strug-
gles ;  help  me, 0 Lord Jesus; I  cling to thy
grace alone;  thou  canst give  me strength.
When terror comes, guard me, that I  may not
be overwhelmed; thou canst dispel all  danger,
I know thou will not fail.   Amen.
           iCvn to %ob bnxinq SirtO.
  Lord,  Lord!  great  in counsel and  mighty
in deed;  lo,  here I am, and sigh for thy  help
alone.  Here no man can aid me but thou alone.
Therefore I humbly beseech thee, mighty Helper
in the hour of need! to  manifest  thy almighty
power.  Thou  knowest my sufferings, because
thou hast thyself imposed them;  whether I sit
up or lie down, whether  I walk or stand, thou
knowest it, and thou, Lord, art near  me.  Thou
seest  my  tears also, and my sighs are not un-
heard of thee. I now call to mind thy boundless
omnipotence; thou  canst do unutterably more
than we know or understand; no adversity is so
great, but that thou canst dispel  it. See, thy
mighty  hands have  fashioned my child; they
have  clothed  it with flesh  and skin, life  and 
52        CRY TO GOD DURING BIRTH.
many benefits thou hast heretofore  vouchsafed
unto it, and thy look has preserved  its breath.
Therefore do thou bring it also to see the light
of day, according to thy mercy.   Lord! Lord!
thou who has helped so many thousands over the
face of the earth, thou in thy goodness wilt  help
me also; I rely upon  thy mercy and truth; let
them watch over all my steps.  If danger should
seem to threaten, speak the consolation to  my
soul; I  am with thee in adversity, I  will rescue
thee, I will not desert  nor overlook thee.   Let
me do what I have to do  with faithfulness, so
that my conscience may be clear;  and do thou
give strength unto my weakness.  Sad heart, be
of better cheer, and do not so utterly despond;
all  will end for the best;  thy pains and thy
wailing will soon be turned to joy.  Amen.

                 ANOTHER
  0 gracious and merciful God ! thou hast said,
Call upon me in adversity and I will rescue thee,
and thou shalt praise my name;  in  accordance
with this gracious word I  come to thee at this
time, my father!  I cry to  thee in mine adver-
sity ; 0 hear my voice, and do not conceal  thy-
self from my voice.   Remember that I am thy
child;  0 do not  make me suffer pain beyond
tay capacity !  Lord, when  I am in pain, soothe
it, Jesus, thou son of David!  have mercy upon 
3BY TO GOD DURING BIBTH.
58
me;  by thy holy birth and incarnation help me,
dear  Lord God! bestead me, help me, and make
me glad.  Holy Ghost, thou comforter in hours
of trial, speak  this comfort to  my soul, that I
shall  soon be  a  joyous mother.    Carry my
faltering supplications  to the  throne of  God,
and when I can no longer pray for pain, 0 Jesus!
do thou pray  for me!  0  most precious  Holy
Ghost!  do thou speak for me before God with
unutterable sighs.   0 triune  God, stretch  forth
thy hand  to me and to  my child, as  we  stretch
forth our hearts and hands to thee.    Let us not
perish  nor be harmed.    Manifest thy might in
us, and we will praise and bless thy power; not
only in this  mortal time  shall thy praise be
sounded, I will spread it hereafter also, and extol
thy name eternally.  Do not  let the fruit of my
body, which  is thy creation, be destroyed, but
preserve it graciously by thy power;  grant that
I may overlook nothing necessary  for its well
being, and may cast eyes upon it through thy
goodness.   Lord God Father,  who art in heaven,
have  mercy  upon  me.  Lord God Son, the
Saviour of the world,  have mercy upon me.
Lord  God Holy  Ghost have mercy upon me
Amen. 
04        ORY TO GOD DURING LABOR.
                 ANOTHER
  Merciful and mighty God!  the hour has com*
which thou hast appointed for  my  delivery f
therefore  I turn to thee and cry, Father help
me through this hour.  In thy name I begin my
labor, in thy name will I complete it; Lord, my
Creator, assist  and fortify  me; Jesus, thou son
of God ! who wert born of woman, stay with me,
and refresh me.  0 embrace me with thine arms,
and keep me, most precious Holy Ghost!  Give
me patience and cheerfulness  for my labor; have
mercy upon me, and make  me  glad.  0 thou
holy  trinity,  Father,  Son, and  Holy  Ghost!
hasten to my relief.  Arise, Lord,  and help me,
or I perish.   Christ, thou Lamb  of God, who
takest away the sins of the world, have mercy
upon me.  Christ, thou Lamb of God, who takest
away  the  sins of the world,  have mercy  upon
me.   Christ, thou Lamb of God! who 'akest
away  the sins of the world, leave thy pea*  v ith
me.   Amen. 
PASSAGES AND PRAYEBS DURING LABOR.    56
Passages  ano  pragers  to   6e  spo&en   burtity
                      Ca6or.

  " The Lord is nigh unto all them that call npon him, to all that
sill npon him  in truth.  He will fulfil the desire of them that
fear him ; he also will hear their cry, and will save them."—Psalm
•xiv. 18, 19.

    I turn my thoughts from all around me,
       And bend my eyes on Jesus' face;
    I know that nothing will confound me,
       So long as he vouchsafes his grace
    On him my every hope is  set,
    I seek him and I  hold him yet

    Like Jacob, I with him will wrestle,
       I seek his help, for he is strong;
    At last Til in his bosom nestle,
       And feel that I to him belong.
    m cry, Lord! I release thee  not,
    Except thou bless me on the spot

  0  my  Jesus! be nigh  unto  me  now,  and
remain with me until thou  hast  helped  me; 0
fulfil my desire;  I  desire nothing but thy help,
rffhich thou hast promised in thy word.

  "Why art  thon cast down, O my sonl? and why  art thou
disquieted within me T  Hope in God;  for I  shall yet praise
him, who is the health of my coantenance, and my God."—Psalm
 xiii. 6. 
M
PASSAGES AND PRAYERS
     Why art thou sad, my suffering soul ?
      Be still and do not falter.
    God is my strength and fortress whole;
      His goodness cannot alter.
    Suffer in silence yet  a-while
    Suffering shall yield to gladness.

  0 my Jesus!  I hope in thy salvation—I hope
ji thy comfort!  0 let it quickly appear; thou
alone art my hope.  Hear me,  make  me  glad,
and deliver me, and I will thank thee forever.

  " The Lord has called thee as a woman forsaken and  grieved
in spirit.  For a small moment hare I forsaken thee, but with
great mercies will I gather thee. In a little wrath I hid my face
from thee  for a moment; but with everlasting kindness will I
have mercy on thee, saith the Lord, thy Redeemer."—Isaiah, xi
iv. 4, vi. 7. 8.

0 Jesus, help me soon! on thee my  hope is grounded,
For thee  I yearn that have been so severely wounded.
All help doth come  from thee; from  thee above 'tis
    sent,
0 therefore quickly come to ease my languishment

   0 my God, have mercy upon  me; do not  for-
sake me; thou art  my God.  0 merciful  God!
my  eyes look  upon the sky, and  long for  thy
comfort.   Do  not  withdraw  thy  countenance
from me; thy hand strengthens me,  thy  right
hand keeps me.  0 Lord! how long, how long
does the heart crave and yearn after thee. 
           TO BE SPOKE DURING LABOR.         57
  u Behold the Lord's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save.
—Isaiah, lix. 1.
       No contraction bounds the action
         Of the Lord's resistless brand;
       Storms and dangers are no strangers
         To the magic of his hand.

  I know my God! that with  thee nothing is im-
possible, therefore I rely upon  thee; Lord, stretch
out thy hand to  me, as to Peter, when he sank;
thy hand  can  save  out of  all  things, in  all
things, and  from all things.   0 Lord,  look upon
me, I yearn for thy grace.
  M Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver
him.  I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.
He  shall call upon me, and I will answer him; I will be with
him in trouble ; I will deliver him, and honor him. With long
life will  I satisfy him, and show him  my salvation."—Psalm xci.
14,15,16.
       Lord Jesus Christ the need is sore
         That fiercely doth assail me;
       O dearest Lord, delay do  more,
         But hasten to regale me.
       No one but thee can me bestead,
       No earthly creature gives me aid,
         Without thee I must perish.
  0 Jesus ! as no one can help  me but thou, hasten
hither with thy assistance.  Lo, I am  in great
trouble;  0  rescue me according to thy promise.
I  covet  thee;  come and  help  me.   My heart
calls to  thy mind thy word, ye shall seek my
face;  therefore, Lord, I seek  thy face. 
68           PASSAGES  AND PRAYERS

  " The mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but
my kindnes shall not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant
of my peace be removed,  saith the Lord that hath mercy o»
thee."—Isaiah, liv. 10.
    Where fails my strength, do thou sustain,
      0 Lord, my earthly weakness;
    Grant that despair may never stain
      My robe of holy meekness.
    Preserve me,  O most mighty Lord,
    In full allegiance to thy word,
      Preserve me from defection.

  0 Jesus, do not withdraw thy grace and thy
Holy Ghost!  0 do not depart; fortify me for
my labor,  and  in  my  labor.   Remember the
covenant thou hast made with  me  in holy bap-
tism ; by virtue  of that covenant thou art my
father, and I thy child ; 0 my father, think of
thy child!  Help thy child, have mercy on thy
child.

  " Lake as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them
•hat fear him."—Psalm ciiL 13.

      My father and my God thou art,
      My child is ever at thy heart,
        Thy heart of more than love;
      I am  a hapless  thing of dust
       On earth I have no hope nor trust
  0 my gracious  God and  Father, I  know not
where to find or  seek assistance or consolation 
          TO  BE SPOKEN DURING LABOR.        69

but in  thee  alone.   Therefore I cry to thee, 0
help me, my father!   Have mercy upon me, my
father!   0 let my father s heart be melted, that
I may soon  rejoice, 0 thou with whom nothing
is impossible, grant  my prayer  for thy mercy's
saki

  "This I surely know, that whoso serves God, he shall  be com-
forted after adversity, and relieved from tribulation, and shall find
grace after chastisement.  For after the storm thou makest the
sun to shine again, and after weeping and wailing thou  dost
overwhelm us with joy.  To  thy name be power and praise for
evermore, thou God of Israel."—Tobifc Hi. 22, 23,

      Mishap was never of such long duration,
      But that at last  it found its termination;
      Thy hand extend, and make amends,
      Upon this earth my heart no more desires.

  0 God, after  my throes  and pangs, let  me
 peedily see  thy assistance, thou art  the help in
need, the mighty Hero who alone can help, save
me and let me find grace before thee, do not pass
by thy handmaiden, thou lover of life, preserve
my life and  the life of my  child; let us both live
before thee,  that we  may praise thy name.

  "In thee, C *x>rd, do I put my trust; let me never be put to
confusion.  Deliver me in  thy righteousness,  and  cause me to
escape ; incline  thine ear  unto me, and save me.  Be  thou my
•trong habitation; wherennto I may continually resort;  thon
hast given thy commandment to save me for thou art  my rock
and my fortress."—Psalm lxxi 1, 2, 3. 
60
PASSAGES AND PRAYERS
         Lord Jesus unto thee I cry,
           Incline thy ear and hear itl
         Let thy almighty hand be nigh
           To my distracted spirit
         The anguish and the woe I bear
         Are greater than I may declare,
           My heart is overloaded.

  0  Lord, thou well  knowest my misery and
wretchedness ; Lord, Lord, the greater  the need
the more will I cry to thee for help, as my Jesus
did,  who prayed the more fervently, the more
he wrestled with death.

  « My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for
the morning; I say more than they that watch for the morning."
__Psalm cxxx. 6.

       And should the morning turn to night,
         And night again to morning,
       My trusting soul shall take no flight,
         All  feint misgivings scorning.

   My God! this is and shall be my firm resolve.
 I will not doubt thy goodness, should  evil tarry
 ever so long; even if the Lord would conceal his
 face from me, he will soon arise, and be merciful
 onto me.
  «like a crane or a Bwallow, so did I chatter, I did mourn as •
love;  mine eyes lafl  with looMn* upward; O  Lord. I an 
TO BE  8POEEN DURING LABOR.        61
oppressed; undertake for me what shall I say?  He hath both
■poken unto me,  and himself hath done it"—Isaiah xxxviii
14,15.

          From the deepest depth I call,
          No one hears me of them all;
          None but Jesus I thou my friend I
          Thou wilt hear, and rescue send.
          {The Lord Jesus answers:)
          In the  highest heights I hear
          Of thy sorrows harsh and drear;
          Then thy lips with fear  be dumb
          My relief shall quickly come.

   O Jesus! all  my hope rests in thee,  as  in my
 strong  and mighty helper.  0 do as  thou hast
 said !  With  thee  I have  begun my labor, 0 let
 thy blessing rest  upon it.  Help  me and my
 child, let us joyfully behold each other, and live
 before thee.  Lord!  have mercy upon us!

   •* Mine eyes are ever toward the Lord; for he shall pluck my feet
 out of the net.   Turn thee unto me and have mercy noon me;
 for I am  desolate and  afflicted.  The troubles of my haart are
 enlarged: O bring  thou me out  of my distresses.  L~* upon
 mine affliction and my pain, and forgive all my sins."-- Psalm
 xiv. 16,18.

        Pour again the welcome guerdon
          Of thy gladness on my heart:
        Help to rid me of this burden,
          Soothe the pain in which I smart.
         If thou do not quickly help me,
         My despair will overwhelm me. 
«2
PASSAGES AND PRAYERS
      Must I sigh and sigh thus vainly ?
        Will my prayer not be heard,
      Art thou not the power that mainly
        Saves the wretched with a word?
      O command these throes to leave me,
      Send thy angel to relieve me.

  Lord  Jesus, in faith I look  to thee; 0 como
to me,   see  how  I  suffer, fortify  my  faith,
strengthen my assurance, that  I may not swerve
from thee.  0 stand thyself at my side.   Lord,
hear my prayer, do not forsake  me.  0,  when
will the  time come for me to  be gladdened by
thy comfort?

  " Surely I come quickly. Even so, come Lord Jesus V
                                  Bev. xxiL 20.

      Lord, if thou do not help me now,
         I am destroyed forever;
       Thou art alone who can'st bestead,
         And me from anguish sever.
       0 come, Lord Jesus, come to me.
         Thou seest what my sufferings be,
         Thou never can'st forsake me.

  0 my Jesus!  Such is the wish  of my heart,
and its desire, that thou mayest quickly  come.
0 come  and deliver me,  come  and make  me
glad,  come and  save me, let me  se** what  I
'ong to look upon. 
TO RE  SPOKEN DURING LABOR.         05
  " Now Lord, what wait 1 for ? my hope is in thee. Hear mj
prayers 0 Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace
at my tears."—Psalm xxxix, 7,12.

  I know thou never yet hast me forsaken,
  Nor left my heart alone, in terror shaken,
  When e'er so distaught, God  is my thought,
  Although my soul with pain and dread is taken.

   Lord Jesus,  hasten to  me, help me, my God,
my Helper, and I shall be well helped.  I know
not  whither  else   to  turn in this  distress and
trouble, therefore I beseech  thee come, 0  come,
and give me  help.

  "He giveth power  to the faint; and to them that have no
might  he increaseth strength.  They that wait upon the Lord
shall  renew their strength;  they shall mount up with wings as
eagles; they shall run, and not be weary, and  they shall walk,
and not faint."—Isaiah xxxx  29, 31.

         Lord  Jesus Christ, God's only  son,
           In thee my trust is vested;
         Thou art the truly beauteous one;
           Whoe'er on thee has rested,
         His faith, shall find in all distress,
         A refuge that can ne'er grw less,
           Therein is my reliance.

  0 Lord my God!  Give me also new strength,
bestow  upon  me the   courage,  power,  and
strength  of thy  holy  Ghost, I am too weak  to
complete this work, but  in  the strength of my
God  I  can   do   any  and  everything.  Lord 
to
PASSAGES AND PRAYERS
strengthen me this  time; my God help me to a
joyful victory.  The name of the Lord be praised

  " Unless the Lord had been my help, my sou! had almost
dwelt in silence.  In the multitude of my thoughts within me
thy comforts delight my soul."—Psalm xciv. 17, 19.
    From the Lord my help is sent:
      Therefore at the height of sorrow,
    I will ever rest content;
      Though no hope comes with the morrow,
    And no mortal's aid is nigh,
    I will lift my eyes on high

  Lord,  almighty God!  from  whom  all  help
cometh which is done on earth,  hast  thou not
said, call upon me in adversity ?  at thy behest I
call, and say, Lord help me, Lord ! have mercy,
take  away the  tribulation  and distress  of my
soul,  give me what  I hope for, give  me what I
pray for, Lord I it is in thy hands.

  " We glory in tribulation, knowing that tribulations worketh
patience ; and patience experience; and experience hope; *td
hope maketh not ashamed."—Bom. v. 3, 4, 5.

       Who hopes in God, and trusts in him,
         Shall never be confounded;
       Let come what will, misfortune grim,
         If on this rock is founded
       His confidence, a sure defence
         Has he for all disaster.
       Whate'er betide, his fortunes ride
         Where tempests cannot master 
TO RE  SPOKEN DURING LASOR.        65
  0 Lord!  help me in thy great goodness and
mercy, I wait for thy help, I hope for a glad
delivery which is  with thee; Look upon me,  a
ooor  afflicted  woman, and  make  me  happy
again; let thine hour arrive, that I may thank
thee with joyous lips.
  " The prayer of  the wretched pierces the clouds, and will not
stint, until it enter in, and will not cease until the Highest looki
upon it."—Jesus Sirach xxxl. 21.

   0 God, give ear unto my supplications,
   And let despair not set upon my patience;
         Thou knowest my pain,
         O hear me complain,
   And put a period to my lamentations.
   Pour thy contentment o'er my spirit rather,
   And let my heart its wandering forces gather
          To suffer in strength,
          Until at length
   Thon comest to relieve me, loving Father I

   Lord,  almighty  God!   thou  who  dost  not
despise the groans of the wretched, and condem-
nest not the desires  of the hearts of the afflicted,
accept our prayer, which  we offer up to thee in
our distress, and be graciously pleased to hear us.

  "Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide  not thyself from
my supplication.  Attend unto me, and hear me; I mourn in my
complaint, and make a noise. Pearfulness and treiribling are
come upon me, and sorrow hath overwhelmed  me."—Psalm Iv
1.2,5. 
66
PASSAGES AND PRAYERS
        Hope on, thou spirit stricken,
          Hope on, and nevei quail,
        Though terrors round thee thicken
          They never can prevail.
        The darkness of thy present
          Shall surely pass away;
        Thine hours be smooth and pleasant.
          And gladness grace the day.
  0 Lord, Lord, thou canst help me, for thou art
an almighty God,  thou wilt help me for thou art
my loving God and father, 0 therefore hear me,
let thy countenance shine upon me, and I shall
be whole.
  "He saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in tho
day of salvation have I  succored thee: behold, now is the ac
cepted time ; behold, now is the day of salvation."—2 Cor. 6, 2.
       When all the help of this world fails,
         And evil still grows greater,
       The rescue  comes, on summer gales
         E'en from the great Creator,
       Who doth his eyes in pity bend,
     •  On all who have no other friend.
         To God give praise and honor.
  0 Lord, has  thine hour not yet come ?  Lord,
how long wilt thou quite forget me ? Yet I know
that my God  will not forget me, his love is too
great,  his heart is too warm, 0 save me for the
Bake of thy loving kindness.  0 how long,  how
long must the  heart  be pained and yearn  after
thee? 
TO BE  SPOKEN  DURING  LABOR.       87
  " Let my supplication come before thee: deliver me according
to thy word.  I have longed for thy salvation, 0 lord; and thy
law is my delight.  Let my soul live, and it shall praise thee, and
judgments help me."—Psalm cxix.  170,174, 175.

      Though it should seem he will not come,
         Yet nevermore be frightened;
      For he would never have it known
         When  by him cares are lightened.
      Unto his word more faith impart
      Than to the mutterings of  thy heart
         And nothing let disturb thee.

   Lord, my God !  Through all my wretchedness
and pangs  I will look upon thee alone; I will
not look near  me nor  around me, for  then I
only see feeble  men, but over  me,  heavenward,
to thee  almighty God!  0 let thy grace assist
me, and thy arm  sustain  me,  help me, God of
my salvation, and I shall be  safe.

  MI will turn  their mourning into joy, and will cotr  rt *aem
and make them rejoice from their sorrow."—Jer. 31,1

         Awhile he will have tarried,
           His comfort kept at bay;
         Twill  seem as though  he carrie<
           No thought of thy dismay.
           And that shouldst thou remain
         With fear and torture harried
           He would not turn again.
         Bnt if thou dost betoken
           That thon art firm in faith 
68
PASSAGES AND PRAYERS
        rhy fetters shall be jroken,
          And thou released from death;
        He will unbind thy chain;
          His word shall soon be spoken,
        And thou rejoice again.

  0 my God! relieve  me of my burden,  do not
longer withhold thy  help,  turn my mourning
into  joy,  and give  me to rejoice  over a safe
delivery from my  sorrow; in God is  my salva
tion, and my pride  ; my trust is in God.

  " 1 will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from  whence cometh
my help.  My help cometh from the Lord, which  made heaven
and earth."—Psalm cxxi. 1, 2.
    God never has forsaken
      Of those a single one,
    Who, with their trust unshaken
      Him set their  faith upon.
    Though strange  the  times may seem,
      Yet never doubt their fitness;
      With rapture thou shalt witness
    Thy bliss, as in  a dream.

  Lord, triune God !  I have set all my hope on
thee, for thee I yearn.  Lord God Father, aave
mercy  upon  me and  my child.    Lord Jesus,
strengthen me, and stand by me.   0 holy Ghost,
refresh  me  with thy  comfort, that I may be
speedily rejoiced, delivered,  refreshed, and res-
cued ;  triune God, have mercy upon me. 
TO RE  SPOKEN DURING LABOR.        69
  " The vision is yet for an appointed time, but at the end it
shall speak and not lie, though it tarry, wait for it; because it
will surely come, it will not tarry."—Habakkuk ii. 3.

           Prom God I will not wander,
             He guides me on my way;
           Follows me here and yonder,
             And holds me when I stray.
           He stretches forth his hand;
             At morning and at even
             His guardian care is given
           To me, where'er I stand.

  O  yes, my God!  I will not leave thee, except
thou bless and help me.  On  the delay of thy
help let the glorious hour of thy  coming  arise.
Meantime I will persevere in sighs and prayer,
and  will say, Lord Jesus help me to strive, Lord
Jesus help me to conquer, my delivery, my life,
and  my comfort are in thy hands.

  " How long wilt thou forget me, 0  Lord ? for ever T how long
wilt thou hide thy face from me T How long shall I take counsel
in my soul, having sorrow in my heart daily ?   Consider and hear
me,'*—Psalm xiii 1,  2, 3.

        0 when will thy pitying favor
           Look upon my ceaseless pain ?
           When wilt thou return again?
        Must I  suffer thus forever ?
           O my God, how long, how long
           Must I suffer and he strong ?

  0  my gracious and merciful  God?  As thy 
76
PASSAGES AND PRAYERS
help is delayed I am seized with fear, yet I will
not  despair.   Thou  art  my father, and  I thy
child.  0 conceal thy  face  from me no longei,
speak  but  one  word and I  shall  be well; for
what thou speakest, is done, and what thou com
mandest, is performed; Lord  in mercy hear me

  " O Lord, the hope of Israel! Heal  me, O Lord, and I shall
be healed; save me, and I  shall be saved: for thou  art my
praise. Be not a terror unto me; thou art my hope in  the day
of evil."—Jeremiah xvii. 13, 14, 17.
      Where do I hear a cheering voice ?
      Thou, thou, Lord  Jesus, art my choice;
      With thee my heart does never miss
      Comfort and counsel, peace and bliss;
      Of all who still on Christ depend,
      None e'er was left without a friend.
  Yes, Lord Jesus! All my hope is now in thee,
and thy  omnipotence.    Help  me soon,  my
Saviour! if it be thy holy will;  help me, that I
may rejoice in thy assistance.   0  how will  I
praise thy name, and  extol it, when thou  shalt
have gloriously saved me.   My trust is in the
name of the Lord, who has  made the heavens
and the earth.
  " I have trusted in thy mercy; my heart shall rejoice in thy
salvation.   I  will sing unto the Lord,  because he  hatfc Jealj
bountifully with me."—Psalm xiii. 6, 6.
      If I am weak thy thruthfulness
         Shall be my firm reliance, 
          TO RE SPOKEN DURING oaROR.        Ii

      That to the storms that round me pi ae,
        I may bid sure defiance.
      While faith and hope are still my share
      While I persist in tears and prayer,
        My heart is yet unconquered.
  0 thou faithful Saviour and lover of mankind!
my heart reminds  thee of thy word, Ye  shall
seek my face; therefore I seek thy face, 0 Lord!
I know that thou  canst  help, and  wilt gladly
help;  therefore I  hope  in thee, I  hope  from
moment to  moment.   0 God!  let this be the
time;  Lord help me according  to thy mercy.
Meantime my hope is firm in thee.
  " My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord; remem-
bering mine  affliction and my misery, the  wormwood and ths
gall.  My soul hath  them still in remembrance and is humbeld
in me.  This I recall to mind, therefore have I hope."—Lament
iii 18, 21.
      Even should the Lord be minded
        For my  death, my heart would cry,
      With a faith not to be blinded,
        And he could me nought deny.
        Though his look be ever stern,
        Yet his  goodness will return;
      He who soul and  body gave me,
      He will keep me, he will save me.
  fes, my God is mindful of me;  therefore I say:
  The Lord is mindful of me and blesseth me; he
letteth  his face shine.   Though my power is not
great, though I have no power to bring forth, yet 
n
PASSAGES AND PRAYERS
in God I have strength and power.   I sLall yet
rejoice in his help.

  " Thou, which hast showed me great and sore troubles, shalt
quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths
ef the earth.  Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me
on every side."—Psalm lxxL 20, 21.

Be not too vehement with me,
  Lest I might wholly perish,
Thou knowest my strength, and through my pains
  Wilt  none the less me cherish.
I am not made of steel nor stone,
Bnt by a breath can be o'erthrown,
  And never rise thereafter.

  0 God, if thou wilt have me suffer great  pain
and  fright, be not too vehement with  me,  thou
knowest the extent of my power, my strength is
not hidden  from thee.   0 therefore refresh  me;
lift me  up when I  sink;  ease me, when I faint;
strengthen  me when I grow weary.  Lord  God
of my  life!  Save  my life, and the life  of my
child, and  thy name shall be  praised  for ever-
more.

  " Behold, God is my salvation; I will  trust, and not be afraid,
for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is
become my salvation. Sing unto the Lord;  for he hath done
excellent things  this is known  in all the earth."—Isaiah xii.
S. 6.
      As in thy counsel it is writ
         That I my life must jeopard 
TO RE SPOKEN DURING LABOR,        78
      Yet of thy grace give me full store,
        Be still my gentle shepherd;
      That faith  to  patience me may bring,
      And patience to the heavenly spring
        Of thy most precious favor.

  Yes,  my God, this is my  comfort,  that  nry
sufferings shall come to a good and happy end,
because thou art my strength, my comfort and
deliverer; if I  have God with  me, I  have  a
certain deliverance;  therefore I  will hope in
silence; by silence and hope I shall grow strong.
I can do  all things through  him who  maketh
me powerful, even Christ.

  ** Be not far from me, for trouble is near: for there is none to
help.  My strength is dried up like a potsherd ; and my tongue
cleaveth to my jaws;  and thou hast brought me into the dust of
death."—Psalm xxiL  11,16.

"Jesus, and hast thou forever enwrapped me in sorrow,
That  I  must languish  through night to the dawn of
        the morrow ?
      How can it be,
      Sweetest, that thou couldst decree
        On me such wailing and sorrow?"
M Child, is thy hope thus extinguished, thy spirit abated
That  for a little my help and assistance have waited ?
      Knowest thou not
      It is my heart's dearest thought
        That thou shalt never lack comfort ?"

  Yes,  dearest Jasus, thy  love and truth  is the 
74
PASSAGES AND  PRAYERS
 foundation of my hope and trust, thou hast loved
 me from eternity, and often helped and delivered
 me, therefore I hope that thou wilt refresh me this
 time also; though my trouble is great, and help
 seems afar off,  and with feebleness my tongue
 cleaves to the roof of my mouth, yet in all things
 my heart is directed toward thee, thou wilt re-
 lease me from all suffering.   This I believe and
 know, Lord help my unbelief, and fortify my
 trust.
  "It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because
 his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is
 thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; there.
 tore will I hope in him."—Lament, iii 21, 22, 23.

         Think not, easily mistaken,
         That the Lord  has thee forsaken;
         Know, howe'er thy lot be cast,
         God will help thee at the last
         Help may be awhile belated
         Without being all abated;
        If not every wish succeed,
        Yet he oomes in time of need.

  Gracious God, thy  help  is new, thou  dost
strengthen and preserve me in a moment.  How
could I accomplish all things ?  Thy supervision
preserves my breath, thou dost sustain  my head
and my  hands.  Therefore I am not forsaken;
God will never depart from  me, neither  will  1
depart from God; the hour  of my  deliverance 
TO RE  SPOKEN DURING LABOR.        75
will shortly come, because I  have him with me,
from whom my help cometh.

  " Hear me when 1 call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast
enlarged me when I was in distress;  have mercy upon me, and
hear my prayer.  Know that the Lord hath set apart him that
is godly for himself: the Lord  will hear when I call unto him."
Psalm ii, 1, 3.

         In thy hope be strong  and cheerful
           Though the Lord awhile delay •
         He shall soon devise a method,
           To fulfil what  thou dost pray.
         Therefore undisturbed endurance,
           This alone can stand thy stead,
         Thou must rest in God's disposal,
           If thou wouldst not  be dismayed.
         Only cry, I see him here 1
         His heart yearns to have thee near.
         Let thy hope be firmly grounded,
         Faith can never be confounded.

  Lord, I  know that thou dost  always hear my
prayers, therefore I will trust  in  thee  at this
heavy hour;  if  hard storms break  out,  I will
remain  firm in thee.  If thou  dost  lead me on
strange paths, lead me to heaven.   I know thou
art near me, although  thy help is not revealed;
I say in faith, hasten to assist me, Lord my God.

  «* The Lord » good unto them that wait for him, to the soul
that seeketh him.  It is good that a man  should both hope and
quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord."—Lament, iii 25, 2«. 
76
PASSAGES AND PRAYJfiRS
      I know that in thy own good time
        Thou wilt take pity on me,
      And in the hour of my distress,
        Throw help and grace upon  me.
      0 fortify my trembling hand,
      And give my feet the strength to stand
        That now so feebly totter.

  Yes,  my  God, my soul waits  for thee,  my
confidence fails  not;  loving Jesus, refresh  me
with  thy  kindness  in  my  pangs, steady  my
sinking feet, strengthen my feeble hands, I hope
in thy goodness, I wait for thy salvation, and am
comforted by  thy  grace.  0  God of  mercies,
thou  who dost give me comfort in distress, let
me experience thy mercy.

  " I have called upon thee; for thou wilt hear me, 0 God! incline
thine ear unto me,  and hear my speech.  Show thy marvellous
loving  kindness, O thou that savest by thy right hand them
which  put their trust in thee from those that rise up against
them.  Keep me as the apple of thine eye ; hide me under the
shadow of thy wings."—Psalm xvii. 6,  7, 8.

        Draw me, with thine arms of mercy,
          With thy strong desire to bless;
        Dearest Lord, thy loving kindness
          Will subdue my bashfulness;
        If thou wilt not draw me toward thee
        I, alas, must fly before thee.

        Draw me with thy cords of mercy,
          Draw me onward by thy truth, 
          fO BE SPOKEN DURING LABOR.        77

       Dv not longer stay nor tary
          Holy Lord of Sabaoth.
       I shall hope in all my anguisn,
       Though to death I he and languish.

  O Lord, preserve me and my child from ill,
cover us  both with the  shadow  of thy wings,
hear my  sighs, and help me;  when trouble in-
creases, let a  strong  hand  appear, I shall trust
in thee although it should seem as if thou wouldst
kill me.   Thy hand is not  shortened; I do not
regard my  weakness,  but  thee  the  gracious,
strong and merciful God.

  " God maketh sore, and bindeth up;  he woundeth,  and his
hands make  whole.  He shall deliver thee in six troubles; yea,
in seven there shall no evil touch thee."—Job v. 18, 19.

        Soon shall  my woes be ended,
          What boots this faint despair?
        After I shall have  suffered
          On earth, all will be fair.
        Then I shall sing, rejoicing,
          In God is all my trust,
        Therefore I yet shall triumph,
          Although I bite the dust

  0 God,  the help so often extended to me gives
me courage to think that  at this time also thou
wilt be my God, my deliver,  and ally.  Thou art
still as strong as thou hast ever been; thou hast
aided so many. 0  manifest  thy goodness in  me 
78
PASSAGES  AND PRAYERS
also;  then, after the  assistance  rendered, niy
mouth shall be  full  of praise, and  I will  say,
" This the Lord  has done, the name of the Lord
be praised."

  "The Lord  thy God is a'merciful God; he will not forsake
teee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy father
which he sware unto them."—Dent. iii. 31,

       See, my Jesus, my Kedeemer,
        How with pain I am distraught I
       Thou, thou art my sole protector,
        Other refuge have I nought
       But with thee I fear no throes,
       Cross, nor death, nor troops of woes;
        Than my Saviour  none know better
        To release from every fetter.

  0 my father, think  of the covenant thou ht.^
made  with me in holy baptism, remember that
thou art my father, and I thy child, remember,
0 Jesus, that thou hast watched and purified me
with  thy holy blood; to thee 1 flee and invoke
thy help; 0 deliver  me,  refresh me, make me
glad!

  " The Lord will  not cast off for ever: but, though he cause
grief, yet will he have compassion  according to the multitude oi
his mercies.  For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve  the
children of men."—Lament, iii. 31, 32,33.

       There is on earth no *mer word
       Than that of Jesus Christ, our  Lord, 
         TO  RE SPOKEN DURING LABOR.        71

       I know thou nevermore wilt break
       The covenant that thou didst make;
       Thou art my faithful shepherd still,
       Who wilt protect me from all ill
  My shepherd will not forsake his sheep, noi
my father his child; thou  hast caused my grief)
0 God,  make me rejoice  again;  if  thou hast
blessed me,  let  me  see  thy blessing.  Lay my
child into  my arms, living and  healthy; I will
lay it into thy arms  again in holy baptism, and
restore to thee what thou  hast given; if by the
bodily birth it is mine,  it shall  be thine by re-
generation.
  " Blessed be the Lord who daily loadeth us with benefits, even
the God of our salvation.  He that is our God is  the God ol
salvation;  and unto God the Lord  belong the issues from death."
 -Psalm lxviii. 19, 20.
       If God sends mo an affliction,
         Why should I not rely
       On his benediction ?
       He who sends, knows how to shift it ?
         Has he not well bethought
       How to check and lift it V

   Lord, thou  hast laid this burden upon me, 0
 remove it again, thou aid and refuge of all the
 faithful.  How easy is it for thee to deliver me,
 to loosen the bond, to open the  door; with thee
 nothing is impossible; let  me abide in this trust
 in thee  constantly, to the  hour of my release. 
80                  tfflsvonoNs

  " Call upon me in the day of trouble; I wfll deliver thee, and
thou shalt glorify me."—Psalm 1.15.

      0 God, what comfort dost thou give
        To all who are forsaken;
      The door is never closed on those
        Whose trust remains unshaken.
      Blind reason thinks all hope is lorn,
      And knows not that the cross has torn
        From death all true believers.

  My God,  I  wait  for thy salvation; without
thee I am lost, therefore I cry  to thee in my
trouble.   Save me, hear me, have mercy upon
me.   0  comfort me with  thine aid, let thy joy-
ful Spirit keep me thine.

  " I cried to thee, O Lord; and unto the Lord I made suppli-
cation. Hear, 0 Lord, and have mercy upon me.  Lord, be
thou my helper."—Psalm xxx. 8,10.

      He knows the real golden seasons;
        He knows when it is well for us;
      So he but finds us true sincerely,
        Not false or seemly  virtuous,
      He comes before we are aware,
      And makes us glad with heavenly fare.

  Yes,  Lord Jesus, let the  hour of thy  help
come quickly,  I wait for thee with impatience
Meanwhile I will  sigh and pray, and  thou wilt
hear me,  and aid me according to thy promise. 
IN CHIL1>HED
81
  M Do thou foi  me, 0 God the Lord, 4>r thy name's sake;
because thy mercy is good, deliver thou me.  Help me, O Lord my
God.  0 save me according to thy mercy."—Psalm cix. 11, 26.

            In all my agonies
            The Lord my comfort is.
            He is my sure salvation
            From every tribulation.
            However great the peril,
            His hand can make it sterile.

  This is my comfort in all my sufferings; God
is with me, the mighty protector of his children,
to him I commend myself, he will do all things
well.

  Notk.—If death should  seem to be approaching, recourse
must be had to the texts, prayers, and verses, to be found in the
Daily Hand Book, begining at page 55.
    fleoottons for Women in  (C6tfl)6e&.
                       »

 £0e Woman in tyifbfab tOoMs %ob for $er safe
                    flefioero.

               EXHORTATION.

  a A woman, as soon as she is delivered of the
child, remembereth no more the anguish, for joy
that .1 man is born into  the world."—John xvi.
H   This is the blessing bestowed by God upon 
82    THE WOMAN IN CHILDBED THANKS GOD

pious mothers.  After their  delivery, they  for*
get all sorrow, and think only of praising God.
    1. They  praise  him  for  the omnipotence
which has preserved them, the aid  he has ex-
tended, confessing  that without the wonderful
help of God all their efforts would have been
idle.
  2. They praise the goodness of God, in having
shortened and alleviated  their sufferings.
  3. They thank God for having permitted them
joyfully to look upon  their  child;—or, if it is
dead, for having taken it away to the  joys of
heaven,  and, in  his  mercy,  exchanged   its
earthly life for the life of  heavenly transports.
  4. They must not deprive  themselves of  the
rest which God has  given them from forwardness
or avarice, or unnecessary exercise and  fatigue,
but must accept and enjoy it.  Many women in
childbed, desire to obtain renown by walking in
and out in  the days assigned to them by  God for
rest, and  thereby incur some dangerous illness,
some permanent injury, or deplorable accident.
They have to thank themselves and their own
forwardness, in having thought to be wiser than
God, and despising the rest which he has ordained
for  them.   For the  same reason, husbands must
not disturb this rest of their wives, but give them
a full measure of all that God has enjoined upon
women in their purification Leviticus xxii. nevei 
TOR HER SAFE DELIVERS".        83
raging them to labor, or prematurely  to quit
their childbed.
  5.  They  must daily cry to  God  to protect
them and their children from all evil, and com-
mend them and themselves to  God in assiduous
prayer.
  6.  They must beseech the Lord to give them
health and renewed strength, and in due time, a
glad and happy churching.

                  PRAYER

  Strong and almighty God!  I appear with joy
i>efore thy most holy face,  and praise thee for
the great benefits with which thou hast honored
me.  I  praise  thee  for  having alleviated the
pains of my labor, joyfully deliverd  me, and
held thy hand over me in  the hour of birth.
Lord how great is thy omnipotence, how glorious
thy power;  thou  didst hold  me when  I was
ready to sink, thou didst refresh me when I was
weak and impotent, thou didst strengthen me
when all my powers  were gone.   Thou hast
gloriously fulfilled all things, thou hast given me
my child, preserved  my life,  averted all mis-
fortune,  and made me glad according to  thy
wish.  Praise the Lord 0 my Soul, and what is
in me praise his holy name.   Praise the Lord,
0 my Soul, and forget not all his benefits. The 
84    THE WOMAN IN CHILDBED THANKS GOD

Lord hath done great things in me, whereof 1
am glad.  Praised be the Lord, for he  has heard
the voice of my supplication; the Lord is my
strength and my shield, my heart hopes in him,
and my heart is glad, and I will thank him with
my song.  Thank the Lord for he is lovely, and
his mercy endureth  for ever; ye that have been
saved by the Lord, declare  that his mercy en-
dureth for ever ;  ye  whom he has redeemed from
tribulation, who cried to the Lord in their trouble
shall praise  the  Lord for his goodness and his
miracles, which  he  doth unto the children of
men, and bring  thanks  and tell  of  his works
with joy.  Yes,  my  God, this day I recount thj
work with joy and say, How shall I recompense
the Lord for all  his benefits ?  0  my God, mag-
nify thy mercy in me.   Guard, strengthen, and
sustain me on this  childbed.  Protect me  and
my child from all accident, from sickness  and
untoward casualties,  Restore  my lost powers
quickly, and  let me gain strength from day to
day.  0 God of all grace and mercy!  spread out
the wings of thy grace over my house,  keep it
from fire and water,  and let me pass the time of
my confinement happy in prayer and in the fear
of thee.  Preserve my child for thy praise and
glory ; let me hold my churching in good health
and with renewed strength, and make my offer-
ing of thanks and praise  before  thy face and is 
FOR HER SAFE DELIVERY.
86
thy  holy temple.   Give  thanks  to God with
hearts and lips and mouths, who does groat things
in us and everywhere, who from the  mother's
womb, and the cradle of infancy has bestowed
upon us  innumerable benefits,  and does vo still
Amen.

                    HYMN.

     I. Praised be the mighty God above,
          Who heard my supplication,
       Who graciously assuaged, and turned
          My heavy tribulation.
       Who pitied when I cried and raved,
       And granted what my spirit craved.
          His mercy lasts forever.

     2. He was my comfort and my aid
          At every time, bnt double
       When he so tempered and removed
          My last distress and trouble.
       0 look upon his works of grace,
       And sink before his holy face •
          His mercy lasts forever.

     ft. Though I was sorely terrified
          I never was forsaken;
       It seemed the time was very long
          That I was rent and shaken.
       Yet now all grief is turned to joy
       To happiness what did annoy;
          His mercy lasts forever. 
86
THE WOMAN  IN CHILDBED
4. Yea, of his puisant arm of strength
     I now have apprehension.
  When all  the help of man was gone,
     God ended the contention.
  He came with all his conquering aid
  And on a  bed of roses laid—
     His mercy lasts forever.

6. Therefore, I never will forget,
     Great God, thy power and glory,
  And of thy goodness unto all
     Proclaim the wondrous story.
  I rest beneath thy folded wings
  Securely as a bird that sings;
     Thy mercies lasts forever.
&(je Woman in £0tCu6eb offers up (jer Worning
                   ]Jrager.

               EXHORTATION.

  Prayer is  the   daily  task  of every  pious
christian; how much more, then should a woman
in childbed begin and end the day with prayer 1
Especially when she and her  child,  during that
time, are liable  to  so many  casualties.   But
when she has resigned herself and her child into
the hand of God, she can  look with entire  con-
fidence to God for his divine aid and protection. 
OFFERS UP HER MORNING PRATER.
87
  1. At every morning, therefore,  a woman in
childbed should thank  the Lord for the night's
rest she has been permitted to enjoy.
  2.  She should commend herself and her child
to the guardian care and providence of God.
   3. She must spend the day in good thoughts,
and enjoy her portion of rest with  thanksgiving.
  4.  If sufferings show themselves after birth,
she must bear them with patience, assured that
the God who has  so  mercifully  delivered her
from the  pangs of labor, will also avert every
other trouble.

                  PRAYER.

   Merciful God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost I
In this morning hour I raise my heart to thee,
and thank thee for the gracious protection this
night extended to me.   Thy angel held watch
over my bed, so that no evil came nigh me; thou
hast protected me and my  child,  and permitted
me once more to behold the face of the sun this
morning.   Lord, Lord, how great is thy goodness
which is new every morning!  Thy grace en-
compassed me this night,  thy watch and ward
were over me, thy mercy covered  me, and I was
kept unharmed.   Therefore arise, 0  my spirit,
and my soul, and  praise  the  Lord for  all his
benefits.  Lord, Lord, thou wert ever my aid, and 
88          THE WOMAN IN CHILDBED

this night also,  thou  didst hold thy hand ovei
me, I have experienced thy  grace, thy power
thy omnipotence, thy love*  and thy goodness.
Lord, Lord,  I will never forget thy benefits.   1
will extol the  Lord at all time, his praise shall
ever be in  my mouth.  My soul shall  glory in
the Lord; the wretched shall hear it, and rejoice.
Praise the Lord with me, and  let us together
extol  his  name.   When I sought the Lord, he
answerd  me,  and delivered me from  all  fear.
When I cried in my wretchedness,  the Lord
heard me, and helped me out of all my troubles
Therefore my mouth  shall be filled with his
praise, and  my heart  thank him; yea, with
folded hands I will  praise his mercy.  But  0
Lord, Lord, let me be  commended to thy fatherly
guidance this day also.  I commend to  thee my
body  and  my soul. 0 keep my soul and mind
from evil thoughts,  dread and trouble.  But let
thy holy  spirit  dwell in  my heart, sanctify  it,
fill it  with heavenly comfort and joy, and enable
me  to pass the day in thy fear, in inward spiritual
bliss, in the  love of Jesus, and in childlike con-
tentment.   Restore also to my body the powers
it has lost, increase them every day, and restore
me  soon to  perfect  health.   Avert all pains,
casualties, disease, and misfortune,  and alleviate
the  sufferings which  thy wisdom may still im-
pose upon me.   Preserve my child  according to 
        OFFERS UP HER MORNING PRATER,     S$

thy grace, and  let it grow  and prosper to thy
praise.  Triune God, I resign myself wholly into
thy keeping.  Lord God, father in heaven, have
mercy upon me, be  gracious  unto me and  unto
my child, forgive  my sins, bless and  keep me
from all evil!  Lord God Son, the Saviour of the
World,  have mercy upon me,  be my  mediator
and advocate, my Jesus and beatifier, and let
thy grace refresh me this morning like a refresh-
ing dew; stand by me, strengthen me  and  keep
me. Lord God Holy Ghost, have mercy upon me,
pray in  me,  and bear testimony unto my spirit,
that I am truly a child of God.   The Lord  bless'
me and  keep me; the Lord make his face shine
upon  me, and be gracious unto me;  the Lord
lift up his countenance over me, and give me
peace.  And the peace of God, which passeth all
understanding,  keep my heart, soul, and mind,
in Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Amen.

                   HYMN.

    1. Night's shades no longer bound me,
      Again I see around me
      The light, the day, the morning,
      And Jesus, all adorning.

    £ Jesus kept watch, and harkened,
      When the sun's face was darkened;
      He has not yet departed,
      His presence, still imparted. 
90          THE WOMAN IN CHILDREr.
    8  Soft in thine arms I slumbered,
       My every hair is numbered
       By thy enduring kindness,
       In spite of all my blindness,

    4. The day has fairly broken.
       Lord, let it be a token
       That thou, who hast defended,
       Thy care hast not yet ended.

    5. Jesus, my hope and gladness,
       My spell against all sadness,
       In all things be above me,
       Protect, and guide, and love me.
               -------mm-------

CQe Woman in £0tfb6eb offers up  Get Goentng
                   Jfrager.

               EXHORTATION.

  When the two  disciples had spent the day
with Jesus, they were loath to part with him at
night, but said, " Abide with us; for it is toward
evening, and the day is far spent."  Luke 24,29.
In the same manner a woman in childl ed  must
begin and end the day with prayer, and implore
the gracious presence of her  God for the ap-
proaching night.
  1. She must thank God for having  preserved
her from pains and casualties, and  her  child
from uneasiness throughout the day. 
        OFFERS  UP HER EVENING PRATER.     91

  2. If God in his wisdom should  impose some
further suffering, she must praise God for assisting
her to bear it, and that he has permitted her to
live till night.
  3. She  must commend herself and  child to
the protection of the triune God for the night.
  4. After her prayer, without giving way to
anxiety, trepidation, fear or fright, which would
interfere with  her rest, she must go to sleep in
the arms of her God, and think of God with joy-
ful resignation when she wakes.

                  PRAYER.

  Lord, Almighty God, how  shall  I sufficiently
thank  thee for the love and truth extended to
me this day ?  I  have spent this  day  in safety
under  thy protection, I have lived  to behold the
return of evening, thou hast aided me to bea*
and overcome the troubles of my condition, thou
hast screened and guarded me, thou hast  been
the gracious father, protector and aid, of myself
and friend.  Lord, when I called upon thee, thou
didst make me whole.  Thou hast turned my
lamentation into a dance, thou hast taken off my
sackcloth and  robed me with delight,  that my
praise  may sing thy  name, and  never  cease.
Lord,  my  God, I will thank thee in  eternity.
But if, in thy mercy thou  hast covered me 
n
THE WOMAN IN  CHlIiUBED
throughout the day with the wings of thy grace,
0 spread thy loving kindness over me this nigh*
also, keep me, my house, and mine from misfor
tune, danger and harm.  Forgive me, in mercy,
all  I have  done this day  to  offend  thee in
thought, word, or deed.  I will now lay my sell
in thy arms, 0 God of all grace and mercy, and
will say, I lie  and sleep in  peace,  for thou, b
Lord, wilt help me to live  in safety.  Command
thy angels to come and watch over thine  own;
give us  the sentinels to make us secure against
Satan; thus shall we sleep in thy name because
the angels shall be with us.  0 wake thyself at
my bedside, and drive away whatever  can dis-
turb my rest. Lord God Father, let thy  Father's
heart be open to me this night.  Lord  Jesus,
thou light of my  soul, shine  around  me this
night with the lustre of thy heavenly grace.  0
most precious Holy Ghost,  awake  in my soul
holy desires  and wishes; sing  and  pray in my
heart, and seal the consolation that I am a child
of God.  0 thou triune God, let me fall asleep in
thy love, and  rest  gently in thy grace, so that,
when I awake I may be with thee still.  Let me
gladly  behold  the  morrow, when I will  thank
and praise thee for all thy benefits extended to
my body  and my soul.   May  the  love of the
father shield me, the grace of Jesus cover me,
and the assistance of the Holy Ghost strengthen 
        OFFERS UP HER EVENING PRATER.       98

and  comfort me.  The day is gone, 0  Jesus
remain with me;  light of my soul, dispel the
darkness of sin;  rise with me, splendor of righte-
ousness, enlighten me, Lord, for it is time.  Thou
dost not sleep when feeble limbs slumber; 0 let
my soul grow in good gifts even in sleep.  Sun of
Life refresh  my mind,  I  will  not  let thee go
except thou  bless me.   Amen.

                    HYMN.
1. Jesus, eternal light!  The day is past and over,
  A mantle dark the sun's replendency does cover;
  Jesus, thou light of life, never depart from me,
  With thee  throughout the night united let me be.

2. While yet  I live, I live to thee, for thou hast given
  Life,  happiness, and peace, all  for which I have
       striven;
  For thee, O friend of souls, for thee I  live alone;
  My heart still lingers round the footsteps of thy throne

8. Lord Jesus, while I sleep give me thy kind protec-
       tion,
  Cover me with the wings of thy benign affection;
  Jesus, abide with me, the night comes on apace,
  Look  to my body and  soul, and guard  their
       resting place.

4, Gladly for  thee I die, for then I shall  inherit
  The happiness thy death and sufferings did merit'
  For thee I  die each day, in casting off my sin,
  Dying I  live for thee, by having thee within. 
M  THE WOMAN IN CHILDBED PRATS BEFORE

5. Day and night I am thine, I wake and sleep before
      thee,
  At  night, Lord, from my side depart not, I implore
      thee;
  In comfort and distress, in poverty and wealth,
  Lord, I  am  always  thine, in sickness  and  in
      health.
C0e Woman  tn  G§ttb6eb  prags 6efore ano after
           tt)e Baptism of (jer etjtfb.

               EXHORTATION.

  Christian  parents, to  whom God  has given
children, lose not a moment which can be saved
to have their children  received into the commu-
nion of Christ in holy baptism.  The baptismal
covenant is of the last importance for time and
eternity.
  1. A  pious mother will therefore present her
child  assiduously  to God before it is baptized,
praying him to permit it to be baptized, and  in
mercy to adopt it as his child.
  2, After the baptism she must thank the Lord
for the  great favor thus awarded, and commend
the child to the continued protection of God. 
AND AFTER THE BAPTISM OF HER CHILD.  95
                  PRAYER,
  3EF0RE THE CHILD  ATTAINS TO HOLT RAPTISM.

  Gracious  and loving God, thou who art the
true father of all having the name of children in
heaven and on earth.  In true humility of heart
I appear before thee, and present my new born
child.  0  merciful God!  receive  the gift which
comes from  thee as  thy child in  holy baptism,
let it be thy child, screen and preserve it. Jesus,
thou hast said, suffer little children to come unto
me, and forbid them not.  Behold I bring thee
my child this day, give it thy Holy Ghost and
let  him regenerate it with the water and  with
spirit, let  him sanctify and govern it, and fill its
heart with faith and heavenly light.  Let it  grow
to thy honor, and give me grace to rear it in thy
fear and admonition.  0 my God, I give  thee
this child  to be thine; heavenly father, I lay it
into the arras of thy mercy;  0 keep and preserve
it.  I resign it to thee, 0 Jesus ! Wash it with
thy holy blood, conceal it in thy wounds against
all the power of Satan.   I commend it to  thee,
most precious Holy  Ghost.  I give  it into thy
keeping.   Sanctify  it wholly, that  its spirit,
body, and soul may be kept blameless to the day
of Jesus Christ 
98  THE MOTHER  PREPARES FOR HER CHURCHINe

                  PRAYER.
WEEN THE CHILD  HAS RECEIVED THE RITE OF HOLT
                   BAPTISM.

  0 God, let this day be the day of my child's
covenant, bliss, and regeneration, and grant that
it  be always mindful thereof, and that  I  may
often recal the day to its recollection.   Let it
never break this covenant, nor fall from the state
of regeneration, but abide  in constancy  and
Banctification even unto the end, when thou wilt
receive it into eternal joys as thy child and heir.
Ye people who have been  baptized  and know
your God, by the name of Jesus Christ, remem
ber well how much good was bestowed on you in
holy baptism.
   (Hje 3Ttott)cr prepares for (jer  £(jurc(jmg.
              EXHORTATION.

  When God has  safely preserved a mother for
six weeks,  restored her powers,  protected her
and  her  child from harm,  and enabled her  to
take her  churching, should  not  her mouth  be
full of joy, and praise God  thankfully and with
fervor? 
   THE MOTHER PREPARES FOR HER CHURCHING. 97

  1.  She must consider how weak and feeble she
lay in her bed, and also how God revived hei
strength, and made  her  able  to go  abroad in
health and safety.
  2.  She must be  mindful of the severe illnesses
of other women in childbed, which have some-
times even proved fatal.  If God enabled her to
escape all this, the word of thanks must not be
neglected.
  3.  If her child is at the same time  in  the en-
joyment of good health she  has a double reason
to appreciate this great instance of the  divine
favor.
  4. Her churching must  be  attended  with a
devout frame of  mind,  a  grateful  heart,  and
eloquent lips.
  5.  She must  then offer  up her prayers and
thanks, praise God,  commend  herself and her
child to God, receive the benediction, and be for
ever mindful of the goodness of God thus made
manifest in her.

                  PRAYER.

  How shall I  recompense the Lord for  all his
benefits ?  Yea, the Lord hath done great things
in me, thereof I am glad.  Gracious and power-
ful God 1  I am about to hold my churching, to
thank thee  in thy  temple  for the merciful aid 
98  THE MOTHER PREPARES FOR HER CHURCHING.

and  strong  assistance thou hast extended unh>
me.  Lord God, thou hast happily delivered me,
preserved my life, enabled me  joyfully to look
upon thy child.  Thou  hast preserved me for
these six weeks, defended me from harm, given
me back  my sunken powers, and enabled me to
approach  thy  temple in health  and strength.
Thank the Lord for he is of great goodness, and
his mercy endureth for  ever.   In my trouble I
called upon  the Lord, and the  Lord heard  me
and comforted me.  The Lord is my power, my
song, and  my salvation.  Lord, I thank thee for
having preserved my life in labor; I thank thee
for having given me back my strength ; I thank
thee that by  thy aid  I  may  now hold  my
churching, and thank thee in thy temple for all
thy benefits!  0 Lord, accept the faint offering
of praise from my lips.  Give thy blessing to this
my churching, increase my strength from day to
day, let my child grow to thy honor.   This day I
bring thee a pair of turtle doves,  my grateful
heart, and my adoring tongue.  Do not despise
the offering!  I bring thee the  perfect  sacrifice
of redemption, the  blood and death of Jesus in
the true faith.   Therewith do thou cleanse and
purify  me.  I again offer thee my child,  as I
have already done in holy baptism.  Be to it a
father, guardian, patron, preserver and  gracious
God.  Continue to spread the wings of thy grace 
IHE MOTHER PREPARES FOR HER CHURCHING.  99
  ver me and my child;  let us walk before thee,
 *nd praise thy name.  Grant that I  may ever
 be mindful of this favor, so  that in faith, piety,
 and the fear of God, I may persevere, and bring
 up my child therein.  Give  thy holy Ghost unto
 me and my children; let him enlighten, sanctify
 guide, and direct us on an even path, until I and
 my child shall enter into thy glory in the new
 Jerusalem, where thou thyself art the light and
 the sun.  While  I  live  here I will praise the
 Lord for ever; great good has he done unto me,
 more than I can tell. He has helped me every-
 where, particularly  at  this  time  has  he alone
averted evil.  Amen.
                  HYMN.

1. God has heard my prayer, and given
     Gladness to my bounding heart
   What I wished with anxious longing,
     His great mercy did impart.
   Now my mind is penetrated
   With thy goodness, and elated;
     He afflicts, but at the last
     With delight 'tis all o'ercast

2.  God has heard my prayer, converted
     All my weeping into bliss.
   On this day of joy and gladness
     Further sorrow comes ftmi'^ 
100 THE MOTHER PREPARES FOR HER OHUROHINfc

     All my tears are turned to laughter,
     All the world is changed, as after
       Nights of tempest and of storm,
       Co"23e the sunbeams, fresh and warm.

  8.  God has heard my prayer, in labor,
       When I screamed in agony,
     He  turned toward me and addi taaed  me
       "I am here; rely on me,
     I am here,  I will deliver;
     Thee disaster shall not shiver."
       And when  thus thy voice was heard,
       I was near thee, undeterred.

  4.  God has heard my prayer.  Come with me.
       Let us all his praise proclaim;
     All we need he richly giveth,
       Come and bless  his holy  name.
     He regards with gentle favor,
     All who make for him endeavor,
       And in trouble bids us oheer,
       Saying "lam ever near"

  6  God has heard my prayer;  believe me
       Whosoever thou mayest  be,
     He is sure to those that trust him,
       As I now have learned to see.
     He can screen and he can cover,
     He can o'er our veakness hover;
       He can stretch his mighty hand,
       And deliver all the land. 
THE GODLY  MOTHER THANES GOD.     101
£Qe goofy JTtotOcr SQauds %ob ro(jen Oer (CJtCb is
                  Tffeaneb.

               EXHORTATION.

  A godly mother has  reason  to  pray for her
child every day, and  must renew her  prayer
when it is to  be  weaned.  For great was the
goodness of God in permitting the mothers' milk
to nourish the child,  hereby causing it to grow,
to gain strength, and to become so far developed
that it can thenceforth be sustained without this
nutriment.
  1. Therefore a godly mother must thank God
for  having, by means of the milk, brought the
child to such perfection, that it may now sustain
life by means of other food.
  2. If  she has suckled her child herself she
must thank God for having given her wholesome
milk, and  set his  blessing upon it, so that hei
child has prospered.
  3. She must  beseech  God in like manner  to
bless the food which the child  is henceforth  to
receive;  to let it grow up to his honor, and, as it
increases in years  to fill its heart with the gift?
of the Holy Ghost.
  4. And as children learn to  walk  about this
time, the godly mother must pray to God to hold
her child in leading strings, protect it by his holy 
102     THE  GODLY MOTHER THANKS GOD

angels, keep  it from aurtful falls, keep its limbs
straight and sound, and suffer it to pass  from
stage to stage of life, under his frtherly care and
guardianship.


                  PRAYER.

   Merciful and  gracious God! how is my heart
/ejoiced that I have lived  to see the time when
my child  may  be  weaned from  the mother's
breast.  Loving God! In thy memory thou  didst
give me this child, through so many accidents
thou  hast preserved it,  thou hast  spared its
tender life, and now permitted it to reach an age
when it  requires stronger  food for its support
Praised be thy  mercy, for having  hitherto given
thy blessing  to  the mother's  breast, whereby it
has gathered  strength and  flourished under thy
care.  Thanks  for thy blessing, thanks  for thy
protection, thanks for  thy  truth  and goodness.
Lord, every day thou dost perform the greatest
miracle when in the mother's breast thou dost
convert food and drink into milk, and dost endow
it with a nourishing power, so that the child is
thereby refreshed and strengthened.  0 God! as
thou  hast  thus permitted my child to profit by
the mother's  breast, bless unto  it likewise the
food and drink to which  I would now make it
accustomed;  grant that it may receive  it wil« 
          WHEN HER CHILD IS WEANED       108

lingly, let it thrive upon it, and daily, weekly,
and yearly, increase in strength.  Remain wfth it
also when it essays to walk, escort it by thy holy
angel, hold it when in danger of falling, screen it
from  danger.  0 let this my child be commended
unto thee in soul and body, strengthen its inward
man, sanctify it by thy Holy Ghost, let it readily
receive education in  obedience and the  fear  of
God,  let it  not show signs of perverseness, but
be ready to obey as a good and docile child; give
it  thy holy spirit and a pious heart, so  that I
may  have joy of it here, and enter  into glory
with  it hereafter.  Thy goodness, Lord, is very
great, which protect and keep me, I will praise
it here on earth as long as I shall have breath.
 Amen.

                    HYMN.

1. The Lord Almighty God, who on me has expended
   The fulness of his grace, and never stopped  nor
       ended,
   I praise upon this day, when I and eke my child
   Have gained in health and  strength, because  he
       on us smiled.

2. Lf others by distress and trouble much were harassed,
   The shower of benefits alone has us embarasssd;
   Up to this very day the milk of my poor  breast
   Has made my child to thrive, so by hia goodness
       blest. 
104
ADMONITION AND COMFORT
8. In  me and in my child  he has wrought many a
       wonder,
  This I must eagerly confess and inly ponder.
  Our life and welfare both he has so well bethought,
  And will  not  cease until all  of  his  work  be
       wrought

4 In every time and place the  Lord hath done and
       tendered;
  Much  kindness unto  us, and greatest service
       rendered;
  He  helps,  protects,  and loves, and of our steps
       takes heed,
  Not many a father would so loving be at need.

5. Thereof this day, 0 God, my heart is overflowing
  With happiness and joy, and  thanks beyond my
       showing;
  Vouchsafe thy mercy still, and let us not forget
  That we are ever thine!  On thee our hope is set
    Abmonitum  ano (Comfort for t(je barren.

  1. When  God suffers married people to  ho
childless, so  that they can say with Abraham,
" Lord, what wilt thou give me ?  I am without
children," Gen. xv., 2.  They must remember that
barreness may depend on natural causes in both
parties, for as God does not give the same consti- 
FOR THE RARREN.
105
 tution to all men, so he does not give  them all
 the same degree of fruitfulness.  If God has not
 infused this good gift  into  their system, they
 must  be none the less contented with  God,
 knowing that  he  is nevertheless  their gracious
 God, that he loves  them, and is favorably inclined
 towards them.  How many trees, which  adorn
 the  garden though  they bear no  fruit, are still
 favorites there! So also barren  married couples
 are the well beloved children of God, none the
 less  that in fruitfulness they are surpassed  by
 others.
   2. They must remember that children  are a
 gift of the Lord;  he who does not receive this
 gift  has no right to murmur against God,  or to
 be envious of the gifts of others; God is master
 in his  own house,  and distributes  his favors
 according to his pleasure.  God has made a reser-
 vation of three  keys; the keys of  the grave,  for
 God alone can awake the dead; the keys of the
 rains, for no idol can send rain, and no  man can
 cause it, and  the  keys of  the  womb, which  no
 one can  open if the Lord closes it, and no one
 close, if the Lord  opens it.   As it is by the will
of God that children are withheld, such married
couples are  especially called upon to  manifest
their patience, resignation,  and hopefulness.
  8.  Barrenness is  no index of the wrath :>f God; 
106        ADMONITION AND COMFORT

for they may see by the other blessings showered
upon them, that God is not angry with them.
  4.  The childless must reflect  that even this
deprivation is a favor of God, who understands
their mental and bodily constitution better than
themselves.  For although women may be fond
of children yet God may rightly judge them too
weak to bear and rear children;  perhaps a child
would interfere with her prayers and devotions
and those of her husband, perhaps it would cause
them great grief, if God in his wisdom, were to
call it away again.   Therefore, as God measures
the strength and weakness of men better than
they themselves,  he  therein  shows  them an
especial favor, which it is sheer ignorance in them
to regard as other than a manifestation of grace.
  5.  Married  couples must  be  particularly on
their guard against attempting to extort children
from God with murmurs or impatient clamors.
  6. Godly married women must not be misled
by the expression of St. Paul  in 1 Tim. ii., 15,
where he  says, " The woman shall be saved in
child-bearing,  if she continue  in  faith,  and
charity, and holiness, with sobriety."  For Paul
does not say  that  women shall be saved by
bearing children;  we are justified and saved by
the merit of Jesus  Christ, for the sake  of hia
precious blood, Rom. iii., 28, Rom. v., 1, and not
by giving birth to children. If it  were otherwise 
FOR THE BARREN.
107
 a virgin could not be saved, which is contrary
 to God's holy word.   He says this for the conso-
 lation of  married women.   Though,  because
 woman suffered herself to be tempted in Paradise,
 she is subject to great pangs when in labor, yet
 God  is ready to assist and deliver them out of
 their throes.  Though, in these pangs, they ex-
 perience the wrath  of God, yet they shall  be
 saved, if they are steadfast in  the faith of the
 Lord Jesus, in the love of God and man, in the
 sanctification of their lives, and the sanctity of
 their christian walk.
   7.  Married couples must bide their time, and
 persist in prayer.  Some trees bear fruit the first
 year after they are planted, some do not for many
 years. Therefore pious couples must not be too
 ready to despair,  " Cast  not away your confi-
 dence, which hath great recompence of reward."
 Hebrews x. 35.  As  God does not give temporal
 benefits to  all men at the same time, but favors
 one sooner, and another at a later period;  so it is
 with these  gifts also.
  8. Married couples must also be very careful
not to throw blame upon each other; the husband
must  not ascribe the barrenness to the wife, nor
the wife to the husband.  It is God who withholds
the fruit of their body, Gen. xxx., 2; they must
love each other none the  less, and be resigned
anto the will of God, for neither  of  them can 
108        ADMONITION AND  COMFORT

accomplish anything  without prayer, and  the
blessing and good will of God.  They must par-
ticularly avoid suspicion, envy, or ill will, when
they find  their kindred already to discuss  the
division of the inheritance, but must persevere
in sincere love, dismiss all informers,  and if
necessary, dispose of what they shall leave behind
them, according to justice and charity.
  9, If God does not bless a married couple with
offspring, they should all the more increase in
the love  of  Jesus;  and as those  who have
children  are often hindered by them  in  the
worship of God and in  self improvement, they
must consider themselves favoured in being able
to worship God with less interruption.
  10.  Parents without bodily offspring should be
doubly mindful of  the poor, doing good to pious
children, clothing  them and sending them to
school, and  assisting in their education; such
children  will praise  their  benefactors  in  the
judgment  day as fathers and mothers, and extol
them  before  God,  saying, " These  have  fed my
nakedness, and given me to eat  and to  drink,"
Matthew,  xxv.
  11.  Finally, married  people  must examine
their own  hearts to see whether they really look
upon children as a gift of God.  If they consider
them a gift of nature which they themselves can
further or advance they err, and perhaps God, 
FOR THE BARREN.
lOtf
by withholding what they crave, intends to show
them that  children are his gift, for which he
must be  asked in prayer.  If christians  object
that fornicators certainly do not pray for offspring
and yet  produce it, I answer that with them
God gives nature the  rein for the exposure of
their shame, because they beget children  not for
the honor of God, but to cool their evil passions
and lust.  Godly married couples must do as
Isaac did, of whom it is said " Isaac prayed to
God for his wife, for she was barren." Isaac there-
fore understood  that children are given  by the
grace of God, as  also appears from what immedi-
ately followed. " And the Lord took pity on him,
and Rebecca his wife, conceived," Gen. xxv., 21.
   These  reflections pious married couples must
impress  upon  their minds, and abstain from all
murmurs and  impatience.

                  PRAYER

   Lord,  Lord, what wilt thou give me? I am
without  children.   0 my God, I see how richly
thou dost bestow thy blessing upon other mar-
ried couples,  and  dost  withhold it  from  me.
Lord, Lord, let  me patiently submit  to  this as
being thy holy will.  I know that in thy omnipo-
tence thou canst easily give me  children if thou
wilt.   I know  that  thou,  my  gracious God, 
110        ADMONITION AND COMFORT

lovest me, and hast never yet refused thy grace,
therefore I will  patiently resign  myself to thy
will, for thou best knowest wherefore thou hast
not yet vouchsafed this blessing.  But if thou
dost not gladden my  heart  with the birth of
children, let me enjoy the greater happiness in
thee, let me love thee.   Let me abide in faith in
thee, 0 triune God, in the love of my neighbor,
in  sanctification  of life,  and let me walk in
charity and decency before all.  Let thy  Holy
Spirit convince my heart more  and more that
such is thy gracious will with me,  and that I
must be  resigned to it from  the  bottom of my
heart. Preserve my heart from envy, suspicion, im-
patience, disaffection to my partner in life, make
me heartily love and regard  him (her) in the
place of  my child,  and affect  him  (her)  more
than ten sons and  daughters.  If it is thy will
that I should  wait  awhile, and then become a
fruitful mother, if thou dost intend  to be mind-
ful of me as of Hannah, convince my heart of
this thy gracious will and pleasure.   But if thou
wilt not give me an heir, 0  Lord, let it be my
heir to  walk  in  thy ways, Jesus shall  be my
consolation and my part.  Lord, Lord, all things
are possible with thee;  Sarah  and Elizabeth
hast thou permitted to conceive after the course of
nature was past, and it is easy for  thee to remove
my barrenness.  Lord  have  pity on me, and I 
FOR THE BARREN.
Ill
will thank thee for thy gift all my life, and rear
it to thy praise and honor.  In holy baptism I
I will give  it back to thee.  Let me not  be
envious when thou fiUest  the houses  of others
with children, but let me show the greater mercy
and charity  to poor orphans ; let me clothe, feed
and provide for them.  Now  Lord, be thy good-
ness over us, in which we  hope; gladden me,
comfort me,  help me, give me children, if it so
please thee, but not in wrath, not to my shame.
If it  is well for me,  grant  my  prayer in thy
mercy; but  if it is not thy pleasure, I seek not
to extort children from thee, I will have nothing,
not even children, against thy holy will.   Lord,
I have poured out  my  heart  before thee ;  make
it happy, and well pleasing unto thee.  Let me
hold my soul in patience, until thou shalt  afford
thy help.  I am happy in  my hopes, for though
God's help comes  not  at  my call, yet has he
already made his  appointment, he knows the
time and  the goal  full well, I wait upon him,
and hope cannot deceive me.   Amen.


                   HYMN.

  i. Lord, 0 Lord, what wilt thou give me,
      I am childless to this  day.
    My years, months, days, hours, and minutes
      In postponement wear away. 
112         ADMONITION AND  COMFORT

     AH around I look on others
     Hopeful fathers, happy mothers,
       But myself am left alone,
       None to weep when I am gone

  2.  Nothing gives me greater pleasure,
       Than a little child to see,
     To provoke its mirthful prattle,
       Or to nurse it on my knee;
     Not the greatest earthly treasure
     Could afford me greater pleasure;
       But this joy I may not share,
       For no children do I bear.

  8.  Why, dear Lord, art thou more iaviafe
       Unto others than to me?
     Others have so many children
       With an empty granary!
     Other blessings thou extendest
     Unto me, and richly sendest;
       But the gift which most I crave,
       Still, dear Lord, I cannot have.

  4.  0 my God I will not murmur!
       Do according to thy will;
     I will  bear whate'er thy wisdom
       Shall require me to fulfil.
     Need I prompt thy keen discerning 7
     Well thou knowest my eager yearning?
       But whatever it be on,
        Let thy will, dear Lord, be done. 
              FOR THE BARREN.             H|

6.  Let thy will, in every season,
     Lord, be present to my sight;
   Let thy will be ample answer
     To what my heart would indite.
   Yes, whatever thou requirest,
   Let it be as thou desirest;
     Let me be subdued and meeJt,
     Only hear thy wisdom speak 
 
                     INDEX.




             Jltforfhra Cot  WSLamta in ^rtgaancg.


 Che woman in pregnancy offers up her morning prayer......   3
 fhe woman in pregnancy offers up her evening prayer.........   7
 Daily reflections of a woman in pregnancy........................   12
 The woman in pregnancy considers that her condition is well
    pleasing  unto God................................................   16
 The woman in pregnancy thanks God for  her fruitfulness...   20
 The woman in pregnancy commends herself and the fruit of
    her body to God....................................................   24
 The woman in pregnancy remembers the divine promises...   29
 The woman in pregnancy rejoices in the omnipotence of God.   33
 The woman in pregnancy takes  comfort at the thought of
    the assistance of God.............................................   37


              £}droticn  for Womtu in £i!ur.

 I>evotion at the approach of the hour of delivery.....M......M   41
 Comfort at the approach of the hour of delivery...............   47
 Anxious  prayer before delivery....................................   48
 Another....................................................................   49
 Anxious prayer during labor..........................................   51
 Another....................................................................   52
Another.....-.............................................................   54
Texts, verses,  sad  prayers to be spoken in labor.....____....   56
                                              (115) 
INDEX
              ^ebotkiu foi &&axutn in abilfcbtb.

The woman in childbed thanks God for her happy delivery...  81
The woman in childbed offers up her morning prayer.........  84
The woman in childbed offers up her evening prayer.........  90
The woman in childbed  prays before and after  the baptism
    of her child.......................................................  94
Prayer before the diild is baptised.................................  95
Prayer after the child is baptised......~............................  96
The mother prepares for her churching...........................  96
The godly mother thanks God when her child is  weaned...... 131
Admonition and comfort for the barren............................ 104
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