1st.

Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said unto the king, O Nebuchadnezzer, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. &c. Dan. iii. 17, 18, 19.

Oh thou King of kings, who wilt ever save and defend Thy people, keep us like Thy servants of old, faithful to Thee in heart, in tongue, and in life; resolved that whatever others do, we will through Thy grace assisting us, glorify Thy holy name. And if Thou see fit to place us, as Thou didst them, in a fiery furnace of affliction, oh be Thou still by and with us, and bring us out of it in due time, purified as gold seven times; that so, following the great Captain of our salvation, we may at the last with Him be made for ever perfect through suffering. Amen.

2nd.

If our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things. Beloved, if our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. John iii. 20, 21.

Oh Thou who art greater than our hearts and knowest all things, we can indeed apply faithfully to them no test of our being Thine, by which they must not, in some grievous and humbling measure, condemn us. Yet we pray for the conscious existence and growth of that spirit of Christian love, which by nature we cannot have, and which may give us the confidence of Thine adopted children; and oh do Thou daily conform us more to His image, whose love passeth knowledge, and in whom alone we can be justified or saved. Amen.

3rd.

And he saith unto him, Friend how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? and he was speechless. Matt. xxii. 12.

Gracious Lord, who invitest poor sinners to the marriage supper of the Lamb, we pray Thee also to make us meet for it: and since we have nothing of our own in which to appear, oh do Thou clothe us in the pure white raiment which is the righteousness of the saints; yea, cast around us the rich robe of our Saviour's righteousness, as that wedding garment which can alone insure our admittance among Thy joyful guests for ever.

4th.

Amen.

For there is no respect of persons with God. Rom. ii. 11.

We bless Thee, oh Lord, for thy gracious and repeated declaration, that there is no respect of persons with Thee; but that all are alike accepted of Thee, being made one in Christ Jesus. Keep us, we pray Thee, from attaching undue importance to any external distinctions or observances; and make it our earnest desire, first to improve rightly our own abounding privileges, and then to see those same privileges extended to those who are yet destitute of them, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

5th.

Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. Eph. vi. 10.

Almighty Lord, who alone hast power, and who art ever ready to impart Thy strength to such as feel their own to be but weakness; we pray Thee so to strengthen us with might by Thy Spirit within us, that we may fight boldly and manfully the good fight of faith, being armed with Thy whole armour; and amidst our own helplessness, and our many and great dangers, being ever strong in Thee, and in the power of Thy might, through Amen.

Christ Jesus.

6th.

Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: &c. Mat. xiii. 30.

Oh Thou whose inscrutable wisdom ordains that both tares and wheat shall grow together in the field of this world until the harvest; grant, that while satisfied with this Thy appointment, we may be kept ever mindful of that coming day; and use all diligence, that we ourselves, and many others, through Thy blessing on our feeble efforts, may then surely and safely be gathered with the wheat into Thy barn, instead of being bound in bundles to be burned. Hear and answer us for Jesus' sake, Amen.

7th.

He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much : and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much. If therefore ye have not been faithful, &c. Luke xvi. 10, 11, 12.

Oh Lord, by whom alone we are put in trust of all that we have; we must confess and deplore our imperfect faithfulness, even in that which is least. But since Thou hast notwithstanding committed to our trust the true riches, Oh give us, with them, and with all, the practical conviction of our being called to be good stewards of thy manifold grace: that we may so speak, and think, and do, as at last to be able to give in our account with joy, and not with grief, through Christ Jesus, Amen.

8th.

The Lord is at hand. Phil. iv. 5.

Oh Lord Jesu Christ, it is not for us to know the times or the seasons: but since we do know the certainty of Thy second glorious coming, grant that the expectation of it may moderate all our cares for this present life, and keep us ever walking as those who feel that their Lord is at hand. And we pray that whether coming to us on earth, or calling us to Thee in heaven, our joyful answer to Thy summons may be the same :-Even so come. Lord Jesus, Amen.

9th.

He that winneth souls is wise. Prov. xi. 30.

Pardon, oh Lord, we pray Thee, our hitherto inadequate sense of the value of souls, which Thou hast redeemed at so inestimable a price. Humble us on account of all the sins, negligences, and ignorances, that have prevented our winning them as we might have done unto Thee; open now our lips to warn and invite perishing sinners; and may our lives so exhibit those things which are lovely and of good report, that we may wisely and gently win them to Thee, to holiness, and to happiness, through Christ Jesus, Amen.

10th.

This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief. 1 Tim. i. 15.

Oh Thou whose faithful word of salvation to lost sinners, through Him who died for them, is indeed worthy of all acceptation; have mercy on all those who madly reject or despise it, and bring them yet nigh unto Thyself through the blood of the Lamb: and grant that under a growing sense of our own personal guilt and misery, we may all cling more and more closely to the cross of Him who came into the world to save sinners, even the chief. We ask it for His sake, Amen,