^ Poofe of ^raperg

lib

AV^^V

^ poofe of drapersFOR PUBLIC ANDPERSONAL USE

BY

SAMUEL McCOMB, M. A., D.D.Author of "Christianity and the Modern Mind," etc.

Co-Author of " Religion and Medicine "

ib

NEW YORKobtr, iWeab anb Company

1912

^

Copyright, 1912.

By DoDD, Mead & Co.

Published, February, 1912.

Sn iHcmoriam

Hi suntf qui njenerunt de trihulatione

magnay et Iwverunt stolas suas, et deal-

ba'verunt eas in sanguine Agni.

erj5

preface

^If^HIS little book, it is hardly\i^ necessary to say, is not offeredas a substitute for any of the existingforms of devotion. On the contrary,it presupposes the use of these forms,

and claims only to supplement them,as far as may be. The collects of theBook of Common Prayer, owing totheir stateliness of style, their concise-

ness of expression, and a certainarchaic literary flavour, are especiallyadapted to the needs of publicliturgical worship. But these samequalities make them less suited forpersonal or family or informal use.Moreover each age is conscious ofpeculiar trials and problems, andmust express this consciousness in itsown words. Not only must eachgeneration win the truth for itself,but the truth so won must touchdeeply the springs of its religious life,

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and in this way must influence itsdevotional feeling. There are signsthat both Inside and outside theChurch a revival of belief In prayeris making Itself felt and demandsoutward expression. Especially Intwo directions Is this revival at work.There Is the ever-present socialproblem, which In our time hasassumed a new sharpness and Insist-ence. A social passion is takingcaptive many noble hearts. Hencemodern prayer must become moreand more steeped In the sense ofhuman fellowship. The other prob-lem, old but ever new, is that ofmoral and physical evil. The modernman is more keenly sensitive to painand suffering than his forerunners.There are facts of experience, whichmust not be thought on save In thespirit of prayer, else they may turnthe soul to despair. As the humanmind develops in fineness and keen-ness of vision, it can be saved from

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pessimism only through the convictionthat God is not the source of evil,physical or moral, but that He iseternally using His energies to opposeand overcome it. Our views of God,of evil, of human nature, and ofhuman destiny, cannot but be reflectedin our prayers.

It is hoped that this book may, insome degree, meet the needs of thosewho desire to pray, and yet forvarious reasons, are hindered in theart of self-expression.

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INTERCESSORY AND PERSONALPRAYERS

FOR A PERSON WHO CANNOT PRAY. 1 33FOR A PERSON WHO DESIRES FAITH I35FOR A PERSON TROUBLED WITH EVIL

THOUGHTS 137FOR A VICTIM OF FEAR I39FOR A VICTIM OF WORRY I4IFOR A PERSON SUFFERING FROM

NEURASTHENIA I43FOR A PERSON SUFFERING FROM

INSOMNIA 145FOR A PERSON SUFFERING FROM

DEPRESSION 147FOR A PERSON THREATENED WITH

INSANITY 149FOR A PERSON STRIVING TO OVER-

COME THE ALCOHOL HABIT . . I5IFOR THE INSANE I53

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FOR A PERSON HAUNTED WITH THEFEAR OF COMMITTING SUICIDE

FOR A PERSON WHO FEARS THAT INDYING HE WILL LOSE A SENSEOF PERSONAL IDENTITY ....

\/^FOR A PERSON SUFFERING FROM ASERIOUS ILLNESS

^ FOR A SICK CHILD^"FOR A PERSON ABOUT TO UNDERGO

A SURGICAL OPERATION. . . .

L FOR A PERSON SUFFERING FROMACUTE BODILY PAIN

W'^ORA PERSON AT THE POINT OF DEATHFOR AN INCURABLY CRIPPLED CHILDFOR A PERSON SUFFERING FROM A

SENSE OF LONELINESS ....

FOR A PERSON HAUNTED WITH THEFEAR OF HAVING COMMITTEDTHE UNPARDONABLE SIN . . .

FOR A WOMAN BURDENED WITHDOMESTIC CARES

F0|r parents who HAVE LOST ACHILD BY DEATH

IN REMEMBRANCE OF DEPARTEDFRIENDS

FOR CHILDRENFOR A MOTHER GRIEVING FOR A

WAYWARD CHILD

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PAGE

156

160

163

i6s

167

169

171

173

175

177

179

181

183

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PAGE

FOR THE AGED I87FOR THE POOR I89FOR THE PROSPEROUS I9IFOR PRISONERS I93FOR DOCTORS OF MEDICINE .... I96FOR NURSES I98FOR STUDENTS 200FOR TEACHERS 202FOR HANDWORKERS 204

^FOR MINISTERS OF RELIGION . . . 20/FOR MISSIONARIES 209FOR FRIENDS ON A JOURNEY ... 211THANKSGIVING FOR RESTORATION TO

HEALTH 213THANKSGIVING FOR VICTORY OVER A

BAD HABIT 215

FOR PERSONAL USEAT NIGHT. (three PRAYERs) . . 2I9IN THE MORNING. (fOUR PRAYERS) 222IN TIME OF TEMPTATION 226IN TIME OF suffering' 22/

V BEFORE PARTAKING AT HOLY COM-MUNION 228

^AFTER PARTAKING AT HOLY COM-MUNION 230

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^art Jfirst

GENERAL PRAYERS

/(^^^ fatljer toljo art in eatjen,K^ l^allotoeti Be f)p name. l)pJiingtiom come.

l)p tuill fie Doneon eartli, a^ it i^ in ]^eaben oBiben^ tfji^ Dap our Dailp breati. 5llntiforgibe u^ our tre^efpa^^e^, a^toe forgibe tfyo^t tofto tre^pa^^^

against u^* 3llnti leab u^ not intotemptation, but beliber u^ fromebiL for f)ine i^ tlfje Jiiingbom,anb tl)e potoer, anb tlje glorp, foreber anb eber* Amen.

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I i^.r.

THOU, who didst lay thefoundations of the earth

amid the singing of the morningstars and the joyful shouts of thesons of God, lift up our little lifeinto Thy gladness. Out of Thee,as out of an overflowing fountainof Love, wells forth eternally a

stream of blessing upon everycreature Thou hast made. If wehave thought that Thou didst callinto being this universe in orderto win praise and honour for Thy-self, rebuke the vain fancies ofour foolish minds and show usthat Thy glory is the joy of giving.We can give Thee nothing of ourown. All that we have is Thine.Oh, then, help us to glorify Thee bystriving to be like Thee. Make usjust and pure and good as Thou

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art. May we be partakers of theDivine Nature, so that all that istruly human in us may be deep-ened, purified, and strengthened.And so may we be witnesses forThee, lights of the world, reflect-ing Thy light.Help us to make religion a

thing so beautiful that all menmay be won to surrender to itspower. Let us manifest in ourlives its sweetness and excellency,its free and ennobling spirit. For-bid that we should go up anddown the world with melancholylooks and dejected visage, lest weshould repel men from enteringThy Kingdom. Rather, may wewalk in the freedom and joy offaith, and with Thy new song inour mouths, so that men lookingon us may learn to trust and tolove Thee.

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We come to Thee, our Father,that we may more deeply enterinto Thy joy. Thou turnest dark-ness into day, and mourning intopraise. Thou art our Fortress intemptation, our Shield in remorse,our Covert in calamity, our Star ofHope in every sorrow. O Lord,we would know Thy peace, deep,abiding, inexhaustible. When weseek Thy peace, our weariness isgone, the sense of our imperfec-tion ceases to discourage us, andour tired souls forget their pain.

When, strengthened and refreshedby Thy goodness, we return to thetask of life, send us forth as serv-ants of Jesus Christ in the serviceand redemption of the world.Send us to the hearts without love,to men and women burdened withheavy cares, to the miserable,the sad, the broken-hearted. Send

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us to the children whose heritagehas been a curse, to the poor whodoubt Thy Providence, to the sickwho crave for heaHng and cannotfind it, to the fallen for whom noman cares. May we be ministersof Thy mercy, messengers of Thyhelpful pity, to all who need Thee.By our sympathy, our prayers, ourkindness, our gifts, may we makea way for the inflow of Thy loveinto needy and loveless lives. Andso may we have that love whichalone is the fulfilling of Thy law.Hasten the time when all menshall love Thee and one anotherin Thee, when all the barriers thatdivide us shall be broken down,and every heart shall be filled withjoy and every tongue with melody.These gracious gifts we ask, inJesus' name. Amen,

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II

W^ INFINITE Source of lifeKt^ and health and joy! thevery thought of Thee is so wonder-ful that in this thought we wouldrest and be still. Thou art Beautyand Grace and Truth and Power.Thou art the light of every heartthat sees Thee, the life of everysoul that loves Thee, the strengthof every mind that seeks Thee.From our narrow and boundedworld we would pass into Thygreater world. From our pettyand miserable selves we wouldescape to Thee, to find in Theethe power and the freedom of alarger life. It is our joy that wecan never go beyond Thy reach;that even were we to take thewings of the morning, and fly untothe uttermost parts of the earth,

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the light any evil that may lurkwithin, and lead us in the wayeverlasting. Take possession ofour bodies. Purge them fromfeebleness and sloth, from all un-worthy self-indulgence, that theymay not hinder, but help the per-fection of our spirits. Take pos-session of our wills that theymay be one with Thine, thatsoul and body may no longerwar against each other, but livein perfect harmony, in holinessand health. May we be willingto cut off the right hand, or pluckout the right eye, if only we mayfeel Thy life pulsing within us,and share the blessedness of allgood and pious men. ' Wake usas from the sleep of death, andinspire us with new resolves, andkeep us blameless in body, souland spirit, now and ever. Let

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Thy light fill our hearts more andmore, until we shall become intruth the children of light, andperfectly at one with Thee, throughJesus Christ our Lord. Amen,

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III

^^S GOD, our Refuge and ourKtL^ Strength! Thou art so highthat the very Heaven of Heavenscannot contain Thee, yet dostThou dwell with him that isof a contrite and humble spirit.Everywhere Thou art seeking thewandering, those who have for-gotten the warnings of parent andteacher and friend, who have de-spised the oracles of conscience,

and are now sore pierced withthe thorns of earth. Thou dostnot despair when Thou findest usdegraded and miserable in oursin, but bringest us forgivenessand hope. We are overwhelmed,O Lord, with wonder, to thinkthat Thou dost believe in us, andwilt not let us go. From thepleasures of sin, from the torment

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of guilt, from poverty and blightedhopes and ill-requited love, weturn to Thee, our Father, forcomfort and satisfaction. Makeclear to us how the evils of thesoul war against our happinessand health, how we are so fear-fully and wonderfully made thatnot a wrong thought, or base desire,or strained emotion, but leavesits mark upon our bodies. Takepossession of us, and so inspire uswith great thoughts and nobleaspirations and unselfish feelings,that our bodies may become fittemples for the habitation of Thygood Spirit. So occupy us withself-forgetting service for Thee thatno time or strength may remainfor our besetting sins. Lay uponus the burdens of the weak, thecrosses of other lives. Are anysick? Let us bring to them help

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and good cheer, and, if it may be,some gift of healing. Are thereany naked and hungry? Let usclothe and feed them. Are thereany sad and depressed? Give tous the insight and the sympathy,in the presence of which theburdened heart will be eased andthe darkened mind illumined. Arethere any remorseful and despair-ing? Speak to them through us,as Thine organs, and say, " I amthy salvation." Thus may thefires of a Christlike charity burnwith a steady flame within us,and thus may our souls be keptpure and fresh and strong. O trueand holy Light, that lightenestevery man, shine into these heartsof ours that we may hold conversewith the sinful, yet contract nostain; that we may share thepleasures and mingle in the noise

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and dust of life, yet keep our gar-ments unspotted from the world.Forgive us that we have sinnedso often against those around us,by failing to draw near to themand to understand them, by wantof pity for their trials and sorrows,by passing on our heedless way,with no ear for the still, sad voicesof weary and laden souls. Hence-forth let us arm ourselves with themind that was in Christ Jesus,who came not to be ministeredunto, but to minister, and to giveHis life a ransom for many. Letthe glory of His Cross be theinspiration of all our thought andservice, that suffering with Himhere, we may reign with Himhereafter. Hear us and answerus, for His sake. Amen.

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IV

yJ^REAT is Thy name, God,V^ and greatly to be praised.In Thee all our discordant notesrise into perfect harmony. It isgood for us to think of thewonder of Thy being. Thouart most silent, yet moststrong; unchangeable, yet everchanging; ever working, yet everat rest, supporting, nourishing,maturing all things. O ThouEternal Spirit, who hast set ournoisy years in the heart of Thyeternity, lift us above the powerand evils of the passing time, thatunder the shadow of Thy wingswe may take courage and be glad.So great art Thou, beyond ourutmost imagining, that we couldnot speak to Thee didst Thou notfirst draw near to us and say, " Seek

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ye my face." Unto Thee ourhearts would make reply, "Thyface, Lord, will we seek." Andwhen we look up to Thee, thewords of our lips are words ofhumility and thanksgiving. Whoor what are we that Thou shouldstfollow us with goodness and mercyall the days of life? We thankThee for our birth into a Christiancommunity, for the Church and theSacraments of Thy grace, for thehealing day of rest, when we enterwith Thy people into Thy Houseand there make holyday; for therefreshment of soul, the joys ofcommunion, the spiritual disci-pline, the inspiration of prayerand hymn and sermon. We thankThee for Thy watchful care overbody and soul alike. Thou hastkept our eyes from tears, or, ifthe tears came, Thine own hand

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wiped them away. Thou hast keptour feet from falling, or if we fell,Thou didst not forsake us, butguided us back to the holy pathsof Christ. We praise Thee forthe myriad influences of good,conscious and unconscious, thathave been about us, deeply pen-etrating our inner life, shapingand fitting us for Thy Kingdom.Thou hast indeed forgiven allour iniquities, and healed all ourdiseases, and redeemed our lifefrom destruction, and crowned uswith loving-kindness. Thereforewould we call upon our souls, andall that is within us, to bless Thyholy Name.We remember with sadness our

want of faith in Thee. Whatmight have been a garden wehave turned into a desert by oursin and wilfulness. This beautiful

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life which Thou hast given uswe have wasted in futile worriesand vain regrets and empty fears.Instead of opening our eyes tothe joy of life, the joy that shinesin the leaf, the flower, the face of

an innocent child, and rejoicingin It as in a sacrament, we havesunk back into the complainingsof our narrow and blinded souls.O deliver us from the bondageof unchastened desires and un-wholesome thoughts. Help us toconquer hopeless brooding andfaithless reflection, and the im-patience of irritable weakness. Tothis end, increase our faith, OLord. Fill us with a completertrust in Thee, and the desire for amore whole-hearted surrender toThy will. Then every sorrowwill become a joy. Then shall wesay to the mountains that lie

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heavy on our souls, "Removeand be cast hence," and they shallremove, and nothing shall be im-possible unto us. Then shall werenew our strength, and mountup with wings as eagles; we shallrun and not be weary; we shallwalk and not faint. We offer thisprayer in the name of Jesus Christour Lord. Amen,

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^LMIGHTY and EverlastingS^ God, whom no man hathseen at any time, who art Spiritand the Father of our spirits,unto Thee do we come. When wethink of Thee we are troubled, forwe know we have not surrenderedourselves to Thy service, which isour highest good; yet we aredrawn to Thee, and we say withone of old, ''Thou hast made usfor Thyself, and our hearts arerestless till they find rest in Thee."Bring us at this time into Thybanqueting-house, and may Thybanner over us be Love. Wewould tell Thee all our wants, oursorrows and our sins, that out ofthe fullness of Thy grace we mayreceive healing and forgiveness.We lament our desires covetous

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of worldly things, the coldness ofour affections, the prayerlessness

of our lives, the want of relish forThy law. Forgive us all that ourresolves to lead the higher life

have been so easily broken, andgrant us true repentance, that

henceforth we may build our liveson the abiding foundation of Thyholy will, as it is revealed in JesusChrist. Cause us to walk in thepaths of purity and sincerity, torenounce the hidden things of dis-honesty, and to have no fellow-ship with the works of darkness.We pant for a purer air, a widerspace. O God, lead us out of thetwilight of our own dark, narrow

souls into Thy glorious light, thatwe may be the children, not of thenight, but of the day. Strengthenus, that we may finish the workThou hast given us to do. Com-

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fort us in the troubles that waitupon our earthly lot. Guide usthrough the shadows of time intoThy blessed eternity.We invoke Thy blessing upon all

who need Thee, and who aregroping after Thee, if haply theymay find Thee. Be gracious tothose who bear the sins of others,who are vexed by the wrong-doing and selfishness of those nearand dear to them, and reveal tothem the glory of their fellow-ship with the sufferings of Christ.Brood in tenderness over thehearts of the anxious, the miser-able, the victims of phantasmalfears and morbid imaginings. Re-deem from slavery the men andwomen who have yielded to de-grading habits. Put Thy Spiritwithin them, that they may riseup in shame and sorrow and make

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confession to Thee, "So brutishwas I, and ignorant: I was as abeast before Thee." And then letthem have the glad assurancethat Thou art with them, thesecret of all good, the promise andpotency of better things. Consolewith Thy large consolation, thosewho mourn for their loved dead,who count the empty places andlong for the sound of a voice thatis still. Inspire them with thefirm conviction that the dead aresafe in Thy keeping, nay, thatthey are not dead, but live untoThee. Give to all sorrowing onesa garland for ashes, the oil of joyfor mourning, and the garment ofpraise for the spirit of heaviness.

Remember for good all who areperplexed with the mysteries ofexistence, and who grieve becausethe world is so sad and unin-

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telligible. Teach them that Thyhand is on the helm of affairs,that Thou dost guide Thine ownworld, and canst change everydark cloud into bright sunshine.In this faith let them rest, and bythis faith let them live. Theseblessings we ask in the nameof our Lord and Saviour JesusChrist. Amen,

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VI

TERNAL God, rise with Thymorning upon our souls,

and call us to consecrate anotherday to Thy service. We thankThee for rest and sleep, and forThy watchful care throughout thehours of darkness. Thou hastbeen as a wall of fire about ourhome, and Thyself the glory inthe midst. Thou dost care foreach one of us, as if Thou didstcare for him only, and for all asif they were but one. We wouldcommit our ways to Thee afresh.Sustain us amid all our work, andsolve the problems of our life thatare too hard for us. May we bestrong in the faith that all thingswork together for good to themthat love Thee. O God, ourallotted time is as the passing of

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a shadow. Our life vanishes awayeven as a mist is scattered beforethe burning beams of the sun.Without Thee we cannot live anddare not die. Draw us into fellow-ship with Thy mind and will, that,renouncing the vain things whichin times past have charmed, wemay yield ourselves unreservedlyto Thee, that Thou mayst use us toadvance Thy cause and Kingdomin the world. Send forth ThySpirit into our hearts to quickenus with fresh zeal and devoutaspiration, to rouse us to renewedstruggle against the evil that iswithin and without us. We re-joice in the message which JesusChrist, Thy Son, has brought us,which tells us of Thy self-sacrifice,in surrendering Him to death thatwe might win the blessedness forwhich we were created. When in

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the misery and confusion of ourguilt we shrink before the look ofThy holiness, it is His voice thatspeaks the word which comforts,"I will not pray the Father foryou, for the Father himself lovethyou." When conscious of our un-faithfulness to higher aims, andyet craving the freedom of alarger life, it is His Spirit thatstreams into our hearts, to clear

our inward vision, and to set us inthe power of Thy redemption.Let Jesus Christ be born anew inour hearts, and then we will bedrawn to Thee with the cords ofa man, with the bands of love,and henceforth we will run inthe way of Thy commandments,counting none of them grievous.We pray for those who love us,

and for those who, it may be, dis-like us. Take from us any evil

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thing that hinders the flow of lovefrom soul to soul. Pour upon usthe spirit of brotherhood, in thestrength of which we may bear eachother's burdens, and cover with amantle of charity our brother'sweakness. If any are estrangedfrom us, do Thou pluck out of theirhearts and ours any root of bitter-ness, and unite us again in thebonds of mutual affection. If anyare irritable, or weak, or nervous,give us a spirit of unwearied for-bearance, that we may be to them asource of strength and poise andself-control. As we go among ourfellows, may we ever manifest apatient temper, a kind and happyspirit, a love that beareth all things,endureth all things, believeth allthings. These blessings we ask inthe name of Jesus Christ Thy Sonour Lord. Amen,

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0!VII

'OST merciful God, Power ofour souls, Healer of our

diseases, unto Thee would wecome. Amid the haste and hurryof common life Thou seemest topass away. Amid the cares andanxieties and all the turmoil ofour inner mind we cannot hearThee knocking at the door, seek-ing to enter and to bless. Butnow would we quiet our soulsbefore Thee; now would we feelourselves enwrapped with Thyunspeakable presence, and knowThee as the joy and strength oflife. Quicken Thou our faith andhope and aspiration, that we maybe upborne above all unrest andirritation, and be made sharersin Thy perfect calm. Lengthenthese moments of prayer, we

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beseech Thee, until our wholelife becomes a continual aspirationafter Thee.

Father of all mercies! God ofall comfort! we bring before Theethe record of our lives, stainedwith the memories of sin andfailure. Be patient with us, for ifThou turn Thy face from us, weare lost. Cast us not from Thypresence, and take not Thy HolySpirit from us. Call us back to theright and holy path.Thou Shepherdof our souls. Place upon us oncemore Thy blessed yoke; set usface to face with our unaccom-plished tasks, and we will proveour penitence by the constancy ofour wills in the strength of Thyforgiving grace. Give unto uswhat Thou commandest, and thencommand what Thou wilt.Here would we remember be-

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fore Thee the wants and sorrowsof our fellows. Have mercy, weentreat Thee, upon any who areentangled in earthly things, whoit may be, have given up all hopeof the higher life. Leave themnot to themselves, but wakenthem to the vanity of all thatis temporal, that they may findsatisfaction only in the things

that are eternal. Be present withThy help to the tempted. Bysome sweet memory or dear affec-tion reinforce the powers of the

soul, that the mind may thinkonly of what is fair and lovely andof good report, and the will re-sist to the uttermost the assaults

of wrong. Unto those, O God,who feel the pain and darknessand mystery of life, let the Sunof Righteousness arise with heal-ing in His wings. Remember in

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pity, the sick, the distressed of

body or of mind. Many andgreat are the disorders of our

mortal nature, but Thy medicinesare mightier. Open the souls ofall who lie in beds of weariness tothe inflow of Thy Divine Life.In the silence may they hear Thyvoice saying, "I have heard thyprayer, I have seen thy tears,behold, I will heal thee." For

the burden-bearers, the tempest-

tossed, the afflicted and not com-forted, we pray. Thy consolationsare greater than all the sorrows ofthe world. Bind up the broken-hearted, and with Thy touch healthose wounds of the soul thatbleed and will not cease. Givea spirit of endurance and of trustto those whose thorn in the fleshmust remain. Save them fromdespair, from the indifference of a

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heart without faith, and perfectThy strength in their weakness.Comfort all men everywhere withThy light, and guide them by ThySpirit, for Jesus Christ's sake.

Amen,

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VIII

eTERNAL God, lead us intothe blessedness of the mys-

tery of communion with Thee.Bow our spirits in deepest rever-ence before Thee, yet uplift usinto a sense of kinship. Send thespirit of Thy Son into our hearts,crying "Abba, Father," that allunworthy fear may be banishedby the gladness of Thy perfectlove. Thy love is like theluminous heaven, receiving onlyto purify the foulest breath ofearth. Thy gentleness is like thesun, seeking to cheer and warmthe chilled hearts of men. Touchus, O our Father, with a feelingof Thy great realities, for thoughour thought about Thee is betterthan our words, our experience ofThee is better than our thought.

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Bestow upon us, we beseechThee, the grace for which weseverally crave. Troubles over-whelm the heart: lead us to therock that Is higher than we.Doubts assail us. Give us asupreme trust that will not letThee go, until the day break andthe shadows flee away. We areunstable, easily moved by ex-ternal circumstance. Strengthenus that we may play, the man,and in Thy might grant us togain dominion over the world.Our hearts are sad, thinking, aswe do, of dear ones, so tenderlyloved, but now taken from us,or of living griefs that will not

heal. Wipe Thou our tears away.O God of hope! save us from de-spair. Thou bringest the deadout of the living and the livingout of the dead. Come and work

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Thy wonders in the hearts ofthose who grieve and wound usand cause us to drink of bittertears, that sorrow may flee awayand our mouth be filled withlaughter and our tongue withsinging.

We entreat Thee, O Lord, toremember us in our daily work.Let us do it heartily, as unto Thee,and not as unto men. Grant thatour tasks may be congenial to us;that we may give ourselves whollyto them. Consecrate all ourpowers of body and mind to Thyservice. Give us enthusiasm, afervent spirit, a cheerful, hopeful

temper, so that we may do ourwork with ease and self control,not with idle worry, or fruitlessfear. Let us not think too muchof our rights, but always of ourduties, and when we have done

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all, then let us say, "We are un-profitable servants." And whenThou drawest the curtain of nightupon our labour, give us the sweetgift of sleep. All this we ask for

Jesus' sake. Amen,

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IX

^^\ LORD, our God, we de-\L^ sire to feel Thee near us inspirit and in body at this time.We know that in Thee we liveand move and have our being,but we are cast down and easilydisquieted, and we wander in manya sad wilderness where we losethe conscious experience of Thypresence. Yet the deepest yearn-ing of our hearts is unto Thee.As the hart panteth after thewaterbrooks, so pant our soulsafter Thee, O God. Nothing lessthan Thyself can still the hunger,or quench the thirst with whichThou hast inspired us. Power ofour souls! enter Thou into themand fit them for Thyself, makingthem pure with Christ's purity,loving and lovable with His love.

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As we feel Thy presence weknow we are not what we oughtto be. Help us to bring intothe clear light of the mind what-ever evil lurks within, that the

conscience may be aroused tolift up its voice and spare not.Pardon the sins of the inner life.Forgive the unbelief that is everloosening our hold upon Thy su-preme realities; the shortsighted-ness that ever stays our visionupon things temporal and mate-rial; the pride of spirit or ofintellect that wars against allloveliness and grace; the cold-ness of heart that never meltsinto humility, and is never warmedinto self-sacrifice. O God, pityus. Leave us not to our loveless,lifeless ways. Let the chaff withinus be blown away by the breath ofThy judgment, and let the wheat

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of Thy sending, we beseech Thyheavenly benediction. Give themfreedom of heart, peace of con-science, the rest of lying still inThy hands, the joy of surrender-ing all their cares to Thee, whocarest for every creature Thou hastmade. Whatever be the need orthe desire, do Thou supply it ac-cording to the riches of Thy gracein glory by Christ Jesus. Amen,

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XW^ GOD, Thou hast found us,K^ and not we Thee. At timeswe but dimly discern Thee; thedismal mists of earth obscure Thyglory. Yet in other and moreblessed moments, Thou dost riseupon our souls, and we know Theeas the Light of all our seeing, theLife of all that is not dead withinus, the Bringer of health and cure,the Revealer of peace and truth.We will not doubt our bettermoments, for in them Thou dostspeak to us. We rejoice thatThou hast created us in Thineimage. Thy Love has stirredus into being, has endowed uswith spiritual substance. Inthe intellect, whose thoughts wan-der through eternity; in the con-science that bears witness to

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Thy eternal righteousness; in theaffections that make life sweet,and reach forth to Thee, O Loverof Mankind in these, we aremade heirs to the riches of Thygrace. And when we wanderedfrom Thee into the far country,and there wasted our substance,Thou didst not forsake us. Thylove followed after us and wouldnot let us go, and compelled usto return. We praise Thee thatin the advent of Thy dear Son,all that Thou art has becomevisible to faith. His passionhas become our deliverance. Hiswounds our healing, His Crossour redemption. His death ourlife. Make us one with Him infaith and penitence, that as Hedied, so we may die unto sin,that as He rose again triumphantover wrong and shame and

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despair, so we may rise with Himinto newness of life.

Our Father be with us, we prayThee, not only in the great mo-ments of experience, but also inthe trivial round, the commontask. Make us children of quiet-ness and heirs of peace. Grantthat we may go among our fellowswith cheerful, kindly faces, everlenient to their faults, ever gladto praise their virtues. Help usto control our tempers, and to bekindly aifectioned one towardsanother. Wherever we see needor distress, may we be ready tohelp, counting it our joy to bearanother's burdens, and so fulfilthe law of Christ. Save us fromall selfish pleasure and slothfulease and idle curiosity. Keep usever mindful of the fewness ofour days, and the greatness of

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Thy work. As our day is, so letour strength be. And let Thyfavour be upon us; establish Thouthe work of our hands upon us;yea, the work of our hands, estab-lish Thou it, through Jesus Christ,our Lord. Amen.

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XI

GOD, who art unsearchablein Thy judgments, and in

Thy ways past finding out, webow before the mystery of ThyBeing, and confess that we knownothing, and can say nothing wor-thy of Thee. We cannot under-stand Thy dealings with us. Wehave faith, not sight; when wecannot see, we may only believe.Sometimes Thou seemest to haveno mercy upon us. Thou dostpierce us through our most tenderaffections, quenching the light ofour eyes in dreadful darkness.

Death tears from us all that welove, and Thou art seemingly deafto all our cries. Our earthly cir-cumstances are reversed and bitterpoverty is appointed us, yet Thoutakest no heed, and bringest no

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comfort to the sorrow and thebarrenness of our life. Still wouldwe trust in Thee and cling tothat deepest of our instincts whichtells us that we come from Theeand return to Thee. Be with us,Father of Mercies, in love andpity and tenderness unspeakable.Lift our souls into Thy perfectcalm, where all our griefs are putto rest, and our wills are in har-mony with Thine.O Lord, remember each one of

us in our need. Thou wilt notforget our dear ones who are sick.Many whom Thou lovest are illin body or in mind. Heal them,we entreat Thee; and grant thatafter they have been afflicted, theymay be comforted, and taste ofthose deeper joys that are pur-chased only with pain. Graciouslybless our children. Lay Thy hand

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upon them, and grant that throughthe coming years, in joy or in sor-row, in health or in sickness, in all

the changes of their life, they maylive under Thine eye and in Thystrength, and rise into the meas-ure of the stature of the fulness of

Christ. Be gracious to those whobear responsibility, the toilers whowin bread for wife and child. Letthem not be crushed by the bur-dens which they have to carry.Sweeten every task; lighten everyload with a sense of duty done, oflove's command obeyed. Remem-ber the aged. Smooth their de-clining steps. Help them to bearthe infirmities of the years. Makethe old man young again in spirit,that he may have a foretaste of theeternal youth of Heaven.Immortal Father! the years

are fast passing. Even as a va-

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pour, our little life vanisheth away.O spare us that we may do somework for Thy sake alone! Let usnot pass hence until, if it may be,through us a sinner shall be con-verted from the error of his ways,or an ignorant soul instructed,or a grief-stricken heart consoledand strengthened, or an outcastbrought into the home and fellow-ship of the children of God. Ourbeing is a great mystery, set be-tween two eternities, and searchwe ever so deeply we can notknow the meaning. We believethat life is ours in order that itmay be the channel for Thy savingand recreating power; that ourwills are ours in order that theymay be made Thine. Let thedead past bury its dead. For thetime that remains, consecrate usto the service of the living, and

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draw us to the spirit of Him whocame not to be ministered unto,but to minister, and to give hislife a ransom for many. Thesepetitions we make in His name.Amen.

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to infinite gain. Amid the changesof life, Lord, keep us steadfastand loyal to the service of Thywill. Let no storm disturb thedeep things of our quietness. Letno trial shake the foundations ofour faith. Establish us in theassurance that though all elseperish. Thy truth and righteous-ness are eternal; that though wefaint and fail. Thou failest never.Thine unchangeableness rebukesour fickleness; Thine abiding pa-tience, our want of self-control.Grant us, O heavenly Father,

perfect remission and forgivenessfor all our wasted hours. Toooften have we proved recreant inthe fight against evil and put tosleep the cries of conscience. Wehave chosen selfish ease, or meanambitions, or unholy pleasures,and have said, "These be our

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gods!" And then have we be-come the bond-servants of sin.

Have mercy upon us and free usfrom those habits of thought andfeeling which the years haveengraven upon us. Subdue thewaywardness of our hearts to themeekness of Christ. Let Himenter anew into our souls, and beformed in us, that every evilhabit may fall from off us, andthat we may put on the virtuesand graces of the Christian life.Let our days be bound each toeach in the bonds of spiritual piety.If Thou shouldst call us to bearpain or sorrow, give us patiencethat we may win from it itshidden blessing. And to this endgrant that we may not speak toomuch about our griefs, nor letthem prey upon our hearts, butcommit them all to Thee, casting

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all our care upon Thee, becauseThou carest for us. ShouldstThou summon us to some greatact of sacrifice, steady the will, OLord, and inspire the heart withgreat courage, and put within usthe mind of Him who emptiedHimself and took upon Him theform of a servant, and becameobedient unto death, even thedeath of the Cross. Teach us thatit is better to give than to receive,better to lose our life than to saveit. And so may we ever pass intoThy hand, and be dedicated toThy service, which is perfect free-dom. Hear us, in Thy mercy,through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

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XIII

/^S GOD of infinite mercy, whoKl^ hast compassion upon allmen and hatest nothing Thou hastmade, we praise and magnify Thyglorious name for all the goodnessThou hast vouchsafed to us. Thouhast given us this wonderful life,with its strange secrets, its per-plexing mysteries, its boundlessaspirations, its limitless capacities

for joy and sorrow. Thou hastsent us success and happiness; wehave taken them as our due, andhave scarce given Thee a thought.Thou hast permitted griefs andpains to befall us that Thou might-est draw us to Thyself; but wehave murmured against the whole-some discipline, and have missedIts saving message. Thou hastheld up before us ideals of peace

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and holiness not engraven onawful tables of stone but revealedin the grace and beauty of theMan Christ Jesus yet have weturned to lower levels and madecompromise with the evil of theworld. In Thy mercy, forgive usall that is past, and for the futurebow our wills in obedience toThine, that we may love Thee per-fectly, and serve Thee faithfully.Loving Father! though Thou

countest the stars and bringest forththeir host, yet dost Thou bind upthe wounds of the sick and healestthe broken-hearted. If to any ofus Thou hast especially spokenwords of comfort and of strength,we thank Thee. If Thou hastsaved any from temptation, oranswered the cry of a perplexedsoul, or opened a way back toHeaven and holiness for some poor

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prodigal child of Thine, we praiseThee. If Thou hast touched anyheart with a special joy, or hastturned for any life the shadow ofdeath into Thy morning, we givethanks to Thee for Thy greatglory. By the memory of all theoutgoings of thy compassion, wewould vow ourselves afresh toThee, and to the work Thou hastgiven us to do.We pray for all men. We pray

for those who cannot pray forthemselves, who think of Theeonly as a vague and puzzling imageof the mind. Teach them howreal, how gracious, how generousThou art, the Source of life andlight, without whom we were lostin death and darkness. We prayfor the sick in the homes andhospitals of our land. Bless

watched and watcher alike, that

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to the watched may come, evenamid bodily pain and trial,strength of mind, calm of soul,and to the watcher, the sympathyand tenderness that bring Thymessage of hope. We ask for nomiracle, no violation of the laws

Thou hast ordained, but we seekthat through Thy appointed chan-nels Thou wouldest send forthThy word and heal the afflicted, sothat men might praise Thee forThy loving kindness and for Thywonderful works to the childrenof men. Each heart knows itsown bitterness, but Thou knowestthe bitterness of all hearts. Thouhast a healing balm for each hurtof the soul. Bring strength to theweary, relief to the nervous andthe miserable, consolation to the

disconsolate, and deliverance tothose who sit in the shadow of

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death, fast bound in misery andiron. Speak peace to the troubledconscience; strengthen the weak;confirm the strong; save the op-pressed and him that hath nohelper. And, by Thy mercy, bringus all by the paths of righteousnessand the waters of comfort to Thineabode of rest and glory, throughJesus Christ our Lord. Amen,

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XIV

/^S GOD, in whom we live and\l^ move and have our being,make us to feel Thy presence, aswe would lift here a voice of pen-itence and prayer. We are notalways conscious of Thy closenessto us. In the misery of bereave-ment, or the sadness of a wrongedaffection, or in the loneliness ofdepression which comes we knownot how, and envelops the soulwith thick clouds, we are forced tocry; ''O that I knew where Imight find him! Behold I go for-ward, but He is not there, andbackward, but I cannot perceiveHim!" But now would we seeThee in all the glory of Thine over-flowing mercy; now would we knowThee as the inmost Treasure of ourhearts, the never-failing Light in

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the darkness and mystery of ourlittle lives.

Father of mercies! We thankThee for all that Thou art to us.We cannot understand the great-ness of Thy grace that Thoushouldst rejoice in us and love tohold converse with us. We canonly adore Thee and praise Theefor Thy goodness and Thy mar-vellous loving kindness. Thouart our King, and therefore thelaws and ways of Thy Kingdomsafeguard our happiness. Thouart our Shepherd, and dostlead us by the green pasturesand the still waters of Thygrace. Thou art our Father, whoseinfinite tenderness bears all oursickness and carries all our sor-rows. Thou art our Companion,therefore we will fear no evil,

though we should walk through

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the valley of the shadow ofdeath.Thy goodness leadeth us to re-

pentance. We confess with shamethat we have not been pure andtrue. Instead of overcoming evil,we have too often been overcomeby it. We have forgotten the holycalling wherewith Thou hast calledus, and turned back to the flesh-pots of the world. The powers ofthe unseen have been manifestedaround us, all the ineffable graceof the Godhead hath dwelt amongus in the person of Thy Son JesusChrist, and we are still irreso-lute, still uncommitted to the per-fect life, still unable to make thegreat resolve. O God, have pityupon us. Put within us a spirit ofpenitence and of faith, that thebands which bind us may meltaway and nothing shall be impos-

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sible unto us. Take from us theintolerable burden of consciousguilt, that we may step forth intothe glorious liberty of the childrenof God. Crown us kings andpriests unto Thee, our God, vic-torious over the discouragementsthat beset us, pledged to no am-bition save that of loving Theeand of helping our brothers insincerity and simplicity. Grantthat we may commend our religionto others by our joyous demeanour,our courage under trials, our self-restraint under provocation, ourpatience under misfortune and dis-appointment. Thus may we, asfar as in us lies, spread the knowl-edge of the good news of ThyKingdom, and attract others intoit with the glad invitation "Osad and disconsolate, weary andheavy-laden ones, come ye, and let

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us walk in the light of the Lord!"These blessings we beseech Theeto give us for Jesus Christ's sake.

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XVjMrERCIFUL Father! ThouJJ/VJ' delightest to answer ourprayer. Take us at this time intocommunion with Thyself. Breatheinto our hearts so that our humandesires may be brought into har-mony with Thy divine desire.Banish from us all pride, arrogance,and self-conceit; all insincerityand doubleness of mind or heart.Make us simple with the simplicitywhich is in Christ. May our desires,purged of all unworthiness, rise upbefore Thee as the incense, and,what Thou hast inspired within us,be pleased to accept and bless.

Set us free, O Lord, from thebonds of sense and outward things.Lift from off us the heavy weight ofcustom. May we no longer servethe traditions of men but obey

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Thy commandments with gladand willing hearts. Sanctify oursorrows. Let them not dull ourminds or narrow our hearts; butdo Thou work through them Thyholy ends and call us by them toa deeper knowledge and a largervision. When the difficulties ofthe day try us, take from us allweak lamenting and inspire uswith Thy strength to grapple withthem, and to win from them adeeper trust in Thee. Consecrateall our work and service. Inspireus with a spirit of devotion andpatience. May we seek not ourown glory but to do Thy pleasureand to bring forth some fruitwhich may be to the praise ofThy grace. Grant that we maythrow aside all sloth and self-seeking and learn the blessednessof an eager and sacrificial life.

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Bless us in our intercourse withour fellows. Quicken our heartsthat we may be swift to hear ourbrother's cry from the pit ofhumiliation or of need. Give usthe forgiving spirit, else how shouldwe know ourselves forgiven byThee? If any have wronged us,grant that we may bring to themThy charity and win them to abetter mind. If any are in dis-grace or shame, outcasts fromthe world, make us Thy messen-gers of mercy, that we may sharethe pain, and by our love, whichIS also Thine, lead them back toThy home and fellowship. Maywe be to all men Thy revealers andinterpreters, bearing Thy appealto the sinning, the sorrowful andthe despairing. And this we wouldbe and do, through Jesus Christour Lord. Amen,

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after the spirit; may we judge noman by his weak or vicious mo-ments, but by the best that is inhim, by the deepest desires thathere find no true fulfilment.Give us simplicity and direct-

ness in all our dealings with ourfellows. Fill us with a horror ofall meanness and hard-heartedness.May the appeal of wretchednessnever knock at our hearts in vain,nor the cry of the wronged or op-pressed be powerless to rouse us torighteous indignation. Awaken usfrom our spiritual slumbers andteach us the holy joy of service inThy name. Reveal to us the gloryof our vocation, the glory of bat-tling with wrong, of helping theweak, of blessing the sinful, ofshaping a character that cannotdie. Banish from our hearts alldespair and doubt and hesitation,

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and send us forth into the sunshinecleansed and purified and glad-dened. May we radiate Thy lovealike to the good and the bad, thejust and the unjust. We ascribeunto Thee all praise and glory,through Jesus Christ our Lord.Amen.

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XVII

TT OVING Father, our hearts areJ^ moved to gratitude and trustwhen we look up to Thee. Werejoice that through our fleetingdays there runs Thy gracious pur-pose. We praise Thee that we arenot the creatures of chance, nor

the victims of iron fate, but thatout from Thee we have come andinto Thy bosom we shall return.We would not, even if we could,escape Thee. Thou alone art good,and to escape from Thee is to fallinto infinite evil. Thy hand isupon us moving us on to some far-off spiritual event, where the mean-ing and the mystery of life shall bemade plain and Thy glory shallbe revealed. Look in pity uponour ignorance and childishness.Forgive us our small understand-

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alone can lead the way. Lift themabove themselves so that theirtears may bring forth fruit intender ministry to those afflictedwith like suffering, that they maycomfort others with the comfortwherewith they themselves arecomforted by Thee. For thosewho despair because of moralweakness and failure, we pray.May they throw themselves onThy truth and mercy, and hearThy voice of power and reassur-ance, ''Be still and know thatI am thy God, thy salvation." Letthe doubter see his doubts dissolveaway in the vision of Thyself.Let the restless and discontentedpass into Thy peace, which theworld cannot give and cannot takeaway. Let the miserable and ill atease, the fretful and the careworn,come forth from their cabined

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world into the larger places ofThy blessedness and Thy rest.O God, Thou hast been our

fathers' God. They trusted inThee, and were not ashamed. Beour God and our Fortress, evenunto death, for Thy mercies' sake.

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XVIII

LMIGHTY and most merci-ful Father, hear our prayers;

and, when Thou hearest, forgivetheir weakness, bless their inten-tion, deepen their feeling, andmake them sincere. Thou hast afire which can consume our im-pure thoughts, which can make ofour poor sacrifice a sweet incensewherein Thou wilt delight. Touchour lips, we beseech Thee, with alive coal from off Thine altar, andsay unto us, '*Lo, this hath touchedthy lips, and thine iniquity istaken away and thy sin for-given." And then may we speakto Thee with the freedom ofchildren who would open theirinmost hearts to the Father'skindness and tender pity.Gracious Father! Thou hast

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committed unto us varied tasks.To some it is given to command;to others, to obey. On someThou hast bestowed riches; othersThou hast set in poverty. Somelive in perpetual sunshine, sur-

rounded by honour, love andfriends; others there are whosedays are spent in gloom, knowingbut little of the joy Thou hast putat the heart of life. We are allalike responsible to Thee. Fromeach Thou shalt demand strictaccount of his stewardship. Wefaint when we think of this. Theburden grows upon us until itseems as though it were too heavyto be borne. O great Taskmaster,pardon our wasted past, and forthe future give us Thy strengththat we may never shrink beforeany duty, however hard, or play thecoward in any conflict, however

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bitter to flesh and blood. Somuch remains to be done, and lifeis so short, and the years so fleet-ing. Our time, which is but amoment in Thy eternity. Thouhast crowded with mystic experi-ences and glorious opportunities.Grant that we may pass by theshadows of earth, and build uponthe great realities of truth andlove and righteousness. To thisend send forth Thy Spirit into ourhearts, to counsel us in perplexity,

to shield us in spiritual danger, toinspire our wills to do Thy work.Leave us not to ourselves, or tothe forces of the world about us,but in the storm of passion, or inthe stress of doubt, hide us in Thypavilion until our day of troublebe overpast. Draw us nearer toThy central peace, where vain de-sires and mean passions and empty

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hopes are hushed to rest and weknow that all is well. Comfort uswith the hope of a happy awaken-ing after life's fitful dream is over,and, when we awake, may we besatisfied with Thy likeness. Andunto Thee we ascribe all praiseand glory, now and ever. Amen,

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XIX

ll^ GOD, most holy and most\iy gracious, never could weclimb up to Thee by any ladderof our own making; therefore inpity Thou hast sent Thy Son intothe world to show us the way toThee. Thou hast set the glory ofThine omnipotence in Heaven andearth. And yet wert Thou onlyan infinitude of might, our heartswould faint within us. But nowin Jesus Christ Thou hast veiledThy power, hast come forth in thestrength of Thy gentleness to liveour life and die our death, thatThou mightest win us to sonshipand eternal life. O God, we knownot the meaning of Gethsemaneand the Cross. If we seek to graspit, too often we but darken counselwith words of ignorance. We can

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only praise Thee for Thy grace,and Hft up a cry of penitence andof trust.

Living Father! We thank Theefor our life with its unspeakableprivilege and dread responsibility.Thou hast given it to us thatthrough it may throb the mightytide of Thy love, that in it maybe revealed some aspect of Thybeing and beauty. Thou hastbeset us behind and before. Thoumakest us to sorrow for oursins. Thou dost stir us witha divine discontent, and we for-get the things that are behindand reach forth unto the thingsthat are before. We rejoice thatThou hast set our life amid gra-cious opportunities, whereby Thouwouldst train us to truer visionand larger understanding of Theeand of ourselves. We bless Thee

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for the Church as the school ofvirtue and godly living; for thesacred Scriptures that bring to usthe story of Thy redeeming will;for all the wise and saintly menof the past and of the present;for the goodly fellowship of theprophets, and the noble army ofthe martyrs; for the great cloudof witnesses from whose faith andhope we would take courage In ourstruggles and trials. We rejoice tobelieve that Thou art always over-ruling trouble and temptation andsin and disappointment, and outof them art making stepping-stones to bring us nearer to Thee.Forbid that we should know Thygrace In vain. Rather may Thygoodness bind us anew to loyaltyand to faith, and constrain us to alife separate from evil, made conse-crate to goodness.

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We would not be selfish in ourprayers. We cannot come intoThy presence without bringing inour hearts the tears, the pain, the

longing of our brothers. O God,our sympathy with them is butthe broken reflection of Thine.Come Thou to the burdened, thewretched, the grief-stricken, thosewho have been made sad by others,and those who have brought sad-ness upon themselves. May theyhear, by faith, the still voice ofThy sympathy! May they feelthe beating of Thy great heart ofcompassion! May they take com-fort in the assurance that Thoudost suffer in and with them, andyet abidest in everlasting blessed-ness! Hear our prayers in behalfof all those who are strugglingagainst the power of evil. Havepity upon the drunkard. Restore

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to him the power of self-control.Enable him to obey the behestsof reason and conscience. LayThy healing and soothing handupon the victims of nervous ten-sion, of sleepless nights, and fruit-less days. Give them rest of soulthat the body, too, may be at rest.Relieve those who are in pain.Grant them patience and courage,and let them not doubt Thy good-ness or love. Call the sinningand the suffering into fellowshipwith Christ that they may find inHim the secret of victory over theevil of the world; that He mayrise in their souls, a star burningbrightly through the long nightunto Thy perfect day. Theseblessings we beg, in His name, andfor His sake. Amen.

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XX/^k LORD, we would rest in^bP^ Thee, for in Thee alone istrue rest to be found. We wouldforget our disappointed hopes, ourfruitless efforts, our trivial aims,and lean on Thee, our Comfortand our Strength. When theorder of this world bears cruellyupon us; when Nature seems to usan awful machine, grinding out lifeand death, without a reason or apurpose; when our hopes perish inthe grave where we lay to rest ourloved dead: O what can we dobut turn to Thee, whose law un-derlieth all, and whose love, wetrust, is the end of all? Thoufillest all things with Thy presence,and dost press close to our souls.Still every passion, rebuke everydoubt, strengthen every element

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of good withm us, that nothingmay hinder the outflow of ThyHfe and power. In Thee, let theweak be full of might, and let thestrong renew their strength. In

Thee, let the tempted find suc-cour, the sorrowing consolation,and the lonely and the neglectedtheir Supreme friend, their faithfulCompanion.O Lord, we are weary of our old,

barren selves. Separate us fromour spiritual past, and quickenwithin us the seeds of a new future.Transform us by the breath ofThy regenerating power, that lifemay seem supremely beautifuland duty our highest privilege,and the only real evil a guiltyconscience. Let us be no longersad, or downcast, or miserable, ordespairing, vexed by remorse, ordepressed by our failures. Take

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from a bitter and uncharitable tem-per, from inconsiderate and selfishdeeds. Enable us to give a smileinstead of a frown; a cheerful,kindly word, instead of harshnessand coldness. Let our dealingswith all men, good and bad alike,be simple and according to theway of Christ. May we love thesinner, even while we condemnhis sin. Forgive us that we haveso often rejoiced at the misfortuneof the transgressor, and grant thatwe may henceforth greatly pityhim and gently turn his thoughtsto goodness and to Thee. O God,these tasks seem hard to us, butwith Thee all things are possible.Supply to us the strength that weneed, according to the riches ofThy Grace in glory by ChristJesus. Amen,

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XXI

;LESSED art Thou, O God,who hast created and dost

sustain us, out of whose fulnesscome blessing and goodness andhappiness. Dwell in us as apower of love and of soundness.Heal the disorders of body andsoul. Pluck from the memory therooted sorrow and cleanse theovercharged heart from its miseryand pain. Bring Thy peace tothe troubled conscience. Quenchthe fires of evil within us and lighta flame of holy love that maywarm and purify our lives.O God, our Father, as we look

back upon our past lives, werealise that Thy hand hast guidedus. Even in the desert places ofour experience. Thou hast causedto break forth springs that have

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providential care. Whatever thefuture may have in store for us,whether our days be few or many,full of joy or of sorrow, of pleasureor of pain, we would hold fast byThee, whom we see not, as thoughwe saw Thee. "Whom have wein Heaven but Thee; and thereis none upon the earth that wedesire beside Thee. Our flesh andour hearts faint, but Thou artthe Strength of our heart and ourportion for ever." Henceforth wewould have nothing, receive noth-ing, and be nothing but what Thouchoosest. In the turmoil of theworld, in the failure of lowerhopes, we would remember thatour deepest life is hid with Christin Thee. O Christ, Thou Son ofGod and Son of Man, enter anewinto our hearts. Move us tofresh ambition. Assure us of the

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Father's love, and lead us intothe wonder and the joy of Hisforgiving grace, and make us onewith Him in every thought andpurpose and desire. Dwell in usevermore. Thou Peace of God,earnest of the peace of eternity!

We ask it in Thy name. Amen,

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XXII

^LMIGHTY and ever-living

a JBoofe of drapers;

and evil and disorder of our lives.Thou hast visited our hearts withideals fair and beautiful, but alas!we have grown weary in aspiration,and have declined into the sordidaims of our baser selves. Thouhast given us the love of parentand of friend, that we mightthereby learn something of Thineown love; yet too often have wedespised Thy gift and shut ourhearts to all the wonder and theglory. We make confession beforeThee of our sin and folly andIgnorance. Again and again wehave vowed ourselves to Thy ser-vice; again and again our languidwills have failed to do Thy Will.We have been seduced by thesweet poison of sin, and evenagainst light and knowledge wehave done that which Thou dostabhor, and which in our secret

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hearts we loathe. And now wealmost fear to repent, lest Thoushouldst call us into judgmentfor a repentance that must needs berepented of. O mighty Saviourof men! be patient with us a littlelonger. Take us back to Thyself.Without Thee, we are undone;with Thee, we will take fresh heartof hope, and bind ourselves witha more effectual vow, and layingaside every weight and the sinwhich doth so easily beset us, wewill follow Thee whithersoeverThou leadest.

Gracious Father, Thou hast in-vited us, unworthy as we are, topray for all sorts and conditions ofmen. We pray for all those whosay, "Why hast Thou forgottenme?" and who feel that theyare neglected or despised by theirfellows. Comfort them with a

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sense of Thy presence and Thyfavour. We pray for all who arein bondage to fear, unable to facethe tasks of life or bear the thoughtof death with peace and dignity.Free them from the tyranny ofthese dark dreads. Let the inspi-ration of a great faith or hopeseize their souls, and lift themabove their fruitless * worry andidle torments, into a region of joyand peace and blessedness. Wepray for the victims of evil habits,the slaves of alcohol or mor-phine, or any other pretended re-deemer of the soul from wearinessand pain. Great is the power ofthese degrading temptations; butgreater still is the saving energyof Thy Spirit. So let Thy Spiritenter the hearts of these unhappychildren of Thine, that their willmay be made strong to resist, and

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that the burning heat of highthoughts may consume the grosserdesires of the flesh. We prayfor souls bound beneath self-im-posed burdens, vexed by miseriesof their own making; for thechildren of melancholy, who havelost their way and grope withouta light; for those who do theirwork with no enthusiasm, and,when night falls, can find no sleepthough they search for it as forhidden treasure. Let Thy lightpierce through their gloom andshine upon their path. Say Thouthe healing and the reconcilingword, and then we know that self-possession will be theirs, and allthe blessings of a mind at one withThee and with itself. Help us all,we beseech Thee, to attempt oncemore to lead the perfect life.Unite us to Jesus Christ, Thy

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perfect Son, in the bonds of aliving trust, so that sustained byHis example, and sanctified byHis Spirit, we may grow moreand more into the image of Hislikeness. These, and all otherblessings, we ask in His name andfor His sake. Amen.

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XXIII

^LMIGHTY God, our Heavenly^Cl- Father, as we enter Thy pres-ence, we are ashamed of our poor,sinful lives. We have been drawnaway by evil from the holy pathof Thy commandments. Doubthas dimmed our vision of Thysupreme realities. Pride has shutthe doors of our souls against the

entrance of Thy spirit. The cloudsof faithless sorrow have hiddenThy face from us. The bitter-ness of disappointed hopes hasshut us out from the healing sun-shine of Thy presence. Outsidethe closed portals of our hearts

Thou hast stood, in Jesus Christ,knocking, ah! how long, howpatiently; but within, it may be,and forgetful of Thee, we haveworshipped other gods, or served

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our own imaginings, or loved toowell our own ambitions. O Thou,with whom is plenteous forgive-ness, waken us from our vaindreams and reveal to us the hiddentreasures of life and blessedness.Henceforth may we not wasteThy precious gift of time, but useit well, that we may lay hold oneternal life, and work and watchand wait, as under Thine eyes, andin Thy strength. For the time thatremains, help us to live as thosewho have been called to be Thysons. Grant us the filial spirit ofunfailing trust and glad obedience,so that the daily task, whether inthe school of childhood, or in thewider discipline of riper years,may become a sacrament, a tokenof Thy grace. Lead us into theknowledge of Thyself, that wemay be at peace. Spirit of

!a ^Dofe of l^xa^tvsi

holiness and grace! stay with us,to breathe into our souls new loveafter the shame of guilt, and newresolves after every failure. Hushevery passion; heal every sorrow;

help every infirmity, and quickenwithin us new faith and hope andtrust. Save us from sin, save usfrom the darkness that is in us;from our evil ways, our meanness,our injustice, our foolishness, ourpride; and work Thy commandedgood through our frail wills.We bear in our hearts all the

sorrowing and unhappy amongThy children. Be gracious tothose who are made sad by sinsof others, who are vexed by thecruelty of those whom they love,yet cannot save. Let them knowthat Thou art strong to save, andgive them a trust in Thee thatwill make their burdens light.

iloiT

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Remember In pity the anxiousand care-laden, the victims ofirritable weakness, of morbid fears,and unchastened impulses. Givepeace to such distracted souls.Restore to unity and harmony theinner life, that mind and body maybe attuned to Thy perfect laws.We pray for the bond-slaves ofdegrading habits; for the drunk-ard, that he may see the evil whichhis sin works in himself, and thepain it brings on others, and thatthis vision may make strong thewill to resist. May the power ofa new affection conquer the demonsof base indulgence and set Thychildren free. We pray Thee,O God, to have mercy upon anywho have fallen by the roadside,sore bruised by the evil of theworld. May we never pass bysuch, but be moved to compassion~

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and be to them as the GoodSamaritan, after the example ofJesus Christ. Some there are whocannot pray to Thee, who only cryout against Thee as against somedreadful fate. Thou knowest theriddle of their lives. Thou canstinterpret their experience. SpeakThou to them the word thatillumines, and let Thy glory breakthrough the darkness.Hear our prayers, O Lord, and

what in our ignorance we fail toask, fail not Thou to give; andunto Thy name we give the glory,now and ever. Amen,

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XXIV(^IAj Thy works praise Thee, O

^ Poofe of ^taytxsi

have heard Him say, "He thathath seen me hath seen theFather." In Him Thou hast comeamong us, cleansing our soiledhearts, healing the wounds ofbody and of mind, giving rest tothe troubled conscience, and open-ing the blind eyes to the beautyand brightness of the world. Aswe listen to His voice, grief be-comes a scorn of ills and theweaknesses of life become ourglory. As we look into His facewe seek nothing but that we maylove Him with all our hearts andserve Him with all our might. OChrist, Thou Son of God, let theSpirit which bore Thee to theCross abide in us! Touch us withthe glory of Thy Sonship, with thepower of Thy surrendered life, thatwe, no longer the servants of theworld,may become the sons of God

!

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Bless us, our Father, in all ourwork and in all the relations oflife. Sanctify the life of the home.May its memories abide with usto strengthen us in the hour oftemptation, to comfort us in thehour of sorrow. May childrenlove and honour their parents,and may parents be tender andconsiderate with their children,knowing how delicate is the child-soul, and how easily harshnesscasts it down. Pour out a spiritof kindness and goodness in thehome, that all the members of itmay be bound each to each inbands of mutual love and servicethat may not be broken. Blessus in the larger world where wetoil and suffer. We thank Theefor work and the opportunity towork. Grant that our labourmay be congenial to us; that we

gl Jlooli a! drapers?

may do it with ease and a senseof mastery. Let us not beenslaved to our tasks, butmay we feel ourselves greaterthan they, and ready for stillnobler efforts. Save us from sullendiscontent, from fruitless war withthe circumstances of our lot. Makeour hearts obedient, that by theuntoward things of experience wemay win a larger and a freer life.Give us the spiritual vision anda desire to pass beyond ourselves,to think of the needs of others,to make the world a little betterthan we found it. Put within usChrist's yearning for the redemp-tion of the world. Kindle withinus His passion for the souls of men.Uphold us with the faith thatThou hast called us into fellow-ship with Him, as Thy co-workersin the achievement of Thy purpose

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^ J?ook of ^raj>erj5

of good. In this faith let us cheerthe mourner, raise up the fallen,relieve the needy, forgive thewrongdoer, and praise the loverof simplicity and goodness. Whilewe give to others, give Thouto us, that we may grow more andmore in the spirit of helpfulnessand generosity, both in word anddeed; And unto Thy name we willascribe praise and honour andglory, world without end. Amen,

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m.XXV

E come to Thee, O God,with words of thanks-

giving on our Hps. We thankThee for Thy gifts. They areas varied as our needs, as mani-fold as our desires. Our heartscry for love, and Thou hast givenus the love of parent and of friend,that have been as Thy benedictionon our lives. Our minds cravelight and knowledge, and ThySpirit has kindled a lamp withinus. We long for the vision ofbeauty, and Thou hast revealedThyself gloriously in the openpage of Nature. May we takethese gifts, not for their own sakeonly, but as steps with which tomount upward to Thee, who artthe perfection of love and truthand beauty. Bathe us in Thy

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re-creating life, that we may cast offall meanness, all despair, all sin

and shame, and enter into thesecret of Thy eternal gladness.Help us to turn our earthlyblessings to ends divine.We cannot fathom the mystery

of Thy being, but we rejoice thatThou knowest us and the tempta-tions that try us, and the sorrowsthat beat upon us and cast usdown, and the pains of body andof mind that cloud our spirits andmake sad our world. Leave usnot as those who are fatherlessand outcast, but bring to us Thydawn, and shed light upon ourpath. When we are woundedwith mental and physical dis-tresses, be at hand to heal andsave. When the cares and troublesof this life threaten to kill the

soul, let Thy Spirit sustain us and

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create for us an inner world ofhope and faith and love, wherewe may take refuge and hear Thyvoice speaking to us to warn, tocomfort and to guide. Save us, OLord, from the weakness of self-pity. In misery and suffering letus turn to Thy pity, which alonecan strengthen, cleanse, and uplift.Let not failure or sorrow embitterus, or shut us off from those aboutus, but may we find a cure forour own griefs by pouring theoil of consolation and the wine ofgladness into other lives. Grantus brave hearts and true. Inspireus with firmness to carry out everyholy purpose. Forbid that weshould waste the time that is leftin vain regrets for the past, orvague dreams of the future, butlet us be up and doing, knowingthat though we may fall, thou wilt

'

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not cast us away. May we gatherup the fragments of time andopportunity which remain thatnothing be lost. Grant that wemay see Thee, not only in thethunder and tempest and earth-quake, not only in the great mo-ments of spiritual exaltation, butalso in the commonplace duties,in the familiar relationships oflife. May our home-life be glori-fied with the spirit of love andmutual helpfulness. Remove fromour midst all wrath and clamourand evil-speaking, and bitternessand estrangement, and make usgentle and easily entreated, thechildren of a forgiving God. Maywe know, with a spiritual knowl-edge, that Thou art Love, and thatdwelling in Love we dwell inThee, through Jesus Christ ourLord. Amen.

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XXVI

^ LIVING God, we thank\if^ Thee that Thou hast notleft us to ourselves. Thou hastbeen our Teacher. All throughthe past we can trace Thy self-unveiling. Through law andsacrifice and prophecy Thou hastsought to keep alive within theminds of men the knowledge ofThyself. And in the fulness oftime Thou didst send Thy Son,that in Him Thou mightest de-clare Thine inmost heart, Thylove, which triumphs over sin andpain and death. By the gloryof Thy manifested life, let us re-joice in the sense of sins forgiven,in the assurance that one day thetangled skein of our lives shallbe unravelled and their mysterymade plain. In times past we

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have not been willing to take allThy love, nor enter into all Thyjoy. We have often wanderedfrom Thee into wastes whereinis no refreshment for our thirst,no rest for our weariness. Butnow we would be led by the greenpastures and the still waters. Nowwe would lay aside our self-will,and freely surrender ourselves tothe guiding of Thy hand. Allayour fears; quicken our betterhopes; and so work in us that wemay will what Thou wiliest, andbecause Thou wiliest it.We cannot come into Thy pres-

ence without bringing with usall our brothers. Are we not all

Thy children, and hast Thou nota purpose of good for us all.^ Giveus a large and a nobler outlook.Give us more interest in eachother, more zeal for each other's

~

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happiness, more willingness toshare each other's pain. Takefrom us all miserable aims thatend in self. May we, in the powerof Christ's spirit, help the weakand neglected; comfort the af-flicted and sorrow-laden; andbring a sense of fellowship tothose who are friendless and lonely.We pray for the advancement ofChrist's cause and Kingdom. Webelieve that it is the cause ofgoodness and truth, of all thatmakes life worth living. Awake,O Most Mighty, and scatter thebanded powers of evil that delaythe coming of Thy Kingdom, thevictory of the Crucified. Mayall the ills that work ruin inour social and civic life be ban-ished from our midst. Cleanseour hearts and lips, that we maybe made meet for Thy service,

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mighty to the pulling down ofstrongholds, and to the buildingup of the City of God, whereindwelleth righteousness. And thiswe ask, for Thy Name's sake.Amen.

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XXVII

TERNAL God, whom theHeaven of Heavens cannot

contain, yet who makest Thineabode in humble and contritehearts, here would we meet withThee, and feel for a moment inour souls the greatness of ThyPower. Here would we know thedignity of life and learn Thy per-fect law of liberty. Here wouldwe rise to the height of Thy up-ward calling, and deem ourselvesThy sons and the heirs of immor-tality. We repent that we havedespised our souls. When evilhas made of us its prey, we havesaid, *'These sins are not ours.They are a heritage of the past.Our fathers have sowed the wind;we reap the whirlwind." Thushave we sought to silence Thy

Urn

S( Poofe at $raj>ers(

voice of rebuke. Reveal to usnow the mystery of our greatness.Meet with each one of us alone.Fill each one of us with a sense ofmoral freedom, of personal worth,of our kinship with Thee. Maywe, in the strength of Thy visita-tion, rise up and shake off thebonds that bind us, and live hence-forth as those whom Thou hastmade a little lower than theangels, and crowned with gloryand honour.

Gracious Father! We confessthe painful riddle of our being,that, while claiming kinship withThee, we feel far from Thee.O, what means this strange be-wilderment, this never-ending warbetween our worse and betterthoughts ? We are Thine by right,yet we have not given ourselveswholly to Thy care. Our hearts

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strong with His strength; thatwe may rise into the power andglory of the Hfe that is Hfe indeed.Hear our hearts' weak and wander-ing cries, and when Thou hearest,forgive and bless, for His sake.Amen,

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XXVIII

^LMIGHTY and everlastingr^ God, we adore Thee as theGod of light and power. Shinethrough the clouds that dim ourvision. Strengthen ourweak hearts,that we may love Thee and serveThee in freedom and gladness.This world, which Thou hast com-mitted to us, is radiant with Thypresence. Go where we will, wecannot flee from Thy Spirit, thatspeaks to us in the calm andorder and beauty of Nature. Forin our souls Thou dwellest, andopenest our eyes to read Thythought in sun and star, in fieldand flower. We bless Thee thatNature does not exhaust the ful-ness of Thy being. We rejoicethat, in the fight with temptation,we are not alone, for Thou art-

_j

jaL|Bo0fc jrf $taj>etflL

our secret Helper. We praiseThee that in all our affliction Thouart afflicted, that in every sorrowor disappointment or failure Thoudost not give us over to our weakrepining, but dost summon us toself-knowledge and to peace. OGod, our life kindles beneath Thytouch. We know that Thou artours when the conscience awakensus to long-neglected duties andthe sad disorder of our souls;when repentance lays us in thedust and aspiration bears us, aswith wings, above sin, despair anddeath. And such value hast Thouset upon us, that to make us Thine,Thou hast given us the Christ,the Anointed One. In Himwe understand Thy purpose con-cerning us. In Him Thou hastbestowed upon us all we hadnot dared to hope for. He

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has been made unto us wisdomand righteousness and sanctifi-cation and redemption. He isthe fulfilment of our past, the

prophecy of better things to come.He is the rock beneath our feet,the hope within our souls. O thatHe would enter into our heartsafresh! That He might becomethe life of all our thoughts and theinspiration of all our service!

Bless us now, O Lord, as weare gathered in Thy presence.Give us thankful hearts for Thyunwearied mercies; for a father'sand a mother's love; for thefriendships which gladden ourdays; for means of growth inknowledge and virtue; for work,and for the strength with whichto do it. Take from us allfoolish fears, all sinful discontent.Fill our hearts with the sunshine

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of Thy love, so that we maygive freely to all men of whatwe have and of what we are.These prayers we offer in Christ'sname. Amen,

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^ Poo6 of l^vaptt^

XXIX

^ LORD, let Thy glory dwell\L^ among us, as here we wouldcommune with Thee. Let us hearThy voice of love, and let ourhearts be filled with joy and peace.Help us to forget the noises of theouter world, and to enter intoThy silence, where is healing forevery wound, help for every weak-ness, consolation for every sorrow.We pray for the strong, that

they may abide in Thee, and inThee find renewal of their strength;for the weak and the tempted,that Thine arm may work outfor them a great salvation; forthe disconsolate, that in Thee theirgriefs may receive a noble conse-cration; for the bereaved, thatthey may have a vision of theworld beyond, where there is no

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more death, nor crying, nor mourn-

ing, nor pain. Bless the poor, the

homeless, the neglected, and theignorant. Inspire our hearts withThy love, that we may be friendsand companions to all Thy chil-dren who need us. Have pity onall who foolishly trust in the falsepromises of sin, and awaken themfrom their deluding dreams totimely repentance. Succour allwho are fighting against the do-minion of evil habits. If theyfall, help them to rise again; andput within them a faith and hopethat cannot be quenched. In-spire all harassed and strugglingsouls with the assurance that allthe forces of Thy will are workingfor them, and are moving themon to peace and health and holi-ness. Visit in Thy compassionthose who suffer pain, and who

1 ^26 ]

gt Puub Tft3^id}>u^

watch with eager longing throughthe hours of darkness for the morn-ing light. Thou hast strangely-fashioned this body of ours.Along its nerves shoots a thrillof agony, and in a moment theworld is overcast and there is nojoy in the feast, nor comfort any-where. Assuage the pain, we be-seech Thee, or give the strengthneeded to bear it.

Gracious Father! Be near us,who must pass along the dimand perilous pathway of the years,and support us with Thy presence.Amid danger, sorrow, and disaster,lift up our eyes to Thy high rest-ing-place. Help us to take hometo our hearts the joyous inspi-ration that the untoward thingsof life enter into thy perfect workand achieve Thy majestic ends.Widen our outlook until our grief

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or care shall be purged of the leasttaint of selfishness, and we shallfeel ourselves one with the wholecreation, which groans and travails,waiting for the manifestation ofthe sons of God. All this we askin the name of Jesus Christ, ourblessed Lord and Saviour. Amen,

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#XXX

RACIOUS Father! Thouhast revealed Thyself glori-

ously in Jesus Christ, the Son ofThy love. In Him we have foundThee, or rather, are found of Thee.By His life, by His words anddeeds, by His trials and sufferings,we are cleansed from sin and riseinto holiness. For in Him Thouhast made disclosure of Thine in-most being and art drawing us intofellowship with Thy life. As westand beneath His Cross, or passwith Him into the Garden of HisAgony, it is Thy heart that we seeunveiled, it is the passion of Thylove yearning over the sinful, thewandering, seeking that it maysave them. No man hath seenThee at any time, but out fromthe unknown has come the Son of

[1291

Man to declare Thee. And nowwe know Thy name. When wecall Thee Father, the mysteries ofexistence are not so terrible, ourburdens weigh less heavily uponus, our sorrows are touched withjoy. Thy Son has brought thecomfort that we need, the comfortof knowing that in all our afflictionsThou art afflicted, that in Thygrief our lesser griefs are all con-

tained. Let the light which shinesin His face, shine into our hearts,to give us the knowledge of Thyglory, to scatter the darkness offear, of wrong, of remorse, of fore-boding, and to constrain our livesto finer issues of peace and powerand spiritual service. And theseprayers we offer in Christ's name.

Amen,

Tnrrr

Intercessory and PersonalPrayers

^ Poofe of ^rapersJ

For a Person Who Cannot Pray/iXRACIOUS Father, who givestK^ the hunger of desire, and sat-isfiest our hunger with good things;quicken the heart of Thy servantwho mourns because he cannotspeak to Thee, nor hear Theespeak to him. Refresh, we be-seech Thee, the dulness and dry-ness of his inner life. Granthim perseverance that he maynever abandon the effort to pray,even though it brings for a timeno comfort or joy. Enlarge hissoul's desires that he may bedrawn unto Thee. Send forth ThySpirit into his heart to help hisinfirmities; to give him freedom ofutterance, and warmth of feeling.Let him muse upon Thy goodness;upon the blessings with whichThou hast strewn his path; upon

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the mystery of the world, and theshame of sin, and the sadness ofdeath, until the fire kindles andthe heart melts in prayer andpraise and supplication.

Lord, teach him to pray theprayer that relieves the burdenedspirit, and brings Thy blessing,which maketh rich and addeth nosorrow. Hear us, for Jesus' sake.Amen,

[134]

^ jBook of praperg

For a Person Who DesiresFaith

^^% THOU, who givest liberally\^ unto all men and upbraidestnot, give to this, Thy servant,the desire of his heart. Thouknowest his inward and outwardstate. Whatever it be that holdshim back from self-surrender untoThee, grant that it may be takenout of the way, that there may bea free and open intercourse be-tween him and Thee. May hebe willing to trust where he can-not prove; willing to believe his

better moments in spite of all thatcontradicts them. Open his eyesto see Thee as Thou art, infinitelyreal, infinitely gracious, infinitely

good. Speak to him in the dailywitness of earth and sky; in thegoodness and tender mercy of

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human hearts; above all, in thewords and works of Thy perfectSon in whom Thou hast spokenthe ''everlasting yea" that putsto flight our every care. Takefrom him all dread of evils thatmay never happen. Grant himthe victory over every besettingdoubt; and patience while anydarkness remains, that he mayglorify Thee, through Jesus Christour Lord. Amen,

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^ iBoofe of l^vavtva

For a Person Troubled withEvil Thoughts

/[llYOST Merciful Father, who^l^i orderest the wills and affec-tions of men; inspire in the heartof this Thy servant holy wishesand aspirations, that all base im-aginings and sinful broodings maybe cast out. Spirit of purityand grace, cleanse the thoughtsof his heart and bring his wholebeing into captivity to the lawof Christ. So direct and controlhis mind that he may ever thinkon whatsoever things are trueand pure and lovely. Let nocorrupt thought get dominionover him. Enter Thou into thehouse of his soul. Enlarge andrenew it and consecrate it to Thy-self, that he may love Thee withall his mind and serve Thee with

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all his might. Free him from thefascinations of false pleasures andthe allurements of debasing de-sires. Fill his eyes with the eternalbeauty of goodness, that vice andsin may appear as they really are,the last shame and despair of life.Keep him outwardly in his bodyand inwardly in his soul, and con-strain him to reverential obedienceto the laws Thou hast ordained forboth. Sustain him in health ofbody that he may the better con-trol the motions of thought, andrepel the assaults of passion. Weask it for Thy Son our Saviour'ssake. Amen,

[138]

la Poofe of ^ra^ersJ

For a Victim of Fear

ll^ THOU, who art the ever-KP^ blessed God, the underlyingPeace of the world, and whowouldst draw all men into thecompanionship of Thy joy; speak,we beseech Thee, to this Thyservant, for whom we pray. Takehim by the hand and say unto him,"Fear not; for I am with thee. Ihave called thee by my name; thouart mine." Put such a spirit oftrust within him that all fear andforeboding shall be cast out, andthat right reason and calm assur-ance may rule his thoughts andimpulses. Let quietness and confi-dence be his strength. Reveal tohim the vision of a universe guidedand governed by Thy wise andloving care; and show him thataround and about him are Thy

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unseen and beneficent powers.Lift up his whole being into com-munion with Thy life and thought.Let him ever remember that Thoudost not give to any a spirit of fear-fulness, but a spirit of power andlove and self-mastery. In thisfaith, grant, O Lord, that he maysummon the energies of his soulagainst the miseries that cast himdown. Give him courage, confi-dence, an untroubled heart, and alove that loves all creatures, greatand small, for Thy love's sake.Amen.

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^ J?oofe of ^raj>erj5

For a Victim of Worry

eVER Blessed God, whose wordis, "Peace, peace to him that

is far off and to him that is near",fulfil Thy promise to this Thy ser-vant for whom we pray. Rescuehim from the misery of groundlessfears and restless anxieties. Takehim more and more out of himself,that duty may be no longer adrudgery but a delight. Lead himinto the secret of Thy peace whichquiets every misgiving and fills theheart with joy and confidence.Save him from the shame andemptiness of a hurried life. Granthim to possess his soul in patience.Amid the storms and stress of life,let him hear a deeper voice assur-ing him that Thou livest and thatall is well. Strengthen him to dohis daily work in quietness and

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confidence, fearing no to-morrow,

nor the evil