Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. Isaiah ii. 3. COLLECT. No. 13. O LORD the strength of Israel, in whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning; but with whom all is uniform and harmonious, whose wisdom is goodness, whose goodness is wisdom, whose justice is merciful, and whose mercy is just; help us, we beseech thee, by thy Holy Spirit, in the contemplation of so glorious and infinitely perfect a Being, and in the meditation of the wonders of thy love as revealed to us in thy most sacred word. And give us grace to benefit thereby, that we may bring forth fruits meet for repentance unto salvation, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose words we further address thee, saying, Our Father, &c. He is faithful that promised. Hebrews x. 23. COLLECT. No. 14. ALMIGHTY God, we, thine unworthy servants, appear before thee by the invitation of thy dear Son-the only way of access to the Father-pleading the gospel promises; believing that he is faithful that promised that the Strength of Israel cannot lie, nor repent; but that all thy promises in him are yea, and in him amen. We beseech thee to regard us in mercy, to strengthen our faith in him on whom we have believed, to harmonize the members of thy church; and incline us to be of one mind in Christ Jesus. Let us delight in the ordinances of thy sanctuary, and zealously serve thee, that finally we may be inheritors of the city of the redeemed-the Zion of the holy One of Israel; to whom, with thyself, O Father, and ever blessed Spirit, be all honour and glory, world without end, And this is his name THE LORD OUR COLLECT. No. 15. O GOD, who of thy great mercy seeing it impossible and contradictory to the justice of thy law to pardon transgressors without a perfect satisfaction, and knowing the utter incapability of our fallen nature to offer thee the same, didst please to give unto us a Surety-righteousness by the sacrifice of thy dear Son, that we, through the atonement made by his offering up of himself a ransom for sin, may be pardoned, sanctified, justified, and glorified; We beseech thee to grant unto us thy grace, to daily and hourly seek thee, and to delight in the knowledge of thy ways, that we may take fast hold of the covenant, and be accepted of thee through Jesus Christ our Lord. Our Father, &c. He giveth power to the faint, and to them that have no might, he increaseth strength. Isaiah xl. 29. COLLECT. No. 16. O LORD, we feel our great weakness and utter insufficiency to come to thee as we ought. We beseech thee to help our infirmities,-to pour upon us the spirit of grace and supplication,--to mortify our corrupt passions,-to sanctify our affections,to discover to us the beauties of holiness,-and to enlarge our hearts, that we may walk in thy ways, and be accepted of thee through the merits of All that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out.John vi. 37. COLLECT. No. 17. WE humbly and sincerely thank thee, O Father, for thy gracious invitations of mercy through the gospel of thy dear Son, for whose sake, thou hast promised to turn thine anger from us, and to love us freely to be in the midst of us when we meet in thy sanctuary, and to rejoice over thy children with joy. Give us, we beseech thee, a perfect hatred of sin, and love of righteousness-sanctification of life, and victory over temptation - peace of conscience, and joy in the Holy Ghost; and let us feel that we are of the number of thine adopted, that we have a sure title to the heavenly inheritance through Jesus Christ our Lord, who hath taught us to call thee Our Father, &c. |