Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant,

Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

FATHER of our spirits, we bless thee that the peaceful hour of evening has come to us once more, and that we may hear the voice of thy mercy in the invitation to rest. In thee may we find rest to our souls. Without trust in thy love there is no true peace for us upon our pillow, and with thy presence only can we know the true refreshing of our souls. Lord, draw near to us now, and keep us within the shadow of thy wings. We thank thee that a Father's ear is opened to the cry of thy children, and that there is no truly good thing which thou wilt not give to the asking soul.

We would solemnly review the experience of this day. We would bless thee for whatever good we have been enabled to do or enjoy. We implore thy forgiveness for all our transgressions of thy holy will. We beseech thee to bestow upon us thy grace to enable us to overcome our peculiar faults, and to grow in the true life of children of God. Let our own earnest self-examination bring this day's record before the throne of thy judgment. May every day find us more obedient to the golden rule of our great

Teacher. Thus help us to prepare ourselves for the day of account.

We commit to thy guardian care all our kindred and friends, imploring for them the blessings of health of body and peace of mind. We pray for the poor, and sick, and bereaved; for the oppressed, the benighted, the lonely, and the abandoned, we implore thy grace. Lord, forgive our sins, and teach us true forgiveness of those who sin against us. Bring on the blessed time when every wanderer shall return to the Father, and shall come to himself in coming to his God.

Now that we are to give ourselves to refreshing slumber, may we wisely interpret its solemn meaning, and own the divine power that continues within us the motions of healthful life whilst we are wholly unconscious. May it be to us an image of the blessed rest in God which the soul shall know when her weary strivings are ended, and we may hope to enter upon the perfect peace that lives, and moves, and has its being, in God. Lord, rebuke our wilfulness, and win us unto the blessed subjection of thy holy will. In our labor and in our rest, work thou in our souls to do and to will that which is pleasing in thy sight, till we are made perfect through Jesus Christ. In the name of that great Shepherd of the sheep, who through the everlasting covenant offered himself for us, do we ascribe unto thee, the God of peace, glory for ever and ever. Amen.

VI.

Grateful Confidence.

O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: because his mercy endureth forever.

Let Israel now say, that his mercy endureth forever.

Let the house of Aaron now say, that his mercy endureth forever.

Let them now that fear the Lord say, that his mercy endureth forever.

The Lord is on my side; I will not fear: what can man do unto me?

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in

man :

It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in princes.

The Lord is my strength and song, and is become my salvation.

The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tabernacles of the righteous: the right hand of the Lord doeth valiantly.

WE humbly thank thee, merciful Father, for thy goodness in conducting us to the close of this day, and for all thy mercies bestowed upon us from day to day. Add this to all thy favors, we beseech thee, that we may never forget to be thankful, but may constantly acknowledge thee as the source of all our blessings, and praise thee, our strength, and song, and our salvation. Write thy law upon our hearts, that all our desires, words and actions, may be conformable to thy holy will.

And now, remembering thy mercies hitherto vouchsafed to us, we do entirely trust thee for the time to come. Thy mercy endureth forever. The Lord is on our side, and we will not fear. For this only we are anxious, and do earnestly pray, that we may, all our days, serve and please thee in such a constant practice of piety, righteousness and mercy, of temperance, meekness, patience, truth and fidelity, that the voice of rejoicing may ever be heard in our tabernacle, and we may commend the religion and name of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ, unto all.

Accept, O God, as the testimony of our love and charity, our hearty intercessions for all mankind. Let the glorious light of thy Gospel shine upon allnations; and grant that all who have already received it may adorn its doctrine in all things.

O Lord, by thine own right hand, which doeth valiantly, continue thy gracious protection to us this night. Into thy care we commend ourselves, our souls and bodies, and all things belonging to us. Long continue to us our domestic prosperity, and let not this circle be invaded by sickness or death. Bind our hearts to thee by ties of which the ties of earth are but feeble types. And make us mindful, we pray thee, of that time when we shall lie down in the dust, and grant us grace always to live in such a state that we may be a family in heaven. And now to thee, our God and Father, we ascribe all honor and glory through Jesus Christ. Amen.

VII.

The Giver and Preserver.

Preserve me, O God: for in thee do I put my trust.

O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my Lord: my goodness extendeth not to thee;

But to the saints that are in the earth, and to the excellent, in whom is all my delight.

The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance, and of my cup thou maintainest my lot.

The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage.

I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel; my reins also instruct me in the night-seasons.

I have set the Lord always before me because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.

O GOD our Father, thou causest thy sun to rise, and we go forth to our work until the evening. Thou makest darkness, and it is night, wherein all lie down to rest. Brought safely through the dangers and experiences of another day, we lay on our family altar the evening sacrifice of prayer and praise. Holy Father, how sweet this rest, after the toils and fatigues of the day! How grateful this domestic peace, after the noise and confusion of the world! How delightful the confidence and affections of home, after the competitions and rivalries of business! To thy fatherly care and love we owe all these provisions of mercy. Thou maintainest our lot, and givest