we do, whatever we

thou, God, seest us.

suffer, may we remember that In all our temptations, and in all our trials, may the thought of thy presence be as a light to our feet and a lamp to our path. Be with us in our daily labors, and crown them with thy blessing. May they be hallowed by fidelity, and truth, and kindness; and may we look through them to thee, and above them to the prize to which, in the midst of all, thou art ever calling us from on high, through Christ Jesus.

O thou who knowest the secrets of all hearts, forgive us, in thine infinite mercy, the sins of the past. Strengthen our good purposes for the future. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Prepare us for the changes that are before us, hidden from our sight, but known unto thee. Prepare us for prosperity and for adversity, for health and for sickness, for life and for death.

O thou who art our God and the God of all the families of the earth, bless this our home, and make it a Christian and a happy home, consecrated to thee. Bring our souls more and more into harmony with all truth and goodness. Unite them to thyself in the bonds of a filial piety, and to each other in a true affection, and to all men in a large and tender-hearted charity and good will; that so we may be indeed the children of our heavenly Father, and the disciples of him whose love was the image of thine. And through him to thee be all glory and praise forever. Amen.

XXXII.

Preservation from Sin.

Hear, O my son,

and receive my sayings; and the years of

thy life shall be many.

I have taught thee in the way of wisdom; I have led thee in right paths.

When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.

Take fast hold of instruction; let her not go: keep her; for she is thy life.

Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.

Avoid it, pass not by it, turn from it, and pass away.

For they sleep not, except they have done mischief; and their sleep is taken away, unless they cause some to fall. For they eat the bread of wickedness, and drink the wine of violence.

But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more to the perfect day.

O, HOLY FATHER, who art the author and the giver of every good gift, we bless thee for the renewed light of this day, and for all the hopes and opportunities which it sets before us. We give thee thanks that thou hast watched over us during the past night, and kept all harm from us; and we would show our thankfulness for the gift of life thus renewed, by dedicating that life unto thy service. We therefore pray thee, help us each one to keep ourselves this day without sin. Thou needest nothing at

our hands; show us, therefore, how we may serve thee, by showing us how we may serve the best interests of thy children. Banish from our hearts, O God, every selfish and unworthy thought. Give us a perfect mastery over every appetite and passion. Keep us from the path of the wicked, and from the way of evil men. Rule thou in our hearts, and fill us with holy thoughts and noble desires. Let us find in all the duties of the day the guidance of thy grace, and have the hope of thine acceptance. Help us to keep thy commandments, and fulfil for us the promise of our Lord, that thou and he will dwell in the hearts of them that obey thee, and make their path to shine more and more to the perfect day. Thus lift us by thine indwelling presence above the power of temptation, and let it become the joy of our lives to be coworkers with Christ and with God.

And, as we ask these blessings for ourselves, so would we pray in behalf of those whom we love, in behalf of our neighbors and friends, and in behalf of all men. Let the word of Christ become the salvation of all nations. Give this day wisdom to every counsel of the good, courage and strength to every Christian heart, and success to every Christian effort. But let thy good providence baffle every wicked design, and bring evil counsels to naught. Thus hasten the coming of the kingdom of our Lord, in whose name we offer our prayer, beseeching thee to forgive and to accept us, and to deal with us not according to our

feeble words or cold desires, but according to our needs, and according to thine infinite mercy. Amen.

XXXIII.

For Christian Growth.

Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord,

According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue :

Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.

And, besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge;

And to knowledge, temperance; and to temperance, patience; and to patience, godliness;

And to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, charity.

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Wherefore the rather, brethren, give diligence to make your calling and election sure; for if ye do these things ye shall never fall:

For so an entrance shall be ministered unto you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

O, MAKER of the world, we bless thee that the light is sweet, and that it is a pleasant thing for the

eyes to behold the sun, and that our eyes again behold it. O, Preserver of men, we bless thee that by night and day thy providential care is the same. We have laid us down and slept, because thou hast sustained us. We have awaked, and are still with thee. Thou compassest our path and our bed. We have reposed under the shadow of thy protection, and we have risen up with the strength that thou hast renewed. We thank thee that once more we see the forms of the world, and hear the voice of the morning. Our early offering would be praise to thee, who alone causest us to dwell in safety. Unto thee will we direct our prayer, and will look up. We would employ in an act of worship the powers which thou hast given back to us refreshed; that we may set forward with new resolves, and with thy continued help.

Make us truly grateful to thee for all the blessings that stand revealed to us in the returning light. We thank thee that we are still among the living, the living to praise thee with conscious faculties and active service, as we beseech thee to grant us grace to do this day. For every power, privilege and opportunity of good, for the sight of thy works and the experience of thy mercy, for all the bounties that we partake, and all the hopes that we cherish, we would give thee humble and hearty thanks. And we pray that this gratitude may inspire an earnest purpose of heart, leading us to strive to be less unworthy than we now are of all thy benefits. Enlighten our dark