MARCH.

1st.

Take fast hold of instruction; let her uot go: keep her; for she is thy life. Prov. iv. 13.

Oh Lord, Thou knowest our foolishness; our need of instruction; yet our proneness to let go that which is truly and emphatically our life. Oh give us grace to keep in our minds and hearts every word of Thine; to take fast hold on all Thou teachest us, lest at any time we should let it slip and may Thy Holy Spirit so be our Instructor in all things, that we may walk steadily and joyfully in the light of Thy truth, as His followers who is Himself, the Way, the Truth, and the Life, evermore. Amen.

2nd.

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him. Col. iii. 17.

Holy Father, we have to mourn our utter inability to do or say anything as of ourselves, right and acceptable in Thy sight. Oh grant that under heart-felt conviction of this, whatsoever we do in word or deed may henceforth be all done in the name of the Lord Jesus, and in dependence on the offered grace and strength of His Spirit: and that while daily receiving out of His fulness, we may also be daily giving thanks unto Thee our God and Father by Him. Amen.

3rd.

All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, &c. 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17.

Blessed be thy name, O Lord, for the rich treasure Thou hast given us in Thy Holy Scriptures of truth. May we, in child-like humility receive all scripture as "God-inspired." May we look to it, and search it, for doctrine, conviction, correction, and instruction in righteousness: and through its application to our hearts and consciences by Thy Holy Spirit, may we be more and more thoroughly furnished unto all good works, and continually tending towards the perfection of the Christian character, till at last made complete in Christ Jesus. Amen.

4th.

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. 2 Peter i. 4.

Gracious Lord, who knowest all the corruption of the world, and of our too-worldly hearts; we bless Thee for those exceeding great and precious promises, by which we may yet escape the ruin of the human nature, and even be made partakers of that which is divine. Oh do Thou open our eyes to see, our understandings to receive, and our hearts to rejoice in them; thus working in us, day by day, that wondrous transformation, which shall at last meeten us for the inheritance of the saints in light, through Christ Jesus. Amen.

5th.

I am sought of them that asked not for me; I am found of them that sought me not; I said, Behold me, behold me, unto a nation that was not called by my name. Isa. lxv. 1.

Oh Thou whom, so far from seeking or asking for, we so long refused to hear, when Thou saidst to us, Behold me, behold me: We bless Thee for overcoming at length the enmity of our carnal hearts, and shewing it to us as our highest honor to be, called by Thy name. Oh give us grace to walk worthy of such a name as that of Thy people; and if it please Thee, not only keep us stedfast ourselves in Thy faith and fear, but use also our humble instrumentality to bring others to share our privileges, for Thy dear Son's sake. Amen.

6th.

Let us therefore fear, lest a promise being left us of entering into his rest, any of you should seem to come short of it. Heb. iv. 1.

Blessed Lord, who hast revealed to us the great and precious promise of a rest remaining for thy people; grant that our hope of attaining to it may be coupled with a godly fear, lest we should even seem to come short of it. May we fear the doom of thine ancient people, who entered not in, because of unbelief; and walking ourselves by faith, may diligence and constancy in Thy work, be our preparation for a joyful entrance into Thy rest, through Him who has both purchased and prepared it for Amen.

us.

7th.

So God created man in his own image; in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. Gen. i. 27.

Oh Thou, whose own image, as originally stamped upon us, we have so grievously lost; raise, we pray Thee, our hearts and hopes to Him who is not only the image of the invisible God, but Himself God manifest in the flesh : that in Him, beholding as in a glass Thy glory. we may be daily changed into the same image, renewed in the spirit of our minds, and made altogether new creatures; and thus through Thy grace, become inheritors of a higher and holier paradise even than our first parents lost, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

8th.

We have thought of Thy loving-kindness, O God, in the midst of Thy temple. Psa. xlviii. 9.

Oh Lord, Thou knowest every occasion on which we have especially thought of, or experienced Thy loving-kindness in the midst of thy temple. Oh may we ever go thither to seek Thy face, and to hear what Thou, the Lord wilt say to us; and do Thou ever, in that measure Thou knowest to be best for us, yet cause us to see Thy power and glory, so as we have seen them in the sanctuary; thus granting us on earth a sweet foretaste of the worship of Thy temple above; whence none go out. Grant it for Jesus' sake. Amen.

9th.

Thou art my hiding-place, and my shield; I hope in Thy word. Psa. cxix. 114.

Oh God, who graciously permittest us to call Thee our God; grant, we pray Thee, that the sense of unnumbered perils, from which we can in no wise save or defend ourselves, may but drive us nearer to Thee, as our Hiding-place and our Shield. Under the shadow of Thine Almighty wings, may we make our refuge, till all dangers as well as calamities shall be overpast and on Thy true and tried word may we build our hopes, as on a foundation that cannot be moved, world without end. Amen.

10th.

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able: 1 Cor. x. 13.

Oh Thou our faithful God, suffer us not, we pray Thee, either to look upon any temptation Thou appointest for us, as a strange thing, or to doubt the fulfilment of Thine own sure promise, of a way of escape. But whether exposed to the afflictive pressure, or to the seductive power of the temptations common to all, make us alike strong in Thee, and thus able to bear, to resist, and to overcome, till Thou finally deliver us from every danger and every enemy, through Him who, for our sakes once suffered being tempted, and is both able and willing to succour those who are tempted. Amen.