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29th.

For Tophet is ordained of old; yea, for the king it is prepared ; he hath made it deep and large: the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of the Lord, &c. Isa. xxx. 33.

Oh Thou who art all mercy in Christ Jesus, but out of Him, a consuming fire: help us to serve Thee with fear, and to rejoice with trembling. And while blessing Thee who hast caused us to flee to the only refuge from the storm of Thy righteous indignation, oh may our hearts be melted in compassion for all those against whom Thy breath yet seems as a stream of brimstone, and for whom the fearful pile of Tophet yet seems preparing and may we tenderly urge them to turn to the one only stronghold, while yet there is hope, in and through Christ Jesus. Amen.

30th.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Rom. x. 17.

Oh Lord, from whom come alike the means of grace, and the hope of glory: we pray that both Thy written and thy preached word may not fail to accomplish that which Thou pleasest in our minds and souls. Oh may we delight in Thy law, and receive with meekness Thine engrafted word, by whoever dispensed; and thus by hearing, may faith not only come, but grow stronger and stronger, that its fruits may abound to Thy glory, and that it may be the assured foretaste of the glory Thou hast prepared for us, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

31st.

He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. John i. 11, 12,

Oh Thou who camest to Thine own of old, and they received Thee not; have compassion on them yet, we pray Thee, that they may turn, and believe, and live: and oh, do Thou so work in them and in ourselves, both to will and to do of Thy good pleasure, that we may receive Thee in all Thine offices of mercy, through the converting power of Thy Holy Spirit. Thus, while all alike by nature would have refused Thine offered salvation, may all by grace believingly accept it, and become sons and daughters of the Lord God Almighty, for Thine own sake alone. Amen.

79

JUNE.

1st.

But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of God. Mark x. 14.

Gracious Saviour, who castest out none that come to Thee; keep us from ever forbidding, rebuking, or discouraging, as if beneath Thy notice, any whom we see coming. And while we bless that condescending love which is alike displayed in Thine invitations to us all, from the greatest to the least, oh imbue us daily with more and more of that spirit of little children, without which there can be no entrance found to Thy kingdom; and finding which, Thou wilt suffer, receive, renew, and save us even to the end. Amen.

2nd.

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Isa. lx. 1.

Oh Thou, the Sun of righteousness, who hast arisen a light to lighten this dark world; cause Thy bright beams so to illuminate Thy whole Church upon earth, that she may arise with Thee to shine gloriously. And to every individual member of it give grace also to awake and arise from the thick darkness of nature, to walk joyfully in the light as a child of light, and to reflect the brightness of Thy glory here, till Thou see fit to disperse all the shadows of night, and make it perfect day for ever and ever. Amen.

3rd.

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Rom. xii. 1.

Heavenly Father, grant that we may be more and more effectually besought by all Thy rich and ceaseless mercies, to present our bodies as a living sacrifice unto Thee. Oh let such a service commend itself to us as most reasonable; may it be rendered holy, through the sanctifying influence of Thy Spirit, and acceptable, through the much incense of the merits of Thy Son, without whom we could not presume to offer Thee any service or sacrifice, and in whom is all our hope, now and ever. Amen.

4th.

For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom; But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness, &c. 1 Cor. i. 22, 23, 24.

Give us, oh blessed Lord, we entreat Thee, a growing understanding and love of the stupendous doctrine of "Christ crucified :" that while, to those who require earthly signs, or seek after human wisdom, it is a stumbling block or foolishness, it may indeed be to us both the power of God, and the wisdom of God. Oh that in it alone we may glory, taking it as our only ground of hope, and longing and praying for the time, when both Jews and Greeks shall with us lie at the foot of His cross, who died alike for all. Amen.

5th.

For as the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members of that one body, being many, are one body so also is Christ. 1 Cor. xii. 12.

Oh thou who hast graciously called us to be members of Thy one body, the Church; we pray for such a sense of our mutual dependence on each other, as well as of our common union with Thee, the one only Head over all, as may outweigh all diversities in the operations of Thy Spirit, working to every man severally as He will. Oh grant that both watching and praying against every thing that might cause a schism in the body, we may all have care one for another, and all, however many, feel ourselves one in Thee for ever. Amen.

6th.

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. Psalm xvi. 5, 6.

Blessed Lord, we acknowledge ourselves utterly destitute, helpless, ignorant; and would look to Thy free and boundless mercy alone, to choose and to maintain for us the lot of our inheritance. Yea, we would joyfully embrace Thine offer of being Thyself our Portion; and pray that while so rich a cup, and so goodly a heritage, call us to tell of the lines falling to us in pleasant places even here, we may be daily meetening for the full inheritance of the Saints in light, laid up both for them and us in Christ Jesus. Anien.

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