The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of His indignation 1. The Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto His heavenly kingdom 2. Who hath saved us, and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began; but is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel3. To whom be glory for ever and ever*. Amen. Our Father, Which art in heaven &c. Thanksgiving for the benefits of the Christian religion and Prayer that we may walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called. BLESSED be God, the Father of lights, from Whom every good and perfect gift cometh; Who, by the light of the glorious Gospel of Christ shining into our hearts, hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and translated us into the kingdom of His dear Son; and thereby hath made us partakers of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and of the love of God, and of the communion of the Holy Ghost. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him: but God hath revealed them unto us by His Spirit. Blessed be God. I receive, O Lord, with all thankfulness, the manifold testimonies Thou hast given us, of Thine incomprehensible love and favour towards us through Thy dearly-beloved Son, in Whom Thou hast reconciled 1 Rev. xiv. 10, 11. 2 2 Tim. iv. 18. the world unto Thyself. And most humbly I bow my knees unto Thee, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of Whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that Thou wouldest grant me, according to the riches of Thy glory, to be strengthened with might by Thy Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in my heart by faith; and that I being rooted and grounded in love may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the length, and breadth, and depth, and height; and to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge; that I may be filled with all the fulness of God. Imprint on my heart, O blessed God, I beseech Thee, such a lively sense of the transcendant glory of Thy majesty, and the exceeding riches of Thy grace, as may make me earnestly desirous to have Thine image formed in my soul; and to be partaker of the Divine nature, and to walk worthy of God, Who hath called me unto His kingdom and glory. O Thou, Who art the Author and Finisher of our faith, pity, I beseech Thee, the infirmities of Thy servant, and graciously assist my sincere endeavours to withdraw my affections from sensible things, and to raise my mind to a clearer view of the eternal joys of the next world. Vouchsafe, I humbly pray Thee, to enlighten the eyes of my understanding, that I may know more and more what is the hope of Thy heavenly calling, and what the riches of the glory of Thine inheritance in the saints, and what the exceeding greatness of Thy power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of Thy mighty power which wrought in Christ, when Thou didst raise Him from the dead, and set Him at Thine own right hand in the heavenly places. And grant, O gracious Lord, that having this hope in me I may purify myself as Thou art pure; and run with patience the race Thou hast set before me: that carrying this testimony with me out of the world, that I have pleased Thee, Thou mayest receive me to Thyself to be glorified with Thee in Thy heavenly kingdom, and to rejoice before Thee for ever and ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Now the God of hope fill me with all joy and peace in believing; that I may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost'. Giving thanks unto the Father, Who hath made me meet to be partaker of the inheritance of the saints in light'. THURSDAY NOON. The practice of Christian holiness enforced from a consideration of the peculiar obligation of Christians to holiness of life. 1.-in that to persuade and oblige us to lead holy and virtuous lives was one great end and design of our Saviour's coming into the world: to the promoting of which not only His doctrines and precepts, but His life, and death, and resurrection, &c. have a manifest and direct tendency. THE grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world; looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, Who gave Himself for us, that He might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto Himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Ye are not your own: for ye are bought with a price. Therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's *. 1 Rom. xv. 13. 3 Tit. ii. 11. 14. 2 Col. i. 12. 4 1 Cor. vi. 19, 20. Christ died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto Him Who died for them, and rose again'. For none of us liveth to himself, and no man dieth to himself. For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's. For to this end Christ both died, and rose and revived, that He might be Lord both of the dead and living2. Wherefore gird up the loins of your mind: be sober, and hope to the end for the grace that is to be brought unto you at the revelation of Jesus Christ; as obedient children, not fashioning yourselves according to the former lusts in your ignorance: but as He Which has called you is holy; so be ye holy in all manner of conversation; because it is written, be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, Who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear; forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation 3; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot *. Who His own Self bare our sins in His own body on the tree, that we being dead to sin might live unto righteousness; by Whose stripes ye were healed '. For Christ also loved the Church, and gave Himself for it; that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, that He might present it to Himself a glorious Church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish". 1 2 Cor. v. 15. 4 Ibid. ver. 19. 2 Rom. xiv. 7. 9. 31 Pet. i. 13-18. Eph. v. 25-27. 2.—in that this is what every one of us solemnly engaged to do at our baptism. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death, that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also in the likeness of His resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin 1. Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God. Circumcision verily profiteth, if thou keep the law: but if thou be a breaker of the law, thy circumcision is made uncircumcision 3. For He is not a Jew, that is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh. But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God'. Even so baptism doth also now save us; not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God'. For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the Spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus 6. In Whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of 1 Rom. vi. 3—6. 2 Ibid. vi. 12, 13. 3 Ibid. ii. 25. 6 Phil. iii. 3. |