out complaint. For I shall know that however dark the cloud may be, behind it is light. Clouds and darkness are round about him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. PRAYER BEFORE THE SERMON. Our Heavenly Father, we rejoice that thou knowest what we have need of-food and raiment and shelter; all providential mercies. The necessities which spring from our outward life are before thee; and thou hast ordained the forces of nature; and they are fulfilling thy will perpetually. There is light for the eye, and sound for the ear, and breath for the life; and all the sources of men's prosperous life are at hand; and we flourish in body, and are made continually rich and happy by thy goodness to us. But how shall we be fed with that other bread? How shall we live in that deeper life? How shall we know what we need there? How shall we ask acceptably except by the inbreathing of thy spirit. Guide, then, by the Holy Spirit, our thoughts and our feelings, and give expression to those nameless desires which rise so often within us. And we beseech of thee, O Lord our God! that we may know how to aspire upward, by thy blessed Spirit, toward all things which are pure, and all things which are excellent, and all things which are in symmetry, and all things which are like to thee, and which shall bring thee into accord with us. We beseech of thee that thou wilt grant that same compassion upon us which thou hast in our vain and aimless struggle, in all useless suffering, and in all that chastisement of suffering which is made needful by our vagrancy. In our mistake and our sin, still deal with us tenderly In infinite patience thou hast dealt with the world; and if it is to be saved, it must needs be by that same patience still unrolled; still carrying forward the race in the midst of blindness and ignorance and helplessness. O Lord! our help is from thee. From thee come life and light. From thee comes power. From thee come all motive and instruction. And we look to thee for that inward light and guidance by which alone we shall ever become the sons of God. We thank thee that there are so many who have begun this life; and though none have it yet royally within them, we thank thee that there are so many who begin to know something of the spirit of adoption; who are able to draw near to thee with humble boldness; who live in the consciousness of thy sympathy for them; who are able from day to day to cast their care upon thee; who are able from day to day to live in the spirit of children that trust and love. And we thank thee that there are so many added to them from time to time. Increase the number, we beseech of thee, of those that are in spirit and temper, in life and character, sons of God. And we pray that thou wilt make the truth powerful upon the hearts of all. May those that are living in a low estate, far from God, and in outward righteousness, be greatly quickened; and may their desires be deepened, and their life lifted up to a higher and nobler plane. We beseech of thee that thou wilt grant that the truth, to-night, may reach the hearts of those who are not followers of the Lord; who seek their own way; who fulfill the lusts of the flesh; who live for the pride of the eye aud the vanity of the heart-for transient things; things that perish in the using; things that cannot go with them further than the grave, and that must be left behind when their freed spirits go forth into the eternity of their existence. Grant that there may be very serious thoughts by serious minds here to-night. Grant that many may be quickened to ask for their own souls' welfare, and to know how it fares with them. And since thou art sitting upon the mediatorial throne; since thou art merciful and forgiving, may none be unwilling to confess their sin. May every one be willing to know the thing that is within him-the evil heart of unbelief, the enmity of the flesh and of the spirit, to the Son of God. And we beseech of thee that there may be heart-searchings and turnings, on the part of those who now are in darkness and wind and fire and flood, from those devouring elements. We pray that thou wilt grant thy blessing to rest upon all those who labor in our midst, and those who go forth among the poor and needy, to do the works of Christ upon their hearts. More and more accompany them. And grant, we pray thee, that the light of thy countenance and of love may win many and many to the knowledge of that Source of love whom we worship. We pray that thou wilt bless all thy churches of every name. Unite them together more and more in a true divine spirit. And may the things which divide us seem of less and less account, and the things which unite us become more and more important in our estimation. And at last may there be harmony throughout the whole world. And may the church set the example in this great work of harmonization. And we pray that there may be a time when there shall not be warrings among thy people, nor among nations; when ignorance shall be chased away by knowledge; when the true faith shall take the place of superstition; when all power shall be in rightful hands; when all men shall be too just to oppress, and when all men shall be too strong to be oppressed, and when all the earth shall be filled with gladness and purity and peace. Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly. And to the Father, the Son, and the Spirit, shall be praises everlasting. Amen. PRAYER AFTER THE SERMON. Our Father, we beseech of thee that thou will bless the word which has been spoken; and grant that it may arouse in us a more earnest desire to be led of God. May we not seek to shield our hearts from the light that is shining from within. May we desire, above all things, to be the children of the Spirit. May we learn not to lean upon pride, nor to trust in our conceit. May we learn to lean upon thee. Without thee we can do nothing; we are orphans, fatherless. Lord Jesus, lead us to the Father. Holy Spirit, open our understanding, and our inward life and light, and bring us to that supernal manhood, by which we shall be called rightfully the children of God. Lead us while we live; appoint our way; apportion our burdens and our discipline. O, stand thou Beloved One, and look forth upon us from the Heavenly gate, clearer than the pearl, brighter than the golden street, sweeter than all the voices that call, saying, Come. Thou art to us, O, Saviour of the soul! the Knowing that guides the unknowing. Stand thou waiting for us till our time shall come, till thy heart needs us; then send the welcome messenger and call thy children home. And in thy presence, when we shall see thee as thou art, and know as we are known, we will cast our crowns at thy feet, saying "Not unto us, not unto us, but unto thy name be all the glory, forever and ever." Amen. |