sire to bind ourselves to Thee in humility and prayer. Accept, Lord Jesus, our morning aspirations, and guide Thou our feet this day, in the way of peace. Help us to shun, in all our journey of life in this world, the very appearance of evil, that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.
O gracious Father! we have reason to "love the habitation of thy house, and the place where thine honour dwelleth." It is within thy church, the house and spiritual city of our God, that we hear the voice of thy praise, and tell of all thy wondrous works. May thy Divine Truth distil upon us like the dew of Hermon, that our minds, though once in a barren state, may, like the desert, begin to "rejoice and blossom as the rose." Thy truth is the pure river of water of life, clear as crystal. O help us to apply it constantly to the purification of our souls, that, from the lowest faculties of our minds to the highest, we may feel the renovating power of this holy water of heaven. Thou hast accommodated thy Truth to our imperfect states; and in the vision of the prophet, we see it rise to the ankles, from the ankles to the knees, from the knees to the loins, and thence a river to swim in: so we come to a more perfect knowledge of its mighty depth and value: we see it rise to the knees and loins, and finally become waters to swim in, so that none can pass over. Help us, O Father of mercy! so to progress in this river of life-giving truth, that every affection and thought of our souls may live wherever the waters flow.
Our Father, &c.
