AND seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for their's is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness for they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for their's is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you. -MATT. 5:1-12. Heavenly Father, we desire to remember, this day, that our Lord Jesus Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it. Wilt Thou graciously inspire our hearts with a like love and loyalty, that we may be willing, if need be, to die for His Church? Reveal to us in these days as the old order changeth, how Thy Church is to serve in the new era. Help us to read aright the signs of these days, and out of Thy treasure store of truth to bring forth things new and old, that we may adequately present Christ to the world. Raise up, we beseech Thee, great leaders and prophets for these times, men who have the same mind that was in Christ, men after Thine own heart, so that Thy Kingdom may come, and Thy Name be glorified. Amen. -WILLIAM H. HUDNUT, D. D. HAST thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: but they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. -ISA. 40:28-31. FOR which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. -II COR. 4:16-18. O God, our Lord, be Thou our Guide and forbid that we should wander from Thy paths. Create in us, O Lord, we pray, a deeper love for that which is good, and a keener hatred for whatsoever is evil. So may we grow more and more in grace, and in likeness to our blessed Saviour. We beseech Thee, O Lord, make this home Thy home, sanctified by Thy presence. May only that be done which shall be well-pleasing in Thy sight. Keep us in the love of God. We pray, too, for loved ones far and near. We thank Thee that nothing can separate us from the love of Christ. So we gladly commend all to Thy safe-keeping, praying that Thou wilt do for them even better than we can ask or think. Go with us where we go this day. Strengthen us for all of life's daily tasks and give us grace to do them as unto the Lord. We ask all through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. -CHARLES L. CANDEE. BUT thou, O Lord, shalt endure for ever; and thy remem brance unto all generations. Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come. For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof. So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of, the earth thy glory. When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory. He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord. For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the Lord behold the earth; to hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death. -Ps. 102:12-20. O Lord, our Heavenly Father, Almighty and Everlasting God, to Thy mercy we now commend ourselves. Watch over us, O Thou Shepherd of Israel. Let Thine eye be ever upon us, and Thine everlasting arms round about us. We adore Thee for all the blessings we are continually receiving from Thy hand. What shall we render unto Thee for all Thy benefits conferred upon us? Give us grace to glorify Thee in our bodies and in our spirits which are Thine. We praise Thee for all Thy mercies; and beseech Thee to forgive us all our sins which are more than we can number, and greater than we can express: for in many things we offend continually. Grant us daily repentance toward Thee, O God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Heal all our backslidings, receive us graciously, and love us freely. Help us to deny ourselves, to take up our cross, and to follow Christ. Make us more humble, more thankful, more holy. Preserve us from everything that would dishonor Christ's holy Name, and keep us faithful to the end. Amen. -From "GUIDANCE IN PRAYER." by M. E. H. LA AY not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. The light of the body is the eye: if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eyes be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness! No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his rightcousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. -MATT. 6:19-24, 31-33. * * For this day, O Father, we pray for clear minds, pure hearts, and an earnest purpose in everything that we may be called upon to do. Give us patience under all provocation and grant that we may come to the close of the day blessing Thee for every hour that we have spent doing our daily tasks and serving Thee. During the night give us the rest that we require for the new day. Keep us from all sins; help us to overcome every temptation and lead us, directing us in every thought and deed. Accept our gratitude for every blessing and keep us safe under Thy protection until the hour shall come when we shall lay down our burdens and enter upon the fruition of eternal life. All this we ask for Christ's sake. Amen. * -CORNELIUS M. STEFFENS, D. D. FOR what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? and what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? and what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. -II COR. 6:14-18. THEN they that feared the Lord spake often one to another and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and that thought upon his name. And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him, -MAL. 3:16, 17. Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, grant us Thy therein and overcome all the difficulties that we meet. -From "GUIDANCE IN PRAYER." |