MONDAY MORNING. THANKSGIVING. O GOD, the Author of all good things, we desire to render unto thee our unfeigned thanks, for thine infinite mercies to ourselves and to all mankind. We praise thee for the refreshing quiet of the holy day which we have just passed; for the special means of grace with which we were then blessed; and for all the opportunities of improvement which we enjoy daily. Impress, O Lord, upon our minds a deep and lively sense of our great privileges, in living in a Christian land, and within the bosom of thy Church. Help us to thank thee in our hearts and by our lives; to shew forth our gratitude by living as in thy sight; and to order our thoughts and tempers, our words and works, agreeably to thy holy will. Let our spirits rejoice in thy love, and our mouths be filled with thy praise all the day long; that we may live in all things unto thee, and be gladdened with the perpetual light of thy countenance, through our ever-blessed Mediator and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen. CONFESSION. ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, who in thy tender love towards us hast given thy Son to die for our sins, have compassion upon our weakness, and forgive us all our manifold offences. We humble ourselves before thee for not having improved our spiritual advantages more as we might have done; we acknowledge our transgressions against thee, beseeching thee to deal with us as sincere though unprofitable servants. May it please thee to make ours a repentance not to be repented of! And as often as we thus confess our sins before thee, help us to enter into fresh and firmer resolutions to strive against them. But give us grace to strive in thy strength, and to lean faithfully on the aid of thy Spirit that so, we may be able to mortify our corrupt nature, and to put on day by day more of the new and divine nature to which thou hast called us in the Gospel, through our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen. PRAYER. LORD of all power, and wisdom, and goodness, we humbly pray thee to be with us this day to guide and to bless us. Assist us mercifully, that now we are returning to our worldly employments, we may not wilfully return to any of our sins. And as our minds have so lately been turned in an especial manner to heavenly things, grant that we may be enabled to bring down more and more of the life of heaven upon earth; so as in our several stations and callings to walk before thee in true holiness, and in brotherly love one towards another. Correct, O Lord, our most secret principles, and purify all our motives; that we may be Christians in the inner man, and obey thy will from the heart. Make us active and useful in the path of our duties. Let not worldly business distract us, or selfish pleasure ensnare us: let no temptation prevail to draw our minds away from thee. Be gracious, O heavenly Father, to every member of this household, and give us such things as are for our common welfare and |