CHOIR. Now, Father, now, in thy dear presence kneeling, Now make us strong, we need thy deep revealing TWENTY-FIRST SERVICE. SOCIAL WORSHIP. Psalms cxxxiii., xlviii., cxii., xcviii. BEHOLD, how good and pleasant it is For brethren to live together in unity! For there the Lord commandeth a blessing, Even life forevermore. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, In the city of our God, upon his holy mountain. We will think of thy loving-kindness, O God, In the midst of thy temple. As thy name, O God, so thy praise, extendeth to the ends of the earth. Thy right hand is full of righteousness. Mount Zion rejoiceth; the daughters of Judah exult, Go round about Zion; number her towers; That ye may tell it to the next generation; Praise ye the Lord! Blessed is he who delighteth in his commandments; His posterity shall be mighty on the earth; The race of the righteous shall be blessed; To the righteous shall arise light out of darkness. He is gracious, and full of compassion and right eousness. Happy is the man who hath pity and lendeth ; Yea, he shall never be moved. The righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance; He is not afraid of evil tidings; His heart is firm, trusting the Lord. He hath scattered blessings; he hath given to the poor; His righteousness shall endure forever. Sing to the Lord a new song, For he hath done marvellous things: His own right hand and his holy arm hath gotten him the victory! The Lord hath made known his salvation; His righteousness hath he manifested in the sight of the nations. Shout unto the Lord, all the earth! Break forth into joy, exult, and sing! Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; The world, and they that dwell therein. And the mountains rejoice together before the With righteousness will he judge the world, O Thou, whose is the earth and the fulness thereof, Thou dost provide for the fulfilment of the desires of my soul. Thou hast opened thy hand, and given me bountifully of thy treasures. Thou hast enriched me with thy benedictions. Thou bestowest thy favors, not according to my worthiness, but in the greatness of thy mercy. Unto thee, from whom neither deed, word, nor secret desire is hidden, we confess our proneness to sin, and our tendency to do evil. We remember with sadness the sins and errors of the past, and are burdened in view of our present imperfections. As thou art leading us to clearer visions of goodness, open, we pray thee, more and more to our view, the recesses of our sins, and the depths of our selfishness. May we see our faults with the eye of divine justice, and may the deformity of error be rvealed to us. Father, may we not fear, even in the lowest pit, but see the love which is higher, deeper, and broader than all sin and its consequences. Show me the secret sins of my heart, that I may repent of the same, and shun all such in the future. If we have yielded to avarice, do thou help us overcome the thirst. If we have been unkind, may the spirit of bitterness be changed to love. If we have gotten gain from another unjustly, may we discover the false gain, and cheerfully restore it. If in any way we have done wrong to any soul thou hast made, or withheld from any what is their due, O God, show us the error, and dispose us humbly to repair, as far as we can, whatever injury others have suffered at our hands. Father, keep us from all temptations to do wrong. If riches increase, save us from setting our heart upon them. Raise our soul through all the pleasures and splendors of life to thee. Suffer us not to use the power given us to oppress another. May we deal justly with all. Amen. CHOIR. Father of Spirits! humbly bent before thee, Let thy love befriend us, Father of our spirits, everlasting King! |