Thy testimonies are very sure: holiness becometh Thine house, O Lord, for ever. Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the money changers, and the seats of them that sold doves; And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple: And He taught, saying unto them, is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves". Now in this that I declare unto you I praise you not, that ye come together not for the better, but for the worse P. When ye come together therefore into one place, this is not to eat the Lord's Supper. For in eating, every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken. What! have ye not houses to eat and to drink in? or despise ye the Church of God, and shame them that have not? What shall I say to you? Shall I praise you in this? I praise you not ". Lét all things be done decently and in order '. For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all Churches of the saints 3. Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God; and be more ready to hear than to give the sacrifice of fools'. O God, Thou art terrible out of Thy holy places. The God of Israel is He that giveth strength and power unto His people. Blessed be God". The heavens shall praise Thy wonders, O Lord; Thy faithfulness also in the congregation of the Saints. For who in the heavens can be compared unto the Lord? Who among the sons of the mighty can be likened unto the Lord? God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of the saints; and to be had in reverence of all them that are about Him *. Honour and majesty are before Him; strength and beauty are in His sanctuary. Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people; give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto His name: bring an offering, and come into His courts. O worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness; fear before Him all the earth". This is it that the Lord spake, saying, I will t Eccles. v. 1. * Psal. lxxxix. 5—7. " Psal. lxviii. 35. y Psal. xcvi. 6-9. be sanctified in them that come nigh Me; and before all the people I will be glorified". But the man that shall be unclean, and shall not purify himself, that soul shall be cut off from among the congregation; because he hath defiled the sanctuary of the Lord. There assembled at Jerusalem much people to keep the feast". And there were many in the congregation that were not sanctified". Yet did they eat the Passover otherwise than it was written: but Hezekiah prayed for them, saying, the Good Lord pardon every one that prepareth his heart to seek God, the Lord God of his fathers, though he be not cleansed according to the purification of the sanctuary. And the Lord hearkened to Hezekiah, and healed the people ". I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Hosts; the whole earth is full of His glory. 2 Lev. x. 3. c Ibid. 17. Numb. xix. 20. b 2 Chron. xxx. 13. d Ibid. 18-20. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried; and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of Hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar; And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo! this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. O Lord, the hope of Israel, all that forsake Thee shall be ashamed, and they that depart from Me shall be written in the earth, because they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living waters. But mine eyes look unto Thee, O Lord God: in Thee is my trust; O cast not out my soul. Heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me, and I shall be saved; for Thou art my praise ". e Isai. vi. 1-7. f Jer. xvii. 13. Psalm cxli. 9. Prayer for a devout observance of the Lord's Day. Most Blessed and Holy God! Who, out of a tender regard to us men, who, through the weakness of our corrupt nature, are too prone to forget Thee, the Author of our being and happiness, hast been pleased to set apart one day in seven for Thy more solemn service, and the concerns of our immortal souls; I most humbly beseech Thee, of Thine infinite mercy and goodness, to make me unfeignedly thankful for this inestimable privilege; and to incline me evermore to delight in Thy Sabbath, and to dedicate it entirely to those religious ends and exercises for which it was instituted by Thee. Grant, I humbly pray Thee, that I may always esteem it a day sacred to the ever blessed Trinity, in memory of our creation, redemption, and sanctification, by God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost: And that therefore, laying aside all thoughts about my worldly affairs, I may conscientiously employ it in serving Thee, and doing good; in works of piety, devotion, and charity; in prayer, praise, and holy meditation. And since the spiritual and eternal blessings, which we Christians on this day commemo |
