IV. HYMN. L. M. -All have Ability to do Good. We cannot to our Saviour bring [C. M.] TWENTY-FIFTH SERVICE. 'Tis peace, 't is praise without alloy, 1. SCRIPTURE READING. Luke xviii. 35-43. The Wayside Beggar noticed. And it came to pass, that, as he was come nigh unto Jeri. cho, a certain blind man sat by the wayside, begging; and hearing the multitude pass by, he asked what it meant. And they told him, that Jesus of Nazareth passeth by. And he cried, saying, Jesus, thou Son of David, have mercy on me. And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace, but he cried so much the more, Thou Son of David, have mercy on me! And Jesus stood, and commanded him to be brought unto him; and when he was come near, he asked him, saying, What wilt thou that I shall do unto thee? And he said, Lord, that I may receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, Receive thy sight; thy faith hath saved thee. And immediately he received his sight, and followed him, glorifying God; and all the people, when they saw it, gave praise unto God. II. RESPONSES. S. Thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. T. Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it; C. Thou settlest the furrows thereof; S. Thou makest it soft with showers; T. The valleys also are covered over with corn; III. PRAYER. Great and adorable Father! Giver of light and health! thou slumberest not, nor sleepest, while we have need of nightly repose. It is of thy goodness that our eyes have been opened to another day. O, open our hearts to gratitude and praise, to the beauty of thy truth, to the charms of holiness, to the joys of the Saviour's love. Let thy favor be felt in this Sabbath school; let it rest on all to whom is committed its care, and on every scholar. O, may we feel that no day is well begun without prayer, without a remembrance of what we are and whither we are tending. Let our hearts pray. Let all our powers feel the sacred influence, and no crowd of thoughts keep us from the Saviour's presence and blessing. And O, our Maker, give us grace to employ time as a portion of eternity. May the good tidings which a Saviour brought be received in all their fulness, and the great joy they produce exclude the love of sin. Clothe us with the armor of holy thoughts, and may we effectually prevent the entrance of impure desire. Then shall our Sabbaths usher in holy weeks, and time shall end by our entrance on eternal and celestial life, through thy grace in Jesus Christ. Amen. O, let no slumbering chord remain- [S. M.] TWENTY-SIXTH SERVICE. I. SCRIPTURE READING. 1 Sam. xxiv. 9-17. David and Saul. And David said to Saul, Wherefore hearest thou men's words, saying, Behold, David seeketh thy hurt? Behold, this day thine eyes have seen how that the Lord hath delivered thee to day into my hand in the cave; and some bade me kill thee; but mine eye spared thee; and I said, I will not put forth my hand against my Lord: for he is the Lord's Anointed. Moreover, my father, see, yea, see the skirt of thy robe in my hand; for in that I cut off the skirt of thy robe, and killed thee not, know thou and see that there is neither evil nor transgression in my hand, and I have not sinued against thee; yet thou huntest my soul to take it. The Lord judge between me and thee, and the Lord avenge me of thee; but my hand shall not be upon thee. As saith the proverb of the ancients, Wickedness proceedeth from the wicked; but my hand shall not be upon thee. After whom is the king of Israel come out? after whom dost thou pursue? after a dead dog, after a flea? The Lord there. fore be judge, and judge between me and thee, and see and plead my cause, and deliver me out of thy hand. And it came to pass, when David had made an end of speaking these words unto Saul, that Saul said, Is this thy voice, my son David? And Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I; for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. II. RESPONSES. S. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he first loved us, T. And sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. S. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another. T. We have known and believed the love that God hath to us. S. God is love! C. And he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God, T. And God in him. C. We love him because he first loved us. T. And this commandment have we from him, T. & C. That he that loveth God, love his brother also. III. PRAYER. O Thou that hearest prayer! unto thee do we lift the voice of our heart, and supplicate thy presence. Great more than are the favors thou hast given day by day our lips can count, more than our thoughts can fathom. Lift us above entire ignorance of thy ways and doings. Make us mindful of what we can see and know, that our ingratitude may be rebuked, and our folly condemned. Thou art very gracious. Sinful as we are, thou dost love us. As constant as the flow of time is the course of thy goodness. O, why should we ever sin against love? why should we seek for happiness in sin? Forgive us our sins! Let the light of the divine life of the Saviour shine attractively on our pathway, and win us to duty. By the depths of that love which he revealed, by the plainness of his precepts, by the illustrations of duty in his character, and by the glory of his love in' death, O, may we see the simplicity and greatness of doing good. May we live for more than ourselves, and seek to learn in our Sabbath school, that we may teach others. Thus shall this day be made holy to our hearts, Which we ask in the name and thy name be honored. Amen. of our Divine Redeemer. IV. HYMN. S. M. 77 Obedience to God our Father. My Father! I adore That all-commanding name; No more will I transgress, Do thou the strength impart This purpose to fulfil; Lord, write thy laws upon my heart, [L. M.] TWENTY-SEVENTH SERVICE. How sleeps the soul till thou, O Lord, Shall deign to touch its lifeless chord! 1. SCRIPTURE READING. John vi. 27-35. Labor not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give you in that day; for him hath God the Father sealed. Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? Jesus answered, and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. They said therefore unto him, What sign showest thou then, that we may see, and believe thee? what dost thou work? Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world. Then said they unto him, Lord, evermore give us this bread. And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life; he that cometh to me shal never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst. II. RESPONSES. S. Ho! every one that thirsteth! T. Come ye to the waters; S. Come ye, buy and eat, T. & C. Without money and without price! |