"Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto
all and upon all them that believe."--Rom. iii. 22.
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, I desire to draw near into Thy
sacred presence on this the evening of another day, under a deep sense
of my own great unworthiness. What am I, guilty, sinful, polluted,
that I should be permitted to take Thy name into my lips, or so much
as lift up my eyes to the place where Thou in glory dwellest!
I desire to renounce all dependence on myself. I come with all the
great burden of my great guilt to a great Saviour. I seek to bring the
unrighteousness of an unworthy creature to the infinite righteousness
and everlasting faithfulness of a tried Redeemer. Where would I have
been, Blessed Jesus! this night, _but for Thee_! All I am, and all I
have, I owe to Thy free, sovereign, unmerited grace. All my temporal
mercies are sweetened to me as flowing from Thy cross, and bearing on
them the image and superscription of Thy love. And for every spiritual
blessing I enjoy, and every spiritual hope I entertain, I desire
doubly to adore thee, Thou Great Author and Finisher of my faith! Whom
have I in heaven but Thee, and there is none in all the earth I desire
besides Thee. Thou alone canst fill up the aching voids of my heart.
In vain can I look to a transient world, or to the perishable
creature, for solid peace and permanent enjoyment. All my well-springs
are in Thyself; with Thee for my portion I am independent of every
other.
I desire this night to obtain a lively and humbling view of my own
spiritual poverty and deep creature destitution, that I may rejoice in
the fullness and all-sufficiency of that righteousness which is unto
all and upon all them that believe. In that righteousness I would seek
to live, and in that righteousness I would seek to die. There is
nothing else between me and everlasting ruin. But for Thee, Thou great
Covenant-Angel standing in the breach, the fire of God would break
forth and mingle my blood with this my evening sacrifice! But I "will
greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God, for He
hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, He hath covered me
with a robe of righteousness." I take Thee, O adorable Saviour, as
mine only, mine wholly; mine for all wants and all exigencies. I
rejoice in the inexhaustible riches treasured up in Thee--that Thy
fullness is adequate to supply all my present necessities; and out of
that fullness I may still continue receiving, and that for ever and
ever!
Lord, look in great kindness on all whom I love. Pity a perishing
world. Arrest the careless; reclaim the wandering; strengthen the
feeble. Hasten Thy Son's coming and kingdom. How long shall the
wicked, how long shall the wicked triumph? Save Thy people; bless
Thine inheritance; feed them also, and lift them up for ever.
Let the curtain of Thy protecting providence be drawn around me this
night. Let me fall asleep at peace with Thee, ready, if need be, to
awake up in glory. And all I ask is for Jesus' sake. Amen.
"LET MY PRAYER BE SET FORTH BEFORE THEE AS
INCENSE: AND THE LIFTING UP OF MY HANDS
AS THE EVENING SACRIFICE."