Let us Pray. LORD God of our fathers! give us thy Spirit that we this evening may worship thee in truth. Our fathers trusted in thee, they trusted, and thou did'st deliver them. Doubtless thou art our father, though Abraham be ignorant of us, and Israel acknowledge us not. Thou O Lord, art our father, our Redeemer, thy name is from everlasting. How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of Hosts!-Blessed are they that dwell in thy house; they will be still praising Thee. Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee,-for in the Lord Jehovah there is everlasting strength. Well may our hearts tonight overflow with gratitude for the tokens of thy love. Every soul may well rejoice and exalt in the greatness of mercy. I will extol thee, my God, O King! I will bless thy name for ever and ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. One generation shall praise thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts. I will speak of the glorious honour of thy majesty, and of thy wondrous works. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and of great mercy. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works. All thy works shall praise thee, and thy saints shall bless thee. They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and talk of thy power; to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, and the glorious majesty of his kingdom. Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion throughout all generations. We praise thee for what our eyes have seen, and our ears have heard, and our hands have handled of the word of life. We rejoice that thou hast founded Zion, and set up thy Son therein as king. Thanks be unto thee for what we have this day seen of the glory of Christ in his person and dignity, in his love for his people, in his zeal for the glory of Godhead,-and for what has been shown to us of our salvation secure, as the claims of the law were met, the covenant ratified, and the Spirit's influences secured as the promised inheritance of all the seed. Blessed be thy name that the cross of Christ hath broken Satan's power, hath laid a just foundation for the reign of Christ, and gloriously confirmed thy moral government. For our New Testament Zion and all her sacred associations and blessed privileges we this night are glad. We praise thee that our lot and line have been cast in a land of gospel light and liberty, and that in thy sovereign grace we are favoured with all the manifold advantages bound up therewith. May thy church be dear to us. May it be our daily endeavour to be useful members of thy church, diligent in our place and station to adorn thy truth, advance thy cause and promote the welfare of that church which Christ loved, and for which he gave himself. Be with us this evening as our minds are directed to the consideration of Zion, the city of God, and the glorious things spoken concerning her. And unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. Then is read ISAIAH LX. ARISE, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. 2 For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. 3 And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. 4 Lift up thine eyes round about, and see; all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. 5 Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. 6 The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall shew forth the praises of the Lord. 7 All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee they shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory. 8 Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows? 9 Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee. 10 And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee; for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favour have I had mercy on thee. 11 Therefore thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night: that men may bring unto thee the forces of the Gentiles, and that their kings may be brought. 12 For the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish; yea, those nations shall be utterly wasted. 13 The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir tree, the pine tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place my feet glorious. of 14 The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel. 15 ¶ Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations. 16 Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings: and thou shalt know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob. 17 For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness. 18 Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders: but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise. 19 The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the LORD shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory. 20 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine ever lasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. 21 Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified. 22 A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the LORD will hasten it in his time. Then is sung PSALM CII. 16-22.-L. M. GOD in his glory shall appear, When Sion he builds and repairs. He from his holy place look'd down, |