I flee anew to the pavilion of Your love!

(John MacDuff, "Evening Incense" 1856)

Blessed Lord, bend Your pitying eye of love and mercy upon me today. Draw near to me, as I venture once more on praying and on pleading ground.

Alas! O God, how little have I improved the time that is past! I am a wonder to myself, that with all my deep ingratitude and utter vileness--I am yet permitted to approach Your footstool! I have sinned against light and love--warning and mercy--grace and privilege. The retrospect of life--is a retrospect of guilt. I mourn over my manifold shortcomings--the alienation of my heart from You--the fitfulness of my spiritual frames--the ebbings and flowings in the tide of my love. When tried by the lofty and unerring standard of Your Word--how are my best actions and duties marred with defilement! How much self-seeking and self-glorying--and how little animated by the predominating motive of love to You, and singleness of eye to Your service!

Blessed Jesus! I flee anew to the pavilion of Your love! I have no other hope, no other refuge--but in Your finished work--Your matchless atonement--Your spotless righteousness! There is in You, an all-sufficiency for every need. Finite necessities cannot exhaust Infinite fullness. Let me hear Your voice saying, "Your sins, which are many--are all forgiven!"

Transform me more and more into Your own image. May I know more and more, the happiness of true holiness--that I am really blessed in seeking to walk so as to please You. May the power of grace wax stronger and stronger--and the power of sin wax weaker and weaker. May trials and crosses become light and easy to me--when borne in a spirit of meek, unrepining submission to Your Divine will. May this quiet every doubt and misgiving: "Your heavenly Father knows that you have need of all these things!"

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