Prayers in the congregation - 1868 Author:Henry Ward Beecher Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: PEECIOUSNESS OF THE SANCTUARY. JHointng. INVOCATION. We thank Thee, our Father, that we are gathered from so many places by Thy kind providence to this,... more » Thy house of prayer. Thou hast in other times been here to receive us. Stand in Thine own house again to-day, and bid every heart welcome with the assurance of Thy love, of Thy favour, and of Thy presence; and by the power which Thou dost show forth upon us, may we discern the truth hidden in Thy word. May we take hold upon Thee in communion ; may we be able to unite together in fellowship of song, and praise Thee with one heart and voice. Grant that all the exercises of the Sabbath, whether in the sanctuary or in our several homes, may conduce to our spiritual comfort and edification; and thus may Thy name be honoured. We ask it for Christ's sake. Amen. BEFOEE SEEMON. Oub Heavenly Father, we do not draw near to Thee in this place as if only here Thou wert to be found. Thou hast made the whole earth to be full of Thee. The heavens declare Thy glory, and the firmament showeth Thy handiwork. Day unto day uttereth speech of Thee, through all the years of our lives. Neither is there any place so solitary, nor any so barren, nor any so dark and sad and seemingly neglected, that Thou artnot to be discerned there. ' Thou hast written of Thee in every part of this domain, and they that are instructed in Thee know how to find Thee everywhere. But yet in some places wo find Thee more easily than in others. Thou hast made this place peculiarly dear to us, because hero we have often lingered, waiting for the dawn, until the day-spring came from on high. Here we have come, unable to see by the multitude of our tears, and gone away seeing all the better through them, as if Thou hadst made them lenses. Here we have been pressed...« less