244. Monday after Trinity Sunday.
Holy and merciful God, give us the light
of the Spirit, that we may know thee in
faith, that we may fear thee, and that we
may become holy, as thou art holy. Amen.
Isaiah 6, 1-7. In the year that king Uzziah died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of these seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar; and he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips, and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged.
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Holy is the Lord in his heavenly habitation, exalted high above all the earth and its littleness, — he is purity and perfect love, in eternal harmony with himself. Holy is the Lord in his revelation through the Son; he is absolutely unspotted, and there is a perfect unity in the will of the divine persons, even at the time when the Son was in the likeness of flesh, and suffered for our sins. Holy is the Lord in the work of the Spirit when he makes our hearts his dwelling place, regenerates us, and sanctifies us. “Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory.” This is seen and sung by the seraphims before his throne.
How, then, shall ungodly sinners be able to stand before him? Isaiah was a holy man; but when he saw the glory of the Lord he cried out: “Woe is me; I am undone, because I am a man of unclean lips!” And it is necessary that he be cleansed with a live coal from the altar, — a symbol of the grace of the Holy Spirit, which cleanses us through the sacrifice of Christ. The Spirit must assure the prophet that his sins are taken away. Not until that has been done does the prophet take heart to present himself before God, or become fit to serve him. Even the seraphim, these sinless and exalted angels of heaven, hide their faces and their feet before the Lord, when they move the posts of the door as they cry unto one another, saying: Holy, holy, holy; — how, then, shall we dare to appear before him? Wherewith shall we cleanse and cover ourselves before the eyes of the Holy One? Do you not feel how impossible it is that we should stand before him in our own righteousness, or in our natural condition, without having been born again? It is absolutely necessary that we cling to our heavenly high priest, and take shelter under the wings of his holiness. We must be born of the Spirit to a new and holy life in God, and be perfected in holiness by being renewed and cleansed from day to day. Praise be to thee, Lord Jesus, who didst come to us with both water and blood; and dost give us the Spirit, who clothes us in the garment of righteousness! Thou art my holiness; in thee I am of good cheer, and thou wilt not let me go, except thou hast taken away all my sin! I shall become perfect in holiness, and see the Lord of glory, and live!
O God, give us all, who ask thee, this grace by the Holy Spirit, for the sake of Jesus Christ. Give us vital piety and faith and holiness in our innermost heart. Amen.*
Thee we adore, eternal Lord!
We praise thy name with one accord;
Thy saints, who here thy goodness see,
Through all the world do worship thee.
To thee aloud all angels cry,
The heavens and all the powers on high:
Thee, holy, holy, holy king,
Lord God of hosts, they ever sing.
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.