THURSDAY EVENING. PRAISE-PSALM XCVIII. 1. PRACTICAL REMARKS. Jesus, the beloved Son of God, knew no sin, and could not be tempted with evil. Still, it was both possible and important, that he should endure temptation. It served to prove and display his character, as the holy One of God: to evince his power, and to advance his cause, as the conqueror of Satan, and the destroyer of his works; and to accomplish or perfect him as the Captain of salvation, and the faithful and merciful High Priest of his people, who having himself suffered, being tempted, might be able to sympathise with and to succour them that are tempted. Wherefore, he was led of the Spirit to be tempted of the devil. There is a deep and awful mystery in this experience of the Son of God. Yet there is much precious instruction and comfort in it. It shows us that temptation is under divine guidance, and the tempter himself subject to divine control -that when God gives grace he will try it-that with the disciple, as with his Lord, seasons of most signal privilege may generally prove the precursors of severest trials; and that the desolate wilderness, and the lovely Eden; the mountain solitude, and the crowded city; the consecrated temple, and the mart of merchandise, equally admit and invite their approach. First, the devil finds the Saviour fasting, and tries, through the medium of his hunger, to provoke him to impatience, and insinuate distrust of God's paternal care and love. Finding him immovable in his filial confidence and submission, he next tries, on the ground of God's promised and confided protection, to urge him to the opposite extreme of pride and presumption. And when this also has failed, as a last and desperate effort he offers him the kingdoms of the world, which he came to redeem as his inheritance, by his blood, for the easy but forbidden tribute of an idolatrous homage. It matters nothing to this enemy of souls, through what means he can prevail. It is enough for his malignant purpose, if he can entice to sin in any form, whether through our privations, our privileges, or our prospects; by the lust of the flesh, or the lust of the eye, or the pride of life. But the prince of this world had nothing in Jesus. With holy abhorrence and with triumphant power, he repelled each successive assault, until, baffled and discomfited in all his wiles, the devil left him. And mark the weapon with which the Saviour overcame. It is the sword of the Spirit, the word of God. It is written—it is written—it is written; introducing the appropriate scripture, used in assured faith, was his sole, but his effectual defence. This armour of heavenly proof has been bequeathed to us. Let us use it after Christ's example, and in our hands, as in his, it will prove mighty through God to repel all the darts of the wicked, and to make us partakers of the Saviour's victory. While Jesus is thus assaulted by the old serpent, John the Baptist is persecuted by the serpent's seed. Herod added this to all his other sins, that he shut PRAYER. O Thou who art holy, who dost abhor all sin, and with whom evil cannot dwell! wherewithal shall we appear in thy presence? We are prone to evil. Like our first father, we have been more ready to give ear to the false and unholy suggestions of satan than to give heed to thy words of truth, and thy precepts of holiness. Alas, we have given place to the devil, and, but for the riches of thy mercy and forbearance, might, ere now, have had part in his condemnation. With our whole hearts would we bless thee, O Lord, that thou who sparedst not the angels which sinned, but didst cast them down to hell, hast been mercifully pleased to spare us; that thou hast sent thy beloved Son into the world to destroy the works of the devil; to redeem us from guilt, and sin, and death, and hell; as the fruit of his victory, to restore our right to the tree of life, and by the power of his grace to prepare us anew for the paradise of God. O thou who art the God of all grace, suffer not that our hearts should be insensible to that unsearchable love which prompted the errand of thy Son into the world, and sustained him all through his life of deep humiliation and manifold temptations. Let not one among us continue in league with satan, and at enmity against God and his Christ. Recover us out of the snare of the devil. Enable us to wield the sword of the Spirit after the example, and in the strength, of the Lord Jesus. Amid straits and difficulties, help us to possess our souls in patience, and to hold fast our confidence in thy faithfulness In circumstances of outward prosand love. perity, and in the experience of spiritual privi- | and the cause of an increasing, degeneracy; they leges, let us not be high-minded but fear; and whatever prospect of advantage be set before us, let us be strong to resist or refuse it, when its acceptance would require unfaithfulness to thee. Vouchsafe to us severally, an interest in all the grace of Christ's kingdom. Bring us out of darkness into thy marvellous light. Make us willingly obedient, and cordially devoted to thy service. Cause us to experience, and help us to exemplify, the precious fruits of thy Spirit, in our release from the dominion of all sin, and in our gradual advancement in the health, and vigour, and maturity of the spiritual life. We pray for the downfall of satan's kingdom; give unto thy Son the heathen for his inheritance, and all the kingdoms of the world for his possession. Unto Him let every knee bow, of things in heaven, and things on earth, and things under the earth; and every tongue confess that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. We Be thou the light and defence of all dear to us. Be especially gracious to this family. Let all under this roof abide under thy shadow. offer our grateful thanks for thy care over us throughout the day. We ask thee to blot out the sins of the day-all our sins, in the blood of the Lamb of God. We commit ourselves to thy faithful keeping throughout the night, and would desire to be preserved by thy power, through faith unto everlasting life. And unto the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, be ascribed the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen. FRIDAY MORNING. PRAISE PSALM LII. 1. PRACTICAL REMARKS. Men do not improve, but degenerate as they multiply on the earth. When sinners abound, seductions to sin are more powerful; restraints upon it more feeble; the power of conscience is more apt to be overborne, and even a regard to character to be cast away amid the urgency of besetting temptations and evil example. Thus evil men and seducers wax worse and worse. How disastrous this effect of evil communications on the sons of Seth! For their piety they had been distinguished by the name of 'sons of God.' But alas! for the instability of human goodness; instead of withstanding and restraining the rising tide of corruption, they are borne before it, and already mingle with, and swell the torrent. From early habit, and for the sake of family distinction, they might still maintain a form of godliness; but, their marriage with the ungodly was the effect of existing, were carnal and did walk as men.' and were soon As God beheld this sad degeneracy, it repented God that He had made man, and it grieved Him at the heart. This is spoken after the manner of man. God's omniscient mind and infallible purpose preclude his literal experience of such disappointment and regrets as are here expressed. But it intimates how deep and dreadful is the ruin which sin has wrought on the work of God. Behold, says He, the end of all flesh is come before me; 'He that made them will not have mercy on them, and He that formed them will show them no favour.' Amid this crooked and perverse generation, Noah alone is found just, and sincere, and faithful; like Enoch, he walked with God, in the peace of reconciliation, in the paths of righteousness, and in the privilege of communion with God. God therefore 'who giveth more grace,' shows favour to him—and, agreeably to the great principle on which His gracious covenant proceeds, to his family also for his sake. Wherefore when the world shall be destroyed, righteous Noah shall be preserved. For this end he is commanded to build an ark of safety, in which he may outride the flood; and though the work was great, and the time long, and the trial of cruel mockings was severe and painful, yet, true to his character, according to all that God commanded him. so did he. 'By faith, Noah, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house, whereby he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by 16 faith.' Let us follow in the footsteps of Noah, while now the long-suffering of God waiteth as in his day; let us flee to the refuge which is set before us in the gospel, that when the threatened flood of fiery indignation shall sweep over the earth, we may sheltered from its fury, and preserved in Christ Jesus, as in the ark-to that new heavens, and that new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. PRAYER. be O thou who art infinitely blessed in thyself, and art absolutely independent of any or all thy creatures; we wonder and adore, when we contemplate the riches of thy forbearance and longsuffering towards a world that lieth in wickedness. Alas! what a world of iniquity does thine all-seeing eye continually behold, to offend thy purity and provoke thy judgments. How much have we, thy professing people, lived as the children of disobedience; we have followed the multitude to do evil, we have conferred with flesh and blood, and instead of living to glorify thee, the God in whom our breath is, we have loved to fulfil the desires of our sinful hearts. Adored be thy patience which has borne with us amid these manifold provocations-adored be thy grace which has provided for us a aud mercy great redemption, and doth invite us still to the free and welcome participation of its blessings. O God, let not any of us abuse thy patience and despise thy grace. Let the interposition of the Son of thy love to save us, rouse our secure and our careless minds, and melt and subdue our hard and rebellious hearts. Let thy love constrain us to live not unto ourselves but unto Him who loved himself for us; and gave instead of walking after the course of this world, we may be as the sons of God, without rebuke, walking with God, holding fast our integrity, following submissively and obediently the leadings of thy Holy Spirit, and willing to stand out from the ways, and to bear the scorn and enmity, of the ungodly world, provided only we may have this testimony, that we please God. us, O God, let the wickedness of the wicked be brought to an end; not again, if it please thee, by the destruction, but by the conversion and salvation of the world, by the power of thy Spirit, and by means of thy gospel. Let the righteous flourish and abound; let the nations be made subject to the reign of Messiah. We bless thee, Lord, that thou art prolonging our day; while the day of life lasts, let us spend it for thee. O God, we would walk with thee, we would cleave to the way of thy precepts; we desire to be guided by thee in the way of life. Hear us, O God, in these our prayers, for the sake of Him who is Amen. the Mediator of thy better covenant. FRIDAY EVENING. PRAISE-PSALM XXXIV. 11. PRACTICAL REMARKS. This sermon Jesus delivered near Capernaum. Though spoken in the hearing of the multitudes, it was addressed directly to His disciples, whom it It opens with Christ's doctrine especially concerns. of happiness, a subject attractive to all ears, and to all hearts, and deserving of all attention, when treated by the great prophet of God, and the gracious friend of man. Those whom he declares blessed, are not such as the world admire or imitate, but, as appears from his description, such rather as they dislike, and despise, and persecute. They are the poor in spirit, the mourners, the meek, the merciful, the persecuted and the reviled. This may seem a paradox, but these are the truly blessed. 1. The characters they exhibit are not the gifts of nature, but of grace; the effect of God's special blessing, and the pledge of their signal blessedness. 2. Their characteristic dispositions, and desires, and affections are the elements of blessedness; meekness of temper, mercifulness of disposition, purity of heart, faithfulness to conscience, are not more expressive of virtue than of happiness. 3. Though, in some instances they involve suffering, yet, in every instance they tend to, and prepare for, O thou whose name is called upon by us, the blessedness. They that mourn for their own sins, Covenant God unto whom we have been baptized, and they who suffer persecution from love of rightlet it please thee to unite us all as indeed the chil-eousness, or from fidelity to Christ, are in the sure and the only way to the sweetest and sublimest dren of thy covenant, and the heirs of its sure blessedness-the blessedness of the pardoned sinner, mercies. Let the ties of nature be hallowed and the perfected saint! And lastly, these tendencies and endeared by the bonds of grace. Let the towards perfect blessedness are in no way liable to heads of this house be united in the Lord. Let disappointment; for all these capacities and desires the children of the family rise up before thee a of the renewed nature, God has provided the apholy seed, who shall be to the Lord for a gen-propriate object in His kingdom of grace or of glory, eration; and let all our family intercourse, in all our several relations, promote the growth of our Christian character, and prepare us for holier and more blissful communion together, as members of thy blessed family in heaven. and the Saviour has declared that in the timely be stowment of it their blessedness shall be full. Let us learn hence that character is fundamental to happiness; that our efforts to find it in outward good are misdirected, and that they are best bestowed in cultivating the graces of the inner man, without. which, nothing on earth or in heaven can make us truly blessed. we thine offending creatures come before thee to implore thy forgiveness, we should exclude our prayer by refusing forgiveness to any who Enable us to lift up may have offended us. The disciples of Jesus, formed into this character, and fitted for such blessedness, are destined to signal use and honour in the world. "Ye are the salt of the earth;' that is, the moral conservatives, who preserve holy hands unto thee, without wrath and doubtit from corruption and ruin, and diffuse among its fam-ing, and to pour our hearts in the confidence of ilies the savour of grace and godliness. But this in- love. Blessed be the God and Father of our fluence, be it observed, belongs only to the vitality and Lord Jesus Christ, who hath sent Him to bless strength of the spiritual character; when Christians degenerate into lifeless formalists, their influence over us, to procure all blessings for us, by the blood others is lost: and beyond others they become despic- of his cross, to proclaim them in the word of able in character, and desperate in condition. Ye his gospel; and to dispense them from the throne are the light of the world. They are so, because of his kingdom. O Lord, let us be blessed in they are light in the Lord; and having received His Him; grant that thy Holy Spirit may produce light, not to conceal, but to reflect and diffuse it; they and perfect in us all the lovely character of thy should feel concerned not for self-display, but for the blessed people. Make us lowly and contrite in good of men, and for the glory of God, to manifest heart, as becometh sinful creatures; let the deand commend the light to all around. O! did all professing Christians perform their appointed part, sires of our souls be after righteousness; imbue soon should our dark and sinful world be pervaded our tempers with the meekness and gentleness of with the light of truth, and seasoned with the grace Christ; let us be merciful as our Father in heaven of holiness, producing blessedness among men, and is merciful; make us pure in heart, peaceable in blessing and glory to God. demeanour, upright and faithful in our uniform conduct; resolved in thy strength to suffer rather than to sin, and able to rejoice if counted worthy to suffer shame for the name of Jesus. O that we were effectually taught of Jesus that they are the truly blessed who are thus renewed by the Spirit into the mind of Christ, that, to acquire, and to increase in this blessedness, we were quickened to the daily cultivation of all the spiritual graces; and that we might so largely possess, and so vigorously exercise, and so visibly exemplify them, that those who see us might acknowledge that we are the seed whom the Lord hath blessed! In order to guard his character, while he asserts and exercises his office as a divine teacher, Jesus next explains the object of his coming. This was not to destroy the law, but to fulfil it; not to destroy it, for it is more stable than the ordinances of heaven and earth; not to relax it, for he demands the observance of the least, as well as the greatest, of its commandments;—but to fulfil it, for he requires a righteousness in principle, and spirit, and extent, far exceeding that which was maintained or taught by the strictest religionists of that day. In illustration of these truths, he proceeds to expound the law. He begins with the sixth commandment, as it was spoken to the fathers. This was understood by the Pharisees to forbid the deed of murder; Jesus interprets it as forbidding every word or feeling, which as proceeding from, and expressing hatred of a brother, violates the great principle of the law; the transgressor not only to the penalties of human courts, but to the danger of hell-fire. Who but may now cry out, Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O my God. Of this doctrine our Lord, ver. 23-25. makes a practical application: first, in regard to an offended brother, next in regard to an injured and angry adversary. As if to live at variance with either, were such a violation of this law as prevents our acceptance in worship, and provokes our subjection to condemnation, he admonishes to a speedy reconciliation and agreement with all who have taken effence at us, or to whom we have given it. How should this enforce the apostle's admonition, Be kindly affectioned one to another, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another; if any man have a quarrel against any; even as God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you. PRAYER. and exposes Thou God of peace, who hast turned away from us all thine anger, and dost invite us, through the blood of the cross, to approach thy throne of grace and blessing; forbid that, when O God, cause the light of Christian truth and holiness to spread speedily throughout this dark world; cause the power and energy of thy Spirit's grace to work mightily in recovering it from that moral corruption which has so deeply infected it. Let thy blessing rest on our country; revive, and purify, and prosper thy church at home and abroad; comfort the mourner, sustain the persecuted, give repentance to sinners, and salvation to the dying. Be the God of this family; let ours be the blessedness of the people whose God is the Lord. We resign ourselves to thy charge, imploring thy pardon of all our sin, and thy protection from all evil; while we live let us be blessed in the graces of thy Spirit ; when we die make us blessed with the glories of thy kingdom, and to thy name be all the glory, in Christ Jesus. Amen. SATURDAY MORNING. PRAISE-PSALM LXXVII. 16. PRACTICAL REMARKS. As judgment is God's 'strange work,' it becomes the duty of men sedulously to improve, and long and deeply to remember every interposition of providence which bears the character of an evidently punitive infliction. The stupendous and unparalleled event recorded in this chapter is sufficient to proclaim, to the latest ages, the awful danger connected with irreligion, impenitence, immoral and sensual indulgence, the neglect of divine warnings and reproofs, and a wide-spread deterioration of principle, and corruption of manners. Accordingly we find Christ, more than two thousand years posterior to this era, referring to the history of the flood, and the unprepared state of that wicked generation whom it swept away, as illustrative of the deeply infatuated security which shall mark the final age of the world. And as it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark; and the flood came, and destroyed them all.' The forbearance of God is strikingly manifested, even to the last, towards this impenitent generation. After 120 years of long-suffering and mercy had been extended to them in vain, still seven days are added, to afford them a final opportunity for repent ance. Almighty.' And who is he that will harm you, if ye be followers of that which is good? But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled; but sanctify the Lord God in your hearts: and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you, with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that whereas they speak evil of you, as of evil-doers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ. For it is better, if the will of God be so, that ye suffer for well-doing, than for evil-doing. For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the long-suffering of God waited in the days of Noe, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us, (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels, and authorities, and powers, being made subject unto him.' PRAYER. Almighty and most gracious God, the creator and preserver of the universe, in whom we live and move and have our being: enable us, we humbly pray thee, to worship acceptably at the footstool of thy throne of mercy with reverence Amidst the swelling surges and the dark confusion and with godly fear. Thou dwellest on high, yet of the destroying deluge, God did not leave himself hast thou regard to the lowly, and with that man without a witness that He is gracious; and faith, fix-wilt thou dwell, who is of a humble and contrite ing her eye upon the ark that sheltered the remnant ordained to be saved, as it still rises above the waters, and rides in safety through the terrors of the allembracing inundation, can sing of mercy and judgment on this portentous and deeply solemn occasion, 'God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.' The preservation of Noah and his family in the ark is a beautiful and instructive type of the salvation of the people of Christ, who have fled for refuge to the hope set before them in the gospel. And accordingly the faith of this patriarch, who 'being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house,' is commended to the adoption of all, in reference to their eternal interests, and the great duty of complying with the calls of divine mercy. Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner-stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.' Wherefore, come out from among them, and be ye separate, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord spirit, and who trembleth at thy word. We adore the infinite holiness of thy nature, and the perfect rectitude of thy government, and confess that our iniquities have justly subjected us to a state of condemnation, misery and death. It is of thy mercies, O Lord, that we have not been utterly consumed, because thy compassions fail not. We bless thee that thou hast provided for us, in the infinitude of thy love, an all-sufficient Saviour, who becomes, to all who receive Him, a refuge from the storm, and a hiding place from the tempest-a river of water in a dry place, and the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. May we be enabled, by the power of the Holy Spirit, to believe in Jesus to the saving of our souls; and to realize all the benefits which belong to those who have an interest in his perfect righteousness and all-prevailing intercession. O God, give us grace to escape from the corruptions that are in the world, and to maintain a walk and conversation becoming the gospel. Incline our hearts to thy testimonies, that we may not be ensnared and defiled by the examples |