families. Bless our Sovereign, and all in lawful | the invisible things of Him from the creation of the

world are clearly seen, being understood by the Godhead. In rising from nature up to nature's God, things that are made, even his eternal power and

every spiritual worshipper rejoices that 'the heavens declare his glory, and the firmament sheweth his handy work: that day unto day uttereth speech, and night unto night sheweth knowledge.' Man at his original creation, loved to contemplate heaven and earth, the sea, and all deep places, as bearing the impress of Him who is wonderful in counsel and excellent in working. Creature enjoyments were not then pursued for their own sake, but as means of communion with the giver of every good and perfect gift; 'of whom, and through whom, and to whom are all things.' What a mournful change has sin introduced by effacing from the soul that image of God, in which our first parents were created! How is the gold become dim? how is the most fine gold changed?" Ichabod, 'the glory hath departed,' is awfully visible where once God was all and in all. But there is revealed to the faith of every returning transgressor, another and a more glorious work of the Almighty, whereby apostate man is made a new creature in Christ Jesus: is born again of the Spirit, delivered from the bondage of corruption; and, according to God's promise, looks for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

23. Prophecy an invaluable branch of Christian evidences. Ver. 24. Conduct of Joseph, eminently worthy of commendation, and graciously rewarded by God with special and supernatural guidance. If any man will do the will of God, he shall know the doctrine, whether it be of God.'

PRACTICAL REMARKS.

carnal minds; strengthen us with all might in the inner man; prepare our hearts for every Christian duty, and make us more than conquerors over sin and satan, death and hell, through Him that loved us and gave himself for us. Be pleased to sanctify to us, O Lord, for these purposes, the services of thy Sabbath, in which we were yesterday engaged. May we retain serious impressions of the things that belong to our present and eternal peace. In our transac-in this chapter, which contains the book of the gentions during this week, may we have grace to set the Lord always before us. May a sense of thy presence solemnize our minds. Hold thou up our goings, that our footsteps may not Guide us by thy counsel, and afterwards bring us unto glory.

slide.

May thy way, O Lord, be made known upon earth, and thy saving health among all nations. Bless abundantly our native land. Be gracious to all ranks and conditions of men; high and low, old and young: thou art the Maker of them all. Comfort the sons and the daughters of affiction. Visit them in their times of trouble, in the multitude of thy tender mercies, and be thou a very present help. Never leave us, nor forsake us. Be our God and our guide, even unto death; and after death our exceeding great reward. Now, unto the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, the one true God, be glory everlasting. Amen.

MONDAY EVENING.

PRAISE-PAraphrase xix. 4.

SCRIPTURE-MATTHEW I.

PRINCIPAL DOCTRINES.

The first verse of the New Testament intimates the divine and human natures of the Author and

Finisher of our faith, in the one person of the anointed Saviour. Ver. 1. Genealogical history of our Saviour's descent from David, as proving his Messiahship; it having been predicted that he should spring from that monarch. The Lord hath sworn in truth unto David; he will not turn from it; of the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne,' Psalm cxxxii. 11. Ver. 18-20. We are taught that our Lord's incarnation is the object of faith, not of intellectual comprehension; that, in his human origin, as in his divinity, He is 'holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners.' 'Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness: God was manifest in the flesh. Ver. 21. Our Lord's distinctive char

Let the church rejoice that the question of the inspired prophet, 'who shall declare his generation?" (Isaiah liii. 8.) has been most satisfactorily answered

eration of Jesus Christ.' Men frequently boast of a line of distinguished ancestry, as reflecting honour upon themselves. How few consider themselves ennobled by the fact, that 'the root and offspring of David' has become bone of their bone, and flesh of their flesh. Yet, what earthly relationship is to be compared in dignity with this? It is not, however, in this alone, or even mainly, that a Christian's elevation consists. As the Lord Jesus came into the world to 'save his people from their sins,' our spiritual deliverance, begun on earth, and consummated in heaven, is the blessed fruit of a vital union with neither part nor lot in the primary blessing of our New Testament' dispensation. Let us be reminded that salvation is all of grace-not of works, lest any man should boast.' He shall save his people.' They do not save themselves by any merit of their own. 'Jehovah hath become their salvation, redeeming them from all iniquity and purifying them unto himself, a peculiar people, zealous of good

the Saviour. If we come short of this, we have

6

works,' Titus ii. 14. What cause of thankfulness is it, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation. For the prophecy came not in old time by the will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost;' ver. 22. compared with 2d Peter i. 21.

PRAYER.

Almighty and most merciful Lord God, we beseech thee to pour out upon us, this evening, the spirit of grace and of supplication; that we may worship thee with reverence and godly fear. From everlasting to everlasting thou art God, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, wonderful in counsel, and excellent in working. Unite our hearts in thy blessed service: and grant that our prayers may come up before thee with acceptance, through the all-prevailing merits and intercession of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, the righteous, in whom thou art ever well-pleased.

Blessed be thy name, that unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, through whom we have access by one Spirit unto the Father. Our souls would magnify the Lord: our spirits would acter, the Saviour of his people from their sins,' rejoice in God our Saviour. He that is mighty embraces both his work of obedience and atonement hath done for us great things, and holy is His

in the flesh, and the omnipotent application of it by name. his Spirit to the heart and conscience. Ver. 22,

We adore thee, the God and Father of our

TUESDAY MORNING.
PRAISE-PARAPHRASE 1. 7.
SCRIPTURE-GENESIS II.

PRACTICAL REMARKS.

The universe is God's temple, and no sooner has the Sovereign architect finished the place of worship, than He ordains the Sabbath. By this He so unites the spiritual with the material parts of creation, that whilst the heavens declare his glory, the souls of men may, on a set day, behold what the heavens declare, and paying the homage that is due, remember the God in whom they live. God rested on the seventh day from all the works which he had made thus adding the force of example to the authority of law; for it is further said, he sanctified, or set apart that day to himself, making the weekly Sabbath

'an ordinance for ever;' and he blessed it, or made it a blessing to his creatures who should keep it holy to him. Let it be remembered then, that the institution of the Sabbath is co-eval with the commencement of time; that the law of the Sabbath is

Lord Jesus Christ, who hast so loved the world, | end everlasting life. Hear these, our unworthy that thou didst give thine only begotten Son, supplications, and when thou hearest, forgive that whosoever believeth in Him should not per- and accept for our great Redeemer's sake. Amen. ish, but have everlasting life. Grant, we humbly implore thee, that we may have redemption through his blood-the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of thy mercy. May none of us neglect so great salvation, but may we receive it as a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, even the chief. Enlighten our minds, heavenly Father, in the knowledge of our guilt and unworthiness. Convince us by thy Holy Spirit, of the exceeding sinfulness of sin. May we be deeply humbled in thy sight, because of our numberless and aggravated transgressions. We pray, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we may have our conversation in the world. Deliver us from the love and prevalence of all iniquity; and renew us in the spirit of our minds, by the effectual working of thy mighty power. Cleanse thou us, O Lord our God, from secret faults. Keep back thy servants also from presumptuous sins: let them not have dominion over us. Work in us both to will and to do of thy good pleasure. May our faith in the Lord Jesus, who alone can save his people from their sins, be instrumental in purifying our hearts and overcoming the world. Vouchsafe to us thy grace and strength whereby we shall serve thee with all good fidelity, and endure hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. We unite in thanksgivings to thee, the Father of mercies, for thy protection and loving kindness towards us this day: and for all the goodness and mercy which thou art ever making to pass before us. May our experience of thy love constrain us to live, not to ourselves, but to him who died for us. O thou Shepherd of Israel, who never slumberest nor sleepest, we commit ourselves anew unto thee this night. Watch over us for good. If it be thy blessed will to spare us in the land of the living, may we awake to praise and honour thee, the God in whom we live, and move, and have our being. Be very gracious to all our dear friends. Bestow upon them thy richest blessing, even life that shall never end. Have mercy upon Zion. May thy beloved church be edified and comforted in all her borders. May her people be all righteous. Bless her provision, and satisfy her poor with bread. Let thy kingdom come, and thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Sanctify afflictive visitations to all who are under thy chastening hand. May the fruit be unto holiness, and the

written throughout the Bible with remarkable frequency: and that it is every where sanctioned by the Almighty, in terms the most terrible, or the most engaging; and let every parent, every child, every master, every servant of the household, 'remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.' It may be seen as well as read, that the devout observance of the Lord's day is followed with peace and prosperity, whilst Sabbath profanation never fails to draw down a curse, which wastes the substance, darkens the prospects, and pursues the soul of the sinner. 'Hallow my Sabbaths, and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I am the Lord your God.' We have read that the Lord God made man of the dust of the ground, from which of death. But, let the sinner seek no solace to a lowly origin let us learn to be humble and mindful guilty conscience in the dissolution of the body; for a different origin, and one unconnected with dust, is ascribed to the spirit in man,-"The Lord God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living soul;' and so when the body returns to dust as it was, the spirit ascends to God that gave God as the only good, let us see, by the goodness it. That we may fear sin as the only evil, and seek shown to sinless man, that God is love. For man's abode, He planted a garden called Eden, which signifies delight. He watered it and made it fruitful, with every tree that was fair to the eye and good for food; those patterns of heavenly things, doubtwhich the creature, made after the image of the less, implying the heavenly things themselves, by Creator, was supremely blessed. But as a proof that no happiness is to be found in idleness, Adam

was put in the garden 'to keep and dress it.' Thus, in nature's plan, a place is made for human hands; and delightful task it is, by ingenious arts, to add to the beauties of nature; but let no one, unless he can plead a birth and dominion higher than Adam had, complain of labour, for idleness is misery; and the law is just and good, which says, 'if a man will not work, neither shall he eat.' The single restriction as to the fruit of one tree, is no objection to the goodness of God. As God must rule, it was fit that there should be a test of the creature's allegiance; and the forbidden tree being only one of many, the

prohibition was the least, whilst the trial was the best. The words of restriction were alike peremptory and plain; the precept was positive, not moral; it did not forbid murder or other crimes to which man's nature, being yet sinless, was not inclined; but it imposed an obligation which might be known to have its source simply in the Divine will, without obedience to which God could not be glorified and could not be enjoyed. It is a farther manifestation of the goodness of God, that man had nothing to fear from the lower creatures; as all their tribes of various temper and power came to him with one accord, and in token of friendly submission, to receive their names; and then, for the completion of his felicity, God seeing that with all other good, it was not good for Adam to be alone, took one of his ribs and made a woman, and brought her unto the man; at the same

thoughts afar off, and art intimately acquainted with all our ways. Thou hast preserved us through the silent watches, and brought us untc the light of a new day. We would this day acknowledge thee our Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer; we would seek thy favour, and remember the account that we have to give.

From everlasting to everlasting thou art God, but all flesh is as grass; we all do fade as the leaf: and our iniquities like the wind have carried us away. Thou didst form man of the dust of the ground: thou didst breathe into his nostrils the breath of life, and he became a living soul. Thou madest him after thine own image, and didst crown him with glory and honour. But how is the fine gold become dim! the crown is fallen from our heads: woe is unto us, for we have sinned. Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin? Every way of a man is right in his own eyes; but the Lord pondereth the hearts. There is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not. We are guilty, O Lord, and deserve that wrath which is revealed from heaven against all unrighteousness and ungodliness of men. We time, in behalf of posterity, ordaining, in these terms, bless thee that thou hast laid our help upon one the marriage law; that a man shall leave his father that is mighty to save. As in Adam all die, so and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and in Christ shall all be made alive. Thanks be they shall be one flesh.' This ordinance, in the unto God for his unspeakable gift. O Lord, let state of innocency, and when the world was least thy Holy Spirit take of the things that are of peopled, is a proof that polygamy, which is fertile Christ, and show them to us, that we may know in strife, and results from tyranny of the stronger sex, is as contrary to the divine law, as it is to the our need of a Saviour, and flee for refuge to the order of nature, and to the excellent economy of hope set before us in the gospel. Lord, we bethe family tie. Let husbands and wives, then, re-lieve; help thou our unbelief. By a living faith, member their vow; and seek its fulfilment, according to the words of the apostle, as they would seek the blessing of their heavenly Father. Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it. Let every one of you in particular, so love his wife, even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.'

PRAYER.

may we be interested in all the benefits of the Saviour's death; and show, in our renewed hearts and holier lives, the power of his resurrection. Create in us, O God, a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within us. Sanctify us through thy truth, that dying daily unto sin, and living unto righteousness, we may grow daily in conformity to thy will, and be prepared to meet our God. May the like mind be in us which was in Christ.

O Lord, thou art a spirit, and no man hath Follow with thy blessing our reading of thy seen thee at any time: thou goest by and we word and our meditations at this time. May we Teach us see thee not, thou passest on also and we per-profit by every opening of thy book. ceive thee not; yet art thou nigh to every one to hallow thy Sabbaths, to reverence thy sancof us, for in thee we live and move, and have tuary, to wait upon thee in all thy ordinances, our being. The darkness hideth not from thee, that we may renew our strength; and do thou but the night shineth as the day: thou lookest grant us in this and every season of grace reunto the ends of the earth, and seest under the freshing from thy presence. Lord, dwell in this whole heaven: neither is there any creature that house and family. Never leave us, and never is not manifest in thy sight; but all things are forsake us. In our several places, duties, and naked and opened unto the eyes of Him with relations, may we all have a single eye to thy whom we have to do. Thou knowest our sitting service, and do all things to thy glory. Shed down and our rising up; thou understandest our abroad thy love in our hearts, that we may love

TUESDAY EVENING.

PRAISE-PSALM LXXII. 9.
SCRIPTURE-MATTHEW II.

the Lord our God with all our heart, and soul, | say to Him that ruleth over all, thy will be done;' and mind, and strength; that as thou hast loved yet have we a joyful hope in the death of infants. us, we may love one another with pure hearts Christ, the Lamb of God, was slain from the foun dation of the world; and at all times his death was fervently; that we may bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Let the chief of sinners; and how not able to save these equally efficacious. He is able to save even the words of our mouths, and the meditations of our little ones who never denied him, and may be rehearts, find acceptance with thee, through Christ garded as martyrs to his cause? When we look to our strength, and our Redeemer. Amen. the ruthless hand that could dissever so tender a tie as that which bound the infant to the mother's breast, let us look also to the love that embraces the infant soul on its arrival in glory, and it will be easier to say, 'thy will be done.' But the heart sickens at the sight of the wretched tyrant, who. growing hard in crime and fearless by impunity, seems eager, in old age, to finish more wickedness before he dies, and to treasure up wrath against the day of wrath; and we read his retribution, in the disquietude that sought peace by the ceaseless murder of those whom his guilt suspected; in the fearful looking for of judgment, which shall be without mercy to them that showed no mercy; in a conscience growing more tormenting by the very vices which its rage demanded, and in the worms of which he died—an emblem and probable foretaste of the worm that dieth not. Such rulers, whilst they persecuted our Lord, and by their abuse of power filled the world with lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning,' afforded an affecting proof of the world's utmost need of one who should proclaim glory to God in the highest, on earth peace, and good will to the children of men. Let us thank We owe them to the advent God for better laws.

EXPLANATORY REMARKS.

The wise men, guided by a star, having found Jesus, opened their treasures and presented him with gifts. And if these distant Magi came on an errand of homage, and were led by a star, what shall be said of us, whom the day-spring from on high hath visited, if we refuse to bring presents to him, and accept the salvation which he bestows? Surely these less gifted sages of the East will rise up in judgment against us.

Warned of God by a dream, the wise men take their way homeward, without returning to Herod with farther information; and thus time is gained for securing the safety of the infant Jesus. The providence, by which he is carried out of Herod's reach, and kept in Egypt till they were dead who sought his life, is just that same holy, wise, and all-ruling providence, which we ought at all moments to consult; and in which, amidst all dangers, we may safely confide. Preserved amidst such perils, and reared to man's estate, when he enters on the ministry of his kingdom, our Lord teaches his disciples, as the children of his Father, to trust in the same providential care that guarded him. Are not two sparrows sold for a farthing? and one of them shall not fall on the ground without your Father. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear ye not therefore, ye are of more value than many sparrows.' God does nothing in vain. Providence and grace have no contrariety; but both, proceeding from the same loving heart, are directed by the same unerring counsel, and the same omnipotent hand. A heavenly Father tended all the steps of the child Jesus, that the gift unspeakable might not be lost to the world; and the like care will he take of all who, believing in Christ, have the adoption of sons: he will save them from harm, or make all things work together for their good.

To make sure of killing Christ, and being stung with resentment, because the wise men did not return to tell the place of the Saviour's birth, Herod sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof. Whilst we are satisfied that the dealings of providence are all in perfect harmony with those of grace, we have yet humbly to confess, that a deep mystery frequently en. velopes the path of the divine procedure. But though it be hard to think of this inhuman murder, and to

him

of his Son. And if the enemy be not all subdued,
let it be enough, should we suffer persecution for
righteousness' sake, that the servant must not be
above his Lord; for he also suffered, and gave
self for us. It is a faithful saying: for, if we be
dead with him, we shall also live with him: if we
suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him,
he also will deny us.'

PRAYER.

O Lord, we adore thee as our Creator, Preserver, and Redeemer; the God in whom we live, and with whom we have to do. We adore thee as the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have access to thy throne, and in whom thou art reconciling the world unto thyself, not imputing unto men their trespasses.

We would offer unto thee the sacrifice of praise, with thanksgiving, for all the goodness and mercy which thou art daily making to pass before us. Thou hast heard our morning prayer; thou hast preserved us throughout the day, thou art still supplying our wants, and giving us all things richly to enjoy. Above all, O God, we thank thee for the gift of thy Son; for the means of grace, and the hope of glory. Bless to us at this time the reading of thy word. May it be the sealed instruction of thy Spirit, and may