mercy, love, wisdom, holiness, righteousness, justice, and power of God to provide; and, on the other hand, such a Saviour as became sinners' needs and desires, and therefore deserves their acceptance, as fit, suitable, sufficient to save all that come to God through him, and that even to the utmost; his blood being able to cleanse from all sin, his power being able to subdue all things to himself, and his Spirit sufficient to lead into all truth. The Gospel's glory is, that it is the ministration of the Spirit. The great privilege of believers is, that the Lord manifests himself to them as he doth not to the world when he manifests his authority in the command, it is then powerful: when he manifests his wrath in the threatening it awes the soul; when he manifests his glory in the face of Christ, it is ravishing, reforming attracting. HALYBURTON.

January 5th.

OH THAT I KNEW WHERE I MIGHT FIND HIM! THAT I MIGHT COME EVEN TO HIS SEAT! I WOULD ORDER MY CAUSE BEFORE HIM."-Job. xxiii. 3, 4.

THIS book of Job might, perhaps, be the first and earliest part of all the written Word of God; for learned men, upon good ground, suppose that this history was older than the days of Moses; and yet it hath many a sweet lesson of experimental religion in it, to teach the disciples of Christ. We may learn many duties and comforts from it in our day, “ upon whom the ends of the world are come." The style of it, in some parts, is so magnificent and solemn, in others so tender and affectionate, that we cannot but feel impressed with its beauty. In his severest trials, "I will turn aside," saith he, "from man, for miserable comforters are ye all; and I will address myself to God, even the God who smites me: Oh that I knew where I might find Him!" The stroke of the Father

doth not make the child fly from Him, but come nearer, and bow himself before his best Friend. This is the filial temper of the children of God.

"My God will pity my complaints,

And heal my broken bones:
He takes the meaning of his saints,
The language of their groans.

Arise my soul from deep distress,
And banish ev'ry fear:

He calls thee to the Throne of Grace,
To spread thy sorrows there."

WATTS.

January 6th.

FOR OUR LIGHT AFFLICTION, WHICH IS BUT FOR A MOMENT, WORKETH FOR US A FAR MORE EXCEEDING AND ETERNAL WEIGHT OF GLORY."-2 Cor. iv. 17.

Do but admire the beauty of the position, and how the good is set against the evil, like two scales differently filled. The affliction is light, and but for a moment; the glory is a weight; and it is for ever! Here is a feather against lead, a grain of sand against the universe, a moment against eternity! O, how the scale that contains this world, like trouble, kicks the beam, when set in competition with the glory that shall be revealed in us.

Let the sweet hope that Thou art mine,

My life and death attend,

Thy presence through my journey shine-
And crown my journey's end.

January 7th.

"O SING UNTO THE LORD A NEW SONG: SING UNTO THE LORD, ALL THE WHOLE EARTH."-Psalm xcvi. 1.

A NEW Song was sung, when the ark went up to the tabernacle on Mount Zion; a new song by "the multitude of the heavenly host," when the Saviour, "which is Christ the Lord," was born at Bethlehem (Luke ii. 11-15); a new song, when He rose in triumph from the dead, and when He ascended into the heavens; then was it "told out among the heathen, that the Lord is King;" then was the gate of His kingdom opened to all mankind, and people of all kindreds, and nations, and tongues, flocked into it, and became subjects of the King of Righteousness and the Prince of Peace. "The heavens rejoiced, and the earth was glad." The time of His second coming draweth near, to "judge the world in righteousness;' it is "not far from every one of us." "He that shall come will come, and will not tarry." (Heb. x. 37). O that we may be prepared to meet Him! looking with humble faith, fervent in daily prayer, diligent until the coming of our Lord." Thus we shall be admitted into His heavenly kingdom, and sing a new song of joy, with saints and angels around His throne"Blessing, and honour, and glory, and power, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb for ever and ever." (Rev. v. 13).

SLADE ON THE PSALMS.

"Now let us raise our cheerful strains,

And join the blissful choir above,

Where our exalted Saviour reigns,

And where they sing His wondrous love."

January 8th.

BEING PAST FEELING."-Eph. iv. 19.

ONE would dread that state most of all others which St. Paul describes, "being past feeling." (Eph. iv. 19). True, there is this alleviation-such are insensible of their deplorable condition. But if the great trumpet of the Gospel awakes not the soul in this life to spiritual sense and feeling, verily the loud archangel's trumpet will awaken it to hear its awful sentence, and feel its dreadful doom in the end. Oh, what a miracle of grace to be quickened to know one's own misery, to feel one's wants, to believe the remedy, to cry for relief! This blessed work is not the will of the flesh. No man can quicken his own soul; it is the sovereign work of Almighty power. (John i. 13). It is equally ascribed to the loving Father, the redeeming Son, and the sanctifying Spirit. (John v. 21; vi. 63.) Therefore, gracious souls. give all the glory to the ever-blessed Trinity.

"FOR THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH; BUT THE GIFT OF GOD IS ETERNAL LIFE THROUGH JESUS CHRIST OUR LORD."--Romans vi. 23.

How solemn is the evidence of God's holy indignation against

sin, that though the blessed Jesus has removed the sting of the last enemy, yet even from his own dear children he has not seen fit to withdraw his terrors! Who can behold a beloved member of the body of Christ, whose glorious head is in heaven, writhing in pain, shrieking in feverish energy, and not feel that death is a fearful enemy, sent at first as an evidence that sin can have no share in eternal life, and continued, even to the ransomed, to prove to all more surely that their victory is not of themselves, but of Him who, to wash them from their sins expended his own blood?

"Thus did eternal love begin,

M. L. DUNCAN.

To raise us up from death and sin;
Our characters were then decreed,
'Blameless in love, a holy seed.

With Christ our Lord we share our part
In the affections of his heart;
Nor shall our souls be thence remov'd,
Till he forgets his first belov'd."

January 10th.

PRAY WITHOUT CEASING."-Thessalonians v. 17.

A MAN may pray with others from a variety of motives, but he will never love praying by himself until he feel his constant need of the Divine care, and view God as the chief good. Some professors are very deficient in this duty, in which they ought to abound. They are known by a sickly languor in other duties, and are proofs that none relish public ordinances so well as those who keep up a constant correspondence with heaven in private. Remissness in duty is always attended by a deficiency in comfort. We can only climb the mount of communion on the knee of prayers.

HERRICK.