and in the midst of the congregation shall she open his mouth. 11 Honour and glory in heaven are prepared for the faithful servants of God. "He shall find joy and a crown of gladness, and she shall cause him to inherit an everlasting name. But foolish men shall not attain unto her, and sinners shall not see her. For she is far from pride, and men that are liars cannot remember her. Praise is not seemly in the mouth of a sinner, for it was not sent him of the Lord. For praise shall be uttered in wisdom, and the Lord will prosper it. Say not thou, 11 It is dreadful blasphemy to charge It is through the Lord that sin upon God! I fell away for thou oughtest hateth. 12 Say not thou, He hath caused me to err: for he hath no need of the sinful man. The Lord hateth all God love it not. 14 He himself made man from the beginning, and left him in the not to do the things that he 12 Our natural infirmity is no palliation of sin; because God giveth us a strength not our own, but sufficient. abomination; and they that fear 14 That man's free will and God's free grace are compatible, a humble faith feels and acknowledges. hand of his counsel; if thou wilt, to keep the commandments, and to perform acceptable faithfulness. He hath set fire and water before thee: stretch forth thy hand unto whether thou wilt. 17 Before man is life and death; and whether him liketh shall be given him. For the wisdom of the Lord is 17 Hence the appeal of Joshua to the people (xxiv. 15), "Choose ye, this day, whom ye will serve." Hence too the still more striking address of Moses (Deut. xxx. 19), "I have set and cursing-choose life." before you life and death, blessing great, and he is mighty in power, and beholdeth all things: and his eyes are upon them that fear him, and he knoweth every work of man. hath commanded no man to do wickedly, neither hath he given any man licence to sin. EVENING. ECCLESIASTICUS xix. 1 A LABOURING man that is given to drunkenness shall not be rich and he that contemneth small things shall fall by little and little. Wine and women will make men He * It were indeed unsafe to contemn small things, when our Lord has declared, that "for every idle word, men shall give account in the day of judgment."-What an appalling truth for the talebearer and the slan derer! abide with thee, but if thou begin to fall, he will not tarry. An enemy speaketh sweetly with his lips, but in his heart he imagineth how to throw thee into a pit: he will weep with his eyes, but if he find opportunity, he will not be satisfied with blood. 17 If adversity come 17 As adversity is the test of friendupon thee, thou shalt find ship, so does it render an enemy still him there first; and though he pretend to help thee, yet shall he undermine thee. 18 He will shake his head, and clap his hands, and whisper much, and change his countenance. 1 more malicious. 18 A painful but powerfully drawn picture of malice, triumphing over the afflicted. St. John Baptist's Day. MORNING MALACHI iii. BEHOLD, I will send my messenger, and he shall pre pare the way before me and the LORD, whom ye seek, 'Christ, the Lord, will send his messenger-John the Baptist-who shall prepare his way, by preaching repentance. shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith 4 2 But 2 His word, even now, trieth the very hearts and reins: what will be his judgment hereafter ! is like a refiner's fire, and like 3 As gold is purified by fire, so is the soul by trials: and for this purpose, that by faith in the Redeemer, it may at last offer itself for accep tance" an offering in righteousness." an offering in righteousness. the LORD of hosts. who may abide the day of his coming? and who shall stand when he appeareth? for he fullers' sope: and he shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver: and he shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto the LORD, as in the years. And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. For I am the LORD, 6 4 Man shall be restored to the favour of his Creator. days of old, and as in former 5 God careth for man's temporal, as well as his eternal welfare. 6 The Lord Jehovah is unchangeably loving, and merciful. I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed. "Even from the days of your fathers ye are gone away from mine ordinances, and have not kept them. Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. But ye said, Wherein shall we return? Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings. Ye are cursed with a curse for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. Bring 7 What a gracious invitation to prayer, and to a return unto God! ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your 11 These devourers were the locusts. sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed for ye shall be a delightsome land, saith the LORD of hosts. Your words have been stout against me, saith the LORD. Yet ye say, What have we spoken so much against thee? Ye have said, It is vain to serve God: and what profit is it that we have kept his ordinance, and that we have walked mournfully before the LORD of hosts? And now we call the proud happy; tiply, we see "the ungodly coming in no misfortune like other folk, we are too apt to murmur and think we serve God to no purpose. Vain thought! They who trust in God, 14 If when our own sorrows mul shall never be confounded. yea, they that work wickedness are set up; yea, they that tempt God are even delivered. 16 Then they that feared the LORD spake often one to another: and the LORD hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the LORD, and that thought upon his name. 17 And they shall be mine, saith the LORD of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels; and I will spare them, as a man spareth his own son that serveth him. Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. 16 Few things more cheer, and as we hope, more benefit us, than the sustaining sympathy and according sentiments of those whom we esteem and honour. 17 The end is not yet. A day is coming when God will no longer permit the vile and the pure to be mingled together. He will then finally, and fully, separate the right eous from the wicked. of understanding to fall away: and he that cleaveth to harlots will become impudent. Moths and worms shall have him to heritage, and a bold man shall be taken away. He that is hasty to give credit is lightminded; and he that sinneth shall offend against his own soul. 5 Whoso taketh pleasure in wickedness shall be con 5 There is no hope of amendment in him who casteth away shame. 8 Avoid talebearing; and that curiosity which leads to it. Nothing is more mean than to be curious, and a babbler about the affairs of others. demned but he that resisteth pleasures crowneth his life. He that can rule his tongue shall live without strife; and he that hateth babbling shall have less evil. Rehearse not unto another that which is told unto thee, and thou shalt fare never the worse. 8 Whether it be to a friend or foe, talk not of other men's lives; and if thou canst without offence, reveal them not. For he heard and observed thee, and when time cometh he will hate thee. If thou hast heard a word, let it die with thee; and be bold, it will not burst thee. A fool travaileth with a word, as a woman in labour of a child. As an arrow that sticketh in a man's thigh, so is a word within a fool's belly. Admonish a friend, it may be he hath not done it and if he have done it, that he do it no more. Admonish thy friend, it may be he hath not said it and if he have, that he speak it not again. Admonish a friend: for many times it is a slander, and believe not every tale. There is one that slippeth in his speech, but not from his heart; and who is he that hath not offended with his tongue? Admonish thy neighbour before thou threaten him; and not being angry, give place to the law of the most High. The fear of the Lord is the first step to be accepted [of him,] and wisdom obtaineth his love. 19 The knowledge of the commandments of the Lord is the doctrine of life and they that do things that please him shall receive the fruit of the tree of immortality. The fear of the Lord is all wisdom; and in all wisdom is the performance of the law, and the knowledge of his omnipotency. If a servant say to his master, I will not do as it pleaseth thee; though afterward he do it, he angereth him that nourisheth him. The knowledge of wickedness is not wisdom, neither at any time the counsel of sinners prudence. There is a wickedness, and the same an abomination; and there is a fool wanting in wisdom. 24 He 19 The same hope of immortality may well cheer the Christian under all the gloom and misery of his earthly pilgrimage. 24 The poor and unlearned, if they are good and live near to God, are i that hath small understand- happier than those of the rich and The slanderer and malicious man know this to be true. meetest him. A man's attire, and excessive laughter, and gait, shew what he is. St. James the Apostle. MORNING. ECCLESIASTICUS xxi. My son, hast thou sinned? do so no more, but ask pardon for thy former sins. 2 Flee from sin as from the face of a serpent: for if thou comest too near it, it will bite thee: the teeth thereof are as the teeth of a lion, slaying the souls of men. iniquity is as a two edged sword, the wounds whereof cannot be healed. To terrify and do wrong will waste riches: thus the house of proud men If in your infirmity you have sinned, repent!-Christ hath died, and become the propitiation for your sins. 2 The serpent tempted man to the first sin. The effects of sin therefore are well described as a serpent's sting. 5 shall be made desolate. A 6 All 5 The poor and unlearned must not excuse a neglect of religion because of the disadvantages of their station. God heareth their prayers. 6 A wise man is always thankful to be admonished of his faults. The fool only is impatient of instruction. the way of sinners: but he that feareth the Lord will repent from his heart. An eloquent 7 man is known far and near; Eloquence-if confined to a mere flow of words-may lead astray; but |