"Exactly."

“Well, then, I who have hated God and defied Him, and got drunk, and told lies, and sworn big oaths, and been savage to you and them "-here he pointed towards the room in which the children slept-"must reap the fruit of it!"

"Yes," replied Elizabeth, "if you will not repent and confess your sin, and seek pardon and cleansing through Jesus Christ, it must be so. Let us read the text next to your motto; For he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption, but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the spirit reap life everlasting.' Do you see how the one explains the other? To confess your sins and implore pardon for Jesus' sake, is to sow to the Spirit; to seek after holiness in Jesus is to sow to the Spirit: and the fruit of this is life everlasting." "But the past! fruit of it ?"

What can blot that out, or prevent my reaping the accursed

"Hear

"Christ both can and will wash away your stain," urged Elizabeth. His own word spoken by Isaiah. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool;' and, as I read in the first Epistle of John, 'The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanseth us from all sin.''

"Well, you're right, I suppose, but it seems too wonderful for me to understand."

"Do not try, then, to understand it.

66

Ah, that's just what I'd like to do.

Only believe."

I can think it's all true for you, Lizzie, for myself I cannot ! You must pray for me, aloud if you like, and then leave me here by myself."

His wife obeyed. In ten minutes from that time he was alone with God, while Elizabeth, in the upper room, wisely continued her supplications for him. Torn by conflicting doubts and fears, Isaac sat till long after midnight by the fire, with the Bible on his knees, and an intense longing after peace with God in his once rebellious heart. What transpired in that time is known only to himself and heaven. The year's actions stand forth as witnesses that a great and good work was accomplished; and his now happy wife looks back to that night as the turningpoint in his career; but its story will not be fully told until the Great Day in which God shall bring every work into judgment, whether it be good or whether it be evil. Enough for us if so much as we know shall have aroused us to a prayerful consideration of the truth contained in that New Year's motto, "God is not mocked; whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

THE SONG OF SIMEON has been the triumphant death-song of many a martyr for Jesus. Guthrie, the Scotch martyr, closed his address on the scaffold thus : "Jesus Christ is my light, my salvation, all my desire. Him! O Him! do I, with the strength of all my soul, commend to you! Bless Him, O my soul, from henceforth and forever! Rejoice! rejoice! all ye that love Him! Be patient and rejoice in tribulation! Blessed are ye, and blessed shall ye be, for ever and eve! Everlasting righteousness and eternal salvation are yours. All is yours, and ye are Christ's and Christ is God's! '-adding, "Now let Thy servant depart in peace, for mine eyes

have seen Thy salvation."-Seeds and Sheaves

MARGINAL AIDS.

Explanatory, Biographical, Topographical, Manners and Custom, Anecdotal Illustration, Blackboard Plan, &c.

DAVID. The history of David commences in 1 Sam. xvi., is continued through the whole of 2 Sam. and closes in 1 Kings ii.

EAGLES. The ancients believed that in old age the eagle puts forth fresh feathers and becomes young again.

GRASS. Afigure carrying the description of human frailty to its furthest point in order to make the contrast with Divine love the more striking (Psa. xc. 5, 6; Isa. xl. 6-8).

WIND. The hot winds seem to be alluded to-the sirocco, and its more appalling form, the simoom. This gale is as hot as a burning oven and the atmosphere is loaded with minute particles of sand. The simoom is yet more intense, and carries the poison of death on its wings.

GRATITUDE FOR GOD'S
Life redeemed.
Oppressed cared for.

igour to the weak, Everlasting mercy.

Psalm ciii. 2. GRATITUDE. A penitent and believing sailor said, "To save such a sinner as I am! He shall never hear the last of it." Plutarch says, "All night the ransomed Greeks danced about the tent of their deliverer with music and songs of praise, extolling as a god their benefactor and saviour." How much greater is our cause of gratitude, and how much colder our return of praise ?

Outline Lessons.

January 2.-Morning.

New Year's Thanksgiving.
READING, Psalm ciii. GOLDEN TEXt, ver. 2.
This psalm, ascribed to David, is supposed to be a
thanksgiving song for recovery from sickness.
Central thought of lesson, GOD'S LOVE TO us.
Seen

I. In healing Disease.

David had been suffering, and he thought, as many people do think in such circumstances, of his sins, and dwells on God's forgiving mercy. We are prone to forget every-day favours. Our health, for instance. Recovery from sickness does sometimes make us think of Divine mercy; but unbroken health-a still greater blessing-we often forget.

Apply. When ill, have we thought of our sins? Did we seek through Christ forgiving mercy? Can we say, it was good for me to be afflicted? Watch against forgetfulness of God's goodness.

II.-In delivering the Oppressed. The Psalmist could speak of his persecution from Saul, but his thoughts evidently went beyond his own Call to mind Israel's deliverance from Egypt. Apply. In like manner God often vindicates the oppressed now. Maintain hope in Him when circumstances are adverse.

case.

III.-In pitying and helping the Weak.

Simple and beautiful comparisons. A kind father feels for the child he loves when that child is in

sorrow. He hears his complaints, wipes away his tears, says something to comfort him and make him happy. God does exactly this. He knows our weakness and adapts His consolations accordingly.

What encouragement we have to go to Him with all our griefs !

IV. In ruling all things Well.

God will not desert nor overlook those who fear Him. His rule is universal, which He renders subservient to the welfare of all who keep His covenant and remember His commandments to do them (ver. 17, 18). As a loving father corrects his child for his benefit, so God smites to subdue our pride, selfishness, and sin (Prov. iii. 12). He thus shows He hates sin, and that sin must be punished.

An

Luke i. 6. RIGHTEOUSNESS. eloquent statesman (Henry Clay) propounded a political scheme to an associate "It is right, but it will ruin your prospects for the presidency," said his friend. "I would rather do right than be president," was Clay's noble reply. - A reformer, when told all the world was against him, made answer, Then I am against all the world." It is better to walk in the ways of the Lord than in the paths of the wicked.

January 2.-Afternoon.

Zacharias and Elizabeth.

READING, Luke i. 1 14. GOLDEN TEXT, ver. 6.

I. Luke's Preface to His Gospel. Luke gives his reasons for committing to writing the Divine truths which could not be trusted to any oral tradition. Fragments of history, as narratives of detached sayings, acts, or parables of the Lord, are supposed to have been made and circulated; but Luke professes to give in order (ver. 3) a regular, full, and systematic account. (See Gospel of Luke, p. 24.)

II. The Godly Couple.

NOTE. Their names. "Zacharias "-remembered of Jehovah. "Elisabeth"-the oath of God. The name is the same as Elisheba, the wife of Aaron, after whom she may have been named.

Tell of the bad government under which Zacharias was living. Speak of the corrupting influences all round him; yet he retained his rectitude, and found favour with God. Picture Elizabeth helping Zacharias to maintain his faith in God. Not merely outward piety like (give illus.), but (Golden Text). They had real love to God, and sincere regard for His law.

III.-A Messenger from Heaven.

Zacharias was a good man. The revelation made to him was unexpected. It declared an exceedingly unlikely thing, but a thing which, if true, the old man would very much delight in, yet he was slow to believe it. He was smitten, therefore, with temporary dumbness. The people could tell something remarkable had happened to him. But Zacharias went on with his duty till the time for leaving the temple had come.

- disNote where the angel found Zacharias charging his duty (illus. shepherds, fishermen 'of Galilee, &c.)

APPLY. Endeavour to sustain a high character for piety towards God. We may safely rely on the truth of the Gospel. Study it diligently as coming from God. No sin is worse in God's sight than unbelief.

LOKMAN, while a slave, being presented by his master with a bitter melon, immediately ate it all. "How was it possible," said the master, "for you to eat SO nauseous a fruit?" Lokman replied, "I have received so many favours from you, that it is no wonder I should once in my life eat a bitter melon from your hand." The generous answer of the slave struck his master to such a degree, that he immediately gave him his liberty. With such sentiments of gratitude, submission, and ready obedience, should men receive sorrows and afflictions from the hand of God.

January 9.-Morning.

Job in Adversity.

READING, Job ii. GOLDEN TEXT, Eccles. vii. 14. Introduction.-Submission to God's will includes doing what God commands, because He commands; or patiently suffering what He lays upon us, or permits to be laid upon us, because He permits it.

Job probably lived about the time of Abraham. A man of great piety and devotion (ver. 5). Book supposed to have been written by him after his afflictions had passed away.

I.-Job's Afflictions.

Personal and relative. His possessions swept away, partly by the wandering hordes of the desert (i. 15— 17), partly by the lightning, and partly by the storm which destroyed his children, as well as what the robbers of the desert had left him (i. 19).

Above all, Job himself was smitten of a loathsome disease (ver. 7).

Notice three things about his afflictions :-(1) They were inflicted by Satan. Satan looks for opportunities of doing mischief (ver. 2); and tries most to injure those who love God most.

(2) They were designed to shake his confidence in God, and destroy his integrity. Tempted to hard thoughts of God, and to despair: worse than external

sorrows.

(3) They produced a very distressing effect upon him. He seemed to regard himself as finally deprived of all, and left destitute. He felt deeply the loss of his children, and keenly his being plunged into poverty.

II.-Job's Submission.

Seen in all he did and said (see i. 20). Worshipped, and resigned himself to God's will: was not furious against the robbers-did not arraign the conduct of God for allowing such calamities to befall him. Felt that storm and foe could only do what God permitted (i. 21). Bitter as was his grief, Job did not forget the days of joy he had once experienced.

LESSONS.-1. Trace God's hand in all you suffer. 2. In suffering, never lose sight of mercies yet remaining. 3. Compare what you suffer with what you deserve. 4. Place yourselves, and all that pertains to you, contentedly in God's hands. 5. Submission to God's will supposes that you know God, and love Him.

SONG OF MARY.-Some of the expressions in this song are gathered from the song of Hannah, with which she was doubtless familiar (1 Sam. ii. 1—10).

FEAR. One kind of fear is that which a servant has of a cruel master, or a man has of a precipice, the plague, or death. The fear which we ought to have of God is the fear which a dutiful child has of a kind and virtuous father. "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."

SCATTERED THE PROUD. God hath often done it in time of battle, and war. When the proud Assyrians, Egyptians, or Babylonians had come against the people of God, He had often scattered them, and driven away their armies.

HOLPEN.-Helped-literally, propped up. When the Jewish nation was so utterly reduced (the sceptre departed) and ready to fall, God interposed and raised up His people, Israel-that is, by sending the Messiah.

January 9.-Afternoon.

The Song of Mary.

READING, Luke i. 46-55. GOLDEN TEXT, ver. 46, 47.

CENTRAL THOUGHT. The goodness of God in the mercies bestowed upon us should be devoutly acknowledged.

I. Mary's Acknowledgment. Mary notices in her acknowledgment—1st. Her own unworthiness. God is kind to the poor and needy (Is. xli. 17). 2nd. The greatness of the mercy she had received. 3rd. The truth and power of God, as manifested in bestowing mercy (ver. 55, 51). Divine mercy is often so bestowed as to pour contempt on worldly greatness, and to show the regard in which God holds the truly humble, and those who serve Him (ver. 51-53).

II.-God's Promise Fulfilled.

The Messiah was sent in remembrance of God's mercy, and in performance of His promise (ver. 54, 55). At the time Christ came, the people, as to all spiritual things especially, were in a sad condition; but few of them had any knowledge of God, they desired none. God had often been merciful to His people when they were in need (Ex. iii. 7, 8), He was so again. He had promised to Abraham (Gen. xii. 3), to Isaac (Gen. xxvi. 4), to Jacob (Gen. xxviii. 14), that the Messiah should be of their seed. He renewed His promise to Moses (Deut. xviii. 15, 18), to David (Ps. lxxxix. 21, 27), and often by the prophets. Christ came at the time (Dan. ix. 25, 26)- sprung from the family (David's)—and was born in the place of which the prophets had spoken (Micah v. 2), Bethlehem.

LESSONS. We should neither despise nor neglect the poor; God does not (ver. 53). We should thankfully acknowledge and record God's kindness to ourselves. He is merciful to others (ver 50), but to us perhaps He has been especially so (ver. 48).

QUESTIONS. What other woman's song of praise is very much like this of Mary? What does Mary notice in her acknowledgment? What was the condition of the Jews when the Messiah came ? To whom had the Messiah been promised? In what particulars were Divine promises as to the coming of it fulfilled ?