are God's revelation to the world." That sacred book is not read by the careless and ungodly multitude, but they are not backward in reading the character of the followers of Christ. How important is it, then, that they should give, by their spirit and deportment, a correct representation of our holy religion! What a blessed thing it would be if all the members of our churches could be addressed in the language of the apostle,-"Do we begin again to commend ourselves? or need we, as some others, epistles of commendation to you, or letters of commendation from you? Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men. Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart." Great is the power of impassioned oratory, as embodied in burning words, and pathetic gestures, and flowing tears; but, after all, there is no eloquence so effective as that of a pure, upright, consistent life. It shames the accusers of our holy faith; it puts to silence the ignorance of foolish men, and often constrains them, by the good works which they behold, to glorify God in the day of visitation. Christian let it be your earnest prayer and daily endeavour to be kept from dishonouring that worthy name by which you are called. Prefer, a thousand times over, to suffer for Christ rather than that He should suffer by you. Recommend the doctrine of God your Saviour, not in some, but in all things. Recommend it by the purity of your conversation, by the blamelessness of your life, by the integrity of your dealings, by your abhorrence of all that is mean and unmanly. Recommend it in the various conditions in which you may be placed-in prosperity and adversity, in obscurity and eminence, in health and sickness, in joy and sorrow, in youth and age, in life and death. Let there be nothing wanting that will contribute to the completeness of your religious character, but seek that every grace may be in you and abound more and more. Add to your faith virtue, and to virtue knowledge, and to knowledge temperance, and to temperance patience, and to patience godliness, and to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness charity; you will thus be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 17TH DAY. "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray and not to faint."-Luke xviii. 1. THE success which at Persevering tended the importunity Supplication. and perseverance of the poor widow, whose case is here referred to, should stimulate and encourage us in our approaches to the Divine footstool. The person whom she addressed was an unjust and hard-hearted judge; but He with whom we have to do is very pitiful and of tender mercy, being more ready to hear than we are to pray, and is wont to give not merely more than we deserve, but exceeding abundantly above all we can solicit or desire. It must, however, be remembered that the prayer which God honours, and in answer to which He bestows His promised blessings, is heart-felt, fervent, wrestling prayer. Such was the prayer of Jacob on the memorable night which preceded his interview with his brother let thee go. →was blessed: with God and death. Let there be noth was at one; that will contribute to the man wchin of your religious characte day. ADɑLthat every grace may day breaketh. abound more and mo faith virtue, and to v and to knowledge te temperance patienc... godliness, and to kindness, and to charity; you will ↑ nor unfruitful in Lord Jesus Chris Aspire after meet with ions are tervent Sileth ver is Jeaven Soain of glory ve in consequence of such a spirit! in affliction we perplexity temptation is for want of when we might righteousness |