JANUARY 3.

But now, O Lord, thou art my Father: we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.-Isa. 1xiv. 8; Dan. iv. 35.

BEING only clay in thy hands, O Lord, as I must not, so I would not, resist thy workings by any means; and I pray and hope thou wilt prepare and perfect me for a meet vessel of grace, in spite of a thousand hindrances. No work of thine comes ever short of its intended perfection; for who can stay thy hand? It is thy own saying, “I will work, and who shall let it?" (Isaiah xliii. 13.)

An artist delights in his own workmanship, and would not leave one single flaw or defect in it designedly (Phil. i. 6). Oh, then look upon me too, thou wise Creator! see how flesh and blood disorder my poor soul, and deliver me from all that may endanger my spiritual life! Knowing thou canst do no less than a human artist, who is ever ready, and exerts his skill to mend and perfect his work, I trust that thou wilt not always suffer these impediments to hinder and disgrace thy work. Nay, such is thy wisdom and power, that out of darkness thou canst bring light; out of sickness, health; and though I am now destitute of strength and life, yet I believe thy work will be finished at last, and glorify the name of its maker (1 Pet. v. 10).

Finish, Lord, thy new creation!

Pure, unspotted may we be!

Let us see our whole salvation
Perfectly secured by thee.

Changed from glory into glory,

Till in heaven we take our place,
Till we cast our crowns before thee,
Lost in wonder, love, and praise !

JANUARY 4.

David's Prayer :-Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When the Lord brings back the captivity of His people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad.-Ps. xvi. 7. Divine Answer:-If the Son make you free, ye shall be free indeed.-John viii. 36. See also

verses 31, 32.

NOT as if sin should be utterly destroyed, or entirely dead, and could not stir any more in the heart of believers; for the Scripture speaks of them as having still their lusts and motions of sin (Gal. v. 17); but it imports only, that it has no power either to condemn, or to reign over us; nay, it shall be weakened more and more (Rom. vi. 12, 14); so that Christ reigns in the heart even where sin dwells, in the midst of His enemies (Shorter Catechism, Quest. xxvi.); and it is a dangerous error indeed, to believe that sin is destroyed in the root. If it were so, whence those frequent expressions and exhortations to crucify, withstand, and rule over it? (Gal. v. 24.)

Now sits our Saviour on His throne,
With pity in His eyes;

He hears the dying prisoners' groan,
And listens to their sighs!

He frees the souls condemned to death;
And when His saints complain,

No man shall say that praying breath
Was ever spent in vain.

This shall be known when we are dead,

And left on long record,

That ages yet unborn may read,

And trust, and praise the Lord;

Then let thy Spirit seal our souls,
And mould them to thy will,

That our weak hearts no more may stray
But keep thy precepts still.

JANUARY 5.

All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.-2 Tim. iii. 12. The world hath hated them, because they are not of the world.John xvii. 14.

THE children of God do not love and please the world, and are oftentimes greatly afflicted on account of abounding wickedness, and particularly the profanation of the Lord's name. Now, when you can love the world, and the world can love you, there must be much worldliness in you; for the world loves its own.

Many pretend to be Christians, but they will not endure persecution. Instead of this, they blame others for too much rashness, and not acting prudently enough to avoid the mockings and hatred of the world. Therefore, they propose to take wiser measures; and, in order to do more good, take great care not to be despised and rejected; but under this pretence of wisdom and prudence, very often lie concealed a dangerous love of the world and fear of man. Be thou nobler minded, live as a Christian indeed, and be not ashamed to bear the Cross of Christ. "The disciple is not above his Master." Has eternal love, wisdom and power, endured the contradiction and reproach of sinners? Thou shouldst be wiser than Him indeed if thou couldst escape the reproach and hatred of the world.

May but His grace my soul renew,
Let sinners gaze and hate me too!
The word that saves me does engage
A sure defence from all their rage.

God's furnace doth in Zion stand;
But Zion's God stands by,
As the refiner views his gold
With an observant eye.

JANUARY 6.

All things are possible to him that believeth.— Mark ix. 23.

FAITH is the principal thing in the Christian religion. It is the spiritual eye, enlightening the mind, directing the feet, and cheering the heart. The whole turns upon it. As our faith is, so is our strength and fruitfulness in good works; but, at the same time, there is nothing more out of our own power than to believe, even after the work of grace has been actually wrought in our hearts; therefore nothing is more needful than to pray for faith as long as we live. May the Lord give and increase it continually! Nothing can be stronger in the universe than the hand of Faith. By this we lay sure hold on our most glorious and Almighty Lord in heaven; and such an inviolable union is established between Christ and a believing soul, that none can separate the one from the other. All the powers of hell and sin avail nothing against it! Faith breaks through the greatest obstacles, removes mountains of difficulties, and has, as it were, a kind of omnipotence in it; "for this is the victory that overcomes the world, even our faith" (1 John v. 4). Nay, it even wrestles with God and prevails (Gen. xxxii. 28). As straw cannot withstand the force of fire, so God, being a wall of fire around His people, the greatest power of our mighty enemies shall be consumed like the stubble. Oh! then, look upon Him steadfastly, my soul, and believe in Him with a simple heart. Wondrous are His ways with His people, and past finding out; but, at last, all their sorrows and strife must come to a triumphant end.

Oh! let us go from strength to strength,

From grace to greater grace!

From one degree of faith to more,

Till we behold thy face!

JANUARY 7.

Christ is all, and in all.-Col. iii. 11; Eph. i. 23; Eph. iv. 9, 10.

ALL mankind are Christ's creatures. All conditions are disposed and regulated by His providence. He alone is the source whence all have proceeded, and to Him alone all must return. For a believer to receive and know Christ as his All, is the only means to live truly a life of faith; and when he has done this, it will not be hard to resign all other things. To talk much of Christ, and make frequent use of His name one to another, is commendable, if the heart goes along with the words; but to call upon God the Father with a filial confidence, is also our duty, and does not contradict the apostle's meaning at all; for it is only through Christ we can do it; and, as He says himself, the Father and He are one. Thou art my All, O gracious Lord !-what then can I want? I desire no more than to be put always in mind of this by the animating voice of thy Spirit.

Let sinners boast of kindred joys,

The poor delights of sense;

"Tis Christ our inmost thought employs,
We draw our comforts thence.

With sweet contentment now we bid

Farewell to pleasures here.
With Christ in God our life is hid,
And all its springs are there.

'Tis now concealed and lodged secure
In God's eternal Son.

From age to age shall it endure,
Though to the world unknown.

Jesus, remove whate'er divides

Our lingering souls from thee.
'Tis fit that where the head resides
The members too should be.