the Epistle; and the Gospel begins the account of our Saviour's sufferings, which is 21st. Monday next before Easter. '(Psalm lxxvii.) 22nd. Tuesday next before Easter. (Ps. lxxviii. 1-24.) 23rd. Wednesday next before Easter. (Ps. lxxviii. 25-48.) Epistle, Heb. ix. 16-28. Gospel, Luke xxii. Lessons, Morn. Hosea xiii. John xi. 45-57. Aftern. Hosea xiv. 2 Tim. i: Lessons, Morning, Daniel ix. John xiii. Afternoon, Jer. xxxi. 2 Tim. ii. CHURCH INSTRUCTION. Christ is shewn to be the great atoning sacrifice for sin in the Epistle. In the Gospel Proper Psalms, Morning, 22 40. 54. Evening, 69. 88. Epistle, Heb. x. 1-25, Gospel, John xix. 1-37. Lessons, Morning, Gen. 22. 1-19. John 18. Afternoon, Isaiah 53. 1 Pet. 2. 26th. Sat. (Ps. lxxx.) EASTER EVEN. (Gen. Union for P. P.) FOURTH WEEK. Aft. Exod. xiii. Heb. iv. wwwwwww March 27th. Sunday, (Psalm lxxxi.) EASTER DAY. CHURCH INSTRUCTION. By instruction in the doctrine of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, as on Proper Psalms, Morning, 2, 57, lil. Afternoon, 113, 114, 118. Epistle, Col. iii. 1-7, Gospel, John xx. 1-10. First Lessons, Morning, Exodus xii. 28th. Monday in Easter Week. (Ps. lxxxii.) Epistle, Acts x. 34-43. Gospel, Luke xxiv. 13-35. 29th. Tuesday in Easter Week. (Ps. lxxxiii.) Epistle, Acts xiii, 26-41. Gospel, Luke xxiv. 36–48. Lessons, Morn. Exod. xx. Luke xxiv. 1-13. Aft. Exod. xxxii. 1 Cor. xv. 30th. Wed. (Ps. lxxxiv.) 31st. Thurs. (Ps. lxxxv) April 1st. Fri. (Ps. lxxxvi.) 2nd. Sat. (Ps. lxxxvii.) (Gen. Union for Private Prayer) SELF KNOWLEDGE: DAILY PERSONAL QUESTIONS FOR THE MONTH OF MARCH. (The following Questions are laid before the Clergy, with the suggestion that they should induce their people to cultivate habits of self-examination. Copies of some of these questions might be made by the Children in the upper classes of the National School, or by some of the less occupied persons of the flock, and given on a Sunday to those who are considered likely to take advantage of them; and the subjects might lead to profitable conversation in pastoral visits during the week. The remarks made before the Questions may form the ground of an explanation of the plan on first engaging any person to use the Questions.) ONE great object of all a Pastor's instructions, is to produce self-knowledge in his people. To make the best teaching profitable it must be well thought over, and digested, by each person who receives it. We are all very backward in this necessary addition to the hearing of good instruction; and a great deal of precious truth is "let slip" in consequence of this backwardness. In order to counteract this, much self-examination is necessary; and hence it is a wise plan to propose a variety of questions, in order to suggest to the mind the proper means of digesting what has been taught, and of making it personally applicable. With this view, attention is ealled to the following short but important questions—which are not such as can be easily put aside with a yes or a no-but such as require thought to answer; while the answer, when it is obtained, cannot fail to be attended with important results to the person who honestly searches after it. These are not questions which can properly be proposed by one, to another, as a child is questioned in the Catechism. If they are put at all, they must be put by each one to himself, with a feeling of the personal benefit to be gained by discovering the truth on the point. Consequently, each person may say this is MY question; and so therefore let them be called. Whoever really does attend to them will find, that it depends upon themselves to make these questions very useful. Each one should look at his question the first thing in the morning, and turn it about in his mind, and think of it in various ways, during the course of the day, in the intervals of his business or labour. It should be an interesting occupation for his thoughts when his hands do not happen to want them- -a time which is usually taken great advantage of by the evil enemy. It ought to be a rule with each to get a full answer to the question before nighttime, which sometimes will be no easy matter. Christian friends might help one another in talking together about their question; and such conversation might take the place of the idle gossip about the chit-chat of the parish (usually scandal), by indulging in which many cast a reasonable doubt upon their christianity. The Pastor may perhaps from time to time ask those whom he may meet about their question. FIRST WEEK. 1. For what purpose have I lived during the past month, or year? 2. What improvement in my ways ought I to determine to make? 3. What portion of my thoughts is occupied about Christ? 4. What portion of my thoughts is occupied about myself? 5. What portion of my thoughts is occupied about worldly things connected with myself? 6. With what degree of spiritual comfort do I close the week, and look forward to the sabbath? SECOND WEEK. 7. What effect is produced in my mind by those things which thwart my desires? 8. How much trouble and care do the inward workings of temper in me require to restrain them? and how much do I take? 9. To whom do I look when thwarted ?-to God, or to the person or thing that thwarts me? 1 10. How much pain does it cost me to acknowledge myself a sinner? 11. By how much is the sinfulness of sin softened in my mind on account of my excuses? and by how much in God's? What progress have I made this week in the way 12. lasting life? THIRD WEEK. of ever 13. In what way do I shew that I set a high value upon the privileges of Christianity? 14. What difference would it make to me, If I had not the preaching of the Gospel? 15. What effect is produced in me by my knowing that God is acquainted with all the secret motives of my actions? 16. Is my prayer real intercourse with God? and do I strive to make it such? 17. Am I impressed with a sense of God's presence when I endeavour to pray? and what effect has this upon me? 18. What has this week added to my obligation to the Atonement of Christ? FOURTH WEEK. 19. How often, and with what degree of interest, do I read the Scriptures? 20. What is my regular plan in reading the Bible? does it work well? and how can I improve it? 21. Is personal application my object in reading the Bible? how often each day do I succeed, and how often do I fail in applying passages to myself? 22. How do I receive the reproofs of Scripture when my conscience seeks to apply them?-with repentance, or with excusings? 23. How do I receive the promises of Scripture when my own case seems to come within them?—with faith, or with disregard? 24. Having had another week's spiritual advantages, how much have I gained in spiritual things? SACRAMENTAL SELF-EXAMINATION, No. II. QUESTIONS. 6. What are my feelings concerning Jesus Christ as the Saviour from sin, which I acknowledge Him to be? 7. When I call Him " Saviour," is it with me a matter of habit, or a matter of feeling? 8. Have I a real sense of the truth, that He was born into the world a perfect man, without any taint of sin such as I have, on purpose that He might stand before God as a righteous man, instead of me? 9. Have I a real sense of the truth, that being so born a perfect man, a second Adam, without the first Adam's sin, He undertook to bear the charge of the sins of the children of the fallen Adam? 10. Do I feel my share of the sins for which Christ died, that I may hope to receive my share of the salvation which he purchased for us, by His death? 11. Am I sensible that I acknowledge this by my own act, when I receive the bread broken, and the wine poured out, in the Communion? and do I feel that it is a solemn acknowledgement, that my sins were the cause of his body being broken, and his blood being shed? 12. Do I accordingly feel something of the christian mixture of feeling-sorrow, that my sins made his death necessary-joy, that His love made my salvation possible? SACRAMENTAL EXPOSITION, No. II. Verse 1. The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? St. John tells us, that "in Christ was life, and the life was the light of men;" but he adds that "the light shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehended it not." (John i. 4, 5.) There is a great difference between the light, and the eye that sees it. A blind man may know a great deal about the shining of the sun, but it does not shine for him-it gives him no light. So, to know that "God is light," is one thing (1 John i. 5), and to be able to say, "the Lord is my light" is quite another thing. The Lord must be the light by which the way of life is made plain to us-the light by which we may see to walk in that way-the light that exposes the darkness of sin-the light by which we can discover the hidden sins of our own hearts. When He is thus our light, then is He our salvation also. He is pledged to guide us right; not only to shew us sin, but to save us from it. Not only to make us see God's hatred of sin, and his curse upon it; but also to draw us into God's love, and to take away the curse. With the Lord lighting us along the road of salvation, who, or what need we fear? Our life is hid with Christ in God (Col. iii. 3). We are weak, very weak, but His "strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. xii. 2.) With the Lord himself pledged to be the strength of our life, of whom need we be afraid? The Communion of His Holy Supper is a Sacramental pledge to all whose faith gives them spiritual eyes to see their Light in the Lord-spiritual trust in his word of salvation-spiritual strength and life. Such a pledge is meant to assure us, as Christ did his disciples in the storm. (Matt. xiv. 27.) His solemn assurance "this is my body"-"this is my blood," is the same as saying, "It is I, be not afraid." |