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Revd. J.C.Ryle, B.A., Vicar of Stradbroke Engraved by W.
Holl, from a photograph. William MacKenzie, Glasgow, Edinburgh &
London.
MORNING WORSHIP.
O GOD and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hast promised to
give Thy Holy Spirit to them that ask in Thy Son’s name, grant
that the Holy Ghost may dwell in our hearts, and that we may
really feel and experience his renewing grace. Sanctify us
wholly in body, soul, and spirit. Break the power of our
besetting sins from day to day, and make all sin hateful to us.
Enable us to fight a good fight against the world, the flesh,
and the devil, and, by the Spirit working in us, to get a
complete victory. May we be kept continually from temptation,
and give good proof that we are not Christians in name only, but
in deed and truth. And finally, being led by Thy Spirit in the
narrow way of life, may we be found living members of Christ in
the day of His second coming, and meet for the inheritance of
the saints in light. Grant this for thy dear Son Jesus Christ’s
sake. Amen.
HYMN, or Psalm lxiii, 23-26.
A FEW more years shall roll,
A few more seasons come;
And we shall lie with them that rest,
Asleep within the tomb.
Then, O my Lord, prepare
My soul for that great day;
O wash me in thy precious blood,
And take my sins away.
A few more struggles here,
A few more partings o’er,
A few more toils, a few more tears,
And we shall weep no more.
Then, O my Lord, prepare
My soul for that blest day;
O wash me in thy precious blood,
And take my sins away.
A few more sabbaths here
Shall cheer us on our way;
And we shall reach the endless rest
The eternal Sabbath-day.
Then, O my Lord, prepare
My soul for that sweet day;
O wash me in thy precious blood,
And take my sins away.
’Tis but a little while,
And He shall come again,
Who died that we might live, who lives
That we with Him may reign,
Then, O my Lord, prepare
My soul for that glad day;
O wash me in thy precious blood
And take my sins away.
JOSHUA i. 1-8.
NOW, after the death of Moses, the servant of the Lord, it came
to pass, that the Lord spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’
minister, saying, 2. Moses my servant is dead: now therefore
arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the
land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel. 3.
Every place that the sole of your foot shall tread upon, that
have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses. 4. From the
wilderness and this Lebanon, even unto the great river, the
river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the
great sea, toward the going down of the sun, shall be your
coast. 5. There shall not any man be able to stand before thee
all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with
thee; I will not fail thee, nor forsake thee. 6. Be strong, and
of a good courage; for unto this people shalt thou divide for an
inheritance the land which I sware unto their fathers to give
them. 7. Only be thou strong, and very courageous, that thou
mayest observe to do according to all the law which Moses my
servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to
the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest. 8.
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou
shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe
to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou
shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good
success.
JOSHUA V. 13-15.
AND it came to pass, when Joshua was by Jericho, that he lifted
up his eyes and looked, and, behold, there stood a man over
against him, with his sword drawn in his hand: and Joshua went
unto him, and said unto him, Art thou for us, or for our
adversaries? 14. And he said, Nay; but as captain of the host of
the Lord am I now come. And Joshua fell on his face to the
earth, and did worship, and said unto him, What saith my Lord
unto his servant? 15. And the captain of the Lord’s host said
unto Joshua, Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place
whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so.
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Prayer.
ALMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we desire to
begin our day with Thee. We draw near to Thee in the name and
through the mediation of Thy dear Son, our Redeemer. For His
sake hear and answer our prayer.
We confess before Thee that we are weak and guilty sinners. If
we said that we had not sinned we should only deceive ourselves,
while we could not deceive Thee. But we have nothing to say for
ourselves. By leaving undone the things we should do, and doing
the things we should not do, we are daily sinning against Thee.
We have nothing of our own to plead by way of excuse. We can
only put Thee in remembrance of Thine own promises and cry, “God
be merciful to us sinners.”
We now desire to cast ourselves entirely on our Lord Jesus
Christ for pardon, peace, and acceptance with Thee. We profess
to-day that we have no hope but in the redemption He has
provided, and the atonement He made on the cross as the
substitute and mediator of sinners. His work, not our work --
His righteousness, not our righteousness -- is the only hope of
our souls. We plead His gracious promise that “whosoever
believeth in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” For
His name’s sake hide Thy face from all our sins, and blot out
all our iniquities. Wash us in that blood which cleanseth us
from all sin. This we solemnly declare is all our confidence,
that Christ hath suffered for our sins, the just for the unjust.
In Him we believe; Lord, help Thou our unbelief. To Him we come
by faith: do as Thou hast said, and cast us not out.
We ask furthermore for grace, as well as mercy. Send the Holy
Ghost with power into our hearts. Give us daily that thing which
by nature we have not, even a will to serve thee, and a thorough
delight in Thy law. Work in us true repentance for all our sins.
Sanctify us wholly in body, soul, and spirit, and bring every
thought and faculty within us into conformity to the mind of
Christ. May we find it a pleasant thing to walk in our Saviour’s
steps, and may Jesus be, not only our salvation, but our
example.
Strengthen us each one for all the relations of life in which we
are severally placed. Whether old or young, married or single,
parents or children, masters or servants, may we strive to do
our duty, and to glorify God where we are and as we are. By
unfailing kindness and unselfishness, by helpfulness and by
brotherly-kindness, by meekness and gentleness, by patience and
longsuffering, by diligence and faithfulness, by truthfulness
and honesty, by good temper and by charity -- by all these
graces may we strive to adorn our doctrine, and commend our
Christian profession. We know that we are poor creatures at our
best, and full of failings; but we remember that with Thee
nothing is impossible. Strengthen us with Thy mighty power, and
supply all our need. Make us holy and consistent in all manner
of conversation.
To these our prayers for ourselves we now desire to add our
supplications and intercessions for all estates of men. We are
deeply sensible that all our prayers are defective and defiled,
and in themselves are nothing worth. But we put Thee in
remembrance of Thine own gracious commands to pray for one
another, and in the name of Jesus we spread our poor petitions
before Thee.
Bless our Queen, and all who rule over us; may they govern the
nation well, and do nothing to make Thee angry with our land. Do
Thou, who hast all hearts in Thy hands, put good designs into
their minds, and give them courage and wisdom for their
execution. Confound the devices of wicked men, and bring them to
foolishness. Strengthen the hands of good men in high places,
and may there never be wanting a supply of such men to rule us
in Thy fear.
Bless the true church of Christ in every part of the world. May
all its members shine as lights in their several dwellings, and
be salt and leaven to all around them. Increase their numbers,
their faithfulness, and zeal. Keep them from useless strife and
unprofitable controversy, and stir them up continually to a
close walk with God.
Bless all visible churches of Christ throughout the world, which
hold the Head, and maintain the pure truth of the gospel. Bless
Thy work continually in the congregations, and add yearly to the
number of such as shall be saved. Give them Thy best gift, a
continual supply of faithful ministers, who shall preach the
truth, live the truth, and feed the flock of Christ with
knowledge and understanding.
Bless all our relatives and friends. Give them all that which is
really for their good in this world, and above all, give to
every one of them Thy grace in their hearts. May we all be led
by the same Spirit, washed in the same precious blood, walk in
the same narrow way, and love the same blessed Bible. Though
parted and separated by Thy providence, may we often meet in
spirit at the same throne of grace, and at last be found
together eternally in the same heavenly home.
Finally, we give Thee our heartfelt praises and thanksgivings
for countless mercies, of which millions in the world know
nothing. For national liberty and worldly comforts, for an open
Bible and a preached gospel, for the means of grace and the hope
of glory, for all these things we bless Thy holy name. May our
hearts every day be more full of praise.
And now hold us up in all our ways this day, and then we shall
be safe. Keep us from the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Strengthen us for every duty, comfort us in every trial, guide
us in every difficulty; and grant all we ask for Jesus Christ’s
sake. Amen.
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CHURCH IN THE HOUSE
Sea of Tiberias: Engraved by J
Stephenson from a photograph by Frith.
ALMIGHTY God, who hast mercifully caused Thy holy scriptures to
be written for our learning, grant us a will to read them
regularly, and a heart to profit by what we read. Open our
understandings by the Holy Ghost, that we may understand the
great things of thy Bible. May it ever be the rule both of our
doctrine and our practice. Cause its truths to dwell in us
richly, and grant that by faith in the Saviour, of whom it
testifies, we may at length have an abundant entrance into Thine
eternal kingdom, for Jesus Christ’s sake. Amen.
HYMN, or Psalm xliii. 3-5.
SPIRIT divine! Attend our prayer
And make this house thy home;
Descend with all thy gracious power,
O come, great Spirit, come.
Come as the light,--to us reveal
Our emptiness and woe;
And lead us in those paths of life
Where all the righteous go.
Come as the fire, and purge our hearts,
Like sacrificial flame;
Let our whole souls an offering be
To our Redeemer’s name.
Come as the dew, and sweetly bless
This consecrated hour;
May barren minds be taught to own
Thy fertilizing power.
Come as the dove, and spread thy wings
The wings of peaceful love;
And let the church on earth become
Blest as the church above.
JOHN XXI. 1-19.
AFTER these things Jesus shewed himself again to the disciples
at the sea of Tiberias; and on this wise shewed he himself. 2.
There were together Simon Peter, and Thomas called Didymus, and
Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, and the sons of Zebedee, and two
other of his disciples. 3. Simon Peter saith unto them, I go a
fishing. They say unto him, We also go with thee. They went
forth, and entered into a ship immediately; and that night they
caught nothing. 4. But when the morning was now come, Jesus
stood on the shore; but the disciples knew not that it was
Jesus. 5. Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any
meat? They answered him, No. 6. And he said unto them, Cast the
net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast
therefore; and now they were not able to draw it for the
multitude of fishes. 7. Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved
saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now, when Simon Peter heard
that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher’s coat unto him (for he
was naked), and did cast himself into the sea. 8. And the other
disciples came in a little ship for they were not far from land,
but as it were two hundred cubits dragging the net with fishes.
9. As soon then as they were come to land, they saw a fire of
coals there, and fish laid thereon, and bread. 10. Jesus saith
unto them, Bring of the fish which ye have now caught. 11. Simon
Peter went up, and drew the net to land full of great fishes, an
hundred and fifty and three: and for all there were so many, yet
was not the net broken. 12. Jesus saith unto them, Come and
dine. And none of the disciples durst ask him, Who art thou?
knowing that it was the Lord. 13. Jesus then cometh, and taketh
bread, and giveth them, and fish likewise. 14. This is now the
third time that Jesus shewed himself to his disciples after that
he was risen from the dead. 15. So, when they had dined, Jesus
saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more
than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I
love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16. He saith to him
again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He
saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He
saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17. He saith unto him the third
time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? And he said unto him,
Lord thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee.
Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 18. Verily, verily, I say
unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and
walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou
shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and
carry thee whither thou wouldest not. 19. This spake he,
signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had
spoken this, he saith unto him, Follow me.
II. PETER I. 16-21.
FOR we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made
known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ,
but were eye-witnesses of his majesty. 17. For he received from
God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to
him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I
am well pleased. 18. And this voice which came from heaven we
heard, when we were with him in the holy mount. 19. We have also
a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take
heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the
day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: 20. Knowing
this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private
interpretation. 21. For the prophecy came not in old time by the
will of man: but holy men of God spake as they were moved by the
Holy Ghost.
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SERMON XXXIV.
“AND PETER SAID, MAN, I KNOW NOT WHAT THOU SAYEST. AND
IMMEDIATELY WHILE HE YET SPAKE, THE COCK CREW,” &c. -- Luke
xxii. 60-62.
THESE verses form part of a well-known story in the New
Testament. They describe the fall of the famous apostle St.
Peter, when he thrice denied his Master.
It would be easy to draw from the passage a strong indirect
argument for the credibility of the Christian religion. If that
religion had been forged and concocted by imposters, they would
never have left on record such a narrative as this. They would
never have told us that one of its leading preachers made such a
signal exhibition of weakness as Peter did on this occasion. The
transparent honesty of the gospel writers is a powerful evidence
in favour of Christianity.
For the present we must content ourselves with lessons of
practical usefulness. He that desires to be a well-furnished
Christian must first study Christ himself. But after studying
Christ, let him study the character of Christians as they are
painted in the New Testament. If he would know what to expect in
himself or others, what to watch against and what to avoid, let
him ponder well such histories as that which is before us.
I. In the first place, we will consider Peter’s fall.
It was a great fall. Here is a disciple who denied his Master
three times over. It was not a slip of the tongue, but a wilful,
thrice-repeated act. It was done with every possible
aggravation, at a singularly critical moment, and with the
accompaniment of cursing and swearing.
What a Master was this whom the disciple denied! Gracious,
loving, merciful, patient, long-suffering, almighty, wise. For
such an one as this some would even dare to die. There was no
fault in the Master, and yet Peter three times denied him.
What a disciple was this who denied his Master! The very last
man from whom such conduct might have been expected--a leader
among the apostles; one who had been up and down Palestine with
Christ for three years, a witness of all his miracles, a hearer
of all his sermons--himself a preacher of his kingdom. Yet this
is the man who three times denied Christ.
It was a fall after great warnings. Never perhaps was a man told
so plainly of coming danger. The very day before, Jesus had said
to him, “Before the cock crow thou shalt deny me thrice:” --
“Simon, Simon, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift
you as wheat.” He had been cautioned, admonished, and put on his
guard, and yet within twenty-four hours Peter denies Christ.
It was a fall immediately after great privileges. Peter had just
been at the Lord’s Supper. Such a communion never was before,
and never can be again. Jesus himself had broken the bread, and
given the cup. Apostles were the fellow-communicants. Peter had
just heard the wonderful discourse recorded in the 14th, 15th,
and 16th chapters of St. John. Promises, privileges, and
abounding consolations, were still fresh and ringing in his
ears. Yet only a few hours after, this highly favoured disciple
actually denies Christ.
It was a fall which began on a very slight temptation. What made
Peter so afraid? Why did he say, “I know him not?” Were Annas
and Caiaphas questioning him? Was Pontius Pilate ordering him to
be scourged? Were Roman soldiers crowning him with thorns? Was
there apparent danger of his life being taken away?
Nothing of the kind! A single weak woman says, “This man also
was with him.” It was a simple remark, and not a word more was
said. But at once Peter the great apostle begins to fall, and
falls lower and lower every moment, until he ends with cursing
and swearing.
Now these things were written for our learning. Here is
instruction which ought to come home to the heart of every
professing Christian. The thoughtless and worldly-minded may
think little of the narrative, and see in it nothing for
themselves. The thoughtful man, who desires to carry religion
into daily life, will find in it abundant food for useful
reflection.
Let us learn, then, what poor weak creatures the best Christians
are. There is a mire of feebleness in our hearts, of which most
of us have very faint and inadequate conceptions. There is no
kind of sin into which the holiest child of God may not fall,
unless he continually watches and prays to be held up. The
biographies of the saints in God’s word are stained with many a
sorrowful blemish. We discover that there is no literal
perfection in man, even when converted, renewed, and sanctified.
We find that Noah could be drunken, Abraham could countenance a
lie, Moses could speak unadvisedly with his lips, David could
commit adultery, Solomon could fall into idolatry, and Paul and
Barnabas could quarrel. And here we cap all to-day, by finding
that even an apostle like Peter could deny Christ.
Let us learn to judge others charitably, and to expect little
from any child of Adam. Above all, let us learn to walk humbly
ourselves, to distrust our own goodness, and never to say of any
sin, “I am incapable of doing that.” We know nothing at all
about the matter! We have not the least idea what we might do,
if tempted in a moment of weakness and left to ourselves. The
most unlikely people sometimes do the most unlikely things. Let
us rather throw ourselves daily on the Strong for strength, and
cry, “Hold thou me up, and then I shall be safe.”
II. In the second place, we will consider the steps which led to
Peter’s fall.
This is a point of infinite importance. It rarely happens that a
true Christian falls into sin without a predisposing cause. When
such a man backslides or is overtaken by a grievous fault, there
are generally reasons which account for it. If the case is
thoroughly investigated and brought to light, it will be found
that the fall may be traced to secret evils of long standing.
This principle is singularly illustrated in the history of the
apostle Peter. Mischief had begun in his heart before he denied
Christ. To the eyes of men his denial was the first appearance
of failure. To the eye of God that failure had begun long
before; the steps which preceded his fall are as clearly marked
in Scripture as the steps of a ladder. Let us look at them, and
see what they were.
One thing we may detect in Peter before he fell was pride and
self-conceit. What did he first say when Jesus gave him warning
of coming danger? “Though all men deny thee, yet will not I: I
am ready to go with thee both to prison and to death.” Brave
words these and confidently spoken! Yet, alas! These very words
proved how little he knew his own heart.
He thought himself stronger than all his brethren. He felt no
doubt of his own courage, strength, perseverance, and
faithfulness. Others might run away; not he! Others might deny
Christ; it was impossible he could! Truly this was a bad
beginning. Never was there a truer saying than that of Solomon,
“Pride goeth before destruction; and a haughty spirit before a
fall.” We know nothing till we know that we can do nothing of
ourselves. The man truly taught of God will always say, with St.
Paul, “When I am weak, then am I strong.” Another thing we may
detect in Peter before his fall was spiritual sloth and
indolence. In the garden of Gethsemane, where Jesus took him
aside with the sons of Zebedee during his mysterious agony, he
specially charged him to watch and pray. He knew that trial of
no ordinary kind was close at hand. He would have had him fitted
and prepared to resist it. But what are we told Peter did? He
slumbered and slept! He was sleeping when he ought to have been
wide awake, idle when he ought to have been watching, careless
when he ought to have been on his guard.
That was a fatal blow to his safety. No prayer, no power! Who
can wonder that by and by, like Samson shorn of his locks, he
found his strength departed from him. Means of grace are not
saviours; but he that neglects means irreparably damages his
soul. Let not that man wonder if, in the hour of temptation, his
strength is small.
Another thing we may detect in Peter before his fall was
indecision and irresolution. What did he do when the soldiers
appeared, and laid hands on his Master to take him? At first he
draws his sword, and smites valiantly with the carnal weapon.
Then he takes to flight with his fellow disciples, and runs
away. Then by and by he turns round, and follows his Lord afar
off. Unhappy man! He cannot thoroughly make up his mind what to
do. He does not completely forsake his Master, and yet he does
not boldly join him. He does not manfully stand by his side, and
yet he does not entirely go away. He halts between two opinions.
He wishes to escape danger, and yet he does not like to turn his
back on his Lord.
This was another downward step. Unstable as water, he was sure
not to succeed. Like most people who try a similar line of
conduct, he failed to satisfy either friends or foes, and only
brought sorrow and trouble on his own soul.
Another thing we may detect in Peter before his fall was
willingness to be found in bad company. What did he do when
Jesus was taken to the palace of the high priest? He followed
him there, and sneaked into the hall as if he had been one of
the party that took our Lord. He sat by the fire, and warmed
himself among his Master’s enemies. He went where he had no
business to go, and heard and saw what he had better neither
have heard nor seen. Who can wonder that he caught harm, and did
no good? It is far easier to catch a chill, than to impart a
glow. It is written, that “evil communications corrupt good
manners.” When an apostle drops his character, and sits uncalled
in the society of wicked men, it need surprise no one if he ends
with cowardice, lying, and base denial of Christ.
Such were the four steps which led to Peter’s fall. They stand
out on the face of the narrative of the historian, like beacons
and danger signals. Wherever the gospel is preached throughout
the world, they deserve to be steadily pondered, and laid up in
remembrance. If we love life and would see good days -- if we
value a good conscience, and desire to adorn the doctrine we
profess -- let us not forget the lesson which the steps to
Peter’s fall were meant to convey.
Let us learn never to make light of little things in religion. A
few isolated acts of inconsistency may seem trifling matters, at
first sight. It is precisely the toleration of such acts that
ought to be dreaded by every real Christian. Once allowed to
dwell in our hearts undisturbed, these Canaanites will increase
and multiply. It is the beginning of all spiritual mischief to
say of one sin, “Is it not a little one? Why so particular?”
Whatever we may please to think, there is nothing really little
in religion. The tabernacle in the wilderness could never have
been reared, and could never have stood with firmness when
reared, if the Levites had neglected little things, and left the
pins behind when they marched from Mount Sinai.
The saying of a heathen writer on moral subjects is seldom far
from the truth, “No one becomes bad suddenly.” A breach in a
sea-wall embankment may generally be traced to some neglected
crack, or to a flaw in workmanship of old date. The sudden fall
of some mighty limb from an old oak tree, without previous
symptoms of weakness, will generally be proved to have been
caused by some decay at the heart, which no one had suspected.
The sudden relapse of some eminent professor of religion may
almost always be tracked home to such faults as pride, laziness,
and keeping bad company, indulged, unsubdued, and unmortified.
Let all who love their souls lay these things to heart. He that
would not fall as Peter fell, must never forget the steps by
which Peter reached the bottom.
III. In the last place, we will consider Peter’s repentance.
This is a part of the history which ought never to be
overlooked. Many remember the apostle’s fall, but not his rising
again. Thousands are very fond of pointing at David’s tremendous
sin in the matter of the wife of Uriah, who find it convenient
to forget David’s deep, soul-searching, life-long contrition.
Peter did fall sadly, but he also repented speedily and
unmistakeably. Every step in the story of his repentance is full
of useful instruction. The stages of his rise ought to set us
thinking, just as much as the stages of his fall.
Peter’s repentance began with two apparently trifling
circumstances. Each demands special notice.
“The cock crew.” No doubt Peter had heard that sound thousands
of times, and been utterly unmoved by it; but now the shrill cry
of the bird rung in his ears like the voice of the archangel and
the trump of God. It called him to remembrance; it awoke him
from his slumbering condition, and made him see and feel what he
was doing.
“The Lord turned and looked upon Peter.” That look spoke
volumes, and pierced the apostle’s conscience like an arrow. It
was a look of solemn pity and compassion, a reminding look, a
warning look, a rebuking look. To Peter’s heart there was more
in that look than the eloquence of a thousand sermons.
A cock crowing and a look? What trifles they seem! Yet trifles
like these are often the very things which begin a revolution in
man’s soul. The turning of a little valve is enough to let the
steam in upon a steam-engine, and in a few moments the whole
machinery of some mighty manufactory is throbbing and revolving
with busy din and activity. A word, a sigh, a glance, a tear, a
frown, a shake of the head, a letter, a tract -- any of these
may be made the means in God’s hand of touching the springs of a
man’s conscience and setting it on work, and of turning upside
down the whole course of his life.
Let us despise no means, however little, in trying to do good to
souls. “Who hath despised the day of small things?” The weakest
instrumentality may work wonders, if God commands success. The
strongest agencies are useless if the grace of the Holy Ghost
does not accompany them. There must be a turning point in the
tide when it ceases to fall and begins to rise, and yet that
turning point is almost imperceptible. There must be a beginning
in the work of the Spirit, when he calls a backslider to
repentance or a dead soul to life; and yet that beginning is
often infinitesimally small.
Peter’s repentance was carried forward by memory awakening
within him. “He remembered the word that Jesus had spoken,” and
at once broke the chain which sin had cast around. At once came
flashing on his mind the warnings he had received, the
privileges he had enjoyed, the profession he had made, the
astounding weakness and folly of which he had been guilty. Just
as the latent image in the photographer’s glass flashes out into
a picture when the developing liquid is poured over it, though
an instant before it looked a dull vacancy, just so did Peter’s
sin flash out before the eyes of his mind, when the Holy Ghost
aroused his memory and set it working.
Memory is a mighty help to the salvation of souls. Hundreds of
things are lying buried at this moment in the minds of careless
Christians, of which there will be a resurrection one day. All
that we say from the pulpit is not lost and forgotten because
many hearers seem listless and inattentive. Once let the Holy
Ghost begin to work in the heart of a sinner, and rouse his
conscience to activity, and then we discover that he remembers
many things which those around him thought he had clean
forgotten.
Peter’s repentance was attended by bitter sorrow. At once, we
are told, he “went out and wept bitterly.” Tradition says that,
from that day forward till his death, he never heard a cock crow
without shedding tears. Whether we like to believe this or not,
we may well believe that he carried a smarting scar in his
memory for the rest of his life. A wound may be healed
thoroughly, and general health completely restored, and yet
after a wound there is always a scar.
We may lay it down as an invariable rule, that sin always
produces sorrow, sooner or later, in this life or in the life to
come. He that sows wickedness is sure to reap bitter tears. None
perhaps find out that so thoroughly as a backslider. It is
written, “The backslider in heart shall be filled with his
ways.” None feel so acutely that they have “forsaken their own
mercies.” None learn to their own cost so thoroughly, that ‘it
is an evil and a bitter thing to forsake God.” Those who point
to David’s repentance, and fancy it is easy to continue sinning
and repenting -- sinning and repenting to their last day --
understand neither what they say nor whereof they affirm. Let
them read attentively the 32nd and 51st Psalms. If the
experience of the writer of these psalms does not convince them
that a pardoned penitent has bitter recollection of his sins,
they must be blind to the meaning of words.
Last but not least, Peter’s repentance was followed by abundant
fruit in his life and conduct.
From this time forth we find none of the twelve apostles so bold
and so courageous as the apostle Peter. None spoke out so
manfully on all occasions; none were so completely delivered
from fear. This is the man who on the day of Pentecost charges
home on the Jews their sin in crucifying Christ, and proclaims
him openly as the promised Messiah. This is the man who
witnesses before the council, “there is none other name given
under heaven whereby we must be saved,” but that of Jesus. This
very man who thrice denied his Lord, is the very man who gloried
every where in confessing Christ. True repentance will always
show itself in this way. It will not content itself with tears,
and regrets, and bitter repinings over past unprofitableness. It
will act, and move, and stir, and do. It will find work to be
done for Christ, and opportunities for showing love to Christ.
The burned child dreads the fire. The true penitent loathes sin
in every shape, and form, and description. Loved much, he loves
much in return. Plucked at a mighty cost from the brink of
destruction, he feels that he can never do too much for Him that
delivered him.
Never let us give way to the vain notion that there is any true
repentance when a man continues in sin. Hypocrites and false
professors may flatter themselves that all is right because they
feel much, talk much, write much, weep much, while they secretly
cling to their sin. They are deceiving themselves, and will
discover it too late in another world. The true child of God
will hate the sins that he deplores, and forsake them. Like
Peter, he will not only weep bitterly, but work heartily. This,
and this only, is repentance unto salvation, not to be repented
of.
And now what general lessons may we learn ere we turn away from
this deeply interesting portion of Scripture?
Let us learn, for one thing, to beware of presumption and
self-confidence in our religion. We think sometimes that we are
not likely to give way to temptations by which others are
overcome. We flatter ourselves that we are too old, too steady,
too thoroughly settled, to be led away. Let us cast away such
foolish thoughts, and allow them no place in our minds. We are
never quite safe against falls till we get to heaven. In the
meantime, let us be clothed with humility. Though not cast away,
we may be cast down; though not given over to complete apostasy,
we may be given over to miserable errors and mistakes; though
never altogether losing grace, we may lose all sense and
enjoyment of grace. Let us remember Peter, and beware.
Let us learn, for another thing, never to despair of God’s mercy
and Christ’s forgiveness. We may have fallen sadly, and left our
first love. But yet there is hope in Jesus, and the precious
blood that cleanseth from all sin. He that forgave Peter, and
raised him from his fall, and received him once more as an
apostle, is not changed. He still lives at the right hand of
God, rich in mercy towards all who cast their souls on him, and
able to heal all our backslidings. Let us remember Christ’s
mercy to Simon Peter, and not despair.
Let us learn, in the last place, never to turn our backs upon a
brother Christian because he has fallen from his profession, and
run into sin. It is not charitable, it is not Christ-like, to do
so. Let us mark how Jesus dealt with Simon Peter, and do
likewise. Happy is he who never forgets the lesson of the
apostolic command, “If a brother be overtaken in a fault, ye
which are spiritual restore such an one in the spirit of
meekness.” -- J.C. RYLE.
----------------
THE CHILDREN’S SERVICE.
HOW LIFE MET WITH DEATH, AND WHAT HAPPENED.
WHEN anybody is ill now-a-days, and it is wished to let friends
at a distance know, there is the post to do it in a day, or a
few hours; or there is the telegraph, to do it in almost a
minute. When Martha and Mary saw their brother very ill, and
wished to let Jesus know, they had to send a messenger. Perhaps
he rode, perhaps he went afoot. In any case, surely he would go
as fast as he could. He might have some inquiries to make as to
where Jesus and his disciples were last seen; but when he found
out, he would hasten to the place. And would you not think that
as soon as Jesus heard that his friend was sick, he would at
once turn back to go to him? But he did not do that. He stopped
where he was for two days. He did not go farther away; but he
did not return to Bethany. The reason was, that he wanted to
Lazarus die and be buried. That was not because he did not love
him, but because he wished to show forth the glory of God in
raising him from the dead. If he had been so pleased, he could
have healed Lazarus where he was; as he did once cure a sick
child, though he was miles away. But it was desirable for wise
ends that he should die. Our Lord, however, seems to say that if
he had been on the spot, and had seen Mary and Martha weeping,
and had heard them praying to him to save their brother, he
could not have withstood them, and must have healed him. For
after he was dead, Jesus said to his disciples, I am glad, for
your sakes, that I was not there. So after the message, he staid
still where he was for two days.
By this time Lazarus was dead. I do not know what the disciples
thought of Christ’s stopping so long where they happened to be
when the message of the afflicted sisters reached him. But
having heard him say, This sickness is not unto death, they did
not think it strange that he did not return to Bethany. On the
contrary, they expressed their wonder when, after the two days’
delay, he said, Let us go back to Judea again. They knew that he
had left on account of his enemies seeking to take his life, and
they were surprized that he should venture to return where his
foes could find him. So they said, Will you go where the Jews
were seeking to stone you? But he told them he must go where he
had work to do, and that he would be safe until his work was
done; and then he said that his friend and theirs, about whose
illness they had heard, had fallen asleep, and he must go to
wake him. That made the disciples wonder still more. They
thought that Jesus meant sleeping, as we sleep at night on our
beds, and they felt that to be a good sign of the state of
Lazarus; and they made the remark that if he was sleeping, he
would get well. Jesus let them think for a little, and then he
said, Lazarus is dead. The disciples thought now that it was
natural for Jesus to wish to go to Bethany, but they supposed it
would be at the cost of his life One of them put it plainly,
saying, Let us go also, let us die with him. It was Thomas that
said that; showing more love now than he showed faith
afterwards, when he would not believe that his Lord has risen
from the dead, unless he should see his wounds in hands and
side. All the disciples this time agreed with Thomas Twin, as
all of them afterwards were beforehand with him in believing
that the Lord had risen. So they went back with Jesus to Judea
and Bethany.
When our good Lord and his disciples came to the village,
Lazarus had been laid in the grave for four days. Of course they
could not come without its being known. So before he could visit
the house of the bereaved sisters, it was said, He is coming.
The sisters heard the report. They both thought it strange that
he had not come sooner; but they both were glad to hear that he
had come. One of them, however, had deeper thoughts than the
other. So she sat still in the house, waiting till the Lord
would come; afraid, I suppose, that he was not pleased, or
trying to find out why he had not come when her sister and she
had sent the message to him. Martha, the other and older sister,
though she had been reproved by Christ for being too careful
about serving him at dinner, went off at once when she heard
that he was coming, and met him on the road. Perhaps she went
all the more readily because she had been reproved. I have seen
children go closer to their father’s or their mother’s bosom
after being corrected for a fault. Be that as it may, Martha
went, while Mary staid. The one acted, while the other was
thinking; but their hearts were on one idea, that if Jesus had
been in Bethany when their brother was dying, he would have
cured him. They were right in that thought, for Jesus said that
he was glad he was not there, showing that if he had been there,
he could not have let Lazarus die. Will you think about this?
There is something very sweet about it. Jesus could have kept
his friend from dying, so far as power goes, though he was far
away; he could have let him die though present; yet he speaks as
if he could not have stood by and seen him die. Does not this
show how very truly Jesus was man?
When Martha got to where Jesus was, she spoke out at once the
thought that was in her own and Mary’s heart. She said, Lord, if
thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. Then she went on
to say, showing her faith, that even yet she was sure God would
give him whatever he would ask. Jesus answered her by saying
that her brother would rise again, but that was not enough for
Martha. She said she knew that he would rise again at the last
day, but almost hinted that she would like something more than
that.
Jesus then prepared her mind for what he meant to do, by telling
her that he himself then present was the resurrection and the
life, and asking her if she believed this. Answering that she
did -- that she believed Jesus to be the Son of God -- she went
away home, and told her sister that Jesus was come, and wished
to see her. That led Mary to rise at once and go to Jesus; and
when she reached him, she fell at his feet weeping and said,
just as her sister had done, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my
brother would not have died. By this time a number of Jews, who
had been trying to comfort the mourning sisters, had followed
Mary from the house, and were gathering round where Jesus was
standing. Jesus was very much moved when he saw Mary’s tears,
and the weeping of others round her. He said, Where have ye
buried Lazarus? And they said, Come and see. On the way a
wonderful thing happened. Tears began to course down the face of
the Saviour. The verse which tell us this is the shortest in the
Bible, and among the sweetest. I have no doubt you can repeat
it. It says, “Jesus wept.” When the Jews saw his tears, they
said, How he must have loved him!
It was not long till the mourners reached the grave where, four
days before, Lazarus had been laid. It was a cave, and a large
stone lay at the mouth of it. Jessu bade them roll the stone
away. When Martha heard this command, her faith seems to have
failed her, for she made objection that the body would be
decaying and very unpleasant to sight and smell. Jesus put her
objection aside, and said, did not I tell you to have faith, and
you would see God’s glory? After that the people rolled away the
stone, and Jesus, looking up to heaven, gave thanks to his
Father for having heard his prayer. He did this aloud, for the
sake of the persons that were standing by. Then, raising his
voice, he called to the dead man, Lazarus, come forth; and, in a
moment, bound with graveclothes, just as he had lain in the
cave, he came out. Jesus said, Loose him, and let him go. So
they would no doubt unbind his hands and feet and face; and the
two sisters, wondering and rejoicing, would lead him away home.
Perhaps Jesus went with them, and explained to them his reasons
for letting Lazarus die, that he might bring him to life again.
The Bible, however, does not tell us anything more about the
family at Bethany, til it gives an account of a supper that was
given to Jesus and his disciples some days afterwards in their
house. What happened at that supper will be told in another
story.
----------------
QUESTIONS ON THE BIBLE STORY.
1. Who was it that rode first to see a prophet of God, when
sickness and death had happened in the home?
2. Whose child did Jesus cure while he was at a distance?
3. Do you remember an instance in which Jesus appeared not to
attend to a person crying to him for a sick daughter?
4. Where is even a violent and cruel death spoken of as sleep?
5. Where do we read of the unbelief of Thomas?
6. Can you find two other confessions of Jesus as the Son of
God, which it pleased him so much to hear?
7. On what two other occasions do we read of Christ weeping?
8. Who rolled away the stone from the door of Jesus’ grave?
ANSWERS to the foregoing questions will be easily found
by consulting the following chapters: -- 2 Kings iv.; John iv.;
Matt. xv.; Acts vii.; John xx.; John i. and vi.; Luke xix. and
Heb. v.; Matt. xxviii.
----------------
Prayer.
O THOU who art the resurrection and the life, quicken our souls
from the death of sin. May we all be risen with Thee, and live,
even while on earth, a heavenly life. Give us, to cheer us in
dark hours, the knowledge of Thy sympathy and the hope of glory.
Let us not be impatient under suffering and sorrow, and do not
allow us to think that Thou art then forgetting us. We thank
Thee for Thy tears beside the grave of Lazarus. Comfort Thou all
mourners, and prepare them for that world where the days of
mourning shall be ended. To Thee, Lord, be glory for ever and
ever. Amen.
----------------
EVENING WORSHIP.
O HOLY Father, who has graciously sent into the world Thine
eternal Son to die for our sins, and rise again for our
justification, grant us fully to know Thee and Jesus Christ,
whom Thou hast sent. Give us daily a clear view of our own
sinfulness and lost condition, and give us at the same time a
clear view of the great salvation provided for us in Jesus
Christ. Show us that the blood of Christ cleanseth from all sin,
and that all who believe on Christ cleanseth from all sin, and
that all who believe on Christ are justified and forgiven. Give
to each of us that true faith in Jesus which alone brings peace
to the conscience. May we live the life of faith in Christ while
we live, and be found in Christ when we die. Amen.
HYMN, or Psalm l. 6-11.
COME, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
Let us thine influence prove;
Source of the old prophetic fire,
Fountain of life and love.
Open the hearts of all who hear,
To make the Saviour room;
Now let us find redemption near,
Let faith by hearing come.
Thou art the only Comforter
In all our souls’ distress;
Thou showest us our unbelief,
And Christ’s redeeming grace.
Arise and strengthen us, O Lord,
Thou know'st we all are frail;
Grant neither Satan, world, nor flesh
May o’er Christ’s flock prevail.
Cause all disharmony and strife
In Christendom to cease,
And give to all the flocks of Christ
Love, union, truth, and peace.
LUKE IV. 16-32; 40-44.
AND he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up: and, as
his custom was, he went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day,
and stood up for to read. 17. And there was delivered unto him
the book of the prophet Esaias: and when he had opened the book,
he found the place where it was written, 18. The Spirit of the
Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the
gospel to the poor: he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted,
to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight
to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised; 19. To
preach the acceptable year of the Lord. 20. And he closed the
book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And
the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on
him. 21. And he began to say unto them, This day is this
scripture fulfilled in your ears. 22. And all bare him witness,
and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his
mouth. And they said, Is not this Joseph’s son? 23. And he said
unto them, Ye will surely say unto me this proverb, Physician,
heal thyself: whatsoever we have heard done in Capernaum, do
also here in thy country. 25. But I tell you of a truth, many
widows were in Israel in the days of Elias, when the heaven was
shut up three years and six months, when great famine was
throughout all the land; 26. But unto none of them was Elias
sent, save unto Sarepta, a city of Sidon, unto a woman that was
a widow. 27. And many lepers were in Israel in the time of
Eliseus the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, saving
Naaman the Syrian. 28. And all they in the synagogue, when they
heard these things, were filled with wrath, 29. And rose up, and
thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the
hill whereon their city was built, that they might cast him down
headlong. 30. But he, passing through the midst of them, went
his way, 31. And came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee, and
taught them on the sabbath-days. 32. And they were astonished at
his doctrine: for his word was with power. 40. Now, when the sun
was setting, all they that had any sick with divers diseases
brought them unto him; and he laid his hands on every one of
them, and healed them. 41. And devils also came out of many,
crying out, and saying, Thou art Christ, the Son of God. And he,
rebuking them, suffered them not to speak: for they knew that he
was Christ. 42. And when it was day, he departed, and went into
a desert place; and the people sought him, and came unto him,
and stayed with him, that he should not depart from them. 43.
And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other
cities also: for therefore am I sent. 44. And he preached in the
synagogues of Galilee.
----------------
Prayer.
ALMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who dost keep us
alive from morning to night, we desire to end our Sunday with
Thee. Hear in heaven Thy dwelling place, and for the sake of
Jesus, our mediator and advocate, accept our prayer.
We thank Thee for mercifully giving us one day in every week to
remind us of Thee. We praise and adore that holy wisdom by which
thou dost knock at the door of our hearts once in every seven
days, and call to our recollection the concerns of another
world. We confess with sorrow and shame that our souls cleave to
the dust, and that the cares of this weary world are continually
tempting us to forget Thee. We therefore bless and praise Thee
for our Sundays. May we always know the value of this holy day,
and never provoke Thee to take it from us by our national
unbelief and hardness of heart. May we, each of us, use our
Sundays well while we have them, and remember that they test and
prove our meetness for the inheritance of the saints in light.
Forgive, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, all that Thou
hast seen amiss and wrong in us during the Sunday that is now
passing away. Our best services are poor and defective, and
mingled with imperfection. Our prayers and praises, our Bible
readings and sermon-hearings, are all alike stained with
shortcomings. If Thou wert to deal with us according to our
dealings with Thee on Thine own day alone, we could not stand in
Thy sight. Cold and sinful must our hearts be when, even in
Thine own presence and on Sunday, we cannot love Thee more and
serve Thee better.
But we desire to take comfort in thought that the Lord Jesus not
only died for our sins, but ever liveth to make intercession for
us; that we have a high priest at Thy right hand, who pleads our
cause continually, and makes us acceptable before Thee. In Him
we desire to rest every Sunday night, and on Him to repose all
the weight of our souls. May our prayers be mingled with His
all-prevailing intercessions: for then, and then alone, can we
hope that they will be heard on high.
Grant that every Sunday may produce good effects on our souls.
May the Holy Ghost make lasting impression on our hearts, and
cause fruit to be seen in our lives. Show us more of the
sinfulness of sin, the excellence of Christ, the folly of living
for the world, the beauty and happiness of holiness. Wean us
more and more from the world. Give us clearer views of that
unseen world which is eternal. Break the power of our besetting
sins. Fit us more and more for relative duties. Make
Bible-reading a more delightful occupation to us. Make our
prayers more loving, more hearty and fervent. Increase our
knowledge of divine things, brighten our hope, enlarge our
charity, establish in us a deeper acquaintance with Christian
doctrine and Christian practice. Thus mould and fashion our
hearts on Thine own day, and make our Sundays become “days of
the Son of Man” to our souls.
We pray for all Christian congregations which have met together
this day in the name of the Lord Jesus. Revive Thy work among
them. Touch many more hard hearts by the Holy Ghost, and convert
many more sinners. Teach those to think, who now live
thoughtlessly and carelessly. Lead onwards those who are now
halting between two opinions, and give them courage to come out
boldly, take up the cross, and follow Christ. Strengthen and
build up all true believers, that they may grow in grace every
week, shine as lights in the world, and do good in their day and
generation.
We pray for all faithful ministers of Christ, who have been
preaching thy truth to-day. Hold up their hands by Thy Holy
Spirit, and cheer them in the heavy work which they have to do.
Keep them from false doctrine of every kind, and specially from
popery and infidelity. Preserve them from inconsistency and
unholiness of conduct, and grant they may not pull down by their
lives what they preach with their lips. Supply them with all
ministerial gifts suitable to their several positions, and let
the word preached by them never be preached in vain.
We pray for all Christian schools which have assembled this day.
Make them the honoured instruments of training thousands for the
service of Christ. Bless those that teach and those that are
taught. Let the seed sown in weakness in young hearts be watered
by the dew of Thy Spirit, and grant that myriads of Christian
men and women may one day have cause to praise thee for sabbath
instruction.
We pray for all who are labouring to do good among heathens or
Mahometans, Roman Catholics or Jews. Prosper every effort to
spread pure and undefiled religion through the earth. Supply
missionaries with all needful wisdom, faith, and patience; and
gather out from among their hearers many more true and genuine
converts. Incline the hearts of rich men to give liberally to
the extension of Christ’s cause in the earth, and let no
evangelical movement, whether at home or abroad, languish or
fail for want of supporters.
Finally, we pray Thee to hasten that blessed time when all men
shall know Thee from the least to the greatest. Hasten that
long-promised day when Christ shall come again in person, take
to himself His great power and reign, raise the dead saints,
change the living, and gather all around him in one happy home.
Hasten that happy season, when sin shall be cast out of the
earth, the devil bound, and the curse removed -- when
congregations shall no more break up, and sabbaths shall never
end. And when that day comes, may we, and all whom we love, be
found ready for it, and enter in with joy into the presence of
our Lord. We ask all this for Jesus Chists sake. Amen.
MORNING AND EVENING MEDITATIONS.
MONDAY.
Morning.
He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and
loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment.
The poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of
the fatherless.
Some remove the land-marks: they violently take away flocks, and
feed thereof;
They drive away the ass of the fatherless; they take the widow’s
ox for a pledge.
Remove not the old land-mark; and enter not into the fields of
the fatherless;
For their Redeemer is mighty; he shall plead their cause with
thee.
Deut. x. 18. Ps. x. 14. Job xxiv. 2, 3. Prov. xxii. 10, 11.
Evening.
Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the
land of Egypt.
Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of
a stranger.
Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou
shalt rest; that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of
thy handmaid and the stranger may be refreshed.
And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift
witness against those that turn aside the stranger from his
right, and fear not me, saith the Lord of hosts.
I was a stranger, and ye took me in.
Deut. x. 19. Exod. xxiii. 9, 12. Mal. iii. 5. Matt. xxv. 35.
TUESDAY.
Morning.
My brethren, have not the faith of our Jesus Christ, the Lord of
glory, with respect of persons.
For if there come unto your assembly a man with a gold ring, in
goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile
raiment;
And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and
say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the
poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool:
Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of
evil thoughts?
Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and
heirs of the kingdom?
James ii. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.
Evening.
If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren
within any of thy gates, in thy land which the Lord thy God
giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine
hand from thy poor brother;
But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely
lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.
Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved
when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the Lord
thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou
puttest thine hand unto.
Deut. 7, 8, 10.
WEDNESDAY.
Morning.
If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused
the eyes of the widow to fail;
Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless hath
not eaten thereof;
If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor
without covering;
If I have lifted up my hand against the fatherless, when I saw
my help in the gate:
Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder-blade, and mine arm be
broken from the bone.
For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of
his highness I could not endure.
Job xxxi. 16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 23.
Evening.
For the poor shall never cease out of the land.
The Lord killeth, and maketh alive: he bringeth down to the
grave, and bringeth up.
The Lord maketh poor, and maketh rich: he bringeth low, and
lifteth up.
He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the
beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make
them inherit the throne of glory: for the pillars of the earth
are the Lord’s, and he hath set the world upon them.
He will keep the feet of his saints and the wicked shall be
silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
Deut. xv. 11. 1 Sam. ii. 6, 7, 8, 9.
THURSDAY.
Morning.
A righteous man regardeth the life of his beast: but the tender
mercies of the wicked are cruel.
Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my
righteousness, according to the cleanness of my hands in his
eye-sight.
With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful; with an
upright man thou wilt shew thyself upright;
With the pure thou wilt shew thyself pure; and with the froward
thou wilt shew thyself froward.
For thou wilt save the afflicted people; but wilt bring down
high looks.
For thou wilt light my candle; the Lord my God will enlighten my
darkness.
Prov. xii. 10. Ps. xviii. 24, 25, 26, 27, 28.
Evening.
And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the beasts
of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the
creeping things of the ground.
For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a
thousand hills.
I know all the fowls of the mountains; and the wild beasts of
the field are mine.
Lord, thou preservest man and beast.
How excellent is thy loving kindness, O God! therefore the
children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings.
Hos. ii. 18. Ps. l. 10, 11. Ps. xxxvi. 6, 7.
FRIDAY.
Morning.
Thou shalt not muzzle the ox when he treadeth out the corn.
Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.
Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fall down by the
way, and hide thyself from them; thou shalt surely help him to
lift them up again.
If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way in any
tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones or eggs, and
the dam sitting upon the young or upon the eggs, thou shalt not
take the dam with the young;
But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to
thee; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest
prolong thy days.
Thou shalt not plow with an ox and an ass together.
Deut. xxv. 4. Exod. xxiii. 19. Deut. xxii. 4, 6, 7, 10.
Evening.
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good: and what doth the Lord
require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy, and to walk
humbly with thy God?
Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and
hide thyself from them; thou shalt in any case bring them again
unto thy brother.
And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the
fruits thereof:
But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still, that
the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave, the beasts
of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy
vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.
Mic. vi. 8. Deut. xxii. 1. Exod. xxiii. 10, 11.
SATURDAY.
Morning.
The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath
many friends.
He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy
on the poor, happy is he.
Do they not err that devise evil? but mercy and truth shall be
to them that devise good.
He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life,
righteousness, and honour.
Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy ; break up
your fallow ground; for it is time to seek the Lord, till he
come and rain righteousness upon you.
Prov. xiv. 20, 21, 22. Prov. xxi. 21. Hos. x. 12.
Evening.
The merciful man doeth good to his own soul: but he that is
cruel troubleth his own flesh.
The desire of the righteous is only good; but the expectation of
the wicked is wrath.
There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that
withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.
The liberal soul shall be made fat; and he that watereth shall
be watered also himself.
He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.
Prov. xi. 17, 23, 24, 25. Ps. xxxvii. 26.
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