January 15

Deuteronomy xxviii. — 58. If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name THE LORD THY GOD;

59. Then the Lord will make thy plagues wonderful, and the plagues of thy seed, even great plagues, and of long continuance, and sore sicknesses, and of long continuance.

60. Moreover, he will bring upon thee all the diseases of Egypt, which thou wast afraid of; and they shall cleave unto thee.

61. Also every sickness and every plague which is not written in the book of this law, them will the Lord bring upon thee until thou be destroyed.

62. And ye shall be left few in number, whereas ye were as the stars of heaven for multitude; because thou wouldest not obey the voice of the Lord thy God.

63. And it shall come to pass, that as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good and to multiply you, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you and to bring you to nought; and ye shall be

plucked from off the land whither thou goest to possess it.

64. And the Lord shall scatter thee among all people, from the one end of the earth even unto the other; and there thou shalt serve other gods, which neither thou nor thy fathers have known, even word and stone.

65. And among these nations shalt thou find no ease, neither shall the sole of thy foot have rest; but the Lord shall give thee there a trembling heart, and failing of eyes, and sorrow of mind.

66. And thy life shall hang in doubt before thee; and thou shalt fear day and night, and shalt have none assurance of thy life:

67. In the morning thou shalt say, Would God it were even! and at even thou shalt say, Would God it were morning! for the fear of thine heart wherewith thou shalt fear, and for the sight of thine eyes which thou shalt see.

68. And the Lord shall bring thee into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spake unto thee, Thou shalt see it no more again; and there ye shall be sold unto your enemies for bond-men and bond-women, and no man shall buy you.

This fearful denunciation was more than a warning: it was a prediction, and in substance it has been tainted, again and again, in the history of Israel, in their wars, their captives, their dispersions, their many and fearful oppressions. Nor could a more graphic picture of their actual calamities be given than this, of restless, homeless wandering; of trembling heart, failing eyes, and sorrow of spirit; of life always in fear and peril; of longing for the evening and for the morning. For ages, the misfortunes of the Jews in almost every land

were a commentary upon these prophetic words of their great lawgiver: their whole history as a people is a standing record that this witness is true. But, through all warnings and judgments, there is ever the certain of promise and hope. Jehovah is still mindful of the children of the covenant, the seed of Abraham, his friend; and the time shall come when they shall be brought in with the fulness of the Gentiles, "and so all Israel shall be saved."

APPROPRIATE HIMN.]

Prayer.

[No. 182.

O Lord! how can we stand if thou shouldst mark our iniquities? But blessed be thy name that thou hast reconciled us to thyself by thy beloved Son, and wilt not impute our trespasses unto us. For his merits, and in his name, cast us not out of thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

Thou hast taught us to pray that thy kingdom may come. Hear us while we plead with thee for the spread of thy gospel throughout the world. O Lord! look in mercy on thine own flock who have entered into covenant with thee. Oh! heal their divisions, enlighten their dark places, strengthen their feeble and scattered efforts. Look upon vast tracts of Christendom yet bound in ignorance and superstition. Look upon those, who, having thy commandments, yet worship other gods besides thee; and do thou look in mercy on the darkness of heathendom, and on them that sit in the shadow of death cause thy light to shine. More especially do we entreat thee for thine ancient Israel, whom thou hast for so many ages preserved a separate

people, witnessing among all nations to the truth of thy Word. We thank thee that in these latter days they are so far exempt from the violence and persecutions of other times; and pray that through their experience, both of the goodness and the severity of God, they may be brought to a saving knowledge of thy grace in Christ.

Almighty God, the Governor and Disposer of the world, grant that, in the history of its kingdoms and peoples, we may ever see thee preparing the way of thy Christ, and putting all things under his feet; and grant that we, looking for the kingdoms of this world to become the kingdom of the Lord and of his Christ, may be found faithful at his appearing, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, world without end.

O Lord our Preserver! we humbly thank thee for thy merciful protection during the past night; and we commit ourselves and all dear to us unto thy gracious guidance this day, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.