June 16

Psalm xi.—6. Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt-offering and sin-offering hast thou not required.

7. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me.

8. I delight to do thy will, O my God! yea, thy law is within my heart.

9. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O Lord! thou knowest.

10. I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

11. Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O Lord! let thy loving-kindness and thy truth continually preserve me.

John viii.—46. Which of you convinceth me of sin? And, if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

47. He that is of God heareth God's words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

48. Then answered the Jews, and said unto him, Say we not well that thou art a Samaritan, and hast a devil?

49. Jesus answered, I have not a devil; but I honor my Father, and ye do dishonor me.

By the law of Moses, one who was guilty of blasphemy must be stoned to death by the whole congregation. For a man to make himself the equal of God was blasphemy; and, because the Jews understood Jesus to claim divine attributes, upon several occasions they threatened to stone him. This action was something more than the sudden frenzy of a mob: it was prompted by that religious jealousy, which, when infuriated, is the most vindictive of passions. The deportment of Jesus under these assaults is a striking testimony to his doctrine concerning himself. He does not seek to free himself from the accusation of a crime so abhorrent to his own spirit, nor even to save his life, by denying the construction which the Jews put upon his words. He either justified his words, or withdrew himself from the rage of the people. In this instance he boldly challenged them to accuse him of sin in his whole

50. And I seek not mine own glory: there is one that seeketh and judgeth.

51. Verily, verily, I say unto you, If a man keep my saying, he shall never see death.

52. Then said the Jews unto him, Now we know that thou hast a devil. Abraham is dead, and the prophets; and thou sayest, If a man keep my saying, he shall never taste of death.

53. Art thou greater than our father Abraham, which is dead? and the prophets are dead: whom makest thou thyself?

54. Jesus answered, If I honor myself, my honor is nothing: it is my Father that honoreth me; of whom ye say, that he is your God.

55. Yet ye have not known him; but I know him: and, if I should say I know him not, I shall be a liar like unto you; but I know him, and keep his saying.

56. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day; and he saw it, and was glad.

57. Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old; and hast thou seen Abraham?

58. Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Before Abraham was, I am.

59. Then took they up stones to cast at him; but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.

life. Next he affirmed his power over death, and his unison with the will of God; and, to crown all, he asserted his pre-existence in the self-ame terms in which Jehovah had declared to Moses his own eternity.—I AM. This calm assumption of qualities and prerogatives belonging to God only, leaves no room to doubt that Jesus claimed equality with the Father.

Already the Psalmist, in a passage which the Epistle to the Hebrews directly applies to Christ, had declared the pre-existence of the Messiah. He came forth from the bosom of the Father, and by a voluntary offering of himself, to do away with the sacrifices of the law, and to declare to an apostate people the truth, the righteousness, and the mercy of God.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 73, 75.

O Thou who didst humble thyself to be born of a virgin, the everlasting Son of the Father, the Prince of peace! we bless and adore thee for thy grace and compassion for us sinners. We give thanks unto the Father, who so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life; we praise and worship the Son, who took upon him our nature that he might redeem us to God. Oh! grant us, we beseech thee, thy peace, through the forgiveness of sin, reconciliation with God, and the indwelling of the Spirit, that we may

glorify and praise thee in our lives for all that we have heard and seen of thy grace.

[May the children of this family remember that Jesus came as a little child to bless them! May they give their hearts to his love!] And may we all, in the spirit of little children, love and serve Him who came into the world to save sinners! And, oh! may the world be saved; may all men come to Christ; may peace reign on earth, and good will bind all hearts together for the glory of God! And to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be honor and praise throughout all ages. Amen.