July 7

Isaiah 12:1. And in that day thou shalt say, O Lord! I will praise thee: though thou wast angry with me, thine anger is turned away, and thou comfortedst me.

2. Behold, God is my salvation: I will trust, and not be afraid: for the LORD JEHOVAH is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation.

3. Therefore with joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.

4. And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord; call upon his name; declare his doings among the people; make mention that his name is exalted.

5. Sing unto the Lord; for he hath done excellent things: this is known in all the earth.

6. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee.

John 7:37. In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38. He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39. (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive; for the Holy Ghost was not yet given, because that Jesus was not yet glorified.)

40. Many of the people, therefore, when they heard this saying, said, Of a truth this is the Prophet.

"On every day of the Feast of Tabernacles, at the time of the morning sacrifice, a priest brought into the fore-court, in a golden vessel, water from the spring of Siloah, which rises within the mount on which the temple stood, and poured it, mingled with the sacrificial wine, into two bowls which stood upon the altar, and in which there was an opening by which it made its escape. During the performance of this rite, the priests caused trumpets and cymbals to be sounded, and the words of Isaiah 12:3 were sung. — 'With joy shall ye draw water out of the wells of salvation.' With high probability, just at the point of time when the priest was carrying that sacred water through the fore-court, and the people were abandoning themselves to jubilant mirth at the sight of this

41. Others said, This is the Christ. But some said, Shall Christ come out of Galilee?

42. Hath not the scripture said. That Christ cometh of the seed of David, and out of the town of Bethlehem, where David was?

43. So there was a division among the people because of him.

44. And some of them would have taken him; but no man laid hands on him.

45. Then came the officers to the chief priests and Pharisees; and they said unto them, Why have ye not brought him?

46. The officers answered, Never man spake like this man.

47. Then answered them the Pharisees, Are ye also deceived?

48. Have any of the rulers, or of the Pharisees, believed on him?

49. But this people, who knoweth not the law, are cursed.

50. Nicodemus saith unto them (he that came to Jesus by night, being one of them),

51. Doth our law judge any man before it hear him, and know what he doeth?

52. They answered and said unto him, Art thou also of Galilee? Search, and look; for out of Galilee ariseth no prophet.

53. And every man went unto his own house.

symbol, Jesus stood forth in the midst of the multitude, and cried aloud, that in him was actually imparted what was there expressed in symbol."

To the woman of Samaria he had spoken of the inexhaustible life-power of his grace within the heart: he now speaks of a fulness that overflows with blessing to others. Both are characteristics of the life imparted by Christ: it refreshes the heart with an endless joy; it expands it with an illimitable love. Not only the common people of the Jews, but even the Roman soldiers, were impressed with something more than human in such teachings. How base appears the jealousy of the Pharisees in seeking to silence such words of mercy!

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 3, 42, 162.

What shall we render unto thee, O Lord! for all thy benefits? Every day we live upon thy bounty; every night we rest under the shadow of thy wing. We will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord. But, above all other mercies, we acknowledge thy grace in that thou didst send thy Son to be the Saviour of the world. Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.

O Lord! for Christ's sake have mercy upon us, and take away our sins; and grant that we may prove our gratitude by a loving obedience to thy will. For the rest and refreshment of the past night, for the health and comfort with which we greet another day, for the endearments and delights of home, for means of occupation and support, of improvement

and usefulness, for all the favors of thy hand, so multiplied unto us, we render thee most hearty thanks. Freely as we receive may we also give! May thy mercy abound toward all classes and conditions of men, and thy salvation fill the whole earth!

Bless this household in each and every member. [Especially do we commend unto thee the children, praying that in the morning of life they may learn to trust in Jesus as their Saviour, and to follow him as ready and loving disciples.] Oh, may the dove of heavenly peace ever abide in our dwelling! Bless all dear to us; and bring us all at length unto our Father's house, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.