October 1

Matthew 16:1. The Pharisees also with the Sadducees came, and, tempting, desired him that he would show them a sign from heaven. 2. He answered and said unto them, When it is evening, ye say, It will be fair weather; for the sky is red: 3. And in the morning, It will be foul weather today; for the sky is red and fevering. O ye hypocrites! ye can discern the face of the sky; but can, ye not discern the signs of the times? 4. A week I and all others generation seeketh after a sign; and there shall no sign be given unto it but the sign of the prophet Jonas. And he left them, and departed. 5. And, when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6. Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

It required the whole term of our Lord's public ministry to give us the deepest and most appreciation of his character and to the truth in himself. First no amount of unbelief, evidence could satisfy the Pharisees, filled as they were with prejudice, pride, and the spirit of unbelief, is not surprising; but that his own disciples should mentally, if not orally, demand new tokens of his power in the supply of their physical wants, is both strange and humiliating. It was easy for Jesus to create bread for the body; but how hard, alas! to bring their minds to feed upon his truth, their hearts to rest in his love! They might make an ado over miracles, and lay much stress upon the supernatural, and yet be oblivious of the spiritual signs of his grace, and void of faith in himself. So the Pharisees were fond of making predictions from the outward signs of nature, but altogether negligent of the evidences of God's presence in the spiritual sphere. Their teaching and spirit turned religion into hypocrisy; and this is

7. And they reasoned among themselves saying, It is because we have taken no bread. 8. Which when Jesus perceived, he said unto them, O ye of little faith! why reason ye among yourselves because ye have brought no bread? 9. Do ye not yet understand, neither remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many had to be took up? 10. Neither the seven loaves of the four thousand, nor how many had to be took up? 11. How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12. Then understood they how that he bode them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

a form of corruption which spreads rapidly in times of spiritual dextension, when the forms of religion may continue to give respectability and influence, and a rapid, so far, though the spirit of godliness is utterly wanting in the life. No religion can live in the soul which is not fed by communion with God.

Religious error commonly wears the semblance of truth; often begins in the distortion or perversion of some particular truth to the neglect of other truths in their systematic and harmonious relations to the body of doctrine. Error in religious faith or practice is likened to leaven, because, being within the system, its tendency is to spread, to infect whatever it touches, and to cause fermentation. The Church of Christ, if she would preserve Christianity in its purity, has need continually to be on the lookout for signs of the two kinds of leaven indicated by our Lord, — the Pharisaic leaven of formalism, the Sadducean leaven of rationalism.

APPROPRIATE Hymns.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 61, 120.

Thou only, O Lord! makest us to dwell in safety. We lie down at night under the shadow of thy wings; we awake in the morning to the light of thy love. We thank thee for another night of rest and comfort; for another day of life, health, and hope. We praise thee that thou didst create us with powers of knowing and of loving, and hast made this world so full of wonders and beauties to feed our minds with knowledge, and to stir our hearts with love and joy. May the glory of the heavens, the richness and bounty of the earth, as adapted to our wants, fill us with admiration of thy power, thy wisdom, thy goodness! and may the voices of gladness with which all Nature celebrates thy praise move our souls to bless and praise thee also! O Lord! may we be found faithful to thee in the duties of this day! and, amid its temptations and its trials, do thou sustain us, comfort us, keep us, and grant us grace in all we do to seek thy glory. May this household, which thou hast so blessed, serve thee, not at this altar only, but in all

the walks of life! As we engage in the business of the world, as we go into society, wherever we are, and whatever we do, may we remember thee, and do thy will! Oh! grant that every member of this family may be a child of God; a humble, faithful follower of the Lord Jesus Christ. Bless all dear to us who are absent from us. Do thou, O Lord! dwell by thy Spirit in the hearts and the minds of all our friends. We supplicate thy mercy for the needy, the afflicted, the bereaved, and the sorrowing. Oh! grant to all the consolations of thy gospel.

Build up thy Church, O Lord! Fill our land with pure religion. Bless the industry of the people; and may its fruit be consecrated to the good of men! May our rulers be faithful and just, walking in thy fear! And we beseech thee to bring all lands under the power and glory of thy kingdom. In thy great mercy, O Lord! forgive our sins, and bring us unto thy heavenly kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

| --- | --- | | TUESDAY. | | | Matthew 16:13. When Jesus came into the coasts of Cesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, saying, Whom do men say that I, the Son of man, am?14. And they said, Some say that there are John the Baptist; some, Elias; and others, Jeremias, or one of the prophets.15. He saith unto them, But whom say ye that I am?16. And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.17. And Jesus answered and said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-jona; for flesh and | blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.18. And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.19. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.20. Then charged he his disciples that they should tell no man that he was Jesus the Christ. | | This revelation of Jesus as the Son of God took place, neither at Jerusalem, where the King of the Jews was looked for, nor at Capernian, where he had done his mightiest works; but in a distant and long, region, the northernmost boundary of the Holy Land, the northernmost point of our Lord's penneyings, near the sources of the Jordan, under the base of Mount Hermon. In the city is interesting in connection with the scene of the transfiguration, which almost directly followed. The production of Malachi, "Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophets," had awakened the expectation of the return of one of the great prophets, and the appearing of a prophet who should recall Moses, Elijah, or Jeremiah. John the Baptist was taken at first for "that prophet."Our Lord did not at once proclaim his divinity, even to his nearest disciples. Since, in the nature of the case, all who in after-tones should confess his name must accept his mission in faith, and receive his grace by faith, he chose at the outset to develop the spirit of faith by manifesting his divinity, rather than declaring it; by evoking from men the confession of the divinity in his works, rather than exausing that confession in a form of words. But the time was now ripe for such a confession from those who for nearly three years had witnessed his works of power and love, and listened to his words of truth and grace; and it was important that the feeling of his divinity, which had grown up with these experiences, should be brought out in a concrete form. The title, "Son of God," was sometimes given to kings, prophets, and other chosen servants | of Jehovah; but the answer of Peter pointed to a personal vital union with God himself, "the Son of the living God." Jesus not only accepted this confession of his divinity, but declared that it was an express revelation from his Father. The name Peter, meaning "a rock," is masculine; but the term "rock," in verse 18, is feminine, and refers, not to Peter personally, but to his confession. Upon this confession, as upon a rock, the true Church of Christ is built, and shall forever stand.Peter, both by force of temperament and by the lendings of Providence, was the first to proclaim this foundation-doctrine of the church to the Jews at the Pentecost, and afterwards to the Gentiles, through Cornelius, — thus opening to each the door of the kingdom; and, on the other hand, in the case of Ananas and Sapphora, and of Simon Magus, his denunciation of hypocrisy was a shutting of the door against all but true believers. But this was simply as a minister of the truth of Christ, and not by any official prerogative or primacy. Precisely the same promise was made to all the disciples; and Peter never claimed to be the rock, nor to have the keys; but, when he preached before the Sanhedrin, he disclaimed any power or honor in the healing of the lame man, ascribing all to Jesus Christ: "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner; neither is there salvation in any other." Whoever confesses Christ, by that act enters into the Church, which is his kingdom. | | APPROPRIATE ITEMS.] | Prayer. [Nos. 90, 137, 143. | | Thou, Lord, in the beginning hast laid the foundations of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands. They shall perish; but thou remainest: and they shall wax old as doth a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them up, and they shall be changed; but thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail. In thee, O Lord! do we put our trust: let us never be confounded. With our affections on things above, may we be ever looking for that blessed hope, even the glorious appearing of the great God, our Saviour Jesus Christ, like writing and expectant servants, seeking to occupy till our Lord comes! Keep us from inactivity and sloth. Let our loins be girded, and our lumps burning. Let us be growing in faith and love, in charity and meekness, in diligence and faithfulness, rejoicing in hope of the glory of God.Father, glorify thy name. Darkness is still cov- | ering the lands, and gross darkness the people; but may the Lord arise, and his glory be seen on the earth! May the time to favor Zion, yea, the set time, speedily come! Revive thy work in the midst of the years; in the midst of wrath do thou remember mercy.We bring to thee our personal and family wants, praying thee to guide, help, and bless us. [Give unto these children, O Lord! grace to serve thee in the morning of life, and in their thoughts and words, their studies and their play, always to please their Father in heaven.] Remember with thy mercy all our friends; visit with thy grace the homes of all who are dear to us. We come with thanksgiving for the mercies of the night and of our past lives; and for our future, trusting only in thy grace, we would commit our souls unto thee as to our faithful Creator. To whom be glory and dominion forever. Amen. |