January 28

Malachi iv.—1. For, behold, the day cometh that shall burn as an oven; and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the Lord of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.

2. But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.

3. And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do this, saith the Lord of hosts.

4. Remember ye the law of Moses my servant, which I commanded unto him in Horeb for all Israel, with the statutes and judgments.

5. Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord;

6. And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse.

John i.—19. This is the record of John, when

the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?

20. And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.

21. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.

22. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?

23. He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.

24. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees.

25. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou, then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet?

26. John answered them, saying, I baptize with water; but there standeth one among you whom ye know not:

27. He it is, who, coming after me, is preferred before me; whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.

28. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

The rite of baptism was not new to the Jews. They were accustomed to administer it to proselytes, and as a token of a new dispensation. Hence they demanded of John his authority for baptizing, and not an explanation of the rite itself.

How remarkable was the humility of John! Stern and bold in the denunciation of sin, earnest and fervent in preaching repentance, he was yet modest and self-deprecating concerning his own mission. Surrounded as he was by eager crowds, multitudes of whom sought baptism at his hands and became his disciples, aware of the feverish expectation of the Messiah in the minds of his countrymen, the temptation was strong to win personal popularity by allowing the rumor to go out that he was the Christ. But he resolutely

dischalmed the honor that others were ready to put upon him, and directed their thoughts to another. Jesus was his own cousin, and his junior: he was as poor as himself,—of even a humbler condition,—was without friends, and had us yet done nothing to manifest his divine mission. Yet such was the faith of John in the story of his birth, and in the word of prophecy, that he recognized in him the Son of God, and declared himself unworthy even to loose the sandals from his feet.

We admire such humility. Let us strive to imitate it; and, while we appreciate the work that God has given us to do, let us not seek honor one of another, but render all praise and glory to Christ alone.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 8, 97, 177.

O Lord! make clean our hearts before thee. Baptize us with thine own Spirit, that we may be renewed in the spirit and temper of our minds, and may exhibit in our daily walk all the virtues and graces of the Christian life.

We render thanks to thee for thy loving care in the night-season. We thank thee that health and home and friends and country are preserved to us. We thank thee for all thy goodness to us as a family; and pray thee, O our Saviour! to abide with us ever.

O Lord! we beseech thee to visit us this day with thy loving-kindness. May the Sun of righteousness arise upon us with healing in his wings! Give us grace to discharge faithfully our duties to thee and to each other. Make us kind and courteous unto all men, honest in our dealings,

truthful in our words, guileless in our thoughts. Strengthen us to bear with patience whatsoever trials or sufferings may be in store for us, preserve us from the sins which do most easily beset us, and enable us this day and ever to walk worthy of our Christian calling, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

O Lord Jesus! we long for thy coming in power and glory among the nations. May thy Church arise, and make straight the way of the Lord!

O almighty and most merciful Father! we commend to thee ourselves and all that belong to us, all who pray for us, and all who have at any time asked our prayers for them. Have pity upon the poor, the sick, the dying, and the sorrowing. Incline thine ear to us, and hear us, we beseech thee, and order all our ways, this and every day, according to thy will, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.