October 17

Psalm cxxxii. — 1. Lord, remember David, and all his afflictions;

2. How he swore unto the Lord, and vowed unto the mighty God of Jacob;

3. Surely I will not come into the tabernacle of my house, nor go up into my bed,

4. I will not give sleep to mine eyes, or slumber to mine eyelids.

5. Until I find out a place for the Lord, a habitation for the mighty God of Jacob.

6. Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah; we found it in the fields of the wood.

7. We will go into his tabernacles; we will worship at his footstool.

8. Arise, O Lord! into thy rest; thou, and the ark of thy strength.

13. For the Lord hath chosen Zion: he hath desired it for his habitation.

14. This is my rest forever: here will I dwell; for I have desired it.

15. I will abundantly bless her provision: I will satisfy her poor with bread.

16. I will also clothe her priests with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

Romans xii. — 1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

2. And be not conformed to this world; but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that

ye may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

3. For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.

4. For as we have many members in one body, and all members have not the same office;

5. So we, being many, are one body in Christ, and every one members one of another.

6. Having then gifts, differing according to the grace that is given to us, whether prophecy, let us prophesy according to the proportion of faith;

7. Or ministry, let us wait on our ministering; or he that teacheth, on teaching;

8. Or he that exhorteth, on exhortation; he that giveth, let him do it with simplicity; he that ruleth, with diligence; he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness.

9. Let love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.

10. Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love, in honor preferring one another;

11. Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord;

12. Rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer;

13. Distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

Religion must control the whole man: the very body must be consecrated to God, as a sacred offering upon his altar. Such an offering is dictated by reason, by gratitude, and by the law of consistency and propriety. The body, which has been the occasion and the organ of sin, should be sanctified to nobleness; and the supremacy of the spirit, as restored by grace, should be manifested through the active devotion of the entire man to the service of God. This comes to pass, first, through the renewing of the mind unto right feelings and aims; next through carrying this spirit into all the details of life, and using every thing as a means of serving God. Busi-

ness is not to be neglected, even for specific religious services; not to be regarded as alien to the religious spirit: but the same mind, which is so fervent in its devotion as to be ready at any moment for acts of worship or of charity, should be diligent in business; "serving the Lord" in the necessary occupations of life; thankful in prosperity; patient under disappointment; not conformed to the world's ways in business; abhorring every evil way, but cleaving resolutely to that which is good; and thus making practical proof of what is good and acceptable and perfect in the sight of God.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 67, 121, 125.

O Lord! we beseech thee, grant us grace to withstand the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the Devil, and with pure hearts and minds to follow thee. Suffer us never to fall away from Christ; never, never to betray him. Oh! keep us from all covetous and worldly desires.

O Lord Jesus, who art exalted to be a Prince and a Saviour to give repentance and forgiveness of sins! we do repent of our sins before thee, and humbly beseech thee to receive us, according to thy promise that him that cometh unto thee thou wilt in no wise cast out. Give unto us, O Lord! that sense of thy presence which shall preserve us from sin; that strength of faith which shall overcome evil; that peace which the world cannot give.

We bring thee thanks for the mercies of the night, and supplicate thy grace for our friends and neighbors, for the absent dear to us, for thy Church, for this family, yea, Lord, for the whole family of mankind, — the world which thou hast died to save. Oh! raise up a faithful ministry, and keep thy servants pure.

We beseech thee, O Lord! to instruct us in our duty, and help us to perform it; to give us a tender conscience and an earnest spirit; to uphold us in the slippery ways of the world, and give us sterling integrity of heart; and finally to receive us to thy presence in the world of endless life. And to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be glory forever. Amen.