November 15

Romans vi.—1. What shall we say, then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound?

2. God forbid! How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein?

3. Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?

4. Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death; that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

5. For, if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:

6. Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

7. For he that is dead is freed from sin.

8. Now, if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him:

9. Knowing that Christ, being raised from the dead, dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.

10. For in that he died, he died unto sin once; but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God.

11. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.

12. Let not sin, therefore, reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.

13. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin; but yield your-

The real seat of sin is in the will, alienated from God, and set upon the gratification of self. The motives to sin, and its agents also, are the passions and desires of our lower nature, —the flesh as acted upon by the enticements of the world. The senses and members of the body become the occasions and the instruments of unrighteousness. But, through yielding to these, the will itself becomes their sense; and the ones who should rule the body and have dominion over the world by his spiritual nature, which is the image of God, subjects that nature to the body, and is ruled by the world, the flesh, and the Devil.

selves unto God as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God:

14. For sin shall not have dominion over you; for ye are not under the law, but under grace.

15. What then? shall we sin because we are not under the law, but under grace? God forbid!

16. Know ye not that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey, whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?

17. But God be thanked that ye were the servants of sin; but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you.

18. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness.

19. I speak after the manner of men, because of the infirmity of your flesh; for as ye have yielded your members servants to uncleanness, and to iniquity unto iniquity, even so now yield your members servants to righteousness unto holiness.

20. For, when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness.

21. What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death.

22. But now, being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.

23. For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

From this fearful and degrading bondage Christ is our deliverer. But our emancipation must come through the voluntary consecration of ourselves, body, soul, and spirit, to his service. We must look to his cross as if it were our own, as the crucifixion of our sins, severing us from habits of sin as completely as death separates one from his connections with this world. Then, in the power of Christ's resurrection, and by the energy of his Spirit, the spiritual in us may regain its dominion over the carnal, and we be made "alive unto God." But whereas death follows sin as "wages," or desert, this life is the "gift" of divine grace alone.

APPROPRIATE HIMNS.]

Praver.

[Nos. 6, 16, 30.

Thine, O Lord! is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine: thine is the kingdom, O Lord! and thou art exalted as Head over all. We bless thee that thou hast given unto thy Son the kingdom in this world, and hast promised that the gates of hell shall not prevail against his Church; and we beseech thee hasten the day when Zion shall be a joy and praise in all the earth. Make thy Word a comfort and a joy unto all believers, and the power of God unto salvation to the world that lieth in wickedness. O Lord Jesus! rule thou in our

hearts; by thy redeeming grace take away our sins; by thy sanctifying presence fill our souls with thy peace. May we do all things to thy glory, and show forth thy praise in our lives! We humbly thank thee, O Lord! for the blessings of the past night; for thy daily benefits to us, and to all dear to us. Bless this household, this day and always, with thy grace. May we know the joy of a full consecration unto Him who hath redeemed us to God with his precious blood! and, having served him in his kingdom here, may we come to be partakers of his glory in the kingdom of his Father, for Christ's sake! Amen.