December 18

Psalm lxxi.—17. O God! thou hast taught me from my youth; and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works.

18. Now also, when I am old and gray-headed, O God! forsake me not; until I have showed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come.

19. Thy righteousness also, O God! is very high, who hast done great things: O God! who is like unto thee?

20. Thou, which hast showed me great and sore troubles, shalt quicken me again, and shalt bring me up again from the depths of the earth.

21. Thou shalt increase my greatness, and comfort me on every side.

22. I will also praise thee with the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God! unto thee will I sing with the harp, O thou Holy One of Israel!

23. My lips shall greatly rejoice when I sing unto thee; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed.

24. My tongue also shall talk of thy righteousness all the day long; for they are confounded, for they are brought unto shame, that seek my hurt.

2 Timothy i.—1. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus,

2. To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father, and Christ Jesus our Lord.

3. I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day;

4. Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy;

5. When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

6. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting-on of my hands.

7. For God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

8. Be not thou, therefore, ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

9. Who hath saved us, and called us, a holy calling, not according to our works, not according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began;

10. But is now made manifest by the appearing of our Saviour Jesus Christ, who hath abolished death, and hath brought life and immortality to light through the gospel:

11. Whereunto I am appointed a preacher, an apostle, and a teacher of the Gentiles.

12. For the which cause I also saw, if things: nevertheless, I am not ashamed to know whom I have believed, and am not that he is able to keep that which I have omitted unto him against that day.

13. Hold fast the form of sound word which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus.

The true ground of confidence in our good estate is not in ourselves, but in Christ; or rather in the purpose of divine grace toward us as manifested in the gift of Christ, and in the calling of the Holy Ghost. The apostle, though he speaks with assurance of his own salvation, does not rest in what he has done or experienced. It is not that "I know myself so well as to have no doubt nor fear," but, "I know whom I have trusted;" and so be rested securely in the power and the love of God. Such trust displaces cowardice, and brings into the mind this divine power and love to give it self-

control under all the responsibilities, conflicts, and trials of the Christian life. For what has the Christian to fear? He is saved from sin; his afflictions bring him into a closer sympathy with his Lord; and since Christ died, and rose again, death has ceased to be of any moment to the believer: the darkness and terror are driven from the grave; and, where once all was uncertainty and gloom, he beholds the light of an immortal life. Happy they, who, like Timothy, are brought up in the knowledge of the gospel from a mother's lips, and then go forth to proclaim it in the faith and love which are in Christ!

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

PRAYER.

[Nos. 194, 199, 202.

Thou blessed and glorious Redeemer, who didst give thy life a ransom for us, grant us grace, we beseech thee, to follow in thy steps, and be baptized with the same baptism of devotion and sacrifice for the glory of the Father and the good of men. May we be members of Christ's body, of his flesh and his bones! Redeemed with his precious blood, may we devote to him all the powers of our being!

Bless all dear to us: may God be their Father, and Jesus their Elder Brother, and heaven their everlasting home! [May the children of this family make thee their portion and their hope!

May they early learn to do thy will; to wish for and to do only that which will please their Father in heaven!]

Bless, O Lord! the teachings and the worship of this holy day. We pray for all who have named the name of Christ. Sanctify them by the indwelling of thy Holy Spirit. Give unto thy Church peace and unity. Accept our thanks for the mercies of thy day and of thine house. Our cup run-neth over. Oh! bring us at last to drink with thee the cup of joy which thou hast provided for us in thy Father's kingdom. And all we ask or hope for is for the Redeemer's sake. Amen.