February 11

Psalm lxxviii. — 18. And they tempted God in their heart by asking meat for their lust.

19. Yea, they spake against God; they said, Can God furnish a table in the wilderness?

20. Behold, he smote the rock, that the waters gushed out, and the streams overflowed: can he give bread also? can he provide flesh for his people?

21. Therefore the Lord heard this, and was wroth: so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and anger also came up against Israel.

I Corinthians x. — 1. Moreover, brethren, I would not that ye should be ignorant how that all our fathers were under the cloud, and all passed through the sea;

2. And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea;

3. And did all eat the same spiritual meat;

4. And did all drink the same spiritual drink (for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them; and that Rock was Christ).

5. But with many of them God was not well pleased; for they were overthrown in the wilderness.

6. Now, these things were our examples, to the

It was a tradition of the Jews, that the rock smitten by Moses at Hecch followed the Israelites in their journeyings, and gave forth water all the way. There is a presumption that the stream then opened continued to flow, inasmuch as from that time there is little mention of murmuring for water. This ever flowing river was a type of the life that comes to us from Christ. The apostle is warning his readers against a vain confidence in the Christian sacraments, which might expose them to their former habits of idolatry, if it did not betray them into an abuse of the sacraments themselves, in the manner of their old pagan rites. "Their peril lay in their false security: they were tempted to think that all things were

intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.

7. Neither be ye idolaters, as were some of them: as it is written, The people eat down to eat and drink, and rose up to play.

8. Neither let us commit fornication, as some of them committed, and fell in one day three and twenty thousand.

9. Neither let us tempt Christ, as some of them also tempted, and were destroyed of serpents.

10. Neither murmur ye, as some of them also murmured, and were destroyed of the destroyer.

11. Now, all these things happened unto them for ensamples; and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

12. Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

13. There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

14. Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.

15. I speak as to wise men: judge ye what I say.

safe to do because all things were lawful. They were ready to rest satisfied with the knowledge that they were God's people and God's Church. He shakes this sense of safety by reminding them that the ancient Church of Israel fell, although they had the same privileges."

When Israel passed through the Red Sea, they renounced Egypt, as in baptism we renounce the world; they committed themselves to follow Moses, as we to follow Christ. They had the manna and the stream as symbols of the bread of heaven and the water of life in Christ: but none of these things could save them. Let their fate be our warning, — to shun temptation, to avoid self-confidence, and cling to God in humble faith.

APPROPRIATE Hymns.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 98, 143, 172.

We give thanks to thee our Father, ho.y, excelling all things, Creator of all, who hast granted to us the blessings and privileges of this holy day; who hast opened to us, in Christ Jesus our Lord, the way of life; who hast showed us the path by which we may ascend to heaven; who hast bestowed upon us a multitude of good things. O Lord! preserve to us the gifts of thy grace, and grant that they may not be for our greater condemnation, but for the strengthening of our souls and the purification of our bodies; that we may live in thee, and fulfil our duties in righteousness all the days of our lives; that thy name may be glorified in us; and that we may ever render glory and praise to thee, with all the company of thy saints, through Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord and Saviour.

O Lord, thou keeper of Israel, who never slumberest nor sleepest! be pleased in thy mercy to

watch over us this night, and make us ever mindful of our last hour, that we may then rest in thee.

O Lord! we most humbly beseech thee to hearken graciously unto the prayers and accept the praises which have been offered unto thee this day by thy holy Church throughout the world. Bless, O Lord! thy whole Church; and grant that all who confess thy holy name may agree in the truth of thy holy Word, and, departing from all iniquity, may devoutly serve thee in all good works to their lives' end; that we with them, and they with us, and with all those that are departed in thy most holy faith, may inherit thine everlasting kingdom, and enter into that rest which thou hast reserved for thy people, through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, blessed forever. Amen.