March 25

Romans viii.—1. There is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

3. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh;

4. That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk, not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

5. For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit, the things of the Spirit.

6. For to be carnally-minded is death; but to be spiritually-minded is life and peace.

7. Because the carnal mind is enmity against

The preceding chapter left man in a state of utter wreck-ness and hopelessness, struggling between two laws, — the law of reason and conscience, the inner voice of the spirit, dictating obedience to God; but the desires of the flesh, and the habit of sinful indulgence, working as "a law in the members," and dragging him on to do that which he would not. To the soul thus struggling, almost despairing, Christ comes with succor, deliverance, and peace. By his life of holy obedience in human flesh, he condemned and conquered sin, and proved the possibility of obedience to the righteous law. Therefore he is able to take our sins upon himself, and to free from condemnation the soul that accepts his mediation and humbly trusts his grace.

But this freedom comes through obedience to yet another

APPROPRIATE HIMNS.]

Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift. When there was no eye to pity, and no arm to save, thou, Lord, didst not spare thine own Son, but didst deliver him up for us all. We draw nigh to thee with humble faith, and cast ourselves upon thee for salvation. We have sinned; and what can we do unto thee, O thou Preserver of men? We can make no atonement for the past; nor can we offer thee any excuse.

But, gracious God, though we are thus helpless and hopeless in ourselves, we cannot despair when we look up unto thee. Thanks to thy name for having sent thy Son as our Saviour and Example. We rejoice that he died in our stead; and we glorify thee that he lived to teach us how to live. Oh! deliver us from condemnation, and from the fear of evil.

We pray to be filled with Christ, and clothed with Christ. May we dwell in him, and may he dwell in us! Seal us for thine own by thy Holy Spirit, that we may pray and live and walk in the Spirit, and be freed from the law of sin and death.

[O Lord! we bring to thee the children of this

God; for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8. So, then, they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9. But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

10. And, if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11. But, if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

12. Therefore, brethren, we are debtors not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

13. For, if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die; but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

law; for while we are saved by believing, yet believing is obeying. We accept Christ by renouncing sin, by subjecting our will to his will, by walking in his steps. The carnal mind, or, more exactly, carnal-mindedness, — a state of mind in which the affections and aims are fixed upon the things of this world as the chief good, — such love of the world is in opposition to the will of God, and can never be reconciled to the law of God.

But, when the Spirit of divine life and love enters into the soul, he incites it to a loving, holy obedience to God; and the evidence that we are in Christ, and freed from condemnation, is that we no longer follow mere natural appetites as our law, but seek to know and to do the things of God.

Prayer.

[Nos. 23, 62, 124.

household in earnest, believing prayer, that thou wouldst early rescue them from the power of evil, and so draw their thoughts and affections unto thyself, that they shall grow up in thy Spirit, and ever delight in thy will. Consecrated to thee, oh! may they never become the children of this world, the children of the Wicked One!]

We bless thee for thy mercy during the silence of the last night. We were not alarmed nor disturbed, because thy hand preserved us in safety and in peace. We give thee thanks for the light of this new day, and for remembering us with necessary food and raiment. May we use thy gifts as not abusing them, and see in them all our Father's hand! Graciously bless us this day in our basket and store, in our domestic circle, in our going-out and coming-in, in our worldly business and transactions, and in our bodies and souls; and for the sake of Him who was delivered for our offences, and raised again for our justification, and who is now at thy right hand making intercession for us, we pray for all these blessings and favors.

Amen.