rows, and pains, and perplexities; One who knew them all, and "needed not that any man should teach Him, for He knew what was in man,' ,"a have taught you to say, "Our Father,"b with a love and tenderness and confidence which you never knew before: and you rejoice to say "our" because it tells you that you are a member of a family, and not a solitary being: and when you say, "which art in heaven," then you are reminded of that "rest which remaineth for the people of God :" "an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation."d All the eager and restless desires of your life for the glory of God, and the advancement of His kingdom, seem now to find their centre and resting-place in the words-"Hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come:" all your personal desires and wishes, for yourself, your friends, and all mankind, to be expressed for you in "Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven." Your daily need to be led and guided; and to have your work and your strength, your trials and your supports, and all your earthly needs-summed up in the petition, "Give us this day our daily bread;" ■ John ii. 25. b Matt. vi. 9. d 1 Pet. i. 4, 5. your growing sense of sin, your knowledge of your continual "sins, negligences, and ignorances;" your deep sense of lovelessness, and sufferings from it, make your whole heart to say, "Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us." The ever-growing sense of temptation-of being "sore let and hindered" of "the temptations of the world, the flesh, and the devil"-all these make your heart to cry out, "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." There is assurance in asking all these things, for "Thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever:" and therefore you say, "Amen, so be it." All things are in His hand, and all that you have asked He can grant. You seem to begin each petition with, "Our Father;" for those two words explain and run through the prayer, and give you the child-like confidence in asking, which you so greatly need. "Our Father!" let those words blend themselves with every thought of your heart, with every action of your life. Surely "Our Father" would "deal with us as with sons;"a and would send us no needless suffering, no unnecessary correction. "Like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him." He would not give us into other hands for correction. He Himself will correct; "He b Ps. ciii. 13. * Heb. xii. 7. will correct us in measure; yet will He not leave us wholly unpunished." "Blessed are ye that weep' now, whether in contradiction, or bereavement, or sickness, or fear. Every visitation is a stage of advance in your walk of faith. Every chastisement is sent to open a new page in the great Book of Life— to show you things within you which you knew not, and things which hereafter shall be your portion. He is cleansing the power of sight in you, that it may become intense and strong to bear His presence: and that power of sight is love; fervent and purifying love, consuming every sin, and purging out every stain. The more fervently you cleave to Him by love, the clearer shall be your vision of His beauty. Then welcome all He sends, if so be we may see Him at last, where there is no more sin, where truth has no shadow, where unity and sanctity have no dispute. Welcome sorrow, trial, fear, and the shadow of death, if only our sin be blotted out, and our lot secure in the lowest room, in the light of His face, before the throne of His beauty, in our home, and in our rest for ever." a Jer. xlvi. 28. PART V. Miscellaneous. I. READING THE SCRIPTURES. THERE is a very desultory kind of reading, even of the Holy Scriptures, in which the sick often indulge. They can read but little, and therefore they often choose the portions which they like the best, and think will be the most profitable to them. Thus they lose much of the meaning of the Bible, by taking it in detached passages, instead of in its connexion; by taking verses apart from the context, they often get a false idea of the meaning; and many portions which would be very instructive to them they never read: choosing for themselves what their food is to be, instead of having it given to them. To have some plan in reading is a very great help, and especially to those who are so much taken from the ordinary helps in this way. It is pleasant to look to some one to guide us and teach us, and to tell us what to do; and it prevents that vague feeling of wanting to know what it is best to do, and how to read the Scriptures the most profitably. "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect-throughly furnished unto all good works." Therefore we should read all Scripture; otherwise we shall omit something that is "profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction." Reading detached chapters and verses does not answer the same end. Can there be a better rule than the one given by the Church? And if we read the daily Lessons and Psalms, as far as our strength permits, we shall read the Old Testament once every year, and the New Testament three times, and the Psalms twelve times through. We shall soon find how wonderfully each Lesson and each Psalm seems to bring something peculiarly fitted to our need at that very time: and every day, as we read them afresh, we shall find this more and more, and be able to appropriate them as the portion given to us for our profit, a 2 Tim. iii. 16, 17. |