AND they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the

sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. And there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit; and he cried out, saying, Let us alone; what have we to do with thee, thou Jesus of Nazareth? art thou come to destroy us? I know thee who thou art, the Holy One of God. And Jesus rebuked him, saying, Hold thy peace, and come out of him. And when the unclean spirit had torn him, and cried with a loud voice, he came out of him. And they were all amazed, insomuch that they questioned among themselves, saying, What thing is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority commandeth he even the unclean spirits, and they do obey him. And immediately his fame spread abroad throughout all the region round about Galilee. -MARK 1:21-28.

Father, we are glad this Sabbath morning to kneel before Thee as a family and thank Thee for our safe and happy home. We rejoice that ours is a home that loves Thee, that remembers Thee as the Giver of all our good, and that seeks to be guided by Thee at every step, in every matter. Show us in what things we are selfish, and then help us to be kind, to be patient, and to be lovable to each member of our own family and to all others whom we may meet. May we use the day wisely in what we read, in where we go, and in what we do. May we learn how to be more like Jesus in the spirit of our minds, and in the words of our lips. Grant that we may do all that is within our power so that the work of Thy Church may prosper and its services succeed. Deep in our hearts throughout this whole Sabbath may we feel that we are under Thy watchful care, and feel, too, that we should try to lead all people, near and far, to live in the blessed and beautiful way that is Thy one great wish for them and for us. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

-J. G. K. MCCLURE, D. D.

WHEN the poor and needy seek water, and there is none,

and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the Lord will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together. — Isa. 41:17-19.

ALTHOUGH the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall

fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation. -HAB. 3:17, 18.

O most loving Father, who desirest that we should give thanks for all things, and dread nothing so much as the loss of Thyself, and who dost bid us cast all our cares on Thee who carest for us, preserve us, we beseech Thee, from faithless fears and worldly anxieties, and grant that no clouds of this mortal life may hide from us the light of Thy love, which Thou hast manifested to us in Thy Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord. Thou hast bought us with a price, even the precious blood of Jesus Christ, Thy beloved Son, and Thou dost call us to glory, honor, and immortality. Help us, we pray Thee, to live as those who are not their own, but who belong to God. May every imagination of our hearts and every act of our lives be hallowed unto Thee; may Thy law be our delight; may we do the things that please Thee; and, following in the footsteps of Christ, may we be prepared to dwell with Him in glory everlasting. Amen.

-From "GUIDANCE IN PRAYER."

FOR

'OR it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren. * * * Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted. -HEB. 2:10, 11, 14-18.

O Thou before whom angels veil their faces, we reverently bow before Thee in this morning hour, rejoicing in this privilege that is ours through the mercy and by the merit of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. We come confessing our sins and acknowledging our transgressions. But we repent of them and beseech Thy grace. Thou hast said, "Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool," and Thou hast promised to remove our transgressions from us, as far as the east is from the west. We plead these promises from One who is able to perform what He has promised, who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we can ask or think. Put within us Thy Holy Spirit and underneath us Thine everlasting arms. Seal us, with those whom we remember before Thee, as the heirs of Thine everlasting Kingdom and glory. For Thy Name and mercy's sake. Amen.

-ROBERT S. INGLIS, D. D

A

ND when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilæans? And how hear we every man in our own tongue, wherein we were born? Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judæa, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia, Phrygia, and Pamphylia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene, and strangers of Rome, Jews and proselytes, Cretes and Arabians, we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. * * * Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. -Acrs 2:1-11, 38, 39.

Almighty God, we thank Thee for all the way in which Thou leadest us; for spared life and health; for home and loved ones; for all the joys that crown our days. Above all, do we praise Thy Name for Thy dear Son, our Saviour; for His holy example; His living and loving friendship; His grace which covereth all our sins. For His sake, we ask Thee to cleanse our hearts. In weakness be Thou our Strength; in perplexity, our Guide; in sorrow, our present Help; in joy, our Praise. Bestow the grace of Thy Holy Spirit that we may seek to serve others. Enable us to be thoughtful, tender-hearted, patient, and unselfish. And may the peace of God guard our hearts in Christ Jesus. Amen. -SYLVESTER W. BEACH, D. D.

THEN was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

-MATT. 4:1-11.

O God, our Father, we beseech Thee to grant us a sense of our filial relation to Thee, and therefore our kinship with Thy children everywhere. May we have an abiding consciousness of forming part of Thy great household, of which they that have died in the faith and we that live in the faith are integral parts, and that while we are separated a little in time and space, they and we are still one in fellowship with our Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. May this conviction sustain us, making us patient and cheerful amid trial, with a hopeful and confident frame of mind toward the future in this world and the world to come. These things we humbly ask in His Name, who taught us the prayer of the Kingdom. Amen.

-WILLIAM Y. CHAPMAN, D. D,