produce serious deportment. When in the sanctuary, I must remember that the place is set apart for the worship of God-that Jesus has promised to be specially and graciously present -that God sees me there-that my soul may be saved or lost-and that heaven may be won and hell avoided. How solemnizing is all this! Shall I not hear for eternity? Shall I not en

deavour to bring my thoughts into unison with the worship of heaven? Shall I not claim Him for my Saviour, who is yet to be my Judge? It will produce deep and earnest attention. A message from God to my soul is delivered there, and shall I not attend to it? There I mingle in the assembly of the saints, and shall I not prepare to join the general assembly of the first-born in heaven? There I hear the jubilee trumpet proclaiming liberty to my sin bound soul, and shall I not prepare to hear the last trumpet, which shall resound through creation, and awake the slumbering dust? It will produce suitable liberality. God's house must be maintained-religious ordinances must be kept up and observed— Christ has a cause in the world which cost Him His life, and is dear to His heart, and it must be supported-the gospel must be preached in all the world for a witness to all nations, and those who do not preach must contribute to enable others. Shall I live and die, and never honour the Lord with my substance?

Twenty-Ninth Sabbath-Morning.

DAUGHTERS OF JERUSALEM,

"But Jesus turning unto them, said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me, but weep for yourselves, and for your children."-Luke xxiii 28.

WHEN Jesus uttered these words, He was in the hands of His enemies. The Jews had riotously demanded His crucifixion, and Pilate, in order to please them, and regardless of justice, had given sentence against Him. They were now leading Him away to Calvary, in order to crucify Him. He was followed by a great multitude, mostly against Him, but not all. Some females, whose hearts were tender, sympathised with the innocent Jesus, and uttered loud lamentations at His sad fate.

Their sorrow was noticed-"Jesus turning unto them." Having heard their wailings, Jesus turned round, and saw that they proceeded from females. Cold-hearted men had no sorrow, no tears for Jesus; but His unjust sentence, and approaching sufferings touched the hearts of women, and called forth their tender sensibilities. The daughters of Jerusalem-of whose names we are ignorant"bewailed and lamented Him." They were grieved that One, who went about continually doing good-that One, who always felt for the woes of others, should be unjustly condemned

to an ignominious death. Probably they loved Jesus, at least they felt keenly for Him, and tenderly sympathised with Him, and gave expression to their feelings in loud lamentations. No wonder that Jesus, who had been deserted by His friends, and unjustly condemned by His foes, should turn round, and notice their sorrow! Hearts can never be filled with sorrow, and be overlooked by Christ. His ear can never be shut against the cry of the distressed.

Their sorrow was checked-"Weep not for Me." Sympathising sorrow for the sufferings of others, is proper and commendable, but in the case of Christ, it was not needed. His sufferings were necessary for our salvation, therefore, He was willing to be led like a lamb to the slaughter. "I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how am I straitened till it be accomplished." He must suffer, because God had appointed His sufferings. Prophecy had foretold them, types had foreshadowed them, and He himself had consented to endure them. Why then weep? He was already in the wine-press, and His sufferings would soon be over. Why then weep? In a few hours, the Scripture would be fulfilled, the last struggle would be over, and His work finished. Why then weep? His sufferings, not for Himself, but for others, would be followed by an abundant reward. They would be a satisfactory foundation for the gospel of

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peace; they would purchase a church which He would set up in the world, and form a kingdom destined to fill the whole earth. They would save a multitude, which no man could number, who would be brought home to glory. Why then weep? "Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not for Me."

Their sorrow was directed-" Weep for yourselves, and for your children." Weep for your sins. As inhabitants of Jerusalem, you have had great privileges, but you have not valued nor improved them; and now these privileges will soon be taken from you. My death will fill up the treasury of Jerusalem's wrath, and swift destruction shall come upon her inhabitants. Weep for Jerusalem's calamities. In a short time, Jerusalem shall be compassed about with armies, and her inhabitants, young and old, devoured by the sword, and by the famine. The vengeance of My blood shall descend like a thunderbolt, and she shall be razed to the ground. Weep for yourselves and for your children. Many of you shall share in these dire calamities, and die a miserable death, unless prevented by timely repentance. Am I sorrowing? Jesus notices it. Am I sorrowing improperly? Jesus checks it. Have I real cause of sorrow? Jesus directs it, that in me "godly sorrow may work repentance to salvation, not to be repented of."

GREAT MERCIES.

For a small moment have I forsaken Thee: but with great mercies will I gather Thee."-Is. liv. 7.

THE Church, and every member of it, is dear to Christ. There may be trials, and a sense of spiritual desertion, but these are only for a moment, for the deeper the gloom, the nearer is the dawn of bright sunshine. Here we have the believer forsaken-the believer cared for-and the believer enriched.

The believer forsaken-" For a small moment have I forsaken Thee." Think of its reason. The believer, when too much occupied with himself, or with earthly objects, either neglects his religious duties, or engages in them with little spiritual life; hence, he loses his evidences, and has little comfort. Or, he may be cherishing some sin, and forgetting God for a time, fall away from the cause of Christ. Thus, sins committed, or duties neglected, bring dark shadows over his mind, and he goes mourning without the sun. Think of its reality. He has a sense of soul loneliness, and feels that it is not with him as it was in months past. His faith is weak -his comfort is small-adverse providences bring him to the dust-afflictions weaken his mind and body-and there is apparent delay in