incarnate, obeyed and suffered and died on the accursed tree that atonement might be made. And Jesus Christ, as the true Lamb of God through the eternal Spirit, offered himself up a sacrifice unto God, and hath by one offering perfected for ever them that are sanctified. Contemplating the character of the Saviour-the spotless purity of his humanity, and the assumption of that humanity into union with his divine person-the perfection of his obedience and the infinite value of his sacrifice, and the manner in which in the office and work of Christ's mercy and truth are made to meet together and righteousness and peace to kiss each other, we would gratefully admire and adore. In the language of the Psalmist we say-Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds. Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep. How excellent is thy loving kindness, O God! therefore shall the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. We have come up, O Lord! to-day to the courts of thy house in connection with our Communion season, to wait upon thee in the ordinances of thine own appointment. Meet with us in these ordinances. Through thy blessing, may they minister to our spiritual edification, and the preparation of our hearts for rightly commemorating the death of Christ on a coming day. Grant that in our devotional exercises we may truly draw near to thee. Give to the preacher a word in season. From the heart may he this day speak to the hearts of those now before thee. Shepherd of Israel! Feed Save thy people, and bless thine inheritance. them also, and lift them up for ever. O Spirit of the living God! Source and spring of heavenly light and life in the souls of men! Come in thy quickening power Give us a sight and and cause us this day to rejoice. sense of our spiritual need and destitution. Show unto us the excellency and glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. May he be all our salvation and all our desire. And may we all with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, be changed into the same image from glory to glory, as by the Spirit of the Lord. According to thy word, hear these our humble supplications, and do exceeding abundantly above all we ask or think, for Christ's sake. Amen. Then is read ROMANS IV.—v. 11. WHAT shall we then say that Abraham our father, as pertaining to the flesh, hath found? 2 For if Abraham were justified by works, he hath whereof to glory, but not before God. 3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. 4 Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5 But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. 6 Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, 7 Saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. 8 Blessed is the man to whom the Lord will not impute sin. 9 Cometh this blessedness then upon the circumcision only, or upon the uncircumcision also? for we say that faith was reckoned to Abraham for righteousness. 10 How was it then reckoned? when he was in cirNot in circumcision, cumcision, or in uncircumcision? but in uncircumcision. 11 And he received the sign of circumcision, a seal of the righteousness of the faith which he had yet being uncircumcised: that he might be the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised; that righteousness might be imputed unto them also: 12 And the father of circumcision to them who are not of the circumcision only, but who also walk in the steps of that faith of our father Abraham, which he had being yet uncircumcised. 13 For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if they which are of the law be heirs, faith is made void, and the promise made of none effect. 15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, there is no transgression. 16 Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed: not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all, 17 (As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were : 18 Who against hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many nations, according to that which was spoken, So shall thy seed be. 19 And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb : 20 He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God 21 And being fully persuaded that what he had promised he was able also to perform. 22 And therefore it was imputed to him for righteous ness. 23 Now, it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; ; 24 But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 25 Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. V. 1 Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Christ: 2 By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. 3 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; 4 And patience, experience; and experience, hope : 5 And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost, which is given unto us. 6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For scarcely for a righteous man will one die; yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. 8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. 10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son; much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life. 11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement. Then is Sung PSALM CXLV. 8--14. L.M. THE Lord our God is gracious, In mercy he is plenteous, O'er all his works his mercy is. Thy works all praise to thee afford : The glory of thy kingdom show That so men's sons his deeds may know |