good shepherd will not be like them: he will feed his flock, he will gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and be very tender of the lives of those for whom his own life was given.

Let us observe how the blessed Jesus lifts up the hands which were hanging down, and strengthens the feeble knees. He saw that the church of Ephesus had left its first love, that the church of Sardis had a name to live, but was dead; yet, that there was a little handful amongst them who had not defiled their garments; that the church of Philadelphia had but a little strength; and that of Laodicea was neither cold nor hot; yet a gracious Redeemer does not immediately disown them! but, on the one hand, kindly admonishes them of the danger there was, lest growing apostacy and degeneracy should provoke him to remove their candlestick out of its place, to cast them out as loathsome, or to wound them with the sword of his mouth, that is his word; and, on the other hand, he encourages them to greater fidelity and zeal by a promise of eating of the fruit of the tree of life, of being clothed in white raiment, of being confessed before the Father and his holy angels, and of sitting down with him on his victorious throne; and as for his faithful Smyrnians, he not only applauds their former

conduct, but animates them against the terrors of imprisonment and other tribulations, by assuring them he would give them a crown of life-and he fails not to tell the Philadelphians, that since, weak as they were, they had kept his word, he also would keep them from the approaching hour of temptation, until at length he made them pillars in the house of God above, and gave them a new name in his holy city. You here see in how amiable a manner the good shepherd appears in laying the lambs in his bosom, and gently leading those that are with young.

HYMN.

Like sheep we went astray,
And broke the fold of God:
Each wandering in a different way,
But all the downward road.

How dreadful was the hour!

When God our wand'rings laid,
And did at once his vengeance pour
Upon the shepherd's head.

How glorious was the grace,

When Christ sustained the stroke
His life and blood the shepherd pays,
A ransom for the flock.

PRAYER

For Monday Morning.

O God, though we know that thou art our owner, we have lived as if we were at our own disposal: we have called thee our King and Ruler, but we have rebelled against thee, and obeyed our carnal wills and desires. Thou art goodness and love itself, and the author of all that is good and amiable in all the world; and our souls should have loved thee with fervency and delight. Yet this deceitful world hath had our love, our care, our thoughts, our words, our time, our labour, as if we had been to continue here for ever, while we have lived without our God, and our immortal souls have been left to perish for ever. Thou hast made us capable of endless glory, and called us to seek it, and to set our hearts above on thee: but we have lived as if we believed not thy word, and have despised the joys of heaven which thou hast offered us. And though thy wonderful mercy has given us a Redeemer, and in him a sufficient remedy for our sins, at which angels wonder and admire, yet we have neglected this great salvation. Alas! our hard, unhumbled hearts make light of our sins, and of thy just displeasure, and, therefore, make

light of Christ and grace, and it is just in thee to deny us for ever the mercy which we set so light by. O Lord, pardon our iniquity for it is great. O melt these stony hearts unto repentance, that repentance which is unto life, never to be repented of. Lord, we come to thee as to a Father, and in the name of him whom thou hearest always, and for his sake, O number us among thy children who were lost but are found. Amen.

HYMN.

Join all the glorious names
Of wisdom, love, and power,
That ever mortals knew,
That angels ever bore;
All are too mean
To speak his worth,
. Too mean to set
My Saviour forth.

But, oh! what gentle terms,
What condescending ways,
Doth our Redeemer use
To teach his heavenly grace!
Mine eyes with joy

And wonder see,
What forms of love
He bears for me.

Array'd in mortal flesh,
He like an angel stands,
And holds the promises
And pardons in his hands:
Commission'd from
His Father's throne,
To make his grace
To mortals known.

Be thou my counsellor,
My pattern and my guide;
And through this desert land
Still keep me near thy side:
Oh let my feet

Ne'er run astray,
Nor rove, nor seek
The crooked way!

I love my Shepherd's voice,
His watchful eyes shall keep
My wandering soul among
The thousands of his sheep:
He feeds his flock,
He calls their names,
His bosom bears
The tender lambs.

To this dear surety's hand
Will I commit my cause;
He answers and fulfils
His Father's broken laws.