6 should rejoice with trembling, Christian brethren! We cannot but call to mind our many and great offences, our negligences and our ignorances. Year after year we confess to them, year after year but too many of us return to the same courses, and when the time of rejoicing comes round once more, we find ourselves, though the sons of the adoption, yea the king's sons, still "lean from day to day "." From this time forth, then, let us watch more carefully, pray more fervently, that "being regenerate, and made the children of God by adoption and grace, we may daily be renewed by the Holy Spirit." Let us consider also to edification the words of the beloved disciple; "Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be but we know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." And then mark the conclusion, "And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure"." 6 2 Sam. xiii. 4. 7 1 John iii. 1-3. 66 By all means use sometimes to be alone, Salute thyself: see what thy soul doth wear. And tumble up and down what thou find'st there." George Herbert. "It hath been an old and true proverb, Oft and even reckonings make long friends: I will oft sum my estate with God, that I may know what I have to expect, and answer for. Neither shall my score run on so long with God, that I shall not know my debts, or fear an Audit, or despair of pardon.” -Bp. Hall. "He that will die well and happily, must dress his soul by a diligent and frequent scrutiny: he must perfectly understand, and watch the state of his soul; he must set his house in order, before he be fit to die."-Jer. Taylor. "The computations of a man's life are busy as the tables of sines and tangents, and intricate as the accounts of Eastern merchants; and therefore it were but reason, we should sum up our accounts at the last of each page, I mean, that we call ourselves to scrutiny every night, when we compose ourselves to the little images of death."-Jer. Taylor. Beus propitius esto mihi peccatori! LAMENT. iii. 40. "Let us search and try our ways." THE text is taken from the saddest book in the whole Bible, from a book full of "lamentations, and mourning, and woe." Ill was it now with the sacred city,—with Jerusalem, the once joy of the whole earth. Her sins had separated her from her God. Disobedience was her ruin. "All the chief of the priests, and the people, transgressed very much after all the abominations of the heathen; and polluted the house of the Lord which he had hallowed in Jerusalem. And the Lord God of their fathers sent to them by his messenger, rising up betimes, and sending; because he had compassion on his people, and on his dwelling place: but they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against his people, and there was no |