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selves whether we be in the faith now, that we may enjoy God then, (2 Cor. xiii. 5.) and our prayer should be Luke xxiii. 24.

First Sunday after the Epiphany." O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people which call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

There are two articles of prayer in this Collect-

I. That God would mercifully hear the prayers of his people. For this we beg to refer our readers to the Twenty-third Sunday after Trinity, remarking, that the Collect here uses the term, "people which call upon thee," as synonimous with that of "Church," there.

II. That God would grant them, 1st, to perceive and know what things they ought to do.

The soul of man, since the fall, is in blindness; that is, destitute of that inward sight which is here called perception, touching spiritual things, (Eph. iv. 17, 18.) and in ignorance, or destitute of all true knowledge, touching spiritual things. (1 Cor. ii. 11, and iii. 19, 20.) Christ came to enlighten our blindness, (Luke ii. 31, 32. and iv. 18.) and to give us knowledge. (2 Cor. iv. 6. and Prov. i. 7.) He will give light, (Eph. v. 14.) and wisdom, (1 Cor. i. 30.) by his Spirit. (Is. xi. 2.) The people of Israel were thus instructed, (Neh. ix. 20.) and David, (Ps. cxix. 98.) and St. Paul, (Acts ix. 17.) and the Corinthian believers; (1 Cor. ii. 10.) and he promises to teach all his people. (Ps. xxxii. 8.)

Our prayer therefore should be Psalm xliii. 3.

2nd. Grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same. Man's understanding is not only blind and ignorant about spiritual things, but his will is perverse, and loves to choose and follow its own ways, in opposition to God. (Rom. iii. 12, 16, 17.) And even God's people in this experience a struggle which they cannot overcome of themselves. (Gal. v. 17.) It is God only that can enable us to will and to do what is good, (Phil. ii. 13.) and in this strength God calls us to follow him, among other things,

1st. In obedience and holiness. (1 Pet. i. 14, 15.)

2nd. Righteousness, godliness, &c. (1 Tim. vi. 11.) 3rd. The faith of good men, (Heb. xiii. 7.) and especially their diligence and patience. (Heb. vi. 11, 12.) 4th. Peace. (Heb. xii. 14.) 5th. The mind which was in Christ, viz., in humility. (Phil. ii. 5.) 6th. And in endurance of suffering. (1 Pet. ii. 21.) 7th. In charity, or divine love, and spiritual gifts. (1 Cor. xiv. 1.)

Caleb and Joshua thus followed God. (Num. xxxii. 12.) The apostles followed him. (Mark x. 28.) St. Paul followed him. (Phil. iii. 12.) The saints now in heaven followed him. (Rev. xiv. 12.)

Our prayer therefore should be Ps. xc. 16, 17.

Second Sunday after the Epiphany." Almighty and everlasting God, who dost govern all things in heaven and earth; mercifully hear the supplications of thy people, and grant us thy peace all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

There is one acknowledgment in this Collect—

That God governs all things, in heaven and in earth. God created both heaven and earth in the beginning, (Gen, i. 1.) by Jesus Christ, (Eph. iii. 9,) and governs all these things, (Ps. ciii. 19.) for his pleasure, (Rev. iv. 11.) and to shew forth his glory. (Is. xliii. 7.) God is man's governor. (Ps. viii. 1. compare Prayer-Book version.) Jesus Christ governs, especially, the spiritual kingdom, (John xviii. 36.) which he came to set up in the hearts of men, (Is. lx. 6, 7.) This government shall go on increasing (Ps. lxxii. 16.) until every knee shall bow to him, (Phil. ii. 9—11.) They who have been brought out from darkness to light belong to this kingdom. (Col. i. 13.)

There are two articles of prayer in this Collect—

I. That God would hear the supplications of his people. For this we refer to the First Sunday after the Epiphany-supplication" being only an earnest, hearty

prayer.

II. That God would grant us his peace all the days of our life. The spiritual kingdom of God in Christ, which we spoke of above, consists in peace; (Rom. xiv. 17.) and Christ who governs it is the Prince of Peace, (Is. ix. 6.) and came to give peace. (John xvi. 33.) Now, peace is the fruit of friendship with another, (Acts xii.

20.) and reconciliation where there has been war or variance. (Gen xxxiii. 4, 12.) Men naturally are enemies with God, and so have no peace. (Rom iii. 17. and Is. lvii. 21.) The peace of God, then, is the fruit of reconciliation with him, (Rom. v. 1.) through the death and atonement of Christ. (Rom. v. 10.) We must, then, acquaint ourselves with God, to be at peace with him. (Job xxii. 21.) We may know if we possess it, by our being spiritually minded, (Rom. viii. 6.) by our loving God's law, (Ps. cxix. 165.) by our following after righteousness, (Is. xxxii. 17. Rom. ii. 10.) by our having true wisdom. (James iii. 17.) God promises that it shall be to us for ever. (Ps. lxxii. 7. Is. liv. 10.) even to the end of our lives, (Ps. xxxvii. 37.) It passeth all understanding. (Phil. iv. 7.)

Our prayer therefore should be Ps. xvii. 5, 7—9.

Third Sunday after the Epiphany." Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy right hand to help and defend us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen."

There are two articles of prayer in this Collect

I. That God would mercifully look upon our infirmities. Infirmity proceeds from disease. (John v. 4, 5.) Spiritual infirmity proceeds from disease of the soul, namely, sin, (Is. i. 4—6.) and in both cases shews itself in our being unable to help ourselves, (John v. 6, 7. Rom. vii. 18, 23.) or to bring salvation to us. (Is. lxiii. 5.) Christ bare our infirmities, (Matt. viii. 17.) in order that he might recover and support us, (Is. liii. 11.) and he feels for our infirmities, (Heb. iv. 15.) and his Holy Spirit, in prayer especially, helps us. (Rom. viii. 26.) It is good to feel our infirmity, (2 Cor. xii. 9, 10.) because God's strength is exerted for such. (Is. xl. 29–31.) God's saints of old experienced this, (Heb. xi. 34.) and the Church is represented as leaning on Christ. (Cant. viii. 5.)

Our prayer therefore should be Ps. vi. 2—4.

II. That God would, in all our dangers and necessities, stretch forth his right hand to help and defend us. The Christian is exposed to necessities: 1st, temporal, (1 Cor. iv. 11, 12.) 2nd, spiritual, (Ps. xl. 17,) and is

The natural

poor in spiritual things. (Luke iv. 18.) man does not feel this poverty. (Rev. iii. 17.) Jesus Christ came to make us rich. (2 Cor. viii. 9.) The knowledge of his truth does so. (Matt. xiii. 45, 46.) All God's people receive out of Christ's fulness, (John i. 16.) and have no want. (Ps. xxiii. 1.) The Corinthians were thus enriched. (1 Cor. iv. 8.) We may know whether we are coming to God, by our feeling our wants, and desiring to be delivered by him from them. (Luke xv. 14, 17.) We should come to Christ in prayer in every time of need, (Heb. iv. 16.) and our prayer should be Ps. lxxxvi. 1, 2. The Christian is exposed to dangers from without from ungodly men; (Ps. xxxviii. 19.) from within, from Satan, (1 Pet. v. 8. 2 Cor. ii. 11.) from fleshly lusts; (1 Pet. ii. 11. compare James iv. 1.) from a corrupt heart and its works; (Mark vii. 21—23.) from the position and circumstances in which we live; (2 Pet. ii. 7, 8.) and by their power we are brought into captivity to sin. (Rom. vii. 23.) God's right hand, that is, his mighty power, does valiantly for his people, (Ps. cxviii. 15.) and he will deliver them from the dominion of sin, (Rom. vi. 14.) and the gates of hell (the powers of Satan) shall not prevail. (Matt. xvi. 18.) If we would overcome, it must be by the power of Christ working in our souls. (Rev. xii. 11.) We must cast our burden upon the Lord. (Ps. lv. 22.) We must take the whole

armour of God. (Ephes. vi. 11.)

Our prayer therefore should be Ps. lx. 5.

THE TABERNACLE AND TEMPLE.

THE following lesson may either be read as a reading lesson, or the questions may be given for the Sunday-scholars to find the answers and references at home.

PART I.

R. A.

1. What was the first place of worship called?—A Tabernacle. 2. What was the Tabernacle?—A large moveable tent.

3. Why was not the Tabernacle a fixture?-Because the Israelites were unsettled.

4. How long did they wander in the Wilderness, after leaving Egypt, before entering Canaan ?-Psalm xcv. 10.

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5. Where was the first Tabernacle put up as a place of worship? -In the Wilderness of Sinai.-Compare Exodus xl. 2. with Exodus χχχίν. 29.

6. Where do you find a description of the Tabernacle ?-Exodus XXXV. to the end.

7. By whose directions was the Tabernacle made?-Ex. xv. 1 to 10.

8. Did not the Israelites themselves live in Tabernacles, or Tents, in the Wilderness ?-Numbers xxiv. 5.

9. What particular family lived in Tents after the Israelites were settled in Canaan ?-Jeremiah xxxv. 5 to 11.

10. Who compares the human body to a Tent or Tabernacle?St. Paul (2 Cor. v. 1 to 4) and St. Peter (2 Pet. i. 13, 14.)

11. What Feast do the Jews keep in remembrance of their forefathers living in Tents?-Lev. xxiii. 34, 41-43.

Inference. The patriarchs of old, the Israelites in the Wilderness, and the Rechabites, all lived in tents. What lesson may we learn from this, and likewise from our own frail bodies?-That here we have no continuing city, but are as strangers and sojourners only; and that we should look, like Abraham, for a city whose builder and maker is God. (Heb. xi. 9, 10.)

PART II.

1. What was the name of the first fixed place of worship?-The Temple.

2. Who proposed the building of the Temple?-1 Chron. xvii. 1. 3. Who prepared the materials for building it?-1 Chron. xxii. 5. 4. By whom was it built?-2 Chron. iii. 1.

5. Where?-2 Chron. iii. 1.

6. When?-1 Kings vi. 1, and margin.

7. How long was it in building?-1 Kings vi. 38.

8. Where do you read of the dedication of the Temple ?-1 Kings viii.

9. Who repaired Solomon's Temple, 150 years after it was built? -2 Kings xii. 4.

10. Who foretold the Babylonian captivity, and the destruction of the city and Temple of Jerusalem ?-Jer. xxxiv. 2 and 22.

11. What other prophet foretold the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar ?-Ezek. xxi. 19-22.

12. By whom was Jerusalem destroyed by fire?—2 Kings xxv. and 2 Chron. xxxvi. 6, 7, 19.

13. Did Jeremiah live to see his prediction fulfilled?—Jeremiah xxxviii. 28.

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