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THEN cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:

And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.-Matt. iii. 13—17.

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Fain would I sound it out so loud

That heaven and earth might hear.
Yes, thou art precious to my soul !
My transport and my trust:
Jewels to thee are gaudy toys,
And gold is sordid dust.
All my capacious powers can wish,
In thee doth richly meet;
Nor to my eyes is life so dear,

Nor friendship half so sweet.
I'll speak the honours of thy name
With my last lab'ring breath;
And, dying, clasp thee in my arms—
The antidote of death.

FLETCHER'S Coll. Hymn 63.

TEACH me, O Lord, by thy good Spirit, to adore thee, and love thee, as the Holy One of Israel. "Holy and reverenced is thy name. Thou sittest on the throne of thy holiness." How great, how wonderful, is thy gracious condescension, that, vile and unworthy as I am, thou dost invite and encourage me to draw near to thy throne of grace!

Lord, wash and sanctify my sinful and polluted soul. May I be baptized with the Holy Ghost. Let me never forget, that to be baptized with water can never purify my polluted soul, and that I must be baptized by the influences of the Holy Spirit.

As Jesus is the beloved of his Father, may Jesus be the beloved of my heart. As the Father was well pleased with Jesus, by divine grace, may I ever study to do what is well-pleasing to my God and Father in Christ.

Gracious God, look down with great mercy upon my beloved parents, and all our household. May we possess the baptism of the Spirit. Oh wash out the deep stain of sin, and give us the beauty of holiness.

Accept my thanks for thy kind paternal care during the past night. Mercifully give me grace, faithfully to perform the duties of the day. Graciously hear my imperfect prayers, and forgive my sins, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

THEN

was Jesus led up of the spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.

And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.-Matt. iv. 1-4.

NOW let the feeble all be strong,

And make Jehovah's arm their song:
His shield is spread o'er every saint;
And, thus supported, who shall faint?
What though the host of hell engage
With mingled cruelty and rage!
A faithful God restrains their hands,
And chains them down in iron bands.
Bound by his word, he will display
A strength proportion'd to our day;
And when united trials meet,
Will show a path of safe retreat.
FLETCHER'S Coll. Hymn 159.

IN the name of Jesus, O most holy, and gracious Lord God, I would, at the close of another day, approach thy throne of grace. Teach me, by thy Spirit, to trust in thee. I would adore thee, and address thee in the words of the man according to thine own heart. "Thou savest by the right hand them that put their trust in thee." Therefore, "Into thine hand I commit my spirit;" for, "Thy right hand upholdeth me." Preserve me at all times from the wiles and temptations of Satan, the enemy and the murderer of souls. May I be enabled ever to remember, how my Lord and Saviour resisted the temptations of Satan. Oh teach me to make use of the sword of the Spirit: even the word of God, as Jesus did, when he was tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Praise to thy name for that wonderful sword, by which even little children have gained great victories over Satan and his wiles.

Most merciful Father, I thank thee for all the goodness and mercy thou hast shown to my beloved parents, and to all the members of our family. I praise thee for preservation from the snares of the world, and deliverance from the wiles of Satan.

This day thou, in thy great goodness, hast given me many mercies. Accept my feeble thanks. Oh pardon, by thy grace, the sins and infirmities of the day. Spread over me, and over all our family, the shield of thy kind protection this night. Mercifully hear, accept, and pardon, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

THEN the devil taketh him up into the

holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,

And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee; and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

Jesus said unto him, It is written again,Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.-Matt. iv. 5—7.

LO

To keep the lamp alive,

With oil we fill the bowl;
'Tis water makes the willow thrive,
And grace that feeds the soul.

The Lord's unsparing hand
Supplies the living stream;
It is not at our own command,
But still derived from him.

In Jesus is our store,

Grace issues from his throne; Whoever says, "I want no more," Declares that he has none. FLETCHER'S Coll. Hymn 7.

ORD, fill me with wonder, when I read of the temptations which were presented before my Lord and Saviour, by the enemy of souls. When I am tempted by the same enemy, teach me, by thy good Spirit, to fight the tempter, as my Saviour fought. Oh teach me to conquer the tempter, as my Saviour conquered. Praise to thy name that though Satan is a strong lion, and I am but a feeble child, by the help of thy grace I can fight the strong lion. By the help of thy grace I can conquer him. When I am tempted, teach me to say, and resolve, as David did, “I will go forward in thy strength, making mention of thy righteousness, even of thine only."

Though young, and weak, and inexperienced, may I ever be mindful of that encouraging promise: "He is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory, with exceeding joy."

Lord, make me strong to serve thee, and honour thee this day. May I, and all I love, be among those who can say, in the language of the holy apostle, "We are kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation."

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O Lord, bless beloved parents, and dear brothers and sisters. May all of us be the good soldiers of Jesus Christ.

the good fight of faith, and lay hold of eternal life.

Teach us to fight

Receive my thanks for the mercies of the night. Graciously hear, and pardon, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

AGAIN, the devil taketh him up into

an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;

And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

Then said Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.-Matt. iv. 8-11.

INFINI

SOLDIER, rise!—the war is done;
Lo! the hosts of hell are flying!
'Twas thy Lord the battle won:
Jesus vanquished them by dying.

Pass the stream! before thee lies

All the conquered land of glory :
Hark! what songs of rapture rise;

These proclaim the victor's story.
Soldier! lay thy weapons down!

Quit the sword, and take the crown:
Triumph! all thy foes are banished;
Death is slain, the earth is vanished.
FLETCHER'S Coll. Hymn 322.

NFINITELY glorious Lord God, I am encouraged, through Christ, to draw near to thy throne of grace, because, " Unto thee, O Lord, belongeth mercy. Thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth reacheth unto the clouds."

Praise to thy name for all the mercies of the day, and for all the blessings of the week. Thou hast, in thy great goodness, brought me in safety to the close of the week. May this remind me that I am fast hastening to the close of life. When that solemn day arrives, may I be able to use the triumphant language of the apostle-“I have fought the good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." O, I beseech thee, O Lord, my God and my Father, to make me, by thy grace, "faithful unto death." To such thou hast promised, a crown of life:" O may that crown be given to me. Then, when I appear before the throne of glory, I shall cast my blood-bought crown at my Redeemer's feet.

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Lord, bless to me the example of Jesus. May I never forget how he resisted the temptation of the mighty tempter.

May my dear parents, and my brothers and sisters, ever imitate Jesus, the Captain of salvation, and be made more than conquerors.

I commend myself, and all my relatives and friends, to thy care this night. Keep us safe under the shadow of thy wings. Mercifully hear my supplications, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

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GLO

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LORY to thy name, O God of salvation, for the Sabbath-day. This is especially thy day. Give me grace to sanctify thy day, and to "remember, and keep it holy."

Thanks to thee, my God, for preserving me through the past night, and that I am spared, in thy goodness, to see the light of another Sabbath, another day of the Son of man. Spirit of the living God, descend in thy rich influences upon all thy ministers and people this day throughout the whole earth. Then this will be a blessed day, a glorious day, a day never to be forgotten. "Clothe thy priests with righteousness, then shall thy saints shout for joy." Mercifully fulfil that blessed, that precious promise, "I will also clothe her priests with salvation; and her saints shall shout aloud for joy."

May I, and all I love, receive thy blessing in observing this day the ordinances of religion. While the rulers of the Jews despised Jesus, thine Anointed, may Jesus reign upon the throne of our hearts, and reign for ever.

Lord, teach me to pity the millions of the human race who never hear the gospel, and who have no opportunity of hearing the joyful sound. Lord, send to them the ministers of Christ, the heralds of mercy.

Lord, bless my beloved parents, and all my brothers and sisters. May we rejoice more and more in a preached gospel, and more and more feel its sanctifying power.

Unworthy though I am, may my prayers be answered, and my sins forgiven, for Jesus' sake. Amen.

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