whether ye will be Christians or not.”— CARMICHAEL. DECEMBER 17. "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness."—Isa. lxi. 1-3. "What inestimable riches of consolation are there in each of these effects, to which Christ was anointed! And yet we find not a word among them all for a proud, stiff-necked sinner. ' good tidings,' but it is to the comfortable 'binding up,' but it is for the 'broken-hearted '-'liberty,' but it is for captives' and prisoners, groaning under their chains, and desirous to be delivered-not for such as delight in their bondage. There is oil of joy,' and 'garments of praise,' but they are provided for mourning, dejected spirits, that need them—not for the impenitent. On the contrary, there is a terrible word interjected in the midst of these promises : 'The day of vengeance of our God' and that is the portion of Christ's enemies, and such are all incorrigible sinners."-LEIGHTON. DECEMBER 18. "Created in Christ Jesus."-Eph. ii. 10. "Faith is a purifying grace, but faith is only found in the heart created anew in Christ Jesus. There must necessarily be the spiritual renewal of the whole man, before the soul can pass into an adopted, justified, and sanctified state."-WINSLOW. DECEMBER 19. "The Master is come, and calleth for thee." "Blessed is the hour when Jesus calls us from affliction and tears, to partake of the joys of his Spirit.”—A KEMPIS. DECEMBER 20. "Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out. Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits."-Cant. iv. 16. "Sin makes a shyness to God, less or more; it secretly estranges the heart from him. When the north wind of the Spirit has killed sin, then the spouse is inviting Christ."-CARMICHAEL. DECEMBER 21. "Her adversary provoked her sore, for to make her fret."-1 Sam. i. 6. "Some have fuel daily laid for their corruptions; and it may be want of this that makes others' corruptions look as if dead, as fire wanting fuel, and when under ashes, looks as if it were gone out: so it may be ordered for the trial and humiliation of some. What saint, almost, seems more impatient than Job? yet, who more mortified tha.. he?"-CARMICHAEL. DECEMBER 22. "Judge not, that ye be not judged."-Matt. vii. 1. "In judging others, a man labours to no purpose, commonly errs, and easily sins; but in examining and judging himself, he is always wisely and usefully employed."—A KEMPIS. DECEMBER 23. "He that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me."-Matt. x. 38. "Grace tried is better than grace, and more than grace : it is glory in its infancy. Who knows the truth of grace without a trial? And how soon would faith freeze without a cross! Bear your cross, therefore, with joy."--FLAVEL. DECEMBER 24. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God."-Heb. xii, 2. "The cross on which Christ was extended points, in the length of it, to heaven and earth, reconciling them to |