and covereth it with a raiment, such as Solomon in all his glory did not wear. Therefore, if God so clothe a fading flower, which is made but for a day, he will never neglect me, who am made for eternity. He will provide for all my bodily wants, and which is much more, he will cover my naked and sinful soul, that it may be fit to appear in his sight. He hath given to me in my baptism that best robe, the robe of righteousness, which shall never change, but keep its glory like the sun which fadeth not. Lord, grant that I may keep unspotted tne garment thou hast put upon my soul; that, when I have put off my body, I may still wear this best robe, and at length put on immortality both in body and soul, at the resurrection of the just. Blessed are the poor whom God hath clothed: but woe to the rich, if he hath sent them naked and empty away.

THE QUESTIONS.

Q. What is all the glory of man in this life?

A. It is a flower that fadeth.

Q. But what do you expect, when you

con

consider the beautiful colours with which the flower is clothed?

A. That God, who clothed the flower finer than king Solomon, will also clothe

me.

Q. What is the best robe that God putteth upon us?

A: Righteousness.

THE TEXTS.

1 Pet. i. 24. All flesh is grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass.

Matt. vi. 30. If God so clothe the grass of the field, shall he not much more clothe you?

Psalm cxxxii. 9. Let thy priests be clothed with righteousness.

LESSON VI.

GOD AND THE HEAVENS.

LOOK how high the heavens are! how much higher must he be who made them so and whose heaven ruleth over all.

The heavens and the elements, the sun, the moon, and the stars, the winds, and the seasons, rule over man's body;

and

and without them we can neither act, nor breathe, nor live. But the soul of man lives under the kingdom of God. He is the Father of spirits, and his grace ruleth over them all. Without his light I must walk in darkness; and without his spirit I have no life in me.

Oh! the poor blind, who wander about without seeing the sun! but more miserably blind is he, whose mind is with out the light of God's word. When our spirit departeth from us, then we die, and return again to the dust: and our soul must die in like manner, if the spirit of God departeth from it.

Without the light of the Holy Scripture we sit in darkness, and the shadow of death. Ignorance is the darkness of the mind; and it is worse than the darkness of Egypt, when God plagued those wicked people. As God is the author and giver of light, so is the devil the prince of darkness. God willeth that all men should see, and be saved; but the God of this world blindeth mens eyes, that the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ may be hidden from them.

Lord grant, that as I live and breathe under the elements and powers of this world

world in my mortal life; so my soul may live unto thee, and be a member of thy kingdom, inheriting thy grace here, and thy glory hereafter. Let me love the true light, and put away from me the works of darkness. Then shall I wish that thy kingdom may come; and that the heavens and the earth may pass away, that we may see all things new: when thou thyself shalt be our sun, thy spirit our comforter, and the angels and saints shall be seen around thy throne, as the stars of heaven are seen by us shining in the firmament.

THE QUESTIONS.

Q. Who is the true sun that rules over the spirits of men?

A. God.

Q. Who is the true light, and the sun of righteousness?

A. Jesus Christ.

Q. Who gives life to the soul, as the

air gives breath to our bodies?

A. The Holy Ghost.

Q. What gives light to the mind?

A. The word of God. ›

Q. What then are we, without the

word of God?

D

A. We walk in darkness.

Q. What are we when we do not love the word of God, or do not use it to direct us?

A. Our souls are blind.

Q. Who is the prince of darkness?
A. The devil.

Q. Who are like the stars of the firmament?

A. The angels are such now, and the saints will be such hereafter.

THE TEXTS.

Psal. Ixxxiv. 11. The Lord God is a Sun and a shield.

John viii. 12. I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

John xx. 22. He breathed upon them and said, receive ye the Holy Ghost. Ezek. xxxvii. 9. Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain that they may live.

Psal. cxix. 105. Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my paths.

Luke i. 79. To give light to them

that