the highest, because there is peace on earth, and good will to men.

Hear us, O our Father in heaven, and when thou hearest, answer, and forgive, and accept us, in the name and as the disciples of Jesus Christ. Amen.

XXVIII.

Born of the Spirit.

Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say to thee, Except a man be born of water, and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.

That which is born of the flesh, is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit, is spirit.

Marvel not that I said to thee, Ye must be born again.

The wind bloweth where it will, and thou hearest the sound of it, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

Verily, verily, I say to thee, We speak what we know, and testify what we have seen; and ye receive not our testimony.

If I have told you earthly things, and ye believe not, how will ye believe if I tell you heavenly things?

And no man hath ascended to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man who is in heaven.

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up:

That whoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life.

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only-begotten

Son, that whoever believeth in him, should not perish, but have everlasting life.

For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him may be saved.

ness.

INFINITE and holy One, with thee there is no darkThe shadows of evening cannot hide us from thy presence. Thou art with us still. Thine eye has been upon us through all the day. Thou hast watched over us, shielded us from harm, and brought us to the close of another day laden with fresh experience of thy love and care.

Forgive all that has been wrong in our actions, our words, or the spirit we have cherished. If we have yielded to temptation; if we have not been watchful against besetting sins; if we have been unfaithful in any of the relations and duties of life; if we have swerved from Christian integrity; if we have been untruthful, unkind, or ungenerous; if we have given way to petulance, or passion; if we have shown a retaliatory or unforgiving spirit; if we have grieved or wounded trusting affection; if we have betrayed or disappointed the confidence of friendship; or in any way disobeyed thy will, and grieved thy Holy Spirit, Father, forgive us, and help us to see and feel our sins, and inspire us with a new spirit, that we may live more as becometh thy children.

And now, O Father, we would listen to those words of Jesus which unfold the need of a spiritual birth. Sitting at the feet of that Teacher from heaven, may

his voice fall on our ears in the tender and earnest accents once heard on earth. While he takes the things of God and shows them unto us, may the reality and hopes of a spiritual life be by us discerned. O, that the work of regeneration might ever be going on in our souls. O, that each day might witness some progress in the divine life. O, for a living faith, strong and victorious, that shall open our souls more fully to thy Holy Spirit, and bring our inmost natures into harmony with thy will. Help us to look to thine only-begotten Son, who was lifted up that all men might be drawn unto him, and give us that saving faith in him which is unto everlasting life.

For all the good gifts of thy providence this day we thank thee; for food, and raiment, and shelter, and friends; for protection from sickness and casualty, and for all the enjoyments of social and domestic life. Sanctify our home. May it be a Christian home; a home of love, of faith, of hope, and prayer. And may all its influences, through thy rich grace, fit us for a home in heaven.

May we lean trustingly upon thine everlasting arm this night. May a sense of thy presence and love give peace to our slumbers. May we be refreshed and strengthened by needful repose. And if it shall seem good to thee to wake us to the light of another day, may our souls wake to new emotions of gratitude, and new purposes of living to thy glory. This we humbly ask, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

If

XXIX.

For the Comforter.

ye love me, keep my commandments:

And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever;

Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him : but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.

I will not leave you comfortless; I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me because I live, ye shall live also.

At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.

These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved me ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the Father: for my Father is greater than I.

O GOD, how infinite art thou! How far beyond the reach of our thoughts, beyond the grasp of our understandings! We adore thine almighty power, which created and sustains the world; we are lost in wonder at that wisdom which guides all the course of

nature, and of providence; and our whole hearts are filled with thankfulness for the numberless tokens of kindness which thou givest us from the inexhaustible treasures of thy love. We thank thee for our creation, for our preservation, and for all the blessings of this life; and especially for the kind providence which has this day guarded us from evil, and given us opportunities to gain knowledge, and wisdom, and virtue.

We confess, O Father, our unworthiness to receive these gifts of thy love; we acknowledge that our obedience is imperfect, and that our sins are many. We are the more deeply ashamed of them because of thy forbearance and kindness; and the more touched by thy goodness, because thou dost bestow it upon us in our unworthiness. Let thy goodness lead us to repentance; let thy love strengthen us in a better life. Show us, O God, our sins; let us know wherein we have failed, and let us henceforth be more true to thee, and to Jesus our Redeemer. May that Holy Spirit which he promised to send as the Comforter from thee descend upon us, to convict us of sin, to lead us to repentance, to teach us all truth, to assure us of forgiveness, to work in us the fruits of righteousness, and to abide with us forever.

We give thanks unto thee, O, Father, for these precious hopes and promises of our Lord Jesus Christ. Trusting in him for the forgiveness of our sins, and for the acceptance of our prayers, we rest on thine almighty arm, and know that thou wilt keep them in