comfort, love, unity, peace, concord, wisdom, melody, meekness, beatitude, and all that ever can be wished or desired; and that in the greatest security and perpetuity that may be conceived or thought, not only of man, but also of angels. John Bradford, 1535.

FEBRUARY 6.

En Thy presence is fulness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.” Psa. xvi. II.

THE presence of God, in the most miserable places that can be, were a greater happiness than the absence of God in the most glorious place that can be. David would not be afraid, though he walked in the valley of the shadow of death, so that God were with him. Luther would rather be in hell, with God's presence, than in heaven, God being absent. If the presence of God takes away the dread of the shadow of the valley of death, and makes hell to be more desired than heaven, what will the presence of God make heaven to be? The three children in the fiery furnace, with God's presence, were happy. How happy, then, are the saints with God's presence in heaven.

Jeremiah Burroughs, 1649.

FEBRUARY 7.

"God forbid that E should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ." Gal. vi. 14.

THE whole Gospel is hung on the cross. Where our Lord hung, there is sin nailed; the curse of the law abolished; death vanquished. There are exhibited to open view, pardon and peace, glory and joy eternal. There is seen the love of Christ in its heights, and depths, and lengths, and breadths. "It is a height without a summit, a depth without a bottom, a length without any limits; and a breadth which is unmeasurable." Richard Alleine, 1640.

FEBRUARY 8.

"My lord knoweth that the children are tender."

You must drive the little

very gently towards Canaan.

Gen. xxxiii. 13.

ones, as Jacob did, Things that affect

the senses must be spiritualized to them. Catch their affections by a holy craft. Deal as much in similitudes as thou canst. If you be together in a garden, draw some sweet and heavenly discourse out of the beautiful flowers. If by a river side, treat of the water of life, and the rivers of

pleasure that are at God's right hand. If in a field of corn, speak of the nourishing quality of the bread of life. If you see birds flying in the air, or hear them singing in the woods, teach them the all-wise providence of God, that gives them their meat in due season. If thou lookest up to the sun, moon, and stars, tell them they are but the shining spangles of the out-houses of Heaven. Oh then what glory is there within!" Samuel Lee, 1661.

FEBRUARY 9.

"Lo, these are parts of His ways.”

Fob xxvi. 14.

GOD often lets His people reach the shore as on the planks of a shipwrecked vessel. He deprives us of the cisterns, in order to make us drink out of the fountains of waters. He frequently takes away our supports, not that we may fall to the ground, but that He may Himself become our rod and staff. The embarrassments of His people are only the festive scaffoldings on which His might, His faithfulness, and His mercy celebrate their triumphs.

Dr. Krummacher, 1845.

FEBRUARY 10.

"E am the Lord: for they shall not be ashamed that wait for Me." Isa. xlix. 23.

GOD oftentimes delays that His people may come to Him with greater strength and importunity. He puts them off, that they may put on with more life and vigour. God seems to be cold, that He may make us the more hot; He seems to be slack, that He may make us the more earnest; He seems to be backward, that He may make us the more forward in pressing upon Him. Thomas Brookes, 1650.

FEBRUARY 11.

The Spirit Himself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God."

Rom. viii. 16.

WHEN thou canst not find that thou hast by thy prayer obtained that particular blessing thou didst beg of God, yet thou feelest thy heart after thy prayer cheered much, and thy inward comfort and assurance of God's favour increased thereby; this is such an answer as is best of all, and may abundantly countervail the want of any

other blessing that thou hast begged of God. In old time, God was wont to answer and give testimony unto the prayers of His servants by sending fire from Heaven to consume their sacrifices; and as God was wont to answer His people, and to testify His approbation and liking of their prayers and service by fire, so doth He now use by His Holy Spirit to testify that He is well pleased with the prayers of His people, warning and comforting their hearts thereby.

Samuel Hildersham, 1625.

FEBRUARY 12.

"Give me neither poverty nor riches; feed me with food convenient for me." Prov. xxx. 8.

GOD best knows what will do us good or hurt, and therefore we should refer it to Him to dispose of us according to His own pleasure. We should not want, if God saw it better for us to abound; for He is no niggard of His blessings, but is good, and doth good. It is not meet that man should have the disposal of himself, or that God should accommodate His providence to our carnal interest. No, God's will must always precede, and ours follow. We must bring our hearts throughly to yield to what God appointeth,