Refp. My God! let me not grudge Thy favours to Others, by thinking them less worthy then my felf; let me not repine at Thy feverity to me, by conceiting my Self more worthy then they. All we bave, both they and I, isthine; do with Thine oron as Thou pleafeft. How many times have we tranfgreft Thy Commands, and yet Thy Merey forgives us! How many years have we continued to offend Thee, and

*All we.

yet Thou goeft on to bless us?

Leffon 185.

And He faid alfo to His Difciples, There was a certain rich man who had a Steward; and he was accus'd to him, that he had waited his goods. And he called him, and faid to him, How is it that I hear this of thee? give an account of thy ftewardship, for thou mayft be no longer fteward. Then the steward faid within himself, What fhall I do? for, my Lord takes away from me the stewardship: to dig I am not able; to beg I am afham'd. I am refolv'd whatto do; that, when I am put out of the ftewardship, they may receive rne into their houfs. So, he call'd to him every

one

One of his Lords Debtors; and faid to the firft, How much oweft thou to my Lord? And he faid, a hundred meafures of Oyl. And he said to him, Take thy Bill, and fit down quickly, and write fifty. Then faid he to another, How much oweft thou? who said, a hundred measures of Wheat: he faid to him, take thy bill and write fourfcore. And the Lord commended the unjust fteward, because he had done wifely. For, the Children of this world are, in their Generation wifer then the Chil dren of light. And I fay to you, Make to your felves friends of the Mammon of iniquity; that, wher you fail, they may receive you into everlafting Taberna cles.

Relp. Thou art the Lord of all, and we but Stewards Subject to account. Omake us prudently manage the Riches Thou hast given us, and faithfully apply them to their true ufe; as conveniencies of ferv ing Thee, and inftruments of improving our Jelves and others. * That, when thefe houses of clay fall fall into the dust, our Souls may be received into everlasting Tabernacles. Make us ashamed of

our

our own folly, to fee the Children of the world confult and ftudy and lay up, that, when they have need, their occafions may be ferv'd; and our selves go rafhly on, and neglect to provide.

when.

Leffon 186.

That,

He that is faithful in the leaft is faithful alfo in the greater; and he that is unjuft in the leaft is unjust also in the greater. If therefore you have not been faithful in the unjuft Mammon, with that which is the true who will truft you? and if you have not been faithful in that which is another mans, who fhall give you that which is your own? No fervant can ferve two Mafters: for either he will hate the one and love the other, orele he will hold to the one and defpife the the other. You cannot ferve God and Mammon. And the Pharifes, who were covetous, heard all these things, and de rided Him. And He faid to them, You' are they who juftifie your felves before men; but, God knows your hearts: for, that which is highly efteemed among Men, is abomination in the fight of God. The Law and the Prophets were until Jobr

John; fince that time the Kingdom of God is Preached, and every one preffes in it. And it is eafier for Heaven and Earth to pafs, then one tittle of the Law to fail.

Refp. Suffer not Thy Servants, O Lord, to neglect the smallest action that concerns our Eternity; but quicken us with a ready diligence to avoid every leaft occafion of fin, and embrace every leaft opportunity of Thy Service. As we inure our felves in little inftances, fuch fhall we prove in great ones. Much less permit w, Gracious Lord, to follow the World, and abandon Thee; but, fince our Souls can have but one Mafter, make us wifely chufe him that gives best Wages. * AS

we.

Lesson 187.

Aud there came to him the Pharifees tempting Him, and faying, Is it lawful for a man to difmis his Wife for every caufe? But he answering, faid to them, What did Mofes command you? Who faid, Mofes permitted to write a Bill of divorce, and difmifs her. To whom JESUS, anfwering, faid, Have you not read that He, who made Man from the beginning,

beginning, made them male and female? andHe faid,for this cause shall a Man leave Father and Mother, & cleave to his Wife, & they two fhall be in one flefh. Therefore now they are not two,but one flesh: What therefore God has joyn'd together let not man feperate. They say to Him, Why then did Mofes command to give a billof divorce, & put her away? He faith to them, Because Mofes for the hardness of your hearts,permitted you to put away your Wives: but, from the beginning it was not fo. And I fay to you, Whoever fhall difmifs his Wife, (except for fornication) and mar ry another commits Adultery, and he that shall marry her that is difmiftcom mits Adultery. And, in the house, His Difciples again askt Him of the fame thing. And He faith to them, ever puts away his Wife and marries another commits Adultery upon and he who marries her that is put away from her Husband commits Adultery and if the Wife put away her Husband and marry another the commits Adultery.Bis Difciples fay to Him, If the cafe of a Man with his wife be fo, 'tis not expedient to marry. Who faid to them, All take not this

Who

word,

her