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101 f. 241.

HE PLAN of this work is to draw some word of instruction for each day in the year, from one or other of the First Lessons appointed for that day in our Church Calendar. This accounts for many of the "Key-notes " being from the Apocrypha. It is by no means intended to make the Apocryphal of like authority with the Canonical Books, but simply, in accordance with our Sixth Article, to employ them "for example of life and instruction of manners."

THE CIRCUMCISION.

ND now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all His ways, and to love Him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart. and with all thy soul?-Deut. x. 12.

This is the bounden duty of every man. It ought to be the attempt of this whole year that is beginning. But no man ever could perfectly keep that perfect law; only that Man who, as on this day, was circumcised, and thus took the engagement to keep it. And the name He then took was JESUS, the LORD our Salvation. By that name He promised to atone for our sins, and to save us from committing sin, by the gift of the Holy Ghost. Therefore let us boldly resolve to fulfil that great requirement of God in this new year; for with prayer and the means of grace we can do it.

O God created man in His own image, in the image of God cre

ated He him, male and female

created He them.-Gen. i. 27.

The earth was created by God, perfect in every way. In it was placed man, formed in God's own likeness, to rule over that world so excellently good. That likeness or image is in us all, though it has been darkened and hidden more or less. But One Man has lived, who is God Himself. He took our likeness on Him, that He might bring us back to the full likeness of God. Every old fault we leave off, every new good beginning we make by His grace, we grow in that resemblance. God grant that every day in this new year may change us more to that image of God!

ND I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.Gen. iii. 15.

The Devil, that old Serpent, persuaded the parents of all the world to give their obedience to him instead of the God of mercy. He became their cruel master and tyrant, poisoning their whole lives; but even while God showed the unhappy pair the misery they had brought on themselves, He promised that there will always be a resistance, and that at last One born of woman should break the Serpent's power; should, indeed, bear his malice, but should thereby crush him for ever, and should enable His own followers likewise to tread down Satan under their feet. Let us begin to-day with our besetting sin.