In the midst of thy holy temple,

May our lips continually praise thee.

Like as a father pitieth his children,

So the Lord pitieth them that fear him.

The mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him,

And his righteousness unto children's children;

To such as keep his covenant,

And to those that remember his commandments to do them.

Oh give thanks unto the Lord! for he is good;

For his mercy endureth for ever.

IV. PRAYER.

GOD, thou didst send thy word to speak in the prophets and

in thy Son, Jesus Christ. May the same living word come to our hearts and make us wise unto salvation. In these early days of our life, we desire to know and do thy will. We thank thee for the glad tidings of our dear Lord and Saviour, the great Teacher. May we give heed to his kind words, Suffer little children to come unto me. May we go to him as our leader and helper, and hear his voice bidding us welcome. May we learn of him how to live useful and happy lives in thy service; how to look at death without being afraid; and at eternity with calm hope and trust. Our Father, we pray thee to bless and reward our teachers. Teach them how to teach us. Help us to use the Sunday school for our good, and so that we all may do something for thy kingdom of love and righteousness. Amen.

V. HYMN 154: 66

'Father, hear the songs we raise thee."

After the general and class lessons, the exercises may close with a hymn; and one

THE

COMING OF CHRIST.

I. INTRODUCTORY SENTENCES.

HE people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Unto us the Sun of righteousness hath arisen with healing in his wings.

That was the true Light that lighteth every man that cometh into the world.

The Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.

II. HYMN 59: " While shepherds watched their flocks by night."

III. SCRIPTURE READING.

THE voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the

way of the Lord,

Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low:

And the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places

plain.

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, saith the Lord; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth;

I have put my Spirit upon him: he shall bring forth righte

ousness to the nations.

He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.

A bruised reed shall he not break, and the smoking flax

shall he not quench.

He shall not fail nor be discouraged, till he have established equity in the earth.

And the isles shall wait for his law.

The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding.

The spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord:

O

For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as

the waters cover the sea.

IV. PRAYER.

GOD, our Father in heaven, we praise thee for the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. Thou hast given us life, and through him thou givest us the blessed hope of an immortal life. Our hearts repeat the song of the angels, Glory to God in the highest; on earth, peace, good-will to men. May we grow, as he did, in grace and in knowledge, and in favor with thee. We thank thee for the gifts he brings to us of the truth, and of thy Holy Spirit. May his purity make us ashamed to sin. May his love to thee be also in us. To-day we ask that thou wilt lead us to love and obey him, and so begin to be Christians in all we do, or say, or think. May thy kingdom come in all the earth, and thy will be done here as it is in heaven. Amen.

V. HYMN 23: "From heaven above to earth I come."

After the general and class lessons, the exercises may close with a hymn; the Lord's

THE

OUR COUNTRY.

I. INTRODUCTORY SENTENCES.

HE Lord reigneth: let the earth rejoice; let the multitude of the isles thereof rejoice. The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory.

We have heard with our ears, O Lord: our fathers have told us the work thou didst in their days, in the days of old.

We will not hide them from their children, showing to the generation to come the praises of the Lord, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.

For they got not this land in possession by their own sword, neither did their own arm save them; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou wast favorable unto them.

Our fathers trusted in thee, O Lord, and thou didst deliver them. Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

II. HYMN 94: 66

'My country, 'tis of thee."

III. SCRIPTURE READING.

H give thanks unto the Lord, for he is good;

For his mercy endureth for ever.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so:

Whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

And gathered them out of the lands, from the east and from the

west,

From the north and from the south.

They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way: they found no

city to dwell in.

Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them.

Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble;

And he delivered them out of their distresses.

And he led them forth by the right way,

That they might go to a city of habitation.

Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness,

And for his wonderful works to the children of men. Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, And praise him in the assembly of the elders.

Whoso is wise and will observe these things,

Even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord.

IV. PRAYER.

THOU who wast the God of our fathers, be thou our God, and defend us by thy strong arm. We thank thee for all thou hast graciously done for our country in times past; that it has been preserved and blessed of thee in its times of weakness and danger; and that it is made so great and prosperous. We pray, O wise and merciful God, that thou wilt incline our hearts to love thee, and to live after thy commandments. Hear us while we promise to be true to our country all our days; to serve her by honest and faithful lives; and rightly to use our great blessings of freedom and education and religion. Let justice, honesty, and temperance prevail in all our land; and so may we be a happy people, whose God is the Lord, and whose strong confidence is in thee for evermore. Amen.

V. HYMN 137: "We come with joy and gladness."

After the general and class lessons, the exercises may close with a hymn; and one