CXXXVI. Woe Follows Wickedness. Isaiah 10:1-3;
5:20-30; Matt. 11-20-24 - 159
CXXXVII. Sin and the Power that Removes It. Micah
6:6, 8-14; 7:8, 9, 18-19 - 161
CXXXVIII. The Tongue. James 3:2-12 162
CXXXIX. Peace or Strife. James 3:13-18 - - 163
CXL. A Lofty Ambition. I Kings 3:5-15 - 164
CXLI. Compassion and Ingratitude. Matt.i8:23"35 165
CXLII. Personal and National Virtue brings Pros-
perity. Jer. 7:5-7, 23; 9:23-24; 10:23-24 166
CXLIII. The Finite as Compared with the Infinite.
Job 9:2-12, 14-15, 1921,32-33; 11:7-9 - 167
CXLIV. In the Last Days. Mai. 3:1-5, 13-18 - 169
CXLV. Praying Without Meaning. Eccl. 5:1-5 179
CXLVI. Mysteries of Nature, I. Job 38:1-7, 12,
16-27, 31-41 171
CXLVII. Mysteries of Nature, II. Job 39:9-15, 19-22,
26, 30; 40:1-14; 42:1-6 173
CXLVIII. A Message to the Young. Eccl. 12:1-7 176
CXLIX. The Greatest Thing in the World. I Cor. 13 177
CL. Summary. Eccl. 12:8-14; Hab. 3:17, 18;
Num. 6:24-26; Jude 1:26 - 178
(TJNI
OF
READINGS FROM THE BIBLE.
L
Great Commandments.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy
heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind,
and with all thy strength : this is the first command-
ment. And the second is like, namely this, Thou
shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none
other commandment greater than these.
Mark 12: 3031.
II.
Young Children Blessed.
And they brought young children to him, that
he should touch them ; and his disciples rebuked
those that brought them. But when Jesus saw it, he
was much displeased, and said unto them, Suffer
the little children to come unto me, and forbid
them not; for of such is the kingdom of God.
Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive
the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not
enter therein. And he took them up in his arms,
put his hands upon them, and blessed them.
Mark 10: 13-16.
17
1 8 Readings from the Bible.
III.
Morning and Evening Meditations.
I laid me down and slept ; I awaked ;
For the Lord sustained me. Pgalm 3 . 5
How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O
God!
How great is the sum of them !
If I should count them, they are more in number
than the sand :
When I awake, I am still with thee.
Psalm 139: 17, 18.
My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O Lord ;
In the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee,
And will look up,
For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wicked-
ness :
Neither shall evil dwell with thee. Psalm 5 . 3 . 4
Search me, O God, and know my heart :
Try me, and know my thoughts :
And see if there be any wicked way in me :
And lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 139: 23-24.
I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep.
For thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety.
Psalm 4 : 8.
Let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice :
Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest
them :
Let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Psalm 5:11.
Rewards of Diligence. 1 9
IV.
Rewards of Diligence.
He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand :
But the hand of the diligent maketh rich.
Prov. 10: 4.
The hand of the diligent shall bear rule :
But the slothful shall be under tribute.
Prov. 12: 24.
The thoughts of the diligent tend only to plenteous-
ness ;
But of every one that is hasty only to want.
Prov. 21 : 5.
Seest thou a man diligent in his business ?
He shall stand before kings ; he shall not stand be-
fore mean men. Prov. 22: 29.
He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread :
But he that followeth after vain persons shall have
poverty enough.
A faithful man shall abound with blessings :
But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be in-
nocent. Prov . 28- 19 . 20<
LJBR/
Of
UNI'V
20 Readings from the Bible.
V.
The Lords Prayer.
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy
name.
Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as
it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from
evil. Amen. Matt. 6: 9-13.
J. H. H.
1
Oar Father which art in beaveu, Hal - lowed be thy name:
= =^= == f5=s=f=tt5
~g 1 22 i Z^ i r l~^~
Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven.
Give UB thia
1
onr dai . ly
bread:
And forgive us onr debts, as we for - give our debtors.
And lead us oot in - to temp tation,
But do liv - er us from vil, A
Gems from Proverbs. //. 2 1
VI.
The Lord My Protector.
The Lord is my Shepherd ; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures :
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
He restoreth my soul :
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his
name's sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow
of death,
I will fear no evil :
For thou art with me ;
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of
mine enemies :
Thou anointest my head with oil : my cup runneth
over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the
days of my life :
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.
Psalm 23.
VII.
Gems front Proverbs.
Hear the instruction of thy father,
And forsake not the law of thy mother. Prov I:8
In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin :
But he that refraineth his lips is wise. Prov< I0: 19>
22 Readings from the Bible.
The lips of the righteous feed many :
But fools die for want of wisdom.
The blessing of the Lord, it maketh rich,
And he addeth no sorrow with it.
// is as sport to a fool to do mischief :
But a man of understanding hath wisdom.
Prov. 10: 21-23.
Pleasant words are as a honeycomb,
Sweet to the soul, and health to the bones.
He that is slow to anger is better than the mighty ;
And he that ruleth his spirit than he that taketh a
ci ty- Prov. 16:24,32.
The lip of truth shall be established for ever :
But a lying tongue is but for a moment.
Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil :
But to the counsellors of peace is joy.
There shall no evil happen to the just :
But the wicked shall be filled with mischief.
Lying lips are abomination to the Lord :
But they that deal truly are his delight.
Prov. 12: 19-22.
By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted :
But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour :
But a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
The wicked worketh a deceitful work :
But to him that soweth righteousness shall be a sure
reward. Prov . II: n . 12t l8 .
A false balance is abomination to the Lord :
But a just weight is his delight. Prov . ,.
A Short Story. 23
VIII.
A Contrast.
Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel
of the ungodly,
Nor standeth in the way of sinners,
Nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord ;
And in his law doth he meditate day and night.
And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of
water,
That bringeth forth his fruit in his season :
His leaf also shall not wither ;
And whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.
The ungodly are not so :
But are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.
Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment,
Nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.
For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous :
But the way of the ungodly shall perish. Psalm Ie
IX.
A Short Story.
There was a little city, and few men within it ; and
there came a great king against it, and besieged it,
and built great bulwarks against it. Now there was
found in it a poor wise man, and he by his wisdom
delivered the city. Ecci. 9 : 14-15.
24 Readings from the Bible.
x.
Depart from Evil and do Good.
Come, ye children, hearken unto me :
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
What man is he that desireth life,
And loveth many days, that he may see good ?
Keep thy tongue from evil,
And thy lips from speaking guile.
Depart from evil, and do good ;
Seek peace, and pursue it,
The eyes of the Lord are upon the righteous,
And his ears are open unto their cry.
The face of the Lord is against them that do evil,
To cut off the remembrance of them from the earth.
The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth,
And delivereth them out of all their troubles.
The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken
heart ;
And saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.
Many are the afflictions of the righteous :
But the Lord delivereth him out of them all.
He keepeth all his bones :
Not one of them is broken.
Evil shall slay the wicked :
And they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.
The Lord redeemeth the soul of his servants :
And none of them that trust in him shall be desolate.
Psalm 34: ii-22.
Proverbs. 25
XL
Sentiments.
In the morning sow thy seed, and in the evening
withhold not thine hand : for thou knowest not
whether shall prosper, either this or that, or whether
they both shall be alike good. Eccl II:6
Cast thy bread upon the waters : for thou shall
find it after many days. Give a portion to seven, and
also to eight ; for thou knowest not what evil shall
be upon the earth. Eccl> XI . x . 2<
Truly the light is sweet, and a pleasant thing it is
for the eyes to behold the sun : Eccl II:7
He that observeth the wind shall not sow ; and
he that regardeth the clouds shall not reap.
Eccl. 11:4.
Wisdom is better than weapons of war : but one
sinner destroyeth much good. Eccl. 9:18.
XII.
Proverbs.
A good name is rather to be chosen than great
riches,
And loving favour rather than silver and gold.
The rich and poor meet together :
The Lord is the maker of them all.
A prudent man forseeth the evil, and hideth himself:
But the simple pass on, and are punished.
By humility and the fear of the Lord
Are riches, and honour, and life.
Thorns and snares are in the way of the froward :
26 Readings from the Bible.
He that doth keep his soul shall be far from them.
Train up a child in the way he should go :
And when he is old, he will not depart from it.
* * * #
He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed ;
For he giveth of his bread to the poor.
Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out ;
Yea, strife and reproach shall cease.
Prov. 22: 1-6, 9-10.
XIII.
A Patient, Forgiving, Generous Father.
I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the
angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.
And he said, A certain man had two sons :
And the younger of them said to his father,
Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to
me. And he divided unto them his living.
And not many days after the younger son gath-
ered all together, and took his journey into a far
country, and there wasted his substance with riotous
living.
And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty
famine in that land ; and he began to be in want.
And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that
country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
And when he came to himself, he said, How many
hired servants of my father's have bread enough and
to spare, and I perish with hunger ! I will arise and
go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I
Protection and Deliverance. 2 7
have sinned against heaven, and before thee. And
am no more worthy to be called thy son : make me
as one of thy hired servants.
And he arose, and came to his father. But when
he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and
had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and
kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I
have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and
am no more worthy to be called thy son.
But the father said to his servants, Bring forth
the best robe, and put it on him ; and put a ring on
his hand, and shoes on his feet : and bring hither the
fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
For this my son was dead, and is alive again ; he was
lost, and is found. Luke 15 . 10 . l5f I7 . 24
XIV.
Protection and Deliverance.
I will bless the Lord at all times :
His praise shall continually be in my mouth.
My soul shall make her boast in the Lord :
The humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
magnify the Lord with me,
And let us exalt his name together.
1 sought the Lord, and he heard me,
And delivered me from all my fears.
They looked unto him, and were lightened:
And their faces were not ashamed.
This poor man cried, and the Lord heard him,
And saved him out of all his troubles.
28 Readings from the Bible.
The angel of the Lord encampeth round about them
that fear him,
And delivereth them.
O taste and see that the Lord is good :
Blessed is the man that trusteth in him..
O fear the Lord, ye his saints :
For there is no want to them that fear him.
The young lions do lack, and suffer hunger :
But they that seek the Lord shall not want any good
thing. Psalm 34:1-10.
XV.
Words of Cheer.
God is our refuge and strength,
A very present help in trouble.
Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be
removed,
And though the mountains be carried into the midst
of the sea ;
Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,
Though the mountains shake with the swelling
thereof Psa i m 46: ,. 3 .
Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which
keepeth the truth may enter in.
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is
stayed onthee:
Because he trusteth in thee.
Trust ye in the Lord forever :
For in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength.
Isaiah 26: 2-4.
Reward of Benevolence. 2 9
Fear thou not ; for I am with thee :
Be not dismayed; for I am thy God :
I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee;
Yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my
righteousness. isaiah 4 i:io.
XVI.
Joyous Spring.
For, lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone:
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of the singing of birds is come,
And the voice of the turtle is heard in our land:
The fig tree putteth forth her green figs,
And the vines with the tender grape give a good
Smell. Solomon's Song 2: 11-13.
XVII.
Reward of Benevolence.
Blessed is he that considereth the poor:
The Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.
The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive;
And he shall be blessed upon the earth:
Psalm 41: 1-2.
Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor mine eyes lofty:
Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in
things too high for me. Psalm 13x: f .
The liberal deviseth liberal things;
And by liberal things shall he stand.
Isaiah 32: 8.
30 Readings from the Bible.
XVIII.
Gratitude.
Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands.
Serve the Lord with gladness:
Come before his presence with singing.
Know ye that the Lord he is God:
It is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves;
We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
And into his courts with praise:
Be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
For the Lord is good; his mercy is everlasting:
And his truth endureth to all generations.
Psalm 100.
XIX.
Man, God's Representative on Earth.
O Lord our Lord,
How excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou
ordained strength
Because of thine enemies,
That thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy
fingers,
The Ten Commandments. 31
The moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
What is man, that thou art mindful of him?
And the son of man, that thou visitest him?
For thou hast made him a little lower than the
angels,
And hast crowned him with glory and honor.
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works
of thy hands:
Thou hast put all things under his feet:
All sheep and oxen,
Yea, and the beasts of the field;
The fowl of the air, and the fish of the sea,
And whatsoever passeth through the paths of the
seas.
O Lord our Lord,
How excellent is thy name in all the earth!
Psalm 8.
XX.
The Ten Commandments.
1. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven
image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven
above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in
the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow
down thyself to them, nor serve them : for I the
Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniq-
uity of the fathers upon the children unto the third
and fourth generation of them that hate me ; And
shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love
me, and keep my commandments.
32 Readings from the Bible.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord
thy God in vain : for the Lord will not hold him
guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
4. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work :
But the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy
God : in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor
thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy
maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is
within thy gates : For in six days the Lord made
heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is %
and rested the seventh day : wherefore the Lord
blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
5. Honour thy father and thy mother : that thy
days may be long upon the land which the Lord
thy God giveth thee.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy
neighbour.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's
house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife,
nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox,
nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.
Ex. 20 : 3-17.
Causes for Thanksgiving. 33
XXI.
The King of Glory.
The earth is the Lord's and the fulness thereof :
The world, and they that dwell therein.
For he hath founded it upon the seas,
And established it upon the floods.
Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord ?
Or who shall stand in his holy place ?
He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart ;
Who hath not lifted up his soul unto vanity,
Nor sworn deceitfully.
He shall receive the blessing from the Lord,
And righteousness from the God of his salvation
Lift up your heads, O ye gates ;
And be ye lifted up, ye everlasting doors ;
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory ? The Lord strong and
mighty.
The Lord mighty in battle.
Lift up your heads, O ye gates ;
Even lift them up, ye everlasting doors ;
And the King of glory shall come in.
Who is this King of glory ? The Lord of hosts,
He is the King of glory. p S aim 24 :i-5, MO.
XXII.
Causes for Thanksgiving.
Praise ye the Lord : for it is good to sing praises
unto our God : for it is pleasant : and praise is
comely.
34 Readings from the Bible.
He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up
their wounds.
He telleth the number of the stars ; he calleth them
all by their names.
Great is our Lord, and of great power : his under-
standing is infinite.
The Lord lifteth up the meek : he casteth the
wicked down to the ground.
Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving : sing praise
upon the harp unto our God :
Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepar-
eth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to
grow upon the mountains.
He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young
ravens which cry.
The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him,
in those that hope in his mercy.
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem ; praise thy God, O
Zion.
For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates ; he
hath blessed thy children within thee.
He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee
with the finest of the wheat.
He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth ; his
word runneth very swiftly.
He giveth snow like wool : he scattereth the hoar
frost like ashes.
He casteth forth his ice like morsels : who can
stand before his cold ?
He sendeth out his word and melteth them : he
causeth his wind to blow and the waters flow.
Psalm 147: i, 3, 4, 5-9, 11-18
Rewards of Obedience. 35
XXIII.
The Blessed.
Blessed are the poor in spirit : for theirs is the king-
dom of heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn : for they shall be
comforted.
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the
earth.
Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after
righteousness : for they shall be filled.
Blessed are the merciful : for they shall obtain
mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart : for they shall see
God.
Blessed are the peacemakers : for they shall be
called the children of God.
Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteous-
ness' sake : for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and per-
secute you, and shall say all manner of evil
against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and
be exceeding glad : for great is your reward in
heaven : for so persecuted they the prophets
which were before you. Matt 5 . 3 _ I2
XXIV.
Rewards of Obedience.
My son, forget not my law;
But let thine heart keep my commandments
For length of days, and long life,
36 Readings from the Bible.
And peace, shall they add to thee.
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee :
Bind them about thy neck ;
Write them upon the table of thine heart :
So shalt thou find favour and good understanding
In the sight of God and man.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart ;
And lean not unto thine own understanding.
In all thy ways acknowledge him,
And he shall direct thy paths. Prov 3 . j_ 6
XXV.
The Voice of the Lord.
Give unto the Lord, O ye mighty,
Give unto the Lord glory and strength.
Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name ;
Worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
The voice of the Lord is upon the waters :
The God of Glory thundereth :
The Lord is upon many waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful ;
The voice of the Lord is full of majesty.
The voice of the Lord breaketh the cedars ;
Yea, the Lord breaketh the cedars of Lebanon.
The voice of the Lord divideth the flames of fire,
The voice of the Lord shaketh the wilderness.
The Lord will give strength unto his people ;
The Lord will bless his people with peace.
Psalm 29: 1-5, 7-8, n.
Joseph 's Dreams. 3 7
XXVI.
Joseph 's Dreams.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his child-
ren, because he was the son of his old age : and he
made him a coat of many colours.
And when his brethren saw that their father
loved him more than all his brethren, they hated
him, and could not speak peaceably unto him.
And Joseph dreamed a dream, and he told it his
brethren : and they hated him yet the more. And
he said unto them, Hear, I pray you, this dream
which I have dreamed : for, behold, we were
binding sheaves in the field, and, lo, my sheaf arose,
and also stood upright ; and, behold, your sheaves
stood round about, and made obeisance to my
sheaf. And his brethren said to him, Shalt thou
indeed reign over us ? Or shalt thou indeed have
dominion over us? And they hated him yet the
more for his dreams, and for his words.
And he dreamed yet another dream, and told it
his brethren, and said, Behold, I have dreamed a
dream more ; and, behold, the sun and the moon
and the eleven stars made obeisance to me. And
he told it to his father, and to his brethren : and his
father rebuked him, and said unto him. What is
this dream that thou hast dreamed? Shall I and
thy mother and thy brethren indeed come to bow
down ourselves to thee to the earth? And his
brethren envied him ; but his father observed the
saying.
38 Readings from the Bible.
And his brethren went to feed their father's
flock in Shechem. And Israel said unto Joseph,
Do not thy brethren feed the flock in Shechem?
come, and I will send thee unto them. And he
said to him, Here am I. And he said to him, Go, I
pray thee, see whether it be well with thy brethren,
and well with the flocks ; and bring me word again.
So he sent him out of the vale of Hebron, and he
came to Shechem. Gen 37: 3 . 14
XXVII.
Joseph in Trouble.
And a certain man found him, and, behold, he
was wandering in the field : and the man asked him,
saying, What seekest thou?
And he said, I seek my brethren : tell me, I pray
thee, where they feed their flocks. And the man
said, They are departed hence ; for I heard them
say, Let us go to Dothan. And Joseph went after
his brethren, and found them in Dothan. And
when they saw him afar off, even before he came