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3 For thou endurest for ever, and we perish utterly.

4 O Lord Almighty, thou God of Israel, hear now the prayers of the dead Israelites, and of their children, which have sinned before thee, and not hearkened unto the voice of thee their God.

5 Remember not the iniquities of our forefathers: but think upon thy power and thy name now at this time.

6 For thou art the Lord our God, and thee, O Lord, will we praise.

7 And for this cause thou hast put thy fear in our hearts, to the intent that we should call upon thy name, and praise thee in our captivity: for we have called to mind all the iniquity of our forefathers, that sinned before thee.

8 Behold, we are yet this day in our captivity, where thou hast scattered us, for a reproach and a curse, and to be subject to payments, according to all the iniquities of our fathers, which departed from the Lord our God.

9 Hear, Israel, the commandments of life: give ear to understand wisdom.

10 How happeneth it, Israel, that thou art in thine enemies' land, that thou art waxen old in a strange country, that thou art defiled with the dead,

11 That thou art counted with them that go down into the grave?

12 Thou hast forsaken the fountain of wisdom.

13 For if thou hadst walked

in the way of God, thou shouldest have dwelled in peace for

ever.

14 But thou hast afflicted the meek, thou hast hurt the peaceable, thou hast loved liars, and destroyed the dwellings of them that brought forth fruit, and hast cast down the walls of such as did thee no harm.

15 Therefore is thy wrongful dealing come up unto the Highest, and thy pride unto the Mighty.

16 O Lord, thou art just, and all thy works and all thy ways are mercy and truth, and thou judgest truly and justly for

ever.

17 Remember me, and look on me, punish me not for my sins and ignorances, and the sins of my fathers, who have sinned before thee:

18 For they obeyed not thy commandments: wherefore thou hast delivered us for a spoil, and unto captivity, and unto death, and for a proverb of reproach to all the nations among whom we are dispersed.

19 And now thy judgements are many and true: deal with me according to my sins and my fathers': because we have not kept thy commandments, neither have walked in truth before thee.

20 Now therefore deal with me as seemeth best unto thee, and command my spirit to be taken from me, that I may be dissolved, and become earth: for it is profitable for me to die rather than to live, because I have heard false reproaches, and

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have much sorrow: command therefore that I may now be delivered out of this distress, and

go into the everlasting place : turn not thy face away from

me.

SECTION VIII.-Trust in God.

LESSON XVI.

My son, if thou come to serve the Lord, prepare thy soul for temptation.

2 Set thy heart aright, and constantly endure, and make not haste in time of trouble.

3 Cleave unto him, and depart not away, that thou mayest be increased at thy last end.

4 There shall no evil happen unto him that feareth the Lord; but in temptation even he will deliver him.

5 Whatsoever is brought upon thee take cheerfully, and be patient when thou art changed to a low estate.

6 For gold is tried in the fire, and acceptable men in the furnace of adversity.

7 Believe in him, and he will help thee; order thy way aright, and trust in him.

8 Ye that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; and go not aside, lest ye fall. Do that which is good, and no evil shall touch you.

9 Ye that fear the Lord, believe him; and your reward shall not fail.

10 Ye that fear the Lord, hope for good, and for everlasting joy and mercy.

11 Look at the generations of old, and see; did ever any trust in the Lord, and was con

founded? or did any abide in his fear, and was forsaken? or whom did he ever despise, that called upon him?

12 For the Lord is full of compassion and mercy, longsuffering, and very pitiful, and forgiveth sins, and saveth in time of affliction.

13 Woe be to fearful hearts, and faint hands, and the sinner that goeth two ways!

14 For wickedness, condemned by her own witness, is very timorous, and being pressed with conscience, always forecasteth grievous things.

15 For fear is nothing else but a betraying of the succours which reason offereth.

16 Woe unto him that is fainthearted! for he believeth not; therefore shall he not be defended.

17 Woe unto you that have lost patience! and what will ye do when the Lord shall visit you?

18 They that fear the Lord will not disobey his word; and they that love him will keep his

ways.

19 They that fear the Lord will seek that which is wellpleasing unto him; and they that love him shall be filled with the law.

20 They that fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and humble their souls in his sight,

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21 Saying, We will fall into the hands of the Lord, and not into the hands of men: for as his majesty is, so is his mercy.

22 And thus consider ye throughout all ages, that none that put their trust in him shall be overcome.

23 Fear not then the words of a sinful man: for his glory shall be dung and worms.

24 Today he shall be lifted up, and tomorrow he shall not be found, because he is returned into his dust, and his thought is come to nothing.

25 Wherefore be valiant, and show yourselves men in the behalf of the law; for by it shall ye obtain glory.

26 The fear of the Lord is honour, and glory, and gladness, and a crown of rejoicing.

27 The fear of the Lord maketh a merry heart, and giveth joy, and gladness, and a long life.

28 Whoso feareth the Lord, it shall go well with him at the last, and he shall find favour in the day of his death.

29 To fear the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and it was created with the faithful in the womb.

30 The fear of the Lord driveth away sins: and where it is present, it turneth away wrath.

31 Riches and strength lift up the heart: but the fear of the Lord is above them both: there is no want in the fear of the Lord, and it needeth not to seek help.

32 Therefore let us wait for salvation of him, and call upon

him to help us, and he will hear our voice, if it please him.

33 Love him that made thee with all thy strength, and forsake not his ministers.

34 The spirit of those that fear the Lord shall live; for their hope is in him that saveth them.

35 Whoso feareth the Lord shall not fear nor be afraid; for He is his hope.

36 Blessed is the soul of him that feareth the Lord: to whom doth he look? and who is his strength?

37 For the eyes of the Lord are upon them that love him, he is their mighty protection and strong stay, a defence from heat, and a cover from the sun at noon, a preservation from stumbling, and an help from falling.

38 He raiseth up the soul, and lighteneth the eyes: he giveth health, life, and blessing.

39 With the God of heaven it is all one, to deliver with a great multitude, or a small company:

40 For the victory of battle standeth not in the multitude of an host; but strength cometh from heaven.

LESSON XVII.

HEAR, O ye my beloved, saith the Lord: behold, the days of trouble are at hand, but I will deliver you from the same.

2 Be ye not afraid, neither doubt; for God is your guide, 3 And the guide of them who

keep my commandments and precepts, saith the Lord God: let not your sins weigh you down, and let not your iniquities lift up themselves.

4 Abide still, O my people, and take thy rest, for thy quietness shall come.

5 Nourish thy children, O thou good nurse; stablish their feet.

6 As for the servants whom I have given thee, there shall not one of them perish; for I will require them from among thy number.

7 Be not weary for when the day of trouble and heaviness cometh, others shall weep and be sorrowful, but thou shalt be merry and have abundance.

8 The heathen shall envy thee, but they shall be able to do nothing against thee, saith the Lord.

9 My hands shall cover thee, so that thy children shall not see hell.

10 Be joyful, O thou mother, with thy children; for I will deliver thee, saith the Lord.

11 Remember thy children that sleep, for I shall bring them out of the sides of the earth, and shew mercy unto them: for I am merciful, saith the Lord Almighty.

12 Embrace thy children until I come and shew mercy unto them: for my wells run over, and my grace shall not fail.

SECTION IX.-Fute of the Righteous and of the Wicked contrasted.

LESSON XVIII.

BLESSED is the man that hath not slipped with his mouth, and is not pricked with the multitude of sins.

2 Blessed is he whose conscience hath not condemned him, and who is not fallen from his hope in the Lord.

3 Be steadfast in thy covenant, and be conversant therein, and wax old in thy work.

4 Marvel not at the works of sinners; but trust in the Lord, and abide in thy labour: for it is an easy thing in the sight of the Lord on the sudden to make a poor man rich.

5 Envy not the glory of a

sinner for thou knowest not what shall be his end.

6 Delight not in the thing that the ungodly have pleasure in; but remember they shall not go unpunished unto their grave.

7 The blessing of the Lord is in the reward of the godly, and suddenly he maketh his blessing to flourish.

8 Say not, What profit is there of my service? and what good things shall I have hereafter?

9 Again, say not, I have enough, and possess many things, and what evil can come to me hereafter?

10 In the day of prosperity

there is a forgetfulness of affliction: and in the day of affliction there is no more remembrance of prosperity.

11 The affliction of an hour maketh a man forget pleasure: and in his end his deeds shall be discovered.

12 For it is an easy thing unto the Lord in the day of death to reward a man according to

his ways.

13 Judge none blessed before his death: for a man shall be known in his children.

14 Better it is to have no children, and to have virtue : for the memorial thereof is immortal; because it is known with God and with men.

15 When it is present, men take example at it; and when it is gone, they desire it: it weareth a crown, and triumpheth for ever, having gotten the victory, striving for undefiled rewards.

16 There is one that laboureth and taketh pains, and maketh haste, and is so much the more behind.

17 Again, there is another that is slow, and hath need of help, wanting ability, and full of poverty; yet the eye of the Lord looked upon him for good, and set him up from his low estate,

18 And lifted up his head from misery; so that many that saw it marvelled at him.

19 Prosperity and adversity, life and death, poverty and riches, come of the Lord.

20 Wisdom, knowledge, and understanding of the law, are

of the Lord love, and the way of good works, are from him.

21 Error and darkness had their beginning together with sinners: and evil shall wax old with them that glory therein.

22 The gift of the Lord remaineth with the godly, and his favour bringeth prosperity for ever.

23 For glorious is the fruit of good labours: and the root of wisdom shall never fall away.

LESSON XIX.

SAY not thou, It is through the Lord that I fell away: for thou oughtest not to do the things that he hateth.

2 Say not thou, He hath caused me to err: for he hath no need of the sinful man.

3 The Lord hateth all abomination; and they that fear God love it not.

4 He himself made man from the beginning, and left him in the hand of his counsel:

5 If he will, to keep the commandments, and to perform acceptable faithfulness.

6 He hath set fire and water before thee: stretch forth thy hand unto whether thou wilt.

7 Before man is life and death; and whether him liketh shall be given him.

8 For the wisdom of the Lord is great, and he is mighty in power, and beholdeth all things:

9 And his eyes are upon them that fear him, and he knoweth every work of man.

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