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the LORD, and whose hope the After those days I will put my law LORD is: he shall be as a tree in their inward parts, and write it in

planted by the waters, that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit.

3 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

4 As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches unjustly shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool.

5 In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten a sour grape, and the children's teeth are set on edge: but every one shall suffer for his own iniquity: every man that eateth the sour grape, his teeth shall be set on edge.

their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people. And they shall teach no more every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the LORD: for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them: and I will forgive their iniquity, and remember their sin no more.

7 They shall come with weeping, and with supplications will I lead them I will cause them to walk by the rivers of waters in a straight way, wherein they shall not stumble: they shall come and sing in the height. of Zion, and shall flow together to the goodness of the LORD, for wheat, and for wine, and for oil, and for the young of the flock and of the herd: and their soul shall be as a watered garden; and they shall not sorrow any more at all.

8 Then shall the virgin rejoice in the dance, both young men and old together: for I will turn their mourning into joy, and will comfort

6 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, and them, and make them rejoice from with the house of Judah: this shall their sorrow.

be the covenant that I will make;

A SELECTION FROM THE LAMENTATIONS OF

JEREMIAH.

Showing the alternating experience of me into darkness, not into light: sorrow and joy, fear and hope, despon- surely against me is he turned; he dency and trust, in every truly religious life. turneth his hand against me all the day. My flesh and my skin hath he

【 AM a man that hath seen afflic

tion by the rod of his indigna- made old; he hath broken my tion he hath led me, and brought bones: he hath builded against me,

and compassed me with gall and 5 The LORD is my portion, saith travel: he hath set me in dark my soul; therefore will I hope in places, as they that be dead of old: him: the LORD is good unto them he hath hedged me about, that I that wait for him, to the soul that cannot get out: he hath made my seeketh him. chain heavy.

2 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer: he hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked: he hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow: he hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.

3 I was a derision to all my people; and their reproach all the day. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood: he hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.

6 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD: it is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

7 For the LORD will not cast off for ever: though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies: he doth not afflict willingly, nor willingly grieve the children of men.

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4 Therefore I said, My strength 9 Mine eye runneth down with. and my hope is perished from the rivers of water for the destruction of LORD,―remembering mine affliction the daughter of my people: mine and my misery, the wormwood eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, and the gall. My soul hath them without intermission; till the LORD still in remembrance, and is hum- looked down, and beheld from bled in me: I recall them to my heaven.

mind, therefore have I hope. It IO Thou hast heard my voice: is of the LORD's mercies that thou drewest near in the day that I I am not consumed, because his called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear compassions fail not: they are new not. O LORD, thou hast pleaded every morning: great is thy faith- the causes of my soul: thou hast fulness. redeemed my life.

HEBREW SCRIPTURES.-EZEKIEL.

SELECTION I.

Every man to be judged by his own conscience and punished for his own sins.

the soul of the son is mine: the soul that sinneth, it shall die.

2 But if a man be just, and do that which is lawful and right; hath

BEHOLD, all souls are mine; as not eaten upon the mountains, neithe soul of the father, so also ther hath lifted up his eyes to the

idols of the house of Israel; hath he shall surely live. As for his not oppressed any, hath restored to father, because he cruelly oppressed, the debtor his pledge, hath spoiled spoiled his brother by violence, and none by violence, hath given his did that which is not good among his bread to the hungry, and hath people, lo, even he shall die in his covered the naked with a garment: iniquity. if he hath not given forth upon usury, neither hath taken any increase; hath withdrawn his hand from iniquity; hath executed true judgment between man and man; hath walked in my statutes, and kept my judgments, to deal truly; he is just, he shall surely live, saith the Lord GOD.

3 If he beget a son that is a robber, a shedder of blood, that doeth the like to any of these things: hath oppressed the poor and needy, hath spoiled by violence, hath not restored the pledge, hath lifted up his eyes to idols, hath committed abomination, hath given forth upon usury, hath taken increase: shall he then live? he shall not live: he hath done all these abominations; he shall surely die; his blood shall be upon him.

5 Yet say ye, Why? doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live. The soul that sinneth, it shall die: the son shall not bear the iniquity of the father, neither shall the father bear the iniquity of the son: the righteousness of the righteous shall be upon him, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon him.

6 But if the wicked will turn from all his sins that he hath committed, and keep all my statutes, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall surely live, he shall not die: all his transgressions that he hath committed, they shall not be mentioned unto him: in his righteousness that he hath done he shall live.

4 Now, lo, if he beget a son, that 7 Have I any pleasure at all that seeth all his father's sins which he the wicked should die? saith the hath done, and considereth, and do- Lord GOD: and not that he should eth not such like, that hath not return from his ways, and live? But eaten upon the mountains, neither when the righteous turneth away hath lifted up his eyes to idols, from his righteousness, and commitneither hath oppressed any, hath not teth iniquity, and doeth according to withholden the pledge, neither hath all the abominations that the wicked spoiled by violence, but hath given man doeth, shall he live? all his his bread to the hungry, and hath righteousness that he hath done covered the naked with a garment; shall not be mentioned in his tresthat hath taken off his hand from the pass that he hath trespassed, and in poor, hath not received usury nor in-his sin that he hath sinned, in them crease, hath executed my judgments, shall he die. hath walked in my statutes: he shall not die for the iniquity of his father:

8 Yet ye say, The way of the LORD is not equal. Hear now, O

house of Israel; is not my way if the people of the land take a man equal? are not your ways unequal? of their coasts, and set him for their When a righteous man turneth away watchman: if when he seeth the from his righteousness, and commit- sword come upon the land, he blow teth iniquity, and dieth in them; for the trumpet, and warn the people ;his iniquity that he hath done then whosoever heareth the sound shall he die. Again, when the of the trumpet, and taketh not wicked man turneth away from his warning; if the sword come, and wickedness that he hath committed, take him away, his blood shall be and doeth that which is lawful and upon his own head. He heard the right, he shall save his soul alive: sound of the trumpet, and took not because he considereth, and turneth warning; his blood shall be upon away from all his transgressions him. that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

2 But if the watchman see the sword come, and blow not the trumpet, and the people be not warned; if the sword come, and take any

taken away in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at the watchman's hand.

9 Yet saith the house of Israel, The way of the LORD is not equal. O house of Israel, are not my ways person from among them, he is equal? are not your ways unequal? I will judge every man according to his ways, saith the Lord GOD: Therefore repent, and turn yourselves from 3 So thou, O son of man, I have all your transgressions; and then set thee a watchman unto the house iniquity shall not be your ruin. of Israel: therefore thou shalt hear Cast away from you all your trans- the word at my mouth, and warn gressions, whereby ye have trans- them from me: and when I say ungressed; and make you a new heart to the wicked, O wicked man, thou and a new spirit: for why will ye shalt surely die: if thou dost not die, O house of Israel? speak to warn the wicked from his way, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine hand. Nevertheless, if thou warn the wicked of his way to turn from it; if he do not turn from his way, he shall die in his iniquity; but thou hast delivered thy

Io I have no pleasure in the death of him that dieth, saith the Lord GOD: wherefore turn yourselves and live.

SELECTION II.

Every man is responsible for those sins and sufferings of his fellow men which it is within his power by timely warning or sympathy to prevent.

soul.

4 Therefore, O thou son of man, speak unto the house of Israel;

AGAIN the word of the LORD saying, If our transgressions and our

came unto me, saying, Son sins be upon us, and we continue in of man, speak to the children of them, how should we then live? and thy people, and say unto them, say unto them, As I live, saith the When I bring the sword upon a land, Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the

wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die?

death of the wicked; but that the and the bones came together, bone to his bone. And when I beheld, lo, the sinews and the flesh came up upon them, and the skin covered them above: but there was no breath in them.

SELECTION III.

By the spirit of the Lord even the spiritually dead may live, the weak be made strong, and the hopeless achieve victory

THE hand of the LORD was upon

4 Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the wind, prophesy, son of man, and say to the wind, Thus saith

the Lord GOD; Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live. So I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood up upon their feet, an exceeding great army.

me, and carried me out in the spirit of the LORD, and set me down in the midst of the valley which was full of bones, and caused me to pass by them round about: and, behold, there were very many in the open valley; and, lo, they were very dry. 5 Then he said unto me, Son of And he said unto me, Son of man, man, these bones are the whole can these bones live? And I an- house of Israel: behold, they say, swered, O Lord GOD, thou knowest. Our bones are dried, and our hope 2 Again he said unto me, Prophe- is lost: we are cut off for our parts. sy upon these bones, and say unto Therefore prophesy and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of the LORD thus saith the Lord GOD unto these bones; Behold, I will cause breath to enter into you, and ye shall live and I will lay sinews upon you, and will bring up flesh upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and ye shall live; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, O my people, I will open your graves, and cause you to come up out of your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel: and ye shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, and brought you up, and put my spirit in you, and made you live, and placed you in your own land: then shall ye 3 So I prophesied as I was com- know that I have spoken it, and manded and as I prophesied, there performed it, saith the LORD. was a noise, and behold a shaking,

A SELECTION FROM THE BOOK OF DANIEL.

Showing the grandeur of being loyal to whole kingdom: and over these conscience, come what may.

IT

three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king

T pleased Darius to set over the kingdom an hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the should have no damage.

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