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النشر الإلكتروني

THE

XVIII.

'HE 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.

XIX.

[Psalm xxiv. 1-5.]

FOR the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

O LORD of hosts, blessed is the man that trusteth in thee.

[Psalm lxxxiv. 11, 12.]

XX.

THE

'HE righteous shall flourish like the palm tree he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.

They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing.

[Psalm xcii. 12-14.]

XXI.

SINCE the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

XXII.

[Isaiah Ixiv. 4.]

THEN shall we know, if we follow on to know the LORD: his going forth is prepared as the morning; and he shall come unto us as the rain, as the latter and former rain unto the earth.

THE

XXIII.

[Hosea vi. 3.]

IE souls of the righteous are in the hand of God, and there shall no torment touch them.

In the sight of the unwise they seemed to die and their departure is taken for misery,

And their going from us to be utter destruction: but they are in peace.

For though they be punished in the sight of men, yet is their hope full of immortality.

And having been a little chastised, they shall be greatly rewarded: for God proved them, and found them worthy for him

self.

[Wisdom iii. 1—5.]

XXIV.

THEN shall the righteous man stand in great boldness before the face of such as have afflicted him, and made no account of his labours.

When they see it they shall be troubled with terrible fear, and shall be amazed at the strangeness of his salvation, so far beyond all that they looked for.

And they repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit shall say within themselves, This was he, whom we had sometimes in derision, and a proverb of reproach:

We fools accounted his life madness, and his end to be without honour:

How is he numbered among the children of God, and his lot is among the saints! Therefore have we erred from the way of truth, and the light of righteousness hath not shined unto us, and the sun of righteousness rose not upon us. We wearied ourselves in the way of wickedness and destruction: yea, we have gone through deserts, where there lay no way: but as for the way of the Lord, we have not known it.

[Wisdom v. 1-8.]

XXV.

IT

T shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God.

[Deuteronomy vi. 25.]

XXVI.

WAIT on the LORD, and keep his way,

and he shall exalt thee to inherit the

land: when the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.

I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a green bay tree. Yet he passed away, and, lo, he was not: yea,

I sought him, but he could not be found. Mark the perfect man, and behold the upright: for the end of that man is peace. [Psalm xxxvii. 34-37.]

YE

XXVII.

E that fear the Lord, wait for his mercy; and go not aside, lest ye fall.

Ye that fear the Lord, believe him; and your

reward shall not fail.

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

[Ecclus. ii. 7-9.]

AL

Brevity of Life.

I.

LL flesh waxeth old as a garment: for the covenant from the beginning is, Thou shalt die the death.

As of the green leaves on a thick tree, some fall, and some grow; so is the generation of flesh and blood, one cometh to an end, and another is born.

[Ecclus. xiv. 17, 18.]

WE

II.

E are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow.

III.

[Job viii. 9.]

GREAT travail is created for every man,

and an heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam, from the day that they go out of their mother's womb, till the day that they return to the mother of all things. Their imagination of things to come, and the day of death, trouble their thoughts, and cause fear of heart;

From him that sitteth on a throne of glory, to him that is humbled in earth and ashes:

From him that weareth purple and a crown, unto him that is clothed with a linen frock.

IV.

[Ecclus. xl. 1-5.]

THE 'HE days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath.

So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.

[Psalm xc. 10-12.]

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