evil days come not, nor the years draw nigh when thou shalt say, I have no pleasure in them. me. 18 I love them that love me: and those that seek me early shall find 19 Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way ? 20 By taking heed thereto according to thy word. 21 Come, ye children, hearken unto me; I will teach you the fear of the Lord. 22 What man is he that desireth life, and loveth many days, that he may see good? 23 Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile. 24 Depart from evil and do good: seek peace and pursue it. 25 My son, forget not my law: but let thy heart keep my command ments: 26 For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee. 27 Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck ; write them upon the table of thy heart: 28 So shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man. 29 My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not. 30 Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of wicked men. 31 The path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day. 32 The way of the wicked is as darkness: they know not at what they stumble. 33 Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life. 34 Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. 35 AND the multitude that went before Jesus, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David: 36 Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord: Hosanna in the highest. 37 And when the chief priests and scribes saw the wonderful things that Jesus did, and the children crying in the temple, and saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; they were sore displeased: 38 And said unto him, Hearest thou what these say? 39 And Jesus saith unto them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise? 40 Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. 41 Whosoever shall humble himself as a little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. me. 42 And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth 43 Take heed that ye despise not one of these little ones : 44 For I say unto you, that in heaven their angels do always behold the face of my Father which is in heaven. 45 And they brought young children to him, that he should touch them : 46 And his disciples rebuked those that brought them. 47 But when Jesus saw it, he was much displeased, and said unto them, 48 Suffer the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not for of such is the kingdom of heaven. 49 Verily I say unto you, whoso shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. 50 And he took them up in his arms, put his hands upon them, and blessed them. Fifty-second Selection. THE CHURCH. I BEHOLD, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! 2 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples if ye have love one to another. 3 Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; and walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice. 4 For ye were sometimes darkness; but now are ye light in the Lord : walk as children of light. 5 Whosoever shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. 6 If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 7 Then they that feared the Lord spake often one to another; and the Lord hearkened, and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before him for them that feared the Lord, and thought upon his name. 8 And they shall be mine, saith the Lord of hosts, in that day when I make up my jewels. 9 And they that gladly received his word were baptized. And the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul. 10 And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved. II Christ also loved the Church, and gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word; 12 That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. 13 I beseech you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind. 14 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus. Love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous. 15 As the body is one, and hath many members, and all the members. of that one body, being many, are one body; so also is Christ. Ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. 16 And Christ is the head over all things to the Church, which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all. 17 I BESEECH you that ye walk worthy of the vocation wherewith ye are called, with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love: 18 Endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 19 There are diversities of gifts, but the same Spirit. And there are diversities of operations, but it is the same God that worketh all in all; for the perfecting of the saints, for the edifying of the body of Christ : 20 Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ. 21 Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone. 22 Ye are God's building; the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth. 23 Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord : 24 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God. 25 For ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels; 26 To the general assembly and church of the first born, which are written in heaven; 27 And to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant; 28 And to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel. 29 Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, 30 Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. I GIVE ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; 2 Thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine forth. 3 Before Ephraim, and Benjamin, and Manasseh, stir up thy strength, and come and save us. 4 Turn us again, O God, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. 5 O Lord God of hosts, how long wilt thou be angry against the prayer of thy people? 6 Thou feedest them with the bread of tears, and givest them tears to drink in great measure. 7 Thou makest us a strife unto our neighbors; and our enemies laugh among themselves. 8 Turn us again, O God of hosts, and cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. 9 Thou hast brought a vine out of Egypt: thou hast cast out the heathen, and planted it. 10 Thou didst prepare room before it, and didst cause it to take deep root. II And it filled the land. The hills were covered with the shadow of it, and the boughs thereof were like the goodly cedars. 12 She sent out her boughs unto the sea, and her branches unto the river. 13 Why hast thou then broken down her hedges, so that all they which pass by the way do pluck her? 14 The boar out of the wood doth waste it, and the wild beast of the field doth devour it. 15 Return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts: look down from heaven, and behold, and visit this vine: 16 And the vineyard which thy right hand hath planted, and the branch that thou madest strong for thyself. 17 It is burned with fire, it is cut down: they perish at the rebuke of thy countenance. 18 Let thy hand be upon the man of thy right hand, upon the son of man whom thou madest strong for thyself. 19 So will not we go back from thee: quicken us, and we will call upon thy name, 20 Turn us again, O Lord God of hosts, cause thy face to shine; and we shall be saved. 21 LORD, thou hast been favorable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. |