a

ever.

15 And give you all an heart 8 If ye turn to him with to serve him, and to do his will, your whole heart, and with with a good courage and a will your whole mind, and deal uping mind;

rightly before him, then will he 16 And open your hearts to turn unto you, and will not his law and commandments, hide his face from you. and send you peace,

9 Therefore see what he will 17 And hear your prayers,and do with you, and confess him be at one with you, and never with your whole mouth, and forsake you in time of trouble. praise the Lord of might, and

extol the everlasting King. LESSON VII.

10 In the land of my cap

tivity do I praise him, and deO God, thou art worthy to be clare his might and majesty to praised with all pure and holy a sinful nation. praise; therefore let thy saints 11 Oye sinners, turn and do praise thee with all thy crea- justice before him : who can tell tures; and let all thine angels if he will accept you, and have and thine elect praise thee for mercy on you ?

12 I will extol my God, and 2 Blessed be God that liveth my soul shall praise the King for ever, and blessed be his of heaven, and shall rejoice in kingdom:

his greatness. 3 For he doth scourge, and 13 Let all men speak, and let hath

mercy : he leadeth down all praise him for his righteousto hell, and bringeth up again : neither is there any that can 14 O Jerusalem, the holy avoid his hand.

city, he will scourge thee for thy 4 Confess him before the children's works, and will have Gentiles, ye children of Israel: mercy again on the sons of the for he hath scattered us among righteous. them.

15 Give praise to the Lord, 5 There declare his great- for he is good : and praise the ness, and extol him before all everlasting King, that his taberthe living: for he is our Lord, nacle may be builded in thee and he is the God our Father again with joy, and let him for ever.

make joyful there in thee those 6 And he will scourge us for that are captives, and love in our iniquities, and will have thee for ever those that are mimercy again, and will gather serable. us out of all nations, among 16 Many nations shall come whom he hath scattered us. from far to the name of the

7 He never withdraweth his Lord God, with gifts in their mercy from us : and though he hands, even gifts to the King punish with adversity, yet doth of heaven; all generations shall he never forsake his people. praise thee with great joy.

ness.

:

17 Rejoice and be glad for 26 At his commandment the the children of the just : for waters stood as an heap, and they shall be gathered together, at the words of his mouth the and shall bless the Lord of the receptacles of waters. just.

27 At his commandment is 18 O blessed are they which done whatsoever pleaseth him; love thee, for they shall rejoice and none can hinder when he in thy peace : blessed are they will save. which have been sorrowful for 28 A man need not to say, all thy scourges; for they shall What is this? wherefore is that? rejoice for thee, when they have for he hath made all things for seen all thy glory, and shall their uses. be glad for ever.

29 All the works of the Lord 19 Let my soul bless God are good: and he will give every the great King.

needful thing in due season. 20 Blessed art thou, O God 30 So that a man cannot say, of our fathers, and blessed is This is worse than that: for in thy holy and glorious name for time they shall all be well apever; let the heavens bless thee, proved. and all thy creatures.

31 And therefore praise ye 21 Sing a song of praise, the Lord with the whole heart bless the Lord in all his works. and mouth, and bless the name

22 Magnify his name, and of the Lord. shew forth his praise with the 32 Bless the Lord thy God songs of your lips, and with alway, and desire of him that harps, and in praising him ye thy ways may be directed, and shall say, after this manner : that all thy paths and counsels

23 Bless God, praise him, may prosper : for every nation and magnify him, and praise hath not counsel; but the Lord him for the things which he himself giveth all good things, hath done unto you in the sight and he humbleth whom he will, of all that live. It is good to as he will. praise God, and exalt his name, 33 As his mercy is great, so and honourably to shew forth is his correction also : he judgthe works of God; therefore be eth a man according to his not slack to praise him.

works. 24 All the works of the Lord 34 Faint not to be strong in are exceeding good, and what the Lord; that he may confirm soever he commandeth shall be you, cleave unto him : for the accomplished in due season. Lord Almighty is God alone,

25 And none may say, What and beside him there is no other is this? wherefore is that? for saviour. at time convenient they shall 35 He filleth all things with all be sought out.

SECTION III.-God Allseeing.

men are ever

LESSON VIII.

compassed about with dark

ness, the walls cover me, and Behold, the Lord knoweth all nobody seeth me; what need I the works of men, their imagina- to fear? the Most High will tions, their thoughts, and their not remember my sins. hearts :

12 Such a man only feareth 2 He seeketh out the deep, the eyes of men, and knoweth and the heart, and considereth not that the eyes of the Lord their crafty devices : for the are ten thousand times brighter Lord knoweth all that may be than the sun, beholding all the known, and he beholdeth the ways of men, and considering signs of the world.

the most secret parts. 3 He declareth the things 13 He knew all things ere that are past, and for to come, ever they were created; so also and revealeth the steps of hid- after they were perfected he den things.

looked upon them all. 4 No thought escapeth him, 14 The works of all flesh are neither any word is hidden from before him, and nothing can be him.

hid from his eyes. 5 The ways of

15 He seeth from everlasting before him, and shall not be hid to everlasting; and there is from his eyes.

nothing wonderful before him. 6 All their works are as the 16 The Lord hath exactly sun before him, and his eyes are searched out all your works, continually upon

their

ways. and he will put you all to 7 None of their unrighteous shame. deeds are hid from him, but all 17 And when your sins are their sins are before the Lord. brought forth, ye shall be

8 Butthe Lord being gracious, ashamed before men, and your and knowing his workmanship, own sins shall be your accusers neither left nor forsook them, in that day. but spared them.

18 What will ye do? or 9 The Spiritof Almighty God, how will ye hide your sins which made all things, and before God and his angels ? searcheth out all hidden things 19 Behold, God himself is the in the secrets of the earth, judge, fear him : leave off from

10 Surely he knoweth your your sins, and forget your iniinventions, and what ye think quities, to meddle no more with in your hearts, even them that them for ever : so shall God sin, and would hide their sin. lead you forth, and deliver you

911 The ungodly saith in from all trouble. his heart, Who seeth me? I am

SECTION IV.-God Inscrutable.

un

LESSON IX.

11 Number me the things

that are not yet come, gather The Lord only is righteous, and me together the drops that are there is none other but he; scattered abroad, make me the

2 Who governeth the world flowers green again that are with the palm of his hand, and withered, all things obey his will : for he 12 Open me the places that is the King of all, by his power are closed, and bring me forth dividing holy things from pro- the winds that in them are shut fane.

up, shew me the image of a 3 To whom hath he given voice; and then I will declare power to declare his works ? to thee the thing that thou laand who shall find out his no- bourest to know. ble acts ?

13 And I said, O Lord that 4 Who shall number the bearest rule, who may know strength of his majesty ? and these things, but he that hath who shall also tell out his not his dwelling with men? mercies?

14 As for me, I am 5 As for the wondrous works wise : how may I then speak of

I of the Lord, there may nothing these things whereof thou askbe taken from them, neither est me? may anything be put unto them, 15 Then said he unto me, neither can the ground of them Like as thou canst do none of be found out.

these things that I have spoken 6 Behold the heaven of hea- of, even so canst thou not find vens, the deep, and the earth, out my judgement, or, in the and all that therein is, shall be end, the love that I have promoved when he shall visit. mised unto my people.

7 The mountains also and 16 Then answered I and said, foundations of the earth shall I beseech thee, O Lord, let me be shaken with trembling, when have understanding : the Lord looketh upon them. 17 For it was not my mind

8 No heart can think upon to be curious of the high things, these things worthily: and who but of such as pass by us daily: is able to conceive his ways ? wherefore are our years few and

9 It is a tempest which no evil ? man can see : for the most part 18 For what profit is it for of his works are hid.

men now in this present time 10 Who can declare the to live in heaviness, and after works of his justice? or who death to look for punishment ? can endure them ? for his cove- 19 And he answered me, say: nant is afar off, and the trial of ing, Do not thou hasten above all things is in the end. the Most Highest : for thy haste

me,

is in vain to be above him, for

LESSON X. thou hast much exceeded.

20 The more thou searchest, And the angel that was sent the more thou shalt marvel ; for unto me, whose name was Uriel, the world hasteth fast to pass said, away,

2 Thy heart hath gone too 21 And cannot comprehend far in this world, and thinkest the things that are promised to thou to comprehend the way of the righteous in time to come : the Most High? for this world is full of un- 3 Then said I, Yea, my lord. righteousness and infirmities. And he answered and said,

22 This present life is not I am sent to shew thee three the end where much glory doth ways, and to set forth three abide;

similitudes before thee: 23 But the day of doom 4 Wherefore if thou canst shall be the end of this time, declare me one, I will shew and the beginning of the im- thee also the way that thou mortality for to come, wherein desirest to see, and I shall shew corruption is past,

thee from whence the wicked 24 Intemperance is at an end, heart cometh. infidelity is cut off, righteous- 5 And I said, Tell on, my ness is grown, and truth is lord. Then said he unto me, sprung up.

Go thy way, weigh me the 25 For evil shall be put out, weight of the fire, or measure and deceit shall be quenched. me the blast of the wind, or call

26 As for faith, it shall flou- me again the day that is past. rish; corruption shall be over- 6 Then answered I and said, come; and the truth, which hath What man is able to do that; been so long without fruit, shall that thou shouldest ask such be declared.

things of me? 927 And now renounce cor- 7 And he said unto me, If I ruption, let

go

from thee mortal should ask thee how great thoughts, cast away the bur- dwellings are in the midst of dens of man, put off the weak the sea, cr how many springs nature,

are in the beginning of the deep, 28 And set aside the thoughts or how many springs are above that are most heavy unto thee; the firmament, or which are

29 And seek not to bind the the outgoings of paradise : counsels of the Lord : for God 8 Peradventurethou wouldest is not as man, that he may be say unto me, I never went down threatened; neither is he as into the deep, nor as yet into the son of man, that he should hell, neither did I ever climb be wavering.

up into heaven. 30 As the will of God is in 9 Nevertheless now have I heaven, so let him do.

asked thee but only of the fire and wind, and of the day where