IV.

HEAR, ye children, the instruction of a father, and attend to know understanding.

Wisdom is the principal thing: therefore get wisdom. Exalt her, and she shall promote thee: she shall bring thee to honor, when thou dost embrace her. She shall give to thy head an ornament of grace, a crown of glory shall she deliver unto thee.

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Teacher. Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy place?

Pupils. He, that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

T. He, that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbor, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbor.

P. In whose eyes a vile person is contemned: but he honoreth them, that fear the Lord.

T. He, that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent.

P. He, that doeth these things, shall never be moved.

T. Preserve me, O Lord, for in thee do I put my trust.

P. Their sorrows shall be multiplied, that hasten after another God.

T. The Lord is the portion of mine inheritance

P. The lines have fallen to me in pleasant places.

T. I will bless the Lord, who hath given me counsel :

P. I have set the Lord always before me; because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved T. Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in hope:

P. For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell:

T. Neither wilt thou suffer thy Holy One to see corruption.

P. Thou wilt show me the path of life:

T. In thy presence is fullness of joy :

P. & T. At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Π

In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus, answering, said unto him, Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up

straightway out of the water; and lo! the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo! a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. This is he, of whom I said, After me cometh a man, who is preferred before me; for he was before me. And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. And I knew him not; but he, that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on him, the same is he, which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. And I saw and bare record, that this

is the Son of God.

From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon, called Peter, and Andrew, his brother, casting a net into the sea for they were fishers. And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they left their nets and followed him. And when he had gone a little further thence, he saw other two brethren, James, the son of Zebedee, and John, his brother, in a ship with their father, mending their nets. And he called them, and they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him.

And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. And his fame spread throughout all Syria, and there followed him great multitudes of people.

OUR FATHER, which art in heaven, &c.

THY name, Almighty Lord!

Shall sound through distant lands:
Great is thy grace, and sure thy word;
Thy truth forever stands.

Far be thine honor spread,

And long thy praise endure,
Till morning light and evening shade
Shall be exchanged no more.

T

Who, O Lord! when life is o'er,
Shall to heaven's blest mansion soar?
Who, an ever-welcome guest,

In thy holy place shall rest?

He, whose heart thy goodness warms;
He, whose will to thine conforms;
He, who shuns the sinner's road,
Loving those, who love their God.

He, who, thus, with heart unstained,
Treads the path by thee ordained,
He, O God! shall be thy care,
And thy choicest blessings share.

V.

My son, attend to my words; incline thine ear to my sayings: Let them not depart from thine eyes; keep them in the midst of thy heart; for they are life unto those, that find them, and health to all their flesh.

Keep thy heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life. Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established. Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.

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Teacher. The heavens declare the glory of God: Pupils. And the firmament showeth his handywork.

T. Day unto day uttereth speech:

P. And night unto night showeth knowledge.

T. There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.

P. Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their words to the end of the world.

T. The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul:

P. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.

T. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart: