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T. I will praise thee, O Lord, my God, with all my heart:

P. And I will glorify thy name for ever.

T. For great is thy mercy towards me:

P. And thou hast delivered my soul.

T. Thou, O Lord, art a God full of compassion, and gracious; long-suffering, and plenteous in mercy and truth:

P. Show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation.

T. Thou hast holden me by my right hand : P. Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory.

T. Whom have I in heaven, but thee?

P. And there is none upon earth, that I desire beside thee.

T. My flesh and my heart fail :

P. But God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

T. For lo! they, that are far from thee, shall perish :

P. Thou hast destroyed all them, that go astray from thee.

T. But it is good for me to draw near to God: P. I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works.

T. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good: P. For his mercy endureth for ever.

Π

Then drew near to him all the publicans and sinners, to hear him. And the Pharisees and

Scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them.

And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that, which is lost, till he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home, he calleth together his friends and neighbors, saying unto them, Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep, which was lost. I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.

Or what woman, having ten pieces of silver, if she lose one piece, doth not light a candle, and sweep the house, and seek diligently, till she find it? And when she hath found it, she calleth her friends and her neighbors together, saying, Rejoice with me; for I have found the piece, which I had lost. Likewise, I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God, over one sinner, that repenteth.

Π

OUR FATHER, which art in heaven, &c.

I

GOD, my supporter and my hope,

My help forever near,

Thine arm of mercy held me up,

When sinking in despair.

Thy counsels, Lord, shall guide my feet
Through this dark wilderness;

Thine hand conduct me near thy seat,
To dwell before thy face.

XXII.

I WENT by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; and lo! it was all overgrown with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down.

Then I saw and considered it well; I looked upon it, and received instruction. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one, that traveleth, and thy want as an armed man.

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Teacher. I will sing of the mercies of the Lord for ever:

Pupils. With my mouth will I make known thy faithfulness to all generations.

T. And the heavens shall praise thy wonders, O Lord:

P. Thy faithfulness, also, in the congregation of the saints.

T. For who, in the heaven, can be compared unto the Lord?

P. Who, among the sons of the mighty, can be likened unto the Lord?

T. God is greatly to be feared in the assembly of his saints:

P. And to be had in reverence of all them, that are about him.

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T. O Lord God of hosts, who is a strong Lord, like unto thee?

P. Or to thy faithfulness round about thee?

T. Thou rulest the raging of the sea:

P. When the waves thereof arise, thou stillest them.

T. The heavens are thine, and the earth also is thine :

P. As for the world, and the fullness thereof, thou hast founded them.

T. The north and the south, thou hast created them:

P. Thou hast a mighty arm, and high is thy right

hand.

T. Justice and judgement are the habitation of thy throne:

P. Mercy and truth shall go before thy face.

T. Blessed is the people, that know the joyful sound :

P. They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy

countenance.

T. In thy name shall they rejoice all the day:
P. And in thy righteousness shall they be exalted.
T. For the Lord is our defence:

P. And the Holy One of Israel is our king.
T. O give thanks unto the Lord; for he is good:
P. For his mercy endureth for ever.

I

And he said, A certain man had two sons; and the younger of them said to his father, Father, give

me the portion of goods, that falleth to me: And he divided unto them his living.

And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.

And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine: And he would fain have filled himself with the husks, which the swine did eat; and no man gave unto him.

And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough, and to spare, and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father.

But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

But the father said to his servants, Bring hither the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet; and bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this, my son, was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found: And they began to be merry.

Now his elder son was in the field; and as he

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