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and contented, less conformed to this world, and habitually preparing my. self for another and a better.

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there is none else. Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever. Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sun rising; that the slayer might flee thither, which should kill his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in times past; and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live: namely, Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, of the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, of the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, of the Manassites. And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel: these are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses spake unto the children of Israel, after they came forth out of Egypt, on this side Jordan, in the valley over against Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote, after they were come forth out of Egypt: and they possessed his land, and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, which were on this side Jordan toward the sun rising; from Aroer, which is by the bank of the river Arnon, even unto mount Sion, which is Hermon, and all the plain on this side Jordan eastward, even unto the sea of the plain, under the springs of Pisgah.

40 O God! give the and my family grace to obey. Pardon also the imperfection of our obedience.

To whatever trials Thou mayest call us, O God! grant to me and to those near and dear to me in life, that we may daily serve Thee, better and better; for Thou art ever present, "God in heaven above and in the earth beneath." So may we trust to dwell together at last in thy holy presence, where our rest shall never be disturbed, our services have no weariness, and our songs of praise know no end.

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EVENING. DEUTERONOMY V.

1 AND Moses called all Israel, and said unto them, Hear, O Israel, the statutes and judgments which I speak in your ears this day, that ye may learn them, and keep, and do them. The LORD our God made a covenant with us in Horeb. The LORD made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us, even us, who

1 It is the part of true wisdom, again and again to meditate upon the commandments of God, that we

may fix them more and more firmly in our hearts-learn their value, and heed their authority.

are all of us here alive this day. The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire, (I stood between the LORD and you at that time, to shew you the word of the LORD: for ye were afraid by reason of the fire, and went not up into the mount ;) saying, I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. Thou shalt have none other gods before me. Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me, and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain : for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain. Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee. Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ass, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou. And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to keep the sabbath day. Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee. Thou shalt not kill. Neither shalt thou commit adultery. Neither shalt thou steal. Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour. Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ass, or any thing that is thy neighbour's. These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out

12 Happy and wise Christian, who in this the house of God, art now sanctifying his Sabbath! Shall not his blessing go with thee?

22

22 When I hear these words read

by the minister, let me remember that it is not man, but God, who speaks to the assembled congrega

tion.

of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me. And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders; and ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth. Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any more, then we shall die. For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived? Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it. 28 And the LORD heard the voice of your words, when ye spake unto me; and the LORD said unto me, I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken unto thee: they have well said all that they 29 It would have been happy "for have spoken. "O that there 29 O that there them and for their children," had were such an heart in them, always, and not have laid aside the they retained this reverential fear that they would fear me, and feeling, when the occasion which keep all my commandments called it forth had passed away. Let always, that it might be well devotion be not an act only, buta habit. with them, and with their children for ever! Go say to them, Get you into your tents again. But as for thee, stand thou here by me, and I will speak unto thee all the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which thou shalt teach them, that they may do them in the land which I give them to possess it. 32 Ye shall observe to do therefore as the LORD your God hath commanded you ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left. 33 Ye shall walk in all the ways which the LORD your God hath commanded you, that ye may

28 The feeling of solemn reverence which induced the people thus humbly to approach the Almighty rather through the intervention of Moses than face to face, appears to have been highly approved by the Almighty. "They have well said all that they have spoken."

32 There is one only way of rectitude and safety-nor does it allow us to turn aside to the right hand or to the left" even the straight and narrow way" of religion, "which leadeth unto life eternal.”

33 May we all have grace to walk in that living way; that "it may be well with us, and that we may prolong our days" in the promised land of heavenly rest "for ever."

live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.

The fourth Sunday after Easter.

MORNING. DEUTERONOMY Vi.

The first duty of the head of every family is to lead each individual in it to the knowledge and practice of the law of God.

son,

thy

and thy son's son, all the days may be prolonged.

It is indeed "well with those," rich or poor, learned or unlearned, who hear the word, and "observe to do it."

Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it: that thou mightest fear the LORD thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments, which I command thee, thou, and thy days of thy life; and that 'Hear therefore, O Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with thee, and that ye may increase mightily, as the LORD God of thy fathers hath promised thee, in the land that floweth with milk and honey. Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD: and thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: and thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between 9 A religious principle must pervade thine eyes. And thou shalt our whole conduct, if we would be write them upon the posts of good and happy. thy house, and on thy gates. And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not, and houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full; 12 then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from

12 Prosperity is so apt to drive holy thoughts from the mind, that we may well adopt the striking supplication in our Litany-"in all time of our wealth, good Lord, deliver us."

the house of bondage. Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name. Ye shall not go

And

after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; (for the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth. Ye shall not tempt the LORD your God, as ye tempted him in Massah. 17 Ye shall diligently keep the 17 A Christian life is no idle life. commandments of the LORD It requires diligence, watchfulness, your God, and his testimo- zeal, patience, longsuffering. nies, and his statutes, which he hath commanded thee. thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the LORD that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to cast out all thine enemies from before thee, as the LORD hath spoken. And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD our God hath commanded you? Then thou shalt say unto thy son, We were Pharaoh's bondmen in Egypt; and the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand: 22 and the LORD shewed signs and wonders, great and sore, upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his houshold, before our eyes: and he brought us out from thence, that he might bring he sware unto our fathers. And the LORD commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear the LORD our God, for our good always, that he might preserve us alive, as

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22 If the Israelites found motive

for grateful obedience when delivered by the hand of Moses, what livelier gratitude, what more ready obedience, should toe show, delivered by a greater than Moses! us in, to give us the land which

always-in sickness and in health, 24 Of a truth, it is for our good

in life and in death-to do these statutes, and observe these laws. Sin brings misery even in this life; but righteousness, peace.

it is at this day. And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.

EVENING. DEUTERONOMY vii.

WHEN the LORD thy God shall bring thee into the land whither thou goest to possess it, and hath cast out many nations before thee, the Hittites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Canaanites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites, seven nations greater and mightier

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