acts praise him according to his excellent greatness. 13 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High. 1466 "Bless the Lord, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless his holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies. "Bless the Lord, ye his angels, that excel in strength, that do his commandments, hearkening unto the voice of his word. Bless ye the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. Bless the Lord, all his works in all places of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul. 15 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord." 1 Ps. xcv, 6, 7. 2 Ps. cvii, 8, 9. 3 Ps. cxxvi, 3. 5 Ps. cxlv, 9. 9 Neh. ix, 5. 13 Ps. 1, 14. PRAISE. 6 Ps. cxlvii, 5, 8, 9. 10 Ps. cxlvii, 1, 7. Ps. cxlvi, 8, 9. & Ps. "O Lord our 4 Ps. xxxiii, i. cxxxvi, 23, 24. 12 Ps. cl, 1, 2. Lord, how excellent who hast set thy When I consider is thy name in all the earth! glory above the heavens. thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; what is man that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man that thou visitest him? 2 Blessed be thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. I will sing of thy power; yea, I will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning: for thou hast been my defence and refuge in the day of my trouble. Unto H 4 thee, O my strength, will I sing: for God is my defence, and the God of my mercy. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips: when I remember thee upon my bed, and meditate on thee in the night watches. Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. 566 5"All thy works shall praise thee, O Lord; and thy saints shall bless thee. 6 Unto thee, O God, do we give thanks, unto thee do we give thanks for that thy name is near, thy wondrous works declare. 'Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits; thou crownest the year with thy goodness. It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto thy name, O most High; to shew forth thy loving-kindness in the morning, and thy faithfulness every night. 10 Blessed be thou, Lord God of Israel our Father, for ever and ever. Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as head above all. Both riches and honour come of thee, and thou reignest over all; and in thine hand is power and might; and in thine hand it is to make great, and to give strength unto all. -Now therefore, our God, we thank thee, and praise thy glorious name.' : 1 Ps. viii, 1, 3, 4. 2 Neh. ix, 5. 5 Ps. cxlv, 10. 6 Ps. lxxv, 1. 9 Ps. xcii, 1, 2. 10 1 Chron. xxix, 3 Ps. lix, 16, 17. 7 Ps. lxviii, 19. 10-13. 4 Ps. lxiii, 5-7. 8 Ps. lxv, 11. Chapter Twelfth. THE CHRISTIAN TEMPTED. Exhortation to stedfast vigilance. "BE sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour; whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing, that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world; who are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and with many tears and temptations. 466 But "Let no man say when he is tempted, 'I am tempted of God;' for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man. every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.-5If sinners entice thee, consent thou not; walk not thou in the way with them; refrain thy foot from their path. Refuse and say, 'How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?' 6 8 "Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation. The eternal God is thy refuge; he shall thrust out the enemy from before thee. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 10 Watch ye,-stand fast in the faith,-quit 9 you like men,- -be strong. 11 But let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall." 11 Pet. v, 8, 9. 5 Prov. i, 10, 15. 22 Cor. iv, 8, 9. 3 Acts xx, 19. 8 Deut. xxxiii, 27. 9 Jas. iv, 7. 101 Cor. xvi, 13. 1 4 Jas. i, 13, 14. 7 Matt. xxvi, 41. 111 Cor. x, 12. 2 ILLUSTRATION. Jesus tempted of the devil. "Jesus, being full of the Holy Ghost, was led by the Spirit into the wilderness. And he was there forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts. And in those days he did eat nothing; and when they were ended, he afterward hungered. And the devil said. unto him, 'If thou be the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread.' And Jesus answered him, saying, 'It is written: That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.' Then the devil taketh him up into Jerusalem, the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, and saith unto him; If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down; for it is written: He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.' Jesus said unto him, 'It is written again: Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.' "Again the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; and saith unto him; 'All these things will I give thee, and the glory of them for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it. All shall be thine, "if thou wilt fall down and worship me.' 'And Jesus answered and said unto him, 'Get thee behind me, Satan: for it is written: Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.' "And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season; and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him." 1 Luke iv, 1. 2 Mark i, 13. 3 Luke iv, 2-4. 4 Matt. iv, 4-9. 5 Luke iv, 7. 6 Matt. iv, 9. 7 Luke iv, 8, 13. 8 Matt. iv, 11. Divine strength promised to the weak. "Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat; but the Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations. Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them; for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee; and the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee; fear not, neither be dismayed. For thus saith the Lord: 'My grace is sufficient for thee; for my strength is made perfect in weakness. "In the world ye shall have tribulation; but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world. Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation; and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.' 1 Luke xxii, 31. 52 Cor. xii, 9. 2 2 Pet. ii, 9. 6 John xvi, 33. 8 Deut. xxxi, 6, 8. 4 Is. lii, 3. 8 Rev. iii, 10. |