Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven.

Yea, the Lord shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase.

Righteousness shall go before him, and shall keep her steps in the way.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisi ble, the only wise God,

Be honor and glory, through Jesus Christ, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE TWENTY-THIRD SELECTION.

his

(Psalm 107.)

PUBLIC THANKSGIVING.

O, GIVE thanks unto the Lord, for he is good: for mercy endureth for ever.

Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy;

And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, from the north, and from the south.

They wandered in the wilderness in a solitary way; they found no city to dwell in.

Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. Then they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them out of their distresses.

And he led them forth by the right way, that they might go to a city of habitation.

O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

For he satisfieth the thirsty soul, and filleth the hungry soul with good.

He hath broken the gates of brass, and cut the bars of iron in sunder.

O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the chi'dren of men!

And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

They that go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters;

These see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep.

For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, which litteth up the waves thereof.

They mount up to the heaven, they go down again to the depths; their soul is melted because of trouble.

Then they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their distresses.

He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

Then are they glad because they are quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven.

O that men would praise the Lord for his good

ness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

Let them exalt him also in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.

He turneth rivers into a wilderness, and the water springs into dry ground;

A fruitful land into barrenness, for the wickedness of them that dwell therein.

He turneth the wilderness into a standing water, and dry ground into water-springs.

And there he maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city for habitation;

And sow the fields, and plant vineyards, which may yield fruits of increase.

The righteous shall see it, and rejoice: and all iniquity shall stop her mouth.

Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the loving-kindness of the Lord.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, and invisible, the only wise God,

Be honor and glory, through Jesus Christ, for ever and ever. Amen.

THE TWENTY-FOURTH SELECTION

(Psalms 39 and 90.)

FRAILTY OF HUMAN LIFE.

LORD, make me to know mine end, and the measure of my days, what it is; that I may know how frail I am.

Behold, thou hast made my days as an hand... breadth; and mine age is as nothing before thee: verily every man at his best state is altogether vanity.

Surely every man walketh like a shadow: surely he disquieteth himself in vain: he heapeth up riches, and knoweth not who shall gather them.

What then, O Lord, is my hope? my hope is in thee.

Deliver me from all my unrighteousness: make me not the reproach of the impious.

I am dumb, I open not my mouth; because thou hast done it.

Remove thy stroke away from me: I perish by the blow of thine hand.

When thou with rebukes dost correct man for iniquity, thou consumest his beauty like a moth: surely every man is vanity.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, and give ear unto my cry; hold not thy peace at my tears: for I am a stranger with thee and a sojourner, as all my fathers

were.

O, spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go hence, and be no more.

LORD, thou hast been our refuge in all generations.

Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.

Thou turnest man to destruction; and sayest, Return, ye children of men.

For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.

Thou carriest him away as with a flood; he is as a dream; he is like grass which groweth up in the morning.

In the morning it flourisheth and groweth up; in the evening it is cut down, and withereth.

Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret sins in the light of thy countenance.

The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their pride weariness and sorrow; for it swiftly vanisheth, and we fly away.

So teach us to number our days, that we may ap ply our hearts unto wisdom.

Return to us, O Lord, and let it repent thee concerning thy servants.

O, satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days.