For then shalt thou have thy delight in the Almighty, and shalt lift up thy face unto God. Thou shalt make thy prayer unto Him, and He shall hear thee, and thou shalt pay thy VOWS: Thou shalt also decree a thing, and it shall be established unto thee; and the light shall shine upon thy ways". 2. Such a calm and peaceable &c. If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee: Leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother; and then come and offer thy gift". And, when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any; that your Father also, Which is in Heaven, may forgive you your trespasses°. For if ye forgive men their trespasses; your Heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses P. For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy 9. m Job xxii. 26-28. • Mark xi. 25. "Matt. v. 23, 24. P Matt. vi. 14, 15. q Jam. ii. 3. Then his Lord, after that he had called him, said unto him, O thou wicked servant, I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst me: Shouldest not thou also have had compassion on thy fellow-servant, even as I had pity on thee? And his Lord was wroth, and delivered him to the tormentors, till he should pay all that was due unto him. So likewise shall my Heavenly Father do also unto you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses'. Say not, I will do so to him as he hath done to me; I will render to the man according to his works. But love your enemies: bless them that curse you do good to them that hate you; and pray for them that despitefully use you. and persecute you: That ye may be the children of your Father, which is in Heaven; for He maketh His sun to rise on the evil, and on the good; and sendeth rain on the just, and on the unjust*. Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful". If thou deal thy bread to the hungry; and that thou bring the poor that are cast out, to thy house when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh: Then shall thy light break forth as the morning; and thine health shall spring forth speedily; and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer; thou shalt cry, and He shall say, Here I am *. And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noonday: And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not". Blessed is he that considereth the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble: The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth; and Thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies. The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: Thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness". Thy prayer and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God". Be not faint-hearted when thou makest thy prayer; and neglect not to give alms". For prayer is good with fasting, and alms, and righteousness. It is better to give alms, than to lay up gold". Give alms of thy substance: and when thou givest alms, let not thine eye be envious; neither turn thy face from any poor; and the face of God shall not be turned away from thee". But whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he shall also cry himself, but shall not be heard'. 3. An attentive consideration &c. It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing". For the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence; and the violent take it by force ". Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak i. a Acts x. 4. b Ecclus. vii. 10. c Tob. xii. 8. i Matt. xxvi. 41. Fervent in spirit, serving the Lord *: Continuing instant in prayer '. Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh, receiveth; and he that seeketh, findeth; and to him that knocketh, it shall be opened ". If ye then being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children; how much more shall your Heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him". Thus saith the Lord, Which stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man within him°: 4 I will pour upon the house of David, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications P. upon And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear ". Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with groanings which can * Rom. xii. 11. " Ibid. ver. 13. 1 1 Ibid. ver. 12. m Luke xi. 9, 10. P Ibid. ver. 10. |