For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Being justified freely by his grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus:

Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation, through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;

To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. Romans iii. 19-26.

XIV.

THE JOY OF RELIGION.

One hundred and Fifteenth Selection.

The Lord is my Shepherd.

HE LORD is my shepherd; I shall

THE

not want.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil :

For thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies :

Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever. Psalm xxiii. 1-6.

One hundred and Sirteenth Selection:

Strong Son of God, Immortal Love.

WHAT

/HAT shall we then say to these things? If God be for us who can be against us?

He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?

Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifieth. Who is he that condemneth?

It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.

Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

As it is written, For thy sake we are

killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter.

Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,

Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.

Amen.

Romans viii. 31-39; Ephesians iii. 20–21.

One hundred and Seventeenth Selection.

Trials and Consolations.

ANY a time have they afflicted me

MAN

from my youth, may Israel now

say:

Many a time have they afflicted me

from my youth: yet they have not prevailed against me.

The ploughers ploughed upon my back: they made long their furrows.

The LORD is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

Let them all be confounded and turned back that hate Zion.

Let them be as the grass upon the housetops, which withereth afore it groweth up:

Wherewith the mower filleth not his hand; nor he that bindeth sheaves his bosom.

Neither do they which go by say, The blessing of the LORD be upon you: we bless you in the name of the LORD..

When the LORD turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream.

Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing: then said. they among the heathen, The LORD hath done great things for them.

The LORD hath done great things for us; whereof we are glad.