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'Lord, thou deliveredst unto me five talents: behold, I have gained beside them five more. His lord said unto him, 'Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord.'

"He also that had received two talents came and said, 'Lord, thou deliveredst unto me two talents: behold, I have gained two other talents beside them.' His lord said unto him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler ever many things: enter thou into the joy of thy Lord."

"Then he which had received the one talent came and said, 'Lord, I knew thee that thou art an hard man, reaping where thou hast not sown, and gathering where thou hast not strawed and I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine.' His lord answered and said unto him, 'Thou wicked and slothful servant; out of thine own mouth will I judge thee. "Thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury.' And he said unto them that stood by, Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance : but from him that hath not shall be taken away

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even that which he hath. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

1 Luke xix, 12, 13.

4 Matt. xxv, 20-26.

2 Matt. xxv, 14-19. 5 Luke xix, 22.

7 Luke xix, 24. 8 Matt. XXV, 28-30.

3 Luke xix, 15. 6 Matt. xxv, 26, 27.

The only path of safety.

"Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived. There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. If any man seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God, for it is written, 'He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.' And again, 'The Lord knoweth the thoughts of the wise, that they are vain.'

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4Jesus said: 'I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved. Seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: for he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.—I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. "Enter ᎩᎾ in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat; because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. He that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.'

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9"These words are true and faithful: 10 neither is there salvation in any other; for there is none

other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. "To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name, whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. 12 But let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity."

1 Deut. xi, 16. 2 Prov. xiv, 12. 31 Cor. iii, 18-20. 4 John x, 7, 9. 6 John xiv, 6. 7 Matt. vii, 13, 14. 8 John xi, 25, 26. 10 Acts iv, 12. 11 Acts x, 43. 12 2 Tim. ii, 19.

5 Matt. vii, 7, 8. 9 Rev. xxi, 5.

Chapter Twenty-ninth.

THE SINNER SORROWFUL.

Advice to the unconverted in affliction. 1"SORROW is better than laughter: for by the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better. It is better to go to the house of mourning, than to go to the house of feasting: for that is the end of all men; and the living will lay it to his heart.-The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning; but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of. Surely it is meet to be said unto God, 'I have borne chastisement, I will not offend any more. That which I see not teach thou me if I have done iniquity, I will do no more.'

"In the day of prosperity be joyful, but in the day of adversity consider: God also hath set the one over against the other, to the end that man should find nothing after him.-Say not thou, 'What is the cause that the former days were better than these? wherefore hath the Lord pronounced all this great evil against us? or what is our iniquity? or what is our sin that we have committed against the Lord our God?' for thou dost not enquire wisely concerning this.

God will not lay upon man more

than right. When he giveth quietness, who then can make trouble? and when he hideth his face, who then can behold him? whether it be done against a nation, or against a man only.

8"God distributeth sorrows in his anger. He saith, 10 If ye forsake my law, and walk not in my judgments; if ye break my statutes, and keep not my commandments; then will I visit your transgression with the rod, and your iniquity with stripes. Nevertheless my lovingkindness will I not utterly take from you, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail.'-"Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. The Lord will not cast off for ever: but though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion, according to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.

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12 Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh who corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord. Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous; nevertheless, afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby. Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down,

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