And to those that remember his com

mandments to do them.-Psa. ciii. 14-18.

XXX. A universal call to bless the
Lord.

The LORD hath prepared his throne in the heavens ;

And his kingdom ruleth over all. 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 plea

sure.

Bless the LORD, all his works

In all places of his dominion:

Bless the LORD, O my soul.*—Psa. ciii. 19-22.

* See note on ver. 1, Subject xxvii.

XXXI. The foolish rich man.

And he [Christ]spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully: and he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.*-Luke xii. 16-21.

*With respect to God.

XXXII. Trust in God for food and
clothing.

And he [Christ] said unto his disciples, Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall put on. The life is more than meat, and the body is more than raiment. Consider the ravens for they neither sow nor reap; which neither have storehouse nor barn; and God feedeth them: how much more are ye better than the fowls?

And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest?

Consider the lilies how they grow: they toil not, they spin not; and

yet I say unto you, that Solomon

in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. If then God so clothe

* Anxious, foreboding thought.

the grass, which is to-day in the field, and to-morrow is cast into the oven;* how much more will he clothe you, 0 ye of little faith ?—Luke xii. 22-28.

* Dried grass was used to heat ovens.

XXXIII. Parable of the lost sheep.

Then drew near unto him [Christ] all the publicans* and sinners for to hear him. And the Pharisees and Scribes murmured, saying, This man receiveth sinners, and eateth with them. And he spake this parable unto them, saying, What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness,+ and go after that which is lost, until he find it? And when he hath found it, he layeth it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he cometh home,

* Roman tax-gatherers, who were oppressive and much hated. The land where the sheep fed.

he calleth together his friends and neighbours, saying unto them, Rejoice with me; for I have found my sheep which was lost.

I say unto you, that likewise joy

shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance.*-Luke xv. 1-7.

* Who have already repented.

XXXIV. The parable of the Pharisee and the Publican.

[The Pharisee was in the court of the Israelites, the Publican in that of the Gentiles.]

And he [Christ] spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am