April 14

1 I waited patiently for the LORD; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry. 2 He brought me up also out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my gongs. 3 And he hath put a new song in my mouth, even praise unto our God: many shall see it, and fear, and shall trust in the LORD. 4 Blessed is that man that makes the LORD his trust, and respecteth not the proud, nor such as turn aside to lies. 5 Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to usward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered. 6 Sacrifice and offering thou doth not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering hast thou not required. 7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me. 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. 9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest.

10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy loving kindness and thy truth from the great congregation. 11 Withhold not thou thy tender mercies from me, O LORD; let thy lovingkindness and thy truth continually preserve me. 12 For innumerable evils have compassed me about: mine iniquities have taken hold upon me, so that I am not able to look up; they are more than the hairs of mine head: therefore my heart laileth me. 13 He pleased, O LORD, to deliver me: O LORD, make haste to help me. 14 Let them be ashamed and confounded together that seek after my soul to destroy it; let them be driven backward and put to shame that wish me evil. 15 Let them be desolate for a reward of their shame that say unto me, Aha, aha. 16 Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified. 17 But I am poor and needy; yet the Lord thinketh upon me: thou art my help and my deliverer; make no tarrying, O my God.

In this Psalm David speaks as the anointed servant of the Lord. Some of his words apply in a peculiar sense to himself; they are suitable to some occasion after his repentance. The 6th, 7th and 8th verses contain a remarkable prophecy of the incarnation and sacrificial offering of Jesus Christ. The apostle in Heb. x. 5-9, puts all conjecture out of court, and confines the meaning to Him who came into the world to do the Father's will.

In verses 1-3, we have, "1st. Before Conversion. In the pit, dark, miry, helpless. I waited—I cried. I had nothing but need, wretchedness, and a cry. God asks no more—poverty, purpose and prayer—these recommend me to His mercy. 2d. In Conversion. 'He inclined,'—was listening for my cry. 'He heard me.' 'He brought me up' from darkness to light. The relief was radical—a complete answer to my cry, and the complement of my need. . . . 3d. After Conversion. A rock experience. He did it. Out from miry uncertainty to rock-assurance. He established my gongs. My heart is all aglow with joy. His Spirit has begun the new life within me, and given me occasion for new praises—a new song, not the silence of policy or fear."—John Parker.

Closet Promise.—We joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ.— Rom. v. 11.

"Joy supreme, untold by mortals, Joy unspeakable, divine! Him to know my perfect Saviour;

In His righteousness to shine; Here to have His blessed mind, Perfect rest in Him to find."

THE CHILDREN'S CORNER.

Breakfast Motto.—O taste and see that the Lord is good.—Psalm xxxiv. 8.

Weekly Proverb.—Make haste slowly.—Poor Richard.

DAILY BIBLE READING.—ALL ABOUT HANDS.

Sunday.—Disobedient Hands.—Gen iii. 1-24.

Monday.—Jeroboam's Idol making Hands.—1 Kings xii. 25-33; xiii. 1-10.

Tuesday.—Sabbath-breaking Hands.—Neh. xiii. 15-22.

Wednesday.—Herod's Murderous Hands.—Matt. ii. 1-23.

Thursday.—Paul's Persecuting Hands.—Acts xxvi. 1-32.

Friday.—Clean Hands.—Psalm xxiv. 1-10.

Saturday.—Jesus' Hands.—Matt. viii. 3; Mark viii. 22-26; John xx. 19-31; Luke xxiv. 50.

HAWKS OR DOVES?

| If words Were birds, And swiftly few From tips Of lips Owned, dear, by you; Would they, To-day, Be hawks and crows? Or blue, And true, And sweet? Who knows? | Let's play To-day We choose the best; Birds blue And true, With dove-like breast! 'Tis queer, My dear, We never knew That words, Like birds, Had wings and flew!—Selected. | | --- | --- |

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men.—Gal vi. 10.

In our last talk I told you about helping the poor. But we must not stop with that; we must "do good unto all men." One way of doing good is to keep others from doing wrong. Emma Gray, on her way to school, passed a little boy whose hand was through the railings of a gentleman's front yard, trying to pick a flower. "O little boy!" said Emma, kindly. "Are you not taking that without leave?" "Nobody sees me," said the boy. "Somebody sees you from the blue sky," answered Emma. "God says we must not take what does not belong to us without leave, and you will grieve Him if you do so." "Shall I?" said he; "then I won't." He drew back his hand and went away. You see, Emma did a good thing that day. There was a father once who was very profane. His little girl always cried and shunned him when he came about. One day her mother asked her the reason, and she said, "I heard papa swear." What a rebuke that was to her father! And it caused him to resolve that she should never hear "papa swear" again. So you see, children, one way to do good is to prevent others from doing wrong.

RETURN HOME AFTER THE FIRST VOYAGE.

This is a picture of a young sailor who has just gotten home from his first voyage. He is seated at the table, in the midst of his family, telling of the adventures of his journey, which are still fresh in his memory. Just notice how interested all are in what he is saying. I judge it must be something very funny, for they seem to be laughing very heartily. No doubt he has brought with him many nice things which he has collected here and there. One little child, seated in the left corner of the picture, has a shell; she is listening to the strange sounds in it, which are just like the murmur of the sea.

Have you ever taken a long journey away from home? Do you remember how nice it was to get back home again? How glad all were to see you—even the girl in the kitchen; even the cat, and the bird; everybody and everything. And how fresh and new everything about home seemed to you! Why even your old doll or worn-out riding-horse were like new ones to you, now that you were glad to play with them again.

Then, have you ever had your papa or mamma go away and stay a long while? How you longed for the day when they would return! You could hardly wait. You were expecting nice presents, and candies and lots of other things; but best of all, you did so want to see your parents once more. You did not know how much you loved them until you missed them from the home.

Dear children, we cannot love our homes too dearly. We should do all we can to make them happy places. Samuel Woodworth wrote:

How dear to this heart are the scenes of my childhood, When fond recollection recalls them to view:— The orchard, the meadow, the deep tangled wildwood, And every love spot which my infancy knew.

SIXTEENTH WEEK.

PEARL TEXT.—Better is a little with righteousness than great revenues without right.—Prov. xvi. 8.

Who is the home a man? He that doth still and strongly good pursue, To God, his neighbor and himself must true, Whom neither force nor fawning can Unpun, or wrench from giving all their due;

Who never melts or thaws At close temptations; when the day is done, His goodness sets not, but in dark can run; The sun to others wretch laws, And is their virtue: Virtue is his sun. —George Herbert.

Follow thou righteousness: the rest shall follow thee.—Thomas Adams.

The Holy Ghost must shine upon your graces or you will not be able to see them, and your good works must shine upon your faith or your neighbors will not be able to see it.—De Sales.

Do right and, although your neighbors may scorn and avoid you to-day, in the end you will find the whole world, nature, and God, on your side. Truth is the central sun of the universe. Be truth yourself.—Sel.

HELPS FOR THE DEVOTIONAL HOUR.