October 8

Leviticus xix.—1. And the Lord spake unto Moses, saying.

2. Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy; for I the Lord your God am holy.

3. Ye shall fear every man his mother and his father, and keep my sabbaths: I am the Lord your God.

4. Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God.

5. And, if ye offer a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto the Lord, ye shall offer it at your own will.

9. And, when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest.

10. And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the Lord your God.

11. Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

12. And ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the Lord.

13. Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him: the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning.

14. Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumbling-block before the blind, but shalt fear thy God: I am the Lord.

The laws of Moses, of which only a few specimens are given here, are remarkable for their equity, their kindness, their philanthropy, and for the deep religious motive to which all moral conduct is referred. Not only is oppression forbidden, but love to the stranger is enjoined; not only are fraud, theft, cheating, lying, condemned, but kindness to the poor inculcated; not only are open injuries to a neighbor denounced, but the spirit of malice and ill-will is rebuked. At the same time, one must be absolutely impartial; blessed neither by sympathy for the poor, nor by the favor of the rich. Until obedience, respect for the aged, a considerate regard for the

15. Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment; thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbor.

16. Thou shalt not go up and down as a tale-bearer among thy people; neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbor: I am the Lord.

17. Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart: thou shalt in any wise rebuke thy neighbor, and not suffer sin upon him.

18. Thou shalt not avenge, nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people; but thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord.

32. Thou shalt rise up before the hoary head, and honor the face of the old man, and fear thy God: I am the Lord.

33. And, if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.

34. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.

35. Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in mete-yard, in weight, or in measure.

36. Just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin, shall ye have: I am the Lord your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt.

37. Therefore shall ye observe all my statutes, and all my judgments, and do them: I am the Lord.

infirmities of others, are classed with religious acts; and the services of religion are to be freely and cheerfully rendered. And all these precepts are enforced by the sense of obligation to God. Children who should grow up in the spirit of these laws would make upright, honorable, benevolent men; a community that should govern itself by them would be well-nigh perfect. Were these laws, then, for the Jews alone? They are all summed up for us by Christ in these two commandments: "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and thy neighbor as thyself."

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 65, 89, 118.

Our waiting eyes are unto thee, O Lord! Each morning brings us to thee with new obligations of gratitude for thy loving-kindness in the night-season, and of dependence for the day upon which we enter. We are not worthy of the least of all thy mercies: for we have sinned, O Lord!—we have sinned against thy law, against thy love, against thy very grace in Christ our Saviour. Yet do we hope in thy mercy still, and cast ourselves upon thee alone.

O thou Spirit of truth and holiness! we pray thee to keep us this day from sin. May we be mindful of thy presence as a holy guardianship from wrong! Help us to be true and faithful, just and kind, gentle and loving, pure and holy.

Great Shepherd of Israel, take, we beseech thee, each member of this family, and all that are dear to us, under thy care. Be thou the guide of the young, the staff of the aged, the strength of the burdened, the help of the weak, the joy and deliverer of every one that looketh unto thee.

Bless thy Church in this community with thy reviving grace; visit our land with thy salvation; and fill the whole earth with thy praise.

Finally, we pray thee, bring us to thyself in joy and glory everlasting; bring us to the realization of thy presence, that we may be satisfied with thy likeness. And to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be glory forever. Amen.