March 15

Proverbs i. — 20. Wisdom crieth without; she uttereth her voice in the streets:

21. She crieth in the chief place of concourse, in the openings of the gates: in the city she uttereth her words, saying,

22. How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge?

23. Turn you at my reproof: behold, I will pour out my spirit unto you; I will make known my words unto you.

24. Because I have called, and ye refused; I have stretched out my hand, and no man regarded;

25. But ye have set at nought all my counsel, and would none of my reproof:

26. I also will laugh at your calamity; I will mock when your fear cometh;

27. When your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as a whirlwind; when distress and anguish cometh upon you.

28. Then shall they call upon me, but I will not answer; they shall seek me early, but they shall not find me;

29. For that they hated knowledge, and did not choose the fear of the Lord:

30. They would none of my counsel; they despised all my reproof.

31. Therefore shall they eat of the fruit of their own way, and be filled with their own devices.

32. For the turning-away of the simple shall stay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.

33. But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil.

Psalm lxxxi. — 11. My people would not hearken to my voice; and Israel would none of me.

12. So I gave them up unto their own hearts' lust; and they walked in their own counsels.

13. Oh that my people had hearkened unto me, and Israel had walked in my ways!

14. I should soon have subdued their enemies, and turned my hand against their adversaries.

15. The haters of the Lord should have submitted themselves unto him; but their time should have endured forever.

16. He should have fed them also with the finest of the wheat; and with honey out of the rock should I have satisfied thee.

Wisdom is here the representative of true piety: "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." It is good sense to be virtuous; it is the mark of a sound mind to regulate our lives by the will of God. At the gates of the city, which answered to a modern exchange, where men were gathered together, eager for news and for bargains; to the modern caucus, where men crowded about some leader or officer to make interest for themselves; to the modern saloon, where men sought social pleasure and excitement, — in the midst of scenes and affairs that so engross the multitude of men. Wisdom gives forth her counsels and admonitions, reminding them that there is a higher life, a nobler aim, and warning

them of the disappointment and ruin that await a life of worldliness and sin. Religion is not for Sundays only, but for the every-day life; not for the Church, but for the school, the shop, the factory, the market, the outdoor world of hurry and commotion, the streets and gates of the city. To suffer our daily affairs to cause us to forget God is most unwise.

Terrible are the warnings given to those who neglect this heavenly wisdom; yet these truly picture the experiences of a soul that forsakes God for the world and sin. Observe, too, that the warnings are attended with invitations, entreaties, promises, reaching forth the hand with the offer of safety and peace to whoever will be wise.

APPROPRIATE HYMNS.]

Prayer.

[Nos. 11, 40, 65.

Father of mercies, accept our humble thanksgiving for all the tokens of thy love. We adore thee for thy watchful care over us during the past night, and for the light and the comfort of this morning. For life and health and reason, for thy providential bounty, for our personal and domestic blessings, for all that mingles in the cup of life to make life happy, we offer our grateful praise. Accept our gratitude, and command upon us thy choicest favor. Bestow upon us the wisdom that is from above. Give us heart and courage for the duties of this day. Keep us in our going-out and our coming-in. Preserve us from all danger and evil, from accident and from sudden death. Plentifully endue us with thy grace, that we may walk worthy of our high calling, and in all things adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour. Let not sin have dominion over us; but, perfecting holiness in thy fear, may we attain unto everlasting life and joy!

Ever keep this household in thy love. [Oh, may these children be preserved from all harm, from all evil, from all sin, and made happy in thy love! May they shun the way of folly, and choose the fear of the Lord!]

The blessings which we thus ask for ourselves, let it please thee, O God! to extend to all who are dear to us by the ties of nature and affection. Lift upon them the light of thy countenance, and satisfy them with thy goodness. Hear us when we pray for the good estate of the whole catholic Church. Clothe thy ministers with salvation, and let thy chosen people rejoice. Have pity upon the nations, and fill the world with thy glory. Strengthen the sons of toil, and comfort the children of sorrow. Be thou the Father of the fatherless, the Judge of the widow, and the rest of the weary. We ask these mercies in the name of Jesus Christ, our only Lord and Saviour. Amen.