There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots:

And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord; And shall make him of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord: and he shall not judge after the sight of his eyes, neither reprove after the hearing of his ears:

But with righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth: and he shall smite the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked.

And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins.1

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

2

The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.

And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.

They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.

And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek and his rest shall be glorious.

X. CHRIST WILL REIGN FOREVER AS PRINCE

OF PEACE.

Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness unto the king's son.

(1) Isa. 11: 1-5. (2) Isa. 2: 4. (3) Isa. 11: 6, 7, 9, 10.

He shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judgment.

The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the little hills, by righteousness.

He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy.

They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations.

He shall come down like rain upon the mown grass: as showers that water the earth.

In his days shall the righteous flourish; and abundance of peace so long as the moon endureth.

He shall have dominion also from sea to sea, and from the river unto the ends of the earth.

They that dwell in the wilderness shall bow before him; and his enemies shall lick the dust.

The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

For he shall deliver the needy when he crieth; the poor also, and him that hath no helper.

He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy.

He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence: and precious shall their blood be in his sight.

And he shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba: prayer also shall be made for him continually; and daily shall he be praised.

His name shall endure for ever: his name shall be continued as long as the sun and men shall be blessed in him: all nations shall call him blessed.

Blessed be the Lord God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things.

And blessed be his glorious name for ever: and let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen, and Amen.1

(1) Ps. 72: 1-15, 17-19.

XI. THE CHRISTIAN IS AN HONEST MAN.

Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill?

He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart.

He that backbiteth not with his tongue, nor doeth evil to his neighbour, nor taketh up a reproach against his neighbour.

In whose eyes a vile person is contemned; but he honoureth them that fear the Lord. He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

He that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. He that doeth these things shall never be moved.1

Withhold not good from them to whom it is due, when it is in the power of thine hand to do it.

Say not unto thy neighbour, Go, and come again, and to morrow I will give; when thou hast it by thee."

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

O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth ?4

Provide things honest in the sight of all men. 5

Render therefore to all their dues: tribute to whom tribute is due; custom to whom custom; fear to whom fear; honour to whom honour.

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law."

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another."

He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil; He shall dwell on high; his place of defence shall be the

(1) Ps. 15: 1-5. (2) Prov. 3: 27, 28. (3) Lev. 19: 13. (4) Jer. 5: 3. (5) Rom. 12: 17. (6) Rom. 13: 7, 8. (7) Eph. 4: 25.

munitions of rocks: bread shall be given him; his waters shall be sure.1

XII. GOD LOVES TRUTH IN WORD AND DEED.

I hate and abhor lying: but thy law do I love.2

Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord deceitfully.3

Thou shalt not remove thy neighbour's landmark, which they of old time have set in thine inheritance, which thou shalt inherit in the land that the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it. 4

Samuel's Honesty.

Behold, here I am: witness against me before the Lord, and before his anointed: whose ox have I taken? or whose ass have I taken? or whom have I defrauded? whom have I oppressed? or of whose hand have I received any bribe to blind mine eyes therewith? and I will restore it you.

And they said, Thou hast not defrauded us, nor oppressed us, neither hast thou taken aught of any man's hand.5 The Honest Judge.

And he set judges in the land throughout all the fenced cities of Judah, city by city,

And said to the judges, Take heed what ye do: for ye judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with you in the judgment.

Wherefore now let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take heed and do it: for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, nor respect of persons, nor taking of gifts."

The Honest Treasurer.

Moreover they reckoned not with the men, into whose hand they delivered the money to be bestowed on workmen for they dealt faithfully."

The Dishonest Legislator.

Woe unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed;

(1) Isa. 33: 15, 16.

(5) I. Sam. 12: 3, 4.

(2) Ps. 119: 163. (3) Jer. 48: 10. (4) Deut. 19: 14. (6) II. Chron. 19: 5-7. (7) II. Ki. 12: 15.

To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless !1

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter !2

These are the things that ye shall do; Speak ye every man the truth to his neighbour; execute the judgment of truth and peace in your gates.3

This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth for every one that stealeth shall be cut off.

For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 5

XIII. TWO GIFTS OF THE LORD TO HIS CHILDREN.

Contentment.

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit

drieth the bones.

For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content."

But godliness with contentment is great gain.

For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out.

And having food and raiment, let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Joy.

Finally, my brethren, rejoice in the Lord."

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.10

(1) Isa. 10: 1, 2. (2) Isa. 5: 20. (3) Zech. 8: 16. Thess. 3: 10. (6) Prov. 17:22. (7) Phil. 4: 11. (8) 3: 1. (10) I. Pet. 1: 8.

(4) Zech. 5: 3. (5) II. I. Tim. 6: 6-9. (9) Phil.