INTRODUCTION

TO THE

NATIONAL READER.

LESSON I.

Select Sentences.-THE PSALMS.

1. COME, ye child'ren, hear'ken' unto me: I will teach you the fear of the LORD.

2. What man is he that desireth' life, and loveth many days that he may see good?

3. Keep thy tongue from evil, and thy lips from speaking guile.

it.

4. Depart from evil, and do good: seek peace and pursue

5. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits.

6. He forgiveth

disea'ses®.

7. The LORD

thine ini'quities", he healeth all thy

mer'ciful and gracious, slow to anger, and

plĕn'teous in arcy.

8. Like as a father pitieth his child'ren, so the LORD pitieth them that fear him.

9. For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.

10. As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flour'isheth".

11. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.

12. But the mercy of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting, upon them that fear him, and to those that remember his commandments to do them.

13. Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised: his greatness is unsearch'able.

14. The LORD is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.

15. All thy works praise thee, O LORD, and thy saints shall bless thee.

16. The eyes of all look unto thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season.

17. Thou openest' thy hand, and sat'isfiest the desire of every living thing.

18. The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.

19. The LORD preserv'eth all them that love him; but all the wicked will he destroy.

20. My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD; and let all flesh bless his holy name, forever and ever.

LESSON II.

Filial Piety recommended.-ECCLESIAS'TICUS.

1. HEAR me, your father, O children, and do thereafter, that ye may be safe.

2. For the LORD hath given the father hon'our2 over the children, and hath confirmed the authority of the mother over the sons.

3. Whoso hon'oureth his father maketh atonement for his sins; and he that honoureth his mother is as one that layeth up treasure.

4. Whoso honoureth his father shall have joy of his own children, and when he maketh his prayer, he shall be heard.

5. He that honoureth his father shall have a long life; and he that is obedient unto the LORD shall be a comfort to his mother.

6. He that feareth the LORD will honour his father, and will do service unto his parents, as to his masters.

7. Honour thy father and mother, both in word and deed, that a blessing may come upon thee from them.

1 Pron. d-p❜n-est. 2 Ŏn-or. 3 kon-ferm'd. 4 müth-er.

6 hĕrd

8. For the blessing of a father estab'lisheth the houses of children, but the curse of a mother rooteth out founda'tions. 9. Glory not in the dishonour' of thy father, for thy father's dishonour is no glory unto thee.

10. For the glory of a man is from the honour of his father, and a mother in dis'honour is a reproach to the children.

11. My son, help thy father in his age, and grieve him not as long as he liveth.

12. And if his understanding fail, have patience with hiu nd despise3 him not when thou art in thy full strength. 13. For the relieving of thy father shall not be forgotten, and it shall be added to build thee

up.

14. He that forsak'eth his father is a blasphemer, and he that angereth his mother is curs'ed of God.

15. Honour thy father with thy whole heart, and forget not the sorrows of thy mother. How canst thou recompense them the things that they have done for thee?

LESSON III.

Select moral Sentences.- THE SAME.

1. BE as a father unto the fatherless, and instead of a husband unto their mother; so shalt thou be as a son of the Most High, and he shall love thee more than thy mother doth".

2. In no wise speak against the truth, but strive for it unto death, and the LORD shall fight for thee.

3. Set not thy heart upon goods unjustly gotten, for they shall not profit thee in the day of thy calamity.

4. My son, gather instruction from thy youth up; so shalt thou find wisdom till thine old age.

5. If thou love to hear, thou shalt receive understanding; and if thou wilt bow down thine ear, thou shalt be wise. 6. If thou seěst a man of understanding, get thee betimes unto him, and let thy foot wear the steps of his door1o.

7. Use not to make any manner of lie; for the custom thereof is not good. Devise" not a lie against' thy brother," neither do the like unto thy friend13.

8. Fail not to be with them that weep, and mourn with

>tron. diz-on'-or. düth. 8 ǎ-genst'.

2 på-shense.
9 hart. 10 dōre

3 de-spize.
11 de-vize'

4 hōle. 5 dun.

12 bruth-er.

6 in-sted'. 13 frend.

them that mourn.

Be not slow to visit the sick, for that shall

make thee to be beloved.1

9. Reproach not a man that turneth from sin, but remember that we are all worthy of punishment.

10. Dishonour not a man in his old age, for even some3 of

us wax

11. Travel not by the way with a bold fellow, lest he be come grievous to thee; for he will do according to his own will, and thou shalt per'ish with him through his folly.

12. Strive not with an angry man, and go not with him into a solitary place; for blood is as nothing in his sight, and when there is no help he will overthrow thee.

13. Delight not in the thing that the ungodly have pleas'ure in; but remember they shall not go unpunished unto their grave.

14. Blame not before thou hast examined the matter: understand first, and then rebuke.

15. As, of the green leaves on a thick tree, some fall and some grow, so is the generátion of flesh and blood; one' cometh to an end, and another is born.

16. A labouring man, that is given to drunkenness, shall not be rich; and he that contemneth small things shall fall, little by little.

17. Rehearse' not unto another that which is told unto thee, and thou shalt fare never the worse. If thou hast heard a word, let it die with thee; and be bold, it will not burst thee.

18. A wise man will hold his tongue till he see opportu'nity, but a babbler and a fool will regard no time.

19. He that hath small understanding, and feareth God, is etter than one that hath much wisdom, and transgresseth .he law of the Most High.

LESSON IV.

Select moral Sentences.- THE SAME.

1. A LIE is a foul blot in a man, yet it is continually in the mouth of the untaught.

2. A thief is better than a man that is accus'tomed to lie; but they both shall have destruction as an inheritance.

1 Pron. bê-lŭv-eu. 2 wur-the. 3 6 eg-zani'-in'd.

sum.
wun.

4 threw.
8 un-tawt.

б plěz-ure.

3. My son, hast thou sinned? Do so no more, but ask pardon for thy former sins.

4. Flee from sin as from the face of a ser'pent; for if thou comest too near it, it will bite thee.

5. A fool lifteth up his voice with laugh'ter', but a wise man doth scarce smile a little.

6. Forgive thy neighbour the hurt that he hath done unto thee; so shall thy sins also be forgiven when thou prayest.

7. Have thou patience with a man in poor estate, and delay not to show him měr'cy. Help the poor for the commandment's sake, and turn him not away because of his poverty.

8. Suretiship3 hath undone many of good estate, and shaken them as a wave of the sea: mighty men hath it driven from their houses, so that they wandered among strange nations.

9. A horse not broken becometh head'strong, and a child left to himself will be wilful.

10. Eat, as it becometh a man, those things which are set before thee. When thou sittest among many, reach not thy hand out first of all. Leave off first for manners' sake; and be not unsatiable, lest thou offend.

11. Speak, young man, if there be need of thee, but let thy speech be short, comprehend'ing much in few words: be as one that knoweth, and yet holdeth his tongue.

12. If thou be among great men, make not thyself equal with them; and when an'cient men are in place, use not many words.

13. If thou have a servant, entreat him as a broth'er, for thou hast need of him as of thine own soul: if thou entreat him evil, and he run from thee, which way wilt thou go to seek him?

14. He that washeth himself after the touching of a de. 1 body, if he touch it again, what avail'eth bis washing? So it is with a man that fasteth for his sins, and goeth again and doeth the same.

15. Be not unsa'tiable in any dainty thing, nor too greedy upon meats; for excess' of meats bringeth sickness, and by sur'feiting have many perished.

16. The goods of the unjust shall be dried up like a river, they shall vanish with noise like great thunder in rain. 17. All the works of the LORD are exceeding good. A 2 nä-bur. 3 shūre-ty-ship. 4 un-să'-she-able.

Pron, laf-ter.