ot leave us, nor forsake us: that he may incline our hearts
unto him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his
statutes, and his judgments, which he commanded our fathers. And let
these my words, wherewith I have made supplication before the LORD, be
nigh unto the LORD our God day and night, that he maintain the cause of
his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall
require: that all the peoples of the earth may know that the LORD, he is
God; there is none else. Let your heart therefore be perfect with the
LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as
at this day. And the king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice
before the LORD.

II. INVITATION.

_From_ ISAIAH.

_Translated 1611--Revised 1885._

Ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no
money; come ye, buy, and eat; yea, come, buy wine and milk without money
and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not
bread? and your labour for that which satisfieth not? hearken diligently
unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself
in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear and your soul shall
live: and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure
mercies of David....

Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is
near: let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his
thoughts: and let him return unto the LORD, and he will have mercy upon
him; and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are
not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as
the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts. For as the rain cometh down
and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the
earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, and giveth seed to the sower
and bread to the eater; so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my
mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that
which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it. For
ye shall go out with joy, and be led forth with peace: the mountains and
the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees
of the field shall clap their hands. Instead of the thorn shall come up
the fir tree, and instead of the brier shall come up the myrtle tree:
and it