Oppression forbidden-Helping the Poor required and encouraged.

them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight.

Lk. 14:21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.

16:25 But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

1 Cor. 1:26 For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are.

Jam. 2:5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

449. Oppression of the poor forbidden.

Ex. 22:21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. 22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.

Dt. 24: 17 Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless, nor take the widow's raiment to pledge. Pr. 14:31 He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoreth him hath mercy on the poor.

22:16 He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want. 22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate.

23:10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless.

450. Requirements and encouragements to help the poor and the afflicted, and to avoid prejudice and partiality.

Lev. 19:9 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

Helping the Poor required and encouraged.

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.

25:35 And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner: that he may live with thee.

Dt. 15: 10 Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the LORD thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto. 11 For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

Dan. 4:27 Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

Jam. 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

2:1 My brethren, have not the faith of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, with respect of persons. 2 For if there come unto your assembly, a man with a gold ring, in goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor man in vile raiment; 3 And ye have respect to him that weareth the gay clothing, and say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place; and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit here under my footstool: 4 Are ye not then partial in yourselves, and are become judges of evil thoughts? 5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him?

1 Jn. 3:17 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?

Encouragements.

Ps. 41: 1 Blessed is he that considereth the poor: the LORD will deliver him in time of trouble. 2 The LORD will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.

God only to be worshipped.

Ps. 112:9 He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honor.

Pr. 19:17 He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the LORD; and that which he hath given will he pay him again.

22:9 He that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed; for he giveth of his bread to the poor.

Is. 58:6 Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 7 Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him; and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? 8 Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee; the glory of the LORD shall be thy rere-ward. 9 Then shalt thou call, and the LORD shall answer; thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. If thou take away from the midst of thee the yoke, the putting forth of the finger, and speaking vanity; 10 And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon-day: 11 And the LORD shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.

Mat. 5:7 Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.

25:34 Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: 35 For I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me; I was sick, and ye visited me; I was in prison, and ye came unto me.

PRAISE AND WORSHIP.

451. God the only proper object of religious worship.

Ex. 20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee

Public Worship of God-Religious Instruction.

out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.

Ps. 96:4 For the LORD is great, and greatly to be praised: he is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens. 8 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts. 9 O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness: fear before him, all the earth.

Mat. 4:10 Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

452. Public worship of God.

Ps. 40:7 Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, 8 I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. 9 I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: lo, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, thou knowest. 10 I have not hid thy righteousness within my heart; I have declared thy faithfulness and thy salvation: I have not concealed thy loving-kindness and thy truth from the great congregation.

Mat. 18:20 For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.

Ac. 11:25 Then departed Barnabas to Tarsus, for to seek Saul: 26 And when he had found him, he brought him unto Antioch. And it came to pass, that a whole year they assembled themselves with the church, and taught much people.

13:14 But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch in Pisidia, and went into the synagogue on the sabbath-day, and sat down. 15 And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent unto them, saying, Ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. 16 Then Paul stood up, and beckoning with his hand, said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, give audience.

20:20 And how I kept back nothing that was profitable untɔ you, but have shewed you, and have taught you publicly, and from house to house, 21 Testifying both to the Jews, and also to the Greeks, repentance toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Neh. 8:1-7. Ac. 13:42-45.

453. Public worship with religious instruction. Neh. 8:8 So they read in the book in the law of God dis

Praise.

tinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.

Mk. 2:1 And again he entered into Capernaum, after some days; and it was noised that he was in the house. 2 And straightway many were gathered together, insomuch that there was no room to receive them, no, not so much as about the door and he preached the word unto them.

Lk. 4:43 And he said unto them, I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also, for therefore am I sent. 44 And he preached in the synagogues of Galilee.

Jn. 8:1 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives: 2 And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down and taught them.

18:20 Jesus answered him, I spake openly to the world; I ever taught in the synagogue, and .in the temple, whither the Jews always resort; and in secret have I said nothing.

Ac. 18:4 And he [Paul] reasoned in the synagogue every sabbath, and persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. 5 And when Silas and Timotheus were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit, and testified to the Jews, that Jesus was Christ.

1 Cor. 1:21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Heb. 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another ; and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Lk. 19:47. Jn. 6:59.

454. Praising God in public and social worship.

Ps. 9:11 Sing praises to the LORD, which dwelleth in Zion. declare among the people his doings.

22:22 I will declare thy name unto my brethren: in the midst of the congregation will I praise thee.

35:18 I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.

47:6 Sing praises to God, sing praises: sing praises unto our King, sing praises. 7 For God is the King of all the earth sing ye praises with understanding.

95:1 O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a Joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation. 2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise