Ancient traffic in slaves - Penalties for man-stealing.

681. Ancient merchandise in “slaves and the souls of men.”

Ezk. 27: 13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were thy merchants: they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass in thy market.

Joel 3: 3 They have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink. 6 The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.

Rev. 18: 2 Babylon the great is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of every foul spirit, and a cage of every unclean and hateful bird. 11 And the merchants of the earth shall weep and mourn over her; for no man buyeth their merchandise any more: 12 The merchandise of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and of pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass, and iron, and marble, 13 And cinnamon, and odors, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, and beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and slaves, [Gr. bodies,] and souls of men. [See 488, 636.]

682. Penalties for man-stealing, and infringing human liberty, in procuring and holding servunts.

Ex. 21: 16 He that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

Dt. 24: 7 If a man be found stealing any of his brethren of the children of Israel, and maketh merchandise of him, or selleth him; then that thief shall die; and thou shalt put evil away from among you.

Jer. 5: 26 Among my people are found wicked men: they lay wait, as he that setteth snares; they set a trap, they catch men. 34: 17 Thus saith the LORD; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbor: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.

1 Tim. 1: 9 Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers, and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind,

Freedom of jubilee - Freedom desirable - General precepts.

for men-stealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine. [See 489-491, 631, 636.]

683. Freedom at the year of jubilee for servants.

Lev. 25: 10 Ye shall hallow the fiftieth year, and proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof: it shall be a jubilee unto you; and ye shall return every man unto his possession, and ye shall return every man unto his family.

634. Freedom recommended as preferable to servitude.

1 Cor. 7: 21 Art thou called being a servant? care not for it; but if thou mayest be made free, use it rather. 22 For he that is called in the Lord, being a servant, is the Lord's freeman: likewise also he that is called, being free, is Christ's servant. 23 Ye are bought with a price; be not ye the servants of men.

Philemon 15 Perhaps he therefore departed for a season, that thou shouldest receive him for ever; 16 Not now as a servant, but above a servant, a brother beloved, especially to me, but how much more unto thee, both in the flesh, and in the Lord? 20 Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the Lord : refresh my bowels in the Lord. 21 Having confidence in thy obedience I wrote unto thee, knowing that thou wilt also do more than I say.

685. General precepts respecting the duty of man to man in all the relations of life.

Mal. 2: 10 Have we not all one father? hath not one God created us? why do we deal treacherously every man against his brother, by profaning the covenant of our fathers?

Mat. 7: 12 All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets. 22: 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Gal. 5: 13 Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 14 For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 15 But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. [See 412-414, 631-5.]

Sympathy for those in bonds, required.

686. Encouragement to treat those in bonds," and in poverty and oppres‐ sion, with sympathy and liberality.

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 noonday 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.

Heb. 13: 3 Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. [See 527.]

687. Duty to espouse the cause of the injured and oppressed.

Ps. 82: 3 Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy, 4 Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked.

Pr. 21: 13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. 24: 11 If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; 12 If thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not; doth not he that pondereth the heart consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works? 31: 8 Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. 9 Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

Is. 1: 17 Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. - 16: 3 Take counsel,-execute judgment; make thy shadow as the night in the midst of the noon-day; hide the outcasts; bewray not him that wandereth. 4 Let mine outcasts dwell with thee, Moab be thou a convert to them from the face of the spoiler:

Destitute of holiness - Full of selfishness.

for the extortioher is at an end, the spoiler ceaseth, the oppressors are consumed out of the land.

Jer. 21: 12 O house of David, thus saith the LORD; Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppresor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it, because of the evil of your doings. [See 490, 526–7.]

SINNERS.

688. Sinners destitute of holiness.

Is. 1: 5 Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more : the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint. 6 From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment.

Jn. 5: 42 I know you, that ye have not the love of God in you.

Rom. 6: 20 When ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 7: 18 I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing.-8: 8 They that are in the flesh cannot please God.

1 Cor. 2: 14 The natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Ep. 2: 12 That at that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world. [See 165, 589.]

689. Sinners full of selfishness and unrighteousness.

Job 21: 15 What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have, if we pray unto him?

Is. 56: 11 Yea, they are greedy dogs which can never have enough, and they are shepherds that cannot understand: they all look to their own way, every one for his gain, from his quarter.

Jer. 6: 13 From the least of them even unto the greatest of them every one is given to covetousness; and from the prophet even unto the priest every one dealeth falsely. — 22: 17 Thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence to do it.

Enemies to God.

Ezk. 22: 12 In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood; thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbors by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord GOD.-33: 31 Their heart goeth after their covetousness.

Hos. 10: 1 Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself.

Mat. 5: 46 If ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

Lk. 6: 32 If ye love them which love you, what thank have ye? for sinners also love those that love them. 33 And if

ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same. 34 And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again.

Ph. 2: 21 All seek their own, not the things which are Jesus Christ's.

1 Tim. 6: 5 Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness : from such withdraw thyself.

2 Tim. 3: 2 Men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud.

[See 137, 191, 194, 411, 609, 623, 728, 732-3.]

690. Sinners enemies to God, children of the adversary, and prone to wicked works.

Ps. 36: 1 The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, that there is no fear of God before his eyes.-53: 1 The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. 2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. 3 Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. 55: 9 I have seen violence and strife in the city. 10 Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it. 11 Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.—73: 6 Therefore pride compasseth them about as a chain; violence covereth them as a garment. 7 Their eyes stand out with fatness: they have more than heart could wish. 8 They are corrupt, and speak wickedly concerning oppression: