Sympathy for the oppressed.

Jam. 5. 4. Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth; and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.

614. Are we required to espouse the cause of the injured and oppressed?

Dt. 23. 15. Thou shalt not deliver unto his master the servant which has escaped from his master unto thee: He shall dwell with thee, even among you in that place which he shall choose in one of thy gates where it liketh him best: thou shalt not oppress him.

Ps. 82. 3. Defend the poor and fatherless: do justice to the afflicted and needy. 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.

Pr. 24. 11. If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be slain; 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?

Pr. 31. 8. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy.

Is. 1. 17. Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow.

Is. 58. 6. Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the heavy bur dens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? 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? Then shall thy light break forth as the

Forbidden and threatened.

morning, and thy health shall spring forth speedily. 3-12.

Jer. 21. 12. Execute judgment in the morning, and deliver him that is spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest my fury go out like fire, and burn that none can quench it.

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. Ezk. 16. 49.

Stealing.

615. Is stealing forbidden?

Lev. 19. 11. Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

Ep. 4. 28. Let him that stole, steal no more; but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

1 Pet. 4. 15. Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil doer, or as a busy body in other men's matters.

616. Has God threatened and punished thieves?

Jos. 7. 10. And the Lord said unto Joshua, Get thee up; wherefore liest thou thus upon thy face? Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies. 24-26.

Hos. 4. 2. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore, shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish.

Forbidden and threatened.

1 Cor. 6. 10. Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

Swearing.

617. What is said of profane swearers?

Ex. 20. 7. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.

Ps. 59. 12. For the sin of their mouth and the words of their lips let them even be taken in their pride: and for cursing and lying which they speak. Consume them in wrath, consume them, that they may not be: and let them know that God ruleth in Jacob unto the ends of the earth.

Ps. 109. 17. As he loved cursing, so let it come unto him: as he delighted not in blessing, so let it be far from him. As he clothed himself with cursing like as with his garment, so let it come into his bowels like water, and like oil into his bones.

Hos. 4. 2. By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. Therefore shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish.

Zec. 5. 3. Every one
Every one that sweareth shall be

cut off.

Mat. 5. 34. Swear not at all: neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great king: Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

Jam. 5. 12. Above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea, be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

Swearing exemplified.-Temperance enjoined.

618. What examples are there of rash swearing?

Jud. 11. 30. And Jepthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into my hands, Then it shall be that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.

Mat. 14. 6. But when Herod's birth-day was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod. Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger. And the king was sorry nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them which sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.

Mk. 6. 23. And he sware unto her, Whatsoever thou shalt ask of me, I will give it thee, unto the half of my kingdom. And she went forth, and said unto her. mother, What shall I ask? And she said, The head of John the Baptist.

Ac. 23. 12. Certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

Temperance.

619. Is temperance enjoined?

1 Cor. 9. 25. Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible.

Gal. 5. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts.

Definition of-To be watched against.

Tit. 1. 8. But a lover of hospitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate.

2 Pet. 1. 5. Giving all diligence, add to your faith, virtue; and to virtue, knowledge; and to knowledge, temperance. [See 172, and 341-344.]

Temptation.

620. Does the word tempt, ever mean merely to try?

Gen. 22. 1. God did tempt Abraham.

Heb. 4. 15. For we have not a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities: but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

Jam. 1. 2. My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

621. Does it commonly mean to seduce or persuade into sin?

Jam. 1. 13. Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then, when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin; and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

622. Ought we to pray, watch and guard against tempters and temptations?

Mat. 6. 13. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Mat. 26. 41. Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation.

Jam. 4. 7. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. [See 21, and 628.]