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vehemence or indignation of the speaker. Neither are the words of Deut. xxii. 17. to be regarded as indecent; "they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city."

FREEDOM OF SPEECH consists in speaking the truth with boldness. Exod. xi. 8. "all these thy servants shall come down unto me." Job. xii. 3. "I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you; yea, who knoweth not such things as these?" 1 Sam. xiii. 13. "Samuel said unto Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of Jehovah." Psal. cxix. 42. "so shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me." Prov. xxvi. 5. answer a fool according to his folly.' This virtue is exemplified in Elijah and Elisha, 2 Kings vi. 32. and in many others; in Hanani, 2 Chron. xvi. 7. in Zechariah, xxiv. 20. Isai. i. 10, 23. "hear the word of Jehovah.... thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves.' Jer. xiii. 18.

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say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down." Ezek. xxi. 25. “and thou, profane wicked prince of Israel-." Micah vii. 4. "the best of them is a briar." Matt. iii. 7. "O generation of vipers." John xiv. 4. “it is not lawful for thee to have her." Luke xiii. 32. "tell that fox."

6 The Spirit of God, who is purity itself, when he would reprove any fault severely, or but relate things done or said with indignation by others, abstains not from some words not civil at other times to be spoken, &c. &c....whereas God, who is the author both of purity and eloquence, chose this phrase as fittest in that vehement character wherein he spake, otherwise that plain word might have easily been forborn; which the masoreths and rabbinical scholiasts not well attending, have often used to blur the margent with Keri instead of Ketiv, and gave us this insulse rule out of their Talmud, "that all words which in the law are written obscenely, must be changed to more civil words;" fools, who would teach men to read more decently than God thought good to write. Apology for Smectymnuus. Prose Works, III. 131. Ask a Talmudist what ails the modesty of his marginal Keri, that Moses and all the prophets cannot persuade him to pronounce the textual Ketiv.' Areopagitica, Ibid. II. 69. 'Tu fortasse, ut sunt fere hypocritæ, verbis tetrici, rebus obscœni, ne ipsum quidem Mosen ista noxa immunem abs te dimiseris; cum alibi sæpius, tum etiam ubi Phineæ hasta qua parte mulierem transfixerit, si qua fides Hebræis, aperte narrat.... Non te Salomonis Euphemismi censorem, non prophetarum scripta tuam turpiculi immo nonnun. quam plane obscoeni censuram effugerint, quoties Masorethis et Rabbinis, pro eo quod diserte scriptum est, suum libet Keri adscribere. Ad me quod attinet, fateor malle me cum sacris scriptoribus ev0vpónμova, quem cum futilibus Rabbinis evoxnuova esse.' Auctoris pro se Defensio, Prose Works, Symmons' ed. V. 299.

John vii. 7. 66 me it hateth, because I testify of it that the works thereof are evil." xviii. 37. "to this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth." Acts xiii. 10. “O full of all subtilty," &c. xix. 8, 9. " he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing," &c. xxiii. 3. "thou whited wall." Eph. vi. 20. "that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak." Tit. i. 12. the Cretians are alway liars."

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Opposed to this is timidity in speaking the truth. 1 Sam. iii. 15. "Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.'

The spirit of admonition is that by which we freely warn sinners of their danger, without respect of persons. Gen. xxxvii. 2. "Joseph brought unto his father their evil report." Levit. v. 1. “if a soul sin....if he do not utter it, then he shall bear iniquity." xix. 17. "thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart; thou shalt in anywise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin upon him." Psal. cxli. 5. "let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness." Prov. vi. 23. "reproofs of instruction are the way of life." x. 17. "he that refuseth reproof erreth." xii. 1. "he that hateth reproof is brutish." xiii. 18. "he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured." xv. 5. "he that regardeth reproof is prudent." v. 10. "he that hateth reproof shall die." v. 32. "he that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul." xvii. 10. “a reproof entereth more into a wise man, than an hundred stripes into a fool." xxiv. 25. "to them that rebuke him shall be delight." XXV. 12 as an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.' xxvii. 6. "faithful are the wounds of a friend." xxviii. 23. "he that rebuketh a man afterward shall find more favour—.” xxix. 1. “he that being often reproved hardeneth his neck—.” Eccles. vii. 5. "it is better to hear the rebuke of the wise than-." Matt. xvi. 23. "get thee behind me, Satan." John iii. 19. "men loved darkness rather than light." 1 Cor. i. 11. “it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe," &c. 2 Cor. vii. 8. “though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent," &c. Heb. iii. 13. exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day." James v. 19, 20). "if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him--." Admonition however is not to be thrown

away on the scornful and obstinate. Psal. lviii. 4, 5. “ they are like the deaf adder which stoppeth her ear, which will not hearken to the voice of charmers.' Prov. ix. 7, 8. "he that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame.... reprove not a scorner." xiii. 1. "a scorner heareth not rebuke." xxvi. 4. answer not a fool according to his folly." xxix. 9. “if a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest." 2 Chron. xxv. 16. "then the prophet forbare—.”

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CHAP. XIV.-THE SECOND CLASS OF SPECIAL DUTIES TOWARDS OUR NEIGHBOUR CONTINUED.

THE virtues by which we promote the WORLDLY INTERESTS OF OUR NEIGHBOUR, are integrity and beneficence.

INTEGRITY Consists in refraining from the property of others, which is also called abstinence; and in honesty and uprightness as regards our dealings with our neighbour, which is called commutative justice. Psal. xv. 2. “he that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness."

ABSTINENCE is exemplified in Moses, Numb. xvi. 15. "I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them;" and in Samuel, 1 Sam. xii. 3. "whose ox have I taken?" On this subject laws are given Deut. xxiii. 24, 25. "when thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard," &c.

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The opposites to this are, first, theft. Exod. xx. 15. "thou shalt not steal." See also Levit. xix. 11. Prov. xxix. 24. "whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul." xxii. 28. ". move not the ancient land-mark." See also xxiii. 10. This was the crime of Judas Iscariot, John xii. 6. Eph. iv. 28. "let him that stole steal no more, but rather let him labour." Laws against theft are given Exod. xxii. Prov. vi. 30. "men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry.' "xxviii. 24. " whoso robbeth his father or mother," &c. Zech. v. 3. "every one that stealeth shall be cut off.”

Secondly, fraud. Levit. xix. 11. "ye shall not deal falsely one to another." Under the law, fraud could not be expiated unless restitution were previously made. Levit. vi. 5, &c. "he shall even restore it in the principal....and he shall bring his trespass offering unto Jehovah." Prov. xxi. 6. "the getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity-." 1 Thess.

iv. 6. "that no man go beyond or defraud his brother in any matter."

xxx. 14. "there is a Eccles. v. 8. "if thou vii. 7. surely oppres

Thirdly, oppression and robbery. Job. v. 15. "he saveth the poor from the hand of the mighty." xx. 18. 19. "because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor-." Prov. xiv. 31. "he that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his neighbour." xxii. 22, 23. "rob not the poor," &c. generation whose teeth are as swords." seest the oppression of the poor," &c. sion maketh a wise man mad." Isai. iii. 14. "the spoil of the poor is in your houses." v. 7, 8. "woe unto them that join house to house," &c. Jer. ii. 34. "in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents.' xxii. 13, &c. 66 woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness-. Neh. v. 8. " we after our ability have redeemed our brethren-." Amos iv. 1. "hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, which oppress the poor-." v. 11. " forasmuch therefore as your trading is upon the poor-.' viii. 4, 5, &c. "hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail-." Micah ii. 1, 2. "they covet fields, and take them by violence." iii. 2, 3. “who pluck the skin off from them-."

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Fourthly, injury. Exod. xxi. 33. "if an ox or an ass fall therein." v. 35, 36. "if one man's ox hurt another's.... or if it be known that the ox hath used to push in times past,' &c. xxii. 5, 6. "if a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten," &c.

Fifthly, man-stealing. Exod. xxi. 16. "he that stealeth a man, or selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death." Deut. xxiv. 7. "if a man be found stealing any of his brethren," &c. 1 Tim. i. 10. menstealers."

Under COMMUTATIVE JUSTICE are included all transactions of purchase and sale, of letting and hire, of lending and borrowing, of keeping and restoring deposits.

Transactions of sale and purchase. Levit. xix. 36. "just balances, just weights-." xxv. 14. "if thou sell ought unto thy neighbour, or buyest ought of thy neighbour's hand, ye shall not oppress one another." Prov. xvi. 11. " a just weight and balance are Jehovah's; all the weights of the bag are his work."

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To justice in matters of sale and purchase, are opposed various frauds. Prov. xi. 26. "he that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him." Ezek. xxviii. 19. " by the multitude of thy merchandise they have filled the midst of thee with violence." So also when counterfeit or adulterated goods are sold for genuine. Amos viii. 6. "that we may sell the refuse of the wheat." Or when false weights and measures are employed. Levit. xix. 35. "ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment, in meteyard, in weight, or in measure." Deut. xxv. 13-15. "thou shalt not have in thy bag divers weights, a great and a small-." Prov. xi. 1. “a false balance is abomination to Jehovah." xx. 10. “divers weights and divers measures, both of them are alike abomination to Jehovah." See also v. 23. Hos. xii. 7. "he is a merchant, the balances of deceit are in his hand." Amos viii. 5. "making the ephah small." Micah vi. 11. "shall I count them pure with the wicked balances?" Or when the buyer, on his part, uses dishonest artifices in the conclusion of a bargain. Prov. xx. 14. "it is naught, it is naught, saith the buyer."

Transactions of letting or hire. Levit. xix. 13. "the wages of him that is hired shall not abide with thee all night until the morning." Exod. xxii. 15. "if it be an hired thing, it came for his hire." Deut. xxiv. 14, 15. "thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy brethren, or of thy strangers that are in the land within thy gates." Mal. iii. 5. "against those that oppress the hireling in his wages." James v. 4. "behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth.”

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Lending and borrowing. Deut. xv. 7, &c. "if there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren .... thou shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need in that which he wanteth." Psal. xxxvii. 26. "he is ever merciful, and lendeth." cxii. 5. a good man sheweth favour, and lendeth." Matt. v. 42. "from him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away.' Luke vi. 35. "lend, hoping for nothing again." Prov. xix. 17. "he that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth to Jehovah." The case of loans to such as are not poor is different. Exod. xxii. 14. “if a man borrow ought of his neighbour, and it be hurt, or die," &c. Psal. xxxvii. 21. "the wicked borroweth

and payeth not again."