of equalizing those whom nature never intended for an equality.

TO THE POOR; that is, to such as are unable to support themselves by their own labour and exertions. Lev. xxv. 35. "if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee, then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger." Deut. xv. 7, &c. "if there be among you a poor man," &c. 2 Thess. iii. 10. "if any would not work, neither should he eat." Hence we are not bound to relieve those vagrants and beggars who are such of choice, and not of necessity.5 v. 11, 12. we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies; now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread." Among the poor are to be reckoned orphans and widows, on account of the desolate situation of the one, and the tender age of the other. Exod. xxii. 22-24. " ye shall not afflict any widow or fatherless child.” Deut. x. 18. "he doth create the judgement of the fatherless and widow." xiv. 28, 29. "at the end of three years thou shalt bring forth all the tithe of thine increase.... and the stranger, and the fatherless, and the widow, which are within thy gates, shall come, and shall eat and be satisfied," xxvii. 19. "cursed be he that perverteth the judgement of the fatherless or widow." Job. xxix. 11, &c. "because I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless-." xxxi. 16. "if I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail; or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless have not eaten thereof." Psal. lxviii. 5. 66 a father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation." cxlvi. 9. "he relieveth the fatherless and widow." Prov. xxiii. 10, 11. "enter not into the fields of the fatherless; for their redeemer is mighty." To these may be added such as are weak or helpless from any cause whatever, and all who are in affliction, especially for religion's sake. Isai. lviii. 7. "is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that

5 This is an allusion to the mendicant Friars, who made poverty a part of the rule of their order. Their increase was so great, owing to the encouragement shewn them by Pope Innocent III., that Gregory the Tenth found it necessary to reduce them to the four orders of Dominicans, Franciscans, Carmelites, and Augustines.

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?" Matt. xxv. 36. "naked, and ye clothed me; sick," &c. Luke xiv. 13. " call the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind." Heb. vi. 10. "God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love which ye have showed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister."

WITHOUT OSTENTATION. Prov. xxi. 14. "a gift in secret pacifieth anger, and a reward in the bosom strong wrath." Matt. vi. 1, &c. "when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee-." 2 Cor. viii. 24. " wherefore show ye to them, and before the churches, the proof of your love, and of our boasting on your behalf.”

OUT OF TRUE CHARITY. 1 Cor. xiii. 3. "though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, I am nothing." Not therefore of compulsion. 2 Cor. viii. 3. "they were willing of themselves.' v. 8. "I speak not by commandment, but by occasion of the forwardness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love."

Scripture everywhere declares that the reward of almsgiving is great. Job. xxix. 11-25. "when the ear heard me, then it blessed me. . . . because I delivered the poor that cried," &c. Psal. xli. 1. "blessed is he that considereth the poor: Jehovah will deliver him in the time of trouble," cxii. 9. compared with 2 Cor. ix. 8, 9. “God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye, always having all-sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work; as it is written, He hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor, his righteousness remaineth for ever." Prov. xiv. 21. "he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he." xix. 17. "he that hath pity upon the poor lendeth to Jehovah, and that which he hath given will he pay him again." xxii. 9. "he that hath a bountiful eye shall be blessed, for he giveth of his bread to the poor." xxviii. 27. "he that giveth to the poor shall not lack." Isai. lviii. 6, &c. "is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry? &c. then shall thy light break forth as the morning." Matt. x. 40-42. "he that receiveth you, receiveth me, and he that receiveth me, receiveth him that sent me." xxv. 34, 35. come, ye blessed of my Father.... for I

was an hungred, and ye gave me meat-." Luke xi. 41. "give alms.... and behold, all things are pure unto you." xii. 33. “provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not." xiv. 12-14. "thou shalt be blessed, for they cannot recompense thee.' Acts x. 2-4. "thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God." 2 Cor. ix. 6. "he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully." 1 Tim. vi. 18, 19. “laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life."

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On the other hand, the neglect of this duty is condemned, Prov. xxi. 13. "whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard." xxviii. 27. "he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.' Matt. xxv. 45. "inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me." 2 Cor. ix. 6. "he which soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly."

HOSPITALITY consists in receiving under our own roof, or providing for the kind reception of the poor and strangers; especially such as are recommended to us by the churches, or by our brethren in the faith. Deut. xxiii. 7, 8. "thou shalt not abhor an Edomite, for he is thy brother; thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian, because thou wast a stranger in his land." Job. xxxi. 32. "the stranger did not lodge in the street-." Rom. xii. 13. "distributing to the necessity of saints, given to hospitality." xvi. 2. "that ye receive her in the Lord, as becometh saints, and that ye assist her in whatsoever business she hath need of you, for she hath been a succourer of many, and of myself also." Heb. xiii. 2. "be not forgetful to entertain strangers; for thereby some have entertained angels unawares." 1 Pet. iv. 9. "use hospitality one to another without grudging." 3 John 5, 6, &c. “ beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren, and to strangers; which have borne witness of thy charity before the church." The reward of a hospitable spirit is signally. exemplified in the woman of Sarepta, and in the Shunammite, who received prophets under their roof.

Injury or oppression of guests or strangers was forbidden by various laws, recorded Exod. xxii. 21, &c. Levit. xix. 33, 34. Deut. x. 18, 19.

Opposed to this is inhospitality. Deut. xxvii. 19. "cursed

be he that perverteth the judgement of the stranger." Ezek. xxii. 29. "they have vexed the poor and needy, yea, they have oppressed the stranger wrongfully." 3 John 10. "not content therewith, neither doth he himself receive the brethren, and forbiddeth them that would, and casteth them out of the church."

CHAP. XVII.-OF PUBLIC DUTIES TOWARDS OUR

NEIGHBOUR.

HITHERTO We have treated of the private duties of man towards his neighbour. Public duties are of two kinds, political and ecclesiastical.

Under political duties are comprehended the obligations of the magistrate and the people to each other, and to foreign nations.

THE DUTIES OF THE MAGISTRATE TO THE PEOPLE are described Exod. xxiii. 8. "thou shalt take no gift, for the gift blindeth the wise." xxxii. 11. "Moses besought Jehovah his God, and said, Jehovah, why doth thy wrath wax hot against thy people?" Lev. xix. 15. "thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty; but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour." Num. xi. 11, &c. "wherefore have I not found favour in thy sight, that thou layest the burden of all this people upon me?" xiv. 13. "Moses said unto Jehovah, Then the Egyptians shall hear it—.” Deut. i. 9. “I am not able to bear you myself alone." xvii. 20. " that his heart be not lifted up above his brethren, and that he turn not aside from the commandment to the right hand or to the left." 1 Kings ii. 3. "keep the charge of Jehovah thy God-." iii. 8-10. "give thy servant an understanding heart to judge thy people-. See also

2 Chron. i. 10. 1 Chron. xiii. 2. "David said unto all the congregation of Israel, If it seem good unto you, and that it be of Jehovah our God, let us send abroad unto our brethren, every where-." xxviii. 2. "hear me, my brethren, and my people." 2 Chron. xix. 6. "he said to the judges, Take heed what ye do, for ye judge not for man, but for Jehovah, who is with you in the judgement." Psal. lxxii. 2. "he shall judge thy people with righteousness, and thy poor with judge

ment." lxxv. 2. "when I shall receive the congregation, I will judge uprightly." lxxxii. 3. "defend the poor and fatherless.' Prov. xi. 14. "where no counsel is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety." xvi. 12. "it is an abomination to kings to commit wickedness, for the throne is established by righteousness." xxix. 4. “the king by judgement establisheth the land, but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it." xviii. 17. "he that is first in his own cause seemeth just, but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him." xx. 8. "a king that sitteth in the throne of judgement scattereth away all evil with his eyes." xxiv. 23. "it is not good to have respect of persons in judgement." xxxi. 1-10. “the words of king Lemuel," &c. Jer. xxi. 12. "thus saith Jehovah.. Execute judgement in the morning." xxii. 3, 4. "execute ye judgement and righteousness.” Neh. v. 14. "from the time that I was appointed to be their governor.. ..I and my brethren have not eaten the bread of the governor." Matt. xx. 25—27. “ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them; but it shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister." See also Mark x. 42, &c. Luke xxii. 25, &c. Rom. xiii. 3, 4. "rulers are not a terror to good works, but to the evil. ... for he is the minister of God to thee for good."

In the matter of reward and punishment. Psal. ci. 4, &c. a froward heart shall depart from me.... mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land." Excessive punishment is forbidden. Deut. xxv. 3. "forty stripes he may give him, and not exceed." 1 Kings ii. 26. " thou art worthy of death, but I will not at this time put thee to death, because," &c.

وو

The right of the magistrate as regards the sword. Gen. ix. 6. "whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed." Job xii. 18. "he looseth the bond of kings." Psal. lxxv. 6. "promotion cometh neither from the east, nor from the west, nor from the south.' Prov. viii. 15, 16. "by me kings reign." Dan. ii. 21. "he changeth the times and the seasons. iv. 17. "that the living may know that the most High ruleth in the kingdom of men." v. 18-20. "the most high God gave Nebuchadnezzar thy father a kingdom, and majesty, &c. . . . . but when his heart was lifted up.... he was