Portland gazette and Maine advertiser., 1816-11-30
ORIGINAL MISCELLANY.


Lord and that qosieh he hath ytOes ~
he tau him again. Prov. lo, IL.
A Scotch Divine once commenced char.
ity sermon from this text in the following
manner" Brethren, there can arise but
one question upon these words, aud that Is,
aohether you ike The surety % The Scotch
man was ciearlyin the right. The being 10
whose bounty We are are indebted Tor every
comfort we possess, engages that whatever
we give to the poor he will consider as a
loan to himself, and will repay 1t to us again.
The promise is from one who never t.ileth;
and those who believe it viii comply with
lis terms. - a.
God has in many instances directed Us to
provide tor the poor. lie does not cas-,
them on US as a burden, so much as 20 leave
them with us that we " ay learn how to be
mereilul like himself.
" If thou lend money to any ofmy PEG.
pie tina, is poor by thee, thou shalt not be 10
him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay up
on him usury. ''-Erod %. IS
|" And iithy brother be waxen poor and
fallen in decay with thee, then It'd shalt
relieve him--yea, tho he be stranger OF u
soionrner, that he may live viii, thee
Leu. IS, SIS.
|" II there be among you poor s.an oil
one of thy brethren within any of thy gates
thou shalt not harden thy heart nor shut
thine hand from thy poor brother; but
thou shalt open thine hand wide unto aim,
and shall, surely lend him sufficient TO-
his ncesi in that which he wanteth.' Ottt
l5,Y,s
j" For Tie hoor slial! aeucr esasr oasf q re
land therefore l command thee, sa5 siss
thou shalt open thine hand wide unto .hy
brother, to thy poor, and " thy needy III
thy land" Dem IS, IL.
This command was not confined 10 the
Mosaic period lit was urged IN subse
quent ages oil the Jewish nation.
-" Break off thy sins by righteous
ness, md thine iniquilies by shelving mere!
to the poor. Dan. 4, Z.
thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts, say :
ing, Execute true judgmeDs, and shew
mercy and compositions every man 10 his
brother" Zeeh. 10.
Nor was it peculiar to the Jewish econo
my, but il is a great precept OF christianity.
" He which sowe,h sparingly shall reap
also spa,ingly and lac which soweth boun
lifnlly shall reap also beautifully. God lou
EN- a cheerful glver." 2. Cor 9. 6, z.
I" We should rene mber the poor" Gal.
., 10.
eff brother or sister be naked aud dcs'
,itute of daily food, and one OF GU say unto
them depsr, in peace, beye warmed and
filed, Notwithstanding We give them no.
those things which are neediul to the body,
what doth i, profit a''-Jam. /. Is, 10.
But il is to be remembered also that the
laws o. God are not without sanctions and
that he reveals himself to us as the friend,
The protector and the avenger OF the poor
and distressed.
! Sometimes he threatens punishment IN
this life.
That which he hath labored for shall he
restore,-bec ause he hath oppressed and
hath forsaken the poor" 100, 80. IL, 10.
W hose stoppelh his ears at The cry OF the
poor, he also shall cry himself but shall not
be heard" Prov. 81, 10.
Jobs friends supposed that his calamilies
might IN part be traced TO THIS sin-Sut he
shrunk with horror from the accusation
" II have withheld the poor from their
dssire,-if have seen any perish tor want
of cloa,hing, OF any poor without covering
Then let mine arm fall from my shoulder
blade, and mine arm be broken from the
bone" JOB, 81, 1871.
But sooner or later God will avenge the
neglected poor. j.
8 For he shall deliver the needy when he
crie,h; the poor also and him that hath no
helper "--Ps. ~, IL.
"For the needy shall not always be Tor
gotten the expectation of the poor shall
no, perish forever."-Ps. 9, 10.
81 know that the Lord will maintain the
cause Of the afflicted, and the right OF the
DOOR "--Ps. lao, 10.
" What mean ye that ye beat my people
to pieces and grind the faces Of the poor
saith the Lord God Of hosts. "--Ls. 3, IS
And though vengeance is thus denounced
against those who neglect these commands
yet on the ether hand there is a sure prom
Use Of reward both here and hereafter 10 all
who observe and keep them.
| Blessed is the man tia. ccnsleereth the
poor the Lord will dehuer him IN tine o.
trouble" --Ps. Al, l..
L