Cheraw gazette and Pee Dee farmer. [volume] (Cheraw S.C.) 1838-1839, 1839-04-19
wopD FOR TIE POOR.

Tor The poor shalt aerer cease out o. Ms
4 land"
DEur. XIV. II.
The tender sympathy and compassion
ior the poor which pervadrs the Hoy Scrip
lures. affords a striking contrast between
them and all other ancient productlons.-
The philosophers Of Greece and OF kome
regard the low classes Of society with tue
utmost coutemp, and indifference treatea
them as slaves, the mere instruments ol
teir convenience or their pleasure pun
ished them with degrading and cruei intllc-
tjons. and allowed them to perish through
wan, or suffering, with little concern iof
,,hei. relief or alleviatiou. But tho Bible
reaches us that .sthe rich and poo. me't. to.
pc,her." thu, ''lhe Lord is tie make: of them
a;; That neglect as we'll os oppression
of the poor is offensive II his sight, who
will bring every secret thought and word
and work into Judgment, and that SO long
as the poor shall exst--aId they shall never
entirely cease out Of the land, they are to
be- regarded with tender compasslon-'hat
trhou shalt not harden thy hear, nor shut
thine hand from thy poor brother, but shall
open thine hand wide unto him. and shalt
surely lend him sufficient for bis need in
that which he wanteth THAT the withhold
ing when 1t is in the power o. our hand to
give, is offensive to our heavenly Father; !;
while he ,ha. "g:velh lendeth unto the Lord,
and that which he layeih out shall be paid
to hun again." so that "a cup of cold water
given to disciple in the name oil dlSc''
pie shall in no wise lose rs reward.
This merciful consideration for the poor
issuiklngly lnculcaed in the chapter from
which the tex, is taken. Every seven years
arelease was tc be made. that -, all The
debts winch were previously owing. were
10 be forgiven, that is, all tie debts owing By
tie poor for the language Of the third aud
fourth verses seems to imply that those who
we're able were still required 10 pay; but
iaat the debts of tue poor were TO 'oe en-
siily forgiven them; for though under very
extraordinary circumstances it might very
possibly happen that at some particular year
of release. there might be no poor in the
land; yc: The; such slolld not generally be
the case the poor should never cease out
Of the land tor one cause or ano'her' fresh
POOR should continually arise; those poor
were to be assisted ;--nay they were 10 oe
relieved, even though the year OF release
was so uear at band iiat no payment could
even be expected. "Beware that there be
no. a thought in thy wicked heart saying.
The seventh year. the year OF release Is at
hand and thine eye be evil against thy
poor bro her, and thou glvest hun naugm
aad nc CIV unto the Lord ag INST thee, and
il be sin unto thee thou shalt surely give
him, and thine heart shall not be grIeved
which thou gives: unto him; because That
for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless
thee ~ all they works, aud in all that ihou
p, test .hine hand unto. For The poor shall
never cease ou, of The land: therefore J
comnand Thee, saying. Thou shalt open thy
a.i W de unto thy brother, 10 thy poor
and TO thy needy. IN the land"
These injunction> are gwen indeed to the
people of israel, and they are not, strictly
spsaktng, binding upon other nations. But
The general care of lhe poor is lnculcatcd IN
other pars of the word of God, and these
passages IN the jewish law Illus rate and ex.
pain the kind Of attention and ASSISTANCE
wnlch our heavenlv Father approves; tor
however different circumstances may ailse
which may render the particular provisions
of the Jewish law, inapp!icabae, yet since
those provisions resulted from the divine
wisdom, we may safely affirm that he near
er our laws approach to the laws here gwen,
the more efectually will they promote the
general welfare OF the community.
"The poor shall never cease out OF the
land" TO whatever cause it may DO as
signed whether The dispensa'Ions Of divine
providence. he cons ituliOn, OF human at.
fairs, The resul, of msnanagemt mt. and m
prudence; ne distress produced by disease,
rnlscuuduc;, inremperance; there never has
te-n q nation IN any age in Which poverty
lis nor eyssed; though The exten: to wh'ch
snch poverty has prevailed and the appalL
.ng CONSEQUENCES with which It has oeen
attended. have varied exceedingly and were
some fish arrangement and DIVISION OF
properly 10 take pl,ce--were this parish
for Ills anrr, 70 be divided mo equal por-
tons, an every man. woman, and child,
put in possession Of an equal share, and
were there sufficient pr,p+rly in 1t, that not
one poor person should remain insufficient
ly provided for at the pre- EN-, ye'lhat pro.
vision would not continue for year,
month, perh ps not single week. but the
effects of prudence and industry on the one
hand, and of leness, lmprovidence, and in.
temperance on the ',sier, would in very
short period rrduce many from competence
to poverty, and advance others to relative
wealth and importance nor can any de.