Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1885-05-29
THE BIBLE AND THE POOR.

The BIBLE ANU The POOR.
The Cruelty of That ~Skepticism Which
Tries to Prejudice the Poor Against the
Word of God-How to Counterfeit This
Jnsidious Influence.
The Bible is the book of the poor. To
quote the passages in which they are
mentioned as objects of Gods special
care would fill many columns of our
paper. In the Mosaic code they were
provided for and protected. The pro-
duce Of the land every seventh year was
to be left for them; they were to CLEAN
the fields all the other years; they were
to be invited to all the feasts as guests
with priests and Leyites; the rich were
to lend to them without usury, and if a
garment was taken in pledge it was to
be restored before shutdown. When
laborers were hired they were to be
paid every evening. If poverty COM
PEELED Il man to sell his land it came
back to him, OF his heirs, in the wear of
jubilee.
In addition to such wise and thought
full provisions, the code is full of gen
eral eNhortations: as Chou shalt not
respect the person of the poor, nor
honor the person OF the mighty"
Chou shalt not wrest the Judgment of
the poor in his cause Thou shalt not
harden thy heart nor shut thy hand
against thy poor brother. But thou
shalt open thine hand wide unto him,
and shalt surely lend him sufficient for
his need" ''Thou shalt not Cypress a
hired servant that is poor and needy,
whether he be OF thy brethren or of
strangers, . . lest he cry against
thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto
thee"
Job declares that he was a father to
the poor; and all through the wonder
full book that bears his name, God
IS spoken of as the avenger of the
poor. Kindness to them is "a proof of
piety and cruelty TO them is a crime
that their Maker will surely punish.
The Psalms are rich in comfort for
the poor, and in promise for those who
care for them: 'He hath prepared His
heareth the poor" ''He shall save the
children of the needy and break in
pieces the oppressor," ''He shall deliver
the needy when he crieth; the poor also
n him who hath no helper,' s.He
shall stand at the right hand of the
poor" BLESSED is he that c%onsidereth
the poor. The Lord will deliver him in
time of trouble"
In Proverbs this broad foundation is
aid for social equality and fraternal
sympathy: The Lord and the poor meet
together; the Lord is the maker of them
ALL" They are equally His children,
n lie has given to some wealth and
. withheld it from others, not because He
Is partial and unjust, but because He
would cultivate in each class the spirit
OF brotherhood. He takes the Door
under His specra! care. He declares
tl1at whoever oppresseth the poor re-
proacheth his maker, and whatsoever
glveth to the poor lendeth to the Lord.
VI the vlrtuous woman it is said: ..She
stretcheth out her hand to the Door:
yea she rcacheth forth her hands ia tho
needy"
Inc prophets uttered their most fear
1u1 dentnclatlons against those who
Cypress the poor. They seemed to re-
gard this as one of the worst evidences
OF apostacy. Hear Isaiah: Eye grind the
faces OF the poor" Hear Amos; ..Thev
~ the poor for a pair of sboes,H
Gs'r treading is upon the poor" Bnt
Milue declaring that God will nom OFT
f1is fury upon the proud and the crnel
now sweetiy they tell of His mercy for
the oppressed. "When the poor and
needy seek water and there ;s no ~
~. ~ tlelr Tongue faileth for thirst, I, the
INC God OF Israel will not forsake them
+! will open rivers in the high places and
fountains in the valleys" Yea, He viii
eyer work miracles to supply the wants
IN the New Testament we learn that
our saviour was poor; that He preached
inc Gospel especially to the poor: that
ITO cried: blessed be We Door f"r
yours is the Kingdom of Heaven, thai
tie said "Whcn thou makest y faast
eau tile poor, che manned, the lame and
inc blind" He was accustomed on ~
MS limited means, to give to those VIZ
We're poorer still, as we learn fran'
John xiii:29. When He spoke to .Jndon
the treasurer, the other disciples thonmn,.
OF course that 1t was about giving SOM
thing to the poor. He told tEo 'o ,.;ni
Young man who wanted to be perfect t ~
sen all that he had and give / the noor
"hen Zaccheus was conyerted =.
Masos SO promptly the. spirit Of tho
hale 9 of .naS ne erred at IL The
na W OF my goods give to the POOR
n th n'S aal Went forth as the Apostle
20 inc Gentlles, James, Peter and r.John
s shas upon only one thing-that ha
SnuuIa remember the poor. Mal
,:in.) wherever he went he took ~,
couectaonS for the poor. An Jnn Up