Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1885-08-04
THE BOOK OF THE POOR.


The Cruelty of That skepticism Which
Tries to Prejudice the Poor Against tho
Word of GOd-IIow to Countcract This
Insidious Influence.
The Bible is the book of the poor. To
quote the passages in which they are
mentioAcd a5 objects of Gods special
care would fill many columns OF our
paper In the Mosaic code they were
provided for and protected. The pro
ducc OF the land every seventh year was
t. be left for them; they were to CLEAN
the fields all the other years; they were
to be invited 10 all the feasts rs guests
with priests and Lefites; the itch were
TO lend TO them without usury, and il n
carmen. was taken in pledge it was TO
be restored before shutdown. When
laborcrs were hired they were 10 be
paid cyey evening. If poverty COM
pcl,ed man to sell his land it came
back 10 him, or his heirs, in the year OF
jubilee.
In addition to such wise and thought.
full provisions, the code is full of gen.
cral eXhortations: as Thou shalt not
respect the person of the poor, nor
honor the person OF the mighty
Thou 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
shat open thine hand wide unto him,
and shalt surely len 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 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 II proof of
pioty and cruelty 20 them is crime
that their Maker will surely punish.
The Psalms are rich in comfort fol-
the loor, and in promise for those who
care for them: 'IIc hath prepared His
goodness for the poor" ''The Lord
hearcth the poor" ale shall save the
children of the needy and break in
pieces the opprcssor, "He shall deliver
the needy when ho cricth; the poor al o
and him who hath no helper" ale
shall stand ut the right hand of the
poor" BLESSED is no that considereth
the poor. The Lord will deliver him in
time of trouble"
In Proverbs this broad foundation Is
laid for social equality and fraternal
sympathy: 1.-The Lord and the poor meet
to gcther; the Lord is the maker of them
all." They are equally HIS children,
and He has given to some wealth and
withheld it from Others, not because He
is partial and unjust, but because He
woul cultivate in each class the spirit
OF brotherhood. lie takes the poor
under His special care. He declare,
that whoever oppresseth the poor re
proachcth his maker. and whatsoever
giveth to the poor lcndcth to the Lord
OF the virtuous woman it is said "Shl
stretcheth out her hand to the poor
yea she reacheth forth her hands to til,
needy"
The prophets uttered their most fear
full denunciations against those who
Cypress the poor. They seemed to re
gard this rs one of the worst evidence,
of apostacy. Hear Isaiah Eye grind thu
faces OF the poor" Hear Amos; "They
soil the poor for pair of shoes.
''Yolr treading is upon the poor" But
while declaring that God will pour on
His fury upon the proud and the cruel
how swtctY they tell of His mercy TO-
the oppressed. "When the poor ant
needy seek water and there is none
and their tongue faileth for thirst, |, tn,
the God of Israel will not forsake them
] will open rivers in the high places anC
fountains in the valleys" Yea, He will
even work miracles to supply the want
of the poor
In the New Testament we learn tina
our Saviour was poor; that He preachet
the Gospel especially to the poor tina
lie cried: blessed be We poor, TO
yours is the Kingdom of Heaven" tina
lie said "When thou makest feas
call the poor, the manned, the lame an,
the blind" He was accustomed, out O
his limited means, 10 give to those VIII
wero poorer still, as we learn fror
John Xiii:29. When He spoke TO Judas
the treasurer, the other disciples though
of course that 1t was about giving some
thing TO the poor. He told the rio
young man who wanted to be perfect t
sell all that he had and give 10 the poel
When Zacchcus was converted,
caught SO promptly the spirit of tn
Master that he cried at once: 18th
half of my goods give to the poor"
When Paul went forth rs the aspostl
10 the Gcntiles, James, Peter and job
insist d upon only ono thing-that h
should remember the poor. (Ga
l. L. ~