תמונות בעמוד
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THOU shalt not-covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his man servant, nor his maid servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Take heed and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth. And Jesus, spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully. And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits? And he said, this will I do; I will pull down my barns, and build greater, and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods. And I will say to my soul, Soul thou hast much goods laid up for many years, take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be which thou hast provided? So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

He that by usury and unjust gain, increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor. As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not: so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. This is the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty. If his children be multiplied, it is for the sword: and his offspring shall not be satisfied. Those that remain of him shall be buried in death: and his widows shall not weep. Though he heap up silver as the dust, and prepare raiment as the clay; he may prepare it, but the just shall put it on and the innocent shall divide the silver.

Behold these are the ungodly: who prosper in the

world, they increase in riches, surely thou didst set them in slippery places: thou castest them down into destruction. How are they brought into desolation as in a moment-they are utterly consumed with terrors. The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just.

The wicked boasteth of his heart's desire and blesseth the covetous whom the Lord abhorreth. And they come unto thee as the people cometh, and they sit before thee as my people, and they hear thy words but they will not do them; for with their mouth they show much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness. They covet fields and take them by violence, and houses and take them away: so they oppress a man and his house even a man and his heritage.

In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood: thou hast taken usury and increase, and thou hast greedily gained of thy neighbours by extortion, and hast forgotten me, saith the Lord God. Behold therefore, I have smitten mine hand at thy dishonest gain which thou hast made, and at thy blood which hath been in the midst of thee. Can thine heart endure, or can thine hand be strong in the days that I shall deal with thee? I the Lord have spoken it, and will do it. Your gold and silver is cankered, and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire: ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. Behold the hire of the labourers which have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped, are entered into the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth.

Wo to him that coveteth an evil covetousness to his house, that he may set his nest on high, that he may be delivered from the power of evil. The face of the Lord is against them that do evil; to cut off the remembrance of them from the earth. How oft is the candle of the

Ezek. 33: 31. Micah 2: 2. Ezek. 22: 12-14. James 5: 3, 4. Hab. 2: 9. Ps. 34: 16.

wicked put out? and how oft cometh their destruction upon them? God distributeth sorrows in his anger. They are as stubble before the wind, and as chaff that the storm carrieth away. God layeth up his iniquity for his children: he rewardeth him and he shall know it. His eyes shall see his destruction, and he shall drink of the wrath of the Almighty.

FIRST GREAT

COMMANDMENT.

THOU shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.

Hear O Israel: The Lord our God is one Lord. And what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.

O love the Lord, all ye saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful. Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children: and walk in love as Christ also hath loved us, and given himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God: as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the heart.

He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me, and he that loveth me shall be loved of my father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desire of thy heart. Know that the Lord thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations. All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. O how great is thy goodness, which thou hast

Matt. 22: 37, 38. Deut. 6: 4. Deut. 10: 12.

Deut. 6: 5.

Ps. 18: 1. Eph. 5: 1, 2.

laid up for them that fear thee: which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before the sons of men. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

It is good for me to draw near to God, I have put my trust in the Lord God. The Lord is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; I will love thee O Lord, my strength. Whom have I in heaven but thee? and there is none upon earth that I desire besides thee.

SECOND GREAT

COMMANDMENT.

THOU shalt love the Lord thy God, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

A certain lawyer stood up, and tempted Jesus, saying, Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? He said unto him, What is written in the law? how readest thou? And he answering, said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. And he said unto him, Thou hast answered right: this do, and thou shalt live. But he, willing to justify himself, said unto Jesus, And who is my neighbour?

Jesus said, A certain man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves, which stripped him of his raiment and wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead. And by chance there came down a certain priest that way: and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. And likewise a Levite, when he

1 Cor. 2: 9.

Ps. 73: 28. Ps. 31: 23. Ps. 73: 25. Matt. 22: 39. Matt. 7: 12.

was at the place, came and looked on him, and passed by on the other side. But a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was; and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, and went to him, and bound up his wounds pouring in oil and wine, and set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and took care of him. And on the morrow when he departed, he took out two pence and gave them to the host, and said unto him, Take care of him, and whatsoever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbour to him that fell among thieves? And he said, he that showed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go and do thou likewise.

Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neigbour and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies; bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you. If ye do good to them which do good to you, what thank have you? for sinners also do even the same. And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive, what thank have ye? for sinners also lend to sinners, to receive as much again. But love ye your enemies, and do good and lend, hoping for nothing again and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest; for he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil. Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them. And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all

men.

Rob not the poor because he is poor, neither oppress the afflicted in the gate: for the Lord will plead their cause, and spoil the soul of those that spoiled them. He that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his Maker: but he that honoureth him, hath mercy on the poor.

Matt. 5: 43, 44.

Luke 6: 33-35. Matt. 7: 12. 1 Thes. 3: 12. Prov. 22: 22, 23.

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