Keeping at Home - Object of Hope - Full Assurance of.

Christ, and hath anointed us, is God; 22 Who hath also sealed us, and given the earnest of the Spirit in our hearts.

HOME.

351. Keeping at home recommended·

་་

·roving disapproved.

Pr. 25: 17 Withdraw thy foot from thy neighbor's house; lest he be weary of thee, and so hate thee.- 27: 8 As a bird' that wandereth from her nest, so is a man that wandereth from his place.

Tit. 2: 4 Teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home.

HOPE.

352. The proper and chief object of hope.

Ps. 42: 5. Hope thou in God.

Rom. 5: 2 Rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

1 Pet. 1: 21 That your faith and hope might be in God.

353. Full assurance of hope inculcated and exemplified.

Job 19: 25 I know that my Redeemer liveth.

Rom. 8: 35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? 37 Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors, through him that loved us.

2 Tim. 4: 6 I am now ready to be offered, and the time of my departure is at hand. 7 I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: 8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.

Heb. 6:11 We desire that every one of you do shew the same diligence to the full assurance of hope unto the end: 12 That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises. 17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath: 18 That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us: 19 Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which entereth into that within the vail; 20 Whither the

Required and Exemplified.

forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

1 Jn. 3: 18 My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. 19 And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.

HOSPITALITY.

354. Hospitality required and encouraged.

Rom. 12: 10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another; 13 Distributing to the necessity of saints: given to hospitality.

1 Tim. 3: 2 A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife, vigilant, sober, of good behavior, given to hospitality, apt to teach. [Tit. 1: 8.]

Heb. 13: 2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares.

1 Pet. 4: 9 Use hospitality one to another without grudging. Mat. 10: 40-42. [See 715].

355. Hospitality exemplified.

Gen. 18: 2 He lifted up his eyes and looked, and lo, three men stood by him: and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent-door, and bowed himself toward the ground, 3 And said, My Lord, if now I have found favor in thy sight, pass not away, I pray thee, from thy servant : 4 Let a little water, I pray you, be fetched, and wash your feet, and rest yourselves under the tree: 5 And I will fetch a morsel of bread, and comfort ye your hearts; after that ye shall pass on: for therefore are ye come to your servant. And they said, So do, as thou hast said. 6 Abraham hastened into the tent unto Sarah, and said, Make ready quickly three measures of fine meal, knead it, and make cakes upon the hearth. 7 And Abraham ran unto the herd, and fetched a calf tender and good, and gave it unto a young man; and he hasted to dress it. - 19: 1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom; and Lot, seeing them, rose up to meet them; and he bowed himself with his face toward the ground; 2 And he said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house, and tarry all night, and wash your feet, and ye shall rise up early, and go on your ways. And they said, Nay; but we will abide in the street all night. 3 And he pressed upon them greatly; and they turned in unto him, and entered into his house; and he made

Nature of Required and Encouraged.

them a feast, and did bake unleavened bread, and they did eat.

Job 31: 32 The stranger did not lodge in the street: but I opened my doors to the traveller.

Ac. 28: 7 In the same quarters were possessions of the chief man of the island, whose name was Publius; who received us, and lodged us three days courteously.

3 Jn. 5 Beloved, thou doest faithfully whatsoever thou doest to the brethren and to strangers; 6 Which have borne witness of thy charity before the church: whom if thou bring forward on their journey after a goodly sort, thou shalt do well.

[See 135, 407.]

HUMILITY.

356. Nature and manifestations of humility.

Jud. 10: 15 The children of Israel said unto the LORD, We have sinned: do thou unto us whatsoever seemeth good unto thee.

2 S. 24: 17 David spake unto the LORD when he saw the angel that smote the people, and said, Lo, I have sinned, and I have done wickedly: but these sheep, what have they done? Let thy hand, I pray thee, be against me, and against my father's house.

Job 2: 10 He said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What! shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil?

Lk. 15: 18 I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, 19 And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.-23: 40 But the other answering, rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly for we receive the due reward of our deeds.

[See 299, 414, 537, 603, 674.]

357. Humility required and encouraged.

Lev. 26: 41 If then their uncircumcised hearts be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity; 42 Then will I remember my covenant with Jacob, and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.

Job 22:29 When men are cast down, then thou shalt say, There is lifting up; and he shall save the humble person.

Ps. 9: 12 When he maketh inquisition for blood, he remem

Described and Reproved.

bereth them: he forgetteth not the cry of the humble.—10:17 LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear.—138: 6 Though the LORD be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly : but the proud he knoweth afar off.

Pr. 3: 34 Surely he scorneth the scorners: but he giveth grace unto the lowly. -15:33 The fear of the LORD is the instruction of wisdom: and before honor is humility. — 22: 4 By humility and the fear of the LORD are riches, and honor, and life. 29: 23 A man's pride shall bring him low: but honor shall uphold the humble in spirit.

Is. 57: 15 Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones.

Mic. 6: 8 He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Mat. 5: 3 Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Lk. 18: 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased: and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

Jam. 4: 6 God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. 10 Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.

1 Pet. 5: 5 God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. 6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time. [See 606-7.]

IDLENESS.

358. Idleness described, reproved, and punished.

Pr. 6: 6 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways. and be wise: 7 Which having no guide overseer or ruler, 8 Provideth her meat in the summer, and gathereth her food in the harvest. 9 How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? 15: 19 The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.-18: 9 He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster. 19: 15 Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall

Character of Idolaters.

suffer hunger. 20: 4 The sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold; therefore shall he beg in harvest, and have nothing. 13 Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread. 21: 25 The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labor. 26 He coveteth greedily all the day long: but the righteous giveth and spareth not. - 23: 21 The drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags. - 24: 30 I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man void of understanding; 31 And lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. 32 Then I saw, and considered it well: I looked upon it, and received instruction. 33 Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: 34 So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

Ec. 10: 18 By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

2 Thes. 3: 10 Even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 11 We hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy-bodies. 12 Now them that are such, we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

1 Tim. 5: 13 They learn to be idle, wandering abou* from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also, and usybodies, speaking things which they ought not. [See 1, 705.]

IDOLATRY AND HEATHENISM.

359. Character of heathen idolaters.

2 K. 16: 3 But he [Ahaz] walked in the way of the kings of Israel, yea, and made his son to pass through the fire, according to the abominations of the heathen, whom the LORD cast out from before the children of Israel.

Rom. 1: 21 When they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful, but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened. 22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools; 23 And changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and four-footed beasts, and creeping things. 24 Wherefore God also gave them up