Stealing forbidden- Punishment of.

Therefore, my brethren dearly beloved and longed for, my joy and crown, so stand fast in the Lord, my dearly beloved.

Col. 1: 23 If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled, and be not moved away from the hope of the gospel. — 2: 5 Though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. 6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

2 Tim. 1: 13 Hold fast the form of sound words, which thou hast heard of me, in faith and love which is in Christ Jesus. Heb. 10: 23 Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised.

1 Pet. 5: 8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: 9 Whom resist steadfast in the faith.

2 Pet. 3: 17 Ye therefore, beloved, seeing ye know these things before, beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own steadfastness. [See 187, 364.]

STEALING.

713. Stealing forbidden.

Ex. 20: 15 Thou shalt not steal.

Lev. 19: 11 Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.

Ep. 4: 28 Let him that stole, steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

1 Pet. 4: 15 Let none of you suffer as a murderer, or as a thief, or as an evil-doer, or as a busybody in other men's

matters.

714. Punishment of stealing — Threats.

Ex. 21:16 He that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death.

Jos. 7: 11 Israel hath sinned, and they have also transgressed my covenant which I commanded them: for they have even taken of the accursed thing, and have also stolen, and dissembled also, and they have put it even among their own stuff. 12 Therefore the children of Israel could not stand before their enemies, but turned their backs before their enemies, because they were accursed: neither will I be with you any

Duty to Strangers.

more, except ye destroy the accursed from among you. 15 It shall be, that he that is taken with the accursed thing shall be burnt with fire, he and all that he hath: because he hath transgressed the covenant of the LORD, and because he hath wrought folly in Israel.

Hos. 4: 2 By swearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. 3 Therefore, shall the land mourn, and every one that dwelleth therein shall languish, with the beasts of the field, and with the fowls of heaven; yea, the fishes of the sea also shall be taken away.

1 Cor. 6: 10 Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

STRANGERS.

715. Justice, kindness and hospitality to strangers required.

Ex. 22: 21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress nim for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. -23: 9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Lev. 19: 10 Thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them for the poor and stranger: I am the LORD your God. 33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. 34 But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Dt. 1: 16 I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him. - 10: 18 He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. 19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

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

Mat. 25: 35 I was an hungered, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in.

Heb. 13: 2 Be not forgetful to entertain strangers: for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. [See 354.]

Suing at the Law - Suretyship-Profane Swearing forbidden.

SUING AT THE LAW.

716. Suing, especially before the unbelieving and unjust, discountenanced. Mat. 5: 40 If any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also.

1 Cor. 6: 1 Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? 6 But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers. 7 Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded? [Pr. 19: 11.]

SURETY.

717. Suretyship discountenanced-cautions.

Pr. 6: 1 My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, 2 Thou art snared with the words of thy mouth, thou art taken with the words of thy mouth. 3 Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. 4 Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. 5 Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler. — 11: 15 He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretyship is sure. - 22: 26 Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. 27 If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee? [Pr. 17: 18, and 20: 16.]

SWEARING.

718. Profane swearing forbidden and punished — Threats.

Ex. 20: 7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Lev. 19: 12 Ye shall not swear by my name falsely, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I am the LORD.— 24: 10 The son of an Israelitish woman, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the children of Israel; and this son of the Israelitish woman and a man of Israel strove together in the camp; 11 And the Israelitish woman's son blasphemed the

Rash Swearing exemplified.

name of the LORD, and cursed; and they brought him unto Moses: (and his mother's name was Shelomith, the daughter of Dibri, of the tribe of Dan :) 12 And they put him in ward, that the mind of the LORD might be shewed them. 13 And

the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, 14 Bring forth him that hath cursed without the camp, and let all that heard him lay their hands upon his head, and let all the congregation stone him. 15 And thou shalt speak unto the children of Israel, saying, Whosoever curseth his God shall bear his sin. 16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death, and all the congregation shall certainly stone him as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name of the LORD, shall be put to death.

Jer. 23: 10 Because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up.

Hos. 4: 2 By swearing, and lying and killing, and stealing and committing adultery, they break out, and blood toucheth blood. 3 Therefore, shall the land mourn.

Zec. 5: 3 Then said he unto me, This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the whole earth: for every one that stealeth shall be cut off as on this side, according to it; and every one that sweareth' shall be cut off as on that side, according to it.

Mat. 5: 34 I say unto you. Swear not at all: neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: 35 Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King: 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.

Jam. 5: 12 Above all things, my brethren, swear not neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea, be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.

719. Examples of rash swearing.

Jud. 11: 30 Jephthah vowed a vow unto the LORD, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hands, 31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shalt surely be the LORD'S, and I will offer it up for a burnt-offering.

Mat. 14: 6 When Herod's birth-day was kept, the daughter of Herodias danced before them, and pleased Herod.

7

Oaths to confirm - Temperance a Christian Duty.

Whereupon he promised with an oath to give her whatsoever she would ask. 8 And she, being before instructed of her mother, said, Give me here John Baptist's head in a charger. 9 And the king was sorry: nevertheless for the oath's sake, and them that sat with him at meat, he commanded it to be given her.

Ac. 23: 12 When it was day, certain of the Jews banded together, and bound themselves under a curse, saying, that they would neither eat nor drink till they had killed Paul.

720. Oaths of confirmation — examples.

Dt. 10: 20 Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his

name.

Neh. 5: 12 Then said they, We will restore them, and will require nothing of them; so will we do as thou sayest. Then I called the priests, and took an oath of them, that they should do according to this promise.

Ps. 15: 1 LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? 4 He that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not.

Ec. 8: 2 I counsel thee to keep the king's commandment, and that in regard to the oath of God.

Mat. 26: 63 The high priest answered and said unto him, I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ the Son of God. 64 Jesus saith unto him, Thou hast said.

2 Cor. 1: 23 I call God for a record upon my soul, that to spare you I came not as yet unto Corinth.

Heb. 6: 16 Men verily swear by the greater: and an oath for confirmation is to them an end of all strife. 17 Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath.

TEMPERANCE.

721. Temperance required—its importance.

1 Cor. 9: 25 Every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptiible crown; but we an incorruptible.

Gal. 5: 22 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh, with the affections and lusts.