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

AFF

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 about from house to house; and not only idle, but tattlers also, and busybodies, speaking things which they ought not. [See 1, 709.]

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

Heathen gods destitute of divinity

Image-worship forbidden.

to uncleanness, through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonor their own bodies between themselves : 29 Being filled with all unrighteousness, fornication, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, debate, deceit, malignity; whisperers, 30 Backbiters, haters of God, despiteful, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 Without understanding, covenant-breakers, without natural affection, implacable, unmerciful.

Ep. 4: 17 This I say therefore, and testify in the Lord, that ye henceforth walk not as other Gentiles walk, in the vanity of their mind, 18 Having the understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God through the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart: 19 Who, being past feeling, have given themselves over unto lasciviousness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. [See 480.]

360. Heathen gods destitute of divinity.

Ps. 115: 4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. 5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: 6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: 7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not neither speak they through their throat. 8 They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them.

Is. 46: 6 They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, and hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship. 7 They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, one shall cry unto him yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.

361. Idolatry and image-worship forbidden.

Ex. 20: 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me. 23: 24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. 34: 17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.

Common Displeasing to God.

Lev. 19: 4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God. - 26: 1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.

Dt. 6: 14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you; 15 (For the LORD thy God is a jealous God among you ;) lest the anger of the LORD thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth -28: 14 Thou shalt not go aside from any of the words which I command thee this day, to the right hand or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

362. Idolatry common — - Threats.

Ex. 22: 20 He that sacrificeth unto ang god, save unto the LORD only, he shall be utterly destroyed.

Dt. 8: 19 It shall be, if thou do at all forget the LORD thy God, and walk after other gods, and serve them, and worship them, I testify against you this day that ye shall surely perish. -27: 15 Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place: and all the people shall answer and say, Amen.-30: 17 If thy heart turn away, so that thou wilt not hear, but shalt be drawn away, and worship other gods, and serve them; 18 I denounce unto you this day, that ye shall surely perish.

Jud. 2: 11 The children of Israel did evil in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim: 12 And they forsook the LORD God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt, and followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them, and bowed themselves unto them, and provoked the LORD to anger. 13 And they forsook the LORD, and served Baal and Ashtaroth. 14 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he delivered them into the hands of spoilers.-10: 6 The children of Israel did evil again in the sight of the LORD, and served Baalim, and Ashtaroth, and the gods of Syria, and the gods of Zidon, and the gods of Moab, and the gods of the children of Ammon, and the gods of the Philistines, and forsook the LORD, and served not him. 7 And the anger of the LORD was hot against Israel, and he sold them into the hands of the Philistines, and into the hands of the children of Ammon.

1 K. 9: 6 If ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my