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Displeasing to God.

statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: 7 Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a bye-word among all people.

2 K. 17: 9 The children of Israel did secretly those things that were not right against the LORD their God, and they built them high places in all their cities, from the tower of the watchmen to the fenced city. 10 And they set them up images and groves in every high hill, and under every green tree : 11 And there they burnt incense in all the high places, as did the heathen whom the LORD carried away before them; and wrought wicked things to provoke the LORD to anger: 12 For they served idols, whereof the LORD had said unto them, Ye shall not do this thing. 16 And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal. 18 Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only. 19 Judah kept not the commandments of the LORD their God, but walked in the statutes of Israel which they made. 20 And the LORD rejected all the seed of Israel, and afflicted them, and delivered them into the hand of spoilers, until he had cast them out of his sight. -22: 17 Because they have forsaken me, and have burned incense unto other gods, that they might provoke me to anger with all the works of their hands; therefore my wrath shall be kindled against this place, and shall not be quenched.

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Ps. 78: 58 They provoked him to anger with their high places, and moved him to jealousy with their graven images. 59 When God heard this, he was wroth, and greatly abhorred Israel.

Jer. 44: 2 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Ye have seen all the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, and upon all the cities of Judah; and behold, this day they are a desolation, and no man dwelleth therein; 3 Because of their wickedness which they have committed to provoke me to anger, in that they went to burn incense, and to serve other gods, whom they knew not, neither they, ye, nor your fathers. 4 I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.

Ezk. 36: 18 Wherefore, I poured my fury upon them for the blood that they had shed upon the land, and for their idols

Sin and Danger of Ignorance

wherewith they had polluted it: 19 And I scattered them among the heathen, and they were dispersed through the countries according to their way and according to their doings I judged them. [See 486, 699.]

IGNORANCE.

363. The sin and danger of ignorance — knowledge required.

Ps. 32: 9 Be ye not as the horse, or as the mule, which have no understanding: whose mouth must be held in with bit and bridle, lest they come near unto thee.

Pr. 13: 18 Poverty and shame shall be to him that refuseth instruction: but he that regardeth reproof shall be honored.15:32 He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul: but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. 19: 2 Also, that the soul be without knowledge, it is not good; and he that hasteth with his feet sinneth.

Is. 5: 13 My people are gone into captivity, because they have no knowledge: and their honorable men are famished, and their multitude dried up with thirst.

Hos. 4: 1 Hear the word of the LORD, ye children of Israel: for the LORD hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Jn. 16: 2 They shall put you out of the synagogues: yea, the time cometh, that whosoever killeth you, will think that he doeth God service. 3 And these things will they do unto you, because they have not known the Father, nor me.

1 Cor. 2: 7 We speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the world unto our glory; 8 Which none of the princes of this world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.-14: 20 Brethren, be not children in understanding: howbeit, in malice be ye children, but in understanding be

men.

2 Th. 1: 7 To you, who are troubled, rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, 8 In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. [See 127, 200,(10) 391.]

Instability reproved-Deceitful and injurious.

INSTABILITY.

364. Instability reproved-Unstable persons to be avoided.

Gen. 49: 4 Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel.

Pr. 24: 21 Meddle not with them that are given to change. Ep. 4: 14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive.

Heb. 13: 9 Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace. [See 712.]

INTEMPERANCE.

365. Intemperance a prevalent, deceitful, loathsome and destructive vice.

Gen. 9: 20 Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: 21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent.

Pr. 20: 1 Wine is a mocker, strong drink is raging: and whosoever is deceived thereby is not wise.-23: 21 The drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty. 29 Who hath wo? who hath sorrow? who hath contentions? who hath babbling? who hath wounds without cause? who hath redness of eyes? 30 They that tarry long at the wine; they that go to seek mixed wine. 34 Yea, thou shalt be as he that lieth down in the midst of the sea, or as he that lieth upon the top of a mast. 35 They have stricken me, shalt thou say, and I was not sick; they have beaten me, and I felt it not: when shall I awake? I will seek it yet again.

Is. 28: 7 They also have erred through wine, and through strong drink are out of the way; the priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment. 8 For all tables are full of vomit and filthiness, so that there is no place clean. -56: 12 Come ye, say they, I will fetch wine, and we will fill ourselves with strong drink.

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Jer. 25: 27 Thou shalt say unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Drink ye, and be drunken, and spue, and fall, and rise no more, because of the sword which I will send among you.

Forbidden and discouraged.

Dan. 5: 1 Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand. 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver.

Hos. 4: 11 Whoredom and wine and new wine take away the heart.

1 Cor. 11: 21 In eating every one taketh before other his own supper: and one is hungry, and another is drunken.

366. Intemperance forbidden — penalty of — cautions.

Dt. 21: 20 They shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard. 21 And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you, and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

Pr. 23: 20 Be not among wine-bibbers; among riotous eaters of flesh. 31 Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his color in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. 32 At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder.

Is. 5: 11 Wo unto them that rise up early in the morning, that they may follow strong drink; that continue until night, till wine inflame them! 12 And the harp, and the viol, the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts: 22 Wo unto them that are mighty to drink wine, and men of strength to mingle strong drink. - 28: 1 Wo to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, whose glorious beauty is a fading flower, which are on the head of the fat valleys of them that are overcome with wine!

Mat. 24: 48 If that evil servant shall say in his heart, My lord delayeth his coming; 49 And shall begin to smite his fellow-servants, and to eat and drink with the drunken; 50 The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not aware of, 51 And shall cut him asunder, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Rom. 13: 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day: not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.

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

Gal. 5: 19 The works of the flesh are manifest, which are these, Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have

The liquor seller condemned -Wisdom of abstinence.

also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Ep. 5: 18 And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be ye filled with the Spirit. [See 199, 721.]

367. The liquor seller virtually and explicitly condemned.

Gen. 4: 9 The LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper? 10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground. 11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand.

Ex. 21. 28 If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die: then the ox shall be surely stoned, and his flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be quit. 29 But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death. 30 If there be laid on him a sum of money, then he shall give for the ransom of his life whatsoever is laid upon him.

Dt. 32: 33 Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps. 34 Is not this laid up in store with me, and sealed up among my treasures? 35 To me belongeth vengeance, and recompense; their foot shall slide in due time: for the day of their calamity is at hand, and the things that shall come upon them make haste.

2 K. 21: 9 Manasseh seduced them to do more evil than did the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the children of Israel. 10 The LORD spake by his servants, the prophets, saying, 11 Because Manasseh king of Judah hath done these abominations, and hath done wickedly above all that the Amorites did, which were before him, and hath made Judah also to sin. 12 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Behold, I am bringing such evil upon Jerusalem and Judah, that whosoever heareth of it, both his ears shall tingle.

Hab. 2: 15 Wo unto him that giveth his neighbor drink, that puttest thy bottle to him, and makest him drunken also, that thou mayest look on their nakedness!

Jn. 3: 19 And this is the condemnation, that light has come into the world. [See 685.]

368. The wisdom of total abstinence and watchfulness.

Dan. 1: 8 Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the

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