Exemplified -Rewards of.

407. Liberality exemplified.

Ac. 10: 4 He said unto him, [Cornelius] Thy prayers and thine alms are come up for a memorial before God.

[See 355, 414, 661.]

408. Rewards of liberality, and evils of covetousness.

2 Ch. 31: 10 Azariah the chief priest of the house of Zadok answered him, and said, Since the people began to bring the offerings into the house of the LORD, we have had enough to eat, and have left plenty for the LORD hath blessed his people; and that which is left is this great store.

Ps. 37: 3 Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed. 25 I have been young, and now am old; yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken, nor his seed begging bread. 26 He is ever merciful, and lendeth; and his seed is blessed.-112:5 A good man sheweth favor, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion. 6 Surely he shall not be moved for ever: the righteous shall be in everlasting remembrance.

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Pr. 3: 9 Honor the LORD with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase: 10 So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. 11: 24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty. 25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. 26 He that withholdeth corn, the people shall curse him: but blessing shall be upon the head of him that selleth it. — 13: 7 There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: there is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great riches.

Is. 32: 8 The liberal deviseth liberal things; and by liberal things shall he stand.

Mal. 3: 9 Ye are cursed with a curse: for ye have robbed me, even this whole nation. 10 Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and prove me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. 11 And I will rebuke the devourer for your sakes, and he shall not destroy the fruits of your ground; neither shall your vine cast her fruit before the time in the field, saith the LORD of hosts. And all nations shall call you blessed.

12

Lk. 6: 38 Give, and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken together, and running over,

shall men give into your bosom. For with the same measure that ye mete withal, it shall be measured to you again.

Ac. 20: 35 I have shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

2 Cor. 9: 6 This I say, He which soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully. 7 Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity for God loveth a cheerful giver. 8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work. [See 415, 527, 630, 674.]

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LOVE TO GOD.

409. Love to God our primary duty.

Mat. 22: 37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment.

[See 288.]

410. Why should we love God?

Ps. 99: 9 Exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the Lord our God is holy.-107: 8 Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! 145: 3 Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and his greatness is unsearchable. 148: 13 Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven. 411. Spurious love to God.

Ps. 106: 12 They sang his praise. 13 They soon forgat his works.

Ezk. 33: 31 With their mouth they shew much love, but their heart goeth after their covetousness.

[See 191, 194, 609, 623, 689, 702.]

LOVE TO MAN.

412. Love to man an essential duty.

Rom. 13: 8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law. 9 For this,

Required as indispensable.

Thou shalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill, Thou shalt not steal, Thou shalt not bear false witness, Thou shalt not covet; and if there be any other commandment, it is briefly comprehended in this saying, namely, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. 10 Love worketh no ill to his neighbor: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

1 Cor. 13: 13 Now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.-16: 14 Let all your things be done with charity.

Gal. 5: 13 Brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. 22 The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance.

Col. 3: 14 Above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness.

1 Th. 3: 12 The Lord make you to increase and abound in love one toward another, and toward all men, even as we do toward you.

1 Pet. 4: 8 Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. [See 406, 629, 685, 715.]

LOVE DISINTERESTED.

413. Disinterested love required as indispensab’e.

Mat. 5: 43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy: 44 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; 45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.-6: 33 Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

-7: 12 All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.-22: 39 The second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Lk. 6: 35 Love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend, hoping for nothing again.

Rom. 8:9 Ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now, if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.-15: 1 We then

Exemplified.

that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 2 Let every one of us please his neighbor for his good to edification. 3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

1 Cor. 10: 24 Let no man seek his own, but every man another's wealth. 33 Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved.-13: 4 Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, 5 Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; 6 Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; 7 Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.

2 Cor. 5: 15 He died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again.

Gal. 5: 14 All the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

Ph. 2: 3 Let nothing be done through strife or vain-glory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. 4 Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others.

Jam. 2: 8 If ye fulfil the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself, ye do well: 9 But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.

1 Jn. 3: 16 Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.

[See 111, 137-8, 283, 299, 356, 674, 689.]

414. Examples of disinterested love.

Ex. 32: 31 Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold. 32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin: and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written. 33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.

1 S. 24: 16 Saul lifted up his voice, and wept. 17 And he said to David, Thou art more righteous than I: for thou hast rewarded me good, whereas I have rewarded thee evil. 18 And thou hast shewed this day how that thou hast dealt well with me; forasmuch as when the LORD had delivered me into thine hand, thou killedst me not.

Exemplified.

Job 1:9 Then Satan answered the LORD and said, Doth Job fear God for nought? 21 The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD.—13: 15 Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him: but I will maintain mine own ways before him.-29: 12 I delivered the poor that cried, and the fatherless, and him that had none to help him. 13 The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me; and I caused the widow's heart to sing for joy.

Dan. 3: 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king. 18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.6: 10 Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.

Lk. 10: 33 A certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was and when he saw him, he had compassion on him, 34 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.

Ac. 2: 44 All that believed were together, and had all things common; 45 And sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need.—4: 32 The multitude of them that believed were of one heart, and of one soul: neither said any of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common. 34 Neither was there any among them that lacked: for as many as were possessors of lands or houses sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold, 35 And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need.

Rom. 9: 1 I say the truth in Christ, I lie not, my conscience also bearing me witness in the Holy Ghost, 2 That I have great heaviness and continual sorrow in my heart. 3 For I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ, for my brethren, my kinsmen according to the flesh.

2 Cor. 8: 9 Ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.-12: 14 Behold,