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Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. Learn to do well, seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge for the fatherless, plead for the widow. Open thy mouth for the dumb in the cause of all such as are appointed to destruction. Open thy mouth, judge righteously, and plead the cause of the poor and needy. Defend the poor and fatherless : do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy: rid them out of the hand of the wicked. If thou forbear to deliver them that are drawn unto death, and those that are ready to be, slain: if thou sayest, Behold, we knew it not: doth not he that pondereth the heart, consider it? and he that keepeth thy soul, doth not he know it? and shall not he render to every man according to his works?

The people of the land have used oppression, and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they have oppressed the stranger wonderfully. And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

Whoso stoppeth his ear at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. Wo unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong: that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work. The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them; because they refuse to do judgment.

Wherefore, thus saith the Holy One of Israel: Because ye despise this word and trust in oppression and perverseness, and stay thereon: therefore this iniquity shall be to you as a breach ready to fall, swelling out in a high wall, whose breaking cometh suddenly at an instant. Among my people are found wicked men, they lay wait as he that setteth snares, they set a trap, they

Heb. 13: 3. Isaiah 1: 17. Prov. 31 8, 9. Ps. 82: 3, 4. Prov. 24: 11, 12. Ezek. 22: 29, 30. Prov. 21: 13. Jer. 22: 13. Prov. 21: 7. Is. 30: 12, 13. Jer. 5: 26-28.

catch men, they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper: and the right of the needy do they not judge.

If thou seest the oppression of the poor, and violent perverting of judgment and justice, in a province, marvel not at the matter: for he that is higher than the highest, regardeth, and there be higher than they. The Lord said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry, by reason of their task-masters: for I know their sorrows: the cry of the children of Israel is come unto me and I have also seen the oppression wherewith the Egyptians oppress them. For the oppression of the poor, for the sighing of the needy, now will I arise, (saith the Lord,) I will set him in safety from him that puffeth at him., For I the Lord love judgment, I hate robbery for burnt offering.

He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless, and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Lord thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear, to judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.

Is not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily: and thy righteousness shall go before thee, the glory of the Lord shall be thy rere-ward: and the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones: and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not.

Eccl. 5: 8. Exod. 3: 7-9. Ps. 12: 5. Isaiah 61: 8. Deut. 10: 18. Ps. 10: 17, 18. Isaiah 58: 6. Isaiah 58: 8-11.

BEATITUDES.

AND seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain; and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: and he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted.

Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God. Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

POOR IN SPIRIT BLESSED.

LIFT up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number. It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grass-hoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in all nations before him are as nothing, and they are counted to him less than nothing, and vanity. When I consider thy heavens, the

work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars which thou hast ordained; what is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

How can man be justified with God? Behold, his angels he charged with folly: yea, the heavens are not clean in his sight; how much less man that is a worm? Then Job answered the Lord, and said, I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear; but now mine eye seeth thee. Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes.

Every one that is proud in heart, is an abomination to the Lord. The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down. The Lord of hosts hath purposed it, to stain the pride of all glory, and to bring into contempt all the honourable of the earth. God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God; but made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men. And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. I say to every man that is among you, no to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind, let each esteem other better than themselves.

Then came to Jesus, the mother of Zebedee's children with her sons, and saith unto him, Grant, that these my two sons may sit, the one on thy right hand, and the other on the left in thy kingdom. And when the ten

Job 25: 4. Job 4: 18.
Isaiah 2: 11.
Isaiah 23 9.

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heard it, they were moved with indignation against the two brethren. But Jesus said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. But it shall not be so among you; but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant.

After that, he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples' feet and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. After he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done unto you? Ye call me Master and Lord, and ye say well for so I am. If I then your Lord and Master have washed your feet ye also ought to wash one another's feet. For I have given you an example, that ye should do, as I have done to you.

To this man will I look, even to him that is poor, and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word. For 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. Better it is to be of a humble spirit with the lowly, than to divide the spoil with the proud. Whosoever exalteth himself shall be abased: and he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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UNTO Adam God said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of

Matt. 20:25-27. John 13: 5-15. Isaiah 66: 2. Isaiah 57: 15. Prov. 16: 19. Luke 14: 11.

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