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4 lines
15 KiB
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<p>Here are precious promises for those to feast freely and cheerfully upon by faith who keep the fast that God has chosen; let them know that God will make it up to them. Here is,</p>
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<p class="tab-1">I. A further account of the duty to be done in order to our interest in these promises (<a class="bibleref" title="Isa.58.9,Isa.58.10" href="/passage/?search=Isa.58.9,Isa.58.10"><span class="bibleref" title="Isa.58.9">Isa. 58:9</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Isa.58.10">10</span></a>); and here, as before, it is required that we both do justly and love mercy, that we cease to do evil and learn to do well. 1. We must abstain from all acts of violence and fraud. “Those must be <i>taken away from the midst of thee</i>, from the midst of <i>thy person</i>, out of <i>thy heart</i>” (so some); “thou must not only refrain from the practice of injury, but mortify in thee all inclination and disposition towards it.” Or <i>from the midst of thy people</i>. Those in authority must not only not be oppressive themselves, but must do all they can to prevent and restrain oppression in all within their jurisdiction. They must not only <i>break the yoke</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Isa.58.6" href="/passage/?search=Isa.58.6">Isa. 58:6</a>), but take away the yoke, that those who have been oppressed may never be re-enslaved (as they were <a class="bibleref" title="Jer.34.10,Jer.34.11" href="/passage/?search=Jer.34.10,Jer.34.11"><span class="bibleref" title="Jer.34.10">Jer. 34:10</span>, <span class="bibleref" title="Jer.34.11">11</span></a>); they must likewise <i>forbear threatening</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Eph.6.9" href="/passage/?search=Eph.6.9">Eph. 6:9</a>) and take away the <i>putting forth of the finger</i>, which seems to have been then, as sometimes with us, a sign of displeasure and the indication of a purpose to correct. Let not the finger be put forth to point at those that are poor and in misery, and so to expose them to contempt; such expressions of contumely as are provoking, and the products of ill-nature, ought to be banished from all societies. And let them not <i>speak vanity</i>, flattery or fraud, to one another, but let all conversation be governed by sincerity. Perhaps that dissimulation which is the bane of friendship is meant by the putting forth of the finger (as <a class="bibleref" title="Prov.6.13" href="/passage/?search=Prov.6.13">Prov. 6:13</a> by <i>teaching with the finger</i>), or it is putting forth the finger with the ring on it, which was the badge of authority, and which therefore they produced when they spoke iniquity, that is, gave unrighteous sentences. 2. We must abound in all acts of charity and beneficence. We must not only give alms according as the necessities of the poor require, but, (1.) We must give freely and cheerfully, and from a principle of charity. We must <i>draw out our soul to the hungry</i> (<a class="bibleref" title="Isa.58.10" href="/passage/?search=Isa.58.10">Isa. 58:10</a>), not only draw out the money and reach forth the hand, but do this from the heart, heartily, and without grudging, from a principle of compassion and with a tender affection to such as we see to be in misery. Let the heart go along with the gift; for God loves a cheerful giver, and so does a poor man too. When our Lord Jesus healed and fed the multitude it was as having compassion on them. (2.) We must give plentifully and largely, so as not to ta 55e8 ntalize, but to <i>satisfy, the afflicted soul</i>: “Do not only feed the hungry, but gratify the desire of the afflicted, and, if it lies in your power, make them easy.” What are we born for, and what have we our abilities of body, mind, and estate for, but to do all the good we can in this world with them? And the poor we have always with us.</p>
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<p class="tab-1">II. Here is a full account of the blessings and benefits which attend the performance of this duty. If a person, a family, a people, be thus disposed to every thing that is good, let them know for their comfort that they shall find God their bountiful rewarder and what they lay out in works of charity shall be abundantly made up to them. 1. God will surprise them with the return of mercy after great affliction, which shall be as welcome as the light of the morning after a long and dark night (<a class="bibleref" title="Isa.58.8" href="/passage/?search=Isa.58.8">Isa. 58:8</a>): <i>“Then shall thy light break forth as the morning</i> and (<a class="bibleref" title="Isa.58.10" href="/passage/?search=Isa.58.10">Isa. 58:10</a>) <i>thy light shall rise in obscurity</i>. Though thou hast been long buried alive thou shalt recover thy eminency; though long overwhelmed with grief, thou shalt again look pleasant as the dawning day.” Those that are cheerful in doing good God will make cheerful in enjoying good; and this also is a special <i>gift of God</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Eccl.2.24" href="/passage/?search=Eccl.2.24">Eccl. 2:24</a>. Those that have shown mercy shall find mercy. Job, who in his prosperity had done a great deal of good, had friends raised up for him by the Lord when he was reduced, who helped him with their substance, so that his light rose in obscurity. “Not only thy light, which is sweet, but thy health too, or the healing of the wounds thou hast long complained of, shall spring forth speedily; all thy grievances shall be redressed, and thou shalt renew thy youth and recover thy vigour.” Those that have helped others out of trouble will obtain help of God when it is their turn. 2. God will put honour upon them. Good works shall be recompensed with a good name; this is included in that <i>light which rises out of obscurity</i>. Though a man’s extraction be mean, his family obscure, and he has no external advantages to gain him honour, yet, if he do good in his place, that will procure him respect and veneration, and his darkness shall by this means become <i>as the noon-day</i>, that is, he shall become very eminent and shine brightly in his generation. See here what is the surest way for a man to make himself illustrious; let him study to do good. He that would be the greatest of all, and best-loved, let him by humility and industry make himself a servant of all. “<i>Thy righteousness shall answer for thee</i> (as Jacob says, <a class="bibleref" title="Gen.30.33" href="/passage/?search=Gen.30.33">Gen. 30:33</a>), that is, it shall silence reproaches, nay, it shall bespeak thee more praises than thy humility can be pleased with.” He that has <i>given to the poor, his righteousness</i> (that is, the honour of it) <i>endures for ever</i>, <a class="bibleref" title="Ps.112.9" href="/passage/?search=Ps.112.9">Ps. 112:9</a>. 3. They shall always be safe under the divine protection: “<i>Thy righteousness shall go before</i> thee as thy vanguard, to secure thee from enemies that charge thee in the front, and <i>the glory of the Lord shall be thy rearward</i>, the gathering host, to bring up those of thee that are weary and are left behind, and to secure thee from the enemies, that, like Amalek, fall upon thy rear.” Observe, How good people are safe on all sides. Let them look which way they will, behind them or before them; let them look backward or forward; they see themselves safe, and find themselves easy and quiet from the fear of evil. And observe what it is that is their defence; it is their righteousness, and the glory of the Lord, that is, as some suppose, Christ; for it is by him that we are justified, and God is glorified. He it is that goes before us, and is the captain of our salvation, as he is the Lord our righteousness; he it is that is our rearward, on whom alone we can depend for safety when our sins pursue us and are ready to take hold on us. Or, “God himself in his providence and grace shall both go before thee as thy guide to conduct thee, and attend thee
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