Ecc. v. 8. 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.

Isa. i. 23. Thy princes are rebellious, ... they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them.

24. Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease mine adversaries...

me of

25. And I will turn my hand upon thee. Isa. iii. 13. The Lord standeth up to plead, and standeth to judge the people.

14. The Lord will enter into judgment with the ancients of his people, and the princes thereof: for ye have eaten up the vineyard; the spoil of the poor is in your houses.

15. What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord God of hosts.

Isa. xiv. 30. The firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety.

Isa. xxv. 1. O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thee, I will praise thy name;...

4. For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat.

Jer. xx. 18. Sing unto the Lord, praise ye the Lord : for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers.

Jer. xlix. 11. Leave thy fatherless children, I will preserve them alive; and let thy widows trust in

me.

Hos. xiv. 3. In thee the fatherless findeth mercy.

BE CONSIDERATE TO THE POOR, THE SUFFERING AND HELPLESS.

Ex. xxii. 25. If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as an usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury.

26. If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down:

:

27. For that is his covering only, it is his raiment for his skin wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear; for I am gracious.

Lev. xxv. 85. If thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him : yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.

36. Take thou no usury of him, or increase; but fear thy God; that thy brother may live with thee.

39. And if thy brother that dwelleth by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant :

43. Thou shalt not rule over him with rigour; but shalt fear thy God.

Deu. xv. 7. If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren within any of thy gates in thy land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not harden thine heart, nor shut thine hand from thy poor brother:

8. But thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth.

9. Beware that there be not a thought in thy wicked heart, saying, The seventh year, the year of release, is at hand; and thine eye be evil against thy poor brother, and thou givest him nought; and he cry unto the Lord against thee, and it be sin unto thee.

10. Thou shalt surely give him, and thine heart shall not be grieved when thou givest unto him: because that for this thing the Lord thy God shall bless thee in all thy works, and in all that thou puttest thine hand unto.

11. For the poor shall never cease out of the land: therefore I command thee, saying, Thou shalt open thine hand wide unto thy brother, to thy poor, and to thy needy, in thy land.

Deu. xvi. 17. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord thy God which he hath given thee.

Deu. xxiv. 14. Thou shalt not oppress an hired servant that is poor and needy, whether he be of thy

brethren, or of thy strangers that are in thy land within thy gates:

15. At his day thou shalt give him his hire, neither shall the sun go down upon it; for he is poor, and setteth his heart upon it: lest he cry against thee unto the Lord, and it be sin unto thee.

Deu. xxvii. 18. Cursed be he that maketh the blind to wander out of the way. And all the people shall say, Amen.

Job xxii. 5. Is not thy wickedness great? and thine iniquities infinite?

6. For thou hast taken a pledge from thy brother for nought, and stripped the naked of their clothing. 7. Thou hast not given water to the weary to drink, and thou hast withholden bread from the hungry. Job xxx. 25. Did not I weep for him that was in trouble? was not my soul grieved for the poor?

Job xxxi. 13. If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

14. What then shall I do when God riseth up? and when he visiteth, what shall I answer him?

16. If I have withheld the poor from their desire, or have caused the eyes of the widow to fail;

17. Or have eaten my morsel myself alone, and the fatherless had not eaten thereof;

19. If I have seen any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering;