tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother: but if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established; and if he shall neglect to hear them, tell it unto the Church, but if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as an heathen man and a publican. 1 If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 2 MERCY AND COMPASSION: * Thus speaketh the Lord of Hosts, saying, Show mercy and compassion every man to his brother. 3 Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another; love as brethren; be pitiful; be courteous. 4 * Be ye merciful, as your Father also is merciful. 5 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Comfort the feeble-minded, support the weak, be patient towards all men, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love. 7 We that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves. 8 Pure religion is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction. 'Remember them that are in bonds, as bound with them; and them which suffer adversity, as being yourselves also in the body. 1 Matt. vi. 14, 15. 2 Zech. vii. 9. 4 Luke vi. 36. 5 Gal. vi. 2. 31 Pet. iii. 8. 6 1 Thess. v. 14. Eph. iv. 2. 1 Deliver the spoiler out of the hand of the oppressor. 2 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 shall not he render to every man according to his works.? 3 Thou shalt not vex a stranger; nor afflict any widow or fatherless child. * Thou shalt not curse the deaf, nor put a stumblingblock before the blind. 5 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy but he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy. 6 The merciful man doth good unto his own soul : but he that is cruel, troubleth his own flesh; and he that is glad at calamities, shall not be unpunished. 7 Woe unto them that are at ease in Sion, and are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph. Particularly to the Poor. 8 If there be among you a poor man of one of thy brethren, thou shalt not harden thy heart, nor shut thy hand from thy poor brother but thou shalt open thine hand wide unto him, and shalt surely lend him sufficient for his need, in that which he wanteth. 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. 1 Jer. xxii. 3. Lev. xix. 14. xi. 17. Prov. xvii. 5. 3 Exod. xxii. 21, 22. 6 Prov. 2 Prov. xxiv. 11, 12. 8 Deut. xv. 7, 8. 10. Deal thy bread to the hungry, and bring the poor that are cast out to thy house; when thou seest the naked cover him; and hide not thyself from thine own flesh. Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily. 2 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they do good, that they be rich in good works; ready to distribute, willing to communicate; laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come. 3 Give alms of such things as ye have; and behold all things are clean unto you. 4 Make to yourselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness; that when ye fail, they may receive you into everlasting habitations. 5 When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, for they cannot recompense thee: but thou shalt be recompensed at the resurrection of the just. 6 Thou shalt not glean thy field, nor thy vineyard; thou shalt leave them to the poor and stranger. 7 Let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him; remembering the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive. 8 The righteous considereth the cause of the poor, but the wicked regardeth not to know it. 9 The brethren of the poor do hate him, his friends go far from him; he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him: but the righteous showeth 1 Isa. lviii. 7, 8. 4 Luke xvi. 9. xix. 7. 21 Tim. vi. 17, 18, 19. 3 Luke xi. 41. 5 Luke xiv. 13, 14. 6 Lev. xix. 10. 9, 10. Acts xx. 35. 8 Prov. xxix. 7. 9 Prov. Job xxxi. 16, 17. 19. 15. Psal. xxxvii. 21. 26. mercy, and giveth; he is ever merciful, and lendeth. He withholdeth not the poor from their desire, nor causeth the eyes of the widow to fail: He eateth not his morsel alone, but the fatherless eateth thereof; neither will he see any perish for want of clothing, or any poor without covering. For he saith, Did not he that made me in the womb, make him? Did not one fashion us in the womb? If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food; and one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled: notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body, what doth it profit? 2 He that giveth, let him do it with simplicity: he that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness; distributing to the necessity of saints. He which soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly, and he which soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully. Every man, according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loveth a cheerful giver. * Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them, that ye may have glory of men: but when thou dost thine alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth; that thine alms may be in secret, and thy Father which seeth in secret, himself shall reward thee openly. 5 Blessed is he that considereth the poor; the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble. But whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. 1 James ii. 15, 16. 2 Rom. xii. 8. 13. 3 2 Cor. ix. 6, 7. Prov. xxi. 13. 1 He that hath pity upon the poor, lendeth unto the Lord, and that which he hath given, will he pay him again. 2 God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have showed towards his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister. 3 Whosoever shall see any of the disciples of Christ an hungred or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and shall minister unto him; when the Son of man shall come in his Glory, he shall say unto them, Inasmuch as ye have done thus unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me; and they shall go into life eternal. 4 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack; but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. 5 Whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth, up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him. • Whoso mocketh the poor, reproacheth his Maker; but he that honoureth him hath mercy on the poor. 7 CANDOUR.. judge not, that ye be not judged: con- In Judging. demn not, that ye be not condemned for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged ; and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again. Prov. xix. 17. Prov. xiv. 31. 3 Matt. xxv. 44. 31. 40. 46. 6 Prov. xvii. 5. Matt. vii. 2. 2 Heb. vi. 10. 7 Matt. vii. 1. Luke vi. 37. |