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xxii. 17. to be regarded as indecent; they shall spread the cloth before the elders of the city.'

Freedom of speech consists in speaking the truth with boldness. Exod. xi. 8. 'all these thy servants shall come down unto me.' Job xii. 3. I have understanding as well as you; I am not inferior to you: yea, who knoweth not such things as these?' 1 Sam. xiii. 13. Samuel said unto Saul, Thou hast done foolishly thou hast not kept the commandment of Jehovah.' Psal. cxix. 42. 'so shall I have wherewith to answer him that reproacheth me.' Prov xxvi. 5. ' answer a fool according to his folly.' This virtue is exemplified in Elijah and Elisha, 2 Kings vi. 32. and in many others; in Hanani, 2 Chron. xvi. 7. in Zechariah, xxiv. 20. Isai. i. 10, 23. 'hear the word of Jehovah... thy princes thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves.' Jer. xiii. 18. 'say unto the king and to the queen, Humble yourselves, sit down.' Ezek. xxi. 25. and thou, profane wicked prince of

this phrase as fittest in that vehement character wherein he spake, otherwise that plain word might have easily been foreborne: which the masoreths and rabbinical scholiasts not well attending, have often used to blur the margent with Keri instead of Ketiv, and gave us this insulse rule out of their Talmud, ' that all words which in the law are written obscenely, must be changed to more civil words;' fools, who would teach men to read more decently than God thought good to write.' Apology for Smectymnuus. Prose Works, J. 233. 6 Ask a Talmudist what ails the modesty of his marginal Keri, that Moses and all the prophets cannot persuade him to pronounce the textual Ketiv.' Areopagitica, Ibid. 300. Tu fortasse, ut sunt fere hypocritæ, verbis tetrici, rebus obscœni, ne ipsum quidem Mosen ista noxa immunem abs te dimiseris; cum alibi sæpius, tum etiam ubi Phineæ hasta qua parte mulierem transfixerit, si qua fides Hebræis aperte narrat.... Non te Salomonis Euphemismi censorem, non prophetarum scripta tuam turpiculi immo nonnunquem plane obscœni censuram effugerint, quoties Masorethis et Rabbinis, pro eo quod diserte scriptum est, suum libet Keri adscribere. Ad me quod attinet, fateor malle me cum sacris scriptoribus uppúμova, quem cum futilibus Rabbinis érzúμcva esse.' Auctoris pro se Defensio,

V. 299.

Israel

Mic. vii. 4. 'the best of them is a briar.'

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Matt. iii. 7. O generation of vipers.'

'it is not lawful for thee to have her.'

John xiv. 4.

Luke xiii. 32.

xviii.

'tell that fox.' John vii. 7. 'me it hateth, because I testify of it that the works thereof are evil.' 37. 'to this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth.' Acts xiii. 10. O full of all subtilty,' &c. xix. 8, 9. he went into the synagogue, and spake boldly for the space of three months, disputing,' &c. xxiii. 3. thou whited wall.' Eph. vi. 20. 'that therein I may speak boldly, as I ought to speak.' Tit. i. 12. the Cretians are alway liars.'

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Opposed to this is timidity in speaking the truth. 1 Sam. iii. 15. Samuel feared to show Eli the vision.'

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The spirit of admonition is that by which we freely warn sinners of their danger, without respect of persons. Gen. xxxvii. 2. Joseph brought unto his father their evil report.' Lev. v. 1. 'if a soul sin . . if he do not utter it, then he shall bear his iniquity.' xix. 17. 'thou shalt not hate thy brother in thine heart; thou shalt in anywise rebuke thy neighbour, and not suffer sin him.' Psal. cxli. 5. let the righteous smite me, it shall be a kindness.' Prov. vi. 23. 're

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proofs of instruction are the way of life.' x. 17. he that refuseth reproof erreth.' xii. 1. he that hateth reproof is brutish.' xiii. 18. he that regardeth reproof shall be honoured.' reproof is prudent.'

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xv. 5. he that regardeth v. 10. he that hateth reproof shall die.' v. 32. he that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul.' xvii. 10. 'a reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a

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fool.' xxiv. 25. to them that rebuke him shall be delight.' xxv. 12. as an ear-ring of gold, and an ornament of fine gold, so is a wise reprover upon an obedient ear.' xxvii. 6, faithful are the wounds of a friend.' xxviii. 23. 'he that rebuketh a man, afterward shall find more favour-.' xxix. 1. he that being often reproved hardeneth his neck-.' Eccles. vii. 5. it is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than-.' Matt. xvi. 23. 'get thee behind me, Satan.' John iii. 19. men loved darkness rather than light.' 1 Cor. i. 11. 'it hath been declared unto me of you, my brethren, by them which are of the house of Chloe,' &c. 2 Cor. vii. 8. though I made you sorry with a letter, I do not repent,' &c. Heb. iii. 13. ‘exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day.' James v. 19, 20. if any of you do err from the truth, and one convert him-' Admonition however, is not to be thrown away on the scornful and obstinate. Psal. lviii. 4, 5. 'they are like the deaf adder which stoppeth her ear, which will not hearken to the voice of charmers.' Prov. ix. 7, 8. he that reproveth a scorner getteth to himself shame reprove not a scorner.' xiii. 1. 'a scorner heareth not rebuke.' xxvi. 4. answer not a fool according to his folly.' xxix. 9. if a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest.' 2 Chron. xxv. 16. then the prophet forbare-.'

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CHAPTER XIV.

THE SECOND CLASS OF SPECIAL DUTIES TOWARDSOUR NEIGHBOUR CONTINUED.

THE virtues by which we promote the worldly interests of our neighbour, are integrity and beneficence. Integrity consists in refraining from the property of others, which is also called abstinence; and in honesty and uprightness as regards our dealings with our neighbour, which is called commutative justice. Psal. xv. 2. he that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness.'

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Abstinence is exemplified in Moses, Num. xvi. 15. 'I have not taken one ass from them, neither have I hurt one of them;' and in Samuel, 1 Sam. xii. 3. 'whose ox have I taken?' On this subject laws are given, Deut. xxiii. 24, 25. when thou comest into thy neighbour's vineyard,' &c.

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The opposites to this are, first, theft. Exod. xx. 15. thou shalt not steal.' See also Lev. xix. 11. Prov. xxix. 24. whoso is partner with a thief hateth his own soul.' xxii. 28. remove not the ancient land-mark.' See also xxiii.

of Judas Iscariot, John xii. 6.

10.

This was the crime Eph. iv. 28. let him

that stole steal no more, but rather let him labour.' Laws against theft are given Exod. xxii. Prov. vi. 30. men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry.' xxviii. 24. whoso robbeth his father or mother,' &c.

one that stealeth shall be cut off.”

Zech. v. 3. 'every

Secondly, fraud. Lev. xix. 11. 'ye shall not deal falsely one to another.' Under the law, fraud could not be expiated unless restitution were previously made. Lev. vi. 5, &c. he shall even restore it in the principal... and he shall bring his trespass offering unto Jehovah.' Prov. xxi. 6. the getting of treasures by a lying tongue is a vanity-.' 1 Thess. iv. 6. that no man go beyond or defraud his brother in any matter.'

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Thirdly, oppression and robbery. Job v. 15. 'he saveth the poor from the hand of the mighty.' xx. 18, 19. 'because he hath oppressed and hath forsaken the poor-.' Prov. xiv. 31. he that oppresseth the poor reproacheth his neighbour.' xxii. 22, 23. 'rob not the poor,' &c. xxx. 14. 'there is a generation whose teeth are as swords.' Eccles. v. 8. if thou seest the oppression of the poor,' &c. vii. 7. oppression maketh a wise man mad.' 'the spoil of the poor is in 'woe unto them that join Jer. ii. 34. 'in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the poor innocents.' xxii. 13, &c. woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness-.' Neh. v. 8. we after our ability have redeemed our brethren-.' Amos iv. 1. 'hear this word, ye kine of Bashan, which oppress the poor- v. 11. 'foras

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Isai. iii. 14.

your houses.' v. 7, 8. house to house,' &c.

much therefore as your treading is

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