Its vain Pretence respecting Peter. hundred threescore and six.-17: 1 There came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, Come hither; I will shew unto thee the judgment of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters; 2 With whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth have been made drunk with the wine of her fornication. 3 So he carried me away in the spirit into the wilderness: and I saw a woman sit upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. 4 And the woman was arrayed in purple and scarlet-color, and decked with gold and precious stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication: 5 And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH. 6 And I saw the woman drunken with the blood of the saints, and with the blood of the martyrs of Jesus: and when I saw her, I wondered with great admiration. 7 And the angel said unto me, Wherefore didst thou marvel? I will tell thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that carrieth her, which hath the seven heads, and ten horns. 18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth. 519. Was Peter made head of the apostles, or universal bishop? Mat. 16: 23 He turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offence unto me: for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men. 20: 25 Jesus called them unto him, and said, Ye know that the princes of the Gentiles exercise dominion over them, and they that are great exercise authority upon them. 26 But it shall not be so among you: but whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister; 27 And whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant: 28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Ac. 8: 14 When the apostles which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John: 15 Who, when they were come down, prayed for them that they might receive the Holy Ghost. - 15: 6 The apostles and elders came together for to consider of this matter. 7 And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago, God made choice among Dreadful end of. us, that the Gentiles, by my mouth, should hear the word of the gospel, and believe. 12 Then all the multitude kept silence, and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles by them. 13 And after they had held their peace, James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me. 14 Simeon hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles, to take out of them a people for his name. 15 And to this agree the words of the prophets; as it is written, 16 After this I will return, and will build again the tabernacle of David which is fallen down; and I will build again the ruins thereof, and I will set it up: 17 That the residue of men might seek after the Lord, and all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. 18 Known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world. 19 Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them, which from among the Gentiles are turned to God: 20 But that we write unto them that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. 1 Pet. 5: 1 The elders which are among you I exhort, who am also an elder, and a witness of the sufferings of Christ, and also a partaker of the glory that shall be revealed. 520. Dreadful end of Popery. Dan. 7: 11 I beheld then because of the voice of the great words which the horn spake: I beheld even till the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, and given to the burning flame. 26 But the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his dominion to consume and to destroy it unto the end. 2 Th. 2: 8 Then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming. Rev. 17: 16 The ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. - 18: 4 I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. 8 Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her.-19:1 After these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia: Salvation, and glory, and honor, and power, unto the Lord our God: 2 For true and righteous are his judgments: for he hath judged the Evils of God pities the Poor. great whore, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication, and hath avenged the blood of his servants at her hand. 3 And again they said, Alleluia. And her smoke rose up for ever and ever. 20 And the beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that wrought miracles before him, with which he deceived them that had received the mark of the beast, and them that worshipped his image. These both were cast alive into a lake of fire burning with brimstoné. POVERTY. 521. Evils of poverty. Pr. 10: 15 The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty. -14: 20 The poor is hated even of his own neighbor, but the rich hath many friends. -19: 7 All the brethren of the poor do hate him: how much more do his friends go far from him? he pursueth them with words, yet they are wanting to him.-22:7 The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender. Ec. 9: 16 Then said I, Wisdom is better than strength: nevertheless the poor man's wisdom is despised, and his words are not heard. 522 God pities and helps the poor, Dt. 10: 18 He doth execute the judgment of the fatherless and widow, and loveth the stranger, in giving him food and raiment. Job 5: 15 He saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty. 16 So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth. Ps. 10: 14 Thou hast seen it; for thou beholdest mischief and spite, to requite it with thy hand: the poor committeth himself unto thee; thou art the helper of the fatherless. 17 LORD, thou hast heard the desire of the humble: thou wilt prepare their heart, thou wilt cause thine ear to hear: 18 To judge the fatherless and the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress.-72: 12 He shall deliver the needy when he crieth: the poor also, and him that hath no helper. 13 He shall spare the poor and needy, and shall save the souls of the needy. 14 He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence and precious shall their blood be in his sight. 102: 17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer. - 140: 12 I know that the LORD will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.-146: 9 The LORd God hates Oppressors. preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. [See 224-5.] 523. Oppression of the poor forbidden · Threats. Ex. 22: 21 Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. 22 Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child. Ps. 12: 5 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.-72: 4 He shall judge the poor of the people, he shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the oppressor. Pr. 21: 13 Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.— 22: 16 He that oppresseth the poor to increase his riches, and he that giveth to the rich, shall surely come to want. 22 Rob not the poor, because he is poor: neither oppress the afflicted in the gate. 23: 10 Remove not the old landmark; and enter not into the fields of the fatherless. Is. 3: 15 What mean ye that ye beat my people to pieces, and grind the faces of the poor? saith the Lord GOD of hosts. -10: 1 Wo unto them that decree unrighteous decrees, and that write grievousness which they have prescribed; 2 To turn aside the needy from judgment, and to take away the right from the poor of my people, that widows may be their prey, and that they may rob the fatherless! 3 And what will ye do in the day of visitation, and in the desolation which shall come from far? to whom will ye flee for help? and where will ye leave your glory? 6 That Am. 8: 4 Hear this, O ye that swallow up the needy, even to make the poor of the land to fail, 5 Saying, When will the new-moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath, that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small, and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances by deceit? we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; yea, and sell the refuse of the wheat. 7. The LORD hath sworn by the excellency of Jacob, Surely I will never forget any of their works. Mal. 3: 5 I will come near to you to judgment: and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts. [See 490, 679.] Poor subjects of divine grace A contrast- Duty to aid the poor. 524. The poor often distinguished by God's special grace. Lk. 1: 52 He hath put down the mighty from their seats, and exalted them of low degree. 53 He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away. 4: 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.-10: 21 In that hour Jesus rejoiced in spirit, and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes: even so, Father; for so it seemed good in thy sight. 14:21 So that servant came, and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry, said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind. 1 Cor. 1: 26 Ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are called: 27 But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28 And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are. 29 That no flesh should glory in his presence. Jam. 2: 5 Hearken, my beloved brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of this world rich in faith, and heirs of the kingdom which he hath promised to them that love him? 525. Future contrast between the humble poor, and their oppressors. 1 S. 2: 8 He raiseth up the poor out of the dust, and lifteth up the beggar from the dunghill, to set them among princes, and to make them inherit the throne of glory. Lk. 16: 25 Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. : [See 513, 550.] 526. Duty to help the poor and the afflicted, and to avoid prejudice and partiality. Lev. 19: 9 When ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not wholly reap the corners of thy field, neither shalt thou gather the gleanings of thy harvest. 10 And thou shalt not glean thy vineyard, neither shalt thou gather every grape of |