Rules of.

you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

Lev. 3. 16. All the fat is the Lord's. Its all be a perpetual statute for your generations throughout all your dwellings, that ye eat neither fat nor blood.

Ps. 141. 4. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties.

Pr. 23. 1. When thou sittest to eat with a ruler, consider diligently what is before thee: And put a knife to thy throat, if thou be a man given to appetite. Be not desirous of his dainties: for they are deceitful meat. 20. Be not amongst wine bibbers; amongst riotous eaters of flesh. For the drunkard and the glutton shall come to poverty.

Dan. 1. 12. Prove thy servants, I beseech thee, ten days: and let them give us pulse to eat, and water to drink. 15. And at the end of ten days, their countenances appeared fairer, and fatter in flesh, than all the children which did eat the portion of the king's

meat.

Mat. 6. 31. Take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, what shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek) -But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.

Lk. 10. 38. And a certain woman, named Martha, received him into her house. 40. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered, and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things; But one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

Lk. 16. 19. There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen and fared sumptu

Required and encouraged.

ously every day. 22. The rich man also died, and was buried: And in hell he lifted up his eyes, being in torments. 25. But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy life time receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented.

Diligence.

173. Is diligence in business required and commended? Ex. 20. 9. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work.

Pr. 10. 4. He becometh poor that dealeth with a slack hand: but the hand of the diligent maketh rich. He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.

Pr. 12. 24. The hand of the diligent shall bear rule: but the slothful shall be under tribute.

Pr. 13. 4. The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made

fat.

Pr. 22. 29. Seest thou a man diligent in his business? he shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men.

Ec. 5. 12. The sleep of the laboring man is sweet, whether he eat little or much.

Ep. 4. 28. Let him that stole, steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.

1 Th. 4. 11. Study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you; That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing.

1 Tim. 5. 8. But if any provide not for his own, and especially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.

Required and encouraged―Idleness reproved.

174. Are diligence and activity in the service of God and mankind required and encouraged?

Ec. 9. 10. Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might; for there is no work, nor device, nor knowledge, nor wisdom, in the grave, whither thou goest.

Jn. 15. 2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 8. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Rom. 2. 7. To them who by patient continuance in well-doing, seek for glory, and honor, and immortality; eternal life.

Rom. 12. 1. I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 11. Not slothful in business; fervent in spirit; serving the Lord.

Gal. 4. 18. It is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing.

Col. 1. 10. Walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.

Tit. 2. 14. Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works.

175. Is idleness reproved?

Ezk. 16. 49. Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness.

and

Pr. 6. 6. Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, provideth her meat in the summer, gathereth her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? when wilt thou arise out of thy sleep?

1

Idleness punishes itself.

Pr. 18. 9. He also that is slothful in his work is brother to him that is a great waster.

Pr. 20. 13. Love not sleep, lest thou come to poverty; open thine eyes, and thou shalt be satisfied with bread.

Mat. 20. 6.

Why stand ye here all the day idle? Mat. 25. 25. I was afraid, and went and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, there thou hast that is thine. His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strewed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which had ten talents. 30. And cast ye the unprofitable servant into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

2 Th. 3. 10. This we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busy bodies. Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread.

176. What temporal evils are connected with idleness?

Pr. 15. 19. The way of the slothful man is as a hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain.

Pr. 19. 15. Slothfulness casteth into a deep sleep; and an idle soul shall suffer hunger.

Pr. 20. 4. The sluggard will not plough by reason of the cold; therefore he shall beg in harvest, and have

nothing.

Pr. 21. 25. The desire of the slothful killeth him; for his hands refuse to labor. He coveteth greedily all the day long.

Pr. 23. 21. The drunkard and the glutton shall

Evils of-Envy.

come to poverty: and drowsiness shall clothe a man with rags.

Pr. 24. 30. I went by the field of the slothful, and by the vineyard of the man voil of understanding; And lo, it was all grown over with thorns, and nettles had covered the face thereof, and the stone wall thereof was broken down. 33. Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: so shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth; and thy want as an armed man.

Ec. 10. 18. By much slothfulness the building decayeth; and through idleness of the hands the house droppeth through.

Endorsing.

177. What is said respecting endorsing or becoming surely for others?

Pr. 6. 1. My son, if thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger, thou art snared with the words of thy mouth.-Do this now, my son, and deliver thyself, when thou art come into the hand of thy friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler.

Pr. 11. 15. He that is surety for a stranger shall smart for it: and he that hateth suretyship is sure. Pr. 17. 18. A man void of understanding striketh hands and becometh surety in the presence of his friend. Pr. 20. 16. Take his garment that is surety for a

stranger.

Pr. 22. 26. Be not thou one of them that strike hands, or of them that are sureties for debts. If thou hast nothing to pay, why should he take away thy bed from under thee?

Envy.

178. What is said of envy?

Ps. 37. 1. Fret not thyself because of evil doers,