CHAP. XVI.

come.-Ver. 3. Men shall be lovers of their ownselves, and despisers of those that are good.

James ii. 5, 6. Hath not God chosen the poor of this world, rich in faith. But ye have despised the poor.

STRIFE.

XXXII. Strife forbidden to the godly, and to be avoided by them. Gen. xiii. 6. Abraham said unto Lot, Let there be ro strife, I pray thee, between thee and me, for we be brethren. Ver. 9.

Prov. iii. 30. Strive not with a man without cause, if he have done thee no harm.

xx. 3. It is an honour for a man to cease from strife, but every fool will be meddling.

xxii. 10. Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.

xxv. 8. lest thou know not what to do in the end thereof.

Go not forth hastily to strive,

xxvi. 17. He that passeth by, and meddleth with strife belonging not to him, is like one that taketh a dog by the ears.

Ver. 20. Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out; so where there is no tale-bearer, the strife ceaseth.

Ver. 21. As coals are to burning coals, and wood to fire, so is a contentious man to kindle strife.

Matt. xii. 19. My servant [Christ] shall not strive nor cry, neither shall any man hear his voice in the streets.

Isa. xlii. 1.

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2 Tim. ii. 23, 24. Foolish and unlearned questions avoid; they do gender strifes. And the servant of the Lord must not strive. Ver. 14. Ch. iii. 9. Heb. vi. 16. An oath for confirmation [of truth] is an end of strife.

James iii. 14-16. If ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

FIGHTINGS.

XXXIII. Fightings, quarrels. Mark vi. 18, 19. John said to Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife. Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him.

2 Cor. vii. 5. Without were fightings, within were fears.

Col. iii. 13. If any man have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so do ye.

James iv. 1. From whence come wars and fightings among you? Come they not hence, even of your lusts, that war in your members?

DIVISIONS.

XXXIV. Divisions forbidden. Judg. v. 15. For the divisions of Reuben there were great thoughts of heart.-Ver. 16. Great searchings of heart.

Matt. xii. 25. Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand.

Rom. xvi. 17. Mark them which cause divisions, and avoid them.

1 Cor. iii. 3, 4. Whereas there is among you envying and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? While one saith, I am of Paul; and another, I am of Apollos; are ye not carnal?

2 Cor. xii. 20. I fear lest there be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, backbitings, whisperings, swellings, tumults.

Gal. v. 20. The works of the flesh are, wrath, strife.

Phil. ii. 3. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory.

thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment.

iii. 3. Whereas there is among you envying and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men? Ch. xi. 18.

xii. 25. There should be no schism in the body; the members should have the same care one of another.

OFFENCES.

XXXV. Offences forbidden. Isa. xi. 13. Judah shall not vex Ephraim. Matt. xvii. 25-27. Jesus said to Pe

of cometh envy, strife, railings, evil surmisings, &c,

Acts xxiv. 16. Paul said, Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God and toward men.

Rom. xiv. 21. It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.

1 Cor. x. 32. Give none offence neither to the Jews nor to the Gentiles, nor to the church of God. 2 Cor. vi. 3. Giving none offence.

Ver. 33. Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine own profit, but the profit of many. 2 Cor. xi. 29.

Gal. v. 26. Let us not be desirous of vain-glory, provoking one another. Phil. i. 10. I pray that ye may be sincere, and without offence, till the day of Christ.

1 Thess. iv. 11, 12. We beseech you that ye study to be quiet; that ye may walk honestly toward them that are without.

XXXVI. Threats against offenders. Matt. xiii. 41. The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, and them which do iniquity, and cast them into a furnance of fire, &c. Ver. 42.

xviii. 6. Whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Ver. 7. Woe unto that man by whom the offence cometh.

DOING GOOD.

XXXVII. Doing good to others. Ps. xxxvii. 3. Trust in the Lord, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed.

Eccl. iii. 12. Rejoice, and do good. Amos v. 15. Hate the evil, and love the good.

Mic. iii. 2. The wicked hate the good and love the evil.

Luke vi. 21. As ye would that men

Ver. 35. Do good and lend, hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest; for he is kind unto the unthankful and the evil.

Gal. vi. 9, 10. Let us not be weary in well-doing. As we have opportunity let us do good unto all men, especially to them who are of the household of faith.

Eph. vi. 1. Whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. Col. iii. 24.

1 Thess. v. 15. See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves and to all men.

1 Tim. vi. 17, 18. Charge them that are rich, that they do good; that they be rich in good works.

Heb. xiii. 16. To do good and communicate forget not, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

1 Pet. iii. 13. Who is he that will harm you, if ye be doers of that which is good.

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heart.

xi. 17. The merciful man doth good to his own soul; but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh.

xvi. 6. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged.

CHAP. XVI.

COMPASSION AND PITY. XLV. Compassion and pity. Zech. vii. 9. Thus spake the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to

his brother.

Matt. xviii. 33. Shouldst thou not have

had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee.

Dan. iv. 27. Break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy.

Hos. vi. 5. I desired mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. Matt. ix. 13. -xii. 7.

xii. 6. Keep mercy and judgment. Mic. vi. 8. What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Zech. vii. 9. Thus spake the Lord of hosts, saying, Execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every one to his brother.

Matt. v. 7. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.

Luke vi. 36. Be ye merciful as your Father is merciful.

Rom. xii. 8. He that sheweth mercy,

let him do it with cheerfulness.

Phil. ii. 1. If there are any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy. Ver. 2. Col. iii. 12. Put on (as the elect of God holy and beloved) bowels of mercies. James iii. 17. The wisdom that is from above is full of mercy.

UNMERCIFUL.

XLIV. Unmerciful. Threats. Ps. cix. 12. Let there be none to extend mercy unto him.-Ver. 16. Because he remembered not to shew mercy.

Hos. iv. 1. The Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land.

Matt. xxiii. 23. Woe to you, ye have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith.

Rom. i. 28, 29. The reprobate mind is filled with all unrighteousness, implacable, unmerciful.

James ii. 13. He shall have judgment without mercy, that shewed no mercy. Matt. vii. 22.

1 Pet. iii. 8. Brethren, be all of one mind, having compassion one of another.

1 John iii. 17. Whosoever hath this world's good; and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion toward him, how dwelleth the love of God in that man? See Heb. xiii. 3.-x. 32, 33, 34. Phil. iv. 14. Job xxx. 25. Ps. xxxv. 13, 14,

Rom. xii. 15. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with those that

weep.

Gal. vi. 2. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Job vi. 14. To the afflicted pity should be shewed.

xix. 22. Have pity upon me, O ye my friends, for the hand of God hath touched me.

1 Pet. iii. 8. Be pitiful, be courteous. Eph. iv. 32.

Matt. xxv. 34 to 46. See Christ's sentences, at the last day, to the compassionate and uncompassionate. i. 11.

Amos

See persons not to be pitied, Deut. vii. 16.—xiii. 8.—xix. 13. 21. Ezek. ix. 5, 6.

CRUELTY OF THE WICKED. XLVI. Cruelty of the wicked. Gen. xlix. 5. Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. Ver. 7.

Deut. xxxii. 33. Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel venom of asps.

Prov. xii. 10. The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel.

Ps. lxxiv. 20. Earth's dark places are full of the habitations of cruelty.

Lam. iv. 3. The daughter of my people is become cruel.

Prayers. Ps. lxxi. 4. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, and out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. Ps. xxv. 19.—xxvii. 12.

Threats. Zech. i. 15. Thus saith the

CHAP. XVI.

XLVII. Forgiveness. Matt. vi. 9. After this manner pray ye: Our Father

which art in heaven.-Ver. 12. Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. Ver. 14, 15. 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 you your trespasses.

xviii. 15. If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. Ver. 21, 22. Peter said, How oft shall my brother offend and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, till seven times, but until seventy times seven.

Ver. 27. The Lord of that servant [who could not pay] forgave him all the

debt.

Ver. 35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also to you, if ye from your hearts forgive not every one his brother their trespasses.

Mark xi. 25, 26. When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any, that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. But if ye do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive you your trespasses.

Luke vi. 37, 38. Forgive and ye shall be forgiven. For with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again.

xvii. 3, 4. Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying, I repent, thou shalt forgive him.

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one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any; even as Christ forgave you, so do ye. See 2 Cor. ii. 7. 10. Gal. vi. 1.

REVENGE.

XLVIII. Revenge. Lev. xix. 18. Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people.

Prov. xx. 22. Say not thou, I will recompense evil.

he hath done to me; I will render to the xxiv. 29. Say not, I will do to him as man according to his work. 1 Thess. v. 15. 1 Pet. iii. 9.

xii. 20. Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil.

Zech. vii. 10.

Let none of you imagine evil against his brother in his heart.

Ch. viii. 17.

Rom xii. 19, 20. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, Vengeance is mine, I will repay, saith the Lord. Therefore, if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing, thou shalt heap

coals of fire on his head.

Ver. 21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil men, Prayers and complaints. Ps. cxl. 1, 2. Hos. vii. 15. Lam. iii. 60. Ps. x. 2.— which imagine mischief in their heart. xxi. 10. See revenge punished, Ezek.

xxv. 12 to 18.

GOOD COUNSEL.

XLIX. The duty of giving and receiving good counsel. Ps. lv. 14. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in company.

Prov. i. 5. A wise man will hear and will increase in learning; and a man of understanding will attain unto wise counsel.

xi. 14. Where no counsel is, the people fall; but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. Ch. xv. 22.-xx. 18. -xxiv. 6.

xii. 5. He that hearkeneth to counsel

xiii. 10. With the well-advised is wisdom.

xix. 20. Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

xxvii. 9. Ointment and perfume re