the land," and referring to this Jesus said, "The poor ye have always with you."

The Lord said to Israel (Ezek. 16:49), “Behold this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom,— pride, fullness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy." Daniel, after interpreting the dream of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, said to him, "Therefore, O King, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by showing mercy to the poor, if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity." And again the Lord said to Israel by the hand of Isaiah (58: 6-12), "Is not this the fast that I have chosen,- to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to deal thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the poor that are cast out to thy house? when thou seest the naked, that thou cover him, and that thou hide not thyself from thine own flesh? Then shall thy light break forth as the morning, and thine health shall spring forth speedily, and thy righteousness shall go before, and the glory of the Lord shall be thy rereward. Then shalt thou call, and the Lord shall answer, thou shalt cry, and he shall say, Here I am. . . . And if thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul, then shall thy light rise in obscurity, and thy darkness be as the noon day. And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, and make fat thy bones, and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not." The law of brotherly love and kindness was perhaps most fully observed in the churches of Judea after the day of Pentecost and the pouring out of the Holy Spirit; for so mightily did the word of God prevail in those days, and so heartily did the men of faith enter into the works of the Lord, that they sold their goods and possessions and laid the price thereof down at the apostles' feet, and they enjoyed all things in common. This was not practised among the churches of the Gentiles to the same extent that it was among the churches of Jerusalem and Judea; and when the latter, in after years, became poor, Paul specially required of the Gentile converts to Christianity that they should contribute of their substance as the Lord had prospered them, to alleviate the sufferings and wants of their Jewish brethren, as it is contained in the parable, "The dogs came and licked their sores,❞— the sores of the Lazarus class in Israel, even as Paul said (Rom. 15:25-27), “But now I go unto Jerusalem to minister unto the saints; for it hath pleased them of Macedonia and Achaia, to make a certain contribution for the poor saints at Jerusalem. It hath pleased them, verily, and their debtors they are; for if the Gentiles have been made partakers of their spiritual things, their duty is also to minister unto them in carnal things."

Again touching their contributions, he says to the Corinthians (II Cor. 9:6-9), "But this I say, He that soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully, shall reap also bountifully. Every man, according as he hath purposed in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity, for God loveth a cheerful giver, and is able to make all grace abound toward you, that ye always, having all sufficiency in all things, may

abound to every good work, as it is written (Ps. 112:9), ' He hath dispersed abroad, he hath given to the poor, his righteousness remaineth forever.'"

Again Paul says to the Galatians (2:9-11), "And when James, Cephas (Peter), and John, who seemed to be pillars (at the conference at Jerusalem), perceived the grace that was given unto me, they gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of fellowship, that we should go unto the heathen, and they unto the circumcision. Only they would that we should remember the poor, the same which I was forward to do."

Again Paul says to Timothy (I Tim. 6: 17-19), “Charge them that are rich in this world that they be not high minded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 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, that they may lay hold on eternal life." Now if this good and wholesome advice were carried into execution by all rich men in the earth, the poor would cease from among men, and all would eat and drink in plenty; for the rich gather for themselves upon the principle that charity begins at home, and we might add that it commonly ends where it begins. But a time is coming when a king shall reign in righteousness, and during his reign the vile person shall no more be called liberal, nor the churl (miser) said to be bountiful. But," it is added, "the liberal deviseth liberal things, and by liberal things shall he stand" (Isa. 32:8).

Covetousness

No covetous man, who is an idolator, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God, saith Paul to the Ephesians (5:5); and therefore he saith also to the Colossians (3:5), "Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth, fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry." Covetousness, therefore, is worship of mammon, and Jesus said, "Ye cannot serve God, and mammon." This sin, whether it is manifested in the rich or poor, is odious in the sight of God.

Paul said to the people of Lycaonia that "God in times past suffered all nations to walk in their own ways. Nevertheless, he left not himself without witness, in that he did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons, filling our hearts with food and gladness" (Acts 14: 16-17). Thus, though the nations forget him, he is still mindful of his covenant, that while the earth remaineth, seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night, shall not cease; therefore God requires of his children that they shall not only love their neighbor and their friends, but Jesus says, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven, for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? Do not even the publicans the same? And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? Do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." God is merciful and kind,

and his tender mercies are over all his works. He openeth his hand and satisfieth the desire of every living thing (Ps. 145); and we are required to imitate him and manifest the same kind, good and merciful spirit that he manifests, that we may be the children of the Most High, and be perfect as he is perfect.

DUTY OF CHILDREN TO PARENTS

"Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee." This, says Paul to the Ephesians (6:2-3), "is the first commandment with promise, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest live long on the earth." This is the fifth commandment in the ten (Exod. 20:12). Again it is said (Exod. 21:17), "And he that curseth his father or his mother shall surely be put to death." But what is it to honour one's father and mother? And what is it to curse one's father and mother? Does it mean to swear at them, and to curse them in words, or is it something of a very different nature that is contemplated in these words of the Lord?

This is one of the commandments that were rendered void by the traditions of the scribes and Pharisees, and the evil effects of their work on this command of God are seen in the forms of the laws of the Gentiles to this day. Mark records as follows (7: 1-14), "Then came together unto him the Pharisees, and certain of the scribes, which came from Jerusalem; and when they saw some of his disciples eat with defiled, that is to say with unwashen, hands, they found fault; for the Pharisees and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders." Then the Pharisees and scribes asked him, "Why walk not thy disciples according to the traditions of the elders, but eat with unwashen hands? He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you, hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. Howbeit, in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandments of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups, and many other such like things ye do. And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition. For Moses said, Honor thy father and thy mother, and whoso curseth father or mother shall die the death. But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me, he shall be free; and ye suffer him no more to do ought for his father or his mother, making the word of God of none effect through your tradition, which ye have delivered; and many such like things ye do."

Thus it will be seen that children are to honour their parents as long as they live upon the earth, and that the honour that they are to accord to their father and mother is to provide for them in the matter of food and raiment, and things necessary for their comfort during their life-time. And no tradition, custom, or law of man's making absolves children from this good and righteous law that was made by a merciful and wise creator for the protection of aged people when they need the care and kindness of their children. And so imperative was this law that God ordained that whosoever among the people of Israel cursed father or mother should be put to death.

Now what the curse of children upon parents would be may be seen by what God's curse upon Israel would be when they walked not in his ways, saying, "Cursed shalt thou be in thy field, cursed shalt thou be in thy basket and thy store, cursed shall be the fruits of thy land, and the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep," et cetera. Thus God's curse was to withhold the precious fruits of the earth, and to reduce and take away their kine and their sheep, and to diminish their daily food in their basket and in their store. Thus if children refrain from ministering to the necessary wants of father and mother by supplying them not with food and raiment, that is what is meant by cursing father and mother; and children which were found guilty of this offence, God commanded that they should be put to death.

Therefore all laws and enactments that men may frame which absolve children from their obligations to their parents at the age of twenty-one years, more or less, are null and void, because they come in conflict with God's law; and no wise and good children will ever avail themselves of such improper and nefarious laws, but will honour their father and mother, that their days may be long upon the earth.

THE LAW OF MARRIAGE

When the Lord created man upon the earth, and then every beast of the field, and every fowl of the air, and brought them unto Adam to see what he would call them, and whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name thereof, and as Adam walked about by himself, the Lord God said to his fellows, "It is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him an help meet (that is 'fit and suitable') for him. And the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept, and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; and the rib which the Lord God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh" (Gen. 2: 18-25).

The fact that Eve was created of a part of Adam's own body, of his own flesh, and of his own bones, so that she was actually bone of his bone, and flesh of his flesh, is intended to teach a man when he takes a wife what his actual relations are to his wife, before both God and man. Consequently it is said after God had formed Eve of a portion of Adam's body and given her to him to be his wife, "Therefore (because of these facts as stated) shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh." This is God's law of marriage, and this is the relation that a man and his wife when joined together sustain to each other; and when they have entered into that relation, neither of them has any power lawfully to dissolve that relation. It is dissolved by death only; then the surviving party is at liberty to marry again without violating God's law of marriage.

The Law of Marriage and Divorce

It is said by Matthew that the Pharisees also " came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for

every cause? And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read that he which made them at the beginning, made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder." This interpretation by the Son of man confirms the original law with emphasis saying, "What God hath joined together, let not man put asunder."

THE LAW OF DIVORCE

"They say unto him, Why did Moses then command to give a writing of divorcement, and to put her away? He said unto them, Moses, because of the hardness of your hearts, suffered you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. And I say unto you, Whosoever shall put away his wife, except it be for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery, and whoso marryeth her that is put away doth commit adultery." Jesus lopped off the nullifying precept which Moses gave to the children of Israel because of the hardness of their hearts, for this precept was no doubt given to prevent them from doing something worse. But Jesus restored the law of marriage to its original condition, as it came from the hand of God at the beginning; and in its restored condition as it was established by the Son of God it stands as the law of his church; and by this law, members of the body of Christ must be governed and judged.

Therefore, excepting for the cause of fornication, if a husband put away his wife for any other cause, or if a wife put away her husband for any other cause and marries again to another, they are guilty of adultery; and let the persons who are unwise enough to marry either of those divorced persons know and understand that by so doing they are guilty of adultery before God and Christ; and to live together as man and wife with these persons is to live in a state of adultery, and the children which may be born of such an unlawful union are the seed of falsehood.

The Exception

Matthew records the words of Christ as follows, saying (5:32), "But I say unto you that whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery; and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced, committeth adultery." There is therefore one exception in which it is lawful for the innocent wife or husband (for this is a rule which works both ways) to divorce, or put away his or her companion and be free. from the guilty party,- that is if either party commit the sin of fornication. This the Lord Jesus Christ pronounces a justifiable cause by which the innocent one may, and should, go free, for this reason, that if either husband or wife go and commit fornication with another, by that act they themselves put asunder what God has joined together, and again become one flesh with another, even as the apostle Paul testifieth in his first letter to the Corinthians (6: 16) saying, "What! know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he (Gen. 2:24), shall be one flesh." Thus Paul shows plainly that if persons join themselves to an harlot, ac