Remove far from me vanity and lies: Or lest I be poor, and steal, And take the name of my God in vain. 266. Prov. xxx. 7. (S. M.) Be ye Thankful. O LORD, on me bestow, And not on me alone, The blessing of a grateful heart, First unto Thee, my God, Our never-failing friend, Even Thou dost not forget Or thankless for a kindness shown, 267. Be ye Kind and Tender-hearted. THOU shalt not curse the deaf, Nor put a stumbling-block before the blind: But shall fear thy God. I am the Lord. Cursed be he that maketh The blind to wander out of his way. Levit. xix. 14; Deut. xxvii. 18. 268. Use Hospitality without grudging. LET brotherly love continue. Be not forgetful to entertain strangers : For thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Let your conversation be without covetous ness; And be content with such things as ye have: For He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. I am the Lord your God. If a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, Ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you Shall be unto you as one born among you, And thou shalt love him as thyself. Heb. xiii. 1—5; Lev. xix. 33. 269. Do as you would be done by. THOU shalt not see thy brother's ox or his sheep go astray, And hide thyself from them : And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, Or if thou know him not, Thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, And it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, And thou shalt restore it to him again. So shalt thou do with all lost thing of thy brother's, Which he hath lost, and thou hast found. Thou mayest not hide thyself. 270. Deut. xxii. 1—4. Overcome Evil with Good. Ir thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, Thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee Lying under his burden, And wouldst forbear to help him, Thou shalt surely help with him. Rejoice not when thine enemy falleth, Lest the Lord see it, and it displease him, to eat; And if he be thirsty, give him water to drink. Ex. xxiii. 4; Prov. xxiv. 17; xxv. 21. 271. Pity the Poor, and lend to God. (7's.) LORD, how many pine around, Whilst with comforts I abound, Though I have so oft transgressed. All we have belongs to Thee, For thou gav'st it to our charge: Though our store may scanty be, Make our hearts both kind and large. Who hath pity on the poor, Lendeth unto thee, O Lord; Our repayment shall be sure, When we give with full accord. Thou didst die that we might live 'Tis thy grace our souls hath freed: For thy sake we'll freely give To our brother in his need. 272. Kindness doth kind Acts. IF a brother or sister be naked, And destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; Notwithstanding ye give them not those things Which are needful to the body; What doth it profit? So faith without works is dead also. 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. Neither shalt thou gather every grape of thy vineyard; Thou shalt leave them for the poor and the stranger: I am the Lord your God. James ii. 15-26; Levit. xix. 9. 273. With the Merciful God is Merciful.(7's.) GOD our Comforter above,- From his tender mercy mild, Let compassion rule your mind,- 274. A golden Chain of Texts. THE earth is full of the mercy of the Lord. It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed. |