w0rcls '"hich nn npostlc was mercifully led to save from the peril of unrecorded snyinge "l t is m0re blessed to give than to receive." \Vhencnr and wherever there is presented t<> us n case of genuine need, there is an opportunity for honouring our Saviour which we must not suffer t-0 pnss by uni1-i:iprovcd. 5. 'l'here are New Testament wnrninge ngnmst the neglect of the poor, which are not only not less severe than any in the Old 'l'estnmcnt-thcy arc even more so. We mayarrnnge them in three classes, giving one srccimcn under each. (1) 1 John iii. 17: If a man can knowingly neolcct the poor, G,,d's love is ~1ot in his heart. Where love dwells in the heart, ther; will be corr<"sponding words on the tongue, and corresponding blessings in tho hand. ('.:') ,Tas. ii. 5-9; ,. 1-4: The Apostle James dcclnres that to neglect or despise the poor is sin against God; and that the cries of oppressed poverty will bo heard in )ieaYen. (3) Matt.. xxv. 31-46: Our Lord has explicitly told us that in the day of JudgmC'nt, the one test which will be applied to men, and by which their destiny will be clecidc,1, will be that of kindness to the poor for his sake! Where that has been J'cnitence nm! faith hn,e wrought out in love. Where that has not been, there ha~ hcen no love, and, consequently, neither faith nor penitent obedience. It is not neces- sary to be openly wicked and profane, in order to incur rejection by the Great Judge at last. There may have been not a single vice which shocked society or violated outward propriety. Be it so. Even then the absence of the activities of love will be a man's ruin. He who has not lived to save his brother will not himself be saved. A piety that is known only by negatives will be disowned by our sovereign Lord· ~·bile genuine, acth·e, unselfish love, though it may have had but a limited spher~ for scn·ice, oft shedding a tear that it could do no more, will meet with the holy Master's lo,ing recognition, and will receive his gracious reward!
Vers. 12-18.-Tlie rights of the slaves. Dy some who are but slightly acquainted with the subject, and who have too strong an animus against the Old Book to deal fairly with it, it has been made a matter of complaint against our Lord and his apostlea, thnt they did not put down slavery with a strong band. The same may be said of Moses. If, however, without prejudging the case, we reverently ask, Why was it that he, as a di"incly commissioned legislator, tolerated the institution of slavery? we are but proposing a question which opens up a field for thoughtful study, and we shall not be left without a satisfactory answer. And in the answer which the facts will supply there will be contained a world of instructive teaching to the devout and thought.fol mind. (The student wouid do well to examine the articles of Michaelis on this subject.) Putting the case generally, so as to prepare the reader for the details which follow, we would say-Moses found slavery existing; be permitted its continuance, but he placed the sla.e-holder under such restrictions that the slaves would become conscious of their rights as men and as brethren; be so limited slavery itself, that no Hebrew could be a slave for life, except of his own voluntary will; and in bis elevated ethical code, he repeatedly insisted on the equality of men before God; thus dropping in men's minds such seeds of truth that, when they germinated and brought fruit, the institution of slavery would cease, because the peoples would coma to be educated out of it! If now we briefly enumerate the several provisions connected with slaves and slave- bolding, we shall see, in detail, the prnof of the above general remark. 1. The Hebrew sla\'e 111ight be held for six years only; in the seventh he was to be permitted his freedom : excepting as provided in the eleventh detail. 2. There were other pro- vi:;ions, e.g. those connected with the year of jubilee, for ensuring the freedom of the slave, gi•·en in Lev. xxv. 3. Ri~orous exaction and harshness were distinctly and sternly fo1 bidden (Lev. x:xv. 39-43). If these iajunctioas and the reasons for them are con:;idercd, it will be se.en that Hebrew slavery was unlike any other that the world nas kno\\'a. 4. Jf a master by revengeful treatment inflicted serious bodily injury on the slave, such slave was to have his freedom (Exod. xxi. 26). 5. Undue punishment was avenged by the judges (Exod. xxi. 20, 21). 6. The slave might acquire property of his own, and might even amass enough to buy bis own freedom (Lev. xxv.). , . There were special decrees for the benefit of the slave. 'l'hcy were to be free from all manner of work on the sabbath day. They bad a right to fruit which grew liJ:iuutaueow!ly during the sabbatical ~ear. They were to have their share of the CH. XV, 1-23,) 'fHE BOOK OF DEUTERONOMY.