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his grief was very great, then said his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine integrity? curse God and die. But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him; all the while my breath is in me, and the Spirit of God is in my nostrils, my lips shall not speak wickedness, nor my tongue utter deceit; till I die I will not remove my integrity from me. My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go; my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live. Also now behold, my witness is in heaven, and my record is on high. But he knoweth the way that I take; when he hath tried me I shall come forth as gold. My foot hath held his steps; his way have I kept, and not declined; neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips". Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? If I have walked with vanity, or if my foot hath hasted to deceit; let me be weighed in an even balance, that God may know mine integrity. If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked after mine eyes, and if any blot hath cleaved to my hands; then let me sow, and another eat; yea let my offspring be rooted out'. I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor; and the cause which I knew not, I searched out. I brake the jaws of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth. If my land cry against me, or that the furrows thereof likewise complain; if I have eaten the fruits thereof without money, or have caused the owners thereof to lose their life; let thistles grow instead of wheat, and cockle instead of barley'.

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SECT. 9. By the character and purposes of David. If I regard sin in my heart the Lord will not hear

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me. But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness, and according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me. For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not wickedly departed from my God. For all his judgments were before me, and I did not put away his statutes from me. I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way; I will walk within my house with a perfect heart. I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes; I hate the work of them that turn aside, it shall not cleave to me. Mine eyes shall be upon the faithful of the land, that they may dwell with me; he that walketh in a perfect way, he shall serve me. He that worketh deceit shall not dwell within my house; he that telleth lies shall not tarry in my sight".

SECT. 10. And in the example of St. Paul.

Those things which ye have both learned and received, and heard, and seen in me, do". For neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness b. Ye are witnesses, and God also, how holily and justly, and unblamably we behaved ourselves among you that believe. And herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and toward men. We have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth, commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God. For we are not as many which corrupt the word of God; but as of sincerity, but as of God, in the sight of God, speak we in Christ'. For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and

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godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God we have had our conversation in the world. Receive us; we have wronged no man, we have corrupted no man, we have defrauded no man". Pray for us; for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly'.

SECT. 11. Declarations, resolutions, and prayers relating to this subject.

Hear the right, O Lord, attend unto my cry, give ear unto my prayer that goeth not out of feigned lips. Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth; for the faithful fail from among the children of men. They speak vanity every one with his neighbour; with flattering lips, and with a double heart do they speak". They encourage themselves in an evil matter; they commune of laying snares privily; they say, Who shall see them. They search out iniquities, they accomplish a diligent search; both the inward thought of every one of them? and the heart is deep. Send thine hand from above, rid me, and deliver me out of great waters; from the hands of strange children, whose mouth speaketh vanity; and their right hand is a right hand of falsehood". Do good, O God, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts. As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity; but peace shall be upon Israel.

Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? Who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart; he that sweareth to his own hurt, and changeth not; he that putteth not out his money to usury, nor taketh reward against the innocent. Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name; the upright shall dwell in thy presence". The way of the

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just is uprightness; thou most upright, dost weigh the path of the just. Yea in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse thou me from secret faults; keep back thy servant also from presumptuous sins *. Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting'. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom ". As for me, thou upholdest me in mine integrity". I have done judgment and justice; leave me not to mine oppressors. Judge me, O Lord, for I have walked in mine integrity P. I have not sat with vain persons, neither will I go in with dissemblers; I have hated the congregation of evil-doers; and will not sit with the wicked. Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just'. Thou hast proved mine heart, thou hast visited me in the night, thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress As for me, I will walk in mine integrity; redeem me, and be merciful unto me'. Let integrity and uprightness preserve me, for I wait on thee".

CHAP. IV.

OF SYMPATHY AND KINDNESS, IN OPPOSITION TO HARD-HEARTEDNESS, CRUELTY, AND OPPRESSION.

SECT. 1. The highest degree of cruelty and violence is murder; a crime prohibited under the severest penalties.-2. Next to this is oppression, especially of the widow and fatherless, the poor and afflicted. 3. These crimes are an abomination to the Lord.

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4. He therefore solemnly warns his people against them, and enjoins them to execute judgment, and to show mercy and compassion to the indigent and distressed.-5. The opposite principles and effects of cruelty and sympathy further illustrated.-6. Mercy and kindness to our brethren are peculiarly enjoined by our Lord.-7. The parable of the good Samaritan.-8. Compassion, kindness, and beneficence are essentially requisite. The spirit of love is indeed the true Christian spirit.-9. Of almsgiving. 10. God is the protector of the widow, the fatherless, and the indigent.-11. Mournful complaints and pious supplications relative to this subject.

SECT. 1. The highest degree of cruelty and violence is murder; a crime prohibited under the severest penalties.

Thou shalt not kill and surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it; and at the hand of man, at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man. Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed. He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death. If a man come presumptuously upon his neighbour, to slay him with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die. And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death. And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer; or if he smite him with an hand-weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death; the revenger of blood himself shall slay the murderer; when he meeteth him he shall slay him. If he thrust him of hatred, or hurl at him by lying of wait that he die; or in enmity smite

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