your assembly a man with a gold ring, in
goodly apparel, and there come in also a poor
man in vile raiment; and ye have respect
to him that weareth the gay clothing, and
say unto him, Sit thou here in a good place;
and say to the poor, Stand thou there, or sit
here under my footstool: are ye not then
partial in yourselves, and are become judges
of evil thoughts? Hearken, my beloved
brethren, Hath not God chosen the poor of
this world rich in faith, and heirs of the
kingdom which he hath promised to them
that love him? But ye have despised the
poor. Do not rich men oppress you, and
draw you before the judgment seats? Do
not they blaspheme that worthy name by the
which ye are called? If ye fulfil the royal
law according to the Scripture, Thou shalt
love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well:
but if ye have respect to
persons, ye commit
sin, and are convinced of the law as trans-
gressors.

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?

Congregation.

James

ii. 3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

15.

16.

Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of Proverbs the poor,

He also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.

Alinister.

Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

xxi. 13.

James

i. 27.

Christianity declares Retribution for the Oppressors of the Poor.

But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.

Congregation.

1 John iii. 17.

18.

The righteous considereth the cause of Proverbs the poor:

But the wicked regardeth not to know it.

Minister.

Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; distributing to the necessity of saints; given to hospitality.

Above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

Congregation.

As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men.

your

Alinister.

Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for miseries that shall come upon you. Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure

xxix. 7.

Romans

xii. 10.

13.

1 Peter

iv. 8.

9.

10.

Gal. vi. 10.

James

v. 1.

2.

3.

Kindness

Poor deter

mines the Issues of the Judgment.

:

your

together for the last days. Behold, the hire
of the labourers who have reaped down
fields, which is of you kept back by fraud,
crieth and the cries of them which have
reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord
of sabaoth. Ye have lived in pleasure on the
earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished
your hearts, as in a day of slaughter.

Congregation.

O LORD, thou hast ordained them for judgment;

And, O mighty God, thou hast established them for correction.

Minister.

Then shall the King say unto them on his for the Pious right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto Inasmuch as ye

you,

have done it unto one of the least of these
my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

Then shall he say also unto them on the
left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into
everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and
his angels: for I was an hungered, and ye

James

v. 4.

5.

Habak. i. 12.

Matthew

XXV. 34.

35.

36.

37.

38.

39.

40.

41.

42.

xxv. 43.

44.

gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took Matthew me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not. Then shall they also answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungered, or athirst, or a stranger, or naked, or sick, or in prison, and did not minister unto thee? Then shall he answer them, saying, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it not to one of the least of these, ye did it not to me. And these shall go away into everlasting punishment: but the righteous into life eternal.

Congregation.

45.

4.6.

He that hath pity upon the poor lendeth Proverbs unto the LORD;

And that which he hath given will he pay

him again.

Minister.

Let us Pray.

Thou, O God, hast prepared of thy goodness for the poor.

The

poor

committeth himself unto thee; Thou art the helper of the fatherless.

LORD, who is like unto thee,

Which deliverest the poor from him that

is too strong for him,

Yea, the poor and the needy from him that spoileth him?

poor,

For thou hast been a strength to the
A strength to the needy in his distress,
A refuge from the storm, a shadow from
the heat,

When the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

xix. 17.

Psalm lxviii. 10.

Psalm x. 14.

Psalm XXXV. 10.

Isaiah xxv. 4.

iii. 9.

Honour the LORD with thy substance and Proverbs with the first fruits of all thine | increase: Blessed is he-that con- |-sidereth-the | poor.

Cast thy bread upon the waters, for thou shalt find it after | ma-ny | days: Blessed

is he-that con- |-sidereth-the | poor.

|

Psalm xli. 1. Fccles.

xi. 1.

v. 42.

Give to him that asketh thee, and from him Matthew that would borrow of thee turn | not thou | away: Blessed is | he-that con- |-sidereththe poor.

When thou makest a feast, call the poor, the maimed, the | lame, the | blind: Blessed is he-that con- |-sidereth the | poor. There is that scattereth and yet in- | creaseth: Blessed is | he-that con- |-sidereththe poor.

Luke xiv. 13.

Proverbs

xi. 24.