Page:The rock of wisdom.djvu/79

 second law, because it respects and inculcates the ordinances formerly given on Mount Sinai, with other precepts not expressed before; this book contains a degree of duty we owe to our God and in the way pointed out, that we may honor him. Hence the wicked who refuse to be subject to the divine law are called in scripture, the children of the devil. There shall be no poor. It is not to be understood as a promise that there shall be no poor in Israel, as appears from the 15th chap, of Deut. 11 verse, for the poor shall never cease, where we learn that God's people would never be at loss to find objects for their charity; but it is an ordinance that all should do their best endeavors to prevent any of their brethren from suffering the hardships of poverty and want. Here we see what authority God was pleased to give to the church guides of the Old Testament in deciding without appeal all controversies relating to the law, promising that they should not err therein, and punishing with death such as proudly refused to obey their decisions; and surely he has not done less for the church guides of the New Testament. This caution against suffering any filth in the camp was to teach them to fly the filth of sin, which driveth God away from the soul. This was a dispensation granted by God to his people, who, being the Lord of all things, can give a right and title to one upon the goods of another, otherwise the scripture every where condemns usury as contrary to the law of God and a crying sin. Ex. 22: 35.—St. Paul understands this of the spiritual, laborers in the church of God who is not to be denied his maintenance. 1st Cor. 9: 8, D, 10. This orders for the destroying of the Amelakites; sheweth in the mystical sense how hateful these are to God and what punishment they are to look for from his justice, who attack and discourages his servants when they but just come out as it were of the Egypt of this wicked world, and being yet weak and faint hearted, are but beginning their journey to the land of promise.—In the Old Testament God promises temporal blessings to the keepers, of his law, heaven not being opened as yet, and that gross and sensual people being more moved with present and sensible things. But in the New Testament the goods which are promised us are spiritual and eternal, and temporal evils are turned into blessings. Thus God