Ps. xxxviii. 12. They that seek my hurt, speak mischievous things, and imagine deceit all the day long. lv. 10. Mischief and sorrow are in the midst of the wicked. xvii. 20. He that hath a perverse tongue falleth into mischief. Ch. xiii. 17. xxiv. 2, 8, 16.-xxviii. 14. Eccl. x. 13. The end of a fool's talk, is mischievous madness. Isa. lix 4. They conceive mischief, and bring forth folly. See Ezek. xi. 2. Dan. xi. 17. Mic. vii. 3. Acts xiii. 10. Threats. Ps. vii. 14. The wicked hath conceived mischief and brought forth falsehood. Ver. 16. His mischief shall return upon his own head. x. 14. Thou beholdest mischief and spite to requite it. xxi. 11. They imagine a mischievous device against me; Ver. 12. Therefore shalt thou make them turn their back. lii. 2. Thy tongue deviseth mischief: God shall destroy thee. Ver. 5. Ps. lxii. 3. xciv. 20. Shall the throne of iniquity have fellowship with thee, which frameth mischief by a law? cxl. 1. Deliver me from the evil man. Ver. 2. They imagine mischief in their heart continually. Prov. xi. 27. He that diligently seeketh good procureth favour, but he that seeketh mischief it shall come upon him. HARMLESS. XLI. Of being harmless. Matt. x. 16. Be wise as serpents and harm. less as doves. Rom. xvi. 19. Phil. ii. 15. Be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world. BLAMELESS. XLII. Blameless. 1 Cor. i. 8. God shall confirm you unto the end, that ye may be blameless in the day of the Lord Jesus. Eph. i. 4. God hath chosen us in Christ, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. 1 Thess. v. 3. The very God of peace sanctify you wholly, and I pray God that your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameiess unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 1 Tim. v. 7. These things give in charge, that they may be blame. less. 2 Pet. iii. 14. Be diligent that ye may be found of him without spot, and blameless. See Luke i. 6. MERCY. XLIII. Promises to the merciful. Ps. xviii. 25. With the merciful thou wilt shew thyself merciful. xxxvii. 21. The righteous sheweth mercy. Ver. 26. He is ever merciful. Prov. iii. 3. Let not mercy and truth forsake thee, bind them about thy neck, write them upon the table of thine heart. xi 17. The merciful man doth good to his own soul, but he that is cruel troubleth his own flesh. xvi. 6. By mercy and truth iniquity is purged. xxi. 21. He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness and honour. Dan. iv. 27. Break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniqui. ties by shewing mercy. Hos. vi. 5. I desired mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings. Matt. ix. 13.xii. 7. xii. 6. Keep mercy and judgment. Mic. vi 8. What doth the Lord require of thee but to do justly and love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God. Zech. vii. 9. Thus spake the Lord of hosts, saying, execute true judgment and shew mercy and compassions every one to his brother. Matt. v. 7. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy. Luke vi. 36. Be ye merciful as your Father is merciful. Rom. xii. 8. He that sheweth mercy, let him do it with cheerful Phil. ii. 1. If there are any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy. Ver. 2. Col. iii. 12. Put on (as the elect of God holy and beloved) bowels of mercies. James iii. 17. The wisdom that is from above is full of mercy. UNMERCIFUL. XLIV. Unmerciful. Threats. Ps. cix. 12. Let there be none to extend mercy unto him. Ver. 16. Because he remembered not to shew mercy. Hos. iv. 1. The Lord hath a controversy with the inhabitants of the land, because there is no truth, nor mercy, nor knowledge of God in the land. Matt. xxiii. 23. Woe to you, ye have omitted the weightier matters of the law, judgment, mercy and faith. Rom. i. 28, 29. The reprobate mind is filled with all unrighteousness, implacable, unmerciful. James ii. 13. He shall have judgment without mercy that shewed no mercy. Matt. vii. 22. COMPASSION AND PITY. XLV. Compassion and pity, Zech. vii. 9. Thus spake the Lord of hosts, saying, execute true judgment, and shew mercy and compassions every man to his brother. Matt. xviii. 33. Shouldst thou not have had compassion on thy fellow servant, even as I had pity on thee. Luke x. 33, A Samaritan had compassion on him that fell among thieves. Ver. 37. Jesus said, go thou and do likewise. 1 Pet. iii. 8. Brethren, be all of one mind, having compassion one of another. 1 John iii. 15. Whosoever hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion toward him, how dwelleth the love of God in that man? See Heb. xiii. 3. -х. 32, 33, 34. Phil. iv. 14. Job xxx. 25. Ps. xxxv. 13, 14. Rom. xii. 15. Rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with those that weep. Gal. vi. 2. Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. Job vi. 14. To the afflicted pity should be shewed. xix. 22. Have pity upon me, O ye my friends, for the hand of God hath touched me. 1 Pet. iii. 8. Be pitiful, be courteous. Eph. iv. 32. Matt. xxv. 34 to 46. See there Christ's sentences, at the last day, to the compassionate and uncompassionate. Amos i. 11. See persons not to be pitied. Deut. vii. 16. xiii. 8.-xix. 13, 21. Ezek. ix. 5, 6. CRUELTY OF THE WICKED. XLVI. Cruelty of the wicked. Gen. xlix. 5. Instruments of cruelty are in their habitations. Ver. 7. Deut. xxxii. 33. Their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruel venom of asps. Prov. xii. 10. The tender mercies of the wicked are cruel. Ps. Ixxiv. 20. Earth's dark places are full of the habitations of cruelty. Lam. iv. 3. The daughter of my people is become cruel. Prayers. Ps. Ixxi. 4. Deliver me, O my God, out of the hand of the wicked, and out of the hand of the unrighteous and cruel man. Ps. xxv. 19. xxvii. 12. Threats. Zech. i. 15. Thus saith the Lord, I am very sore displeased with the heathen, that are at ease, for I was but a little displeased and they helped forward the affliction. Amos i. 11. Obad. i. 15. Gen. xlii. 21. Amos vi. 1, 3, 6. Isa. xlvii. 6. Judg. ix. 24. Ezek. xviii. 18.-xxxiv. 4. FORGIVENESS. XLVII. Forgiveness. Matt. vi. 9. After this manner pray ye, our Father which art in heaven. Ver. 12. Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Ver. 14. If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. Ver. 15. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive you your trespasses. xviii. 15. If thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone; if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother. Ver. 21. Peter said, how oft shall my brother offend and I forgive him? till seven times? XXII. Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee till seven times, but until seventy times seven. 1 Matt. xviii. 27. The Lord of that servant (who could not pay) forgave him all the debt. Ver. 35. So likewise shall my heavenly Father do also to you, if ye from your hearts forgive every one his brother their trespasses. Mark xi. 25. When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any, that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. Ver. 26. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive you your trespasses. Luke vi. 37. Forgive and ye shall be forgiven. Ver. 38. For with what measure ye mete it shall be measured to you again. xvii. 3. Take heed to yourselves, if thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him, and if he repent, forgive him. Ver. 4. And if he trespass against thee seven times in a day, and seven times in a day turn again to thee, saying I repent, thou shalt forgive him. Eph. iv. 32. Be ye kind one to another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. Col. iii. 12. Put on (as the elect of God, holy and beloved) bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering. Ver. 13. Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any men have a quarrel against any, even as Christ forgave you, so do ye. See 2 Cor. ii. 7, 10. Gal. vi. 1. REVENGE. XLVIII. Revenge. Lev. xix. 18. Thou shalt not avenge nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people. Prov. xx. 22. Say not thou, I will recompence evil. xxiv. 29. Say not I will do to him as he hath done to me, I will render to the non according to his work. 1 Thess. v. 15. 1 Pet. iii. 9. xii. 20. Deceit is in the heart of them that imagine evil. Zech. vii. 10. Let none of you imagine evil against his brother in his heart. Ch. viii. 17. Rom. xii. 19. Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place to wrath, for it is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay saith the Lord. Ver. 20. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing, thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Ver. 21. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Prayers and complaints. Ps.cxl. 1, 2. Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil men, which imagine mischief in their heart. Hos. vii. 15. Lam. jii. 60. Ps. x. 2. xxi. 10. See revenge punished. Ezek. xxv. 12 to 18. GOOD COUNSEL. XLIX. The duty of giving and receiving good counsel. Ps. Iv. 14. We took sweet counsel together, and walked to the house of God in company. Prov. i. 5. A wise man will hear and will increase in learning, and a man of understanding will attain unto wise counsel. xi. 14. Where no counsel is the people fall, but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety. Ch. xv. 22.-xx. 18. xxiv. 6. xii. 5. He that hearkeneth to counsel is wise. xiii. 10. With the well-advised is wisdom. xix. 20. Hear counsel and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. xxvii. 9. Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel. Instances of good counsel received by Moses. Exod. xviii. 19.-by Bathsheba. 1 Kings i. 12.-by the king of Israel. 2 Kings vi. 9, 10. -by the king of Judah. 2 Chron. xxx. 2, 23.-by the princes of JLdah. Ezek. x. 3, 8. L. Rejecting evil counsel, the duty and safety thereof. Ps. i. 1. Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly. Job xxi. 16. xxii. 18. Prov. i. 10. If sinners entice thee consent thou not. xii. 5. The counsel of the wicked is deceit. xix. 27. Cease to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. Followers of evil counsel punished. Instances thereof. Those who followed the counsel of Balaam. Numb. xxxi. 16.-Rehoboam for following the counsel of the young men. 1 Kings xii. 8, 14. Ahaziah for following the evil counsel of his mother. 2 Chron. xxii. 3, 4, 5. LI. The mutual obligations to giving and receiving instruction from one another. Prov. iv. 13. Take fast hold of instruction, let her not go, keep her for she is thy life. Ch. i. 2, 3. v. 1.-vi. 23. viii. 10. Receive my instructions and not silver; and knowledge rather than choice gold. Ver. 33. Hear instruction and be wise, and refuse it not. ix. 9. Give instruction to a wise man and he will be yet wiser, teach a just man and he will increase in learning. x. 17. He is in the way of life that keepeth instruction, but he that refuseth reproof erreth. xii. 1. Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge, but he that hateth reproof is brutish. xv. 32. He that refuseth instruction despiseth his own soul, but he that heareth reproof getteth understanding. xix. 20. Hear counsel and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end. Ver. 27. Cease, my son, to hear the instruction that causeth to err from the words of knowledge. xxi. 11. When a scorner is punished the simple is made wise, but when the wise is instructed he receiveth knowledge. xxiii. 12. Apply thine heart unto instruction, and thine ears to the words of knowledge. Ver. 23. Buy the truth and sell it not; also, wisdom, and instruction, and understanding. Job iv. 3. Thou hast instructed many, and hast strengthened the weak hands. |