FOR SPECIAL CASES AND PERSONS.

The Poor and Needy. 276

Ps. ix. 18; xxxiv. 6; lxviii. 10;
lxix. 33; lxxii. 4; cvii. 41;
cix. 31; cxl. 12. Prov. xiv. 21.
Isa. xi. 4; xxv. 4. Jer. xx. 13.
Matt. xi. 5. James ii. 5.
The Old..

. 278

Ps. xcii. 14. Isa. xlvi. 4.

The Young..

279

Exod. xx. 12. Ps. xxxiv. II;
cxxviii. 3.
Prov. viii. 17. Isa.

xliv. 3, 4; liv. 13. Jer. iii. 4.

The Sick.

273

Isa. xxxii.
Rev. xxii.

.. 281

Deut. xxxii. 39.
Ps. xxx. 2, 3.
Isa. xxxiii. 24; XXXV. 3, 5, 6.
Ezek. xxxiv. 16. Matt. iv. 23,
24; viii. 7. James v. 14. Rev.
xxii. 2.

The Widows.

283

Deut. x. 17, 18; xxiv. 19. Ps.
lxviii. 5; cxlvi. 9. Prov. xv. 25.
James i. 27.

The Fatherless. . . .

284

Exod. xxii. 22-24. Deut. x. 18.

0

PART I.

THE WORD OF PROMISE.

B

CHAPTER I.

THE SURENESS OF THE WORD.

WE enter on this field by asking attention to a few thoughts as to the true nature of a promise, and as to the word on which every promise rests.

In all promises God is speaking to us as only God can speak; he speaks in truth and love; he expects to be credited and trusted. Let us not wrong him by suspicion or coldness. Let us do justice to his word and to himself.

"The word of promise," says Owen, "is the soul's great supportment in waiting for God;" and another has truly said that "every promise is built upon four pillars :-God's justice or holiness, which will not suffer him to deceive; his grace or goodness, which will not suffer him to forget; his truth, which will not suffer him to change; and his power, which makes him able to accomplish."

A promise is something sent on beforehand to tell of something else coming after. It is from a Latin word meaning "foresent;" a