Chap. 22. .9n £xpofetion upon the Hockey' J o a. Verf. 9 87 t.herleffe, it is as if he had laid ; Among all the Caufes that lye asnjudged,tbie is the Caufe, that god taker 'tuft notice of,and in mçfi difpleafed with the ne; led. ofit,evex when the caufe ofthe fatherlrfs is not pleaded, or fudged. All ate forward enough to plead the Caufe ofthe rich ; but when the Client is poore, and appeares (in forma p.euperie ) his caul feldome finds any but a poore ard formal pleading. We read ( 6. i. ) That there was agreat murmuring ofthe CCrecians agairft the Hebrezres, becaufe their widower were neglelled in the dayly admin:firation. Church Off cers (in their capacity) as well as State.Ofl'icers(in theirs)ought to have a careful! eye upon widows that are in want. And the. Apoftle games (Chap, r. 27.) fummes up (as it were) all Religion into this one duty ; `Pure religion and und'filed before: God, and thefather is thu, to vita thefatherlefi and the aridow,N{ t, as ifthis were indeed all religion, or the all of religion : but as when the Spirit in Scripture, lath to doc with prophane parlors, or meere moral! honeft men, who place all religion in civil! rigli teoufneffe and worker ofcharity, thenhe calls them to firft Table duties, or to the fincere worfhipof God, fo when the Spirit is (peaking to tholewho place all their religion in worfhip, or in firft Tableduties,negleaing the duties of charity and righteouí. neffe, then we finde all religion placed in feeond Table worke, in giving every manhis due, in compaffion to the poore, in help- ing the helpleffe, in feeding'the hungry, in cloathing the naked, in comforting the forrowfull,and by name the fatherleffe and the widow. Thie is pure religion to vijit the f rtáerlefs and the widow, That is, this is the prac`}icall part or the true ptac`lice of Religion, without which all Religion is vaine Therefore when the Apoftle had laid (v. 2 t.) Receive with meekaefs the en- graffed word : Left any man fhould flay there, and thinkehe had.; done enough when he had been a hearer, he adds, Be doersef the word ; That is, Tooke to the praaical l part ofReligion, be dili- gent in the dutyesof love to men, as well as in chofe of the war -.. (hip ofGod. Take thefe two inferences from the wholeverfe. Firft. Seeing God taketh fo much care ofthe widow and the fatherleffe, Let thewidow, let thefatherl'Ire truftin Gad. They who receive peculiar promifes from God fhould put forth fuitable aas of faith towards God. Faith cannot worke with- out.
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