Le 19, 12

Ps 14, 5

Ps 23, 3-4

Za 8, 17

Za 5, 3

Dt 23, 21

23

Ps 75, 12

Faith is lost, and is taken

Je 7, 28

Ma 3,5

Thou shalt not swear false-
ly by My Name, ncr profane away from their mouth.
the Name of thy God. I am
the Lord.

He that sweareth to his
neighbour, and deceiveth not,
shall dwell in Thy Tabernacle.

Who shall ascend into the Mountair of the Lord ? or who shall stand in His Holy Place? He that hath clean hands and a pure heart:| who hath not taken his soul in vain, nor sworn deceitfully to his neighbour.

Let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his friend, and love not a false oath for all these are the things that I hate, saith the Lord.

He said to me: This is the curse that goeth forth over the face of the earth: for every thief shall be judged as is there written: and every one that sweareth in like manner shall be judged by it.

I will be a speedy witness against false swearers. Examples of False Witness and Deceit :

Ge 3, 4

(1) Satan.
(2) Our Lord's accusers. Mk 14, 55
(3) Herod.
Mt 2, 8
(4) The Roman soldiers. Mt 28, 13
(5) Ananias and Sa-
phira.

(6) St. Stephen's accus

ers.

(7) St. Paul's accusers.
(8) The Cretians.

(9) Cain.

(10) Joseph's brethren.
(11) Putiphar's wife.
(12) Magicians.
(13) Gabaonites.
(14) Doeg.
(15) Jeroboam.

(16) The old Prophet.
(17) Giezi.

(18) Samaritans.
(19) The Jews.
(20) St. Jeremias's

mies.

Ac 5, 1

Ac 6, 11

Ac 16, 20

Tt 1, 12

Ge 4, 9

Ge 37, 31 Ge 39, 14

Ex 8, 19 Js 9, 9 1 K 22, 10

3 K 14, 2

1 K 13, 11

4 K 5, 21

1 E 4, 12

Mt 11, 19

ene- Je 37, 13

23. VOWS MADE TO GOD BY NO MEANS TO BE

When thou hast made a Lord your God: bring pre-
vow to the Lord thy God, sents, all ye that are round
thou shalt not delay to pay about Him.

it, because the Lord thy God If thou hast vowed any- Eci 5,3-5
will require it.-And if thou thing to God, defer not to
delay, it shall be imputed to pay it; for an unfaithful and
thee for a sin. If thou wilt foolish promise displeaseth
not promise, thou shalt be Him: but whatsoever thou
without sin.-But that which hast vowed, pay it:-And it
is once gone out of thy lips is much better not to vow,
thou shalt observe, and shalt than after a vow not to per-
do as thou hast promised to form the things promised.—
the Lord thy God, and hast Give not thy mouth to cause
spoken with thy own will and thy flesh to sin; and say not
with thy own mouth.
before the angel: There is
Vow, and pay unto the no providence: lest God be

12

angry at thy words, and will marry :-Having damna-
destroy all the works of thy tion, because they have made
hands.
void their first faith.

1 Ti5, il- But the younger widows It is ruin to a man to de- Pv 20, 25 avoid. For when they have vour holy ones, and after grown wanton in Christ, they vows to retract.

Ge 28, 20

22

24. THE NECESSITY OF KEEPING VOWS MADE TO

GOD.

Jacob made a vow, saying: same will I offer a holocaust
If God shall be with me, and to the Lord.
shall keep me in the way by The things which his father 2 P15, 18
which I walk, and shall give had vowed, and he himself
me bread to eat and raiment had vowed, he brought into
to put on, And I shall return the house of the Lord, gold
prosperously to my father's and silver, and vessels of
house, the Lord shall be my divers uses.

God:-And this stone, which The people rejoiced when 1P 29, 9
I have set up for a title, shall they promised their offerings
be called the House of God: willingly, because they offer-
and of all things that thou ed them to the Lord with all
shalt give to me, I will offer their heart: and David the
tithes to thee.
kingrejoiced also with a great

Nu 21, 2-3 Israel, binding himself by joy

Jg 11, 3031

vow to the Lord, said: If The children of Israel and 2 P31,6
Thou wilt deliver this people Juda, that dwelt in the cities
into my hand, I will utterly of Juda, brought in the tithes
destroy their cities. And of oxen and sheep, and the
the Lord heard the prayers tithes of holy things, which
of Israel, and delivered up they had vowed to the Lord
the Chanaanite; and they cut their God: and carrying
them off and destroyed their them all, made many heaps.
cities and they called the They cast Jonas into the Jo 1, 15-16
name of that place Horma, sea.-And the men feared
that is to say, Anathema. the Lord exceedingly, and

Jephte made a vow to the sacrificed victims to the Lord,
Lord, saying: If Thou wilt and made vows.

deliver the children of So Heliodorus after he had 2 M3, 35
Ammon into my hands,-offered a sacrifice to God,
Whosoever shall first come and made great vows to Him,
forth out of the doors of my that had granted him life,
house, and shall meet me and given thanks to Onias,
when I return in peace from taking his troops with him,
the children of Ammon, the returned to the king.

25. TITHES AND OTHER OFFERINGS.

Ma 1, 8, 14 If you offer the blind for sick, is it not evil? Offer it sacrifice, is it not evil? and to thy prince, if he will be if you offer the lame and the pleased with it, or if he will

CC

Le 27, 30

Nu 18, 29

Le 27, 3133

Ex 20,8

Le 23, 3

Is 58, 13

14

regard thy face, saith the that which was changed, and
Lord of Hosts. Cursed is that for which it was changed,
the deceitful man, that hath shall be sanctified to the
in his flock a male, and Lord, and shall not be re-
making a vow offereth in deemed.

sacrifice that which is feeble Wo to you, Scribes and Mt 23,23
to the Lord: for I am a Great Pharisees, hypocrites! be-
King, saith the Lord of cause you tithe mint, and
Hosts, and My Name is anise, and cummin, and have
dreadful among the Gen- left the weightier things of
tiles.
the Law.

Tithes of the land, whether

I perceived that the por- 2 E13, 10
of corn or of the fruits of tions of the Levites had not
trees, are the Lord's, and are been given them.
sanctified to Him.

Shall a man afflict God, for Ma 3,8
And you

All the things that you you afflict me?
shall offer of the tithes, and have said: Wherein do we
shall separate for the gifts afflict thee? in tithes and in
of the Lord, shall be the best first-fruits.
and choicest things.

Bring all the tithes unto Ma 3, 10
If any man will redeem the storehouse, that there
his tithes, he shall add the may be meat in My House,
fifth part of them.-Of all and try Me in this, saith the
the tithes of oxen, and sheep, Lord: if I open not unto
and goats that pass under you the flood-gates of Heaven,
the shepherd's rod, every and pour you out a blessing
tenth that cometh shall be even to abundance.
sanctified to the Lord.-It Abram gave Melchisedech Ge 14, 20
shall not be chosen neither the tithes of all.

good nor bad, neither shall Of all things that thou
it be changed for another. If shalt give to me, I will offer
any man change it, both tithes to thee.

26.-OBSERVANCE OF FEAST DAYS.

GREATER IN

DULGENCE ALLOWED ON THOSE DAYS, WITHIN
BOUNDS OF MODERATION.

Remember that thou keep Day, and call the sabbath
holy the sabbath-day. delightful, and the Holy of
Six days shall ye do work: the Lord glorious, and glorify
the seventh day, because it Him, while thou dost not
is the rest of the sabbath, thy own ways, and thy own
shall be called holy. You will is not found to speak a
shall do no work on that word:-Then shalt thou be
day it is the Sabbath of the delighted in the Lord, and I
Lord in all your habitations. will lift thee up above the

If thou turn away thy foot high places of the earth, and from the sabbath, from doing will feed thee with the inheritthy own will in My Holy ance of Jacob thy father.

Ge 28, 22

Je 17, 21, 24-25

Je 17, 27

2 E8, 10

To 2, 1-2

* See St. Thomas, P. I. quest, cii. art. iv.

Eci 39,19- Send forth flowers as the j

21

Eci 17,25

28

You that are mindful of Is 62, 6

no

lily, and yield a smell, and the Lord, give Him
bring forth leaves in grace, silence till he establish Jeru-
and praise with canticles, salem.

19

and bless the Lord in His Be ye filled with the Holy Ep 5, 18-
works.-Magnify His Name, Spirit;-Speaking to your-
and give glory to Him with selves in psalms and hymns
the voice of your lips, and and spiritual canticles, sing-
with the canticles of your ing and making melody in
mouths, and with harps: and your hearts to the Lord.
in praising Him you shall Let the Word of Christ Cl 3, 16
say in this manner:-All the dwell in you abundantly, in
works of the Lord are ex- all wisdom: teaching and
ceeding good.

admonishing one another in
Go to the side of the holy psalms, hymns, and spiritual
age, with them that live and canticles, singing in grace in
give praise to God.-Tarry your hearts to God.

not in the error of the un- By Him let us offer the sac- He 13, 15
godly; give glory before rifice of praise always to God;
death. Praise perisheth from that is to say, the fruit of
the dead as nothing.-Give lips confessing to His Name.
thanks whilst thou art living: Is any of you sad? let him Ja 5, 13
whilst thou art alive and in pray. Is he cheerful in mind?
health thou shalt give thanks, let him sing.

and shalt praise God, and The Lord is great, and ex- Ps 95, 4
shalt glory in His mercies.-ceedingly to be praised: He
How great is the mercy of is to be feared above all gods.

the Lord, and His forgive- Who shall declare the Ps 105, 2
ness to them that turn to powers of the Lord ? who
shall set forth all His praises?

Him!